"Seems like an easy enough job, provided that there won't be any surprises along the way."
Indeed, the job was simple. Go on a hike through the forest and deliver a package to some sort of an old hermit that lives there. The day was surprisingly sunny for the time of year, which bode well for any kinds of field excursions. Setesh retrieved the package from the client and went on his way. Quickly enough a hundred steps turned into a thousand and then ten times that, and there was still no sight of the hermit's house. "Damn, was it really so far away? Well, at least I got my camping supplies." One good thing about being a fire mage is that you don't have to worry about... well, fire. In old times, times of war, fire magic was sought after both by the armies and the civilians. In the hands of a master, it offers nearly unmatched firepower, but even a beginner can make themselves warm, cook food and defend themselves with it. It was a powerful tool.
Setesh glanced at his freezing, shaking hands. Sunlight couldn't penetrate the thick crown of leaves above. It quickly got much colder. The fire mage held out his hand and took a deep breath, and suddenly a coat of flames enveloped it, chasing away the freezing cold. The man smiled.
"It's a stupid job, but everyone started like that. Even the best guys around. I guess I should just try to enjoy the process."
He mused to himself himself, wondering if his mother also used to do those types of jobes when she was younger. Dad probably did, he was a wizard through and through. One of the best in the country, according to the information Setesh managed to obtain on his own. Mom was... strange. She always seemed like a stay-at-home type of person, but after everything went down she turned out to be a fearsome mage in her own right.
Soon enough, the young mage found the place marked by the client, and indeed, there was a door. In a tree.
"A tree. Of course it's a tree." Setesh knocked on the door, and met with the old hermit, a cheery fellow, which is admittedly pretty rare with people his age. The young mage received the package he was supposed to return with, as well as something the hermit called "a little gift."
"A stick of licorice?"
"Oh, it's not any normal licorice as you'll soon find out. Now you should go.
Surprised, but still grateful, Setesh accepted the gift - sweets were sweets after all, even though he wasn't the biggest fan of licorice. As he chewed on the stick however, he suddenly experienced a strange energy surge, as if his mana became ever so slightly stronger.
"No normal licorice, huh. No kidding."
He knew nothing about plants, so he also realized he probably wouldn't know how to find the plant even if he wanted to. Slightly dismayed by this, Setesh returned to the client to return the parcel and receive his payment.

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