I feel a bit awkward, we are celebrating. Well, my mother is celebrating I am kind of just feeling a bit out of place. Officially I finished my education, got my driving license, and became a fully-fledged witch all within a week. Just luck really I guess but I do wonder how much my mother pushed my driver's license to make sure it would be a few days after I finished my education. I am not fully sure why she pushed me to do an extra two years of that, maybe to keep me busy or instill me with some sense of purpose. I guess the reasoning doesn't matter I am done now.

What do new adults get when they do this kind of stuff normally? I don't know but I am pretty sure it isn't a fully paid off house, a car, and a trust fund I can live my life off with plenty of luxury. I have seen her books, my inheritance is going to be just as insane. I am not sure why we are not nobility with what we own. I guess it is a fairly common trait of magic user families that are hundreds of years old. Somehow we never got the 'I'm better than you' attitude, I guess that it is likely due to how we live protecting the realm and some of the horrors we see, the last invasion we were at was brutal... I don't want to go into it more than that.

"Come on Alex there aren't many things we get to celebrate and I got a case of this wine, the same vintage as your birth you can at least share a bottle with me,"

"Just one glass mum," That seems to please her and she pours me one, I just watch the bubbles. She does a little toast, I am not sure why she bothers with just the two of us but it makes her happy. I guess I have a lot on my mind.

I take a bit too much of the wine and spit it out into my glass coughing. I know I am hellbound but I didn't know that wine could be too that's disgusting.

"Lemonade instead?" She asks already pouring me a glass.

"Thank you," I indulge her a bit more. Do you ever find purpose hard to find? I mean maybe it is just a late teenager thing but it feels like all the systems, schooling, government, and such are just pushing so many choices on you. Heck, I am going to have more freedom than anyone I have met. No need for a job, I don't feel an attraction to anyone so no need to worry about relationships. I don't even have to worry about boarding a plane to go abroad. It doesn't even take a snap of my fingers and I can be there.

And then I sense something and just jump away. As I do I see a brief smile as my mother notices and appears at the destination next to me. Spirits, a swarm of them. They are just flying over the train station heading towards the river. A rarity really. Granted there are just so many magical things that seem a rarity I wonder if it matters.

"Still more attuned to the hells?"

"Yeah," I lie slightly, I am not more attuned I am fully attuned.

"I will handle the heaven ones then,"

A pretty easy job, just open portals in front of them after finding out the attunement to clear the mortal realm of the magic influence they have. Feels a bit like a reverse golf game where we are creating holes instead of trying to get something to go in one. Starting at the front and slowly working our way backward. There is almost a kind of magnetic field on the rifts as the spirits that match get pulled in a little but it is better to do it mostly manually to make sure everyone goes to the correct place.

"I guess there are no spiritualists around,"

"They are a rarity, most people are just witches or warlocks. It has been a while since I saw an elementalist or shaman,"

"I have never encountered one,"

"I think it was a week before my first wedding anniversary I last met a shaman, they tend to be from other areas and it might have been when I was a child for an elementalist, they tend to self destruct more,"

"Too much uncontained power is bad. I guess that is why most people just became witches, warlocks or necromancers,"

"It didn't use to be quite as many necromancers but they made a resurgence,"

It doesn't take too long to finish up and I feel another magic burst and just teleport to it.

"I guess that explains the lost spirits mum,"

"A soul demon... I am not sparing it Alex,"

My mother hates soul demons, she always worried someone she cares for will be eaten by it or someone will experience that pain. I can't say I blame her. If I found out dad was eaten I would likely crumble with the knowledge. It isn't overly a strong one and after my mother just looks at me I realm bind the area giving her access. I guess she wants to keep celebrating. I know after today I will be handling things on my own more, I am generally strong enough for most basic things that cross.

"One last time then?"

"To the next guardian of Tonwick," she toasts as we make short work of it. I doubt I will ever get to be the guardian of this city while she is alive and I must confess I am glad I don't see that day coming anytime soon.

I might be lost but at least I know that.