Waning Emergence

The issue with the aether of the land, as most may take for granted, is how finite it is. Every request to twist the natural method of the world, every wish uttered in aid or defense. Every redirection made costs somewhere. The price can be minuscule, quickly restored with rest, food, and hydration. Sometimes the cost can be too much.
 
This balancing act is always the mage's greatest challenge. There's nothing free in aetherial manipulation.
 
This cost is one I immediately considered in my in-depth research, and due to my desire to retain my hiding, I spent too much of it for answers. The settlement nearby had become aware of the strange occurrences of dying vegetation and parched, lifeless soil that snaked its way up to my place of hiding. I was stripping the land there to feed my lesser allies so I could research in private.
 
The aether was all but non-existent in the hole I had covered myself in, and it was only a matter of time that I would end up discovered.
 
No matter, I had what I needed. To ensure none could follow a trace, I set the cave ablaze with a bit of my own accumulated energy, watching as all the mage's research turned to ash. It was time to leave. I merged with the approaching crowd as they all sought for answers among each other. They looked around for clues.
 
They wouldn't find it. And like that, I disappeared, stepping away finally from the desert settlement, back into the vast sands, this time with an ally who responded to my call, allowing me to travel effortlessly. And no one was the wiser.
 
The story of the mage whose home fell ransacked of all his magical research and the mysterious fire that lit the cave in the middle of the night would be the stories of mystery that would remain among the people. Simple rumors and gossip lead nowhere. I would be far gone before it would reach any of those mortals who were far too curious for their excellent.
 
It was then a mere moment in the past, my start towards retaining my hold in this world.
 
The settlement began to disappear beneath the horizon as a rode away, an undistinguished beginning for such a desire that I hold. But I've no complaints. Indeed, having the opportunity even to have wishes again was worth the effort, despite how unknown and unimportant it might be. For that, I would continue my fight against anyone willing to steal once again my chance at being.