《Machinist of Mana》


 Field of Nightmares

    The lathe spun, and carefully, bit by bit I removed the material. It was a delicate thing, time consuming, but meditative as I worked the small piece of steel into the exact shape it needed to be. I had notes of course, and measurements, and the original bit sitting on the bench nearby, all to get this metal the right size.


    As I pulled back I heard a voice shouting. ¡°Making another six-shooter there Liam?¡±


    I turned and after confirming my visitor switched the machine off before removing my earplugs and glasses. The radio buzzed in the background, news playing for some white noise.


    ¡°Nah, nephew broke his favorite toy. Just making a replacement part. How''s it hanging Mitch?¡± I asked as I rose to greet him, hugging one of my oldest friends where he stood in the door.


    ¡°Good brother, you? Just came by to see if you wanted to go with Lee and I up to the mountains this weekend. He''s found some place he wants to try camping, says the views are great.¡±


    ¡°Hate to say it, but I''ve already got plans,¡± I said as I motioned him towards the house.


    We turned from rolled up door of the shop and to the small home that I''d bought last year. The price had been great for being this close to the city, mostly because it was torn to bits. None of that really mattered to me though, what had mattered was the beautiful outbuilding. The last owner had apparently loved fixing cars in his younger days, but had been unable to keep it up as he got older. Cleaning everything had been an absolute pain, but worth it.


    ¡°Date?¡± my friend asked as we entered.


    ¡°No, seeing grandma,¡± I said with a shake of my head. ¡°She''s... old ya know? Might not get too many more chances.¡±


    ¡°Spend time with them while you can,¡± he answered with weight. I''d never known much about his grandparents, but I knew he''d lost one just last year. Then he perked up, ¡°Anything else going on?¡±


    ¡°Not much if I''m being honest. Work and playing around here,¡± I told him with a shrug.


    Mitch didn''t stay long, and I hated to see him go. We''d known each other for years and years, but sometimes if felt as if we were drifting apart. Now we had different lives, some separate friends. Perhaps that was the way of things, old friends leaving us, new ones being found, but it still hurt.


    I gave my 3d printers a once over, making sure they were still doing their work without going all screwy on me before heading back to the shop. It was still early, barely even noon, so I decided to take an extended break. One by one I turned off my tools and lights as I went for the door.


    ¡°... Is due to be executed this evening...¡± the radio said as I flipped it off, some report about a psycho doctor or something.


    ¡°Now, where to go?¡± I asked myself. ¡°Need some onions, maybe...¡±


    There was a small vegetable stall about a mile away, less if I cut through some old fields. It was quint, an unmanned thing that always surprised city folk. Many would ask themselves how everything didn''t get stolen, but so far as I knew the people who ran it never had major problems. The owner was a nice old man, sometimes joined by some of his wife or grand-kids. I could pop over there for some produce and be home soon enough, the fresh food would go well in dinner.


    With a pep in my step I kept in through the backyard, crossing a small patch of woods and into an abandoned field. The trails were well-worn by game and myself, the walk easy. I didn''t know what this little vacant area had been, probably either grazing or tobacco some years back, but now it was just an overgrown lot, head-height grass, probably forty acres total. Some real-estate developer was sure to buy it up someday, and fill it with ugly cookie-cutter houses.


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    I kept to the trail here, there''d be enough chances of me picking up ticks either way, but less was better, at least that was my intent. About halfway through the area the ground rumbled, and I tripped, falling from the path. Quick enough I picked myself up and turned back around, but the opened route wasn''t there.


    For a few moments I searched. Game came through here all the time, so it shouldn''t be difficult to locate where I''d been walking, but it was gone. That was no matter, this meadow wasn''t that big, and I knew where the road was, so I turned and started walking.


    Things got weirder and weirder by the moment. The weeds and grass, they were all one kind, and it looked like every step I took forward made them get taller and taller. It hit me then, there were no bugs, not a cricket or anything. A brief look around on the ground didn''t reveal any either, that shouldn''t be so, there should be something around, there were always little critters in an area like this, but there were none.


    A few more steps and I could barely see the sun through the tops of the surrounding plants. They''d always been tall, but this wasn''t right, none of it was right. In a panic I tried to turn back, tried to run from wherever I''d stumbled into, but it didn''t work. Even when I headed back the way I came the grass still grew taller, the ground darker, and fear began to mount into panic.


    Then the grasses parted, and I found myself in a circle. The ground here was stone, covered in vines and some sort of vine I didn''t recognize. In the center of the little clearing there was a glowing pool of water. That was odd, but not the oddest part. The grasses that I''d been running through, that had grown to insane heights curved up to form a sort of ceiling.


    ¡°Who are you? What do you want!?¡± I asked nobody, pulling the small knife I kept in my pocket, but there was no response.


    I spent several minutes trying to work things out while I calmed a bit. I even tried to head back to the grasses, but before I could push through I was wrought with mind-numbing terror. No matter what I tried I couldn''t leave the circle, even trying to jump into the hedge failed, feeling as if I was almost physically pushed back. Really I wanted to have an answer, but only one thing came to mind.


    ¡°It''s a trap, I''m in a trap,¡± I told myself. ¡°Only questions are whose trap, and is it a live trap, or a roach motel?¡± Other questions did flit through my mind, but until I got out of here those weren''t that important.


    Working around the circular opening I began to examine things. The vines were odd, and though I tried to cut them that too caused fear, just walking around was fine, but attempts to damage always failed. The symbols on the ground were likewise meaningless to me, though reminded me of some kind of fantasy gobbledygook.


    ¡°Doesn''t look alien, unless aliens have a weird sense of style, fairies or magic maybe?¡± I said with a shrug.


    Eventually I gave up. Time would tell me what was going to happen, and at the moment I had little to do but wait. So wait I did, playing a few phone games, then a bit of tic-tac-toe with myself on the ground.


    I didn''t know what time it was, but it should have been late when I fell asleep. The next morning was similar, so very similar, except for one thing. There was a flower just beside where I''d slept, opening onto a beautiful blossom.


    ¡°That looks friendly,¡± I guessed. ¡°and I hate to, but time to find out if this is poison.¡±


    Marching to the central pool I leaned down. There was a chance, and a very good one, that this would kill me, but if it didn''t I''d need the strength for whatever came next. Carefully I cupped my hand and took some of the liquid, sniffing it first before I drank. It was sweet, cool, and nearly perfect.


    ¡°Well, tastes better than the stuff from the spring in town. I drank from that once, tastes like metallic fart,¡± I said to whomever might be listening, hoping to get some reaction. It was true too, there was a mineral spring in the local town that people thought was good for you, and it did in fact taste disgusting.


    I spent another day doing little, for there was little to do but look at the big rock I was on. It was an odd sort of thing, the grain strange and almost unnatural, but I didn''t really know much about rocks, so who was I to judge?


    As I woke up on the third day there was another new addition. My flower from the day before had gone to fruit. The thing was periwinkle, and about the size of a mango. It was also a clear invitation.


    ¡°Time to find out if whoever set this up wants me alive or not,¡± I said as I bit down, eating the whole thing. Sure there were stories telling you not to do just that, but I had little to lose at this point, so it became breakfast, washed down with some of the water.


    An hour and no less and my insides began to burn. It was subtle at first, a bit of water from the pool cooling it, but it got worse and worse by the moment, until no matter how much I drank the burning never stopped. I''d not cried many times since childhood, but it was enough to send tears down both cheeks.


    ¡°Ah, ah, guess roach motel then,¡± I said through gritted teeth. ¡°Didn''t have to make it hurt so bad though, AAAHHHHH,¡± I screamed as another wave of pain washed over me.


    As I opened my eyes and looked down I saw my hands starting to flake and burn. Desperate, I crawled into the pool, the water had cooled the pain before, and any relief would do now. More and more I drank, begging for reprieve as bits of me floated off and away.


    The pool glowed brighter and brighter until it became almost physical, a pushing on all sides. With a final scream the pain ended, and the light overtook me.


    The world around me shifted as it pushed me forward, the light fading into only a bit above, where I was going. It was strangling, stifling, and I struggled, but still I was pushed, thrust ever forward.


    It all came to a fore in what seemed like only a second, first my head, then the rest of me pulled out and into the air. I felt weird, gross and wet, and confused. I couldn''t properly see, everything a blur of colors and shapes. Then somebody smacked my ass.


    I tried to yell at whoever had done that. This was all too weird, to strange, but that had seemed intentional, and rude. The noise came out as a high-pitched cry though, not sounding at all like my voice.


    There was shifting and movement as I was turned around again, and with effort to open my eyes I saw all around me giant figures. One in particular was looking down at me with a smile, or I thought it was a smile, my vision was still not great.


    What the fuck was going on?

 Chapter 2 Baby Life

    Alright, several weeks in and I had come to a number of conclusions. The first was that this was definitely not where I was from, the styles of clothes were different, vastly different, and the house I was in was frankly massive. It was hard to tell exactly how big things were, and I would admit that I didn''t get the best views of everything, but that didn''t mean I couldn''t see anything at all.


    My mother, for she had to be my mother, was far younger than my father was, probably in her twenties. She spent much of her time around me, singing lullabys and generally doting. Not all of her time though, I had a wet nurse as well, who took care of many of the things which must be done to any baby. I felt no need to think too much about things like feeding and changing, but they had to happen.


    On the note of the wet nurse, she was decidedly pregnant. Also of note was that if I were any judge of body language, my father was definitely too close to her. None of this ever happened in the presence of my mother, but people didn''t really expect a baby to realize what was going on around him.


    And I was decidedly a him, to my relief. I''d confirmed this by peeing while being changed, sorry Mrs. Nanny, but I had to know. There''d been days of worrying more and more as I saw all the nonsense my mother and her maids went through to get ready, the layers, the amount of coverage and lack of movement, it all looked horrible. Added to that being a woman after being a man would just be weird, I wouldn''t have wanted to go through that.


    The maids also had actual maid outfits, like black with white frills and all that, like something from a old photo or one of those cafes in Japan. Of all the things so far that had surprised me, that was the biggest. I mean, there were really only so many ways to build a lot of things, but that style? I felt like someone had beaten me to this world and injected a little of my old one, or perhaps it was the reverse, who could say?


    Language was still a struggle. I''d never been particularly good at them and there was limited context for so many things. People weren''t speaking to me very much, but more around me most of the time. When they were speaking to me, they were also only saying very limited things, like a peek-a-boo type game or songs to keep me happy.


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    Physically my parents seemed a bit taller than those around them. Mother had long raven hair in tight rings all the way down her back, whereas my father''s slight graying hair showed it too had once been black. Everything around me seemed well-made and almost fancy, a big change from Earth, where I''d been a bit of a hick.


    I didn''t see outside much, and other than my parents the only real people I met were what hat to be my grandparents. Both sets showed up, but one was noticeably older than the other. I was only guessing based on their interactions, but the ones that I thought were the maternal set seemed a bit young, particularly my grandfather, who looked almost younger than my dad.


    As he played with me I noticed something odd, the tips of his ears came to a point. It wasn''t much, them being no longer than any normal man''s, but it was there. Perhaps there were different lineages of people? Maybe even different races? From that point forward I began to look more closely at those around me and their features.


    It took days for me to confirm, but my mother too had oddly shaped ears. It wasn''t even as much as my grandfather had, only a slight shaping, mostly hidden under her hair, but it was there. I tried to check myself, but with weird pudgy baby arms that wasn''t really possible.


    My crib was of course in my parents room. Even so I did try not to be too much of a pain at night. I''d had kid sisters in my previous life and knew well how awful having a baby around could be. Therefore unless something was quite wrong when I woke up in the middle of the night I stayed silent, ruminating on the things I''d seen over the day.


    During one of these ruminations I saw something which I''d half expected, but only really been hoping for. Father rose to find the lavatory, but as he did, he didn''t take a candle or lamp with him. Instead he made a small motion with his hand and a tiny glowing orb appeared there. As he returned I called out, not crying, but loud enough to get his attention.


    He seemed to hesitate a bit before coming over and leaning over my crib, a small smile on his face as I coo''ed and reached up towards him, and the light he''d made. With a low laugh he placed his hand in my reach, letting me hold onto his finger as the little globe of light drifted up and split into dozens.


    His impromptu mobile hung there, the light fading to barely visible above me in blues and cool reds. While I looked on he spoke, and though I had no idea what he was saying my guess was that he was telling me about what would come. My new father had been distant until this moment, aloof or busy with something other than tending to me and my mother, but for a few seconds he was gentle and calm. After a time he left the mobile in place and went back to bed, the glow of the magic eventually fading into nothing.


    From that point on I kept a hard eye out for any sign of magic. There didn''t seem to be much, if any in the house though. Perhaps the lights in some of the main rooms were, but I was seldom taken there, and couldn''t get a good look. I didn''t like the disappointment, and tried to get father to repeat his performance, but for some reason he didn''t seem to get the message, or just didn''t want to. Maybe magic was taboo? I really needed to work out the language so I could ask these things.

 Chapter 3 Terrible Toddler

    ¡°Go!¡± I enthused as I was picked up.


    ¡°Now, now Percival, stop giving Mrs. Lutte so much trouble,¡± my mother chided, as she carried me.


    I let my little legs wiggle, careful not to hit mother as I worked them. She was the only one in the house who could catch me now, able to move far, far faster than her dresses would imply. To my dismay I''d never developed the magic that my father displayed.


    No, I couldn''t throw fireballs or bolts of lightning, but on the other hand I could run almost as fast as a car. The sensation was something else, wind blowing through my hair, muscles tensing and releasing all at once. I was strong too, one of the reasons I was being careful not to strike my mother accidentally.


    ¡°Go! Down!¡± I said as I was passed over to Mrs. Lutte.


    ¡°Little bundle of energy recently aren''t you?¡± my nursemaid asked.


    ¡°Please be careful dear, and let me know if he hits you. We''ll get you healed up right away,¡± my mother told her with a caring voice. ¡°Doesn''t know his own strength yet, something we''ll have to teach him soon.¡±


    ¡°My Lady I think the boy knows more than we realize. He''s always had care with me after that first time, and while he might be a bit of a handful now and then he''s never been one for fits,¡± she answered with a smile.


    She was right, and as I sat in her arms quietly I wondered if she did indeed know just how much I got. Over the last two years I''d all but mastered the local tongue, and already knew my way around the house well too. I even knew parts of the grounds, but with my tendency to wander I was never allowed on those without mother close by, lest I should run off.


    The other part of what she said pinged a bit shamefully in me though. When my powers had first activated I''d been trying to escape from Mrs. Lutte, and kicked her in my flight. I''d not thought anything of it at the time, not knowing how hard I could kick. The snapping of one of her ribs had put a quick end to my misconception, and since I''d been unbelievably careful around her and everyone else.


    Once more I winced as I remembered the scream she''d let out, or the wincing pain as the butler tried to put her back to normal, beads of sweat running down his face. He was one of several servants we employed who had minor magics, called ''talents'' his being a small healing spell he could use once or twice a day.


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    ¡°Still, be careful. I had to ask around for advice on this, since almost no one manifests at his age. Some of the ladies suggested that I hire someone with a talent for durability, but finding such servants isn''t easy,¡± she said with a frown.


    ¡°Like Mrs. Lutte,¡± I replied, getting a smile from both women. ¡°Kaylee too.¡± That was met with a slightly more complicated look.


    ¡°Percival, you are not to touch Kaylee,¡± my mother told me with a hard look.


    ¡°Won''t,¡± I replied.


    ¡°I mean it Percival,¡± she repeated, eyes turning to steel.


    ¡°Won''t, promise,¡± I told her truthfully.


    Kaylee was Mrs. Lutte''s daughter, and whether mother knew it or not my half-sister. I''d been pretty convinced of father''s infidelity as a baby, something that had gotten more and more clear as Mrs. Lutte''s pregnancy and conversations with him had gone on. When the child had been born my beliefs were confirmed, she looked too damn much like my father for anything else.


    Being that I was so little and Kaylee was still a baby it was fine that she was kept in the nursery as well. Her mother did need to look after her at her age, and two children wasn''t too much worse than one. I was satisfied that I got to keep an eye on her, hoping that I might find some way to help her one day. Sadly I didn''t know enough about this world or have enough power to do much yet.


    Mother soon left us, and my nanny carried me back to the room I spent most of my time in she gave me a gentle smile. ¡°How about I read you a story mi''lord?¡± she asked.


    ¡°Okay!¡± I told her, after all I still needed to improve my reading skills, knowledge was power, regardless of your world.


    For example I''d learned this world had trains of a sort, though I''d never seen one. I also learned that I was of the nobility, a title would be passed down from my father to myself one day, as it would from his father. More interesting was that the nobles of this world were new-ish. A few hundred years ago things had gotten shaken up, and while they''d settled back down we were not some ancient institution.


    There were no cars yet, but a few pictures in some of the books I had depicted things like guns. Those therefore must exist in some form somewhere. Overall I was putting our level of technology somewhere around the 1800s, though with magic involved everything was a bit wonky. For example, I knew that my father had a number of items that could heat or cool parts of the house, and mother had something akin to a mirror with brilliantly bright lighting around it, though it seldom saw use.


    I''d also come to learn through hearing people talk that last year my parents had elected to skip ''The Season'', some sort of yearly migration of the nobility to one of the regional capitals. They''d gotten a number of letters questioning if everything was well, and even a few visitors. I''d even been introduced to some of those, their explanation for skipping everything, since mother didn''t much want to travel with me. The year previous she''d been pregnant, but I got the feeling that she honestly also didn''t really like going.


    This year however there would be no skipping of the yearly event, in about a month''s time my family, and many of our staff, would be picking up and moving. I wondered where we would be staying as I read along with the book Mrs. Lutte had brought, making the little ''choo-choo'' noises at all the right times.


    ¡°Are you excited about tomorrow?¡± she asked when we''d finished.


    ¡°Why?¡± I questioned, a bit confused.


    ¡°Your going to visit your grandparents, didn''t anyone tell you?¡± They had not.


    ¡°Yay, grandpa!¡± I told her, not hiding that I loved those trips. Upon seeing her raise an eyebrow I added. ¡°Yay, grandma!¡± Though I didn''t manage the same feeling.


    My grandmother mostly ignored me, other than the times she was trying to force manners into my skull. Her husband though was really my kind of guy, and one of my favorite people. Those two were the only ones I visited regularly, so I didn''t worry that it was my paternal grandparents. My father''s parents were... oddly distant, never really seeing us anymore. They lived in the regional capital at any rate, and didn''t travel out our way.

 Chapter 4 Grandparents

    My grandmother and I sat across from each other at the small table, engaged in her game. Upon the table between us there was a small piece of cake, beside it two small forks. The game went thus, first she would take a small bite, only large enough to fit on the fork, then I would repeat the process. If the piece of cake should be too large and fall, it was lost, if I should display any particularly bad behavior, the whole thing was taken.


    She had enough magic to stop me even if I tried to take the whole thing and shove it in my mouth, which I was often tempted to do out of spite. I hated this game, the cake was too sweet, and she always insisted upon it. I''d even tried pitching a fit to cut it short a few times, but that just made her go to other, often more frustrating things. The weird boosted chair was also uncomfortable, just one more minus to this whole endeavor.


    ¡°Mother, he is two,¡± my own mother said as she returned from some business elsewhere in the house. ¡°And far too young to even understand what you want.¡±


    ¡°Percival understands plenty dear, now come and join us,¡± grandmother insisted, producing another fork from somewhere unseen.


    ¡°Seriously mother? You didn''t even try this with me until I was what? Five?¡± mom said as she sat down, taking her turn.


    ¡°Yet he understands what I want. It''s never too early to give good manners.¡±


    I considered as grandmother took her turn. Many times I''d tried to get out of this game, and several ways, all while acting my current age. Perhaps I could take another approach. It wasn''t that I didn''t like grandma, though she was frustrating most of the time, but that this cake really sucked. I liked sweets, but there was nothing but sugar here. It was too much, like eating icing. So I made my gambit.


    ¡°No thank you,¡± I announced, leaving the utensil where it lay.


    ¡°What?¡± grandmother asked, stunned.


    ¡°No thank you,¡± I repeated.


    Grandma looked like I''d smacked her, mother began to laugh, the local maid who was about to serve tea nearly dropped a dish.


    ¡°Don''t... don''t you want some though? It''s sweet,¡± she prodded.


    ¡°No thank you,¡± I told her once more.


    ¡°Looks like he learned to turn you down,¡± mom said between small giggles.


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    ¡°Oh, I insist Percival,¡± grandma tried once more.


    ¡°No thank you,¡± I answered once more.


    ¡°But...¡±


    ¡°Being rude,¡± I told her.


    That was the crack in the dam. Grandmother was a stickler for manners, an absolute hardcore lover of procedure. I''d turned her own power against her now. Mother began to fully laugh, trying her best to hide her face behind her hand. The maid was biting her lips to try and hold it back, and when grandmother started looking around quickly turned away, red creeping up the side of her face.


    Grandmother set down her fork, looking completely shell-shocked. ¡°Well, that was unexpected,¡± she eventually managed.


    ¡°That was the single most adorable thing I''ve ever seen,¡± mother said, looking over at me.


    ¡°I have never known any child to turn down sweets,¡± the flummoxed old woman admitted.


    ¡°And you can''t even fault how he did it can you?¡± mom asked, still smiling.


    ¡°Gloating is unbecoming,¡± grandmother said with a scowl.


    Now it was my turn to try not to laugh, luckily before we could continue the nearest door opened. In strode one of my favorite people in this world. Grandfather Darksky had short hair, and a constant small smile. In one hand he held a small cane, which he decidedly didn''t need but seemed to keep as an affectation.


    ¡°Ah there you are Percival!¡± he declared, enthusiastically.


    ¡°He just declined cake,¡± grandmother griped.


    ¡°Why of course he did dear. Tea and cakes and talking is for women, my grandson is a man of action, of magic and science! Isn''t that right Percival?¡± he asked, tapping his cane on the floor just a bit harder than was proper to emphasize his point.


    ¡°Rightly so!¡± I replied, one of his favorite sayings.


    ¡°Heavens above, now there''s two of them,¡± grandmother said with a shake of her head.


    ¡°Don''t worry lad, I''ve come to save you from these two chittering birds,¡± he said as he winked at the two in question in a way he seemed to think I wouldn''t catch.


    ¡°Huzzah.¡±


    With that he scooped me up and turned. ¡°I just got the most interesting little machine from the city the other day my boy. How would you like to see it?¡±


    ¡°Yes please.¡± Even with him I kept my words short and to the point.


    Grandfather carried me through the house and into his small workroom. Unlike my own shop from Earth this one was fastidiously clean. I didn''t think he actually made much in here, but rather just liked his machines, the newest was sitting on a small workbench.


    Magic had long been in this world from what I could gather, but science, real science, was new. It was also all the rage in some circles, with gatherings all up and down the country of men trying to prove this or that. There was a ton of work going on in chemistry, medicine (Though much of that was just weird beliefs from old codgers), physics, and machining, which grandfather favored. The intersections of science and magic were still a bit odd to most, but it was proving fruitful.


    ¡°See here, this is an engine. Like they use in the locomotives,¡± grandfather said in almost a whisper.


    The machine in question was indeed just that, though rendered in some kind of glass so that you could see the internals. He let me watch as heat was applied to the little boiler and the whole thing sprang to life. This was a toy here, a display for teaching or amusement, but back on Earth would have been difficult to make.


    Magic supplied a number of materials that were just... well not really reasonably possible on Earth. This glass was able to hold the heat and pressure like a metal would, and might well be lighter. The fires didn''t need to be the worst of coal either. They didn''t know it yet, but these things meant that one day the people of this world would far eclipse those of my previous one. It wasn''t there yet, but I could already see the inklings of it coming.


    I wasn''t allowed to be set down in this room, grandfather always keeping me in his arms, nor was I allowed to touch things. It was dangerous, so I understood, and I was still two to the outside world. There were things like engines, and lathes, and mechanical mechanisms that would happily crush small hands here, so I was kept in his arms the whole time. He did let me press some buttons on things every now and then though.


    Even if I couldn''t work on them, hearing the excited exuberance of my grandfather as he talked of this or that was fun. He had the spark of a hobbyist who loved what he loved, and wouldn''t let anyone tell him no. Also, he made sure he understood as well as he could everything he had, and explained it to me, even if I shouldn''t.


    So for hours I listened as he explained every part of the engine and what it did. He also had drawings he showed me, pointing out the parts in one of the trains, and how they matched up with the little one. Together we sat there as he went on and on, the smile never leaving my face.

 Chapter 5 Setting Off

    I had once posited that my mother hated ''The Season'' and now I knew that that was not only true, but that I fervently agreed. Everyone had been in an absolute state for the past week, things being packed, things being left, what went where, when, and how. She as the woman of the house was bearing the brunt of it, and was clearly straining under the pressure.


    From conversations I got a light layout of the itinerary. We''d be taking carriages to the local train station, from whence we''d be on a train for a day-and-a-half. The train would take us to a port, where we would then be passing by boat to the island where the local duke resided. This was the gathering point for our part of the country''s nobles. The whole thing would take nearly three days, and that was if everything went perfectly.


    Things didn''t stop, even on the evening before, something which kept me from getting to sleep easily. People were running round the house well after dark, gathering up all the cases, stacking them, labeling them, everything. Even if I had the mind of an adult, my body was still that of a child, and staying up that late wasn''t normal at all.


    Which didn''t improve the next morning, when before dawn even arrived I was scooped out of my bed by Mrs. Lutte.


    ¡°Owah!¡± I shouted as I found myself going from sleep to being hoisted into the air.


    ¡°Sorry m''lord, but you have to get up,¡± she told me in a low voice. ¡°We''re leaving soon, need to hurry.¡±


    It took me a few seconds to get my bearing, as I looked too and fro with bleary eyes. ¡°Where are we going?¡±


    ¡°To get a bath.¡± She seemed to hesitate. ¡°I know you like to run, but please, today we don''t have the time, and your mother is very, very busy. If you behave I''ve arranged for a little surprise for you.¡± It was clear she was desperate that I behave.


    ¡°Okay,¡± I agreed. I didn''t really want to do much more than sleep right now, so I could easily behave.


    ¡°Good, let''s go, not a moment to waste.¡±


    Honestly the next hour or so was a blur. I was washed, given a quick breakfast, and carried out to the carriage, where I got to sit dozing as boxes were piled aboard. It was a bit chilly, but someone, ostensibly Mrs. Lutte, had put a blanket around me to keep me warm. She was in and out constantly, checking on things.


    ¡°Alright, we need to go, anything else can be sent later,¡± mother loudly proclaimed as she hurried down the front steps. ¡°If we don''t get going we''ll be late, and the train won''t wait.¡±


    ¡°Right behind you love,¡± father said as he turned to give some final instructions to the under-butler who was to be in charge of the estate while we were gone. The head butler was of course joining us.


    This text was taken from Royal Road. Help the author by reading the original version there.


    ¡°Percival? Where is Percival?¡± mother asked as she looked about outside.


    ¡°In the carriage my lady, sleeping,¡± Mrs. Lutte said as she quickly appeared. I was just awake enough to give my mother a small wave out the little window. ¡°All his things are packed as well, just finished checking the last of it.¡±


    ¡°Oh you''re a wonder. Didn''t give you any trouble did he?¡± she asked.


    ¡°Not a bit ma''am, not a bit.¡±


    There were many, many disadvantages to being as young as I was, but there were also upsides. One of these was that if you were sleepy, nobody cared if you just slept, and they''d oftentimes try to let you continue doing just that. For this reason I napped the whole way to the train station on my mother''s lap, hardly even registering what was going on. It wasn''t until some hours later on the train that I finally properly woke up.


    ¡°Good morning, sleep well?¡± mother asked as she petted my head, looking down at me.


    ¡°Mmm, yes,¡± I told her as I rubbed my eyes.


    ¡°Well I''m told you were a little angel this morning. Your grandfather made you something for today, a present if you were good.¡± That comment got me fully awake, blinking and looking at her. ¡°Oh I thought you might like that.¡±


    She pulled out a little toy train engine. The design was much like those from my old world, though some of the aesthetics were a little more refined, the metal more decorated than most locomotives had been. It had doors and open windows the opened and closed with a bit of effort, and the wheels moved, taking the small bars the connected them with them. It was a very impressive toy, particularly for something handmade.


    I was struck, the amount of effort he must have put into this, the amount of time. I wasn''t even sure how he''d done some of the pieces with his equipment. It didn''t seem like a huge thing, but to know he''d gone through all that trouble for a gift was truly touching. I''d have to find the right place for it.


    ¡°Where''s father?¡± I asked after thoroughly examining my new possession.


    ¡°He went to one of the lounges to smoke,¡± mother said with a crinkled nose. She didn''t smoke, and he didn''t around her. As a point of fact father never smoked around any women so far as I knew. He had a separate room for it that I''d never been in, where he and his friends sometimes retired after their visits.


    For a bit I wondered if that was some sort of social rule that I''d never realized. That wouldn''t be too odd, as back on Earth it had been the same for a time. Some of the social conventions had strictly separated men and women during leisure time. As a child I was still too young to get pulled into almost any of that, or much social interaction with adults at all, other than the servants.


    After a time I turned to mother and began asking questions. I asked about the train, and where we were, and why we were going so far. I knew the answers to most of these already, but wanted to see if I got any new information. For a long time I didn''t, then I asked the right question.


    ¡°What''s the duke''s island like?¡± I asked.


    ¡°Oh it''s big, very, very big. If you got in a carriage, it would take you two days to go from the top to bottom, and half a day from one side to the other,¡± mother told me.


    ¡°Wow,¡± I said, that was really quite the sizable island.


    ¡°Yes, and there''s a huge city on the south of it. You see a long time ago some nobles were very, very bad. They did things they weren''t supposed to, not at all, and so the king and the Orders got together and banished them. Their children were all taken away for what they did, and they weren''t allowed any more.¡±


    That was a huge surprise. I knew a bit about the Orders, the moralistic groups that all the priests belonged to. They didn''t do much from what I''d heard, but were the masters of healing magic. To hear that they''d taken such action was very out of character from what I''d heard.


    ¡°What did they do?¡± I asked.


    ¡°They stole a bunch of children,¡± she told me. ¡°And hurt some of them. When people learned they were furious, so they were banished. Even then though they had some family who wanted to help them a bit, and one or two friends, so they didn''t suffer as much as they should have.¡± She sighed. ¡°In time they began to build new homes, and a small city to live out their days in. One by one they got old and when all of them were gone, well, the city was mostly empty except for the priests that had kept them in their place. So it was given to a duke to own, and to grow.¡±


    ¡°The priests stayed?¡± I asked.


    ¡°They''d made homes too Percival, and had families. Over time they and the duke grew the city, with it being passed down through the duke''s line as each father left it to his son. Now it''s huge and full of people. It''s not as big as the capital in Lithere, but it''s pretty big.¡±


    ¡°Lithere?¡± I asked.


    ¡°Where the king lives. Now, I''m a bit hungry, how about we go to the dining car and see if we can get a bit to eat?¡± I didn''t miss how she''d changed the subject, maybe it bothered her for some reason.

 Chapter 6 Arrival

    It had been a long, long trip, but I''d finally managed to get away from my mother and her friends. That didn''t mean I was alone of course, rather that I was now in the care of my omnipresent nanny, and her very unhappy daughter. I honestly couldn''t blame little Kaylee, this trip had been awful, the boat heaving for the majority of it.


    Now though we were nearly done, the port slowly approaching before us. We had time, plenty of time, but I was finally getting to see the city we were going to just now coming into view. Exion, slowly came out of the mists, the early morning fog lit by the many lights. It looked packed, and the mist I was told was ever-present seeped out and over the water.


    Before I could fully take in the sight the smell hit me. It was foul, disgusting and something like an open sewer.


    ¡°Gross! What is that?¡± I asked loudly.


    ¡°I told you we should stay inside Percival. The city dumps its waste into the river which of course goes out to sea.¡± She laughed for a moment. ¡°Don''t worry, in the nicer districts it''s not as bad.¡±


    The wind shifted and I quickly moved to go back into the ship. I had no clue how anyone could live with that stink, nor why nobody would do anything about it. Maybe nobody cared because it was the poor that suffered through the smell, but it couldn''t signal anything other than disease and sickness.


    Of course going back into the ship I only had one or two places I could go, the obvious choice being where my mother was. She and her friends had been just shy of insufferable the whole trip, never allowing me a moment of peace.


    ¡°Back inside already?¡± one of them asked.


    ¡°Stinks,¡± I informed her.


    There was a chorus of giggles. ¡°Oh his little face is so precious, look at his nose.¡±


    Mother''s friends seemed to think my serious, short responses were adorable, and were constantly prodding me to try and get more. The fact that I didn''t like to talk too much only encouraged them. They would engage in conversation, or get their children to with me, just to see what I would say. My manners were of course better than most kids my age, something mother attributed to grandmother being an absolute monster.


    This all had kept me from doing the things I wanted to, like seeing the innards of the ship. She''d kept an annoyingly close eye on me so that I couldn''t sneak away, and between her and her friends, they''d been quite successful. If she wasn''t watching me, either they were or Mrs. Lutte was right beside me.


    ¡°So little Lord Shadestone, could I interest you in some tea?¡± one of the ladies asked, looking towards me.


    ¡°No thank you Lady Starshire,¡± I said formally, sending another wave of laughter through the surrounding women. I''d tried to ignore them or be rude once or twice, but mother had quickly put a stop to that, knowing I knew better.


    It struck me as odd that every noble''s last name had something to do with darkness, night, or some similar concept. Commoners on the other hand had names that were of course common. Mrs. Lutte''s first name was Nancy, and I knew a few other off the servant''s had similar ones. Perhaps there was something in the past that had to deal with darkness that was important, after all, the royals were the Penumbra family.


    They kept going for awhile, but were winding down. Things had to be cleaned up, put away where they belonged, the staff subtly working in the background to keep the mess to a minimum. Out of the windows I would see buildings and land rather than the water and chill rain that had been our visuals for the last bit. The ship even stopped moving, with noise outside letting everyone know we were docking.


    The story has been illicitly taken; should you find it on Amazon, report the infringement.


    Nobody rushed though. These women weren''t the ones who needed to worry at the moment. There were people for cleaning up the mess and getting everyone''s things off the boat. They wouldn''t have much more to do until it was time to disembark, a moment heralded by the arrival of a new man to this space, otherwise reserved for ladies and their children.


    The captain was an older man who carried himself with an almost physical weight. His back was ramrod straight and uniform maintained in a state of perfection. Even his short white facial hair was perfectly groomed, not a whisker out of place.


    ¡°Good afternoon ladies,¡± he said after removing his hat in a gesture of politeness. ¡°I''ve come to inform you that the ship has docked and we will soon be ready for passengers to disembark. Furthermore to thank you for joining us once more. If you should have any further needs please allow one of my staff to know.¡±


    After he left Starshire looked over at mother. ¡°Well, I''ll see you soon, and hopefully you too little Percival.¡± I didn''t like that sort of a threat, but smiled, it wouldn''t do to be rude. ¡°Have to introduce him to my niece.¡±


    Not long after our carriage made its way through the fog, wheels clacking over the cobbles as house after house passed us by. At first many of them seemed rather poor, like tenements, but slowly they got nicer and nicer. The people as well began poor, dirty, tired looking, in worn clothing, some barely even rags. The differentiation between the districts was clear, with small walled sections.


    Walls had never fallen out of favor in this world. Back on Earth they''d gone the way of the dodo when guns had gotten big enough to smash them, but here that wasn''t their primary purpose. No, here they were to keep out monsters, or at least contain them to sections should one area get invaded. Even if I''d not seen cities other than those we passed through on the way here I knew this. There was even a wall around our country estate, though it wasn''t manned.


    As the carriage rolled to a stop before the three story city home we owned I could see the others who''d brought our luggage. It would all need to be checked and seen to, but there was a certain slowness for my family. Servants would brig it here, checking the boxes to make sure none were gone before we did. These same people would help unpack, and all the heavy manual labor. It seemed excessive, the house alone was the size of a small school building back on Earth.


    The driver opened the door for us, and the one to the house when we arrived. What greeted our arrival was nearly as stunning as anything I''d seen in this world before. On the right was a line of women, and on the left a matching one of men, twenty in all waiting there with the butler, ans what I assumed must be the housekeeper at their heads. It was around half of what we supposedly had at the larger house, but still insane for one family of three.


    ¡°Welcome home,¡± they all intoned as one.


    We had to walk past, I suppose so that my parents could look them over. Each and every one was in a clean and organized outfit, even those who didn''t have a particularly nice one. There was also a clear delineation, between those we''d interact with normally, and those we wouldn''t. The end of the line had a boy who looked like he was sent to fetch things, a runners body and worn shoes on his feet, and a girl of maybe fourteen in a simple dress whose hands spoke of long work under hot water.


    The air was still as our family passed. The head servants had gazes of steel, looking for anything out of place, warning their lesser coworkers against any misbehavior. Father seemed uninterested but mother looked at each and every one with a critical gaze, after all any home was her domain, and any who didn''t meet her approval would be gone before sunset. Honestly I thought it was all show until we reached the end of the line.


    ¡°Mrs. Rider, who''s this?¡± mother said as she looked at the last girl in the line.


    The girl opened her mouth herself before snapping it shut, after all, she''d not be addressed.


    The housekeeper walked over to us and began to speak. ¡°Sinea Leeds my lady, the new scullery maid, hired last year as per your instructions.¡±


    ¡°Where from?¡±


    ¡°One of the poor houses ma''am. I know the mistress of the place from long ago and she assured me miss Leeds had no history of trouble. Just an orphan and quite willing to work.¡±


    ¡°Her work?¡± mother asked, still not speaking to the girl who was now white knuckling her hands to keep them steady and trying, and failing, not to tremble under the scrutiny. I couldn''t imagine the idea of going back to a poor house was one she wanted to even entertain.


    ¡°Exemplary for where she comes from. Took to the training like a fish to water and no problems to speak of.¡± There was even a bead of sweat on the housekeeper''s brow now, if she''d hired a girl who was unacceptable while the lady of the house was away there might well be trouble.


    ¡°Sinea.¡±


    ¡°Yes ma''am, uh, m''lady,¡± she stumbled. Sinea had a thick accent.


    ¡°I''ll speak to you later.¡±


    ¡°Yes m''lady.¡±


    ¡°Speech needs work,¡± mother commented as we left.


    This was a side of my mother I''d never seen, commanding, hard. Around me she''d always seemed stern, but never harsh, never mean, to that girl though, she''d spoken no kindness. Something which hit harder as I heard Sinea''s words from the next room, sensitive ears were another perk of being a super-baby.


    ¡°Please help me ma''am, I can''t go back, please,¡± she said through gasping breaths.


    ¡°Breathe girl,¡± the older woman replied. ¡°Breathe, it''ll be okay, the missus is hard, but she''s not unfair. Everything will be fine, you''ll see... Now the rest of you lot, don''t you have work to do? Get the luggage out and put away, now, all of you, quickly.¡± I could hear the snap as she turned to anyone who might have been looking in on them.


    Mrs. Lutte was sent to organize the nursery and my room while mother took me with her into the dining room. I got put down in a chair while she began to micromanage where everything was supposed to be, and which dishes would be used over which, depending on a number of factors I neither understood nor cared about. She also took the time to go over a few days worth of menus for food.


    I sat there for awhile frankly completely stunned that I was being ignored. We were in a new place and everything so I really couldn''t believe it. Certainly you''d think they''d have learned better by now, but I supposed some lessons bore repeating. Not long after that thought passed through my head did I see a moment of turned backs and quickly made my escape.

 Chapter 7 Wander

    I had a whole new house, and new place to explore, oh the hours of fun. Well, maybe an hour before mother realized I was missing and sent up an alarm to all staff and everyone else, but some time to look around at least. It was almost like nobody wanted me wandering about on my own, an idea which I could never truly get behind after having been unable to walk for months.


    So I moved through the house, it wasn''t hard. I could sense people so much more easily, hear their coming and hide. Almost nobody expected me to be able to jump atop banisters and cupboards, or to know when they''d be there.


    My progress was slowed by the many people running around, but not by too much. Before long I had made my way through a serving room and out into the main house, popping my head into room after room. Most of them were some derivation of sitting or reading room, but there was also a library full of books. I''d not managed to get much of the written language of this world down yet, but I''d love to explore this one day.


    Before long I came upon a room that did indeed make me stop. It looked almost like a training room or gymnasium, with padded floors and a rope divider between the center and the outside. All along the walls were cases filled with trophies and swords. There were even a few sets of gear to one side, kept in pristine condition as if ready to be used at any time.


    The blades were all rapier types, long and slender, and looking like they could slice and cut in a flash. I didn''t know much about swords myself, other than the passing interest all boys had, but these were clearly dueling blades, not weapons of war.


    Then there were the trophies. Dozens of small and large medals and ribbons, along with larger pieces decorated the cases as well. What surprised me was that each and every one depicted a female fencer, not a man. I wondered if mother had a hobby here in her younger days. I''d never seen her so much as pick up a blade, much less fight anyone, but either she, or someone else had done so.


    Briefly I considered taking one of the swords out, just to see how it felt in my hand, but that would have been a bit much. Instead I ruefully let my fingers brush the wood on one of the cases and turned back towards the door. Perhaps if I hurried back mother wouldn''t even realize I''d left.


    I made it all of three steps, fingers running along wooden frames before I stopped. One of these doors was different, solid instead of filled with glass. The style was the same, but there was just something off about it. As I neared it I even felt a breeze, and smelled air that tasted, different, like old wood, hot water, and polishes.


    In a fit of curiosity I opened the cabinet door and found that it wasn''t a cabinet at all, it was a door. Behind it there was a small dark hallway, undercoated and hidden. I knew that there were a few hidden ways around the country house, back stairs and walkways for the staff to move around. I also knew that I wasn''t allowed to explore those, even if I wanted to.


    Well if swords called to every young boy, so did secret passages, so I slipped in. Carefully I made my way down the hall, to a connector and a stairwell. There was just enough time to hide in a nook in the stairs as I heard the ''clack, clack, clack'' of hurried heels on wood.


    This tale has been pilfered from Royal Road. If found on Amazon, kindly file a report.


    ¡°One day, not even one day and the mistress'' child is already gone! What''ll we do Renton?¡± came the panicked voice of the Mrs. Rider the housekeeper. Renton was of course the head butler, a man I''d met more than once.


    ¡°Don''t worry Shelly he won''t have gone far. The boy likes to wander, as I''ve told you, but he seldom tries to leave a building. I''ll have a footman go to each door while you get the girls to search the house. Make sure they check the closets and cupboards. He''s fast and I''ve seen the lad jump a man''s height.¡±


    ¡°If he''s half as strong as the missus what''ll we do if he decides he doesn''t want to go back to her hmm? None of my girls can make him, that''s for sure,¡± Mrs. Rider continued to tirade.


    ¡°In that case keep him distracted while we get his mother or Lutte. I wouldn''t worry about it though, he only hurt someone once, and that was a mistake. Boy sat there looking worried the whole time I healed her up,¡± Mr. Renton assured her as the finally passed my hiding place.


    Did Mrs. Rider really think I''d hurt someone? That sort of stung, I''d never try to hurt one of our people. Well at any rate if they were looking for me it might be best to head back. First I was going to find another of the exits though, as I really wanted to know where all these hidden passages went.


    As I worked my way along I heard someone approaching from behind. These steps were less rushed, lighter than the housekeepers or butlers had been. I hid once more in a small cranny in the wall, at least until I saw who was coming.


    Sinea the scullery maid was making her way down the same hall I was in, one hand carrying a steaming bucket of water. It seemed word hadn''t filtered to her yet that I was missing as she seemed determined, but in no real hurry. I considered continuing to hide, but instead quickly came up with a plan that might well help her out, if things went well.


    ¡°Hello,¡± I said, popping out right after she''d passed.


    For a moment Sinea seemed very confused, turning in place and looking about before her eyes lowered and she found me. There was a brief look of worry there before she bent down to speak to me. That alone put her a few notches up in my book, most people around here liked to tower, having someone get on my level was nice.


    ¡°What''re ya doin'' back here little sir? Yer not supposed ta be in the servants stairs,¡± she asked.


    ¡°Playing,¡± I answered lightly.


    ¡°Well, here''s not the place for it. Where''s yer mother, do ya know?¡±


    ¡°Dining room,¡± it was still good to keep my responses short.


    ¡°... not supposed ta go in there... Why don''t we go to the servin'' room and I''ll see if we can find one o'' the other maids, shall we?¡± she asked, giving me a worried smile.


    ¡°Okay,¡± I told her.


    Quickly she picked me up with one arm, retrieving her bucket with the other. That alone was a bit of a surprise. Sinea wasn''t a large girl, and at her age I didn''t expect her to do so with quite that ease. Adding my weight to that of the water didn''t seem to bother her in the least though. She carried me resting on her hip, in a way that spoke of long experience dealing with small children.


    We popped out of another hidden door and into the serving room I''d passed through earlier. This time there wasn''t even a cabinet, just a section of wall I''d ignored. Of course I instantly memorized where it was, there was no way I was going to let a massive maze of hidden doors sit there unknown to me. I was even going to try to find more when we got back to the country house.


    Sinea hadn''t even closed the concealed passage when my mother come through the door to the kitchen, hissing at one of the women behind her. ¡°Find him!¡±


    ¡°Hello mother,¡± I said, getting her head to snap around to me.


    My angry parent marched up to us, fists settling on her hips as she glared. Then she turned to my escort, her eyes slightly less hard.


    ¡°You found my son,¡± she stated.


    ¡°H-he was wandering the servants stairs my lady,¡± Sinea squeaked out, trying to hide her accent.


    ¡°Secret passages!¡± I enthused in a stage whisper.


    ¡°Not for you young man,¡± mother uttered as she turned her eyes back to me, taking me from the girl and holding me herself. I had no illusions about just how hard it would be to slip away for the next little while so I just laughed maniacally. She was going to punish me regardless, no reason not to go for broke.


    Now returning her attention to the servant girl mother fixed her with an iron look before nodding.


    ¡°Good job,¡± she told Sinea, who looked like she was ready to panic again.


    As I was carried out I looked over my mother''s shoulder and gave Sinea a wink. As she blinked and tilted her head in confusion I nearly laughed again. I''d successfully given her her chance, so long as she didn''t royally screw up there was no way mother would sack her now.

 Chapter 8 Serious Talks

    My mother found me once more in the sword training room, sitting quietly and looking at the many different medals. I''d been coming here when I could over the past month or so, though with how all the staff were keeping an eye on me that was getting to be a pain.


    Of note was that whenever I disappeared Sinea was sent to check the back corridors and niches. Not where the family was supposed to be, because her clothing was generally unacceptable to be presented ''in public'' around them. Personally I found that to be hilarious, and so if I happened to be back there I''d let her find me. I''d seen a few of the maids poking fun at her and how she''d ''pulled me astray'' or some such nonsense. That amused me even more, for goodness sake I was two.


    ¡°Waited until Mrs. Lutte''s day off I see,¡± mother commented.


    ¡°Didn''t want to make trouble,¡± I told her.


    ¡°How thoughtful, what about the other maids that are supposed to be watching when I''m not around?¡±


    ¡°Don''t know them,¡± I pointed out.


    Mother had never been much for baby talk, and since I understood her just fine most of the time had started to talk to me more like an adult. If nothing else that was appreciated.


    ¡°Percival, in the future, just tell them you want to come here. You''re allowed in this room, but not alone.¡± Her piece said she came to pick me up once more.


    ¡°Were you a fighter?¡± I asked, pointing to the trophies.


    ¡°Why ask me,¡± she asked.


    ¡°Those are girls, not boys, and you''re a girl,¡± I said as I pointed to one of the little women atop a golden award.


    ¡°I am a girl, yes. When I was younger I was a fencer,¡± she answered.


    ¡°A fighter?¡± I''d not before heard the word ''fencer'' in this life.


    ¡°No, fencer. Fencing is a sport, not war. I did it for fun, so did others.¡±


    ¡°Will you teach me?¡± I tried, it might be good to learn, if for no other reason than to protect myself.


    ¡°When you''re older. Those like us still use it sometimes if we have to fight.¡±


    ¡°Like us?¡± I knew I was different, but maybe I could get her to explain how.


    ¡°Strong, that''s our magic. We''re strong and tough, and we can see and hear things others can''t. Your father has magic too, he can make things happen by thinking them, and some make them happen by singing, and some by believing them to be right. You and me though Percival, we''re strong and fast.¡±


    Stolen story; please report.


    ¡°Can I learn to be like dad?¡± I asked.


    ¡°No, you can''t. We are what we are my son, and there''s nothing wrong with it.¡± There was something a bit more in that statement, some old hurt, but I had the feeling it went deeper than just being strong.


    I patted mom''s shoulder, it just seemed the right thing to do at the moment. ¡°It''s okay.¡±


    ¡°It is, but you wandering off isn''t Percival. I''ve got guests coming in just an hour and can''t have you making a mess.¡± I hated guests, I was too young to participate in their dinners, and was so banished to the upstairs, where I was watched like a hawk.


    ¡°Boo!¡± I said, unhappy about that prospect.


    ¡°Tell you what, behave tonight, and I''ll take you somewhere fun tomorrow, somewhere you''ve never been,¡± she offered.


    ¡°I agree!¡± I may have been a troublemaker, and may hold to my own form of right and wrong, but I was also easily bribable, and being two meant that I sometimes wanted an extra nap.


    She laughed with a shake of her head and took me upstairs.


    The next morning Mrs. Lutte was back, and in action. I had surprise guests too, in the form of my paternal grandparents. I saw them so little that I barely recognized them. They decided to join me and my nanny in the nursery while mother prepped for the day, it seemed some emergency had come up. Of course Mrs. Lutte was there, along with her daughter, who was never far from her side.


    ¡°Oh dear,¡± Mrs. Lutte said as a maid came by to ask her something. ¡°Seems they can''t find the stroller, what a mess.¡±


    ¡°Go and help them dear, we can watch the children for a moment,¡± grandma told her, when she hesitated my grandma continued. ¡°Goodness, it won''t be my first time, go. You''ll be better for it than some cleaner will,¡± before shooing her off.


    Grandpa was trying to play with me, some game with blocks. He seemed a nice sort, with a kind smile and bushy eyebrows. Not as enthusiastic as my maternal grandfather, but a good guy. While he did so his wife went over to the crib where Kaylee was sleeping.


    ¡°That''s Kaylee,¡± I told her.


    ¡°I am aware Percival,¡± she looked conflicted as she stood over the sleeping babe, eyes sad.


    She knew, they both knew, and now they were alone with a child who many might consider a stain on their family. I didn''t know what this society required, or what it expected. On Earth there had been times and places where such things had gone wrong, terribly wrong. The powerful could often get away with it, and she was. None of that mattered to me though, that girl was my sister, and no one would hurt her while I was around.


    ¡°Mother says don''t touch her. So, Do. Not. Touch. Her.¡± I didn''t bother keeping the steel out of my voice, even if it was odd coming from so small a child.


    She snapped, head turning to me as a gasp escaped her lips, her husband seemed completely taken aback. I felt something pulsing, pushing from my body like water boiling to the surface as I locked my eyes on her. There was recognition there, she saw my legs, coiled under me and ready to spring. If she tried hurting that girl I''d be on her like white on rice in a glass of milk in a snowstorm.


    ¡°Calm down boy,¡± the older man said. ¡°Everything''s fine.¡± He was moving to try something too, in case I did act.


    Of course it was that moment that Mrs. Lutte decided to come back, appearing in the door.


    ¡°Silly thing got put under a bed,¡± she announced, not realizing the tension in the room. It broke a bit at her comment.


    ¡°Ah, yes, such things happen.¡± Grandma gave one more look at the baby, then at me, then at Mrs. Lutte. ¡°Dear,¡± she said with some weight. ¡°If anything should happen, if you ever find yourself in need of help, I want you to come find us. Understand?¡±


    Mrs. Lutte froze for a moment, processing the words and actions. I could see it there on her face, the understanding, the pain, the shame. Everyone in the room understood what was being offered, even if I wasn''t supposed to get it, I''d wager my grandparents thought I might. She bit her lip, turning her eyes away for just a second before propriety took over.


    ¡°Thank you for the offer my lady, I''ll keep that in mind,¡± she finally said, still not looking up.


    ¡°Good, why don''t you stay here and clean up while we take Percival downstairs. Where was the stroller?¡±


    ¡°In the hallway my lady,¡± Mrs. Lutte said, her voice just slightly hollow, dejected at what had been revealed.


    I was picked up and carried by my grandpa as we walked, but I didn''t miss grandma stopping and touching my nanny''s shoulder before whispering in her ear. ¡°I don''t blame you dear, it''s his fault, not yours, and he knows it.¡±


    There was a stifled sound of weeping behind as the door was closed, and my grandpa turned to look down at me, grandma still a bit far back.


    ¡°I want you to promise me something Percival,¡± he asked, eyes serious.


    ¡°What''s that?¡± I asked, curious as to what he wanted and more than a bit suspicious.


    ¡°Grow up to be a man who''ll make me as proud of you as I just was.¡± I could see the shining of water in his eyes as he spoke, his emotions pouring through.


    ¡°I''ll try my best,¡± I told him solemnly.


    ¡°Good lad, good lad.¡±

 Chapter 9 Circus

    ¡°Come one, come all! See the greatest show in the world! We have beasts from faraway lands, monsters to thrill and terrify and magics the likes off which you''ve never seen! Step right up this way folks, right here for thrills and wonders galore!¡± the man announced before the series of tents, waving out to people.


    Apparently mother''s surprise was a circus which had just come to town. I knew little about the various things they were advertising, but doubted all were as they seemed.


    We''d arrived just in time for the main act. Music peaked and the lights fell as the ringmaster made his way to the center of the largest tent, surrounded on all sides by stands. The prime part of his act involved a sort of trained magical beast that would''ve put a lion to shame. The creature in question was a cat as well, but was almost the size of an elephant, mane bristling with silver spikes and teeth gleaming in the spotlights. It was led through a number of tricks with a flaming whip from the ringmaster''s hand. It stood atop a small box, jumped through hoops, ran around the ring.


    There was a thrilling moment where the beast lunged at the ringmaster, only to be driven back by his fire whip spell. It was surprising, but clearly part of the show, as the man barely flinched. He continued on as if nothing had happened save for a small smile for the crowd.


    Not all of the performers were magical, but many were, and they managed feats that would make the greatest of those on Earth seem like parlor tricks. There was a woman who danced across wires so thin above us that it looked to most people like she was flying. There were men running up posts and using fire as part of their performances that seemed to dance around them like it was alive. A lot of the classics were left out of course, no strongmen were needed in a world where someone like my mother might be able to bend steel.


    After the show my grandfather carried me to some of the other tents. There were some of the animals from that show here, as well as a few others. Most looked rather like Earth counterparts, but might have multicolored glowing feathers, or shining metal skin. They were pretty, but seemed rather... tame, tired, like they''d been through this a hundred times.


    Soon enough though we came to a show that hadn''t been opened up yet, before it stood a man in full regalia, his cane twinkling as he spun it to get attention.


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    ¡°This way folks, this way! We have a brand new attraction, never before seen in these lands! These monsters hail from an island shrouded in storms, first documented centuries ago by intrepid explorers but lost to the annals of time! We found those records though, and through trepidation and the marvels of modern technology brought there here, for you!¡± He slammed the cane he held into the wooden platform as he motioned, the curtain parting to let us enter.


    There had to be around two dozen of them, caged and being worked up by one of the staff into a near frenzy. Their green bodies writhed as they were prodded, leaving them screaming and raging behind the bars. They were short, three feet at most, and with large ears and red eyes.


    ¡°These monstrosities are goblins good folks, be not confused, while they may have some small resemblance to men, they are savage and wild, uncontrolled. We''ve tried, and failed several times to teach them even the simplest tricks, but their rabid nature forbids it!¡± the announcer said, leaning in towards the crowd.


    I was flabbergasted, seeing the things there. I was also worried, as there''d been a lot of stories about these particular monsters back on Earth. There was slight relief that some were obviously female, meaning that the more concerning stories were likely untrue, but they did seem wild and chaotic.


    Well, all but one of them. One of the goblins, who looked to be male, sat in the center of the cage, eyes flicking about, watching, seeming to wait. Most of the others avoided him, and when one who''d just been prodded drew too close I saw why. With what looked like a practiced move he slammed the other green-skinned creature, leaving it sprawling in pain.


    His eyes met mine, and for the briefest moment I thought I saw curiosity, interest. Then grandfather started moving again and I lost sight of him. It seemed we had other attractions to see today.


    ¡°Did you have fun Percival?¡± mother asked as our little group rode home.


    ¡°Food was good,¡± I informed her.


    That was a fact. Carnival food had been given to me in small amounts, it was fried, roasted, sweet, and mouth wateringly savory at times. It wasn''t the well made, subtle food that I was fed at home, but rather called to my inner redneck, reminding me of the state fair back home and the goodies they might have there.


    ¡°Have to get you a more refined pallatte,¡± she griped.


    ¡°Oh, don''t be so crass dear, all children like such foods,¡± my grandmother interrupted.


    Soon enough I found myself back home. Mrs. Lutte had managed to pull herself together and greeted me with the same smile as always, though perhaps a bit less enthusiastically and before long I was readied and sent off to bed.


    It would be wonderful to say that most of my time for the season had been a magnificent adventure, but that would be an outright lie. I had good moments, fun moments, but so very many that also bored me half to death. I was still too young to participate in much, and therefore wasn''t allowed to do much. I hated it, my mother hated it, pretty much everyone involved seemed to either be a bore or unhappy to be there.


    So as I fell asleep I dreamed of what might be one day. I planned to explore my house, to learn from my grandpa more of the science of this world, and to build things of my own. I may not know how yet, but learning could be a joy. Perhaps one day I''d even have a lot more fun on one of these awful yearly trips, who knew.


    Until then though, I could rest.

 Chapter 10 Goblin Physician

    Dr. Anton Parkov


    ¡°Extra, extra, read all about it, circus monsters escape, panic as wild beasts allowed to roam the street!¡± a boy shouted above me, his voice filtering down through the sewer grate.


    Well, that seemed a bit much. Certainly I''d freed myself and some of my fellows, and perhaps I''d allowed one or two of the other creatures from the circus to go as well as a distraction, but panic on the streets? No, most people seemed to be doing just fine thank you.


    Of course there were exceptions I thought to myself as I looked back at the man I was dragging behind me. His eyes were panicked, even as his body refused to move. I longed to speak to him, to tell him that things would be perfectly fine, perfectly fine indeed, but sadly my vocal chords were not really properly made for human speech. That was one of the things I was hoping to fix, but I needed some examples to work on the designs, without them it was slow going.


    This year had been the most interesting since I''d come to this world. I''d finally found humans again, something I''d not seen in nearly a century, stuck as I was on that island. They were even starting to discover science if some of what I''d heard was right, though I did have to admit that my understanding of their language was still a work in progress.


    I mused on my time here as I pulled my captive along behind me. This place which had killed and saved me, had given me another opportunity to continue my work, had shown me wonders I couldn''t have dreamed of. Oh I loved it here, so very much, even if my current accommodations were a bit less than ideal.


    As I got into the deepest parts of the sewer system I turned down an unused path, dried up and blocked off years ago. Down here we''d begun constructing the new nest, the place where my people would begin to rebuild our numbers. If I had my way, and I would, it would be so much nicer than those back on the island, so much more clean and advanced.


    When I''d first arrived, some hundred years ago, I had been born into a cave. It was packed, a horde of goblins, my new people, shoved in and seeking shelter from the constant rain that made the surface dangerous much of the time. There was an organization of course, with the younglings kept away from most others, but it was still chaos.


    That nest had been one of a dozen or so at the time. The females of our species would keep mostly there, as close to the center of it as their social status and the others of their sex allowed, while the males were interspersed similarly. The strongest of the males lived at the center of the nest, mating often as they went in and out to hunt and gather food, while their mates often hid, keeping the young and bearing more.


    Goblins were an obscenely fecund species, with a gestation period of around two months and an ability to reach sexual maturity in only six. Full maturity took about a year, though that hardly stopped most of us, and females, unlike those of many species, often did get pregnant while nursing. This was good, because we were also short lived and violent, with a maximum age of around twenty years and an average of around ten.


    Most goblins fell in conflict either with another nest, or with one of the many monsters that had made their way to our island. Those creatures were the primary source of food for the nest, mixed with whatever plants could be gathered, and they were killed by simple human wave tactics. Sure, a seabird the size of a hatchback was capable of eating a goblin in one swallow, but it could hardly fight fifty of them at once, and once it was on the ground everything was all but over.


    When I got to the nest proper I saw one of the smaller, younger males on the fringes, digging trying to form a little sleeping area for himself. Well I could hardly disapprove of that, but his placement was less than ideal, so I pointed, letting out a series of grunts and screeches that sent him to another section of wall. It wasn''t a formal language of any sort, but translated roughly to ''wrong, there'' the simplest of messages.


    The simplest of concepts could be transmitted though the many noises we could make, but it never amounted to anything more than a dog might manage, there weren''t even any names. Social dynamics also played a huge role, with expressions and body language key.


    As I came to the central area of our nest the females and young perked up. There were only three of the former, with the latter soon to increase. They were already doing their part, either pregnant or nursing, growing our little group. These three approached as I entered, screeching hungrily at the human I was pulling along the ground, only backing off as I bared my teeth. They couldn''t have my subject until I was well and done with him.


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    This place had once been a tank of some sort in the sewer, blocked off, but it was flat and I''d gotten it mostly clean. For now it would serve as my laboratory while I tried to improve myself further. Some of those improvements were easily visible. I was older than any other goblin I''d ever heard of, I was also unusually tall and muscled, though I''d hidden that from the humans. There were a number of internal changes as well, things nobody would see unless they cut open my body.


    When I''d first come to this world I''d been female, a rather large change from my previous life, but one that had probably kept me alive. Rather than being thrown out into the wilds to gather food I''d had time to acclimate myself, to grow a bit and learn about these new powers I had. A small minority of our species was born with an affinity to magic, one which I''d gained. I could mold flesh and shape living things to my will, a huge advantage, and one my fellows had celebrated when they''d learned of it.


    For a time I''d been a sort of shamaness, revered by my little tribe as one who could heal the injured and ease the birth of new members. I''d even had a few children of my own out of curiosity. Slowly though I realized that I had problems, and I went about solving them.


    The first issue was lifespan. It didn''t take me long to realize that goblins didn''t live long, and I didn''t want to die. Using what I''d learned about in medical school I began to undertake a series of treatments both on myself and on a few experimental subjects to increase lifespan. Those had been a resounding success, and by elongating telomeres, regenerating organs, and putting in a few extra fail-safes I was able to keep myself young and healthy.


    That took a few decades though, and around the time I finished that work another problem began to rear its ugly head. The males of my tribe had never liked how few young I was willing to spawn, making their complaints known, but keeping them restrained after a few had died complaining. Sadly that particular controlled group ran into issues. Another of the tribes arrived, slaughtering the males of ours and taking all of us hostage.


    Now I could have held them off, as by that time I was quite skilled at magic, but without a tribe it seemed pointless. The many members was what had allowed me to continue in my work unbothered, and sadly I''d not realized how many were dying until they were already dead. By the time I was made aware of the intruders, fully seventy percent of the male goblins in the nest were dead.


    Male goblins are odd about females. One might assume that they would be sexually violent based on some of the media in my previous world but that simply wasn''t the case. Much like the difference in chimps and bonobos the females of our species grouped too much for that. A male might complain, might even make some attempt at restraint, but should he attempt something like rape he would be set upon by all of the females, something almost none of them could survive. For that reason the females of our tribe weren''t harmed, but rather taken, kept in the new nest, and shown that there was only one way to increase their social standing, something most took to well.


    I didn''t like the new tribe, and I didn''t like that I''d been brought there against my will. So I shortly escaped and returned to my old home. It was empty, but that was solvable. I undertook a mission to gather some of the males who were sent out, not for any base usage, but rather to experiment once more.


    It took some time, as sex determination in goblins was slightly different than in humans, but with some effort I managed to give myself a new set of organs. I didn''t throw away the old ones of course, who knew when being a hermaphrodite might come in handy, but I did put them in a kind of cold storage, inactive inside my gut.


    As I began to carve into my subject, seeing tissue samples to work with I wondered briefly if goblins and humans were sexually compatible. I doubted it, but I''d have to find out later. Perhaps some attempt at in vitro? That might be for the best, less trauma, I was a doctor after all.


    The man screamed, just as many of my own kind had screamed when I''d finally reclaimed the plumbing I considered my normal state. I''d marched into a nearby nest killing every male goblin with little more than a wave of my hand until I reached the center. The chief of that tribe had stood against me briefly, his own magic protecting him to an extent, but he was so young, so inexperienced with using it that soon he too fell.


    After reestablishing myself as a goblin chief I''d only had to defend my title a few times. Goblins weren''t the smartest of creatures, but even they eventually learned that if you attacked my tribe I ended yours. That allowed me to continue working in peace, trying to improve myself and our species slowly.


    Over the years I''d increased the lifespan of my progeny from the normal two decades to what I estimated to be five. Their size had also grown slightly, making them a bit bigger. This had led to an increase in intelligence as they were able to learn more over their longer lives, but conversely their rate of reproduction fell, maturity slowing slightly as well as birth rate.


    This was what I had wanted to do as a human, strengthen my species through hard experimentation, that many had to die for it to succeed was just a small sacrifice. Even the man I was working on in the present, he wouldn''t die in vain, I would learn something. Why had so many failed to understand that? Was the first vaccine not tested on an unknowing child? Was the first attempt at using insulin not an innocent? Not to mention how very much we''d learned from those monsters in Germany, I couldn''t justify what they''d done in masse, but without that one we''d not know nearly as much about hypothermia. At least goblins didn''t have massive hangups about that kind of thing.


    When the humans had arrived I''d decided that I simply had to go with them. It was a risk to be sure, going into one of their traps with a few of my favored mates, but I had to get off that rainy, dismal island, see what was in the world, keep growing. That had been the only chance I''d gotten to that point, and I wasn''t losing it, and it had worked out so well!


    I now had a city, an actual city, full of people with new genetic material I might manage to build off of to improve myself and my race. It should be quite possible now to give myself speech, and more power, and other goblins as well, I could turn us into something respectable. Oh how I cheered internally as I began to dream of it, of what I might do.


    One day my work would be out there for the whole world to see, the whole world to praise. I might have to break a few eggs making that omelet, but that was a small thing, soon, so very soon a new world would see my brilliance. Knowing this made all I had to do so much easier, and I smiled down at my subject, he too would help.

 Chapter 11 Six Years Later

    There was a ringing hiss as steel slid along steel and time seemed to slow. I angled my weapon turning my hand trying to close the line of attack as the point of the other pushed forward, ramming into my chest. As the blow landed I felt my own connect, burying itself in the neck of my opponent.


    ¡°A tie isn''t a win,¡± mother said, looking down to where we''d struck each other, the foils bent.


    ¡°No, but it''s better than a loss,¡± I returned.


    It had been eight years since I''d come to this world, and six months since mother had begun teaching me to fence. At first I''d been bad, terribly, horribly bad, but practice helped. She''d still never had a clean loss to me, but every now and then I managed to tie her like I did today.


    Both of us were fast, deadly fast, and strong enough to bend steel now. Even now I got the feeling that my physical abilities were just a bit higher than hers, but she had skill and reach that I didn''t, and that mattered in this game quite a bit. If I continued then one day I may be able to beat her regularly, but that day certainly wasn''t this one.


    We were also both dripping sweat, the hot protective suits soaked in it. They looked much like the fencing gear from back on Earth, or at least as near as I could remember, but hers had a long skirt-like piece that hid her legs and *gasp* ankles from easy view. Almost all of her clothing was like this, covering every inch.


    ¡°One more?¡± I asked.


    ¡°That was the third ''one more'' Percival, and I think enough for the day. We''ve both got to freshen up before dinner.¡±


    ¡°Yes mother,¡± I answered.


    With a slight frown I shed my mask and went to put our foils away. I enjoyed this time, it was active, fast, and one of the few times I could really go all out with my speed without inconveniencing anyone. Too often in my opinion did I have to hold back, careful not to damage things. Perhaps I could have gone wild in a forest, but such behavior was ''unbecoming'' a word I''d grown to hate.


    The house was much as it had always been. There were a few changes of rooms, for instance this old fencing room at the country house had been renovated now that it was to be used again, but not many. Most of the same servants were still here, or at least the core ones. There were a few more gray hairs among the staff, a few more wrinkles but nothing wildly different.


    After changing from my fencing attire I returned to my rooms, plural now. Mrs. Lutte was there, fussing around as she always had. She''d graduated from Nurse to Nanny and was often in charge of my day. Perhaps if mother had another child she''d go to take care of them once more. Now that I could talk to her more normally we got along fine, but as she saw me she frowned.


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    ¡°You''ll need a bath young lord so don''t run off. I''ll prepare it for you, but then I need to get your clothes for the evening ready.¡±


    ¡°Thank you Mrs. Lutte,¡± I desperately wanted to ask how Kaylee was doing, but couldn''t.


    I knew if I did she''d probably tell me, but there was an understanding that she was to be ignored, and if someone else heard me they might well start trouble. The staff would want to know why I cared, not like I hadn''t been around the girl until I was almost three, not like I didn''t see her now and then around the property, normally a bit far off. I did what I could to check on her now and then, to see that she was well. One day I might be able to do more, but it wasn''t today.


    After I washed and dressed I headed down to dinner. Finally I could eat with my family, and was expected to. That wasn''t because of good times, no, but because this would be my first year participating in anything during our yearly migration for ''The Season'' and I couldn''t embarrass the family.


    Of course dinner wasn''t just sitting around and eating, it was a whole thing. There were the entries into the hall that had to be just so, paired so that men and women would come together. There was the discussion before and after, only some of which I was privy to, but some I had to join. This wasn''t every night, thankfully, but as ''The Season'' drew nearer and nearer the frequency increased, my family determined that it had to go well.


    It also led to guests, though not many. My maternal grandparents were the most common, grandmother still trying to force manners into me like she was pushing the last items into a suitcase, hard, and often with light kicking. Conversation was apparently my weakest point, with me having a terrible time keeping on with subjects that really were just boring as watching paint dry.


    ¡°What is your opinion on the new fashions Percival?¡± she asked between the third and fourth courses, looking at me intently.


    ¡°I think that the new dyes and colors are lovely, though I do have some concerns about the reports that the lovely green one is causing some health issues. A pretty color or not it may be, but causing sickness is unacceptable,¡± I answered.


    ¡°Congratulations, you managed to turn a conversation about fashion back to science and medicine. I''m impressed,¡± she said, dripping sarcasm.


    ¡°Thank you grandmother,¡± I returned with a perfectly straight face.


    I saw my grandfather chuckle into his drink, earning him a venomous glare.


    ¡°He was subject adjacent dear,¡± he answered. ¡°Though I believe your grandmother meant more on cuts and styles Percival.¡±


    ¡°Ah, I see. I find the newest cuts of ladies wear slightly more practical than the older fashions, even if I know you think they''re too revealing. Also, someone needs to beat that fool Vunell before he destroys all color and style in men''s clothing, and if I get a chance, I''ll gladly do just that.¡±


    ¡°You''ll do no such thing,¡± my mother said, locking eyes on me.


    ¡°No mother, of course not,¡± I answered, not bothering to hide the smile that crept up my lips. I was absolutely going to knock that man''s teeth out if I was ever given a chance. He''d already pulled us from the riot of color we used to have to muted ones, and some of his designs looked a bit too much like a suit for my liking. I was already wearing something too close to that hated garment for my taste.


    On Earth violence was seen as a terrible, unacceptable thing, a crime in almost all cases. Here though there was a bit of a different feeling. So long as there was no death, and you were willing to pay a fine and a priest to fix what you''d done, you''d barely get a slap on the wrist. There were exceptions of course, particularly for those with magic using their power against the powerless, but Vunell was high enough in the social hierarchy that I could duel him with impunity.


    Well, the law wouldn''t punish me. My mother and grandmother though were both affixing me with looks that could cut glass. Father was uncaring, as he often was, though grandfather looked a bit miffed, perhaps I should behave. Then again what was the good of having power if you couldn''t use it to rid the world of evil?


    The rest of my night was spent in an extended verbal spar. It was exhausting how much people wanted to talk, to poke and prod to make sure that I was up to date on potentially any subject that could come up. Would every child be put to this? My first go around I don''t think I''d have managed it, there were just too many things to remember, to think about and have opinions on. That wasn''t even counting the things I liked to do for fun.


    When it was all over I crawled into bed, thinking about what the future would hold. There were so many things planned for the next couple weeks that perhaps I could get some time over at my grandparent''s place. Maybe one day I''d even get some tools like my grandfather had, so I could make things once more.

 Chapter 12 Forwards Once More

    There were some things in this life that I never tired of, and one of those was spending time with grandpa Darksky. He was endlessly excitable, loved making things, and generally treated me less like a small child. The last was so important that it was painful as time went on and I had to relive education under tutors and teachers who really did view me as a troublesome youth.


    ¡°I can''t believe it goes that well Percival my boy, and the design, odd, but inspiring,¡± grandfather commented as he watched my little toy zoom away.


    ¡°It''s the wings, I told you a rudder shape to them would be better,¡± I answered.


    ¡°Indeed you did, indeed you did. Treating the air like a fluid is an interesting theory, why I don''t even think I''ve seen any papers on this.¡± He leaned back, hand resting on his cane as he tapped his chin.


    Grandfather also loved his papers. From what I gathered he got and read all the reports from the local scientific societies and journals, trying to keep ahead of the growing field of research. He himself was a wizard, a magus that used knowledge to do magic, and one of the few who was keeping up with the scientists.


    ¡°Then perhaps you should write one? I''m sure there is further to go then we have with this kind of thing,¡± I encouraged as we walked out to where my little glider toy had finally fallen.


    ¡°Yes, perhaps we could even make proper flying machines one day. There are legends of such things from Elazia, but they were huge constructs more like balloons than anything else.¡±


    ¡°Really?¡± I asked surprised. The technology of this world wasn''t that advanced yet.


    ¡°Oh yes, a legendary king made them, flying fortresses armed with weapons that sound like they''re from stories.¡±


    The chances of there having been others like me skyrocketed in my mind. If someone had made devices like that then they''d almost certainly come from somewhere like my world. Not planes, but blimps, and not a bad choice if nobody else could fly.


    ¡°What happened to them?¡± I asked, wondering if I could perhaps see them somewhere.


    ¡°Oh that was thousands and thousands of years ago Percival. Sadly all that remains now is stories,¡± he said with a shake of his head. ¡°But perhaps we can make something similar.¡±


    Well, that put a damper on me ever meeting another reincarnated person, shame. Though I also needed to keep my grandpa from making something and killing himself with it right now.


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    ¡°It''ll take time and effort, not something to do quickly if we want to. Also grandfather, please let me test it, I''m quite a bit more durable than you.¡± That comment was met with a scoff, until I picked up the toy and showed him where the front had caved in slightly.


    ¡°Your mother would skin me alive should something happen to you Percival, but you are right on one thing. We clearly need to do more tests.¡±


    ¡°Rightly so!¡± I answered, getting a smile from him and causing my grandfather to draw up into his full height, smile blooming upon his lips.


    ¡°Well then, let''s crack at it my boy, and make our way forwards unto a new day!¡± he said as we rushed back inside to redesign the glider.


    Sadly we were soon pulled away for social engagements. This wasn''t a one day project anyway, but rather something that we''d need to spend years on before a satisfactory result could be had. I''d never made a plane, and he hadn''t either, so it would take time, time where others were always pulling us this way or that.


    Much of my time was taken by the impending coming of ''The Season'' once more. We were now only a week or two away, and mother was once more in a state. This year particularly she seemed stressed, worried that I would do something to ruin the whole endeavor. It was almost like she didn''t trust me or something, which was really annoying because I almost never caused a scene.


    ¡°Percival, I mean it, if you ruin this I will find a way to punish you. Not sure what would be best, but I assure you that I will,¡± she emphasized one afternoon over tea.


    ¡°Mother please drop it,¡± I griped. ¡°I have no plans of ruining your time. Why would I bother?¡±


    ¡°Because you have a long and storied history of going places you''re not supposed to for your own amusement,¡± she said with a pointed finger.


    Okay, that was fair. I did indeed like exploring the world around me, even when I wasn''t supposed to do so, but it wasn''t that bad, probably. Maybe I''d snuck into the servant areas of the house a few times, or run through the local forest once or twice. Perhaps there had been an incident in the nearby village with me sneaking through under cover of darkness to try and examine the shops. On second thought...


    ¡°You know, there is a solution that makes us both happy,¡± I began.


    ¡°Or the solution that makes me happy, as I am the parent here,¡± she said tapping the table with one sharpened fingernail.


    ¡°This year I''d like to see some of the city that isn''t the inside of our home,¡± I said, ignoring her. ¡°Some of the places you almost never let me go. Grandfather even spoke of one of the sections of the Royal Society there where they give lectures. Certainly that would be a good place for a young gentleman to go?¡±


    Narrowed eyes and lips pulled into a thin line met my offer. After a time though mother did speak. ¡°You''re not completely wrong, so long as you behave. There are also a few youth fencing tournaments held which you should participate in, being that I''ve already signed you up.¡±


    ¡°You what?¡± I asked. ¡°Why didn''t you tell me about that?¡± I didn''t mind going to those, but I did mind my time being taken without my consent.


    ¡°It was supposed to be a surprise, but if you''re already planning your days you should know.¡± There wasn''t even a hint of regret there. Though she briefly looked behind me as the door opened, I didn''t turn, but I could hear steps approaching.


    ¡°Please tell me before signing me up in the future,¡± I said, staring her down. Her only response was a huff.


    ¡°Now dear, the boy isn''t making an unreasonable request, and he needs a bit more independence does he not?¡± my father''s voice intruded.


    Father and I were distant, very distant, but he seemed to want well for me. We spoke little, shared few interests in earnest, and I still couldn''t get over the fact that he''d knocked up a maid. That said he wasn''t abusive, or unkind, and did every now and then make attempts like this.


    ¡°Very well,¡± she conceded. ¡°In the future I will tell you about things I plan on signing you up for.¡± That was only half of what I wanted, and I didn''t believe a word of it, but it was something.


    ¡°I saw that everything is well underway for our trip love, thank you for that,¡± father said as he joined us, and it was true, much of the packing was done. ¡°Still trying to get those solutions mixed just right...¡±


    Father worked with a form of alchemy. He made potions and inks, and other compounds used in magic, particularly magical crafting. While that would have normally been something I''d have loved to see he didn''t like discussing it. I didn''t know why, but for whatever reason he''d always rebuffed me when I showed interest, the complete opposite of grandpa. In the end I''d all but given up trying to reach him.


    ¡°Are you ready as well father? Certainly we''ll be busy,¡± I asked.


    ¡°Hmm? Oh, yes Percival, all is well.¡±

 Chapter 13 Trains

    Family trips for me had always been the same on Earth. The insanity, the trips back and forth to make sure everything was ready, the final trip to the bathroom my father invariably took once everyone else was in the car, and me, sitting there once I was ready bored. I was happy to see that this tradition continued in my new world as well.


    Now that I was a bit older I wasn''t carried around like I had been as a baby, but I still ended up woken at an unreasonable hour and forced to ready myself. To aid in making this as painless as possible I''d taken to preparing everything I could the night before. If I was sleeping but ready, nobody could really complain until they were, nor did they want to, as they had other concerns.


    Of course as soon as we were on the way I was awoken. I wasn''t sure what it was exactly but mother seemed to have some form of distaste for any man being asleep when she had to be awake, and simply wouldn''t have it.


    ¡°Percival,¡± she said, poking me for what had to be the fifth time. ¡°Get up, we need to look proper when we arrive at the train.¡±


    ¡°In an hour and a half mother,¡± I retorted, not even opening my eyes.


    ¡°Not the point. What if someone should see you as you slump there? Didn''t you go to bed properly last night, up, now.¡± I felt another finger make its way into my side and very nearly lost my patience.


    ¡°Are we meeting grandmother and grandfather there or on the ship?¡± I asked, hoping for a change in subject.


    ¡°The train of course, now up.¡±


    Fine, she wanted me up, she would get me up. I opened my eyes, looking at her with the thoughts of mischief brewing. Now there was nowhere to go here, no way I could really get out and run. Well I could totally get out and run, and even keep up with the carriage pretty easily, but that would be rude. No, I needed to lean upon the weapon of young boys in every dimension, incessant chatter.


    ¡°I''m actually quite excited mother. Do you think grandfather will be willing to ask for us to see the engine? He''s shown me how they work you know, and I really want to see one up close. Could he ask the conductor? Did you know that the fuel...¡±


    An hour and a half later of constant facts and questions and we finally pulled into the train station. Father looked exhausted, mother looked frustrated, after all she''d brought down the deluge upon them. I''m sure if you asked her then and there if she''d ever wake me when I was trying to sleep in such a situation again she''d swear up and down that she wouldn''t, but of course she probably would in the future, it was just her nature.


    Luckily we had little to do at the train station, as from this point the servants took care of the majority of things. Instead we were shown to our compartments, rented well in advance, and right across from those of my grandparents. As soon as we arrived both of my parents spoke almost in unison.


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    ¡°Well, I''ll head off to the smoking cart,¡± father announced, fleeing.


    ¡°Father, Percival is quite excited about the train, perhaps you two could see if he could get a look at some of the engine parts. Mother and I should head to the dining car to greet the other ladies, goodbye,¡± she spoke in almost a single breath, grabbing grandmother and nearly dragging her from the room in her haste.


    ¡°Good heavens boy, what did you do?¡± grandfather asked, looking down at me with suspicion.


    ¡°She wouldn''t let me sleep, so I told her about every paper I''ve ever read on thaumic engines. I made sure to go into great detail,¡± I explained with a smile.


    He looked divided on how to respond to that answer, though I could tell he both wanted to laugh and scold me.


    ¡°Were you at least in good sorts for the trip before sleeping?¡± he asked.


    ¡°Of course,¡± I said, a bit offended. ¡°It would be unsuitable to not have my things together properly.¡±


    ¡°Well then, your mother did suggest we try to get a look at the engine, what say you then?¡± My answer seemed to have mollified any desire he had to tell me off. If my mother was going to be troublesome then I supposed in his book she could find the trouble she did.


    As it turned out the staff of the train was quite happy to show us the engine, or at least tolerant. Because of the different levels that people lived at it was hard to tell when people didn''t care, or rather felt that had no choice sometimes. We were nobles, and therefore we had a lot of leeway on certain things, a privilege because of the power we could bring to bear. I''d never seen it, but I knew that in wartime one magical soldier could bring down dozens, sometimes hundreds of non-magical ones. This, added to the fact that there were a lot of jobs that nobody else could do meant that we had to be respected, at least on paper.


    ¡°As you can see sirs, most of the engine itself runs on simple principles of boiling water. Now you could make one of these without magic, but the whole thing would be a mess. The heat loss alone would be astounding, and the sheer quantity of smoke it would spit would pollute all the cars behind. That''s where the enchantments come in,¡± one of the junior engineers explained as we watched the machine run, it wasn''t even that loud.


    ¡°Yes, I''m told that there are constant advancements in heat retention and air purification yes?¡± grandfather led him.


    ¡°Right you are sir, now over here we have the readouts...¡±


    The engine itself was a variant on a steam engine, but all around it were magical devices. Sound was dampened, air cleaned, and most importantly, heat was preserved. I''d not yet gotten a good handle on how magical items worked in this world, but I did know there was a sort of language to it, and the effects were often dramatic. In this case I could walk up to the boiler and put my hand on it without feeling the warmth, such was the efficiency of the work.


    This translated to a much smaller engine, requiring a fraction of the fuel one from Earth would have. It also meant that there had to be someone somewhere charging the thing up periodically to keep it going, but that was minor in comparison to the volume of fuel saved. It was a true marrying of magic and technology, and a beautiful thing.


    The other important bit was that magic could define sizes and make parts to a specification that made the machinist in me want to weep. Things dreamed up by engineers and builders could be made exactly the way they needed to be, even if the dimensions in question would make it almost impossible to build with the ''modern technology'' of my previous world. Parts fit exactly as they needed to fit, with just enough room for lubrication and movement, a true wonder.


    Ideas ran through my head as we were shown around, thoughts and potential uses of these things. Sadly I wasn''t an engineer, nor trained in a lot of the intricacies that would allow this to be taken to absurd levels. I could make a lot of machines, sure, but I didn''t know well enough the principle of say a jet engine to make that a reality.


    ¡°Where do you get the magic to power this?¡± I asked once the tour was done.


    ¡°Excellent question, larger stations along our route have dedicated magic users for charging them. We also try to keep either a Talent or weaker magic user on board to handle any unusual situation,¡± the young man explained. ¡°I''m in training for that myself, though I''m only a Talent the pay for the work is good.¡±


    Talents seemed to run a lot of things. Those quasi-magicians had very limited abilities, but with even a whiff of magic you could run an item, at least for a bit. Many of them were lesser children from branches of noble families, removed from the main line but still respectable. Sadly there were never enough people with magic to go round.


    ¡°Well, thank you for the tour young man, but we really should let you get back to work,¡± grandfather said, smiling and slipping him a tip with a wink.


    As we returned to where we were actually supposed to be I wondered if all the modes of transport used the same kind of engine, for example the boat... Well, perhaps they too would let me take a look, but if not, that wouldn''t be the end of the world.

 Chapter 14 Return to Exion

    Grandfather and I sat in one of the many reading rooms aboard the ship, the papers before us held as the vessel swayed gently in the sea. He''d taken a number of notes on the engine here and the one in the train and though they were not particularly different there were some effects of size. The ship''s engine was so much larger, and required so much more magic that it really was limited to shorter journeys. Mostly it went between the continent and Exion, or up and down the shore carrying passengers who could afford such luxury.


    ¡°So do other ships have the same sort of engine?¡± I asked him as I poured over some of the documents, it really was impressive how exact of parts magic could make. Many of these looked like they''d come out of a modern machine shop not a quasi-Victorian society.


    ¡°I''m not entirely sure what''s most common my boy, but I believe that older variants are used. Some of the ones without magic are definitely still running supply trips.¡± He made a move like he was reaching for a pipe that wasn''t there and frowned, the smoking areas were pretty limited onboard.


    It was frustrating just how restricted my life was. Sure, all of my needs and most of my wants were met, but there was just so little information available on some subjects to me. The nobility lived in an isolated world, unable to truly see what else was out there. It wasn''t because we couldn''t get the information, but because nobody cared to look, to ask, to seek answers. Without something like a search engine and the internet it wasn''t there for easy pursuit.


    Perhaps I could have talked to people of different social groups or professions, but that was easier said than done. From the way I spoke to the way I''d learned to hold myself I radiated ''fancy'' in a way that most people would detect. There wasn''t even a good way for me to learn the way the poorer classes spoke because my family would refuse to let me near such people. Even if I could they''d not be truly honest as soon as they realized that I was a noble, lest they bring down someone''s wrath upon their heads.


    ¡°There''s so much I don''t know,¡± I griped.


    Grandfather laughed heartily. ¡°My what a complaint. Enjoy the feeling lad, for how boring would the world be if you knew everything? Mysteries are what spice things up. I live just to see what will come next, what new thing will appear. Doesn''t it bring you joy?¡±


    After a few seconds of thought I realized he might have a point. ¡°I like the learning, but hate that sometimes it''s hard to find what I want.¡±


    ¡°That''s half the fun. When we get to the city we''ll have plenty of time to go to libraries and the Society meetings, I''m sure you''ll find things there you never expected.¡±


    While I''d expected the latter the former hadn''t really occurred to me. I''d come from a time when the good old fashioned library had fallen from style, replaced by the internet. Would they let me in? Well if grandfather was with me almost certainly so, though there might be a problem.


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    ¡°Are you sure mother will let you take me off to look at books?¡± I queried.


    ¡°Oh after what you did to her with the trains I think she''ll agree,¡± he snickered, mother was still avoiding drawing me into any more discussions in places she couldn''t escape.


    Before too long we''d arrived at our destination and I was hurried off once more. Here grandfather and I had to split, as he was going to their home. It wasn''t far from our own city house, or so I was told, so he could visit, but he had things that needed to be set up himself. After wishing him and my grandmother well I headed to our carriage.


    ¡°Do we have any plans for tonight?¡± I asked mother as we clattered along down the road, passing storefronts and masses of people who were all too eager to get out of our way.


    ¡°Unpacking Percival, though tomorrow you''ll get to spend some time with your paternal grandparents,¡± mother answered without looking up. ¡°You never get to see them.¡±


    That was fair enough, and while I didn''t really know my father''s family well they seemed nice. Perhaps if we lived in the city I''d know them better, but maybe this would be a good chance. As I was getting older my parents were finally letting me have more and more exposure to the world. Maybe they''d even come to some of the tourneys or meetings with me, if they were interested at all. If not, perhaps some other thing could be arranged.


    We pulled into the house and as always the servants were arranged in the entry for inspection. It seemed this was a tradition designed to inspire terror, and if it wasn''t it certainly managed to regardless. The men and women who worked for us were all ramrod straight, dressed in perfectly prepared uniforms or work clothes.


    Over the last five years there''d been a few changes, but very few. Good help was hard to come by as they said, and once you had someone you trusted you hardly wanted them to leave. Add to that that working in a noble''s house was a fairly good gig as I understood it and turnover was sparse. There were a few changes though.


    Our old cook had retired. She''d gotten married or something and had been a bit older for her profession, so she''d left us, one of the younger cooks taking her place. This of course meant a bit of a shakeup in the kitchen, leading to the girl who''d been terrified of my mother all those years ago taking on the position of baker herself. Sinea was still young too, so if she continued she might one day be our, or someone elses head cook.


    Mother''s inspection found a new addition, a boy working as a runner and aide to the staff downstairs. After her normal inspiration of fear into the lad, who was around my age, she continued onwards. I however stayed back for just a moment.


    ¡°Anything good in the oven for tonight miss Leeds?¡± I asked Sinea. A conversation which had become sort of a tradition of its own.


    ¡°A couple of new pies, recipes that I got over the last season that I think you''ll like my lord,¡± she replied. She always did try to find something new.


    ¡°Excellent, well I''ll not keep you any longer then,¡± with that I left, knowing that the staff really couldn''t get to work until I did.


    Over the years I''d developed a bit of an attachment to some of the staff, and Sinea was only below the top place because Mrs. Lutte had my half-sister at home. I''d gotten to watch the former grow from a terrified girl afraid of being sent back to a work house to a young woman competent in her profession. It was gratifying to see, and while she still had a bit of an accent from her younger days it was clear she was trying hard to speak properly around the family. That alone would make it heaps easier for her to find a new job should something happen, and even improve her marriage prospects, should she choose that route.


    After some basic unpacking of my own, and changing up some of the smaller things around my room I headed to dinner. It was still a bit formal, with my mother not wasting time with her normal acts of conversation and making sure that I was following all of the rules of etiquette. There was a surprise though at the end when the pies were brought out.


    Most of them were the normal styles, sweetened meat pies or fruit pies, but there was one. I''d not seen any pecans in this world, but there were other nuts, and this particular pastry could have fooled any southern grandmother of Earth. My heart sang as I took my first small bite, loving that it reminded me of my former home. Sure, the taste wasn''t exactly pecan pie, but it was close, and that alone was enough to make me love it.


    ¡°I take it you like that one?¡± mother asked with raised eyebrows.


    ¡°Quite so. You should try it,¡± I encouraged. Now if I could only find somewhere to get a decent plate of pulled pork, then we''d be in business.

 Chapter 15 Guns and Swords

    While I liked my paternal grandparents I really just didn''t get them. They were both talkative, and both far less obsessed with propriety than my maternal grandmother seemed to be. I wondered why that was, if there was something I was missing, but I''d not found it yet. Overall I liked grandma and grandpa Shadestone.


    These thoughts were going through my mind as I met with the grandparents I seldom saw. While they were only around for one season they were still beating out my Earth ones though, who I saw very little indeed. What I did know though was that these two cared for me, and they cared for my little sister, which put them up in my book.


    Today they were joining us for lunch, a rather less formal affair than dinner tended towards, though little food was served.


    ¡°What will you be doing for the season?¡± I asked grandpa.


    ¡°Nothing special Percival, few parties here and there. No hunting right now for reasonable men.¡± That surprised me, I''d never known he was a hunter.


    ¡°What do you hunt? There aren''t many animals around here.¡± That was true enough, since I''d never seen anything like deer on this island. Of course I''d only seen the city itself, but I doubted that large game was a thing.


    ¡°Oh birds mostly,¡± he answered with a smile.


    ¡°He uses guns of all things,¡± my grandma said with rolled eyes, as if that were exasperating.


    ¡°That''s interesting,¡± I said in response, thinking back to my old world.


    ¡°Oh they''re nothing special, but they make the whole thing sporting. Most nobles can take down flocks if they so choose, but that''s hardly fun, or fair for the animals. Giving them a chance, taking only those you choose if you can. It''s much better isn''t it lad?¡± There was a slight sparkle in his eye as he leaned in.


    ¡°Actually I think guns are interesting,¡± I answered.


    There was a BOOM as my mother''s hand slammed down onto the table with enough force to make the whole thing shake.


    ¡°You are too young to have one Percival, and they are too dangerous. I may let you get away with a lot, but you will not be having one so get the ideas I can already see spinning around in your head out now.¡± There was a finality in her statement that spoke hard on how she felt about this.


    ¡°I''m not planning on getting one right now mother, I just think they''re neat.¡± I''d in fact owned, and made, several in my previous life, but not had any chance to see up close what this world had.


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    ¡°They are dangerous Percival,¡± mother said, still looking irritated. She knew me well, and that I tended to get ideas in my head, even if I really didn''t intend much now.


    ¡°Please calm down dear,¡± grandma Shadestone said, reaching out a hand to mother.


    ¡°This is me being calm. The boy needs to understand that there are things he cannot play with.¡±


    Grandpa Shadestone looked thoughtful for a bit before speaking.


    ¡°Your mother is right, you''re far too young for a firearm lad,¡± he said, getting my mother to nod. ¡°But if he is interested we should at least show him how they work, and teach him about safety.¡± His bushy mustache twitched as he looked at me.


    ¡°He is...¡± mother began.


    ¡°Old enough to understand. I taught his father the same at about his age, and I''ll tan his hide should he act a fool. Teaching him to be safe will be better Lucille,¡± grandpa said, cutting her off.


    ¡°Fine, when you get a day free then will you handle it?¡± mother finally acquiesced, though I could see from her eyes that I''d be getting more later.


    ¡°Of course,¡± he answered, patting her shoulder.


    The next day I found that I had a new outfit. Today would be the first of the tourneys that mother had entered me in and as I left the dressing room at the small arena I felt excitement pulsing through me. Around me there were men and women in kit with foils of various sizes and shapes. The youth rounds weren''t the only ones happening today, with a number for physical magic users and those without that advantage.


    The small hall we''d be using was still in use, two adults bouncing around it at speed pulling off moves that were like a mix of kung fu movie and anime. Physical reality still held some sway, so the more insane things were not really possible, but their speed and the power in the blows was something to behold. Either of these men could have wiped the floor with me with ease.


    As the match ended mother once more found me and this time she wasn''t alone. Along with her was another woman who was familiar, one of her sometimes visitors Lady Starshine, or well, one of them, it was a rather large family. This particular woman had in tow what could only be her daughter, who was perhaps a year or two younger than myself.


    ¡°Percival, there you are,¡± mother said as she approached. ¡°You remember my friend yes?¡±


    ¡°Greetings young man,¡± the woman said, taking quite a bit of the pressure off of my end.


    ¡°Lady Starshine, you visited us last year correct?¡± I asked with a smile. ¡°But I don''t think I recognize your companion.¡±


    It was considered rude to address a woman you didn''t know publicly without some invitation, one of many rules. While I could have said hello to the girl herself since we''d never been formally introduced it would be a major faux pas. On the other hand I did in fact know the mother from a previous meeting, so speaking to her was fine.


    ¡°Oh you do remember, how lovely. This is my daughter Rowena,¡± she offered with a small motion.


    I nodded politely and now we were at an impasse as the girl looked at me and I at her. She had to be the first to speak here, like her mother had. She could of course refuse to, and I would then be disallowed from speaking to her, such were the expectations.


    After a few long moments, clearly designed to make me wonder if she would she smiled. ¡°Greetings sir I''m Rowena Starshine, may I inquire as to your name?¡±


    ¡°Of course, I''m Percival Shadestone, a pleasure to meet you.¡±


    ¡°And you as well.¡±


    Now that the societally mandated pleasantries were done our mothers retreated a bit to their seats. They were still in view, and I knew for a fact that at least mine could still hear our conversation, but it did give a bit of ''privacy'' to us.


    ¡°Do you fence?¡± I asked Rowena, a bit lost on what to say to a girl this young.


    ¡°No, my brother does, we''re here to watch him. He''s participating in this tourney too.¡± There was a brief lull before she spoke again. ¡°Do you mind if I ask a favor of you?¡±


    ¡°What would that be?¡± I asked without committing.


    ¡°Beat him, he''s been a bit insufferable lately and I''d love to see him humbled.¡± I wanted to snort at her request, but there was probably more to it. She sounded coached, almost like she was reading a script, even if the last part did seem a bit ad-libed.


    ¡°Well, I was planning on winning anyway,¡± I answered with a smile.


    Behind her I could see our parents smirking. Those two were trying at playing matchmaker. I wanted to yell, tell my mother that I was eight and this girl was maybe seven, but I had other things on my mind, as the announcer had begun to call the participants.


    ¡°Ah, I must go, please excuse me.¡±


    I got a smile and a little wave, she seemed like a nice kid.

 Chapter 16 Fight

    Reflecting back on it later I found I had been a bit hard on most of my opponents through the day. They were children, had trained like children, and fought like children. To most of them this was just another sport, another thing to do, and while some were quite skilled they lacked the sort of controlled aggression that could really change things. They became flustered easily, angry easily, and didn''t know how to focus not anger or rage, but just aggression, for there is a difference.


    In a fight, and this was a fight regardless of what my mother thought, aggression can be the difference between victory and loss. Skill is of course also an important part of things, but if you don''t apply it correctly you cannot use it. Beyond that you''ll need strength and speed, the basis by which one applies what they know.


    Two strikes landed on my blade, skidding and bouncing back. Across from me my opponent had his teeth clenched, nearly snarling as he charged, only to find me closing, turning to throw him off, and nearly taking him off of his feet. I scored a hit on his leg as he tried to reposition, before advancing again, my own dulled blade leading the way.


    He tried to recover, bring his weapon back up and into the way, only to find it slapped aside and me striking him again. In trying to back off he finally tripped and that was all but it for the match. Unable to rise without me allowing it and unable to effectively fight back from his back he soon lost. A bell soon rang, indicating that the round was done.


    ¡°That was a good fight,¡± I said, holding my hand out to help him up.


    ¡°Not good enough.¡± Looks like I''d hurt his feelings. He still took my hand though, and rose beside me.


    ¡°Best I''ve had all day,¡± I offered, and it was true, though I still wasn''t even sweating.


    ¡°Thanks, care to go again some time?¡±


    ¡°I''d love to.¡±


    Mother had pushed me hard, very hard, and while I''d thought the adult fighters were something the kids were not so much. It looked like there was a big gap, as well there might be, particularly as people got older and grew into their magic. I also realized that I was a lot stronger and faster than my peers, the physical magic in me above what they could manage. I wondered why, or how that was grown. Perhaps that I had the mind of an adult? Maybe something with genetics was involved? One day I should ask someone.


    The semifinal now over I found my way to the small side area for some water. The next match would only be in a few moments, so I didn''t have time to waste, and there I got eyes on young Lucas Starshine. Rowena''s brother was a year or so older than me and looked much like her, but with short hair and laughing eyes. He''d breezed through his matches, blitzing his opponents with speed. Of course it was he who''d meet me in the final match.


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    Another bell and we walked out to the floor.


    ¡°Your sister asked me to beat you,¡± I told him, trying to gauge his reaction.


    He chuckled as he put on his mask. ¡°Did she now, well I''ll have to have a conversation with her about it later.¡±


    ¡°I''d hate to let her down you see, so I''m afraid I''ll have to oblige.¡± I got the feeling that this would be real fun.


    ¡°You''re welcome to try,¡± he said as the bell rang and we both charged forward.


    If the previous matches had been boring this one was anything but. Speed and strength between us were almost perfectly matched, and he was no newbie. With a year or so on me he''d seen tournaments, fought in them, and knew what to do. While neither of us was able to do the almost anime-like moves the adults could with our speed we''d have simply overpowered even skilled swordsmen from Earth, masters could have out-skilled us, but even they would have trouble keeping up.


    Steel flashed and flashed again, a chorus of rings and the sound of metal scraping metal played like fast music through the arena. Neither of us could get a clean hit, could make our blades or points touch the other, no matter how hard we tried.


    I slashed and he blocked, then turned his blade trying to plant the point in my stomach. What followed was almost a dance, the edges never separating as we stepped, forwards and back. I ducked as he pushed moving under his arm and sword. Eventually our blades locked and we both leaned in, trying to overpower the other.


    ¡°You''re good!¡± Lucas enthused, right before he punched me in the stomach.


    Strikes, while uncommon, weren''t against the rules, and even if it didn''t hurt much it was enough to throw me back and take my breath for a second. In that second he seized control of the bind, tossing my blade skyward with a flourish.


    There was a gasp from the crowd as I lost my sword, and of course my opponent did the natural thing, tried to thrust forwards. Under the eyes and collectively held breath I slid to the side, one hand wrapping around Lucas'' wrist while the other went under his arm. Throws weren''t illegal either and I got a good ten feet as other boy was sent tumbling in the air.


    While he flew I ran, sliding to catch my sword. As I did so I saw him roll, push off the ground and spin mid-air to land on his feet, if very out of stance. As he did the bell rang twice. Nobody had scored any points yet, so we were in a sudden death phase, the next strike determining who would win.


    Time seemed to stop as we looked upon each other, then we both charged. Once more our blades met before we did, and we both turned our hands, trying to control the line of the other''s thrust. The point of Lucas'' blade passed my face, not even an inch away, while immediately after mine landed into his chest, right over his heart.


    The crowd, while small, gave a hearty cheer as we bowed to one another and I was presented the small medal for winning. There was a prize, but it was to be donated to charity, and it wasn''t much anyway since this was just a small event. Commoners normally kept their prizes, but as nobles we had ''expectations'' on us, and giving it to the poor was one of them.


    At the end of it all I found my way back to my mother and her friend. Lucas, while seeming a bit flustered at losing took it rather well for a kid, though not perfectly.


    ¡°I''ll win next time,¡± he challenged me.


    ¡°You''re welcome to try,¡± I answered with a laugh. He guffawed before leaving us to change.


    ¡°Thank you for that Percival,¡± Rowenna said after he''d left hearing distance, smiling at me.


    ¡°Well, how could I deny your request? Though he may be even more insufferable until we have a rematch.¡±


    ¡°Probably,¡± she laughed. ¡°Well, I should hope to see you again soon, if you''d please excuse me.¡±


    I gave a small bow as she left, going to join up with her sibling and their mother once more. That night we received a small envelope, inviting us to join them for a dinner party in around a week''s time. Briefly I wondered if that would have come should I have lost, but with mothers playing their games it may well have. At any rate, it would be my first real social engagement.

 Chapter 17 Royal Society

    The Royal Society was, in a single word, chaos. I was sure that somewhere there were men and women writing papers in stuffy offices, but it certainly wasn''t here. The building was occupied by lecture hall after lecture hall, any one of which might be the site of vigorous scientific discussion at any given time.


    My favorite part was this though, that nobles seldom frequented this location. Studying science was done by the nobility, but being on the bleeding edge, the researchers, the examiners who brought the data here to correlate and argue, that was for commoners. It meant that many of the social strictures that I had to abide by in my daily life were lifted in favor of the local culture.


    There were dozens of rooms to explore, and subjects to look into. The section on biology alone had no less than five lectures ongoing about current theories revolving around microorganisms and their various forms, one about evolution of all things, and a demonstration of some new techniques to try and isolate various compounds. There were a few areas talking about new discoveries in radiation, though it seemed someone had gotten word around that playing with it was dangerous, as I could see safety equipment being brought in. Chemists had a hall for ''practical demonstrations'' which was in a detached building. There was also a whole section devoted to new machines and their uses.


    Grandfather and I both headed straight towards the last section, eager to see what was being found there. My chaperone was happy to let me lead, this being my first time, and soon I found a room where was being described something painfully simple, but that had taken my own world many more years to realize. It was a Archimedes Screw, but rather than rotating the screw itself the cylinder around it was spun. This had been found in living memory back on Earth by an enterprising Mr. Olds in Australia, and I was glad to see that this world''s people were just as clever as my previous one''s.


    ¡°Darksky, is that you?¡± an older man asked as he approached. ¡°Why I haven''t seen you in years old friend. Wherever have you been?¡± He seemed to smile under his bushy beard.


    ¡°Oh pah, it hasn''t been that long, come here,¡± grandfather replied as he moved to give the man a half-hug, clearly they knew each other. ¡°As for what I''ve been doing, mostly tottering about, teaching my grandson this and that.¡±


    The older man soon looked down at me. ¡°Ah and that must be you my boy. Though I''ll say your grandfather looks barely old enough to be your papa, doesn''t he? Have to admit I''m a bit jealous.¡±


    ¡°Percival, this is Longdon, an old friend of mine,¡± grandfather said, seeming to want to change the subject. I didn''t know why, but it seemed a bit of a sticking point with him.


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    ¡°Hello Mr. Longdon,¡± I dutifully replied, greeting the older fellow.


    ¡°So, anything of note going on today?¡± grandfather asked, looking about.


    ¡°Certainly certainly, why I''ve got a demonstration coming up in just a few minutes. Care to come and watch?¡± he asked.


    My grandfather looked at me and I shrugged, not knowing all that was going on it seemed as good a lead as any. So soon we found ourselves in one of the lecture halls, looking over a rather large piece atop a table. It didn''t take me long to see what exactly it was, but it was so primitive that I was surprised it worked at all.


    Soon enough Longdon reappeared, shepherding people in and bringing up some diagrams.


    ¡°As you can see my dear guests, this engine runs not on steam, but the burning of volatile chemicals, in this case, ethanol. The speed and power which I''m already finding from this device appear to match, or perhaps exceed those of conventional engines. Admittedly there are some problems, but I''m sure that with time those can be worked out. Now if you will direct your attention to the pedestal.¡±


    He started his device and almost instantly it sounded... off. I couldn''t place it, but something about the way the engine was running just seemed wrong to me. I wasn''t the only one either, as Mr. Longdon began to look over the device with a hard eye, adjusting the control knobs carefully.


    ¡°That doesn''t sound right...¡± I managed as the engine began to shake. ¡°Oh no.¡±


    Longdon tried, and failed to get things back under control but soon his work was bouncing up and down at speed, faster and faster until the moorings holding it in place failed, and a couple hundred pounds of metal jumped upwards like a pogo stick.


    Time slowed as I rushed forwards to grab the old man and pull him to safety. That much weight throwing itself around was an impending disaster and he was too close. Before I could make it though I saw something that seldom happened, grandfather used magic.


    In an instant the engine was enveloped by light from his extended hand, and it froze. Not just still, though it was that too, but it began to radiate cold like an arctic wind. I could feel it many feet away, see the ice ripple across the surface and the device shatter as moving parts couldn''t, the steel made brittle by the sudden drop in temperature.


    Worse than that though was the look on grandfather''s face as he held the pieces, finally letting them fall. It wasn''t rage, or fury, it was ice, it chilled me to my core, just as it had the engine.


    It made sense, in a world with monsters you had to know how to fight. Did I wear a face like that when I fenced? No, I was too amateur, too novice, and had never had to really do battle. Would I in the future though? I didn''t know how to feel about that.


    Longdon looked up from where I''d pulled him back, also catching the look in his friend''s eyes, and I heard him gulp.


    ¡°My apologies, I... that''s never happened before,¡± he managed to say.


    ¡°Such things sometimes happen, but see that it doesn''t around my grandson again yes?¡± grandfather said, his eyes not losing their edge until the other man nodded.


    ¡°So...¡±


    ¡°Well Percival, what say we go and find another demonstration then?¡± I was asked.


    ¡°Ah, that sounds good.¡±


    We kind of needed to, since this one was quite thoroughly destroyed. There were a few people making rude comments about the failure, but most were being rather polite about it. Hopefully Mr. Longdon''s reputation wouldn''t be damaged too badly by the disaster, since internal combustion really was a good technology.


    ¡°Mind if we go to see the chemists next? I''d love to see what they''re doing,¡± I asked as I was led out of the room.


    ¡°Oh certainly, though personally I find that a bit tiresome. Much better the moving parts and bits.¡±


    While I personally agreed with my grandfather, many things needed to come together.

 Chapter 18 Basic Safety

    The day after my visit to the Royal Society I ended up in a heavily fortified building with Grandpa Shadestone. He''d reserved a private room for today''s activities at this facility, and was waiting when I arrived.


    The room itself was perhaps thirty feet wide and around a hundred and fifty as long, with a counter and separated bays. He stood at one of these, with several weapons laid out upon the bay and targets set up in the distance. One of the servants had escorted me here, since everyone else was busy, but so far as I knew he would be taking me back home.


    ¡°Come here Percival and take a look,¡± he invited me as I came in, motioning to the table.


    I did as he bade me, looking over the weapons on the table. They looked much like guns from my previous world, though all appeared to be either muzzle or breach loaders, and all were single shot. While there were some stylistic differences there were few, since really there only were so many ways to comfortably hold something like a gun. There was also a lack of something like a pistol.


    Compared to the rest of the world this being so primitive was a bit surprising. There were plenty of machines, simple and otherwise, but nobody had added that to weaponry. Perhaps that was due to the newness of mechanization, or maybe the presence of magic was seen as such a tipping point that they just weren''t used, I''d not figured that out yet.


    ¡°Well, I''m glad to see you didn''t touch any of them,¡± Grandpa Shadestone observed.


    ¡°Of course not, they''re weapons,¡± I answered.


    ¡°Good answer Percival, but tell me this, which ones are loaded?¡± he asked, chortling but continuing to watch me.


    ¡°As far as I''m aware, all of them,¡± I replied confidently.


    ¡°I was looking for ''I don''t know'' but that''s not a bad answer either. One can never tell if a gun is loaded or not Percival, so you should always treat them as such. Sometimes you can''t even tell the difference between real and fake ones, so they should be treated as real.¡± I nodded, that was basic gun safety.


    ¡°Of course grandpa.¡±


    ¡°I also want you to think about what''s in front of them. Make sure you know where the dangerous end is pointed at all times, and never let it point at anything of value.¡± Once more I nodded agreement.


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    This fell right in with the basics of gun safety from my old world. Sometimes the order differed or the specific wording, but the general rules were as followed.


    <ol>


    <li>


    Always treat every gun like it is always loaded.


    </li>


    <li>


    Never point a gun at something you''re not willing to destroy.


    </li>


    <li>


    Keep your finger off the trigger until you''re ready to shoot.


    </li>


    <li>


    Know your target and what is behind it.


    </li>


    </ol>


    It was widely observed that so long as those rules were followed accidents were very unlikely. Normally you had to break more than one for something to go truly wrong, something I didn''t want.


    ¡°Now, let''s cover some of the basics.¡±


    Before I was allowed to shoot my grandpa showed me how to clear each of these. Then he showed me how to clean them in exacting detail. These were important and also had the advantage of getting me an even better look at the internals, though those weren''t very impressive.


    We started with the muzzle-loaders, something I''d never dealt with in my old life. They were a pain, requiring a slow, multi-step process to clear, ready, and load before they could shoot. You really, really didn''t want anything going wrong with these, as your hand might well be in the way while you were putting the powder in and they made me slightly uncomfortable on the whole.


    Once one was loaded I was run through the basics of shooting, stance, aim, and the like, and also given earmuffs. The sights used in this world were a bit different than I was used to, but worked on the same concept. It was just that they used more decorative shapes rather than just raised bars. In retrospect though that might have been because these belonged to a nobleman.


    After a few shots Grandpa Shadestone had us take a break.


    ¡°Not bad Percival, not bad at all. Maybe you should come hunting with me next year,¡± he said with a smile.


    ¡°Mother would lose her mind,¡± I retorted, earning me a hearty laugh.


    ¡°That she would, that she would. Well, let''s move on.¡±


    The breach loading weapons were a lot easier. They functioned like a lot of shotguns from back on Earth, though there were a few oddities here and there. The paper cartridges were odd to me, having been something long out of style on Earth before I was born. Sure, the concept was the same, but the care was different, something I was informed on as we worked our way thought these. I was quizzed on the rules and methods throughout, each being drilled into me, and I couldn''t say I disapproved at all.


    After everything was cleaned and put away we went to look at the results. Grandpa seemed quite pleased but to me the results were... unsatisfactory. I was very out of practice and these items weren''t made for someone of my size, add to that the unfamiliarity and my shots were nowhere near what they should have been at these ranges. It was a bit disappointing to see how I''d done, even if my grandpa assured me that it was very good for a first-timer.


    ¡°That was fun, thank you,¡± I said as we finished.


    ¡°Oh-ho? Enjoyed yourself then? We can come back some time if you want. Be a good idea to go over things more than once anyway,¡± Grandpa Shadestone offered.


    ¡°Please,¡± I responded.


    Before I even made it back to our carriage I was running through all the different things I could do. There were so many tools I''d need, so many specialized bits and bobs if I wanted to make things like I''d had before. Where would I even start? Making my own weapons would come in time, but which to go with? What would be the best designs and methods to use? With the available technology could I even reasonably make anything? The last answer was quick to pop into my head. I most definitely could make a lot of things, and things this world had never seen.


    That of course led to the moral question of if I should. Was it wrong to introduce things like that? I could follow the whole moral idea of the ''Prime Directive'' but that seemed stupid, and if war came, then I decidedly wanted my people to win. The best way to ensure that would be to make sure that things were ready to go and laid out.

 Chapter 19 Dinner Party

    The day had finally come, and I had a dinner party to attend. This was going to be an interesting affair, riddled with rules and meeting new people, a fresh experience. My mother of course was stressed, she seemed to always be stressed, but mostly because she meant well.


    Most of my afternoon was spent with either Mrs. Lutte or my mother, going over the many rules and regulations on attending such a party. Of course I wouldn''t be alone, there would be a number of chaperones for the youths tonight, both to observe how we did and correct any terribly bad behavior on the spot. For us this was almost like a training exercise, preparation for what would come when we were adults.


    It was a relief when we finally arrived, mostly because I would no longer have to listen to it all anymore. Even on the way I was getting lectures and reviews from bothered adults.


    I followed in just after my parents as the greeted the Starshine couple and introduced me. I''d of course met the lady of the house, and the father seemed well disposed, almost chortling when he saw me in my miniature suit before mastering his expression.


    That done I was shown to one of the side rooms. As this was practice things were as close to proper as they could be, but there were still some changes. Normally the adults spent time in the lounge as everyone arrived, instead we were in a side room that had been set up to look like one. When the time came for dinner we''d not be going to the actual dining room, but another sitting room that had been arranged as such.


    Rowenna and Lucas were to one side, much as their parents were above, greeting guests and making introductions, they were of course the first of the kids that I spoke to.


    ¡°I''m so glad you could join us tonight,¡± Rowenna said as I stopped near them.


    ¡°Thank you for inviting me,¡± I responded with a smile.


    ¡°Of course, we both found our last meeting quite enjoyable,¡± Lucas added with a smile that told me he wanted a rematch.


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    ¡°As did I.¡± I would have been happy to keep trading such offers with him, but I heard someone else joining us, and they had a job to do.


    Quickly the brother found one of his friends, a lad by the name of Wright, who I was hurriedly introduced to. It gave a good excuse to make small talk while we waited for the other guests. Wright was an interesting fellow who loved boats and sailing. While I knew almost nothing of sailing ships I could and did enjoy some light conversation about steam boats, something both of us knew enough about to participate in.


    In due time a butler, probably the second of them, called us all to dinner. Each boy found the girl he was to escort and we headed in. I of course was to escort Rowenna. The rules on who was to escort who and sit where were frankly Byzantine, but it seemed that someone had arranged the guest list so that I would sit by the girl. I nearly rolled my eyes, and made a mental note to tell mother off later.


    Soon enough food was brought in. At a second table the watchers sat, keenly looking over us, but as they did the butler did the same with the servers and maids. They too were on the younger side, because this was their training as well. If a mistake was made here it would be embarrassing, but not disastrous as it might be if someone offended or misstepped around one of the adults.


    ¡°So Percival, have you done anything interesting over the past few days?¡± Rowenna asked as we began.


    ¡°Other than the tourney? I did go to some lectures on science and mechanics at the Royal Society. I wouldn''t bore you with the details but there were a number of demonstrations.¡±


    ¡°Oh that''s up near the Basker Greenhouses. They have the most wonderful collection of flowers from all over the world,¡± the girl across from us, Lavine, said. We''d only been introduced in passing, but it appeared she wanted to talk about that, so I happily changed the subject.


    ¡°Can''t say I''ve ever been, anything in particular you suggest seeing?¡±


    She did indeed have several things she would suggest, enough that when she mentioned the section fed heat by underground tunnels someone else decided to speak up. It was Wright to the rescue.


    ¡°I heard there''s been more sightings of the little green man around those,¡± he said offhandedly.


    ¡°Little green man?¡± I asked, having not heard about that.


    ¡°There have been rumors of a small misshapen green man, or men, dwelling in the tunnels and whatnot beneath the city. Personally I think it''s just a joke to scare people,¡± Rowenna said.


    ¡°Sounds almost like a goblin,¡± I observed, something that got me a few odd looks. ¡°I saw a few such creatures at a circus some years back. I think they said they were from an island.¡± I remembered them quite clearly, a species from stories in my previous world that appeared here.


    ¡°Wait, they''re real? The rumors say...¡± Wright began conspiratorially, only to be cut off by a distinct cough from one of the adults. Looked like he was wandering too close to a sensitive subject. ¡°Well, there are many rumors,¡± he amended.


    While we had to drop the subject for more mundane topics he did pique my interest in it. Maybe one of the little monsters had made its way under the city, at any rate there were adults to deal with such things, and they''d probably snuff it out if it should ever get too sloppy.

 Chapter 20 Gardens

    A few days after I had dinner with my... friends? They were still so young, it was honestly odd to call them that, perhaps peers would be a better word, if an odd one. Regardless, a few days after that meeting I made my way down to the botanical gardens mentioned. I didn''t have any particular interest in flowers, though I liked them as well as anything else, but the idea that one of those creatures was loose did pique my interest a bit.


    My family was generally accepting of my desire to see the gardens, after all a young gentleman familiarizing himself with botany was considered appropriate. Turned out a lot of flowers had meanings to them, and a bouquet could be either a declaration of love or a fancy way to tell someone they''re a jerk. The fact that so much meaning was ascribed seemed patently ridiculous to me, but it''d be good to know for the future.


    Mrs. Lutte was of course not fooled at all, and had stared daggers at me the whole ride here. Unfortunately for her I''d managed to catch my parents when she wasn''t around to ask them to come, and they were unlikely to go back on heir word just because I had ulterior motives.


    ¡°Percival,¡± she began as we got out. ¡°I would appreciate it if you didn''t wander off today.¡± She was still my nanny after all so would be escorting me.


    ¡°I have no plan to,¡± I told her.


    ¡°Percival,¡± she groaned.


    ¡°Today,¡± I clarified. ¡°I just want to look around, see what''s here. Not like any monsters are going to come out in the middle of the day anyway Mrs. Lutte.¡±


    ¡°It''s a wonder your mother doesn''t beat you,¡± she griped under her breath.


    ¡°Not really, what would she even use? I''m tough enough that most things capable of hurting me are way too dangerous.¡± I was being a bit more flip than usual, but it was a beautiful day and I was going to enjoy seeing the gardens.


    ¡°Perhaps I should consult with your grandmother then,¡± Mrs. Lutte replied.


    I gave her a horrified look. Most of my grandparents were fairly tolerant of me, but my maternal grandmother was a harridan if ever there was one. She also had no tolerance for any nonsense and a preternatural ability to catch me at mischief. Luckily I could keep the dragon sated with good manners and politeness, but having a servant complain that it was impossible to have discipline around me would have repercussions I was sure.


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    ¡°You know I really do just plan to look around right?¡± I asked, hoping we could step back from what might be an impending war.


    ¡°Oh I believe you. For everything else you do always make your intentions clear.¡±


    After a short ride we arrived, and I was quite surprised at the place. When I''d heard that there were gardens here I was expecting an outdoor affair, and while there were some of that most of it was indoors in massive greenhouses. Between these was trellis after trellis of more cold tolerant plant. Really I should have expected them to be indoor, with it being winter and all, but I''d not really thought about it.


    As for the gardens themselves, they were magnificent. The glass houses shone in the morning sun, almost uncomfortably warm and filled to the brim with both seasonal and exotic plants. Flowers in shades of red and purple in beds and falling from raised sections of wall, vines dripping with white star shaped blooms. There were a good few fruits too, most of which looked to be tropical. Mixed in with all of these were ferns and bushes of varieties I''d never seen in either of my lives.


    There was of course one that was missing, though in all honesty I''d not expected it. Out of curiosity I stopped one of the workers and ask him.


    ¡°Sir, have you ever seen a vine that makes a light purple-blue fruit, about this big?¡± I inquired, holding out my hands.


    ¡°Can''t say I have,¡± he answered with a thick accent. ¡°Do ya know the name of it?¡±


    ¡°No, I''m afraid not.¡± I shrugged, it wasn''t too important.


    ¡°Can you say where you saw it?¡± he continued on.


    ¡°In a cave. I suspect the plant was magical if that helps.¡±


    ¡°Ah, that makes sense,¡± he nodded. ¡°Don''t have no magic plants here sir, some of them are dangerous, and some unique. All I can say is to be careful round them things, not all are friendly.¡±


    I smiled, didn''t I know it. Last time I''d seen that particular plant it''d killed me, so dangerous seemed apt as a description.


    Did I really care about the plant? No, not truly, and while I missed parts of my home I couldn''t really imagine going back. I was happy here, with actual superpowers and a family that cared for me, what more could I really ask for?


    I nearly bid the man goodbye, but behind him I saw something that caught my eye. ¡°Sir, what''s that?¡± I asked.


    ¡°Oh? Ah, them''s the steam tunnels, keep the place warm. They run steam through pipes out from the Royal Society I''m told, no matter how cold it gets the hothouses are always warm. Might bit better than the way we used to do it, had to bury the tropical pants in dung and all that.¡± That sounded profoundly awful, but my attention was more on the small steaming vent.


    Now, I knew the elven lands were far more tropical than our lands, and the goblins were from somewhere around there. If I were a tropical little monster that wanted to hide, where would be better than the nice warm tunnels? Perhaps...


    As I looked up I saw Mrs. Lutte giving me the stink eye. Her hands were on her hips, stare locked on me. Before I could get in too much trouble I thanked the nice man and turned from the tunnel''s entrance. After all, why did I need to go down there today when I was planning to spend so much time at the Royal Society anyway? Certainly I''d have plenty of time to get in via that route.


    While we finished up I spent my time trying to think of the best way into the tunnels. I imagined myself slinking through, catching the lost little monster and maybe even ending up in the paper for my bravery. Those things had been kept in by that cage when I was little, and for that reason alone I could tell that they weren''t that strong. Heck, I was probably bigger than them even now.


    Then again if I did end up causing trouble it might fall on my grandfather. Perhaps care was a better idea.


    Sadly Mrs. Lutte dashed my plans as soon as we returned home, running off to tell my mother that I''d found out about tunnels under the gardens. She''d even heard the man say that they were connected to the Royal Society, a looming disaster for any searching I might do. Grandfather would be sure to be informed, and while he might manage to get in to look for any monsters I most certainly wouldn''t be allowed.

 Chapter 21 In the Tunnels

    Mrs. Lutte was an annoyingly smart cookie, and had put together the exact same things I had.  She''d also alerted my family to the matter and now they were taking action.  True, they were not really high up in a lot of the local government, but they knew people who were, and being a noble meant that you could get things done if you really wanted.


    Of course none of them believed for a second that there was a goblin in the underground, but they did believe that their son would do something they viewed as incredibly stupid if it wasn''t looked into.  Could I even really blame them?  Well yes, but I was still physically a child, so it wasn''t like they were wrong.


    Grandfather and I were at the Royal Society, waiting.  I was pretty sure that I''d been brought along just to see how useless it would''ve been to go down there.


    ¡°There''s almost no way anything''s down there sir, but if you insist,¡± the leader of their little expedition said.


    ¡°I do, if for no other reason than to curb my grandson''s curiosity on the matter.¡±  He gave me a stern look.


    ¡°Look lad,¡± the man said turning to me.  ¡°I know it sounds exciting, but all these are is blank stone tunnels full of hot air.  They don''t even intersect anything, and they''re only like two blocks long.¡±  He looked back to grandfather.  ¡°You know, we could take him with us, just to show him how boring it is.¡±


    ¡°No, I think this is a good time for a lesson in self-discipline.¡±  I wilted as grandfather gave me a harsh look.  Normally he was very fun, excitable, and generally fond of some of my antics, but he viewed this one as dangerous.


    There were five men in total, with little clubs and one single-shot pistol.  Even if nobody believed me there had been several sightings of a little green man, and it did actually match the description of the missing monster I remembered from the circus.


    With a shrug the workers opened up the seldom used maintenance hatch and went in.  We expected them to be back in under ten minutes, but two minutes in things began to change.  There was a noise like yelling, a high pitched screech, and then a gunshot.


    Before I could act a hand pulled me back.  I was stronger than my maternal grandfather, but didn''t resist as he placed himself between me and the door, lifting his cane.  Runes, previously invisible lit upon the surface of the little item I''d always thought he carried as an affectation, energy crackling and sparking as he pointed the end towards the door.


    ¡°Behind me Percival,¡± he commanded, his voice taking on a hard tone I''d never heard before.


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    There was silence for a time, then a sound of footsteps, several pairs.  The maintenance crew had returned, carrying one of their own, who''d taken a nasty gash to his leg.  Another carried the corpse, a small, green-skinned humanoid, clearly dead, head smashed in and a large hole in its chest.


    ¡°Got it,¡± the leader said in a breathy voice.  ¡°We''re gonna need to check how it got in though, in case there are more.¡±


    Within an hour a full armed unit poured down both ends of the tunnel.  There were no other goblins, and no opening that they could find.  In the end their best guess was that it had slipped in through one of the grates in the hothouses and been hiding down there, only coming out when nobody was around.


    Sasha


    Sasha looked over at her sister, she didn''t really get her sister.  Sister Greta liked little mechanisms and parts that the others brought back when they went out, always huddled over one or another.


    ¡°He''s still not come back,¡± Sasha griped, for weeks one of their big brother''s helpers had been gone, lost on some mission or other.


    ¡°It''s fine,¡± her sister said with an unconcerned sigh.  ¡°You worry too much.¡±


    The day it had happened was supposed to be a great day for Sasha, the day she was finally given a job.  Her job was to watch the entrance to the nest, protect it, and make sure the dumber cousins didn''t run off.  After all, she could count, and she could talk like Father did, she was one of his special children, and even had power like he did to heal and harm.  She also looked different than the cousins, a little more like the people Father sometimes brought in, with hair and a flatter face.


    She was still fairly little, but he''d pulled her aside that day, telling her how she needed to count the parties and they left, and as they came back, make sure everyone was okay.  It was a good job, a job to be proud of, a job she knew was right.  Her brother making her fail on her first day was a dark black mark to her.


    But big brother Sigmund''s group had come back short, they were supposed to have nine cousins but only eight returned.  After much worrying she''d told Father, expecting him to give her spot to another, but he hadn''t.  Instead he''d been angry with her brother, dropping Sigmund to the ground and screaming at him about being careful.


    ¡°At least there haven''t been any other problems,¡± she said.


    ¡°Only because Father won''t let anyone leave.  I think he still has Sigmund deep, deep in.  Probably making him help with cleaning.¡±  Her sister snickered at that idea, nobody liked cleaning.


    Sigmund was the oldest of Father''s special children, and by far the largest.  He towered over even their father, almost six feet tall, with long arms and bulging muscles.  Sadly he was also the dumbest, and was often punished for doing things he wasn''t supposed to.


    ¡°I guess.¡±


    There was a click and Greta made a happy noise.  ¡°I got it, it''s moving again!¡± she enthused, holding up the little device.


    ¡°Okay?  What''s it do?¡± Sasha asked curiously.


    ¡°Um...¡±


    ¡°It tells time,¡± a familiar voice said from down the cave.  They both turned, seeing the bubbles of Father''s aura creeping forward before he appeared himself.  ¡°I''m quite proud of you dear, good job.¡±


    The other goblin girl chortled as he rubbed her hair, then turned to Sasha herself.


    ¡°Have you had any issues Sasha dear?¡± he asked.


    ¡°No Father.  One of the cousins got close, but I made him numb like you showed me and took him back in.¡±  She smiled, hoping to get the same approval her sister had.


    ¡°Good, and has our lost one come back yet?¡±


    Sasha wilted at the question.  ¡°No Father,¡± she said.


    ¡°Don''t fret my dear little Sasha, you''ve done a magnificent job.  That mistake is your brother''s, not yours.  On that note, he''ll be going back out soon, with my permission.  Make sure to count those he takes and comes back with properly, I want to know if we lose another.¡±  He patted her head as he spoke, smiling.


    ¡°You can count on me!¡± she bubbled.


    ¡°Good, good, you both make me so proud.  Just seeing the two of you proves it you know, proves that we can become better, and when we''re strong enough, we can make the whole world better.¡±  His words inspired both of them, his dream, his goal for himself and his tribe, to make the world A Better Place.

 Chapter 22 Repercussions

    The revelation of my grandfather''s combat abilities left a lot of questions, questions I wanted answers to.  Of course with all the excitement going on in the Royal Society and the gardens I was going to have to wait.  There were a lot of people who insisted on a thorough search of both sites to root out where and how exactly the little monster had gotten in.


    Small monsters, I learned, were not totally unheard of in most cities.  Deep in the sewers and undergrounds, or in some abandoned sections of towns very, very minor beasts could sometimes make homes.  These weren''t the kind of thing that generally required any high end expert to deal with, but they could be about as dangerous as a large dog.  Commoners often took up the mantle of hunting them, calling themselves things like ''rat catcher'' being that rats seemed to be the most likely to mutate into large sizes.


    The scandal it seemed was not that some minor creature existed in the city, but rather where it was, and that it was a complete unknown.  There were going to be a number of nobles, my parents included, who were none too pleased that they and their children had been in the presence of such a beast.  All that would come later though.


    ¡°Is there going to be trouble with us coming back so late?¡± I asked grandfather as we packed up, the day had been very long.


    ¡°No, I sent someone back to the house to let your parents know that we''d be a bit late.  So your mother shouldn''t be too cross with me,¡± he returned with a small smile.


    ¡°I have a question,¡± I began.


    ¡°Before that,¡± he interrupted.  ¡°We need to talk about what happened.  I know you feel as if you could''ve taken that thing, and perhaps you could, but you need to know just how badly that could have gone.  I don''t want you investigating any monsters like that on your own Percival.¡±


    ¡°But it did turn out okay,¡± I protested.


    My grandfather frowned, and began to loosen his tie, which was odd, and then undo the buttons on his shirt, which was even odder.  I watched in confusion as he pulled it off a pair of layers, leaving himself shirtless in the carriage.  When he was done I didn''t need to ask why.


    All across his chest, from one shoulder to the opposite hip were a series of scars.  It looked like a claws had raked him, ripping inch wide gashes.  He''d clearly survived, and didn''t have any noticeable disability from it, but I could only imagine the sort of pain that injury would have caused.


    ¡°Normally I wouldn''t show such a thing to a child your age, but you should know.  When I was young my father and I went out to hunt what was supposedly a monster of only minor size.  This was the result.¡±


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    ¡°That was a minor monster?¡± I asked aghast.  I knew there were beasts in this world, even if I''d never seen one.


    ¡°Admittedly no, the creature we met was far more formidable than we''d expected.  Had I been alone I would have surely died.  You''re unlikely to meet such things around here, as they stick to deeper forests and remote locations, but it isn''t impossible.¡±  He leaned forward, making sure I didn''t look from his eyes.  ¡°But I want you to think before going after any such thing.  Think about how your parents would feel should you die in some foolish adventure.¡±


    ¡°Yes sir,¡± I answered, thoroughly chastised.  It was clear that I wasn''t ready to tackle some of the challenges out in the world just yet, and perhaps I never would be if I was alone.


    ¡°Now, you had a question,¡± he said as he began to replace his clothes.


    ¡°Your cane, is that why you carry it?  I didn''t know it was a weapon.  What does it do?¡±


    ¡°Oh that.  Staves have come and gone in style.  A walking stick that can store mana and quickly project a few simple spells is rather convenient you see.  My cane is similar, something I started carrying before moving over to Hediza,¡± he explained.  ¡°I continue out of habit mostly.¡±


    ¡°Hediza?¡± I inquired.


    ¡°Oh, perhaps a word you''ve never heard before hmm?  Hediza is the name of the continent where the human kingdoms make their lands.  Originally I''m from Elazia, the elven continent.¡±  This was more than grandfather normally talked about his past.


    Elves existed in this world, and I knew that my family was related to them somehow, but from what I''d heard grandfather wasn''t really considered an elf, but some kind of mixed race individual, mother was too to a lesser extent, and I would be considered human, my ears not even coming to a real point, just slightly shaped.


    ¡°Are monsters that common there?¡± Details about the elven countries hadn''t been covered in my education yet.


    Grandfather gave me a complicated look.  ¡°There are many kinds of monster Percival.¡±


    ¡°People then?¡± I asked, surprised that he''d had that kind of problem.


    ¡°You''re too perceptive for your own good child,¡± he grumbled.  ¡°Yes, people can be the worst monsters of all.¡±


    ¡°But why?¡±


    ¡°When you''re older we''ll speak of this, but not till then.  Now, we''ve nearly arrived.¡±  He was tucking in his shirt as we pulled up to the house, the driver opening the door for us.


    The assault that night wasn''t bad.  Grandfather told mother that there had indeed been an issue with the tunnel, though he didn''t go into detail, immediately before making himself scarce.  I had to feel that there was more to that then I was realizing.


    The next morning I found out, because there were a number of headlines in major papers.  I didn''t read them, but father got one daily, and so did several of the servants, meaning that at the family breakfast I saw him flip it open without realizing the front page, and seeing ¡°DANGEROUS MONSTER BENEATH CITY!¡± and a sketch of the goblin.


    I had to say their artist had taken some serious liberties.  The goblin, which had been only the size of a small child was depicted as massive, muscled, and in possession of both claws and teeth.  In reality the creature had been rather plain, missing the worst of these things and nowhere near the size depicted.  I idly wondered if they''d even seen the body, certainly someone had it somewhere.


    For a solid minute my mother looked at the headline and picture, then she turned to me.  After a stare that made me fear for my young life she turned back to the paper where father was rustling it around, unknowing of the disaster he''d released upon us all.


    ¡°Dear,¡± she said in that sweet voice that made you know trouble was coming.  ¡°I''d like to read the front page there.¡±


    My father appeared from behind the pages giving her a queer look.  Mother didn''t ever read the paper, instead getting news from a number of gossip sources and letters sent almost constantly between the women of the town.


    ¡°Certainly love, if you want to.¡±  He too did a bit of a double-take after seeing what she wanted before handing it over.


    I tried to rise, to flee from the table.


    ¡°Percival, stay,¡± my mother commanded, not even looking up.

 Chapter 23 Unhappy Parent

    There were no two ways about it, mother was livid.  She''d not been so sure about me being there in the first place and my insistence that the goblin was nothing like it was depicted in the paper didn''t convince her at all.  It wasn''t even like I''d been trying to hide what happened, it just hadn''t come up how things had gone.  She was busy, I was busy with lessons and the like.


    Just after breakfast mother had pulled me from my daily activities and to her parents house, it seemed that I was to serve as a witness to her father''s guilt and whatever punishment she hoped to heap upon him.  Unfortunately for her when we got there we only found my grandmother, sitting prim and proper in her drawing room.


    ¡°Where is he!?¡± mother furiously demanded.


    ¡°You will mind your tone Lucille, for though you may think you''re too old for me to take a belt to you, you are wrong,¡± her mother responded calmly as she took a sip from her tea.  ¡°As for your father, he felt it would be best to step back for a bit while you calmed.¡±


    The two looked at each other without speaking for almost a minute solid.  It was like watching a hurricane slam into a glacier and neither budging an inch.  After a time mother sat, still staring daggers but ceasing her yelling.


    ¡°He took my son into those tunnels against monsters mother,¡± my own mother said through almost gritting teeth as a maid came to pour her tea.  The staff here had retreated to the sides, but they knew better than to flee and irritate my grandmother.


    ¡°No he didn''t,¡± I objected firmly.


    ¡°Quiet you,¡± mother snapped.


    ¡°It seems to me we should hear the boy out, being that he was the only one there.¡±  She pointed to a chair beside her and I sat, taking the cup that was made for me.  If nothing else this world had excellent tea.


    ¡°As I was saying, grandfather didn''t take me into the tunnels at all.¡±  One face had her lips draw a thinner and thinner line while the other seemed mildly interested.


    ¡°So if you didn''t go down there?¡± grandmother asked, leaving the question hanging.


    ¡°The men they sent to look offered to take me, but I was told no,¡± I explained.


    ¡°Good,¡± mother said harshly.  ¡°But you shouldn''t have been anywhere near it anyway.¡±


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    I snorted at that.  ¡°Grandfather knows me mother, and he knows that if I didn''t get at least that that I''d have been down there on my own at some point.  He''s right too, had I not been there I might have.¡±


    ¡°Do you expect us to actually believe you won''t investigate on your own?¡± grandmother said, she too had seen some of the incidents I got into.


    ¡°I mean, I kind of want to, but is there a point?  They''re going to bring in people with all this scandal who would know what to look for better than me, and even if there''s something all the people running around will probably scare off any remaining monsters.¡±  I was really curious, but between not being able to and not really being ready for a real fight it seemed silly to try now.


    ¡°He still put you in danger,¡± mother griped.


    ¡°Those creatures we expected were known, they are not a major threat.  There was no indication that any had attacked anyone, or anything like that.  I was kept outside the tunnel, and at the first sign of danger pulled behind him so he could aim at anything that made a move.¡±  I sighed.  ¡°There was nothing appearing more dangerous than a standard carriage ride at first, and at the first sign of anything unexpected he pulled me away.¡±


    ¡°Well, that doesn''t seem so bad, now does it dear?¡± grandmother asked.


    ¡°You know my son mother, all this will do is encourage him to go down into some tunnel or other.¡±


    ¡°I don''t think I''m ready for that right now,¡± I admitted.  I''d been thinking about some of the thing he''d said and shown me yesterday.  ¡°Going after monsters I mean.¡±


    I could count the time I''d surprised my grandmother  into breaking her facade, and I got to tick one more on there.  ¡°Sincerely?¡± she asked, stunned.


    ¡°Oh yes, clearly I''m unprepared.  I''d need a team,¡± I began.


    ¡°Ah, there it is.¡±


    ¡°No,¡± mother said harshly.


    ¡°With much better training than I have right now.¡±


    ¡°No!¡±


    ¡°And weapons!  We''ll need magical weapons and armor for sure, and guns, the best guns!¡±


    ¡°NO!¡±


    ¡°Oh calm down mother,¡± I complained.  ¡°All that would take years.  Practice, designing things, safe testing, finding the right people.  Not like anyone is going to have me on their team right now, I''m too little.¡±


    ¡°Now dear, let him think.  Chances are he''ll find something he likes more than chasing beasts if you let him consider it a bit.  You know how kids are.¡±  Grandmother waved mother back into her chair.


    She wasn''t totally wrong either.  I was thinking about it now, about the things I would want before going on that kind of an adventure.  It would take years and years of work.  I was decent with a sword, but really didn''t like the firearms available here.  That alone would be a beast of a challenge, one I wouldn''t be able to tackle without my previous world''s hobbies.


    In my last life I''d rather liked guns, I''d even made a couple.  That was perfectly legal, so long as you stayed within strict strictures.  Working out a few revolvers and semi-autos had taught me a lot about their inner workings, and seeing old military pieces taught me a ton too.  Sadly I couldn''t afford any of the really cool ones.


    I was pretty sure I could go gunsmithing again, and with some of this world''s materials and ability to skip the worst production processes we might be able to get things done much faster.  Some of the tools used were clearly made with magical tools I''d never learned to work with, something I needed to change.  Could I even do that?  I mean, I wasn''t a wizard but rather a physical magic user, questions I needed to figure out.


    That didn''t even touch vehicles.  I wanted some cool rides, and those would be a chore to make too.  A car or something was probably just not practical, but maybe with magic worked into it...  No, I needed to know more, needed to learn more, needed to practice.


    ¡°Hmm, think I need more schooling,¡± I finally said, even the beginnings of my list looked difficult.


    ¡°Well that at least is a good path,¡± grandmother joked.


    I was also still stuck on the known unknowns.  Things I knew I needed to know or do.  Real problems came from the unknown unknowns, the things I didn''t know that I needed to know.  Unforeseen problems that older people had run into already and had to solve or suffer and that I didn''t know existed.  Sadly getting rid of those was a real problem, because you''d never know if you''d succeeded or not.

 Chapter 24 Fourteen

    I was only fourteen, and all the things I''d managed astounded me.  Over and over again I thought this as I looked at my newest creation.  Perhaps it was cheating, calling this my own doing, I''d certainly cribbed a lot of notes from my old world, knowledge that would prove useful in the coming years as it already had, but it was still a lot of hard labor.  Before me sat my newest and best creation, one of the first major things grandfather Darksky and I had really built from scratch together.  We''d made copies of things before, small toys and the like, but nothing like this, this was a masterpiece.


    The machine was small, far too small for me or anyone else to sit in it, let alone steer it, but that wasn''t really the point, the point was to prove the concept.  Wings stretched out from the sides, the angles and shapes probably weren''t ideal, but they were close enough that they should work.  The makeshift design reinforced as well as we could make it.


    ¡°I want to learn how to make that engine,¡± I said, frowning; the enchanted engine was one of the few things I didn''t understand.


    ¡°You''re about at the age to start forming a core aren''t you my boy?¡± grandfather observed as he rubbed his chin thoughtfully.  ¡°Have to speak to your mother about it, though they may offer it in your school.¡±


    ¡°Already did, she dislikes the idea.  Said physicals don''t normally make cores.¡±  I frowned at the mention of school, it was one thing I knew I couldn''t avoid.


    In this world there were a number of different types of schooling, but real official academies didn''t take people until they were a bit older.  It was the equivalent of high school back from Earth, and I wasn''t looking forward to it.  High school had been tiresome the first time around and I really wasn''t interested in a repeat.  The fact that it was going to be an all boys school didn''t help either.


    ¡°She''ll come around.  Ready to get it started?¡± he asked, trying to distract me from my thoughts.


    ¡°Ready as I''ve ever been,¡± I answered with a small smile.


    He nodded to me and I stepped forward, placing my hand upon the craft.  Slowly I focused on my mana, the power in my body that fed my physical abilities and all magic.  Learning to do this had been a bit odd, but there was a trick to it.  The sensation of moving mana was difficult to describe, like a tingling sensation that could be pushed and shoved forward and into whatever it was you wanted to put it in.  If I had an item on me now it was almost natural to trigger it.


    There was a small dinging sound as the tiny magical engine finished filling up and I stepped back.  The whole operation was almost silent, an effect of using mana rather than liquid fuels and a magical item rather than propellers and jets.


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    Our ''engine'' was an incredibly simple magical item.  It mostly just made a kinetic force pushing itself, and the attached craft, forwards.  There were a few additional functions for this test, but the forward push was what we needed it for most.  It wasn''t something that could be instituted on very large scales, but for this test it would serve.


    ¡°Here it goes,¡± grandfather said, almost in a whisper.


    The little toy plane sped up down the field we were using for the test and bounced, once, twice, thrice, and then it flew.  It wasn''t fast, it wasn''t particularly high, but it flew.  With patience it gained altitude, achieving about fifty feet in total before the second part of the magical item kicked in.  A small flap on the tail turned and the plane started a large, lazy circle, first to the right, then to the left.  It finally straightened back out and the tool powered down, it lost velocity and altitude slowly.


    Then it plowed straight into the ground.  I''d sort of expected that to happen, with nobody onboard to manually control the descent, and myself honestly not knowing exactly how it should go I just gave the magical program my best bet.  I watched as the plane crashed, going end over end.


    ¡°Landing needs work,¡± grandfather observed.


    ¡°Yeah, if I had to guess I overestimated the angle it should come down at.  It flew though,¡± I answered.


    ¡°That it did my boy, that it did.¡±


    We quietly gathered up the pieces, putting them in a box.  It looked a lot worse than it was, with one wing definitely needing replacement and the tail snapped off.  All of this could be repaired with ease now that we knew what to make.


    ¡°I think we need to order a full sized one,¡± I said as we finished.


    ¡°What about getting a working model first?¡± he said with a laugh.


    ¡°The model works, just need to adjust the procedure.  Getting a sized one made will take time though.¡±


    ¡°Months and months if we want it done right, and we decidedly do.  Ah, just about the amount of time you''d need for your yearly school break isn''t it Percival?¡± he teased.


    ¡°Just a coincidence surely,¡± I replied, waving it off with a smile we both understood.


    He was right of course.  Schools here had a weird system, with something akin to a spring break in the summer, and large one in the winter so that none of us missed The Season, how thoughtful of them.  I was hoping to time this so that I could come home, say hi to my parents, and then get a first flight in a real plane we made.


    Grandfather and I slowly walked back to the house.  We''d been using one of the fields near his estate that was currently fallow, something they owned but rented off to others most of the time.  It was one of the way nobles nowadays made money, buying land and then renting it to others, a tried and true strategy.


    ¡°You''re back already?¡± grandmother said as we ended our walk across the lawn.  ¡°And here I thought you''d be out all day.¡±


    ¡°Things went well,¡± I informed her.


    ¡°Did they now?¡± she replied with a raised eyebrow, looking into the box I was carrying.  ¡°Are you quite sure?¡±


    ¡°It did,¡± grandfather said with a bit of a harrumph.  ¡°The machine flew stunningly, you should have joined us.¡±


    ¡°Perhaps next time dear, assuming you can get it put back together from your ''successful'' test.  As it stands though I''m glad you returned early, there are a number of tools the local mayor brought by hoping you might look at and charge.¡±


    Of course the other main source of income for nobles was dealing with magical tools and artifacts.  It took magic to do it, and while there were some commoners with magic, there were never enough.  Magic was the oil of this world and there was a ceaseless hunger for more, more tools, more solutions, more spells.  It filled too many niches to be anything else.


    ¡°Well, let me get this downstairs and send Percival off,¡± grandfather began.


    ¡°Nonsense,¡± his wife answered.  ¡°Let the boy help you.  He''s old enough for that and many hands make light work do they not?  I''ve already filled what I can for the moment, now you two need to stop playing with your toys and get to work.¡±  Her piece said she shooed us off.


    ¡°Was she always that pushy?¡± I asked once we were out of earshot.


    ¡°She''s only that way when you kids are involved.  When it''s just the two of us she''s quite fun.  Don''t judge her for it, she really does want the best for you Percival.¡±  I briefly wondered what he considered ''kids'' being that he''d lived for quite some time already.

 Chapter 25 A Parting Gift

    While my grandfather had been thrilled with our model''s success my parents honestly didn''t see the point o it.  Flying with magic was possible, and if you really, really wanted you could make a basic flying object.  Well, flying magical tools tended to be terrible, and drink mana like a sponge drank water if you wanted them to do anything, but they were possible.


    I''d even taken time to ask around as to why most of the wizards didn''t bother learning to fly.  The answer I received was that it was simply hard.  There was so much going into each and every movement while flying that it was considered a mark of a really skilled magus to be able to fly.


    ¡°I''m not sure I see the big deal son, you''ve made flying toys before,¡± mother said when I informed her of our success.


    ¡°I''ve made gliding toys before, and never one like this.  Except for the engine that was a full working model, it should size up perfectly into an actual craft!¡±  It was hard to be exasperated when I was in such a good mood, but I would certainly try.


    At first I didn''t realize I''d slipped up, until I saw her eyes narrow.  She knew me well, too well, and she clearly had gotten an inkling of what I was thinking.


    ¡°You are not building one to strap yourself into Percival,¡± she declared with a sharp tone.


    ¡°Of course not,¡± I agreed.  ¡°I don''t have the skills to build such a thing, and where would I even do so at?  It will take three or four specialists months for even the first iteration.¡±


    ¡°Will?  Not would?  I see I may have to have a... conversation, with your grandfather.¡±  Beating, she clearly meant a beating.  Sorry old man, I may have caused you more trouble than I thought.


    ¡°At any rate,¡± I said, quickly changing the subject.  ¡°Is the house in Exion ready?  I''ll be staying there for a few days right?  You indicated that to be so since the school''s there anyway.¡±


    She frowned.  ¡°Of course son, I got a letter from the housekeeper just today and everything''s in order.  Are you sure you don''t want me to join you for the trip?¡±


    ¡°Mother, I''ve made the trip a dozen times, I''ll be fine,¡± I insisted I also had other reasons to want to go there, reasons that I knew would cause problems if others knew of them.


    ¡°Fine, now off with you.  I''ve got to prepare for dinner, and you should too,¡± she said as she shooed me from the room.


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    On my way to my room I saw Mrs. Lutte.  She''d long ago stopped being my nurse, but still worked for us now as one of the many staff of the house.  It was clear that I favored her, and father insisted she both stay and be given a cushy job, even if he avoided her.  There''d been no more little half-siblings after the one, and I got the feeling that there never would be.  It seemed someone, most likely my paternal grandparents, had given him something to think about.


    She looked up when I passed by as if she wanted to speak to me, so even though she didn''t raise her voice I stopped.


    ¡°Did you need something Mrs. Lutte?¡± I asked.


    ¡°Ah, I have a small request my lord, if you don''t mind,¡± she said nervously.  It wasn''t unheard of for people to ask for things, but hardly ever to me.


    ¡°Please tell me,¡± I answered.  It was important not to agree to anything before hearing it, but I''d known her for years, been with her since I was a babe.  If there was anything within reason that I could do for her, I probably would.


    ¡°Could you send me a letter about the house in Exion sir?  How things are going there?¡±  She looked like she wanted to say more, and more specific things, but I understood loud and clear.


    There was no reason for me to hide the soft smile on my face, so I didn''t.  ¡°Of course Mrs. Lutte I''ll be happy to.¡±


    The next morning was, as all mornings of trips tended to be, hectic.  Something somewhere had gotten screwed up and mother was on a rampage, leaving my father and me in the entryway while she went to solve problems and knock heads.  It had been quite awhile, and I really pitied whoever had erred.


    My father bounced on his feet a bit before pulling out a small pocket-watch to check the time.  Under his other arm was a rather plain box a few feet long.  He looked out of place here, waiting, awkward.


    ¡°So, your mother said you and your grandfather made a flying toy?  Quite impressive magic that,¡± he said, sounding as if he didn''t know what to talk to me about.


    ¡°Oh it wasn''t really the magic that was important father.  It''s a machine, it should work even without any.¡±


    That surprised him.  ¡°That''s quite a bit more impressive then.  You''ll have to show me some time.¡±


    ¡°I''ll be happy to,¡± I agreed, smiling.


    My father was, distant, but it was clear that he really just didn''t know how to relate to people.  There were times when we ended up talking, and though he had almost nothing to do with me on a daily basis it was certain that he cared, or at least made an attempt.


    ¡°Well, I was going to wait until we got to the train station, but with your mother running so late better to now.¡±  With that said he offered out the box to me.


    Curious I opened it.  Inside was a cane, not unlike the one my grandfather and so many other men carried.  It was long and sleek, with a black wooden finish.  The handle was simple, but appeared to be inlaid with silver, leading down to a clear seam between it and the wooden bit.


    With care I pulled it out, the handle felt... like it was meant to be gripped a different way too, sensing the meaning I grabbed it like one would a weapon, and pulled gently.  It didn''t come loose, but I could feel it, almost as if it were a magical item.  With a guess I pushed a tiny amount of my mana into the handle, and it loosed, coming apart.


    ¡°A sword,¡± I said as the blade slid out, small barely glowing runes adorning it''s surface.


    ¡°One not everyone will be able to use.  Designed the enchantments myself, sharpness and durability, it''ll also never rust, get dirty, or dull.  Good basic things, foundational bits tend to be the best anyway for everyday use.¡±  He smiled, one of the few times he''d ever done so with me.


    ¡°Thank you,¡± I said.  ¡°I''ll keep it with me for protection.¡±


    ¡°I... don''t really do well with people son.  Stay safe though, Exion is a big place and I would hate for something to happen to you.  I know you''re a good fencer, so, use it if you must, and try not to get into too much trouble.¡±


    We shared a sort of stiff hug.


    ¡°I''ll try,¡± I said, to which he only nodded.  Even if he was a bit distant there was no way he didn''t know about at least some of my predilections.


    Mother chose that moment to rush in, looking at both of us and the weapon in my hands.


    ¡°You already gave it to him?¡± she huffed.  ¡°Fine, it doesn''t matter, we need to go or we''ll be late.  Shame there are no gates around here, or we wouldn''t need to go through all this nonsense.¡±


    She rushed the two of us to the carriage, as if we were the ones who''d taken so long.  School would be fun, but I sure would miss moments like these.

 Chapter 26 A Professor and a Maid

    After the mad morning dash my boarding the train was peaceful. This was a trip I''d made many, many times, and even if I found it rather boring it wasn''t like it was difficult. Soon enough the train was speeding along the countryside, with fields and trees passing me by one by one.


    I thought back to what mother had said about there being a gate, and how there wasn''t one. It was a sad state of affairs, but a true one. All over the country there were gates, some kind of connective portal, but one I''d never had to use nor seen. They connected places with instant, or very near instant travel. Unfortunately it wasn''t something that everyone had, nor everywhere. There was certainly one in Exion, even if I''d never had cause to use it, but not near the summer house.


    In theory I could have traveled inland to another large city and hopped into a gate, through the nexus I was told was in the capital and then out into the city I was going to, but there was little point. The journey would still take well over a day and it would be hideously expensive. There were of course rumors that there were a lot more military only gates, but it wasn''t like I could get access to one of those.


    At any rate the train was pleasant, the hum of the engine and the wheels upon the tracks, the comfortable seats and good service. It was like something of old from Earth. Here there wasn''t the tiny airline seats that nobody liked, or anything even resembling the useless security theatre that was put on at every major airport. No, it was lovely, almost a home away from home.


    Hours into my journey I decided I wanted something to eat. Sadly I was no longer welcome in the ladies'' cars, being that I was clearly well on my way to manhood. I didn''t really feel at home in the family cars either though, alone as I was. For a moment I waffled, and then turned, keeping my head high and eyes straight as I headed to the cars reserved for men. I''d never been in them before, so why not?


    As I opened the door eyes turned towards me and there was a billowing cloud of cigar smoke. I didn''t hesitate though, and stepped through like I owned the place. In my first life I''d well figured out that if you looked like you belonged somewhere you were far more likely to remain unquestioned about your presence, so I faked it.


    Several gray-haired men sat at a table nearby, each sipping an amber liquid from a tumbler. While the others here seemed to accept me, one of these did not, turning as I came near.


    ¡°A bit young aren''t you lad?¡± he inquired.


    I gave him a thorough look. His hair was white, tightly trimmed over a matching beard. The suit he wore indicated he was a member of a higher class, formal and tailored and accented with a pair of spectacles. Hands were worn but well maintained, perhaps military or something similar. He and the others had books out, and a brief scanning of titles told me they were some of the more popular treatises on economics, something I was only a bit versed in.


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    ¡°With all due respect sir, I''m quite old enough.¡± I stared him down without blinking, moving, raising my voice or any else, if I either backed down or showed the slightest hint of concern I would forfeit.


    ¡°Very well,¡± he said after an extended stare-off. ¡°Don''t suppose you''ve any thoughts on Renou?¡±


    ¡°I''ll admit ignorance on the majority of the subject, but from what I''ve seen he focuses quite heavily on commanded production, probably too much. With proper incentive people with make what''s needed, you don''t need to tell them to by law.¡± The economist in question liked the idea of top-down structures, a little too much for my taste.


    ¡°That''s... not a terrible point, care to join us young man?¡±


    With nothing better to do I did. The man in question introduced himself with a title meaning something like Doctor or Professor Killic, the translation wasn''t exactly perfect. Speaking to him though was enjoyable. There was much I didn''t know, but I''d never felt shame in not knowing something, and he and his friends were happy to have someone else to speak to. The fact that I was more well read on the current scientific and mechanical journals than they were also surprised the gentlemen something fierce, their faces were amazing.


    Professor Killic was also heading to Exion, meaning that we had days of time to get to know each other. Making someone rather like a friend was an unexpected boon for this. While a number of people confused me for his son or grandson over the following few days it did keep anyone else from bothering me about where I wanted to be.


    Before I knew it I saw the approaching city from the lounge windows. The smell was thankfully blocked by a mix of nobody being foolish enough to open said windows and the haze of cigar smoke. The latter I could have done without, but it did keep the inevitable stink of the city away.


    ¡°It looks like our time may soon be at an end professor. That is at least until I make it to the school,¡± I said over my coffee, it was an excellent brew.


    ¡°You knew?¡± he chuckled.


    ¡°I suspected, the books you loaned me look an awful lot like the reading list.¡± Over the past few days he''d taken to sending me back to my cabin in the evenings with one or more tomes to look over some of the subjects we''d been speaking on. It had been a good way to pass the twilight hours and keep up with a few topics I really didn''t have much to say on.


    ¡°Ah, so they did. Yes, I suspect we will be meeting in classes.¡±


    ¡°What do you teach at any rate?¡± I inquired.


    ¡°Civics of course, a subject I daresay you should do fine in,¡± he mused. ¡°It''s not often I meet a young man so interested in discussion as yourself. Normally it''s all dueling and seeing who can be the biggest fool.¡±


    ¡°You wound me; I love a good fencing match, and I assure you that I''m more than capable of extreme foolishness. It''s just that I feel that there is a time for everything.¡± Regardless of that I did guess that his classes would be enjoyable.


    ¡°Pah, youthful nonsense.¡±


    ¡°Nonsense is important sometimes sir, it provides a good outlet and sometimes wisdom,¡± I observed.


    ¡°And words like that are why I''ve come to enjoy our discussions Mister Shadestone,¡± he said with a shake of his head.


    ¡°I have as well. Sadly it looks as if I must prepare to disembark; until next we meet.¡± I rose and offered my hand, shaking his hand before I headed back to my cabin.


    Soon I arrived at the house. It was odd, being here without my parents, without them by my side. Of course the staff had lined up as they always did when one of the family came to visit, even if I felt it was a bit unnecessary.


    ¡°Greetings Lord Shadestone,¡± the chorused as I entered. ¡°Welcome home.¡±


    I let my eyes fall over all of them, not bothering to hide the smile on my face. I wasn''t my mother, and didn''t feel the need to play the stern disciplinarian right now, so I gave them a smile.


    ¡°Thank you, it''s good to have returned,¡± I offered, finally letting my eyes pass over one maid in particular.


    Kaylee was there, in her maid outfit prim and proper. The smile on her face seemed genuine, posture perfect. While I was here I could make some inquiries with Mrs. Rider, and see what I could, make sure she was doing well. If she wasn''t what would I do? I didn''t really know, but woe betide any fool who caused my little sister grief, because while I might not yet know how to have her part of the family proper I''d be showing not a speck of mercy to any threat. After all, isn''t that what big brothers were for?

 Chapter 27 The Worlds Greatest

    On my first day at the house in Exion I''d made some inquiries, but the results were less than I''d hoped for.  The housekeeper Mrs. Rider thought that I was just trying to get a grip on how things were run and  so she''d dutifully run me through all the books.  That had ended with me having a very good idea of how the finances were doing, and the expenses in general, but hadn''t answered my actual question of how my half-sister was.


    ¡°Ah, Mrs. Rider,¡± I eventually asked.  ¡°How are the staff doing though?  Particularly the new ones, are they settling in well?¡±


    ¡°I''ve received no complains my lord, and their work has been exemplary,¡± she answered.


    Did it really surprise me that she didn''t think I''d care about Kaylee''s personal life?  No, not at all, if things were normal I really shouldn''t care too terribly much.  Even if her family had been serving my family for years so long as there wasn''t anything wrong I should wish her well and little else.


    ¡°And these numbers, most of the maids are making around six silver crowns a month?¡± I asked, trying to conceal my tone.


    ¡°Oh yes sir, quite the generous remuneration.  Your mother has always seen to it that we''re well taken care of.¡±  She smiled and nodded, she of course was making considerably more.  ¡°That of course is the money side only though.  We''re all provided with good room and board, and if anyone comes badly ill or is seriously injured a priest is of course called.  It''s such a weight off the shoulders.¡±


    Six silver was nothing.  I was given a gold crown a week for my expenses, or five times that, for a week.  I didn''t even really have any expenses other than those I wanted.


    ¡°Is that normal?¡± I asked.


    ¡°A bit above if anything.  Of course there are a few talents on the staff as well, and they make a bit of money on the side selling their services,¡± she answered, referring to those with minor spell abilities, like our butler and his ability to heal minor injuries.


    Even with the minuscule amounts of magic talents had they would easily eclipse six silver a month.  Most of those could sell the power they had at a given time for a silver or two, though it would take much of the day to regenerate it.


    That of course led to the question of why they would demean themselves for paltry sums, one I''d asked years ago, the answer was two-fold.  Firstly, many people didn''t have the connections to sell their mana and with the small amounts that a talent might have they might have issues against the local mage monopolies.  Secondly, they were betting to win big.  It was a known and proven fact that talents who spent time around magic had a higher percentage chance of their talent expanding to something greater, turning them into a full magic user and a true powerhouse of their own.


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    ¡°Thank you, is there anything else I might need to know about this right now?¡±


    ¡°Not that I can think of my lord, and it is getting a bit late.¡±  She wasn''t wrong, as I looked at the clock I could tell it was nearly sunset, a fact that caused my stomach to growl embarrassingly.


    ¡°I don''t suppose dinner is soon?¡± I asked, face flushing a bit.


    ¡°It should be nearly ready,¡± she answered with a smile.


    That night I was bothered by unanswered questions.  I wasn''t even sure how to go about getting the answers, or if I should.  I''d promised Mrs. Lutte that I''d send her a letter, but if I did so now I wouldn''t even know what to put in it.  Luckily there were a few days more before I needed to head to the school.  Little did I know that with a bit of quietly moving about the house I''d find my answer the very next morning.


    Long ago I''d mastered the art of remaining unseen.  This had been one of my favorite things to do as a child, and it hadn''t yet gotten old.  There were tricks to it, and the first was locating everyone around you.  With my keen ears it was easy to pick out the sound of shoes on wood or carpet, and with practice I''d learned to separate out the different ones.  Men''s and women''s shoes sounded different, their gaits sounded different, and it sounded even more different depending on how fast they were walking, and how stressed they were.


    I used my abilities to constantly avoid being caught in general, and to find certain people specifically.  I could pick out most of the older staff from both houses even as they approached, and all of my family of course.  Well, so long as they didn''t take off their shoes.  Between that and the voices I heard I quickly found Kaylee the next morning.


    ¡°Stoke the fire, stoke the fires,¡± she hummed as she built her little pile of kindling in the sitting room.


    When she was done she hopped back a bit, thrusting one open hand forward and supporting it with the other.  I couldn''t see her face from where I stood in the doorway, but the little ''hiyaa'' noise she made told me she was deep in concentration.


    A small flame, two or three times the size of a candle''s fire drifted forward from her palm landing among the wood and quickly setting it ablaze.  Her work done the huffed, a bit of sweat having bloomed on her skin and took up something akin to a superhero pose, hands on her hips and legs wide.


    ¡°An easy job for the world''s greatest maid!¡± she declared, though not too loudly.


    It was... it was... it was the most adorable thing I''d seen in either of my lives.  The outfit, the voice, the pure-hearted declaration.  I had a full cuteness overload, unable to function or move.  My face was even frozen where it was, unable to come up with just the right expression.


    Then she turned and saw me, in an instant her hope was gone, replaced by an instantly pale face and terrified countenance.  I''d failed to hide myself and now watched as the blood drained from her cheeks and a look of fear overtook her.


    ¡°I... was... um, please don''t fire me,¡± she whimpered, eyes lowering to the floor.  Technically she probably wasn''t supposed to be using fire magic in the house.


    I had to school myself, present the proper face, the proper tone.  ¡°Why in the world would I fire the world''s greatest maid?¡±  I asked with a steady, perfectly calm voice.


    There was a quick reversal of the direction of the blood in her face, turning her from white to bright pink in seconds.  ¡°You''re not going to go to Mrs. Rider?¡± she asked.


    ¡°For what?  You''re doing a wonderful job.  Now, chin up, everything''s going to be fine.¡±  I tried to sound as reassuring as possible, for while I''d tried to keep an eye on her over the years she still didn''t really know me except for whatever stories she''d heard.


    ¡°Truly?¡± she said, still disbelieving.


    ¡°Truly, and if anything ever happens, if it''s ever not fine, if you ever don''t know what to do and are scared or hurt, come and find me.  I''m not your enemy Kaylee, and I never will be.¡±


    ¡°Thank you my lord,¡± she returned after a few moments thinking and nervously playing with the hem of her apron.  ¡°I will.¡±


    ¡°Good, now if you''ll excuse me, I have a letter to write.¡±  After all, I had my answer now, everything was going to be perfectly well.

 Chapter 28 School Arrival

    The little carriage rolled towards my future home for the next few years, the campus pulling itself from the ever-present mist.  We were just outside the city, the walls and towers of the metropolis visible from the small rise this place was set upon, still shrouded in the morning fog.


    Exion Boys Knight Academy was young, modern, and considered quite a good institution for its kind.  There were other academies for those with physical magic, the one in the capitol had the best reputation, but this one was certainly rising quickly through the rankings.  Some of those were for boys, some only for girls, a few were mixed, though that was getting less common these days for some reason.


    Of course there were mage academies for those using other forms of magic as well.  Well, there was really only one of note The Royal Penumbra Academy was where any spell-slinger wanted to go, assuming they could get in.  It differed from many of the others in a few ways, the primary being entrance.  Only members of the royal family were given reserved spots, all others were by merit alone.  Anyone could take their exams, and since the royal family owned and supported it, any could attend.  Sadly that particular institution didn''t teach physical magic.


    The gates opened on their own as the carriages approached, we were expected after all.  Upon getting out I saw one of my old friends, Lucas.  He''d arrived earlier than me and even come to say hello, promising considering how often he tried to fight me.


    ¡°Been awhile,¡± I said as he came near.


    ¡°It has, how do things fare there Percival?  Ready for all the classes?  Dueling I assume you''ll do fine.¡±  There was an undercurrent there, he didn''t just assume it, he expected it, being that I beat him in just over half of our matches.


    ¡°I think it''ll go well.  How about you?  I heard you''re going hunting a lot more.¡±


    ¡°Been talking to mother then?¡± he asked.


    ¡°She visited last month, and as you know those two are constantly sending letters,¡± I said, referring to our parents who still seemed determined to play matchmaker.


    ¡°Bah to them, I like hunting.  Nothing around here though, not even sure why they have that.¡±  He nodded to the wall and I looked.


    It was subtle, but there was a shimmer to the air.  Without enhanced senses I''d never have seen it, never have been able to pick it out from the background.  As it was I only noticed because he pointed to it, but I''d assumed it would be there anyway.


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    ¡°Come now, everywhere of any worth is shielded.  Even if there''s not been a monster attack of size here on Exion in what eighty years?  Still need one just in case.¡±  It was policy, as everywhere had to deal with small incursions now and then, not something anybody wanted.


    ¡°Eighty-seven, and even that was supposedly mild.  Wouldn''t you love something like that, one of the great battles against hordes of beasts.  Good way to prove yourself a hero.¡±  There was a glint in his eye as he spoke, a hungry look.


    ¡°Not really no.  Peace may be boring, but I''d rather be bored than see innocents suffer.¡±


    ¡°You know, you''re a real killjoy Percival.  Can''t you at least let me dream?¡± Lucas complained.


    ¡°How about this dream then, the biggest most dangerous weapons unloaded on anything that has the potential to become a threat.  Cannons capable of turning hills into craters before we can lead men in to mop up the remainder with fire and steel.  After all, the best way to have peace is to be ready for war, that and destroy your enemy before they can become powerful.¡±


    ¡°Ah, there it is my friend,¡± he said with a smile.  ¡°I knew you had it in you.¡±


    He nudged me in the ribs and we headed in.  There were staff to unload belongings, and my being here would both stress them and get in their way.  That fact still pinged in my brain as rude or wrong a lot, but I''d worked hard to ignore it over the years.  Servants often didn''t want their bosses breathing down their necks though, and so long as they were doing their jobs my doing so would only be a detriment.


    ¡°Back on the track for our education, any teachers I should watch out for?¡± I inquired.


    ¡°Oh Keens is a right monster, expects you to read his mind and answer questions he frankly didn''t ask.  I also heard we got a new Civics teacher too, though not much about him,¡± he said, clicking his tongue.


    ¡°Killic, met him on the way here, seems to have high expectations, but not a bad guy overall,¡± I mused.


    ¡°Good to know.  Hmm, other than that and in case nobody''s warned you keep well and away from the female staff.  Not many of them, but you don''t want to get caught in any ''improper'' behavior with such, instant expulsion most of the time.¡±  His voice was serious and eyes hard.  ¡°Not that there are many to begin with, but that''s policy here.  No cavorting, frolicking, or otherwise with the girls who work here, not that there are many.  Also doesn''t matter if they''re into it, the Headmaster physically threw a lad out last year after he was caught with a cook.  I hear their together now though.¡±


    I almost scoffed.  ¡°There are what, five hundred here between fourteen and eighteen, and you''re telling me that not a one has a mistress, or girlfriend, or something of the like?¡±


    ¡°What?  No,¡± he said, shaking his head.  ¡°Specifically with the girls who work here.  We can go into town one day a week, lots of the lads have such.  A few of the seniors are even married, don''t know how they work that out though.¡±


    The next hour was spent with Lucas showing me around.  Regardless of anything else he seemed to have decided to take on a ''big brother'' sort of role, letting me know about the best ways to get between classes, the tastiest items to get for each meal, even some hints on some of the books I might need to look over depending on what was being taught.


    I knew some of Lucas'' friends, either from the many dinners I''d been to over the years, or some of the tourneys.  He took the time to point out those we passed and introduce us letting it be known that he and I were old acquaintances.


    By the time it was all done I was tired, and retired back to my dorm.  Each was a suite, with five rooms, four for us new students and one for an elder one around a central juncture.  The senior would function as a sort of RA from a college, making sure we were doing all the things we were supposed to, but he wasn''t here yet.  The central area has some couches, and basics for preparing tea or otherwise lounging around.


    My own room was fairly basic as far as these things went.  There was a comfortable bed, with sheets and curtains to keep in the heat, a sizable wardrobe already stocked with school uniforms, and a desk, basic, but quite workable.  The floors were hardwood, and polished, simple and clean.


    I could work with this, I could work with this easily.

 Chapter 29 Mind Games

    ¡°Everybody up!¡± came the cry on our first day of actual classes.  ¡°Headmaster has called an assembly of the students in half an hour.  That means get in your uniforms and be ready for full inspection in fifteen minutes.¡±


    I of course had no context for what ''full inspection'' meant, but a wild guess told me that I needed my uniform properly on and hair combed, so I began to do just that as I rubbed sleep from my eyes.  The speaker had been our resident senior Ollie, a whipish guy with small, but toned limbs and a sharp face.


    As the last of us stumbled into the common area he looked around, before heading to Kilus, the boy in the dorm to the right side of mine and working on his buttons, which for some reason weren''t quite right.


    ¡°Look guys I know you have no context for this, and no idea what any of this means.  You haven''t been taught a damn thing yet, but the Headmaster won''t take that as an excuse.  You''re supposed to get corrections and booklets on how all of this is to be done but that comes literally today, after he''s done talking to us.  Had I known we''d be doing this now I''d have shown you some things, but such is life.¡±  Our senior, Ryan, didn''t seem thrilled.


    ¡°So?¡± I asked, displaying my uniform for him.


    ¡°Looks good,¡± he replied.  ¡°Good, good, it''ll do,¡± he said to each of the other boys in turn.  ¡°Alright, I''m going to show you how to stand and march for these, try to get it right because we don''t have time to practice.¡±


    We quickly found ourselves out in the morning air, along with every other boy in the school, and headed into the main courtyard to stand.  The older students in charge of the dorms were allowed, to a limited extent, to move around and correct people as we all got into place, for there was a proper place, and readied.


    At some signal I missed we began to move, dorm by dorm, and year by year into the auditorium.  There were no chairs, no seating for us, but rather assigned positions.  Each group had to march into place as we''d been shown moments ago and to stand at attention towards the front.


    The teachers were gathered there.  Some, like Professor Killic, were in something akin to what one would see on a professor from Earth, others were in a military style uniform, not unlike our own.  At the center of them all, overlooking everything as if it were mildly displeasing to him stood our Headmaster, eyes sharp as we came in.


    Headmaster Logan was a mountain of man, with little hair atop his head, scars covering every bit of his face and a mustache that would have made a Kaiser proud.  His face was set hard, eyes shining like diamonds in narrowed slits, his stance ramrod straight.  He waited, watching, seeming to note each misstep, each infraction as we made our way to where we needed to be.


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    The Headmaster pulled a watch from his pocket, looking down with a frown before snapping it shut and turning his attention to us.


    ¡°Acceptable timing,¡± he said.  ¡°But one you can all do better on, will do better on.  Some of you have not known discipline,¡± he added, eyes seeming to bore into each of us.  ¡°It is my solemn duty to correct this, to turn you boys into men that will make our nation proud.  Each of you will learn, or continue to learn, to grow, to become iron and steel against our enemies.  We, the people of the Penumbra Kingdom are without a doubt the greatest nation upon these lands, and I will not have any slouch destroy that legacy.  None of you are ready yet, but you will be, you will grow into men to make us all proud.  For now though, welcome to another year at my esteemed academy.  Exit the way you came and head to your first class.¡±


    After that short message we were all sent out, and as soon as we''d made it back outside everyone breathed out.


    ¡°That seemed pointless,¡± one of the other first years near me said.


    ¡°Because it wasn''t for your lot you twit, not entirely,¡± Ryan answered the boy.


    ¡°He was inspecting you, and the other older students.  Making sure you''re not slacking around before classes?¡± I guessed, looking at our esteemed leader.


    ¡°Yeah, if I had to guess so.¡±


    ¡°Reckon you did alright?¡± asked Simon, another of our dorm''s cadre.


    ¡°Better than some.  I''m sure I''ll know each and every mistake by dinner though,¡± the older boy griped.  ¡°As for your lot, you heard the Headmaster, off to your classes.¡±


    Simon was also in my first class, knowing nobody else and having no seating chart he elected to sit beside me.


    ¡°This morning is going to be awful,¡± I groaned, since our professor hadn''t made it in yet.


    ¡°Not get enough sleep?¡± he laughed.


    ¡°What did you eat for breakfast?¡± I retorted, since I''d slept fine.


    ¡°Oh, well shit.¡±  It seemed that observation took the wind from his sails.  Not a one of us had managed a morning meal, something we''d not noticed because of stress, but which would certainly be apparent before long.


    I was right too.  The first classes of any school were always devoted to teaching the rules and this one was no exception.  While they didn''t call it ''home room'' the first class we had was everything but the name.  The professor came in slightly after we''d gotten seated and began to run us all through the expectations and obligations we all had.  None of it was too terrible, though apparently the Headmaster maintained strict discipline at any formal function.


    By our second class the cracks in our student body were already starting to show.  Few of us had missed any meals, and many were quite spoiled by their parents.  Various boys were starting to mope or get in a slightly worse moon.  When lunch finally rolled around a full quarter of the first years could be described by the southernism of ''hangry'' and ready to lash out at anyone in their way.  Knowing this didn''t improve my own mood in the slightest, for I hated this kind of test-like nonsense.


    It was clear to me that all of this had been planned.  It would put stress on each of us, make us step out of line.  The teachers could then use our misbehavior to quickly put us back in line, establishing an order and discipline even if it was all caused by their actions.  Personally I highly doubted that they didn''t know and plan this.


    My suspicions were further confirmed when I saw lunch.  Seldom had I seen such a pathetic plate of food.  The portions were small, and it had a visible and distinct lack of meat.  I wasn''t the only one to notice either.


    ¡°Is this it?¡± one of the boys asked one of the women serving food.


    ¡°It is, the Headmaster set the menu for today, so if you''ve any complaints you may direct them to him,¡± she replied slightly nervously.  I had no doubts that any such gripes would be seen as an excuse.


    ¡°If he does this for supper too there''ll be a riot,¡± Kilus observed as he joined Simon and I.


    ¡°Or mass theft from the kitchens,¡± I added.


    ¡°What''s our next class anyway?¡± Simon asked.


    ¡°Hand-to-hand combat,¡± I answered.

 Chapter 30 A Dish Best Served

    Time to strategize was minimal, and so we had to hurry.  There were so many factors, so many methods by which we could move forward, and I needed to consider carefully between them before acting.  Acting rashly here would only hurt us, only make things worse, or prove the annoying point that our Headmaster was making.


    We could probably cause a ruckus if we worked together, maybe even getting a hit or two on the teacher, but that would be counterproductive.  Moreover it was what we expected, and if I knew anything about winning a conflict it was that you had to do the unexpected.  We''d already lost the initiative, and the teachers were undoubtedly the ones with the power here, so we needed to work carefully, to subvert them.  Our goal would be to win the fight without fighting in other words, reminiscent of Sun Tzu.


    Sadly we also didn''t know what the teacher had planned, meaning that any ideas we had needed to be able to be adjusted on the fly.  We needed a plan that would shift like water, flowing into any weak spot and still be able to cause pain, or at the very least discomfort, to one of those responsible for the travesty we''d experienced.


    ¡°Alright everyone, line up.  Most of your classes will be focusing on boring paperwork today, but not here, no, here in Hand-to-hand Combat we have practicals every day.  First we''ll begin by you lot showing me what you know,¡± the professor announced, not even telling us his name.  ¡°Come up and punch this target, one at a time, there you go.¡±


    The class did as it was expected to do and formed a line before the teacher, who held a large pillow-like shield with a target on it.  This is where our games began.


    The first student up to the line wasn''t one of our conspiracy, so he just did as instructed and punched, hard, getting a word of good from the teacher and going to the back to wait for the next instruction.  The second though, the second was in our our game.  He sleepily approached the line and punched, missing the target by a full foot, causing the pillow to bend and slap the professor in the face.


    ¡°What was that!?¡± the older man screamed.  ¡°Hit the target boy!  The target, right in the center!¡±


    Taking another turn the boy struck, this time hitting dead on, but somehow slipping and barely delivering any power at all.  He had to repeat his action three more times before the professor sent him away in disgust.


    When my turn came about I decided to play my role to a point.


    ¡°So I''m supposed to hit the target sir?¡± I asked innocently.


    ¡°Did I not say that boy?¡±


    ¡°Sorry sir, sorry, right in the center right?¡± I inquired.


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    ¡°Today lad, we''ve got more than this to do!¡±  He roared from behind it.


    Our harassment campaign began thus.  Simon seemed asleep on his feet the entire time, slow to react, slow to act, often a bit confused.  Kilus somehow managed to look like he was five seconds from puking the whole class, getting concerned looks from everyone the few times he bent over.  I of course took the role of the young man with the room temperature IQ.  Others who''d been near us at lunch did much the same, not lashing out outwardly, but making sure everything just failed.  Every command had to be repeated, clarified, repeated again.  Stances that we all knew and should know weren''t right, angles off just enough to make the teacher correct our positions, only to find in doing so that one foot or another had drifted out of place on either the corrected boy or one of his fellows.


    By the end of it all the instructor was red in the face, fuming at half of his class.  We''d not gone out of our way to break rules, just been awful the entire time.  I half expected him to retaliate, but he didn''t, instead just sending us off in disgust.


    Then it spread.  People from our class learned from us, and hushed discussions in the hall spread the tactic.  Every boy was stupider, weaker, more curious about minutiae that didn''t matter at all.  Some stayed awake, but looked almost like zombies, others simply broke their pens every time they picked them up, making an awful mess and a distraction.  Nothing was getting done at all after lunch.


    I didn''t make it to all of my classes that day, for example I didn''t have Civics just yet, but every single one I did was a waste.  They''d made us angry, and while we had limits on what we could do, we could still fight back.  There were threats of course, even some corporal punishment handed out.  Nothing too bad, after all most of us were rather well off, but some.


    At the end of the day we finally had dinner, and the spread was, actually quite nice.  There was plenty of food, all of it was of the healthier variety rather than what was commonly served at dinner parties, but it tasted fine and was plentiful.  So long as everything worked out well we could end out little protest here.


    There were fruits and meats, roasted vegetables of all kinds.  The seasoning was very light where it existed at all, but at least there was enough.  A small pile of plain loaves, made from a local wheat crop steamed, with a small bit of butter beside it.  It was enough for all of us to have full bellies, a welcome change from the day.


    Near the end of the meal I was approached by Ollie, the senior in charge of my dorm.


    ¡°Come with me please,¡± he said, not explaining as he turned on his heel.


    ¡°Where are we going?¡± I asked as we made our way down the empty hall, dinner was still on of course, and our footsteps echoed down the corridor lightly.


    ¡°Headmaster Logan wants to see you.¡±  There was no further explanation, nor did he seem to want to talk at all.


    For the rest of the way we walked in silence.  Whatever the Headmaster wanted it certainly wouldn''t be a good thing for me.  After all, I''d caused quite a lot of trouble at his school, and he didn''t seem to be the type to take that sort of thing lightly.  It wasn''t even the second day yet, so I wondered if I''d be able to get my tuition money back, probably not.  Were there other schools I could get into at this time?  Also probably not once they''d heard of what happened.


    Oddly I wasn''t led to an office but rather one of the training rooms.  This was another place I''d not been into yet, but it was close to our afternoon classes so I at least recognized it.  The walls and floors were slightly padded, covered in some kind of hard mat.  In the center stood the Headmaster, eyes hard as he held a practice blade in one hand, another stuck into the floor nearby.  He had no safety equipment, no strengthened clothing or armor, just his normal suit.  It wasn''t lost on me that there were spots of red, fresh blood on the floor, I could even smell the metallic tang of it if I tried.


    ¡°Leave us,¡± he said to Ollie.


    ¡°Yes sir,¡± the senior replied before practically fleeing the room.


    We stared at one another for a time, taking each other''s measure, and then he spoke.  ¡°Well boy, are you going to take up the blade or not?  I''ve already finished with your seniors, but I think it''s your turn now.¡±


    Slowly I reached out, fingers wrapping around the practice weapon.  It wasn''t a foil like I was used to, but a heavier thing, shaped like the blades commonly carried as backups by soldiers.  The short, leaf-shaped sword that would be taken to war.


    There was a brief moment, a pang of regret that I''d eaten so much, since it was feeling awfully heavy in my stomach in that moment.

 Chapter 31 Punishment

    There were times for reflection and times for action and this was most certainly one of the latter.  The Headmaster had caught me off guard too many times today, taken the initiative too much, and losing it now would do me even worse than it had.


    He''d chosen the place, the time, the weapon, and to fight.  He was ready when I was not.  I also had no doubts that the shortsword I was now holding was something he preferred as opposed to my favorite of a longer more slender blade.


    Rather than letting him set the tone to the fight I launched into a series of attacks.  This was nothing special, just several standard slashes and stabs, trying to catch him off guard or find any chinks in his defense.  Sadly neither was to be, as he slapped away all of my strikes with his dull blade as if they were predictable.


    ¡°Good form, but unimaginative,¡± Headmaster Logan said, voice gravel.  ¡°Let me show you.¡±


    In a flash his blade was moving, and I could see what he meant.  I managed to block the first, though it numbed my hand to do so.  To my credit I was even able to catch some of the other shots he made, but each came from angles just off of standard.  Too unlike my series of attacks his came in at an uneven tempo, slow, then fast, then slow again, catching me off guard.  The final of his series caught on my cross-guard and lifted, throwing me several feet back.


    Each of those strikes would have been an end to the fight had he made them with a real sword or with his full strength.  They still hurt, but it was clear that he was pulling back before breaking anything.  Perhaps he was irritated that we''d opposed him, but this was a lesson as much as it was a punishment, and one I wouldn''t forget.


    I had no illusions about winning, that was probably impossible.  Maybe I was good with a rapier type blade, perhaps even very good for my age, but that didn''t really help much.  He was easily a foot and a half taller than me, and built like a brick house.  In reach, physical strength, and just plain experience I fell short, and deluding myself wouldn''t help.


    He didn''t attack as I rose and regained the practice sword.  So I did, launching at him with a series of attacks not unlike his, though coming from slightly different angles and in a rhythm dissimilar from that he''d used.  If I was being honest it was a bit sub-par, but with the state I was in it was what I could manage.  The return from the Headmaster was much as the previous, with the same result.


    ¡°Better, again.¡±


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    Three exchanges in and I was hurting, by the fifth I was sweaty and my right hand was shaking from the repeated hard shocks.  That didn''t matter, I just switched to my left.  I wasn''t as good with my left hand, but if I couldn''t even hold the sword what was the point?  It also gave me a good chance to try punching Headmaster Logan.  That of course ended with him grabbing my arm and using it to hurl me halfway across the room.


    ¡°Not going to apologize for your behavior or ask for leniency?¡± he questioned as I once more picked myself up off the ground.


    ¡°No sir, don''t think I will.  You seemed to want misbehavior.¡±


    ¡°Fair enough boy, fair enough.  You can''t win here though, surely you know that?¡±


    ¡°Perhaps sir, but I can refuse to lose,¡± I told him.


    That got me a guffaw.  Of course I took that chance to dash forward and attack, because why would I give up such a moment?  Like he had so many times before he moved to bat away my thrust, but as he did I acted.  With an additional step and change to my angle I brought the point of my blade a few inches forward, enough so that when he pushed it away the tip grazed his chin just slightly.  It didn''t harm the Headmaster, though if it had been a real sword it would have cut him slightly.


    His response was to add an additional flourish, one which sent my weapon flying from my grasp and well out of reach.


    ¡°Enough,¡± he said, rubbing his chin.  ¡°Tell me, who put you up to this?¡±


    ¡°Nobody did sir,¡± I informed him.


    ¡°Do you think you''ll earn my respect by being pigheaded and refusing to tell me the truth boy?  No, I want to know actually did tell you to cause such trouble.¡±


    ¡°Well, I was sort of hoping that Headmaster,¡± I admitted.  ¡°Sadly the truth is that nobody did though.  I wanted to cause trouble, to skirt the line of what we could do without getting punished.¡±


    ¡°You failed,¡± he said with a disappointed look.


    ¡°Clearly sir, though I''m not sure how you knew it was me?¡±


    ¡°Something you should keep wondering.  At any rate I think that''s enough, go, you have classes in the morning.¡±


    ¡°May I ask a question before I do?¡± I asked.


    ¡°Very well,¡± he nodded.


    ¡°Why?¡± I asked him.


    ¡°I wanted to see who would try to take control, and how they would try to respond.¡±


    ¡°How''d we do?¡± I inquired.


    ¡°Miserably, not a one of you tried to bring to my attention what you wanted.  The first part of any conflict should always be diplomacy young Percival.  Now off with you.¡±


    I was sore as I walked back to my dorm, but it could have been worse.  Perhaps if I''d been an older student, or someone more used to his methods it would have been, perhaps if I''d done more than just be a pain it would have been.  It''d be easy to find out tomorrow, but for tonight I wanted to bathe and sleep.


    Headmaster Logan didn''t seem randomly abusive, just, almost military.  Not modern military either, but the old school hard knocks kind.  He wanted little soldiers, men who''d follow orders to a T and could be depended on to know what to do.  That final lesson wasn''t lost on me either; we were supposed to follow the chain of command before acting out.


    ¡°You okay?¡± Ollie asked as I made my way into our rooms.


    ¡°Fine, even learned something,¡± I informed him, the other boys were up and listening.


    ¡°What''s that?¡±


    ¡°Next time the Headmaster does something irritating we don''t like we should tell him.  Now, if you don''t mind, I need a wash and sleep.¡±


    Hot water was a wonder, and a brief soak took care of most of the soreness.  I''d have a few small bruises, but I got those every time I went to a tournament.  The whole thing he did was rather like one of those, if I only fought better people than me, back to back for several rounds.  Perhaps before I graduated I''d try to get a chance to duel him again, see if I could give as good as I got.

 Chapter 32 Cores

    Before I knew it the first week of classes had passed. Overall things weren''t too bad, some of the science was weird, or downright wrong, but for the most part we covered a smattering of general topics that you might expect for middle or high school students and several forms of combat. There was a lot of overlap with things I''d learned in my previous life, and those subjects I breezed through, boring as it might be algebra didn''t really change between one world and another.


    There were also classes that no kid on Earth would have expected, like all the lessons on fighting and war tactics. We were learning how to fight on battlefields that were in constant evolution due to the increase in magical potency and firearms. Magic also changed how armies fought in general, with alterations in tactics, supply chains, organization, and even some of the normal rules of engagement.


    The last of which were very important. In this world it was the priests who named and enforced the conventions of combat and they were not known for their mercy to those who violated them. These priests used a different magic than I did, and they were almost universally inducted into one of several Orders. I didn''t have a notable relationship with any personally, but as I understood their power was related to living things and what they felt was ''right'' whatever that meant.


    All that aside I''d made it through those tasks and now had only one more before I had a couple of days off then began it all again. That was how I found myself in one of the tucked away back corners of the school, with only a few of my fellows.


    ¡°My my, what a promising crop of students. So many of your fellows choose not to join my class, and I''m thrilled that you have come to join me. I''m Professor Ruian, and don''t worry, I''ll make sure to take care of you all.¡± the teacher told us, an older woman, and one of the few female instructors.


    She wasn''t wrong either, there were only five of us here. This class was of course completely optional for us, and seen as a bit of an oddball choice, even if it was one of the ones I was most excited about.


    ¡°Now come with me, and I''ll show you all about building your cores!¡± she declared excitedly. ¡°Each of you will need to meditate in a specialized room, which will assist in the process of building it. While there and concentrating you''ll be pulled into a sort of mental space, where you can do the construction.¡±


    ¡°And how will we do that Professor?¡± I asked.


    ¡°Excellent question young man. It is difficult to describe, but by focusing you''ll find that you can. There will be a series of lights you need to follow, just do so and you''ll have no problems. You just need to follow the color coding.¡±


    She gave a very brief description of what looked right or wrong, though insisted that it really would be quite obvious.


    ¡°Now normally we''d have lectures about the basics on how to use it first, but I find that with boys you tend to do better if we alternate between the meditation and more practical aspects. So, follow me.¡±


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    We were led into a room of dark stone, with a central plinth surrounded by circles on the ground.


    ¡°Wow,¡± one of the lads with me said, and I had to agree, this was the most magical looking room I''d ever been in.


    ¡°Wow indeed. This pillar is the beginning, the start of what led us to the society we have today. Well, not this one, but you know.¡± She waved her hand as if pushing away questions.


    ¡°Are they hard to make?¡± I asked.


    ¡°Interestingly no, you''ll learn about that later though. Now let''s begin, an hour first and then we''ll begin with the instruction on how to use what you''ll be learning here.¡±


    We took our places and began to meditate, and as she''d described we were pulled into a sort of mental illusion where we could build. So build I did, slowly putting things together bit by bit, learning one very important thing. That doing this was painfully, abysmally boring, like following the simplest diagram and just putting the pieces in one by one, an endless piece of self-assembled furniture. It even felt physical, like I was taking the energy and molding it with my hands.


    After my hour I was pulled out of the illusion or whatever it was and back into the real world. There I found something far more interesting. Professor Ruian certainly knew her business, as she''d made a sort of game of the basics of how to make the runes work. We were each given a list of cards with numbers letters, and the like, each of which had a basic instruction on them. The rules of how these went together were then provided and we had to try to work out how to make a working version.


    I recognized it immediately, it was coding, like in C or Python. How it went together looked exactly like coding, and some of the ''runes'' we were given looked an awful lot like English words if you squinted, like something cludged together by someone making their own programming language. My eyebrows rose higher and higher as the class went on, for clearly I was not the first. Even if I was no expert I''d had to deal with it enough in work to recognize the basics.


    ¡°Professor,¡± I asked. ¡°Where exactly did this come from? The runes and all.¡±


    ¡°Hmm? You should have covered that in your History classes shouldn''t you? Lazy tutors I suppose, never teaching the very beginnings before going to the interesting bits. These were made by an elven ruler many years past, most of them nowadays simply refer to him as ''the king'' or ''His Majesty'' since he''s been the only one of them to ever take that title.¡±


    ¡°Is... is he still around?¡± I asked hopefully, I knew elves lived a very long time.


    ¡°Oh goodness no. That was, oh, nearly fifty-four hundred years ago or something? Elves might live a long time, but they''re not truly immortal, regardless of what some of them claim about their leaders.¡±


    My grandfather had said something similar to me, something about an old ruler who''d made flying ships, one that was long gone. There was also the eerie similarity in some of the outfits, designs, and the like here and there, and this all but confirmed it, there had been others like me. Could I meet them? Should I meet them? Were any even still alive or was I alone? Perhaps I needed to look into it, old history first, see what I could find.


    The next morning was supposed to be my day off, and I had to disappoint both Lucas and the several lads he''d pulled along with him when I told them that I was heading to the library rather than being interested in sparring. In particular my friend looked like I''d lost my mind.


    ¡°It''s the first week of classes Percival!¡± he objected. ¡°There''s no way you''ve been assigned enough work to need that.¡±


    ¡°Just want to look a few things up Lucas. Heard something that I want to know more about.¡±


    ¡°You''ll never get better if you don''t fight more, studying can wait.¡± He really did seem determined.


    ¡°Look, it shouldn''t take me too long, how about we meet at the arena a bit before dinner?¡±


    ¡°No,¡± he finally said.


    ¡°No?¡±


    ¡°No, I''m coming with you, if you can''t speed yourself along enough to not waste the entire day with your nose buried in papers I''ll help.¡±


    I sighed, it was sure to be a long afternoon.

 Chapter 33 The Past

    ¡°Boring,¡± complained my ''assistant'' for about the fifth time.


    ¡°I didn''t try to hide that it was going to be boring did I?¡± I asked.


    Lucas frowned at me. ¡°If you could just tell me what you''re looking for then it would probably help.¡±


    ¡°Things that stand out, things that are odd,¡± I informed him again.


    ¡°Percival, that''s all of history; well, all that''s written about at least. If something doesn''t stand out, if it''s not odd, people don''t write about it, ergo, it doesn''t end up in some dusty old tome in the library.¡±''


    ¡°That''s...¡± Actually it was a fair point, but I couldn''t tell him that I was looking for things from Earth now could I? ¡°How about this, I''m looking for odd, and large leaps in technology. Things that stand out. Like the elven king or stuff like that.¡±


    ¡°Okay, that''s actually something then isn''t it.¡±


    After awhile of poking around we found several tomes on tech. There was a good chance that some of my fellows had ignored it had they found themselves in this world, but there should be something. However what we found wasn''t good.


    ¡°So after the creation of the core things sort of stagnate,¡± Lucas declared.


    ¡°Stagnate? They don''t ''stagnate'' there''s a millennia long dark age. Do you know how much we lost? It''s insane, like the whole of society was pulled out from under it,¡± I said, exasperated.


    ¡°If you believe the stories, frankly I think the elves are lying. They like to act all high and mighty, but honestly their stuff isn''t as good as ours in a lot of places. They don''t even have a proper portal network.¡± He scoffed, seeming to think it was all lies, I however didn''t.


    ¡°Yeah, about that, I can''t find it in a lot of the places I''m looking. Where did it come from?¡± I asked, having focused on some of the older parts mostly. Lucas seemed more willing to look at the new stuff.


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    ¡°I... are you screwing with me Percival? Everyone knows where it came from.¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    ¡°Old Auntie Penumbra,¡± at my blank look he appeared shocked. ¡°The Kingkiller? The Worldsinger? Top advisor for... well like, forever?¡±


    ¡°Pretend I don''t know who you''re talking about,¡± I told him.


    ¡°Then you''re a child or a fool. She''s the Headmistress at the best magic school around and you''ve never heard of her. You do know who the current king is right?¡±


    ¡°Of course,¡± I protested. ¡°He''s on like half of our money.¡±


    ¡°We''ve got to get you up to date on common knowledge and like, people you should know. You talk a good game but not knowing the basics of the royal family is just sad, and embarrassing, if it were anyone but me I''d feel terrible for you. Luckily though I''m here to fix this.¡± He shut the book and shook his head. ¡°Come''on these aren''t what we need.¡±


    He found me the proper book in moments, and it was a biography. It wasn''t upon the woman who he''d spoken of, but rather the first king of our nation. King Verren hadn''t reigned long, but he''d done much. It detailed his rise as a soldier in an old kingdom called Bergond, a long lasting place that was overthrown by an empire very briefly before such empire did as most of them, and died with it''s emperor.


    Some of what I was reading about that emperor led me to believe he might have been a reincarnator. His ideas were... progressive, to say the least, nationalistic, stopping short of communism, but very strong on having the strong protect the weak. He wasn''t what I was looking for though.


    ¡°Her,¡± Lucas said, tapping the page.


    The girl in question was King Verren''s only daughter, and in the book a bit of a mysterious figure. She popped up a few times, causing a big stir, only to disappear once more. She introduced technologies, worked on important projects, and seemed to assiduously avoid any positions of power. Alana Penumbra, that was her name, along with half-a-dozen epithets.


    ¡°No biography on her though?¡± I asked, not seeing one in the section.


    ¡°Nope, nobody will publish one. Rumor has it that there''s a royal decree to that effect, but also nobody wants to cause problems.¡± Lucas shrugged, not having a good explanation for that.


    ¡°Problems? I mean, wait, this woman can''t be alive. She''d have to be...¡±


    ¡°Over three hundred years old? Yeah, she is, one of the more mysterious parts of the whole thing.¡±


    I looked down at the picture of her in the book, one with her father and brother, the first and second kings respectively. Here at least she looked young, blonde, with bright blue eyes and a bit of a hard cast to her eyes. Sadly it was probably out of date, but if you could live for three hundred years, why not stay young too?


    ¡°I''ll have to find a way to talk to her,¡± I mumbled.


    ¡°Good luck with that,¡± Lucas chortled in response. ¡°The old, private, paranoid mage is unlikely to just waltz up to you and be like, ''Hey, we should have a chat.'' isn''t she?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, probably, but I''m sure there''s a way to get a meeting.¡±


    ¡°Questions for later, for now we need to get to the arena.¡±


    ¡°Right,¡± I agreed. He''d helped me, it was time to keep up my end of the bargain.


    ¡°Then we''re going to have a long, long talk about holes in your knowledge.¡±


    ¡°Why are you so dedicated to this?¡± I asked.


    ¡°I... man you''re stupid there aren''t you? And here I thought you were bright. Well, we all have our blind spots, but don''t worry, your big brother Lucas is here to help you learn, one way or another.¡± I got a rough pat on my shoulder as we moved, though he didn''t explain why he felt the need to look after me so much.

 Chapter 34 Prepare to Party

    Weeks passed, and I began to settle into my school life. There were holes in my knowledge, big ones. I knew about a lot of the philosophy, and art, and technology of the day, but about history I was woefully unprepared. Not the things ones normally found in books, but the little bits here and there hidden in the common knowledge. After all I spent most of my time with people who didn''t care or my grandfather who didn''t know.


    This meant that while I was doing well in some things my social life was, formal. Manners had been beaten, almost literally, into me by my grandmother and I could run through them with ease. However spending time hanging out or generally messing around with youths my own physical age was almost a non-starter. Lucas tried to do his best to help with that though.


    My rival in the fencing ring treated me as something akin to a little brother. Whenever I tried to go and spend my day meditating or in the library with my head buried in some book or other he''d come and fine me, often convincing me to join in sparring with the others or generally hanging out. That was how I found myself sitting in a circle in one of the basements tossing a small ball back and forth with him and several of his friends.


    ¡°So, what are your plans for the weekend Percival?¡± Lucas asked as he tossed me the sphere.


    ¡°Same as every weekend I guess, study, maybe look at some of the new journals that have come in,¡± I returned, tossing the orb to Simon, who''d somehow fallen in with this same group.


    ¡°Dense as always Percival. This will be the first time we get a day to go to town,¡± he chided.


    I was dense, the first few weeks hadn''t had the normal town days, but those started this week. One day a week off, one day away from the school should I so choose it. I could go and do... well without supervision basically whatever I wanted. So long as no great trouble came of it and nobody found out I could do much as I pleased.


    ¡°Oh, haven''t even thought about it honestly. Totally forgot with classes and all.¡±


    ¡°Well, I''m getting some dried meats if nothing else,¡± Simon answered. ¡°Just in case the Headmaster decides to starve us all again.¡±


    It seemed unlikely, but that incident had left a mark on the student body. I''d come out fairly well, not telling anything about any of my fellows meant that I was the only one in our year punished, something others realized. That act alone had won me a fair amount of social capital, something I''d never bothered to use.


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    ¡°There''s a concert being put on in the entertainment district I''m keen to see,¡± said Reese, another boy in Lucas'' year as he tossed the ball.


    ¡°Might be a good thing if we''d gotten tickets,¡± I grumbled.


    ¡°Don''t need them. This one is first come first seated. Not sure why but it looks like the group putting it on didn''t want it all to be the richest in the city, and from what I''ve heard it''s magnificent.¡±


    I shrugged at Lucas who made a face indicating that he''d be interested in it as well.


    ¡°Expensive?¡± I asked, I did have some petty cash, but not huge quantities.


    ¡°No, like I said, they want everyone to be able to go.¡± The other boy waved a hand flippantly, as if there was no reason for concern.


    ¡°I''m in,¡± Lucas said.


    ¡°Sure, why not,¡± I agreed.


    ¡°Sounds like a blast,¡± Simon added.


    We continued our game, the little ball whizzing at speeds that would terrify normal people but were no issue to us. That was one of the things I rather enjoyed about being in the academy here. With so many of us as strong and durable as we were we didn''t really have to hold back as badly. Most days I had to treat everyone like they were made of paper, easy to break and rip, but here it was just... easier to be.


    A few days later we all piled into a carriage and set off to the city proper. Each of us thrilled to be away. I got a few looks at the cane I was carrying, but it was a common enough thing even for guys of my age so nobody was bothered. Carrying a proper weapon was a lot less common, but nobody needed to know what was in it until and unless someone was getting stabbed.


    We made only a few quick stops on our way, picking up things we wanted or needed quickly. The show was today, and from the sounds of it we needed to arrive as early as was reasonably possible. Of course, had we known what we were getting into we might have tried to get in even earlier.


    The city streets were packed, carriages and carts of all kinds shoved in like fish in a barrel. Some were new, some old, some rented or haired like ours. Lots of people were walking, not even trying, and after a time we all looked at each other.


    ¡°So, just walk then?¡± I asked, getting a series of nods in return.


    After a brief conversation telling the driver to meet us at a restaurant halfway across the city later in the evening we hopped out. He seemed relieved, nobody liked traffic, particularly when there were so many horses involved.


    It quickly became apparent that this wasn''t just the right choice, it was the only choice. Whatever this show was, it was clogging the streets of the otherwise often packed entertainment district of the city. Slowly we got closer and closer until we were finally at the place indicated, which wasn''t even a proper venue.


    ¡°They''re joking,¡± Lucas said with a laugh.


    ¡°No, I don''t think they are,¡± I replied with a shake of my head.


    ¡°This is going to be something isn''t it,¡± Reese added with a smile.


    ¡°Oh yeah,¡± Simon agreed.


    Before us there were people in the streets. One of the larger city squares had been blocked off, a building on the far side having been altered to have a massive stage jutting out from it. The tickets were to get into the square itself, which had some seating in the form of bleacher-like additions on the sides and a large central area right in front of the raised stage.


    Apparently they''d not been able to find a big enough arena, not odd as such things weren''t as common in this world as they''d been in my last, at least not on this island. There were a few sport fields outside the city, and a few smaller places like where the fencing tournaments were held, but nothing like a colosseum, and that seemed to be what they wanted.


    Would this disturb part of the city tonight? Certainly. Were there plenty of people who were going to get a show without paying? Well, I could already see some of the nearby businesses setting up tables on their roofs to watch. Would it be awesome? I had a feeling the answer would be a resounding yes.

 Chapter 35

    I''d never thought I''d see another rock show in this life, and to a point I was correct. The Starchasers as they styled themselves weren''t really a rock band, but rather an group of skilled bards. Musically however it was something akin, almost folk-rock or like the pagan-rock bands that had existed in my previous world. A refreshing change from much of the music my family liked, which was much more... staid.


    However, even if I wasn''t quite sure where to place their style their show was another level entirely. Two hours of nonstop illusions to go with the songs, giant battles between monsters and spinning planets above the skyline. They''d had enough spellcasters in their troupe to bring in smells, temperature shifts, wind, and of course a light show that would stand up to anything.


    ¡°Excellent suggestion Reese,¡± I said, wiping the sweat from my brow as we trotted through the city streets. Superhuman or not a party made a man sweat.


    ¡°Agreed,¡± Lucas said. ¡°We should try to find more like them.¡±


    ¡°We could try to record their music? Maybe they even do it,¡± Simon suggested.


    ¡°Isn''t that really hard?¡± Lucas asked.


    ¡°Don''t know, you''re taking that class right Percival?¡± Reese asked.


    ¡°Magic doesn''t do it well,¡± I said with a shake of my head.


    Magically it was possible to make a recording, but it wasn''t simple in the least. For anything other than simple tunes of individual notes you needed to figure out how to tell the magical item you were using exactly the sounds to make. These tended to be fraught with difficulties, and massive wastes of power.


    ¡°What about a scientific solution, you''re always wandering about the Royal Society right?¡± Lucas asked.


    That was probably a better idea. Both phonographs and records were likely within the possibility of this society to make already. However I didn''t know how to make either of those. There were some small things like little wire radios bouncing around in my head, but nothing significant, or really useful for transmission. That was just outside the remit of what I understood.


    ¡°Sorry, there''s surely a way, but I don''t know it.¡± I shrugged as I answered, unable to help with this problem.


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    ¡°No way the military would let them use radios either,¡± Simon joked, and everyone looked at him with an odd glance.


    Radio, that''s the word he used, not some fantasy term like ''far-speaker'' or ''talking stones'' or anything like that. No, it was radio, there was a bit of an accent to it, but it was comprehensible.


    ¡°Which is?¡± I asked hopefully.


    ¡°Oh, they''re not secret or anything. The military has magic items that can send sound like, halfway across the country. They won''t tell anyone how they work though, so none for us, a lot like the portals.¡±


    We were closing in on the restaurant we were to meet the driver at, but before we could continue on this extremely interesting topic there was a scream. A high pitched wail, sounding like a woman in distress met us, and after the briefest of looks at each other we all ran forward.


    Like arrows the four of us shot through the twilight, honing, tracking, a pack of wolves, after whatever was causing such a disturbance. This kind of thing wasn''t normal, and all of us were told constantly how we must learn to defend the people. Each of our group were training to become fighters, regardless of what we wanted, and today we heard a fight. Others on the street were still headed to the alley we''d locked onto while we slipped down it at speed.


    There was the briefest hesitation as the group of us appeared around the screaming young woman, her eyes bulging.


    ¡°My sister,¡± she yelled, pointing at an open sewer grate. ¡°Something grabbed my sister!¡±


    She wasn''t much to look at, with ragged clothes and a face full of scars. No, she was no high lady, no princess in distress, but it was clear she needed help, and looker or no, we weren''t going to abandon her here.


    With a flash of mana I pulled my blade from the cane it rested in. Lucas for his part drew a pair of knives from somewhere, smiling at me as he did. It seemed I wasn''t the only one who''d thought to come prepared for a fight.


    ¡°Hah, nice blades. Simon, Reese, stay with her while we go after him, just in case. Lucas,¡± I began.


    ¡°Not letting you go in there alone Percival, let''s go.¡± He said as he ran, leading the charge.


    Most sewer lines aren''t that big, with the exception of main ones like the one we found ourselves in. Both of us dropped into the depths, landing in the filth with a pair of splashes. The smell was foul, potent, enough to make me want to vomit as we began.


    It wasn''t hard, from one side came splashes in the water as someone fled. Only for the pair of us to pursue through the dark tunnels. There was light here and there, small shafts that drifted down from above, only enough because of our enhanced senses and the pale blue my sword was glowing, a light in the darkness.


    Soon we found him, for it could only be a him. Running, but slower than us was a hulk of a man, clad in a long coat and hood I couldn''t see his head, but his gait was off, his arms... long, like an ape. He was also massive, easily over six feet and broad like a linebacker. I couldn''t place what it was about how he walked, but it was... wrong, like someone had messed up his legs somehow, like they didn''t work like they should. Over his shoulder was a sack large enough to hold a child, what it almost certainly contained.


    ¡°Bastard!¡± Lucas shouted as he charged forward, roaring in challenge, knives leading.


    The figure moved faster than any normal man, more like us, like the powerful. In a single move it dropped the sack and spun, hand tearing through the air like a whip and catching Lucas straight in the face.


    My friend must have been as surprised as I was as the back of the hand met his jaw, sending him against the side of the sewer with a thunderous crack, and leaving him slumped there unmoving. I heard clinking as Lucas'' knives fell to the bottom, slipping into the water and gunk.


    ¡°Hmm, strong, Father will want you,¡± the figure said as he turned to Lucas.


    I was briefly stunned at the words, for the creature before me looked almost like a goblin, if you fed one of the little monsters nothing but steroids, protein, and growth hormones. It could talk too, a completely new development.

 Chapter 36 Return to the Surface

    I looked to Lucas for only a second, enough to register that he was still breathing.


    ¡°You''re no normal goblin,¡± I said, hoping to provoke something.


    ¡°You know us? Very interesting, Father will definitely want you,¡± he returned before lunging.


    That first move was enough. From that alone I could tell that he was slower than myself, stronger perhaps, but slower, and untrained. My blade shone as I ducked his attempt to grab me, slicing up and into the monster''s flesh. It moved through almost without resistance, blade shining blue before the red blood spurted outwards.


    Both of us danced backwards, both wary of the other. He snarled as I took my stance, ready to fight. I could see no other way out of this. Should I try to leave this creature alive? Someone would want to see it, but it was also clearly dangerous, a smart, potent monster.


    ¡°Surrender and I''ll spare your life,¡± I said, trying to keep my voice calm.


    He chuckled, low and growling. ¡°I''ll offer you the same.¡±


    Fights like this couldn''t go on long, both of us were just too deadly. One wrong move on my part and I''d be out just as sure as Lucas was, one on his and I''d put my blade into something that he couldn''t survive without. At least he didn''t have a weapon, depending too much on his own physical strength.


    On our next pass I moved in, aiming high, to ram the point of my small blade into his chest, but he ducked, longer arms aiming for my stomach. By an inch he missed, by much more I did, but I still managed to score a deep gash into his shoulder, slicing all the way down to bone.


    ¡°Shit! Fuck shit!¡± he screamed as he pulled back again.


    I wouldn''t let up this time, taking careful, but fast strikes and scoring a few more light cuts on him as he hopped backwards through the sewer nearly ten feet. This was exactly where I wanted to be. He''d retreated back past the dropped sack, past Lucas'' unconscious body, there was however another problem.


    ¡°You speak English?¡± I asked, realizing what those curses had been.


    ¡°What?¡± he asked in the native tongue, confused at what I''d said, and quite angry at what I''d done.


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    ¡°English?¡± I asked again.


    ¡°Screw you,¡± he replied on the native tongue again, seeming to realize where we were now standing.


    I kept both my stance and my face as firm as I could. He was odd, too odd, there were too many oddities for me and I didn''t like it. My opponent however kept moving back, further and further.


    ¡°Not coming?¡± he asked. ¡°All done?¡±


    I didn''t reply, but I was. The injured were far more important to me than this creature, and he seemed to know it, sense it. I didn''t move until he was well around the nearest bend in the sewer, turning and running at the last moment with a snarl. I waited longer, making sure he was well and truly away before I carefully sliced open the bag, revealing a still breathing girl inside. She was dazed, but hopefully she''d be okay. Lucas on the other hand was still out cold, never a good sign.


    As gently as I could I gathered up the fallen humans and began to retreat back to the sewer grate we''d entered through, though I didn''t make it all the way before I was met with others. Other men had heard the call to arms and a few brave ones had made their way down. Most were older, with beards and fearful looks as I moved out of the shadows, bloody blade still in hand.


    ¡°Who goes!?¡± One shouted, trying to bring up a lantern of some make.


    ¡°I''m one of the ones who went after the child. She lives, as does my companion, but both need aid, and we need the authorities.¡±


    ¡°Good lad,¡± said an older, balding man as he came forward to grab the girl, another helping me with Lucas so I could put away my sword.


    ¡°Eyes sharp, the monster escaped,¡± I informed them.


    ¡°Damn,¡± one of them cursed. ¡°Looks like you stuck it at least.¡±


    I laughed at that.


    Twenty minutes later I sat, going over the story to a pair of policemen in dark black uniforms. A healer, a local priest in fact, had been summoned and the sister who''d called for us was holding her now awake sibling, bawling incoherently. Lucas was taking more time, and both of us were covered in filth. This outfit at least was ruined so far as I was concerned.


    ¡°A goblin?¡± the officer asked me for about the fourth time. ¡°Some kind of green manlike beast?¡±


    ¡°Very manlike,¡± I nodded. ¡°It could talk.¡±


    ¡°You sure it wasn''t just some ruffian lad? Kidnappings may be a bit rare, but... well monstrous men do sometimes take little girls...¡±


    ¡°Boy''s a bit young to talk to him about that yeah?¡± the other said, looking like I might not know what he meant.


    ¡°Not that young, and not a fool. That was no man, and if you''re unbelieving, get the healer there to examine this.¡± I held up my blade. ¡°Soon as he''s done with my friend of course.¡±


    ¡°Sure son, we''ll do just that.¡± Somehow I doubted they were taking this nearly as seriously as I was. Or perhaps they thought I was just mistaken, a kidnapper would be easier for their reports than an intelligent monster would any day. It would also keep the papers quiet, something police everywhere were keen on.


    My thoughts were confirmed when the man took a cloth and wiped the sword clean. ''for evidence'' and put the rag in his pocket. Would it end up getting tested? I honestly didn''t know, but it didn''t matter, I was going to see to it that someone at least heard the truth, even if I had to pull out all the stops to do it.


    Sadly when he was finally awakened Lucas couldn''t confirm my story. He''d not gotten a good view before he was knocked out, but described instead what looked like a massive man in a coat and hood. That I could only get from a distance as he was interviewed, and I wanted to scream.


    At least the locals managed to find us some clean clothes and water to rinse ourselves off with before we were released to go on our way. The four of us may not have been residents of this area, but the screaming woman who''d attracted us eventually calmed down enough to explain that we''d come to her aid, not as part of the kidnapping and that mixed with our social status was enough to see us released. The fact that I''d come back with the girl in hand almost certainly helped a lot too. Kidnappers weren''t known to return the victims.


    For a small miracle I did see the investigator handing over the bloody cloth the the priest as we walked away. Maybe they could confirm the story and we could get a proper hunt for that abomination underway.

 Chapter 37 The Inquirer

    My next couple of hours were rather hectic. I began by writing letters, writing letters was easy and could get people who would believe me to do so. Perhaps the local police would not, perhaps they''d insist that I''d been seeing things, or that there were no monsters in the sewers. Honestly I didn''t know and it didn''t matter, because there were, and I knew at the very least my grandfather wouldn''t turn his back on me. He knew how serious monsters were, he''d seen a goblin, albeit a very different one, and he''d taken that seriously enough, he would help. That meant that I of course had to inform my parents as well, for their peace of mind if nothing else.


    Sadly though we met at the restaurant nobody was in much a mood to eat. Nor were we allowed in, half of our party being rather foul smelling and quite under-dressed for the occasion. After managing to get hold of our carriage we''d returned to the school early, me to my letters and the other boys to meet with their friends and regale them with the story of the whole incident.


    While I was writing I was interrupted several times by curious students, eager to hear about the monster I''d faced. Even if it had come to naught I''d still gone up against something most of them foolishly dreamed of, something they''d love to pit themselves against to test their mettle. I''m not sorry to say that my dry, almost clinical telling of it didn''t really thrill them, but it did make them pay attention, which was what I wanted.


    Attention I got too, as I was pulled out of Civics, one of my favorite subjects, the very next morning. The Headmaster wanted to see me, in his office this time, not a dojo, and I was not alone. All four of us were marched in before the bear of a man and gestured to seats. The owner of the space took his own in a high backed chair behind his desk.


    The office was, in a word, neat. There was not a speck of dust to be found, not a paper was out of place. Everything had its place and each place had its thing. Stacks of documents, all with edges perfectly aligned were upon his desk, books lined up like soldiers on shelves, titles and dates shining. Only one thing seemed not to belong, a lanky man in a black suit in the corner.


    ¡°Allow me to make sure that I understand things correctly. For misunderstanding leads to misaligned results,¡± the ruler of this school declared. ¡°The four of you heard a screaming woman, and decided to take it upon yourselves to investigate?¡±


    ¡°Yes sir,¡± we chorused.


    ¡°Upon finding a girl and learning of a kidnapping you two,¡± he indicated the pair in question. ¡°Remained with her while you,¡± Lucas and myself this time. ¡°Went to attempt to stop the kidnapping in question?¡±


    ¡°Yes sir,¡± we said again.


    ¡°You had no aid should something go awry, no way to get any, no idea what you were getting yourselves into. I may add that that nearly got one of you killed and the other taken. Yet you charged forwards, with hardly a thought.¡±


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    Our group awaited his decision, but not one of us looked away. I wouldn''t have done anything different, and if I knew my friends they felt similarly. We''d done the right thing, and his tone implied we were wrong for it. We were not wrong, and I wouldn''t bow under any pressure for that.


    ¡°I''m quite proud of you,¡± he finally announced with an almost, but not quite, smile. ¡°Execution needs work, but we can, and will, improve that. Without the gumption to step forward we get nowhere. I''ll be arranging for some extra training as a reward. Simon, Reese, you are dismissed.¡±


    After it was ascertained that he''d seen nothing Lucas too was sent out, leaving only myself, the Headmaster, and the unknown man left.


    ¡°Let us hear what happened,¡± the Headmaster declared, and once more I repeated my story, blow for blow, word for word. I had a pretty good memory, and this I''d seared into it, it was too important for anything else. When I was done the teacher looked towards the other man, who stepped forward.


    ¡°Good afternoon young lord Percival. First, please allow me to introduce myself. My name is Ignus, an investigator in the service of His Grace the Duke.¡±


    ¡°A pleasure to meet you sir,¡± I said with a nod.


    ¡°And you young man. Now, we saw that sample of blood you brought back and I can agree that it is certainly not human, whatever it is. That has been sent of for experts to look at, but for the moment, please stop,¡± he said, firmly.


    ¡°Stop?¡± I asked.


    ¡°Yes, stop trying to convince people of what you saw, and with these if you will.¡± He held up a number of envelopes that I recognized. It wasn''t lost on me that they were opened either.


    ¡°You read my mail,¡± I nearly yelled, scandalized.


    ¡°As part of my duties, yes. Something I don''t regret and will do again if needed. The situation is... delicate, and must be handled as such.¡±


    I stood, struggling to resist the urge to strike the man. ¡°You''re hiding it? The fact that there are dangerous monsters in the city? How many people will you let get kidnapped? How many will disappear and never return?¡± I said through my teeth.


    ¡°We are hiding that you suspect, and we are concerned, that there may be intelligent monsters about. If it stays a rumor that is that, but if it becomes published there will be a panic and that helps no one.¡± With a placating hand he stopped me from speaking. ¡°That does not mean however that we''re not taking the situation seriously.¡±


    ¡°Taking it seriously? By what, letting people get taken?¡± I accused.


    ¡°No, by scouring the parts of the city sewers and tunnels that we can and increasing the guard patrols significantly. The papers will also have an article about an unknown kidnapper capable of using physical type magic this evening. I will do what I must to avoid a panic, but that doesn''t mean leaving people to themselves.¡± He wasn''t being completely unreasonable there.


    ¡°And if I refused to stop telling people what I saw?¡± I questioned.


    ¡°I will do what I must to avoid a panic.¡± At my look he continued. ¡°Goodness boy, I''m not going to have you killed, how unneeded would that be? But I can see to it that you''re sent back to your family''s country estate, and that you remain there for a time. I can also have you restricted to the school if I feel that better, and left unable to spread worry. In time the truth will come out, but for now, until we know more, keep yourself reserved. I''d express concern about the other boys, but they didn''t see anything themselves. You don''t even need to lie, just refuse to talk about it.¡±


    I narrowed my eyes at him. ¡°Fine, for now. However, if I don''t think you''re taking this seriously, or if I don''t see that warning in the papers I''ll make you regret it.¡± Nothing said panic like pamphlets released from a drone, something I could definitely manage if I wanted to burn some bridges.


    He laughed, and looked at the Headmaster. ¡°See why you like this one old friend. I believe he''d actually do it.¡±


    ¡°I would,¡± I confirmed.


    ¡°Well then, I best go and keep my word shouldn''t I? Just see to it you do the same and we''ll have no issues at all.¡± With that he left.

 Chapter 38 Emergency Measures

    Mr. Ignus was as good as his word, and when I got hold of a paper the next morning I found within it that there was in fact a headline about an attempted kidnapping. Rather than saying what I knew it was however there was simply a confirmation that the assailant was unknown, seemingly a physical magic user, and should be regarded with extreme caution. There were also some notes about searches for the individual in question and the increased security in Exion as a whole.


    This of course stirred up the student body something fierce. Normally one wouldn''t associate high-school aged kids with reading the paper, but with no social media or video games it was oddly a popular thing to do. Of course before lunch I was inundated with requests to tell my story once more. Everyone who''d heard it already was spinning wilder and wilder tales, and each was being traced back to me.


    ¡°I''m sorry, but I''d rather not talk about that,¡± I said for what had to be the twelfth time today. If Mr. Ignus was going to keep his word I could at least manage that much for now.


    ¡°Aw, come on, you were telling people about it the other day,¡± the boy complained, only go back off when I fixed him with a hard stare. ¡°My apologies,¡± he said, retreating.


    It seemed I''d gotten a bit of a reputation as well. Lucas was a known quantity to the student body, a combat obsessed maniac who trained almost constantly. There were those stronger than him, those faster, and a few who were no less dedicated, but he had a reputation as being very good. To hear that I, a new student with only a few fencing tourney titles under my belt had driven off a monster that he openly admitted had thoroughly trounced him was a bit of a surprise to them.


    That all led to people paying a lot more attention to me than I already got. Between that and the incident on the first day I was building a very serious background among my fellows as someone to be watched. It all seemed a bit silly to me, I didn''t do anything most of them couldn''t. That fight was hard, but approached cautiously half the school should have been able to survive, and that was all I did. Had I not had the blade my father gave me I would have been in deep trouble.


    That reminded me, and I quickly rewrote the letters to my family. I told them the basics that were publicly available, and that I would give them the full story in time. I wasn''t planning to hide it from them, if the Duke wanted it kept quiet they''d probably not oppose, so long as he acted, which he was. My parents would also demand a full accounting from me when next we met and I had no delusions that they''d accept anything less. Mother could sniff out deception like a bloodhound when she wanted to, and hiding this would only damage her trust in me.


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    Sasha


    Half of the warren was in a state after brother Sigmund''s return. He''d arrived moments ago, sliced up like he''d been in a fight and without anything to show for his trip away other than the injury. It had been bound, poorly, but enough to at least staunch the flow while I saw to him.


    ¡°Where is Father?¡± he asked as I tried to patch together his wound.


    ¡°Deeper of course,¡± I answered, as if that wasn''t obvious.


    ¡°Met someone, he got away,¡± Sigmund said, not having led with that.


    One of my younger cousins, one of the smarter ones, was nearby and I turned to him. ¡°Get Father and Greta now!¡± he scampered off at speed as I sent a wave of power down the tunnel, looking for any blood that might have spilled. Even a single drop was too much, and I used my magic to scour them, and everything about him that I could, his smell, hairs and the like, away.


    Sister arrived first, looking confused that I''d called for her in such a hurry.


    ¡°What do you need Sasha?¡± she asked, looking at our injured brother.


    ¡°Seal it,¡± she blinked at my nod towards the entrance, but she was smarter than the rest of us and soon picked up what I wanted.


    As the one in charge of the entrance to the nest I could make this decision, to close the door and seal it. Long ago father had told us that a time may come when the humans came for us, and we''d prepared for it. At first the plans had been simple, but with her constant tinkering Greta had come up with a mechanism that worked into the opening, moving stones to place so well that it became nearly seamless with the outside tunnel. Sadly it was very fragile and without her I had no confidence of making it work on my own.


    Within moments she had it going. It was loud, louder than I would''ve liked, but with a few flicks of her fingers that subsided after a moment, going silent. When it was done there was a mess of gears and rods on our side, but the other would be a blank section of wall, nothing obvious to anyone who came looking.


    We were still getting people and things into place while the whole nest went into emergency mode. It took time to spread, but cousins and siblings were moving now, aware that something had gone wrong. As often happened, I saw the magic before Father himself, appeared, approaching us in a hurry.


    ¡°What has happened daughter?¡± he asked, knowing that I was the one who''d triggered this.


    ¡°Sigmund was seen and injured by one who got away,¡± I said, before my brother could answer for me.


    ¡°Explain,¡± he said to the hulking form of Sigmund.


    ¡°Was taking human, like you said. Got attacked by two, fast and strong, took one down, other had blade. Retreated to let you know.¡± That last part was tacked on in a hurry, and I wasn''t the only one who recognized it.


    ¡°Don''t lie to me boy,¡± Father hissed, causing a flinch among all of us. ¡°You ran because he sliced you up, and good thing, someone getting hold of you would be a problem.¡± He turned cursing. ¡°Fuck, shit, fuck, we need to be careful.¡±


    ¡°Father,¡± Sigmund said, earning a glare that made him shrink back. ¡°What is inngalish?¡±


    Father froze, looking intensely at our brother. It was as if he''d seen something he never expected, as if he knew something big had just happened, but wasn''t sure where to go with it.


    ¡°Where did you hear that word son,¡± he asked calmly, the most dangerous emotion for our parent, and one we all knew well.


    ¡°The one who cut me,¡± Sigmund explained carefully. ¡°I spoke like you do when you''re mad and he said ''Eww undastan inngalish?'' to me. Then when I asked him what, he repeated it ''inngalish'' again.¡±


    ¡°Sasha, are all of our outgoing parties accounted for?¡± he asked, turning to me.


    ¡°Yes Father, everyone is back,¡± I confirmed, having always kept track of who was where.


    ¡°Good, watch the door. Sigmund, come with me, you will tell me everything.¡± With his words he took my brother, seeming to care not at all about anything else.

 Chapter 39 Extra Classes

    With an upward twist I caught the incoming blade, trying, and failing to toss it from my opponent''s hand with a turn of the wrist, but succeeding in making him hop back. The buckler strapped to my arm might have been small, but it was perfect for what I was doing, quick to move, quick to strike, and not cumbersome in the slightest.


    ¡°You think you can win?¡± the other boy asked with a scoff.


    ¡°Who said anything about winning? You''re the last group in the area,¡± I pointed out.


    In an instant I saw his eyes widen and he turned. It was about that time that Lucas'' group send up the flare indicating that the package was delivered. While he muttered something under his breath I stepped forward, the shortsword in my hand flashing as it struck up and into his chest, right where his heart would be. There was a brief flash of light from his armor.


    ¡°You''re out,¡± an automated voice informed him.


    ¡°Honestly? You didn''t need to do that,¡± he complained to me.


    ¡°Game''s not over until everyone is back at base,¡± I retorted as I moved to leave, something he certainly already knew.


    There was a bit of cleanup here and there, but for the most part we were done. The survivors all wanted to make it back, with deaths losing each team points at this juncture. Perhaps the other team could have been spiteful and tried to take as many of us as was possible, but that was rare, as they really didn''t want to lose any of their people.


    My group was composed of four older students and myself, and we flew through the mock battleground, legs pumping as we tried to make our way back home. They''d been around the same building I was in, and had joined up at the rendezvous right as I got there. Before we made it there a retort sounded and something small whizzed by the leader''s head.


    ¡°Did nobody kill that bleeding sniper?¡± he asked all of us.


    ¡°Appears not,¡± I responded. ¡°Want to?¡±


    ¡°No, half the time they trap their nests, and we''ve already won, just keep the sight lines closed from him and move fast.¡±


    The sniper in question was probably just a normal soldier, non-magical that was. There were rules on how we had to deal with them, so as not to accidentally injure or kill one, but they were often brought to these practices. After all it was excellent real-world experience for both sides to face off against something they might see on a battlefield.


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    The area wasn''t large or anything, only a few square blocks, with towers, houses, and the like. These buildings had been raised by magic, and were completely unsuitable for long term living, but as a practice arena they served a lot of purposes. Mages got a chance to work on making things from the surrounding countryside, complex structures that could be used as rudimentary bases in wartime of for any expedition into wilder lands. The students and soldiers however got a free working area that nobody cared if they destroyed. Rendering these into rubble was just another chance for some wizard to learn to put buildings back together in case of disaster, natural or otherwise.


    When finally we returned I was pleased to see most of us had made it. There were five or so boys running laps around the camp, indicating their ''deaths'' but that was a good result. They looked miserable, superhuman or not it was boring, tiring work to run around the camp for hours, and since they''d ostensibly already given their reports on what happened they''d be at it for hours more. Our Headmaster didn''t want us to die intentionally, so he made sure we hated it when we fell.


    As soon as we made it to the command tent we were for the most part done, being handed a small packet of paperwork to fill out on what happened, with whom, where, why and how. We were supposed to do all of this immediately, while our memories were still the most fresh, then after some rest go over it all and point out places where we succeeded or failed, and why we thought that happened. All of that was part of our grading for these exercises.


    Lucas would be awhile yet, but Simon and Reese flopped down beside me when they arrived.


    ¡°Remind me to never help anyone ever again,¡± the former complained.


    ¡°I''ll second that,¡± the latter agreed.


    ¡°Don''t complain boys,¡± came a voice I was quite familiar with. ¡°Or do you not realize what a boon this could be to you?¡± Professor Killic slowly approached, smiling.


    ¡°Honestly sir, the only thing I feel like I''m gaining is soreness,¡± Reese griped.


    ¡°There are dozens of men here, generals, captains of various industries, and exploratory companies. You know what they''re doing? Scouting for talent. These extra sessions may seem harsh to you, but you''re getting better at working in groups, understanding things from multiple levels. Keep at it and you''re sure to get their attention.¡±


    He wasn''t wrong, but we were still tired, the Headmaster had promised us extra lessons and he''d delivered. Our little group of four was now in every practical he could fit into our schedules without taking us out of any of our regular classes. I''m sure that he viewed this as a reward, but it honestly felt like just as much of a punishment.


    ¡°We''re still tired professor,¡± I informed him.


    ¡°Understandably, actually Percival I was hoping to have a word with you.¡±


    After sharing a confused look with my friends I moved to join him as he walked from the tent. He was here as one of our advisors, watching things like resources, plans and the like, even if he didn''t contribute anything to the students in leadership positions unless they asked.


    ¡°What''s this about sir?¡± I asked as we walked.


    ¡°I can''t help but notice that you seem to find combat rather unenjoyable,¡± he observed.


    ¡°Not something I mind, and I do understand the need for us to learn it. You are right though, it''s not exactly a passion of mine.¡±


    ¡°Professor Ruien tells me that you''re rather enjoying her class though, and recently something interesting has come up. There''s an opportunity for an observer on a small transport mission involving some rather specialized magical items. You''d have to make up the classes, and work hard to keep out of trouble, but I thought you might enjoy it.¡±


    ¡°They''re allowing students on this too?¡± I asked.


    ¡°Practical education, and only for one leg of the trip. You''ll mostly just be watching the real soldiers as they bring things in, but it goes close to where your family lives, and you''re doing well enough to miss a couple of lectures without a problem. Are you interested?¡±


    ¡°Certainly!¡± I answered, excited to be out of class for any reason. Most of them were rather boring after all.


    ¡°Alright then, our esteemed Headmaster thought you would say so,¡± he chuckled.

 Chapter 40 Preparation

    I had a couple of weeks until my field trip, but during that time my teachers seemed driven to make sure that I was going to be up to speed. Which with the extra lessons that the Headmaster had foisted upon us meant that I was firmly to the grindstone. Basically I worked all day until I fell into bed heavily at the end of the day.


    It was in the evening as I lay there that I realized that this too was a test. Our Headmaster had twice seen me take a leading place in some incident, and twice I''d succeeded. I was winning, and doing so well. Now he was giving me a chance at a special event, where I would be seen by potentially important people. If I understood him he wanted to make sure that I didn''t disappoint.


    Well, I''d never been one to take a challenge lightly, and so when I woke up the next morning I went right back to it with fervor. From nearly the moment I woke up I pulled my books in close to begin tearing my way through the homework and reading. I was fast, and my memory was sharper than it had even been my first time through life. Each passage caused me to struggle, but each passage got me that much closer to victory.


    As I went through classes that day my teachers seemed to notice too, that even though I had to listen to what they were saying I was pouring over other things too. Professor Killic saw me and smiled, for he recognized the look on my face.


    ¡°How are you proceeding Percival?¡± he asked after class had let out. I had a little bit of a break before my next one and didn''t see any reason to move when I had plenty I could do here right now.


    ¡°Well enough Professor. If all goes to schedule I''ll be ready well before it is time to leave,¡± I assured him.


    ¡°Good, good, just so long as your work doesn''t suffer I foresee no issues. Your last essay was a bit interesting, a pure voting model with all equal. Similar systems are used for smaller villages and the like, but postulating what a society would look like if it were universal is interesting.¡±


    ¡°Doesn''t take much sir, it would fail,¡± I answered.


    ¡°Yes, yes, the inherent issue of the powerful refusing to allow themselves to be lowered to the same level as the weak. I cannot see a potent mage accepting something like that,¡± he nodded.


    ¡°Even before that sir, a pure democratic system fails. People are reactive, and far too much so. If everything can be voted on then they will strip the rights from those they dislike, and unbalance it quickly. There has to be a theoretical backbone, something difficult or impossible to destroy that protects everyone,¡± I explained, the difference between a republic and a pure democracy was important.


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    ¡°Even those you dislike, the disgusting and horrid?¡± he asked, posing an old argument.


    ¡°Especially them sir. So long as they remain within the strictures of the law they must be free to be wrong. Without that how will we ever truly know and dismantle their views?¡±


    He laughed. ¡°Percival, one day I think you''ll be a man to watch. Perhaps I disagree with some things with you but do you know how many of those your age actually think about what they believe? Ah, it is refreshing.¡±


    I held out a few papers for him. ¡°Well, then I think you''ll enjoy these. I''ve only got two more left of those you''ve assigned me.¡±


    Working on my core, and getting it done would have been amazing, but sadly there really wasn''t enough time. There was only one way to do it, with no shortcuts for me, and that way involved hour after hour of meditation. Professor Ruian of course was fully in support of me trying, but understood that it wasn''t feasible. She made up for this by giving me extra homework the local form of coding.


    There was no case for me being a computer scientist, but I''d had to work with the machines enough that I quickly made my way through it. We were still on the basics, how to do the simplest of functions and make the simplest of things. There was a lot to it after all, but that came in time, first one had to build the foundations. While I was unfamiliar with the particular language the experience with those did at the least give me a head start.


    Surely there was more left of the records of that ancient elven king who''d made the cores. Perhaps one day I''d travel to those ancestral lands and learn more about him, more about both where my family came from and someone who I was almost certain must be another inter-world traveler. The only thing tempering that is that grandfather was from there and almost never spoke of it. That was odd, as older people did tend to reminisce, but he didn''t, not at all.


    Putting those thoughts aside I continued with my work, with the exercises, the classes on combat, math, science, and the like. All the extra war-games we had to do seemed almost natural as I focused everything I had into getting ready, being where I needed to be. For I had no illusions that if the staff thought that I wasn''t, they''d deny me this chance.


    Before I knew it, the day had come. It would be a short trip, and days before I''d packed all I would need, uniforms and underclothes, all ready. Button by button I put on my outfit for the day and prepared myself, before I left the dormitory though a visitor came.


    Headmaster Logan wasn''t one to wait for anyone in a place where he was permitted to be and stepped into my room like he owned it, looking around at how I''d set things up. At least it was clean, rather than the disaster that I normally kept. A small amount of foresight that I''d be away making me pick up the clutter and the mess.


    ¡°Acceptable,¡± he declared, seeming to want to add ''barely'' onto the end, but withholding it.


    ¡°Sir,¡± I said in greeting.


    ¡°At ease, I''ve merely come to give you a final once over, and issue you your weapon for this operation.¡± At my look of confusion he held forth a sword, a proper war weapon like the training ones we used in exercises. ¡°That cane of yours may be a good sidearm but you''ll be acting as a guard, trainee or not, and you must carry a proper blade. This is your responsibility and it will be returned to me in good condition or I will have a full accounting.¡±


    I gulped as I took it, having never been actual military in my previous life, but having heard the horror stories of what happened when a man lost his weapon from friends. There were no doubts in my mind that if I returned without this sword that I might as well find another to throw myself upon.


    ¡°Understood sir.¡± Were the words that finally made it to my lips as I gripped the hilt of the sword. I knew it was enchanted, probably with the standard issue things, as I could feel the magic flowing into it ever so slightly.


    ¡°Good, now let''s go.¡±


    I picked up my bags and followed after him as he marched towards the front of the campus. It was odd, leaving this place again. For weeks I''d been here without a break, not really having time for any more trips to the city, and soon after I got back it would be time for our yearly break, but for now I was heading towards a new destination, to meet with others and show off the merits of our school. Would there be others like me there? Other youths pulled into this? Or would I be alone for now, honestly I didn''t know.

 Chapter 41 Worldsingers

    As the carriage rolled up to the docks I saw the docks, and they were empty. That was odd, the docks never shut down, not for anything, not for anyone. Suddenly I began to wonder exactly what I''d gotten into. The only people around were the guards, and while there weren''t many, they all looked like they meant business.


    I quickly dismounted with a few of the others who''d been sent in as backup. While I was the only youth in the group there were a few more locals coming in to help, they quickly made their way to the current guard and relieved them, already knowing their business.


    ¡°Come''ere lad, yer with me for this shift,¡± a tall, gangly man in armor said. He appeared to be in charge of this little expedition.


    ¡°Yes sir, I''m Percival, Percival Sh...¡± I began before being rudely cut off.


    ¡°Don''t care. What I care about is you pointing out anything odd you see, questions?¡± he asked.


    ¡°Are we expecting trouble sir?¡± I asked.


    ¡°Not as such, but can never be too careful. I''m Grawlin by the way, and I''ll be with you till your babysitters show up.¡± Grawlin had to be either a nickname or a surname, because nobody, and I knew this for a fact, would name their child such.


    ¡°Understood.¡±


    It was hours, hours of boring looking around before anything happened, and then I saw it. Slowly moving out through the fog was a ship, not a transport, or a cargo ship, but a warship. On its decks were half a dozen guns, mounted on structures that clearly turned, but not as smoothly as the old battleships from Earth, the sides covered in iron. It also had no smokestack to speak of, which meant that it was running entirely on magic, or some engine that I didn''t know about, perhaps both. That kind of military technology was often kept secret, and for good reason, as we weren''t the only country around.


    The ship was achingly slow for its size, being smaller than most of the boats used in shipping either goods or people, though who knew how fast it could go if it needed. Regardless the crew didn''t seem bothered, allowing it to slowly drift up to the dock.


    Lines were thrown, tied, and checked, and finally the gangplank descended. The first off were two people dressed in mage robes, eyes peeled as they came up to where Grawlin and I were. In the lead was a man, with dark blond hair and a smirk, behind him a girl came, slightly younger, with brown, mousey locks and large glasses.


    ¡°Ah the big city,¡± the leader said as he approached us enough to speak, taking a deep breath. ¡°Smells like shit.¡±


    It was a struggle not to laugh, but honestly he was right. Exion always had a potent stench, even if you got used to it, and if anything the docks were the worst. There really was no escaping the smell so long as one was outside, and while most people learned to ignore it you could never forget it.


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    ¡°You done playing around?¡± asked Grawlin grumpily.


    ¡°He''s never done playing around,¡± the woman responded. ¡°You must be Mr. Grawlin, and you are?¡± Her voice was strict, like a displeased matron as she looked at me.


    ¡°Percival Shadestone ma''am, my school sent me to observe.¡±


    ¡°Wonderful, another child to babysit,¡± she replied smoothly.


    I took some offense to that. This woman didn''t know me, didn''t know how I''d managed to handle myself up until now, no she just assumed. Also, I was now growing quite nicely and would soon be an adult man, if a young one.


    ¡°Don''t let Saya get to you kid; she got herself tied in a knot at the age of two and has never gotten loosened up the smallest bit. Let your big brother Walter show you around.¡± He didn''t even wait for confirmation, instead wrapping an arm around my shoulder and pulling me back to the boat. ¡°Let''s leave them to fight over who should be in charge while we oversee the actual work huh? Got to unload everything and have it ready quick as possible. Oh, by the way, can you sing?¡±


    Walter, for that seemed to be his name, rambled quickly the whole way back to the boat, just enough to drown out his partner''s angry retorts in the background. He even sang a bit when she started to yell. Of course I had questions of my own.


    ¡°So... do I get to know who you two are?¡± I asked.


    ¡°Hm? Oh sure, we''re Worldsingers kid. Here to deliver some goods to some of the local cities. Can''t tell you what those are, but suffice to say that we need not to screw it up.¡± He led me across the deck, soldiers ignoring my presence since I was with him.


    ¡°And you''re not going to question that I am who I say I am at all?¡± I asked, it seemed that he was being awfully trusting for someone on a secret mission.


    ¡°Hmm? How many kids your age with your aura and a few drops of elven blood are there around here you think?¡± I froze, not many people could tell the latter part about me, though any spellcaster could see my aura. ¡°Saya''s good at her job, but don''t forget I am either,¡± he said, his voice going flat for a second. ¡°See, I actually read all the files, all the write-ups, all the descriptions, and I remember them. Did you think that little song back there was for nothing? No, that''s what I needed for a full exam on you.¡±


    ¡°That''s...¡± I hadn''t even noticed the magic, not even felt it.


    He slapped me on the back, laughing. ¡°Don''t worry Percival, just follow my instructions and we''ll get along just fine.¡±


    We watched as the crew unloaded two large crates, themselves covered in runes and obviously magical items into a pair of waiting carriages. He went on and on about the city, the smell, the long trip. I was a bit more interested in the cranes, which looked to be entirely mechanical and of a design I''d not seen before. They had a weird looking ratcheting device on them, the internals hidden behind a steel plate I wanted to pry off.


    It was as they were lowering it that something caught my eye, a tiny red glow from one of the pipes leading into the harbor, just a flash, a moment, there and gone again.


    ¡°See something kid?¡± Walter asked, noticing my focus change.


    ¡°Thought I saw a red light in the tunnel over there,¡± I replied pointing.


    ¡°Thought you saw, or did see?¡±


    ¡°Did see,¡± I said uncertain.


    With a nod several guards, themselves physical magic users like me surged towards the tunnel, blades in hand and rifles on their backs. These guys weren''t playing, and charged in with abandon.


    ¡°What are you doing?¡± Saya said, marching up to us, the work had stopped, all the men instead arming and looking about.


    ¡°Something in the outlet over there,¡± I nodded forward, hand on my own blade.


    ¡°Something? What something?¡±


    ¡°Not sure, but we''ve had some issues with the sewers lately, stuff going on that shouldn''t,¡± I replied, having been there for one of those incidents personally. The two newcomers didn''t seem to have gotten that memo though, and looked at me strangely.


    ¡°Kid''s right, some band of criminals, was in the papers a bit ago,¡± Grawlin muttered, having wandered over with Saya.


    Before I could tell them that they were monsters not men the guards returned.


    ¡°Nothing sir,¡± the leader said with almost a shrug.


    ¡°Any sign?¡± Walter asked.


    ¡°In a sewer? Can''t smell a thing, and the water keeps any prints from even forming.¡±


    ¡°On alert then,¡± Saya said, looking at him. ¡°I''ll handle the unloading while you keep watch.¡±


    ¡°I''ll let my men know too,¡± Grawlin grumped before moving off.


    Once he was back a bit I looked towards Walter. ¡°Monsters in the sewers not men, city''s keen to hide it though,¡± I whispered.


    ¡°Thanks for the heads up, but monsters, men, doesn''t matter, these goods are getting where they''re going.¡±

 Chapter 42 Carriage Robbery

    The carriage rocked and swayed with the time. I of course wasn''t allowed in the back with the goods, but I''d at least managed to rate a seat inside rather than outside. Maybe because the two in charge liked me, maybe because I was young, maybe just because they expected something and didn''t want me in the way.


    ¡°Should I prepare for an imminent attack?¡± I asked, hoping to get some information.


    ¡°Be ready, but we''re not expecting one,¡± answered Walter. ¡°Nobody should be after a standard delivery of magic items.¡±


    I looked back at the large crates, maybe I''d never seen what a standard one was, but that didn''t look anything like standard.


    ¡°Standard?¡± I asked incredulously.


    ¡°You''re too perceptive for your own good kid.¡±


    There was silence for a time, just the noise of wheels on the stone cobbles and the slight shake of the vehicle as we passed through streets. Outside people moved about, our guard before and behind kept people at bay, but no more than someone carrying a bank''s money would.


    ¡°Don''t suppose you''ll tell me where we''re going?¡± I asked, I''d pointedly not been told.


    ¡°Suppose I can. The first stop will be the Ducal residence, then we''re heading northwards. The location doesn''t have an address, and isn''t really near any cities, but it''s between two little hamlets called Riverside, and Old Hill.¡±


    Much like in my previous world a lot of people named towns after local formations. However in this one, and this island in particular since it was so newly settled, the language hadn''t drifted far enough to make those names no longer common words.


    ¡°And what are we doing there?¡± I inquired.


    ¡°You''re doing nothing but guarding and keeping an eye on things. Well, not even that, you''re just watching,¡± he answered. ¡°We will be doing some work that you don''t need to know about. I''d suggest getting used to that too, because if you ever become a soldier you''ll get a lot of missions that you''ll only be told what you need to know about.¡±


    ¡°Fair enough.¡±


    His partner was outside with the rest of the guards, doing... whatever it was she did. Many of the mages had their own spells and abilities and while there was some attempt at standardization most people supposedly found them difficult to reproduce time and time again. This meant that each mage had their own repertoire, and while some might be similar many of them, like the nice lady with us, did things their own way.


    Minutes rolled by, the city bustling outside, and I took up a spot by one of the windows, looking out. This went on for minute after minute, dilapidated buildings slowly passing us by. I could have fallen asleep had I not been a ''guard'' but as my mind wandered something occurred to me.


    ¡°Hey Walter, we''re going to the ducal residence right?¡± I asked.


    You could be reading stolen content. Head to Royal Road for the genuine story.


    ¡°Yeah.¡±


    ¡°Why is our route taking us halfway across the city?¡±


    His eyes popped and he began to sing without answering, crap, that was an answer itself. I tried to get into a fighting position as half a dozen spells flared to life around us and he smashed some button on the seat before him. As far as I could tell that didn''t do what it was supposed to though, because of what his song became.


    ¡°Oh bugger all, oh bugger all!¡± he loudly proclaimed, melodic in the local tongue.


    The carriage, which had until this point been moving at a rather sedate pace lurched and sprung forwards. Whoever was driving was pushing the horses hard and I had to alter position to grab the singing/screaming mage and keep him from being thrown about too roughly.


    As we did though I could hear things going on outside of our little enclosure, shouting and multiple explosions. Those were met with a stream of gunshots, the screams of horses and humans. On and on as we were tossed through the echoing panic seeped through the carriage walls and whatever spells Walter was trying to throw up.


    I was still trying to assess threats, almost blind as I was and stuck in a box when there was a series of thumps and the carriage began to quickly slow itself.


    ¡°The horses were loosed and brakes put on, get ready kid!¡±


    No argument there I did exactly as he said, my sword slipping from the sheath with a hiss. Seconds ticked by and I had no idea what was going on. There were people all around us, I could hear them, in front, behind, but the windows were facing nothing but what looked like an alleyway. There was a lot of movement at the back, near the cargo doors, so I tensed ready for when they opened.


    They didn''t open, they flew away. Some enterprising person had hooked a chain up to them and ripped them off, that shouldn''t have worked. I wasn''t an expert on carts like this, but I did know they were supposed to be hard nuts to crack.


    Then it all clicked, the weak doors, the failed emergency button, the fact that we were where they wanted us. We''d been betrayed, by someone with quite a lot of access. This was only confirmed when I saw half a dozen men in the open space in a form of rudimentary gas masks.


    Drugs had long been a way to disable enemy mages. For as long as anyone could remember, just about the only way to bring down a mage without killing them, and often one of the more convenient ways anyway, was some form of toxin. I had to assume that was what was in the canisters the masked men were now tossing about contained.


    Sealing my nose and mouth I charged. Could I have cut through some, or maybe even most of the canisters? Sure, but it would have been a waste, instead I went after what looked like the leader of the group.


    ¡°Damn!¡± I heard the familiar voice of the man I''d met earlier say. What was his name? Grimclaw? Grimaw? Something like that, didn''t really matter at this point.


    A blast of noise came from behind me, slamming into some of the others as I flew like a rocket, blade leading. The traitor tried, and failed, to move some weapon before himself, but he was too predictable, half a year ago that might have stopped me, but with a tiny adjustment to the angle I delivered a crippling blow to his chest, cutting right through his leather armor like butter.


    Turning I saw one of the men raise and fire a shotgun-looking implement at Walter, though I didn''t see the result he simply had to go. Sadly as I leapt for him one of the others, close enough and fast enough kicked me hard into the door edge of the carriage.


    The door hinges may have been weakened, but the structure was most certainly not, and I hit it hard. That along wasn''t enough to stop me, but it did make me gasp instinctually, filling my lungs with whatever poison they''d concocted.


    Kicker stepped up to the plate again, sadly for him even the best and strongest of drugs took time, enough time for me to slice up and into the meat of his calf and send him screaming backwards. Some people had to learn to play nice the hard way.


    I tried to rise, but there was a ''BOOM!'' and I felt myself pushed back, back and falling again. As I lay there one came above me with another weapon, before his fellow pushed him.


    ¡°Forget the kit, get the portals you idiot!¡± he said, keeping his compatriot from fishing me off.


    Pain flared in my stomach, and the world began to spin. I tried to get up, tried to raise my sword, but my muscles just wouldn''t respond. As they pulled the box from the carriage I could do nothing, nothing but watch helplessly from the pavement.


    Time seemed to go a bit wonky, and I knew not if I lay there for seconds, minutes, or hours before something descended from above. Immediately I recognized her, panic across her face, a very cute face. Her hair was everywhere, dress stained with red. How odd, I wondered if she''d gotten paint on it somehow.


    ¡°Walter!¡± she creamed, looking about before seeing him in the carriage then looking to me. ¡°Kid, it''s gonna be alright, I''m going to get a healer.¡±


    ¡°You''re cute,¡± I responded drunkenly, the only sentence that my brain was forming at the moment.


    She rose to do something, who knew what, and my head lolled to the side. There was another girl there, in a drain opening of all places. She was also cute, if kind of green looking, and wearing the silliest big red goggles with lenses all over them. They looked like part of a steam-punk outfit, like something from a movie. I wanted to ask her if she was a cosplayer or going to a convention, and tried to wave, but my noodle arms wouldn''t move. Sadly it was rude to talk to girls you weren''t introduced to, my mother had told me that a lot, so I just smiled for a moment before falling to sleep.

 Chapter 43 Hospital Visitors

    I awoke in pain, radiating outwards from my gut. The room was unfamiliar, the bed, the walls, and all around me there were curtains and people talking. As the fog cleared it was clear that I was in some kind of hospital ward, though I didn''t know quite where. With a groan I tried to rise and look around more, though found it rather difficult.


    Quickly a matronly woman poked her head through the curtain, looking down at me.


    ¡°Lay back down this instant young man,¡± she demanded.


    ¡°I''m alive and have clearly been seen by a healer, I''m sure I''ll survive, more importantly where are my companions?¡± My comment drew a guffaw and made her come in herself.


    From this woman''s attire it was clear she was associated with a temple, probably The Shield, but not a main priest. Rather she appeared to be a helper of some kind, in this case a nurse for the hospital. The temples ran all the hospitals, primarily because they monopolized the priests to an insane extend, there were laws about it and everything.


    ¡°Statements like that are why foolish young blowhards end up spending far longer in recovery.¡±


    ¡°You didn''t answer my question.¡±


    Her face softened, if only for a second. ¡°The man who was brought in with you was alive, barely. They''re still working on him but it''s nasty.¡±


    Healers could work powerful magic, save people on the brink of death, but there were limits. The body could only take so much at once, and even if it was stable, that didn''t mean that they were okay. My gut wound was a good example, it must have been quite bad if I''d been shot by a scatter gun that close. I would be fine in the end, but it was probable that I would need several sessions or weeks of recovery.


    ¡°Alright, I''ll rest for a bit then,¡± having at least that information I laid back down, satisfied.


    I was there for hours it seemed, the nurse bringing me some food at one point, quite a lot of it actually. When she saw how I was looking at the relative feast I was informed that I needed to get more into me so they could keep healing, and that it should be fine. Not long after that a harried looking priest appeared and worked on me for a few minutes before excusing himself once more.


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    Not long after that a familiar face parted the curtains to my little cubby and stepped in. The lanky frame of the investigator slipped through, looking too tall and too long from this angle, almost painfully so.


    ¡°Young man, we really must stop meeting like this. Sorry for the delay but with how wild things have been the fact that you were here didn''t make it to my desk quite as soon as I''d have liked.¡± Ignus gave a toothy smile.


    ¡°And once again I''m not the one at fault,¡± I informed him.


    ¡°Oh I know, most people involved in crimes won''t shoot themselves, and certainly not a gut wound. You may have done better than the other poor fellow but had you not been brought in quickly I assure you you''d be dead.¡±


    ¡°Did you get them? I know the one guard was involved, heard his voice through the mask.¡±


    ¡°Did you now? Good to have that confirmation, did you know his name by any chance?¡±


    ¡°Gramin or something? He wasn''t particularly talkative.¡±


    ¡°Grawlin, yes, he and several others from his unit disappeared,¡± the investigator nodded. ¡°I''ll make note of your testimony. Now if you don''t mind, I''d like the full story please.¡±


    I gave him just that, though there wasn''t too much to tell. We were hit hard and fast, with nowhere near the amount of response that I''d have liked. For his part Ignus was happy to sit and listen, making notes and asking for a few clarifying questions here and there. I even told him I saw a girl in the sewer, though it may have been a delusion, since I was sort of out of it by that point.


    ¡°Now young man, I know it may be a bit of an imposition, but I''ll ask that you stay put until you''re released. Just in case I have any more questions.¡± The way he said it told me that there might also be some suspicion there too, after all I was involved in multiple incidents.


    Before he could get up I heard the door to the hall open and the sound of thick heels clacking angrily against the floor.


    ¡°Ma''am, my people need to do their jobs. I know that this is a serious matter but you can''t just do whatever you want,¡± a deep baritone voice said, making Ignus turn sharply.


    ¡°Oh your Grace, I think you''ll find I can in fact do whatever I want,¡± the reply was feminine, but... old, very old. That said whoever she was her tone didn''t imply any concern. ¡°Tell me, do you know how many of those particular devices have been wholly lost to enemies before?¡±


    ¡°I... um...¡± the man struggled.


    ¡°None, none since the founding of this kingdom, and do you know why? Because of what I do to the people who steal them. Now, two of my people are hurt, several of yours have abandoned their posts, and I am taking this matter into my personal hands. If you do not like it, feel free to complain to His Majesty.¡±


    The man, ostensibly the Duke himself, had no response to that. Ignus looked toward the curtain, a visible sweat forming on his brow. I must have looked no less alarmed, because there were precious few that could afford to speak to such a high person poorly, and fewer still that could talk to them like they were a naughty child.


    Heels clacking against the floor they passed us and Ignus looked back once more.


    ¡°Please excuse me Percival. There''s something I need to go look into.¡± He didn''t even wait for my response before making himself scarce.


    There were words down the hall, people talking sometimes, though I couldn''t make it out. Soon enough though I had a new visitor, one I''d only seen a picture of before. Old Auntie Penumbra, the Worldsinger, the Kingkiller, split the curtains to my room, looking down at me as if to judge me. Her eyes narrowed for a few moments, like she was seeing something rather unexpected.


    When she finally spoke, it was in my first native tongue. ¡°Hey, we should have a chat.¡±

 Chapter 44 Auntie Penumbra

    ¡°Well, how are you today?¡± asked the reigning archmage of the kingdom after setting up a few barriers.


    ¡°I... you speak English?¡± I asked.


    ¡°Oh that''s right, you''re a physical. It would be obvious is you could see my aura, all of us have rather similar auras, bubbles as it were. As soon as I saw you I knew, it''s just too obvious.¡±


    I''d been told that my aura looked like metallic bubbles before, and that it was a bit odd, but nothing too surprising as almost everyone''s was different. However she was right, I couldn''t see them.


    ¡°So you''re also from Earth? Wait, you''d have to be from like, I don''t know... seventeen hundred or something? You''re supposed to be three hundred years old or so.¡±


    I was promptly bopped on the nose. ¡°It''s impolite to ask a lady''s age, but something like that. Ah, I guess I can tell you that time doesn''t exactly work the same for the transfer. I don''t really understand all of it, but we were scattered all throughout time and sent to this world. There are a few others too, but those aren''t exactly my secrets to tell.¡±


    ¡°The ancient elven king who died however long ago,¡± I pointed out.


    ¡°Perceptive, but others too.¡±


    ¡°You obviously, because you created the portal network.¡±


    ¡°Technically speaking I didn''t come up with it, just figured out how to make them. All that''s ancient history though, what happened to the missing one?¡±


    ¡°Stolen,¡± I told her. ¡°But you already knew that.¡±


    ¡°I did, but it doesn''t hurt to confirm,¡± she admitted. ¡°Did you have anything to do with it?¡±


    ¡°No of course not, what would I do with a portal?¡±


    ¡°Lots of things, some of them rather dangerous. There''s a reason we don''t keep too many of them around and that''s because they''re disasters if used incorrectly. If you were older and properly educated I could run you through even the basics of the security protocols, but if you''ve even started making a core I doubt you''re far.¡±


    ¡°I... I started at least.¡± It was clear she was looking down on me.


    ¡°No worries then, you''ll get there eventually. Please tell me everything, leave nothing out.¡±


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    I''d already had to run through this story a few times, so once more wasn''t a big deal. She asked about details, all of them, and didn''t even blink when I told her that I thought I saw a goblin in the sewers, just tapped her chin thoughtfully.


    ¡°Wonder how those got off that island. They didn''t seem particularly smart.¡±


    ¡°Um... someone brought them to the city and they escaped, and as for smart some of them can at least speak. One of them spoke English.¡± Following her lead we were speaking in English, a good protection from those who weren''t reincarnators.


    That got a sharp look, a very sharp one.


    ¡°You''re sure?¡± she asked.


    ¡°Very,¡± I nodded.


    ¡°That is concerning, and something I''ll be bringing to the attention of a friend of mine when I get the chance. We certainly don''t want them spreading if they''re anything like the old stories. Who knows if that''s true though.¡±


    ¡°I mean yeah, elves live for like, way longer,¡± I pointed out.


    ¡°The pure-blooded ones never age, fact of the matter is that most of those around are kind of mixed now. They have reproductive problems, so ended up mixing with us a lot.¡±


    That was unexpected, I mean, I''d heard stories but I''d thought they were just that. Nobody could really live practically forever could they? Then again I was talking to a centuries old woman. Of course Archmage Penumbra was at least old, very old.


    ¡°That''s... how do you know?¡±


    ¡°I''ve met a few over the years. Not many mind, but a handful. They tend to keep quiet and run things in the background, actually a lot of the really old beings in this world, self included, are fairly private. Maybe at one point we weren''t, but at least so long as I''ve been around we''ve let others take the limelight.¡±


    ¡°Don''t suppose you''ll share the secret of immortality with me?¡± I asked hopefully.


    ¡°I''m not immortal, ageless or otherwise, so I''m afraid not. I did put a lot of effort into anti-aging magic, and am almost stable, but even I''m slowly dying. Priests can keep themselves from getting that way, but only if they have no doubts about it being the right thing to do, and bards can slow the process dramatically if we put tons of effort into it. Sadly I don''t know of anything for physical magic users, if I did many others would still be alive.¡± There was some pain in those last words, the pain of loss, of loved ones gone.


    ¡°I''m sorry for prying,¡± I said, regretful that I''d torn at old wounds.


    ¡°You are by no means the first person to have asked that question Percival, and I have grown used to answering it. Some take my answer very poorly too.¡± For some reason I didn''t doubt that in the least, an immortal telling you you couldn''t be one too was not something anyone really liked to hear.


    ¡°So what now,¡± I asked.


    ¡°What now is I go after those fools who stole that gate, the danger is greater than they can imagine if they play with it too much and I''m not willing to let them try. The first time I played with them I nearly found something far worse than any beast that has walked this world. Keep that in mind should you even end up in possession of one. For there are things far worse than men or monsters out there.¡± She rose, and I quickly followed, hopping out of my hospital bed.


    ¡°Well, obviously I''m coming with you,¡± I said as she looked at me with an odd expression, seemingly unbothered by the fact that I was half-dressed and putting on my damaged clothes and weapon as fast as I could from where they''d been lain by the bedside.


    ¡°You''re a child,¡± she muttered.


    ¡°Lady, I''m like forty, well if you count both lives, and I do. I''ve also fought my fair share of monsters, and trained with a blade. I''m coming along, because you need some backup.¡± I was having some difficulty putting the sword on my belt, with all the ruin that everything was.


    ¡°Fine, fine, one second.¡± She hummed a tune and my destroyed outfit put itself back together like it was being destroyed in reverse, then she chuckled. ¡°If my mother had seen that she''d have loved it.¡±


    There was another undercurrent of pain, of loss. Perhaps it was because we were speaking English, or because I was from the same homeworld, but I got the feeling that this was something that a lot of people didn''t see. The reports of this woman''s behavior were few, but all pointed to the idea that she was a towering danger to those who angered her, not the almost sad old woman I saw before me now.


    I wondered how many people she''d lost. Not that I would ask, but it had to be almost countless, friends, lovers, perhaps even children. That would be such a weight, a weight I wasn''t sure I''d want to bear. Were people even meant for that? I didn''t know, but I did know that the fact that I''d been reborn gave me some hope in the existence of the soul, knowledge that death didn''t have to be the end, and that was rather reassuring.


    Steeling myself I locked eyes with the old bard. ¡°Alright, let''s go teach some thieves a lesson.¡±


    ¡°That I can agree with.¡±

 Chapter 45 In-Flight Discussion

    The hospital really did not want to let me go, but they had fairly limited choices on the matter. Fairly limited in this particularly case meant none at all, and while I was sure to hear about it later my escort just pushed us past.


    ¡°So... where to now?¡± I asked. ¡°We could go look for clues or try to track down their movements...¡±


    ¡°Hm? Oh no I know where they are,¡± the grandmotherly figure answered. ¡°I came to see you to see what we would be getting into, not to find them. I did that basically instantly.¡±


    I gave her a long hard look... ¡°So, why all the interviewing?¡±


    ¡°They''re not trying to escape right now and I wanted to know who, how, and what I was dealing with. I can track the things for a good long ways, so there''s no real need for me to rush.¡±


    ¡°You LoJacked them?¡± I asked.


    She looked at me long and hard, squinting as if she were searching through her memories. ¡°Pfft, how old were you?¡±


    ¡°That''s a rich question coming from you, great-great-great-grandma,¡± I retorted, not liking how she''d questioned my age. I hadn''t been that old.


    ¡°Sonny boy I''ve got descendants with at least five greats in there I''ll have you know, you should respect your elders.¡±


    Some of the people in the halls we were going down were looking at us weird as we were clearly not speaking in the local dialect, add to that that I was also engaged with banter with one of the most powerful people in the kingdom and, well, we got attention. Most of them were moving quickly out of the way, but a few moved to lean in, to hear what we were saying. Neither of us cared much, since nobody here should speak English. Then again I might end up surprised.


    ¡°Figures, so, we''re going to retrieve the gate then?¡± I asked.


    ¡°That or destroy it, I''m honestly fine with either.¡±


    ¡°I know for a fact that magic items take a lot of effort to make,¡± I pointed out.


    ¡°True, but the duke here has shown that he can''t handle another one of these and if I get it back I have to figure out how to deal with it. That''s going to be a headache, not much of one, but so long as our enemies dong get the gate in the end I''m satisfied.¡± She was just so, unconcerned, like it didn''t matter, like the items didn''t matter.


    ¡°Alright, where to?¡± I asked as we left the front door.


    ¡°Spells first there Percival, just sit back. Have you flown before?¡± She started to sing before I could answer and I felt magic flow over me.


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    First I began to fade from view, my body getting almost instantly opaque, then completely invisible. Even with my enhanced sight I couldn''t see any part of my hand in front of my face. I didn''t know too much about magic, but this seemed advanced. The shield around our school was supposed to be invisible, but we could see it, not this though.


    While I was still processing that I felt myself get lighter and lighter, as if gravity was losing its hold on me. I tried to be careful, one jump could have sent me soaring, yet soon enough I began to float, hovering there in there air. Moments later we began to soar off, not like a plane, but easily as fast as any bird.


    ¡°This is so cool,¡± I whispered, loving the feeling even if I had no control at all.


    ¡°You can speak normally, nobody should hear us,¡± the archmage responded as we began our way across the city.


    ¡°This is amazing, shame I can''t learn it,¡± I said.


    ¡°Didn''t know that I ever would. My daughter taught me after she learned. Before that I never really cared about flying. Don''t feel down though, you can probably still make a balloon or something.¡±


    ¡°I''ve been working on planes with my grandfather,¡± I informed her.


    ¡°Really? They''re interesting, but with the portals I never felt the need. Also don''t know the in''s and out''s of how exactly they work. Something to do with the wings right?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, the shape. For the best results they have to be really specific, but even those that aren''t perfectly optimized still work, just not nearly as well. We won''t be building passenger jets anytime soon, but I think we''ll have something akin to an old prop plane by the the time I''m old.¡±


    She laughed at me. ¡°Don''t underestimate people. Once they have the basics of something they''ll advance far, far faster than you''d expect. Science here is also a lot better than it was on Earth at a similar time period. Heck, trains developed in decades, not centuries. Though I may have encouraged that one a little bit. Blame me if you like, but I like leading people towards some of the more modern conveniences.¡±


    ¡°Did you have something to do with the maid outfits too?¡± I inquired, it seemed odd that they were just exactly the same.


    ¡°Some of those were already here when I got here, though I do think they''re quite cute, don''t you?¡±


    ¡°How many of us have there been?¡± I asked.


    ¡°No idea, but certainly a few. It seems the time between arrivals is shortening too, though I don''t know why. Perhaps I''m good, but the magic involved goes completely over my head. In other news, we''re here.¡±


    We landed on a small rooftop in the lower-end residential part of the city. Personally I''d expected them to try and get a boat or something to get their ill-gotten gains out of Exion, but it seemed not. Instead they looked to be hiding, waiting, that was odd.


    ¡°That one... oh, sorry, forgot you can''t see me pointing. The larger one below us, the one that looks like it used to be an inn or something. The one with the red sign out front. They''re in there.¡±


    ¡°So what''s the plan? Call for backup and level the place? We''re always being told how we should use overwhelming power for missions at the school.¡±


    ¡°We have overwhelming power, I''m here,¡± she chided.


    ¡°If something goes wrong...¡±


    There was a long silence, then a sigh.


    ¡°In the past I''d have agreed with you, I''d have brought more people. Now though, I can''t stand the idea of any of them getting hurt, and my life isn''t nearly worth what it used to be.¡± Now it was my turn to be quiet and wait. ¡°They can find the location in case we fail, we won''t, but just in case.¡±


    ¡°What do you mean, your life isn''t worth what it used to be?¡± I asked.


    ¡°I told you I wasn''t immortal Percival.¡±


    ¡°You''re dying, how long?¡±


    ¡°Depends on a number of things, but maybe a decade, two at most. My organs are shutting down, and even with my expertise in anti-aging magic I can''t quite get them to stop that. Even the priests I''ve consulted have told me there''s not much they can do. All the spells holding them together are fraying at the edges, and nobody believes that I have to live forever, so the priests can''t fix it.¡±


    ¡°So you''re just throwing your life to the wind?¡± I asked aghast.


    ¡°No, I''m doing all I can to keep my students safe. My affairs are mostly in order, and if I''m being honest I don''t really want to have to suffer as my body shuts down bit by bit. If I die, I die, though there''s one or two things I''d like to do before that.¡±


    ¡°Well I don''t want to take the risk, so...¡±


    ¡°Percival, you''re not going in. I just brought you along to keep you from pitching a fit, and to get your measure. I always need more people to act as advisors to my however-many greats nephew, and once I''m done training you I think you''ll fit the bill.¡±


    ¡°I am absolutely going in, you can''t do this on your own,¡± I hissed.


    ¡°First lesson, when someone you''re not very sure of casts spells on you, resist them.¡± In the second it took me to process her words my body froze, leaving me unable to move once more. ¡°Now stay here, I''ll be right back.¡±

 Chapter 46 Goblin Girl Greta

    I was frozen, on a roof, completely unable to move, and rather more than a little pissed about it. This kind of thing irked, it didn''t hurt physically, but honestly, I couldn''t believe she''d do something like that; it was just... rude.


    It was unclear just how many minutes passed as I was there, stuck and seething, but eventually there was a sound nearby, feet stepping towards me. They sounded small, as if belonging to a child, and as I listened, still a statue they came very near.


    ¡°What''s this, what''s this?¡± a high, feminine voice chirped curiously. ¡°However did you get here? And frozen? Ah, I see the spell, that''s very interesting.¡±


    As she spoke the figure moved before me, a tiny goblin girl, the one with the large goggles. The lenses were flipping back and forth like the eye tester from a optometrist as she leaned in.


    I tried to yell, tried to call out, to strike her, anything, but the archmage''s spell held me fast, only letting a breathy noise escape my mouth.


    ¡°Oh, where are my manners? I''m Greta, you already met my brother Sigmund yes? He''s a bit dull, though, so I can''t imagine he was a good conversationalist, nor does he really bother with manners at all.¡± The more I listened the more she sounded like a curious young woman, out to learn all she could.


    No matter what I did I couldn''t move much other than my eyes, but those still darted around, looking for some escape, something I could do.


    ¡°And why am I here? I can see you want to know. You see, Father really wants to see you, to meet you. Oh, don''t worry, I''m sure he''ll be nice, he seemed so excited. When Sigmund failed so poorly he sent me out, and you know you''re very hard to find. Even searching for similar mana signatures to Father''s I couldn''t locate you for weeks and week, and as soon as I did they ran off and hurt you. Just in case something else happens have this, it was the backup plan for getting in contact anyway.¡±


    She placed what looked like a letter in my jacket''s inner pocket, patting it gently as she continued to ramble.


    ¡°Well, I was going to get that item, since it looked like you might be dead and I wanted to salvage something from this fiasco. Can you even imagine how thrilling it was to see you show up so close!? Ah, well anyway, since you''re here now let''s go, Father is waiting!¡± I sensed the magic wrap around me as she picked me up with it and began to turn me, moving me back towards the edge of the roof.


    I was panicking, internally swearing up a storm and promising myself that as soon as that old bag rescued me, assuming she could, I was going to give her a piece of my mind.


    Then the world shook as the old inn exploded.


    Several things happened at once, I flew away, tumbling across the roof as the goblin''s magic failed. The spell holding me in place failed too, not the best sign, and finally the little mage who''d been trying to kidnap me was surrounded by a blue sphere, obscuring her from view as some automatic, or near automatic defense activated.


    Being sent airborne was one of the great fears of any physical magic user and so we trained for it. With a kick of my legs I spun in the air, righting myself and tumbling down to the roof, fingers and feet skidding across the shingles and catching whatever I could to slow my momentum. As I came to a stop I drew my blade, ready for anything.


    ¡°Well that was unexpected,¡± Greta said as her little bubble faded.


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    ¡°Expect this,¡± I answered, charging her.


    She eeped as my sword sliced into her defensive shield, the sphere reappearing briefly as I cut downwards and partially through it. With a quick move my opponent threw forth her hands, pushing us both back again and gaining some space.


    ¡°Can''t you just come nicely? I really didn''t want to fight you,¡± she complained.


    I didn''t bother responding to my would-be kidnapper, instead, surging forwards. She released several bolts of energy at me, each of which I cut into with my blade. The enchantments on these may not have been anything special, but they were at least enough to dissipate minor spells and attacks.


    Over the next thirty seconds the two of us circled around the flaming crater that had been a building moments before, her trying to gain space, me trying to close it. There were shouts and screams, other people coming and doing things, and down below I saw several figures in darkened armor appear out of the corner of my eye.


    It seemed Greta wasn''t the only one with defenses, and the archmage strode towards the newcomers, seeming displeased. The goblin froze, turning towards them in alarm.


    ¡°Another!? And that much aura! Crap, I need to go!¡± she shouted, apparently having seen something that alarmed her.


    If she was going to turn away from her opponent I was going to punish her for it, after all those lessons with the leader of our school I certainly knew better. I was atop her before she could move, my stab piercing deeply into her protective magic and scoring a slice across her cheek, even if a small one.


    ¡°You''re not going anywhere,¡± I growled.


    ¡°Good grief you''re angry, it''s not like I was trying to hurt you or anything!¡± she shouted, bouncing back again, this time I followed in close pursuit, not letting her get an inch away.


    ¡°Don''t worry, I''m taking you alive.¡± Another strike from me, and a small line cut across the sleeve of her shirt, a work-attire that now had a ooze of blood on it. I was battering down her defenses bit by bit.


    There was a *brzzt* sound behind me and a bright flash as blue-white light rose, a curl of lighting ripping upwards around the angry archmage, going above the buildings and leaving an afterimage in my sight. It was followed seconds later by a deafening roar of thunder that shook the surrounding city. I didn''t have time to look though, not a moment to spare before continuing my fight.


    ¡°Sorry, but no, read the letter alright?¡± Greta said, and I noticed her goggles had shifted to black lenses just a second too late. With a wave of her hands there was another brilliant flash, this one right in my face.


    I cursed, swinging where she was but finding nothing. I couldn''t see properly, so I moved to my other senses. Sound? I could hear lots of things, shouts and screams, and another nearby peal of thunder, but not my opponent. Smell? The only thing I could smell was ozone. That was bad, and I began blinking, trying to clear my sight that was returning painfully slowly.


    When my vision finally returned enough that I could make out my surroundings I noticed that Greta the goblin girl had indeed decided that Shakespeare was right when he noted that discretion was the better part of valor, and fled. That was annoying, and judging by the fact that I couldn''t hear much going on below I might be needed there.


    Jumping down I found a true battlefield. It seems old lady Penumbra had been rather displeased with someone trying to blow her up and had elected to bring out the big guns against them. Several of the would-be assassins were dead on the ground, glowing lines around them where the electricity had melted the cobbles of the stone showing just what had been their ends. The last was trying to flee, crawling away from her as she casually walked forward.


    ¡°Are you nearly done?¡± she asked. ¡°You''re not the first to try and blow me up you know.¡±


    He yelled something in a language I couldn''t understand, but as I got closer I realized who it was. Grawlin was here, looking much the worse for wear.


    ¡°Atali? Goodness, why are you using that? Eh, we can find out later,¡± the old woman said, continuing her stroll.


    The man wouldn''t have it though, and I saw him pull something from his belt. He brought it to his throat and only a second later there was another explosion, though this one was nowhere near as large.


    ¡°He killed himself,¡± I said as I rushed over, the man''s head was a ruin. She didn''t stop him? Certainly someone like her could have.


    ¡°Yes, they do that sometimes. We need to head to the Duke''s palace, let the investigators take it from here.¡±


    Soon enough people began arriving, police and emergency services. I tried to talk to Alana a few times during the wait but she held up a hand, silencing me. As I looked at her I saw things that worried me, her skin was paler, sweat forming on her brow no matter how much she tried to hide it. She also wasn''t casting anything, instead waiting for others and once they''d arrived commandeering a carriage for us to travel in.


    As soon as we were inside and the door close I saw the strongest mage in the kingdom slump, breathing hard.


    ¡°Are you?¡± I began to ask.


    ¡°Tired, haven''t had to fight like that in awhile. Just need to rest a bit, that''s why we''re going to the palace. We''ll stay there tonight, and you can tell me all about it in the morning.¡±


    Shortly we arrived, and headed through the front door, where we were met by the duke himself and a pair of servants.


    ¡°Archmage Alana, we need a report on what happened. There''s panic in the city,¡± the duke said, trying to sound firm as he approached.


    ¡°Yes, yes, first just let me...¡±


    She never finished, body going slack instead. Though it sent a shock through us as she began to fall forwards both myself and the duke rushed to catch the ancient magus, keeping her from slamming into the stone floors of the estate. As I held her there she didn''t feel like some hero, some epic leader, or some unbeatable archmage, she felt... so very frail.

 Chapter 47 End of an Era

    I was sat in a plush waiting room, perhaps I could have left if I''d asked, but the pacing city lord before me seemed busy. The duke had instantly called for a priest when Archmage Penumbra had collapsed, and said healer was currently in another room, working on her. She herself had managed to do something to her ring in a few moments of clarity and we were currently just... waiting.


    After a time the priest returned, his look solemn.


    ¡°How is she?¡± the high noble quickly asked.


    ¡°Dying, I''m sorry there''s nothing I can do.¡±


    ¡°What do you mean dying? She cannot die here, go and save her!¡±


    ¡°There are limits your Grace, and she''s well past them. Even if I could figure out what she''s cast on herself to keep her body working, which I can''t, there''s nothing left to heal her with. There is nothing I can do except keep her comfortable, she has perhaps until sundown if there''s anyone you want to contact.¡±


    Before the priest could be yelled at again a maid hurried in through the opposite door, she looked, panicked.


    ¡°Girl, you''d best have good reason for interrupting,¡± her employer almost growled at her.


    ¡°Sir, my apologies for the rush, I needed to warn you that we have arrivals from...¡±


    She too was interrupted by the door opening once more, this time disgorging two men who were clearly bodyguards, followed closely by a figure everyone in this country would recognize. The king himself had arrived, with several of his own people in tow.


    I made to kneel, only to be fixed with a harsh glare and a harsh word. ¡°Don''t be foolish boy.¡± Apparently now was not the time for niceties.


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    ¡°Your Majesty, I wasn''t expecting you,¡± the formerly most important person in the room said.


    ¡°My aunt called, a message that I needed to come and quickly. What exactly is going on Noct?¡±


    ¡°Archmage Penumbra has been injured, and the priest here is unable to heal her. I was just preparing for a more experienced healer to see to her.¡± The priest in question looked taken aback, as if questioning his credentials was just out of the question.


    ¡°Oh, don''t bother,¡± came a weak voice.


    While everyone was pointing figures and bursting into the room it seemed the patient had gotten herself up and made her way here. She stood in the door now, leaning on a staff. Over the next few seconds she made her way slowly into the room.


    ¡°Auntie, you should be in bed,¡± the king said, almost gently, as if telling off an elder relative. Though being that they shared the same last name that shouldn''t have been surprising.


    ¡°I quite agree,¡± the priest protested. ¡°Your organs!¡±


    ¡°Are failing, and there''s nothing to be done about it.¡± She made her way up to the king and pinched his face. ¡°Sorry my boy, but it looks like I may have overestimated how much time I had. Well, that and over-pulled on my mana a bit. Been too long since I was in a real fight.¡±


    The ruler looked stunned, like he''d been told the sky was falling. ¡°Auntie, sit, we''ll find another healer and sort this out.¡±


    ¡°Afraid not. There''s only two I know of that could fix this, and I know for a fact that neither will. Already tried speaking to them about it and all. Did you bring the gate I gave you?¡± Behind him one of the aides raised his hand, his other holding a large box. ¡°Good, good, don''t have time to play with the network.¡±


    She waved at the assistant and he began to move, assembling what must have been the king''s personal exit strategy. The box unfolded and pieces came out, slipping quickly into place to form a large ring.


    ¡°What are you doing?¡± the king asked as the archmage winced, using him to steady herself as some wave of pain overtook her. Her knuckles were white where she gripped and teeth tightened for just a second.


    ¡°I''ve got one or two things I need to do before the end child. There are a few notes that need to be sent, and one last little adventure I need to go on. Do me a favor and look after the lad would you? He''s a decent sort and I didn''t quite have the time to train him up.¡± She nodded to me, getting several eyes to look in surprise. ¡°Think he''s got some potential.¡±


    ¡°I will, but you''re not going anywhere alone. My guards and I will accompany you.¡±


    ¡°No,¡± she told him, her voice hard with finality. ¡°You cannot go where I am going.¡±


    ¡°You can''t just leave, you have a duty.¡±


    ¡°And it is done! I buried my husband, my children, my grandchildren, and more than you can count. Do not try me boy, for I don''t have the time. You''re ready, ready to stand on your own, it is time.¡±


    The portal had been put together, and though the servant hadn''t started it yet he didn''t seem to need to. With a few sung notes the old woman pointed at it, and it roared to life. She stepped past the distraught royal and towards the glowing opening in space.


    ¡°Archmage,¡± I said, standing off to the side.


    ¡°No worries child, I''ve got an old friend I''ll tell about you before I die. Interesting fellow, maybe you''ll meet some time. Good luck, and joy be with you all.¡± With those words she stepped through, the gate closing behind her, never to return again.

 Chapter 48 Back to School

    The king seemed distraught, though I wasn''t sure what to do about that. All things said he only spent a few minutes moping before he had slapped himself in the face repeatedly and risen.


    ¡°Where are my senses, this is no time for moping. There''s much to do and no time at all to do it. Nobody in this room is to speak a word of what transpired here to anyone until the news is released, that is a royal decree, am I understood?¡±


    There was quick assent, I didn''t like it, didn''t like all the secrecy, but I understood. Someone had tried to kill one of the pillars of our kingdom, and if they found out they''d succeeded there''d be problems. Perhaps they intended to hide it for a time, perhaps try and figure out who and why, but when the investigations were done I had no doubts that if the guilty party were located there''d be hell to pay.


    ¡°Boy,¡± the king said turning to me. ¡°I promised I''d see to you being trained, so we''ll see about giving you some extra.¡±


    ¡°In the name of all that is decent your Majesty please do not mention that within earshot of Headmaster Logan,¡± I half-plead/half-joked. If that maniac heard that the freaking KING thought I needed more training I''d be lucky to ever be allowed a wink of sleep.


    The guards bristled until the formerly moping monarch loosed a small chuckle. ¡°Lad I needed that, anyway Logan eh? Well he knows his business but I''ll send someone to look things over, I did make a promise after all. Can''t have you lacking in your sword skills.¡±


    He pulled the duke aside and they left me then, their business not really meant for my ears. That night I spent in the duke''s palace, since it was getting on in the day and everyone was exhausted. My host didn''t see me afterwards but some of the staff did, and I could hear them gossiping about the royal visit. None of what they had to say was true though, because everyone who''d been in earshot had gotten news of that royal decree, and nobody was fool enough to violate it where they would absolutely be found out. I didn''t live here but even I knew the walls had ears.


    As morning found us I was taken to a carriage, after all I had a school to get back to. A man joined me, one of the guards the king had brought with him when he''d come. He sat across from me in the confined space and basically just bristled.


    ¡°So, I''m Percival, a pleasure to meet you.¡±


    He didn''t speak, just glared, this went on for several minutes. I didn''t break eye contact, sure this guy could probably beat me to death if he felt like it, but one didn''t end up serving the royal family personally if they didn''t have control.


    ¡°I am Sir Kendrick, well met,¡± he didn''t sound like me meant it, rather like he wanted to strike me. ¡°Allow me to make this clear, I am here because his Majesty has ordered that your training be exemplary, and nothing else.¡±


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    ¡°The only thing I think my training is missing is access to a machine shop,¡± I said with a shrug.


    ¡°I highly doubt that, but why?¡± he was still gruff, but I''d piqued his interest.


    ¡°Because while I''m a passable swordsman I''m much better at making things than fighting, and I would really like to upgrade my arms. With access to proper tools and a bit of time...¡± I had to think, what all could I do?


    There were reams of possibilities, guns, vehicles, perhaps one day I could even build something like a power armor, though I wasn''t sure the last would be worthwhile. Transports that were better armored and armed were clearly needed, as the armored carriage we''d been in had been far too easy to crack. I also wanted firearms, several for differing purposes, and ones of high caliber. With my strength it was possible to have things closer to anti-material rounds in handguns without detriment to me, and they''d be needed to fight against magical opponents.


    ¡°Lots of things, I think I could do lots of things.¡±


    For the first time Sir Kendrick smiled, rubbing his beard, it wasn''t a pleasant thing. ¡°So that''s what she saw in you? Not your physical capabilities but your mind, I see, that tracks with the archmage...¡±


    ¡°You know her well?¡± I inquired, being careful not to imply that she wasn''t around.


    ¡°No, nobody can claim that, though she''s always favored the royals. Archmage Penumbra has a lengthy history of... shall we say eccentricism, yes, that is a good word.¡±


    The man didn''t seem to be inclined to speak further on the matter and I was happy to let him stew. If he took what I had said as valuable that might catapult my timetable on getting some real weapons. I''d need them too, if what I was seeing was correct. Those goblins weren''t likely to give up anytime soon, and I''d need something to take them on.


    That thought brought up the letter, still sealed and tucked in my jacket. Nobody had searched me, and in all the excitement I''d nearly forgotten about it. What did it say? I didn''t know yet, and I certainly wasn''t going to open it right here and now. I knew they wanted to meet, something I''d not be going to without at least... I didn''t know, a satchel full of explosives or something.


    Soon enough we pulled back into the school and I was released to go to my dorm. I even made it back to the dorm before I was tackled by half a dozen of my friends, Lucas in the lead.


    ¡°Percival, I thought you were dead,¡± he said, wrapping an arm around me and almost in tears. ¡°We heard you were hurt and managed to sneak out to see you and what do I find? Bloody bandages and neither you nor your things in the bed. Even the nurses weren''t sure where you''d gone.¡±


    ¡°He cried,¡± Simon offered, earning himself a punch from the other boy.


    ¡°Ah, things got a bit weird,¡± I answered.


    ¡°Is that so? Well next time bring more backup.¡±


    ¡°My backup was the problem,¡± I told him.


    ¡°Very well, then better backup.¡±


    ¡°Sure thing, the next time I need to ride to war I''ll let you know.¡±


    ¡°If you don''t you''d better write some notes explaining to people why you''re dead so I don''t have to,¡± Lucas said with a shake of his head.


    Eventually the guys let me go and I made my way back to my room. There were so many things to do and I really didn''t have time to do them if whatever was going on came to a head. Once there I picked out the note and opened it.


    The writer was clearly from Earth, as the whole thing was in English, and fucking cursive. Who did that? Did he not want me to be able to translate it? If I''d been even slightly less educated than I was it would have been completely illegible, and as it was it took me the better part of the evening deciphering the damn thing. The only reason I could was because of my improved memory and the fact that my elementary schoolteachers had been so determined that I learn a skill that was almost literally useless. It also didn''t help that the writer had horrid handwriting, just another reason to punch this ''Father'' in the face.


    The gist of it was that he wanted to meet me, something I already knew, and directions on how to set that up. There was no given date, rather I was supposed to put a light atop one of the buildings near a museum and meet him inside the next day. Bring nobody else, blah, blah, blah, don''t tell anyone, and a few veiled threats that if he had to keep tracking me down he''d be most displeased. Yeah, I really did need to kill this guy, whoever he was.

 Chapter 49 Arms

    I had time, maybe not infinite time, but at least some. The goblins couldn''t well go check records and with the government determined to keep things secret they were unlikely to be able to figure out exactly who I was. That wasn''t a guarantee, but it was a pretty good guess. Even if they did I was still at the school, and they''d have to have a death wish to attack here.


    Time was good, time meant that I could prepare. Some of what I needed to do would be a bit ad-libbed, but with my improved memory and previous training there were options. After all, I''d been enough of a redneck to know how to improvise at least a few things.


    First thing was first, I needed something ranged, and heavy hitting, luckily I had the skill set for just such a thing. My memories may have been good, but they weren''t perfect, I was also sadly devoid of some of the drawings I''d made over the years, tested or not those were important to the plans. I''d have to go with the simplest version of what I needed that I could make.


    It still took days before I was ready for even the first attempt at what I was doing; that was fine though, since I needed to go shopping before starting. Time flowed as I spent night after night utilizing all of my precious free time to prepare schematics and plans, then reexamine them and fix things I should have seen the first time around.


    When I was ready I went looking for one of my teachers.


    ¡°Professor Ruien, I have some questions,¡± I said as I made my way to the teacher''s office.


    ¡°Oh Percival, lovely to see you, and as you know I''m always happy to give instruction. Having trouble with your homework dear?¡± she asked.


    ¡°No ma''am, actually I was interested in the creation of magic items, specifically the outer shells.¡±


    ¡°A personal project? I know you''re rather taken with the engines and the like they use in the trains but I''m afraid you''ll need to complete your core before you can work on something like that.¡±


    ¡°I know professor, but would it be possible for me to make something non-magical using the same tools? We don''t have a machining shop here in the school and there are a few designs I''d like to try. You see I''ve spent years going over some things with my grandfather and I''d like to make progress on the personal project before seeing him again.¡± I gave her my most innocent smile even as I lied.


    ¡°No reason you couldn''t. Most people don''t with anything other than the larger engines and the like because of the mana cost to forming them, but if you''re willing to pay that then I can show you how to do it.¡± She thought for a second. ¡°You''ll also need to procure your own materials of course.¡±


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    From my bag I produced a sizable billet of steel. It was as far as I could determine the best for my purposes available on the market, and had been one of several purchases I''d managed to make the last time we''d had a weekend in town.


    ¡°I see you''re ready to start now, well, no need to wait then.¡±


    She led me down the hall a bit to one of the workrooms. I''d never had cause to be in here, but it was clean, well organized, and full of something that looked like desks. They were odd due to the clear circle indications on parts of them and a glass inset. There were also markings that looked a bit like a keyboard layout and a pad on each.


    ¡°These are...¡± they looked almost like computers if you squinted.


    ¡°Not the newest models, but still serviceable. Your project isn''t too big is it? These have a bit of a maximum size constraint. If the pieces you need don''t fit in that box there there''s nothing to be done about it.¡± She pointed to a square as she spoke on each of the items, easily large enough for what I needed.


    ¡°Should be fine ma''am,¡± I answered.


    ¡°Good, otherwise you''d be out of luck. Now, come here and I''ll show you how to use these.¡±


    As she began to work I recognized exactly what I was looking at. It was a 3d modeler, I''d played with tons of these for work or pleasure. That wasn''t to say that it was good, heavens no, it lacked a lot of basic features and functions that would have made this child''s play, but it was good enough for me to do what I would need to. Briefly I wondered if this was one of the advancements given by archmage Penumbra, and I felt briefly sad that I''d never gotten to spend the time with her to know.


    ¡°I think I''ve got the hang of it,¡± I said as I got the first piece ready.


    ¡°Look at that, it''s like you''re a natural. Are you sure you''ve never used one of these before?¡±


    ¡°Quite so ma''am.¡±


    ¡°Well, if you''re making an engine remember to leave gaps for the movement and what not, and be very careful not to stand near it during the first test. Some years back a man nearly killed himself during a demonstration at the Royal Society. I had a friend who was there and she said it was only the quick intervention of a nearby spellcaster that kept anyone from getting injured.¡±


    I didn''t stop myself from laughing. ¡°That spellcaster was my grandfather, and my was he cross.¡±


    ¡°Well, then promise you''ll not do anything foolish and I can leave you to it.¡±


    ¡°Of course professor,¡± I said with another smile.


    ¡°Right then, if you need anything else let me know.¡±


    She left me and I reflected on just how trusting the people of this world were. Well, perhaps not trusting, but not the hovering guardians of my previous life. There no child, even a teenager, would have been left alone in a room full of tools to their own devices. Of course they didn''t have all the same culture either, so for here it seemed reasonable. Probably didn''t hurt that I''d proven myself capable many times before either.


    I mused on this as I diligently made part after part. Some were simple, some where a bit more difficult to put into the tool, but all would work. I measured each with a pair of calipers just to make sure they were perfect as could be. There was a snag where I had to remake one, but putting the formed piece into the section for materials worked just fine, so it wasn''t a real loss. It did use a ton of mana though, and by the time I finished I was quite drained.


    That evening when I got back to my room I began the assembly. Parts were held while pins were tapped gently where they needed to be, fitting just right, just tight enough to hold things perfect. Grease was applied liberally to parts, kept away from others, allowing movement and seals where they needed to be. Bit by bit it all came together into a metal work of art.


    My revolver was based on old black powder guns from Earth, and so far as I knew nobody had made one like it before in this world. It shone, the steel fresh and unblemished, missing the little imperfections most roughly machined parts ended up with, almost mirrored in its look. The whole contraption was also massive, overbuilt to account for my own lack of ability and of a caliber no non-magical person could hope to wield reasonably, with a bore nearly an inch wide.

 Chapter 50 Prepare

    It was a few more weeks of work until our next weekend off, the last one before the holidays and I was white-knuckled the whole way through. I needed to be ready before the season we had off, where I would certainly be in town and found by those damn goblins again, and I needed to be ready.


    I''d considered letting the Headmaster and the powers that be know right now about the planned meeting, but there were demerits to that idea. The biggest of which was that I could kiss goodbye to any freedom I had while they came up with a plan. I knew I''d need help before things went too far, but we weren''t ready yet.


    The weekend arrived and as I left the dorm in the early morning, a large suitcase at my side, I was practically tackled. Lucas looked peeved as he grabbed me by the shirt and pulled me eye to eye with himself.


    ¡°I thought you were going to inform me when you were planning to go do something stupid again?¡± he asked, smiling but clearly angry.


    ¡°I am.¡±


    ¡°And yet here we were Percival. It''s clear you''re up to something, you''re miserable at hiding it, and it''s something you''ve been planning for days. Do you think your friends didn''t notice all your odd behavior.¡± He seemed to think for a minute. ¡°Odder than usual at least. So, what''s happening?¡±


    ¡°I''m not even going to the city, just have some things I need to test, before things go up in flames again.¡± I began to pull myself, and my companion, towards the small carriage I''d arranged to take me to a local woodland.


    ¡°Great, what are we testing?¡±


    ¡°I am testing, shouldn''t you go find the others and spar or something?¡±


    ¡°No, I tried to get them to join us, but you wouldn''t believe how they whined. Furthermore, I''m not letting you alone outside of this school. If something happens to you my sister will kill me.¡±


    ¡°What''s Rowenna got to do with this?¡± I asked.


    Lucas looked at me for a solid minute. ¡°Man you are dense.¡±


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    I filed that away for later. Lucas'' sister Rowenna was a bit younger than me and I''d accompanied her to several events, but never felt that it was more than an acquaintance. For one, she was far too young for me to view her as anything other than a child, not something I wanted anything to do with, and two, it just never really popped into my head how she might feel about things. Sure, she was nice and all, but I really didn''t feel that way about anyone in this world.


    With a sigh I shook my head and spoke. ¡°This is not a good time for that you know? Monsters, attacks, and all that, I don''t want her getting mixed up in it.¡±


    ¡°Me either, so let''s see what we can do about solving it.¡±


    Since he insisted I didn''t fight too much when Lucas joined me. It wasn''t the worst idea anyway, as playing with explosives was dangerous and what I was doing was wholly untested. If something went wrong it would be good to have someone around just in case, and a willing volunteer would be better than an unwilling one.


    Less than an hour later the two of us strode through the forest like it was a high street, leaves crunching and twigs snapping underfoot as we trod. I had my gun and sword, and judging by his gait Lucas had his knives should something go wrong. That was an odd skill I''d picked up through the last few months of training, the ability to almost see where people had weapons hidden on themselves. Just one of the many results of the Headmaster pushing us so hard.


    ¡°So what are we testing anyway?¡± Lucas asked as we moved into a small meadow.


    ¡°This,¡± I said, pulling out the pistol I''d made. ¡°I lacked ranged options in the last couple of fights, and I''m solving that little problem.¡±


    ¡°Goodness, think it''s big enough?¡±


    ¡°No, I think it''ll only be slightly useful against a proper mage''s shield if I''m being honest, though it should certainly pack a punch.¡±


    ¡°Well, load it up then and let''s give it a shot,¡± he nearly bounced on his feet as he spoke.


    ¡°In a vice first, just in case,¡± I informed him as I handed him my spare pair of earplugs.


    He watched me load the revolver in silence after I''d set up the holder I''d be taking the first couple of shots from. That was basically just a vice with a string attached, but it would serve perfectly well. When I was finished putting one round in, all I''d be using for the initial shot, he spoke up.


    ¡°Odd looking isn''t it? Is that one of those that shoots several rounds at once? I''ve seen a few but they always have a bunch of barrels to them.¡±


    ¡°Just watch,¡± I told him.


    We stood behind trees as I pulled the string for the first time, the earsplitting BOOM and smell of gunpowder reaching us quickly. Everything went well, and the rest of the day we took turns trying out my new weapon. It was manageable, but brutal, the shock-wave from each round ruffling hair and clothes, and even with the earplugs it was still powerfully loud.


    ¡°That was grand fun,¡± Lucas declared as we made our way back to the meeting point with our carriage. ¡°Wherever did you get that? Some new gunsmith? Or perhaps a new design from the older ones?¡±


    ¡°I made it,¡± I said, not caring to lie to one of my few friends.


    ¡°Sincerely?¡±


    ¡°Sincerely.¡±


    ¡°Well it''s quite lovely. If I ever decide to take up shooting I know who I''ll come to for a proper firearm.¡±


    ¡°I''m surprised you didn''t just ask me for one now,¡± I admitted.


    ¡°Oh no, I''m terrible with guns, and they require far too much upkeep for my liking. I''ll take a blade any day, but the smell and sound of explosions would irk me if I had to deal with it all the time. I''ll leave all that to you my friend.¡±


    ¡°That I''ll take as a vote of confidence, something I will always welcome.¡±


    ¡°Mind telling me what all this is for though? I mean a man doesn''t arm himself like that unless he''s going to war.¡±


    I just laughed. ¡°Well, we might well be going to war soon enough. I hope you want another chance at that monster that dropped you.¡±


    ¡°Oh I''d love one, and this time, I won''t go down.¡± His smile told me he was ready.


    ¡°We''ll talk during the season then, be ready.¡±

 Chapter 51 Recruiting

    The day to return home approached, and three days away I finally decided to do something about it. I strode to the Headmaster''s office and knocked, slightly afraid because there was no way the adults in my life were going to let me off scott free after hiding the whole goblin threats.


    I knocked on the Headmaster''s door, heart beating fast.


    ¡°Enter,¡± I heard after a few moments.


    ¡°Good afternoon sir.¡±


    ¡°Ah, Percival, I wasn''t expecting you today, what brings you here?¡± He was gruff but not angry, after all I''d been keeping up with his insane training regimen without any complaints from my teachers.


    ¡°Right sir, I was hoping to speak to either Sir Kendrick or Mr. Ignus, preferably both, but I find I have no way to contact them.¡±


    He fixed me with a long stare, narrowing his eyes.


    ¡°Why?¡±


    ¡°I received a letter I think they should know about.¡±


    ¡°Would you care to share it with me then? I can easily relay the contents.¡±


    ¡°I really do think I should speak with them first sir, it is a matter of some importance.¡±


    As our eyes met across the Headmaster''s desk I felt the pressure of this mountain of a man and his displeasure at my refusal, like an ocean pressing upon me, urging me to surrender. I knew better though, for while my business was important, and he''d probably find out since he seemed to be connected in ways I didn''t quite understand surrendering here was the wrong move. This information wasn''t for him, it was for the government at large.


    After a few moments his facade broke and he chuckled low.


    ¡°Better, much better than the first time we met. Going to the right people, insisting on the proper channels, yes Percival, you''ve improved well. We''ll make a proper soldier of you yet. Return to my office after dinner.¡±


    While that was like being told the time of your execution it was also rather expected. Sure, the Headmaster seemed to have connections, but that didn''t mean that he had important people sitting around his office or able to be called at a moments notice. It also gave me a bit of time to reflect, make sure that I had things ready.


    The time seemed to fly by almost as if I were in a daze, and soon, once more I found myself standing before the same door, knocking once more.


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    This time there was no call to enter, rather the door was simply opened, and inside I saw four men, instead of three. The final addition surprised me, making me stop and blink in the doorway.


    ¡°Grandfather?¡± I asked, looking at my father''s father sitting there.


    ¡°Ah, Percival m''boy, glad you''re here,¡± he said smiling. ¡°Come, sit with me.¡±


    My paternal grandfather and I had few interactions overall, with him mostly staying in Exion during the year. Because of this I hardly saw him, causing a wince, I really should have taken some time over the school year to visit during one of my weekends in town, but I''d neglected it.


    ¡°Certainly, I just wasn''t expecting you here,¡± I answered as I joined him.


    ¡°Since you seem to attract attention I sought to have your parents join us, sadly it looks like they''re still on their way to the city. However your grandfather was more than willing to attend this little conference. I''ve been telling him all about your studies and adventures this year.¡± As the Headmaster spoke I felt sweat roll down my back, if he''d succeeded in telling my mother everything that had happened I had no doubt I would die.


    ¡°How thoughtful,¡± I remarked trying to smile and failing. ¡°At any rate, this is a translation of a letter I received,¡± I said, handing it over to Sir Kendrick.


    The knight frowned as he read over the letter, eyes darkening bit by bit as he went through it all before handing it to the investigator.


    ¡°Translation, from what?¡± asked Mr. Ignus.


    ¡°A variant of a code used by a kindly old woman I met only the once.¡± That answer got me a few quirked eyebrows, and a small scoff from the knight, I assumed he''d met the former archmage.


    ¡°Could we have the original?¡±


    ¡°Impossible I''m afraid, it burned after I read it.¡± I didn''t bother to add that this was because I had set fire to it, but hopefully they would ask.


    ¡°The old auntie was known to do that from time to time, though I doubt that was from her,¡± Sir Kendrick observed.


    ¡°No, I believe it was from an oppositional group.¡± The message itself only relayed that it was from ''Father'' rather than a proper name.


    The investigator didn''t seem pleased when my grandfather held his hand out, silently demanding the letter. I''d not passed it to him, but he didn''t seem to care if they wanted him to see it or not. He also had a proper title, he wasn''t a lord, or a sir, he was Baron Shadestone and while I didn''t know what all he did to support that I did know it came with at least a bit of power.


    ¡°He''s not going to engage in this foolishness,¡± he said as he finished, practically tossing it at Headmaster Logan.


    ¡°I think I must,¡± I answered.


    ¡°What you think is irrelevant, now that the authorities know where these people, whoever this ''Father'' is, are going to be they can set a proper trap. You are my grandson, and not bait in some half-planned scheme.¡±


    ¡°It would be difficult, people watching a location are sometimes hard to find, but I agree...¡± Sir Kendrick answered.


    ¡°Impossible to find more like. We know there is an enemy, and this is potentially the best way for us to get intelligence on them, I''m not suggesting I go in alone, or without aid, but I must go.¡±


    ¡°Where did this letter come from?¡± Ignus asked, curious on the origin.


    ¡°It was slipped into my jacket pocket while I was in the city.¡±


    ¡°That is concerning,¡± answered Ignus, eyeing me while rubbing his chin.


    ¡°Allow me to reiterate, my grandson will NOT be functioning as bait.¡±


    ¡°Grandfather, I really must, if there is an enemy in our midst, then we need to catch them now.¡±


    ¡°Oh, and that requires you? Your teacher here told me that you interacted with Archmage Penumbra, and that she requested you to get proper training, and I can assure you she is more than capable of impersonating you. If this is such an issue have her called and see to it that she protects the lad she was so interested in.¡± Nobody met his eyes as he spoke. ¡°What?¡± he asked after a few moments.


    ¡°It is considered a state secret, but I''m afraid the she''s gone, presumed dead,¡± Sir Kendrick answered, I didn''t know if he had that authority, but he probably knew his business.


    ¡°Oh.¡± For the first time in this conversation he seemed genuinely worried.


    ¡°I don''t know how much of a hand if any this enemy had in that, but as you can see, a wound such as this cannot be allowed to fester. I will be going, this meeting is just to ensure that I''m not facing them alone.¡±


    ¡°Heavens above boy, how were you planning on explaining this to your parents?¡± he asked.


    ¡°After the fact?¡± I responded, as if it were obvious.


    There were a few scoffing laughs at that, but agreement that something had to be done. So heads came together to discuss what was possible, and what plan should be sent upwards for approval.

 Chapter 52 Deceptions

    I didn''t manage to get off free from my little ploy, basically everyone was furious at me, and my grandfather was promising to tell my parents, immediately after I''d lured our enemy out. Convincing him to keep quiet even that long had required a whole slew of concessions from basically everyone involved, and lots of extra guards for the whole endeavor.


    There were even a few familiar faces joining us, the two Worldsingers who''d been supposed to deliver the gate that had been stolen were among the guards, and both looked like they wanted blood. That at least was easy to understand, they''d been betrayed, their leader and organization hurt, the man had also been severely injured, though with magic even that could be recovered in time.


    ¡°So we''re all ready?¡± Mr. Ignus asked, looking around at the assembled people.


    ¡°The plan is sound, though I still dislike it,¡± my grandfather replied, here since we were meeting in one of his estates, just outside of Exion itself.


    ¡°Nobody likes it,¡± the investigator said.


    ¡°I do,¡± Lucas added in.


    ¡°You are only here because Percival insists upon it, and he needs someone to go with him. I still think we should have one of my men go with you instead though,¡± Ignus said, turning to me.


    ¡°No, Lucas is known friend of mine, your men aren''t. Our enemy demanded I come alone, which is obviously stupid so we''re not doing that, but if there''s an unknown they might not show. This is a good compromise.¡±


    ¡°I can''t believe your parents agreed,¡± grandfather grumbled.


    ¡°Me either,¡± the smiling young man answered.


    ¡°Pay attention people, we have two days, and we all want our pound of flesh. If any of you can''t manage, we''ll replace you, because we are not failing at this.¡± Ignus slammed his fist on the table as he spoke.


    Ignus wasn''t the highest ranked person here, not by a long shot, but he was the leader of this operation. The reason for that was simple, he knew the city better than anyone, he had more connections than anybody else involved, and if something was happening here, he''d be best set up to deal with the effects. He was also highly motivated, after all, people were causing trouble in his city, and this was his issue to solve.


    ¡°Understood? Good, now, once more from the top.¡±


    Two days later Lucas and I walked side by side down the road to the meeting point. From the outside we looked like two young noblemen, fancily dressed, every button perfectly done. Both of us had canes, both of those were of course weapons. Below my jacket was my revolver, below Lucas'' a small stubby blunderbuss, one shot only, but packing a heck of a punch. Though our outfits looked like formal-wear that too was a disguise, under both were layers of armor, enchanted to the best standards we could manage on the notice we had.


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    As we neared the location I''d been given a work crew ushered us to the side. Two days ago they''d begun repaving the street. Of course this was one of our teams, men acting as simple laborers when in fact each was a fully trained warrior, ready to leap upon whoever came to meet us. Surprisingly I couldn''t even tell they weren''t just normal workers, the street they''d been paving looked pristine to my eyes.


    Across the street a young couple kissed lightly, the woman blushing and pushing her partner away a bit. They''d just moved in, freshly married by all appearances and welcome to the neighborhood. While I couldn''t see it I''d been told that the Worldsingers had impeccable aura control, able to pass by even skilled detectors without setting them off.


    Everywhere our teams laid in wait, ready to spring, each member subtly keeping an eye on the goings on. None of them acknowledged the others more than they would any other passing individual, and we''d been told in no uncertain terms that fully half of the men here would be unknown to one another. There was some concern with the number of people involved, but apparently they''d increased the vetting process exponentially.


    The building we finally made our way to was four stories, and completely abandoned. There''d been some discussion about trying to get people into it to check it out, but the access to that was limited. Someone had done so, but having others inside wasn''t viable for this mission. There were no houses, no businesses in here, only an old factory that was between owners. That was probably why ''Father'' had chosen this particular place.


    Shortly after arriving we made our way to the roof and lit a small lantern there. It was left out, not something large, or even that out of place, just a small candle-containing lamp. Then we turned to leave, knowing that tomorrow was the meeting day.


    ¡°Well, here I was expecting some excitement,¡± Lucas said as we headed towards the door.


    ¡°Could you not-¡±


    Before I could even tell him off for raising flags all the sound around us died in the air. I recognized it as magic instantly, but didn''t have time to yell before the floor gave way. I was impressed, very impressed, pissed too, that they''d managed to catch us so off guard. I tried to jump, tried to grab something, but with nothing solid I had nothing to push against as I fell.


    The slide we fell into, for it could only be described as such was metal, shaped by magic into a perfectly smooth, oiled surface. Both of us tried to yell, tried to grab onto something for leverage, but there was none, no purchase or sound as we slipped beneath the stones of the city street.


    Would our allies realize what had happened? Probably, but would it be soon enough to intervene? I doubted it.


    Less than ten seconds after we fell we were spit out into a tunnel, one of the many that criss-crossed the city. Our undercity might not be as extensive as some other, older settlements, but that didn''t mean it didn''t exist. As the two of us flew from the tube we spun, drawing weapons and looking about for enemies.


    Before us were a pair of figures, two female goblins, one I recognized and one I didn''t. Both looked more human than the caged ones I''d seen, almost like smaller people, just with green skin and slightly pointed features. They looked at us as we landed, eyeing the weapons.


    ¡°Hi again,¡± Greta chirped, smiling. ¡°I''m glad you decided to take Father''s invitation.¡±


    ¡°I believe you were asked to come alone though,¡± the other added, looking unenthused.


    ¡°You''re not alone, and I highly doubt you''re this ''Father'' I keep hearing about,¡± I retorted.


    ¡°That is fair enough. If it is only the one we can proceed then. Father wants you to come with us, and offers his word that should you do so you won''t be harmed.¡±


    ¡°And I should trust him?¡± I asked, not having to mention that the instructions were not really accurate.


    ¡°Father had been known to use trickery, but his word is good. If he says he''ll do something he will, if he tells you he won''t, he won''t. I believe that if you meet with him honestly he won''t try to harm you at all.¡±


    ¡°Honestly greeny, we don''t even know you,¡± Lucas said, seeming quite displeased.


    ¡°Fair enough, though there''s no need to be rude human. I''m Sasha, the guardian of our people, and I give you my word that if you come to this meeting I will do what I can to see you are released safely afterwards.¡±


    ¡°And if we refuse?¡± I asked.


    ¡°Then I will take you there by force if needed. Will you though? You''ve already come this far.¡±


    She did have a point there.

 Chapter 53 Plans

    ¡°So, is it far?¡± I asked the people taking me to a second location, though I knew that you should never let them take you to a second location, fight to the death if you had to. Though it was a poor idea, I really did want to talk to these people.


    ¡°Not too far, just enough to keep others from intruding,¡± Sasha said, looking back at me.


    ¡°Do you mind if I ask a few questions while we walk then? Get to know each other?¡±


    She didn''t seem particularly excited, but nodded. ¡°Very well.¡±


    ¡°Why?¡±


    ¡°Why what?¡±


    ¡°Why are you all doing this, chasing me down, kidnapping people, I''d assume also killing them since nobody has reported it before, but all of it.¡± Odd, she looked almost uncomfortable when I mentioned the killing, maybe she didn''t know? Or didn''t have a part of it, yes, she certainly knew.


    ¡°It''s... unfortunate, but necessary.¡±


    ¡°For what?¡± I continued pressing. I really did want to know why they were going through all of this for seemingly no reason.


    ¡°Father''s goals. It''s true that some people have died, but it''s not without purpose. He, he wants to make a better world. Didn''t you know? Maybe that''s why we''re fighting then; I''m sure once he explains it everything will be clearer.¡±


    ¡°Better how?¡±


    ¡°Like us... before him, before he began to improve us all of our people but him were savages, unable to speak, barely able to think. Many still are, but we''re changing, all thanks to Father and his designs. Because of him we''re able to be so much more than we were, and when he''s done your people will be so much more too. He knows how to live far longer, did you know that? Like, immortality, for everyone, isn''t that worth a few lives?¡±


    I could tell that if nothing else, Sasha believed that what he was doing was right. That was important, because people seldom followed those they thought were evil, they always had a reason, a sense to their actions. If we could find that out, maybe we could find out how to stop this all. Because I knew for a fact that anyone kidnapping people to be test subjects was up to no good. Perhaps there would be some benefit for the world, but this new world ''Father'' sought to make would undoubtedly have him at the top.


    ¡°Killing innocents is wrong,¡± Lucas said from the side. ¡°We should let them be.¡±


    ¡°Without a few of those deaths I wouldn''t be able to think or speak. I rather like both of those things,¡± Greta pointed out to him, frowning.


    ¡°I rather like them too Greta, but there are better ways to go about this than taking little girls off the street. How would you feel if someone came into your home and snapped up one of your siblings, carting them off to kill them?¡±


    They both got quiet for awhile, thinking. Good, thinking was good, thinking might get them to turn on their leader and stop this madness. Sure, I was opposed to them, but I wasn''t genocidal, they could reason, and if they could reason they could be made to see reason, and stop. That would keep any more from dying, an altogether better solution than any other.


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    ¡°We actually lost one of ours awhile ago. We presume he was killed by your people.¡±


    That I actually knew of, for I''d been there when he''d been killed.


    ¡°Is that so? What was he doing when he was lost?¡±


    That answer too took them awhile to respond to. Eventually though Sasha spoke up. ¡°He was part of one of the gathering groups.¡± It was painfully clear what they were ''gathering'' to all of us.


    ¡°Well, you can''t well fault people for defending themselves then can you? Things might have been different if someone had actually tried talking to us.¡±


    ¡°Like you would,¡± griped Greta.


    ¡°I''m doing so now. In the future I''m willing to as well, though I do want you to stop kidnapping people.¡±


    After a bit more walking we finally reached some kind of intersection. These weren''t tunnels we were in, nor were they the steam tunnels used in only a few places. Rather they seemed to be some old maintenance ones of some form, though I didn''t know from where they hailed. Before us was a door, made of steel and slightly rusted. With a calm hand I reached out and pulled on it, opening to a larger room behind.


    ¡°Ladies first,¡± I offered with a wave.


    Inside was some kind of storage area, larger than I''d have expected for something underground, used at one point for carts if the ruts in the stone and the little stall-looking structures were any indication. It was clear though that it had been long abandoned, left to fall apart where it was. That was odd, since it could''ve been refurbished, and I wondered briefly if this kind of thing had been common on Earth as well.


    ¡°Well well our guest finally arrives, welcome, welcome, I''m so very excited to speak with you,¡± said a goblin in the center of the room, he looked slightly older, not aged, but mature, standing taller than either of the girls. He wore a long white coat, miraculously clean, and an approximation of a shirt and vest. It would have been quite stylish on anyone but a goblin.


    ¡°I''ll admit I''m quite interested in speaking to you too,¡± I replied.


    ¡°Oh? Wonderful to hear, though I believe I requested you to come alone?¡± he commented, looking at Lucas who was standing quietly to the side.


    ¡°Are you alone?¡± I asked, looking to the two girls who''d brought us here.


    ¡°Haha, well, you do have me there. I was hoping you might introduce me to the lady my dear Greta told me about, that''s why I said to allow an additional, but it is of no consequence.¡± He put his hands in a perfect scholar''s cradle, looking up at me.


    ¡°*I hope you don''t mind if we switch to English?*¡± he said. ¡°*There are some things I''d rather keep slightly more private if you don''t mind.*¡±


    ¡°*The same.*¡±


    ¡°*I guessed, but didn''t want to assume; it would be a truly awkward conversation with one''s parents. Where are my manners though, I am Doctor Anton Parkov, a pleasure to meet you.*¡±


    Anton Parkov, I knew that name, I''d heard it somewhere, but I just couldn''t place it.


    ¡°*Please just call me Percival. I''ve had another name, but not using it in years...*¡±


    ¡°*Naturally, naturally. I''m sure you''d like to know what I want, but first I must ask, English? And an American too if I''m not mistaken, would you mind confirming your location and the date you found yourself here?*¡±


    I rattled off the name of my former hometown and date I''d wandered into that field while I thought about his name, it was so familiar. I could see his eyes light up as I did, blinking in seeming confusion.


    ¡°*Also, cursive? Who even uses that anymore?*¡±


    ¡°*Oh... bit of an oversight on my part, my apologies, it''s just what I use in my day-to-day.*¡± So he was a weirdo too, good to know, well, confirm. ¡°*Most odd though, I was taken at roughly the same day, and from the South as well, during an earthquake no less, but I came here some centuries ago.*¡±


    ¡°*Some kind of time distortion, or we''re landing periodically. I met another of us and she seemed to be here for a long time too.*¡±


    ¡°*Is that so? Do you think she might be willing to speak with me as well?*¡±


    Parkov...


    ¡°*I''m afraid she''s indisposed.*¡±


    ¡°*Oh well, a shame. Now for the meat of the matter, I''d like you to join with us. I assure you I can make it worth your while, and with two people from a far more advanced world we can do so much. Even with just myself I''ve achieved great things.*¡±


    Anton Parkov... was he...


    ¡°*Wait, your name, you were on the news.*¡±


    ¡°*Ah... was hoping you wouldn''t remember that, but have no fear my lad the things they said about me were hardly true.*¡±


    ¡°*You killed dozens, and dozens more here at least. They were going to execute you.*¡±


    ¡°*One does have to break a few eggs to make an omelet my friend, I was hoping you''d come to understand that.*¡± As he spoke I heard footsteps running hard in the distance, coming our way at speed, still far, but they''d be here soon.


    ¡°Yeah, no, but if you surrender now I''ll do all I can to see your people are treated well,¡± I replied, switching back to the local tongue.


    ¡°Oh, is that so? And if I refuse?¡±


    ¡°Well, then we''ll have no deals will we?¡±


    ¡°How about this, I''ll learn what I can from you and your friend here before I move on to the rest of my research, subjects with actual power are so rare for me.¡± As he spoke he separated his hands, a wisp of yellow magic stretching between them.


    ¡°So much for letting us leave unharmed,¡± I quipped, not for him, but for the girls, I had to hold out some hope there, and I could see Sasha''s face waver at the words.


    ¡°Father?¡± she said, confused.


    ¡°Plans change,¡± he said, releasing his spell.


    Lucas and I both had to leap to the side, dodging a yellow arc of energy. I didn''t know what would happen if it landed, or even grazed me, and I was in no mood to find out. As we rolled I heard him draw his blade, and I reached for my weapon.


    ¡°They sure do,¡± I returned, pulling the trigger.

 Chapter 54 Contact With The Enemy

    The first shot landed squarely in the middle of the goblin''s chest, tossing him back like a ragdoll. That was refreshing, so very refreshing, to have something I made work just perfectly. The smell of powder burning, the kick back as the recoil hurt. The sound, actually the sound hurt like being stabbed in the ear, super hearing, firearms, and confined spaces really shouldn''t mix.


    There was yelling, though I couldn''t tell what, and the fighting began. My hope was to disable, not kill the two goblin girls, since they seemed reasonable and there might still be some place for negotiation, but it was hard. Neither of them was likely to surrender, and I didn''t want to lose.


    My next shot went to Sasha''s thigh, ripping through like it was barely there, though even as I watched arcing energy raced down her body, and the wound began to heal. That was rough, because we really didn''t have much in the way of disabling weaponry against a priest. My only recourse was to shoot her again in the shoulder to keep her busy until the cavalry arrived.


    I looked over to see Lucas and Greta locked in battle. The little green girl had her shield up quickly, blocking the flurry of blows he was landing one after another. Just as I was bringing my weapon around I saw the lenses on her goggles flip to black and I hurriedly closed my eyes, remembering the last time.


    Lucas wasn''t fast enough, or didn''t realize what was coming and by the time I came up to look was jumping back. It wouldn''t be completely out of the fight for him, but it would decidedly hurt his ability to do much. We didn''t need to win though, only to hold them until backup arrived.


    Two quick shots to Greta''s shield sent a series of cracks spider-webbing across it like glass breaking, but it seemed to hold. Only a few more moments, I only needed her to hold still a few more. Then the others should be here and we could clean this mess up.


    In the second that I considered where to place the final bullet I saw Parkov begin to rise, his chest reforming and remolding as bubbling flesh filled the spot where I''d shot him. That was absolutely no good, and this guy did have to die, no ifs ands or buts. I turned, lining the sights once more upon him. If a body shot hadn''t been enough to put him down, let''s see him regenerate his brain.


    Sasha must have seen where I was aiming and jumped between us, the round impacting her pelvis. Time seemed to slow as the wave of the impact moved outwards making her clothes and flesh ripple like water after a stone was thrown into it. I felt bad for her on some level, after all, she was only trying to do what was right.


    That was enough for little Greta, who wrapped the other two in her shield and sent their group bouncing back. I leapt forward as they retreated through the far opening, just in time to see a pair of flaming spears arc out, not towards me, but towards the edges of the tunnel. Just in the shadow I saw them, two barrels that looked perhaps not new, but decidedly newer, I would be between them when the flames hit.


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    Or I would have been had a hand like iron not locked around my ankle. I was airborne, unable to change my direction of flight but I also wasn''t alone. Lucas hauled on my leg hard, hard enough that I felt the bones crack, but it was enough, enough to stop my forwards momentum and send us both tumbling very slightly back.


    Greta''s spell struck the barrels and the bombs exploded, a powerful shockwave tossing both parties away from one another. Before the smoke cleared I could feel the cracking and breaking of the structure, debris and rocks falling like rain into the opening she''d made. It must have been one of their contingencies, one final act to forestall us should everything go awry as it had.


    Before the smoke cleared our backup finally arrived, blasting into the room where we lay sprawled on the ground, coughing and hurt. They seemed displeased as a few of the mages began to clear the way, determined to at least try and follow.


    Ignus was there, and he pulled me up, not very helpful with a broken leg, and began yelling. Man it would have been nice to know what he was saying.


    Ignus


    Percival, the idiot, looked to be okay, though as soon as I saw him pull one leg up that was clearly not that case. He was at the least alive, and had we been seconds earlier this mission might have been a success.


    ¡°What happened boy!?¡± I screamed. ¡°What can you tell me!¡±


    ¡°WHAT!?¡± The lad said, pointing to his ears. ¡°I CAN''T HEAR YOU. ONLY THING I CAN HEAR IS RINGING.¡±


    I wanted to smack myself, and him, and the other boy too, maybe the grandfather as well. Really a lot of people responsible for this absolute farce needed a good beating, and if we got nothing from it, they might get one too. Just as I was starting to give up hope we''d managed anything one of the men shouted.


    ¡°Bloodstains sir, at least one of them is hurt, and hurt bad judging by the size.¡±


    ¡°Good, get us through, and get these two a healer, before the Baron gets here preferably.¡±


    Anton Parkov


    I''d been injured a few times, but seldom this badly, and not in quite awhile. Getting shot was also a first, for either of my lives, and quite unexpected. Sure, I''d thought they might resist, but with guns? Who used guns when you had magic, that was just insane. Luckily I''d live, having more than enough time to fix the vital things before it got out of hand.


    As I got back to my senses I looked about, Greta looked well and had us in one of her better spells. It was a pair of shield balls, perfectly smooth and with almost zero friction that she could speed along at quite the rate. We were fleeing, injured as we were it was a sad necessity at the moment.


    Sasha, my dear Sasha was whimpering nearby. She''d saved me the darling girl, though gotten quite hurt in the process. I wrapped her gently in my magic, healing the wounds. They weren''t as life-threatening as my own, and she was already healing them herself, but her pelvis looked to be shattered like a pretzel and that would hurt terribly. It wasn''t much of an issue to numb the pain as we worked, and I patted her on the head.


    ¡°Thank you my child, I knew bringing you was the right choice.¡±


    ¡°Father, is you both going to be okay?¡± her sister asked.


    ¡°Yes Greta dear, did the blockage work?¡±


    ¡°It did.¡±


    ¡°Good, good.¡±


    ¡°We can get the others and go after him when we return. Sigmund will be sure to want to lead the assault himself,¡± Greta said, almost angrily.


    ¡°No.¡±


    ¡°No? What do you mean Father? They hurt you, and Sasha too.¡±


    ¡°There is no rush, and if we act now we''ll lose many. Anyway, we both will be fine, taking the time to prepare will make sure we don''t fail again. Remember daughter that haste from anger had caused the fall of more than one.¡±


    She nodded, properly chastised. ¡°Yes Father, I understand.¡±

 Chapter 55 Unhappy Parents

    ¡°So, mind not telling mom about this?¡± I asked my grandfather after I''d gotten healed and seen to.


    ¡°Oh, I''m telling her, some things,¡± he affirmed.


    ¡°She''ll skin both of us, you know that right?¡±


    ¡°I''m telling her, but we''re leaving out a few key facts, like the broken ankle, or the fact that you were ever in real danger. I cannot believe how irresponsible you were Percival, as soon as you fell through that floor you should have done everything in your power to get away. Things didn''t go to plan at all. What were you even thinking?¡±


    ¡°That the risk was worth the reward,¡± I answered without thought.


    ¡°Your life is worth far more than what we gained, or even could have gained.¡±


    ¡°Sorry,¡± honestly I''d thought the risk was minimal, the man wanted to talk to me according to his letter, not kill me. Though I''d known he was insane I''d given myself fairly good odds, particularly with all the backup nearby.


    ¡°If I didn''t know it was a waste of time I''d put you over my knee. You need to think Percival, think about what will happen if you die, your friends, your family, do you think they won''t miss you? Can you not imagine your mother''s tears if we were to come home with the corpse of her only son? Your father as well, he may not show it, but he cares for you boy, we all do.¡±


    ¡°I know grandfather, but I needed to do this...¡±


    ¡°What you need is to complete your studies, too many of you children are too excited to grow up. It''s not all it''s cracked up to be boy, I''ll tell you that from experience.¡±


    ¡°Yes grandfather.¡± There was no real point in arguing with him, he was to an extent right. That didn''t change the fact though that I''d done what I needed to.


    ¡°And you,¡± he said pointing at Lucas. ¡°Good job keeping my idiot grandson from getting in that bomb, but if you breathe a word of what happened here to the wrong ears and I''ll make sure you regret it.¡±


    ¡°Yes sir,¡± the other boy said, having tried to avoid the ire of the clearly angry old man through this conversation.


    Before we could leave though Ignus approached me. ¡°I understand you used a rather unique weapon, would you mind if I looked it over?¡±


    ¡°I... not at this time Mr. Ignus,¡± I said, shaking my head. I wasn''t sure if I wanted to let that loose out into the world yet.


    ¡°It really is...¡±


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    ¡°I believe my grandson told you no. I suggest you accept that answer,¡± grandfather said before he could continue.


    When we were all done I was taken back to my home proper, to await the arrival of my parents. Neither of them had yet made it to the city, owing to a delay in their travels, so I got to wait. It would have been worse if I''d been in the house alone, or with only grandfather, or maybe not. He''d demanded to see my new pistol and spent the better part of the afternoon taking it apart and putting it back together on a small table with hardly a word spoken to me.


    The servants seemed to know something was up, even if they didn''t know what. In the air hung grandfather''s displeasure, and other than some of the senior staff everyone strove to get things ready and out of the way. He snapped at them several times as we entered and waited, all except Kaylee. He of course knew of her situation, and though there was little he could do for her without causing trouble he still maintained his cool when she was around.


    Eventually though all waiting must come to an end, and that evening a servant arrived from the port. He was one of the butlers from the country estate, and quickly informed the staff of my family''s arrival. He then came to greet me, and my grandfather, looking worried when he felt the tension hanging in the room.


    After mother''s arrival, and yearly examination/terrifying of the household staff my parents joined us in the sitting room.


    ¡°We need to have a meeting,¡± grandfather told them as they walked in. ¡°A private one.¡±


    ¡°Very well, would you dear?¡± mother asked father.


    ¡°Certainly,¡± he answered and he did something, sending out a small glowing barrier to surround the room.


    ¡°Before we begin, why is that in my house?¡± mother asked with saccharine poison, pointing to the revolver.


    ¡°It''s your son''s I believe he made it himself.¡± That''s when the yelling began.


    My grandfather may have thought it a waste of time to spank me, but my mother, with her physical magic, did not. She was still the strongest person in the room, regardless of the fact that I was catching up, and would be for a bit longer yet. Perhaps I could have resisted her, but doing so just didn''t feel right.


    When she learned of the situation we''d been in and how much her father-in-law had been involved I did have to step in though, wrapping her in a hug to keep her a bit back. She''d advanced upon him like an angry bear, and while she didn''t strike him, both father and I were quite worried she would. Unlike me grandfather was some form of caster, and he couldn''t take that kind of a beating without serious problems.


    ¡°Love you need to calm down!¡± father eventually shouted, the only time I''d ever heard him raise his voice. ¡°Before you do something unwarranted.¡±


    ¡°You will not use my son as bait again,¡± she finally growled before turning on her heel and stalking off. I felt bad for anyone who encountered her in the next few hours, something we''d have to ward the staff about.


    ¡°Thank you son,¡± grandfather said. ¡°I''d not quite expected her to be that angry.¡±


    ¡°Her fire is one of her most endearing traits, part of why I married her,¡± father mused. ¡°Though I much prefer it be pointed at someone else. You should probably stay away from the house for awhile.¡±


    ¡°That seems... well advised, but I was explaining all of this to tell you why I was requesting some extra security for your home. Whoever those men were, we didn''t catch them.¡± He''d kept back that we were after goblins, and since nobody else had seen them he was right to.


    ¡°Understood, and thank you.¡±


    Grandfather left shortly thereafter, explaining when we''d see the men he was sending, and how to identify them. Once he''d left my father turned to me.


    ¡°Percival... why did you do this?¡±


    ¡°I felt the need. There is some kind of conflict coming and I need to be ready, and to do my part.¡±


    He sighed. ¡°I.. am not a perfect man son; I have made many mistakes over the course of my life, many regretful actions that I wish I could take back, but I cannot. That isn''t something I want for you, and I think you know better than to get involved in this foolishness.¡±


    ¡°I doubt I''ll have much a choice,¡± I admitted.


    ¡°Why?¡±


    ¡°It''s complicated.¡±


    ¡°Believe it or not, I''m quite clever, why?¡±


    ¡°My mana is similar to several others, one of which is the leader of this group. I''m not completely sure on the reason or mechanism, but it is relevant to him. It has put us at odds, and is unlikely that this will end peacefully.¡±


    ¡°It looks fairly normal to me, though that isn''t my area of study. If he''s after you perhaps we should consider moving...¡±


    ¡°No, running won''t solve problems, and we cannot simply surrender because there is an enemy.¡±


    ¡°Then what do you think we need?¡± he asked.


    ¡°Weapons.¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    ¡°I''m not a fool father.¡±


    ¡°Recent actions contradict that statement.¡±


    ¡°I will get them one way or another, because I don''t think this enemy is going away.¡±


    ¡°Your mother''s going to kill me, but I''ll allow it, with proper supervision. Tell me what you need.¡±

 Chapter 56 New Workshop

    My father, who spent so little time around me or dealing with me at all came through quite well. He ordered a number machines for me, powered by mana, that I could use. The ones from the school that were so convenient were very expensive, and useful for some purposes, but not for all of them. Sure, if you put in all the math and directions perfectly they worked exactly as advertised, but for more complicated mechanisms that required small changes here and there they were hardly helpful. If you needed even the most minor change then you''d have to put everything in again, for each iteration.


    A few days after mother had been so angry the housekeeper took me down to the basement, where boxes and crates were being unloaded.


    ¡°Your father got these for you, said you''d left him a list and he did what he could,¡± she told me.


    ¡°Is he occupied?¡± I asked, having hoped he would be the one to show me his acquisitions.


    ¡°I''m unsure my lord, should I inquire?¡±


    ¡°No, it''s fine.¡± Honestly this was more than I''d expected, and as things were being unloaded I began to look around.


    There were a number of lathes, drills, presses, and hand-tools, some from a list of supplies I''d given him, some that seemed to have been added in on his own prerogative. Much of it was useful, but much was very specialist, parts someone had sold him, likely secondhand, that would be of no real use to me. Still though, it showed that he was at least trying, and trying was really the first and most important step.


    With almost everyone I knew mad at me, and telling me so frequently, it would be good to have somewhere to retreat to and let the heat cool down. I was in trouble still, and even Lucas wasn''t fully free of repercussions, as he''d gone beyond what he was supposed to be doing. We were still communicating through letters now and then. Letters were an important thing in our culture, with post being a several times a day thing if you were in the city.


    As soon as the porters had unloaded everything I began to unpack it properly. There really was no way for someone else to set up your shop and with my strength moving even heavy machinery wasn''t much of a chore. Sure, some of it was a bit awkward, but that was a minor inconvenience to me as I pulled the pieces to where I thought they belonged most.


    Standard sized plates and rods were placed into proper stacks, racks lined with tools, and machines put in the proper section. It took the better part of the day and as I finished up I looked over my work and realized it. Without thinking I''d set this room up almost exactly like my shop back home on earth. Sure, there was no radio, no garage door to open out to the sky, and the 3d printers were missing, but the layout, the way things were placed, it was all the same.


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    For the first time in a long time I felt a wave of nostalgia, of friends and family lost, and I felt tears blooming and quickly wiped them away. Though I accepted this life, my old one was never gone, the people I''d known, either in person or online, the grandmother I''d wanted to go and see before my transference; I supposed she was probably dead now, though with how time here seemed to be a bit weird perhaps not.


    Did I miss my previous life? Some days, but I didn''t regret this one. I''d been given a chance so few could dream of, a second chance to live, to grow up, to love, to care for people close to me. I''d been given a magnificent family, one both privileged and who cared for my well being, something not all could say. How could I be anything but grateful? No, I didn''t regret my coming to this world, even if the memories of my previous one still tinged from time to time.


    As I sat and thought on things Kaylee bounced down into the basement workroom from the stairs, hair bobbing under the little hairpiece all maids wore around here.


    ¡°Lord Percival, dinner will be ready soon.¡±


    ¡°Thank you Kaylee, I''ll be on my way shortly.¡±


    There was also my little half-sister, who needed my help. Was she happy as she was? Would she prefer to be accepted for the sibling she most certainly should have the place of? I didn''t know, I didn''t know her nearly well enough, and sadly, learning would be difficult. From the inside I knew my family wanted me to keep away from her, since we''d been close as children, and from the outside it was hardly appropriate for a young man to have a female personal servant so close to his own age. The world wouldn''t know of our relation, at least not for now, but one day I''d find a way some way to see that she got everything she deserved.


    When I made it upstairs I found that I was the last to arrive in the dining room. My parents and maternal grandparents were here, grandmother looked peeved, as always, and even grandfather still frowned at me. They''d both already read me the riot act when mother had told them of my escapades, perhaps thinking that her father, one of my closest confidantes would have had a better time disciplining me than she had. I was still quite unrepentant though, even if I'' done things I knew displeased her, there were more important things than keeping my mother happy.


    ¡°I''m glad you finally deigned to join us Percival,¡± grandmother said coolly.


    ¡°And I''m quite glad to see you as well grandmother, how are things?¡±


    ¡°Well, though have you checked your mail recently?¡±


    ¡°Not since this morning, I was setting my workroom up.¡± Grandpa perked up a bit only to sit back as she sent him a glare. She''d made it clear that for the time being he wasn''t to speak about ''our toys'' with me.


    ¡°I''ll save you some time here son. Why has his Grace the duke sent you what appears to be an invitation?¡± mother asked. ¡°How does he even know your name?¡±


    ¡°We met recently and he must want me to come to some event. Did seem like a fine fellow to me.¡±


    Food was brought out as glares intensified. Everyone, even the staff knew that I was in the doghouse, but arguing in front of them was uncouth. When they finally left us though my kin leaned forward.


    ¡°When was this!?¡± mother spat, ¡°And why didn''t you tell me? Did he approve of your nonsense personally? That hardly seems right.¡±


    ¡°No, before that, you really should have listened to grandfather better rather than trying to throttle him. I met him, though I''ve been forbidden from going into the details of it.¡±


    ¡°Forbidden? By whom exactly?¡± grandmother interjected.


    ¡°Royal decree.¡± That bombshell stopped all of them dead in their tracks, for there were precious few that could issue one of those, and none were known to be near us.


    ¡°Go and get that letter right now,¡± grandmother snapped.


    ¡°Leaving the table, in the middle of dinner?¡± I asked innocently.


    ¡°Now,¡± several voices told me in a most displeased tone.


    I did as I was bid and popped the seal as I walked, skimming over the contents. I rather liked the letter writing culture, but at times it was quite tiring, particularly when dealing with individuals of particularly high status. It seemed the thing to do was simply to write as flowery and long as a message as possible, rather than getting to the bleeding point.


    ¡°I''ve been invited to a dinner,¡± I told them as I returned. ¡°Myself and a companion are invited to...¡±


    ¡°Well, you''re going,¡± my female relatives told me with a sigh. This was too big an event for me to skip on.

 Chapter 57 Invitation

    Responding to the duke was quick, finding a date was even quicker. Mother had several potential candidates in mind, but honestly, there''d only really been one. After all, they''d been insisting that I have the same companion for almost every formal dinner for most of my young life, so having someone I knew for this event would be the best idea.


    ¡°This is so exciting, I can''t believe you managed to get an invitation to the duke''s residence? I''ve never met him of course, was waiting until my official introduction to society, but to meet him even earlier is such a treat!¡± Young lady Starshine enthused as our carriage rattled down the road.


    ¡°I''m glad you''re willing to join me on such short notice, thank you for that.¡± I replied, having only had a few days from the arrival of the letter to tonight.


    It wasn''t a hollow apology either, for I knew I''d caused her no small amount of trouble. An invitation to one of our houses, not even the direct holder of a noble title was one thing, but to a duke''s manor? That was a whole different story. The clothing required wasn''t something either of us should have had lying around, nor would we have a use for it later. It also meant that we''d have to apply a whole new level of manners, with parents stringently going over those again. I''d not given her a gift alone, but also a tiresome chore, and one she''d needed to hurry to do.


    ¡°There''s no need for an apology Percival, this is a chance of a lifetime.¡± Then again, she didn''t seem at all displeased.


    ¡°Perhaps, but it was unexpected.¡±


    ¡°Mmm, true, however did you get such an invitation anyway? Not to offend, but we''re both hardly the sort of person who''d get that sort of letter. Are you perhaps related to him?¡±


    ¡°Oh, no nothing like that, we just met awhile back through a mutual acquaintance. I really wasn''t expecting to hear from him again, particularly not so soon.¡±


    She gave me an appraising look, but since it was clear I didn''t want to elaborate she didn''t push. I appreciated that, there were already enough people in my life that were digging into my business at all hours and making things quite a pain. One person willing to give me my peace and privacy was more than welcome.


    ¡°How is your brother doing by the way? I haven''t had the chance to see him in a couple of weeks, all things taken together,¡± I asked.


    She giggled. ¡°Oh it''s been quite the event. When our parents found out some of the details they spent the better part of a week punishing him. They''ve even threatened to keep him from participating in some of the sword tourneys, though I doubt they''ll follow through with that one.¡± Then her eyes narrowed. ¡°Of course, you were there for the foolishness too.¡±


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    ¡°Please don''t, I''ve already had enough people in my life berate me, and I''m honestly not at all sorry.¡±


    ¡°Maybe if you were more sorry they''d stop berating you,¡± she said with a huff.


    ¡°A man must do what he must do.¡± I looked out of the window for a few moments in silence, before speaking again. ¡°At any rate, we''re here.¡±


    The manor we were going to was massive, larger even than our off-season mansion back home and decked out with statues, fountains, and lights galore. The drive was smooth as we pulled in, the horses stopping just before the main entry.


    Immediately I realized just how few people there were here for any kind of event. Surely the ducal house had mountains of friends or family they could invite, but for tonight there were almost no carriages about. That was odd, and it meant that this was to be a far more private affair than I''d expected.


    As I helped Rowena down from the carriage her eyes were alight. She maintained her composure, as was expected, but it was plain to see that if she were allowed she''d be bouncing with joy. In this world of magic some places were far more magical, with decorations and power that would have stood up to anything my previous world had. I was told that in the past they were even more extreme, with displays of magic and power to wow all involved, but tradition locally dictated that such ostentatious things be limited to some extent.


    We were announced moments later as we entered the house proper, with our host and hostess smiling and greeting us. The dinner, for all that is was, was much the same as any other. Sure, there were seating changes, more and better food items, and the room as a whole was far beyond what we were used to, but since there was a procedure to it all we knew exactly what to do. There was something to that, the fact that people could depend on manners to remain mostly the same, the rules to be stable.


    Our conversation was light, kept so by the strictures of etiquette, but it was clear to me that this was no simple social call. The duke wanted something from me, and as he was keen to do so had called me to his home. Sure, he might have just asked me to come at a normal time, but that would have led to questions. Inviting a young man of noble blood who''d saved some innocent girl earlier in the year could be written off as mere curiosity about me. He even made sure to ask about the incident briefly, though seemed not to care too much when I relayed the story of our first encounter with one of the odd goblins.


    Once dinner was over we all sat and chatted for a few moments before our host looked to me.


    ¡°Come young man, we''ll retire to my smoking room and let the ladies to themselves for a bit, wouldn''t want to bother them with the smell. I''ve even managed to acquire a bit of liquor from the mainland I think you''ll enjoy.¡±


    Rowena looked at me with a raised eyebrow and almost moved to speak, after all she knew I didn''t smoke, and found it to be a rather disgusting habit.


    ¡°Don''t worry dear, I''m sure my husband will bring him back safe and sound. Do you like pastries? Our chef has the most magnificent recipe that I''m sure you''ll love,¡± the duchess said, taking her by the arm before she could interject. I had to appreciate their skill at tag-teaming us.


    He led me down one hallway after another, not far from where we''d been, but far enough, and certainly not to the normal smoking room. The room we entered looked more like a sitting room, well stocked with chairs and a faint tinge of runes around the walls. My guess was something for privacy, but I wasn''t a hundred percent sure.


    He did actually pour me a small glass of some alcohol, and he was right, it was lovely, fruity and light without being overpoweringly sweet, floral almost. Both of us took a few sips as we found a pair of chairs.


    ¡°Apologies for all the cloak and dagger lad, but I didn''t want to draw any more attention to you than we already have, things are moving.¡±


    ¡°How so?¡± I asked.


    ¡°Well, I''m not sure it''s related to our local woes, but we found out who came to assassinate our archmage.¡±


    ¡°Who?¡±


    ¡°Elves.¡±

 Chapter 58 Business

    ¡°Don''t we have enough problems?¡±


    ¡°Probably, but as I said, I don''t believe it is related to our local problems.¡±


    I leaned back, blowing out a sigh. First goblins and now elves, if we got dwarves next I was starting a riot. I didn''t even think dwarves were a thing, but with us exploring all of the small areas of the world now we might well find some one day. I mean, there were tiny people back on earth in little pockets, but were those more like dwarves or would have I called them halflings or something?


    ¡°Why?¡± I asked after a few seconds of thinking.


    ¡°An interesting question, how much do you understand of Elazian politics?¡± he asked, referring to the eastern continent where the elven peoples lived.


    ¡°Practically nothing?¡±


    ¡°Then the long and short answer is that some of them are agitating against us, and by us I mean humans in general. Their nations haven''t been fully united for most of history, and so they vary on their approach to humanity drastically.¡±


    ¡°Great.¡±


    ¡°Quite the opposite, do you happen to speak any of their languages? We could add that to your training...¡± I paled the second before he smiled, chuckling under his breath. ¡°Sorry, needed something to lighten the mood, I''ve been informed that they''re working all the students at the school to the bone already. Good on it too, we may need you before too long...¡±


    ¡°So you called me here to tell me this?¡±


    ¡°No, I called you here to let you know to keep watching out, and ask you for a favor, furthermore to see how you were.¡±


    I raised an eyebrow. ¡°If it''s within reason.¡±


    ¡°Good, not agreeing immediately. I believe it is, but I''m unsure how you''ll feel. One of my men told me you came up with a new design for a firearm, one he''s keen to get hold of.¡±


    He wanted a revolver design. It wasn''t like I couldn''t give it to him, in fact it would probably be good for all of us for me to do so. That didn''t mean that I didn''t want something for it, it would be a massively important weapon for him after all.


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    ¡°I don''t mind selling you the design.¡±


    ¡°Truly? I suspected you might play it close to your chest like so many mages tend to with their best spells.¡±


    ¡°No, that would just encourage someone to steal it from me, and I don''t fancy being robbed. Let them come for you and your manufacturers instead.¡± That got me a laugh.


    Over the next twenty minutes or so we worked out a fairly simple deal. I would be getting some money and access to a few chemists and the like that would be difficult for me to arrange. I wanted nitrocellulose, and I wanted it in the right sized pellets, and those would be hard to get without help, also primers. The duke looked at me like he suspected I was up to making more goodies, which I was, but didn''t push.


    When it was all worked out to both of our satisfaction we departed, heading back to the others. This manor was something. Where I lived in the country could''ve compared to it in size, if not in opulence, but here in the city this amount of space for one family and their servants was on the far end of senseless. It took minutes for us to walk across it once more, both because none of the hallways were straight and the distance.


    The women were deep in conversation about one of the local events, and from what I heard as I was coming along it sounded like they were all simply going on about their favorite parts. It was what one expected to hear, particularly when the participants were of differing social classes. Nobody was being negative, even if they''d not liked something, lest they offend, and all of them were focusing on something that was so innocuous that there couldn''t possibly be an insult.


    That didn''t mean that there wasn''t more going on. Much of the nuance of the conversation was lost on me, being couched in the manners and practiced ease of the ladies involved, but even now I could pick up a few bits and pieces. The duchess clearly thought that things should be fancier and more involved, whereas the others involved disagreed, without actually disagreeing at all. This was one of the ways higher born women interacted, the seemingly simple things with far deeper meanings that took effort and experience to decipher.


    ¡°Your grace makes and excellent point, perhaps I should look at things that way,¡± I heard my date say, the basic translation being ''I''m really sorry for disagreeing with you on this, please don''t take offense.''


    ¡°Of course, with experience we all see things more clearly,¡± came the response. ''It''s fine, you''ve straightened yourself out and you''re still young.''


    ¡°Ah ladies, how go things?¡± the duke asked as we returned.


    ¡°Oh you know, and your discussions?¡± his wife asked.


    ¡°Well, well, we''re all done.¡±


    We had a brief back and forth about how it was getting late, and how we really did need to go, along with a promise to exchange letters in the future. That was a given, since someone would need to pick up designs for the revolver. I already had those done and with the fact that I was moving on to bigger and better things it was of no moment. It did occur to me that my parents might disapprove, but what they didn''t know couldn''t hurt me or something like that.


    ¡°You don''t smell like smoke,¡± my companion pointed out as we rode home.


    ¡°I don''t smoke.¡±


    ¡°But I''d wager his grace does.¡±


    ¡°Probably, but mostly he wanted a private conversation.¡±


    ¡°I understood as much.¡±


    ¡°Did you enjoy yourself at least, I heard some of your words with the duchess.¡±


    ¡°Oh so much! It was a better time than I''d hoped and knowing them will only help me in the future. I think our hostess liked me better than I could''ve hoped and even asked me about joining her for tea at some point.¡± That was a surprise, and good for her, connections like that couldn''t be bought. ¡°On another subject, should I consider this the beginning of our courting?¡±


    That was a landmine that I hadn''t expected, but stepped right upon.


    ¡°I... hadn''t thought of it, but we should shouldn''t we?¡± It was awkward to me, she was still so young, and even if my body was, my mind wasn''t. Would it matter though, it wasn''t an actual proposal, just a statement that we were connected at our age. It would be an official declaration of potential in the future, but would mean little more now than that she''d be accompanying me to other dinners and the like.


    Pleased she reached forwards and squeezed my hand, though that was the maximum of any significant contact for now. Even holding hands in public would be seen as scandalous. I sighed, still unsure of what the future held.

 Chapter 59 Growing Up

    There were few things in this world that I really truly loved. My family, some of my friends, and my new workshop were all among them. During the days of my break I might have expected to have an actual break, but I would have been wrong. I needed to get things done in my shop, I needed to keep up with social events in the evenings, and my mother was insistent on me keeping up with my sword practice. There was a change at least on the last of them.


    ¡°Yours again,¡± mother said as I planted the point of the practice weapon into her belly.


    ¡°Good fight.¡±


    ¡°Not really, I''m completely out of practice.¡±


    It turned out that my continued growth, added with the absolutely insane amount of practice that I was doing meant that I was now beating her consistently. It felt odd, winning against the person who''d managed to defeat me so soundly for all of my life, but it was bound to happen at some point. My magic was no weaker than hers, and with my size and simple practice, something she seldom did when I wasn''t around, I''d gained much of what I needed to win.


    I thought back to the first tourney I''d been in, how I''d thought of the adults as amazing, impossible for me to do. Now I could do many of the moves they''d done. That didn''t mean I was the best by any means, as there were still even a lot of my fellow students that could keep up with me with ease.


    Lucas for example was a better swordsman than I. He defeated me in the majority of our fights, though I''d like to think I gave him good fights. My goal wasn''t to be the best as cutting people apart though, but rather to have a more mixed style. A blade and a firearm together seemed a better mix for me, since distance fighting was something many of our contemporaries lacked.


    ¡°I suppose you''re growing up.¡± Mother sounded almost sad as she spoke.


    ¡°Oh, I like to think I''ve always been a bit older than I looked.¡±


    She laughed at that. ¡°Maybe, but you were a right little menace as a child. Always wandering off and disappearing, only to show up in the oddest of places. Why once our cook found you in the servants passages here in the house.¡±


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    ¡°I remember,¡± I told her, she was such a scared girl.


    ¡°You where what? Two? How do you remember that?¡± At my shrug she shook her head. ¡°That memory, like your grandfather huh?¡±


    ¡°Suppose so.¡±


    It was a point of fact that elves had a much better memory that humans, to the point that even I had noticed when I was young. Parts of my memory were so clear, not all of it, not even the majority, but sections that I knew were important were almost like a slightly blurry photograph.


    ¡°Son, promise me you won''t do foolish things and get yourself killed.¡±


    ¡°I''ll try.¡±


    ¡°That isn''t what I asked for.¡±


    ¡°Perhaps not, but it is what I can give you.¡±


    She looked like she wanted to argue, to fight me over it, but she didn''t. She''d done so before, berated me, told me off, but now? Now she seemed afraid and sad, afraid that I would leave her, sad knowing that I would soon no longer be the child she''d seen for so long. Below it all though I could see more, just the barest hint of pride that I was growing well.


    We spit soon after, both going to deal with the other tasks we had for the day. As I returned to my room I passed my sister in the hall, working hard while I was hardly working, cleaning all over under the watch of the older maids. She was good, very good, and improving steadily so far as I could tell. Of course there really was only so much I could tell, separated in status as we were. If I paid too much attention to her, or seemed too interested it could cause all kinds of problems, particularly with us both now hitting the cusp of adulthood. Others wouldn''t understand my reasons, and I couldn''t tell them without causing all sorts of trouble, but still I wanted to look out for her.


    Back in my bedroom I got to my letters for the day. My plane project with grandpa was currently grounded, the craftsmen busy with a lot of other orders and being very careful about this odd one. It would take time, as many things did, the first prototype probably wouldn''t be ready for a bit yet. That was frustrating, but I wouldn''t forget about it, it wasn''t like it was something new to me, or impossible.


    The duke''s people had sent a letter confirming they''d begun work on their first prototype revolvers, and would be getting back to me with supplies and questions soon. Both sets of grandparents had events they wanted me to show up to, nothing much, but things I needed to be there for. Lucas had sent me a threatening letter about what would happen if I misbehaved with his sister couched in friendly flowery nonsense, said sister had also sent me a letter, an almost daily occurrence. I responded to all of them as needed, managing not to laugh too hard at how much Lucas and I were alike.


    Sighing I sat back, there was so much to do, and so little time to do it all in. There''d been no more attacks from the goblins at least, and I knew that the authorities were taking that quite a bit more seriously now. Time would tell, but surely we weren''t done with them yet. As for the report that elves had been after the archmage, I didn''t even know what to do about that, perhaps I''d ask grandpa for some lessons in the language, shore things up, yeah right, if I ever found any free time at all.


    For now though? I think it was enough for me to get things in order and go back to school. There was much more to learn, much more to make, much more to prepare for, and there at least I''d be pretty safe. Headmaster Logan may have been the most demanding man I''d ever met, but he knew his business and I was sure that if any enemy showed up in his school they''d be regretting it sorely. Heck, I''d pay good money to see him fight any of the people who''d been giving me so much trouble of late, for I still remembered the beating I''d taken early on.

 Chapter 60 A Greater Future

    Sasha


    I looked at my sister, having felt off for the past several days. While I leaned up against the door to the warren, tapping my fingers in thought. Beside me my most common companion tinkered, playing with some mechanism or other.


    ¡°Do you think father was... wrong?¡±


    ¡°How do you mean?¡±


    ¡°He told the humans they''d be let go unharmed if they didn''t attack, but...¡±


    ¡°No, they were clearly trying to betray him,¡± Greta answered. ¡°Look how quickly the others showed up.¡±


    ¡°Maybe, but how would he have known that?¡±


    ¡°He''s Father, of course he knows,¡± the other goblin answered.


    ¡°Still, I can''t help but thinking that we might have been able to talk it out. He even seemed angry at them.¡±


    ¡°I''d be angry too if you betrayed me.¡±


    Greta understood, but she just didn''t seem to be as worried, at least not on the outside, but we spent too much time together for us not to know each other''s mannerisms, and I could tell that she was bothered by this line of thought. Not wanting to push I changed the subject.


    ¡°What have you got there?¡± I asked, nodding to the small item Greta was working on.


    ¡°Oh this, the cleverest thing, it''s an engine of some kind, works on a heat differential of all things.¡± At her sister''s blank look my more intellectually inclined sister sighed and explained. ¡°One side it hot, the other cold, and it spins.¡±


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    ¡°That''s... neat, but does it do anything else?¡±


    Greta didn''t like that response at all. ¡°Spinning is enough, it''s the very foundation of work! If you can make something spin you can run a wheel, or another mechanism, you could even pump water with it if you wanted!¡±


    ¡°Fine, fine, sorry I asked. You know I''ve never much cared for that kind of thing.¡± I waved my hands in an attempt to calm her down.


    ¡°You and everyone else, well, almost everyone else,¡± she grumbled.


    ¡°Almost?¡±


    ¡°Well, our esteemed Father knows it''s worthwhile of course, and there are one or two others who are showing some amount of promise.¡±


    ¡°Our siblings?¡± I asked, not having seen any that would be worth much to me.


    ¡°No... some of the other altered ones. There''s one in particular who''s more clever than most, though he''s still young and learning.¡± I could hear the hope in her voice.


    ¡°You like him,¡± I observed, only to have her scowl at me.


    We two stood at an odd place in the tribe. Both of us were special, powerful in ways that few others were, smarter, different, better, but also alone. We were different, too different, to the point that few of the others, particularly the males, were of any interest at all. Both of us were of one mind in this, that taking one of the unaltered ones as a mate would be... wrong, something that had led to Father going out of his way to start altering some that weren''t our siblings, in hope we might find someone.


    Sadly our brother Sigmund had no such compunctions, and was fathering children at a steady rate. This wasn''t great, because though they were slower to grow like all of our siblings they were also... stupid, yes, stupid was the word, and large. They were still young, but even now some of them were getting to be a real pain in the ass. The unaltered ones knew to obey, but these were aggressive beyond them, stronger, and while none had fully manifested their progenitor''s strength yet, there were some signs they could in the future.


    ¡°Perhaps, have any caught you eye yet?¡± she returned, drawing me out of my thoughts and back to the present.


    ¡°No,¡± I admitted with a sigh.


    ¡°Did you know the humans take only one mate?¡±


    I blinked at that. ¡°Really?¡±


    ¡°Yes, odd isn''t it? They also get really connected it seems.¡±


    I had to think on that for a few moments. The idea of having only one other with you, it wouldn''t work for most of our kind I didn''t think. It also wasn''t expected, though some of that might have been what Father had told us about the place before. On the island we''d apparently died in droves, so having only one wouldn''t really work, but here...


    ¡°Would that be so bad though?¡±


    ¡°You know, that''s why I like you Sasha.¡±


    ¡°Huh?¡±


    ¡°You actually think about things. Most of our siblings would hear something like that and they''d just write it off as humans being humans, but not you. You took the time to think about what it would be like, and if that was something you''d like, and I love that.¡±


    ¡°Without thinking how can we improve?¡±


    ¡°Hehe, exactly.¡±


    ¡°You didn''t answer my question though, would it be so bad?¡±


    For a moment she stopped in her tinkering and tapped her chin.


    ¡°I don''t know, I''ll think about it.¡± That made me chuckle, because what better response could she have had?


    A few moments later she finished with whatever she was doing and held up the device before making a small flame under it. It spun faster and faster, the little wheel chugging along. Honestly it looked more like a toy than anything to me, but if she said it was worthwhile it would be, Greta knew her business.


    ¡°One more step towards a greater future, for all of us,¡± she said, looking at it spin.


    ¡°Yeah, for all of us.¡±

 Chapter 61 Time Off

    With the holidays ending I found myself returned to school, which was a mixed bag. I liked my school and my friends, and being around them, but on the other hand there was the scheduling. At the end of every day I was exhausted, broken, and ready to fall into my bed only to have to wake up and do it again the next day.


    Professor Killic, who I''d met on my first trip here met me after class one day.


    ¡°How are you finding your second year Percival?¡± he asked kindly, sometimes we still talked like this when we had free moments.


    ¡°Busy, though at least I''m now only in exercises for three years instead of four.¡± I answered with a smile.


    ¡°Ha! The advantages of getting to your second year my young friend, though you do seem to have a knack for finding all kinds of things to work on. How are you liking your new class, metalworking was it?¡± Sir Kendrick, the knight sent to make sure I was being well trained had pulled through there, getting me somewhere I could work, if I ever found the moment.


    ¡°Yes, I must say that I''m quite excited for it, though Professor Turner has only covered safety so far.¡±


    ¡°An important subject before we start any large undertaking.¡±


    ¡°Perhaps, but when almost every lesson boils down to keeping your limbs and clothes well clear of the sharp spinning and or hot bits it does get a bit repetitive.¡±


    ¡°Many spinning things in Professor Turner''s class then?¡± he said with a joking smile.


    I groaned, the joke had been done absolutely to death mostly by the professor himself, who thought it was absolutely hilarious. ¡°More than a few, though that''s to be expected.¡±


    ¡°Ah well, though I didn''t pull you aside to talk about other classes so much as my own,¡± he said with a pointed look.


    There was some truth in it, I wasn''t doing nearly as well as I should. Every day I struggled to find moments to do this or that, never truly able to give as much attention to any one subject as I should. That was hardly an excuse though, was it?


    ¡°I''m guessing you didn''t like my last essay?¡±


    ¡°Like it? I liked where you were going with it, but the delivery was far below what I know you''re capable of, and while I''d have found it acceptable for another student you know better.¡±


    ¡°I, uh,¡± I could make excuses, dissemble, but I didn''t want to. ¡°Sorry sir, I should''ve put more effort into it.¡±


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    He gave me a complicated look. ¡°Percival, I''m not sure if it''s my place to say it, but you may be spreading yourself too thin.¡±


    I had to wait to respond until after I''d finished laughing. ¡°Oh I agree, but I''m not sure where I can stop there professor. I somehow doubt Headmaster Logan will allow me to attend fewer combat classes.¡±


    ¡°You could drop either your new course or stop working on creating magical items,¡± he said, looking over at me hopefully. ¡°I hate to say, but neither of those are really that important to men of your stature.¡±


    ¡°No,¡± I bristled. ¡°Well, I may stop the one after learning the basics, but I''m still working on the first level of my core, and that I won''t compromise. As for the metalworking, I enjoy that more than almost anything else, and I''m good at it.¡±


    ¡°Well, will you at least take a bit of time to rest? We''ve a weekend off coming up, and you clearly need a bit of rest. In fact, I know of a lovely little town a short ride away called Bamblebrook, perfect place for an afternoon off.¡±


    ¡°Sir,¡± I said with a sigh. ¡°I was planning on doing your next essay that day.¡±


    Normally I''d have shoved that into an evening, but I was avoiding going to Exion proper since I knew the local goblin population almost certainly had a lookout going for me. Until I was ready to get armed up again and prepped for a battle I was keeping a bit back. Sure, I could''ve asked my grandfather to loan me a couple of guards, and he would''ve, but I wanted to be even more ready than I had last time.


    ¡°Come by my office the day before and give it to me verbally, we''ll discuss your thoughts and counterarguments to them. It''ll take less time and show me you know what I''m trying to teach.¡±


    ¡°That... certainly sir, thank you.¡± I wasn''t going to turn that down, I could come up with the major points in minutes rather than hours, and I''d always enjoyed talking things over more than writing draft after draft of them.


    He wrote me a few notes down, the little village he''d suggested, along with what I''d be speaking on. We weren''t supposed to get the latter for another few days, but having the extra time to run through my thoughts would be a massive help. Extending the papers towards me he fixed me with a hard glare.


    ¡°Take my suggestion and rest, even if you decide to go somewhere else you need to take the day off. I''m giving you a chance here Percival, and if I should find you''ve wasted it I''ll be quite unhappy.¡±


    ¡°Have no worries on that account professor,¡± I assured him, as if I''d shoot myself in the foot by ignoring his kindness. I knew full well that if I did I wouldn''t be getting another opportunity like this.


    That evening I tried to invite my friends, but none of them were up for it. Each and every one had something else they wanted to do rather than join me on our one day off for a relaxing afternoon in a local village. That was disappointing, particularly with Lucas, who wanted to go to a bloody sword tournament of all things, but there was nothing to do about it.


    Bamblebrook Village was only an hour by carriage away, even if one took their time they could leave in the morning, spend the day wandering about, and be back before it got too late. Hiring a carriage for the day of was no great issue either, so I had my plan in hand.


    Even Professor Killic''s assignment went swimmingly, since he was asking for nothing more complex than a discussion on supply and demand in a wartime economy and the ways one might meet their needs. It wasn''t my favorite thing, but I pointed out a few of the more successful things that had been done during the world wars, with victory gardens to supplement food rather than lawns or the like and using rationing schedules. I surely hoped that we''d never need to do such things, but one never knew where the world would go. The professor at least seemed pleased with my suggestions, though pointed out that some of them would really only help the most with morale.


    When the day arrived I woke up as early as I possibly could, took my cane and good clothes, and hopped into my ride. Streets passed at speed, with us missing the small amount of traffic around the school on such days and hardly seeing another on the road as we passed through the pre-dawn darkness.


    Bit by bit the sky lightened, showing hedges and little stone walls around fields of grain, some hardy crop that grew through the cold winter. Tiny cozy cottages sprung up here and there, well back from the road and on hillocks that dotted the countryside, homes for those who lived here, worked here.


    As the sun rose we crested a hill, crossing into a little valley with the village spread out beneath. A small ribbon of water wound down and through the town, which must have at some point been much larger. The walls were small, but sufficient, and you could see where there''d once been houses, but now were open lots, instead planted with vibrant flower gardens and little fountains. It looked idyllic and homey, somewhere one could curl up with an old book and a cup of tea and just wile the day away. I smiled as we rolled towards the little settlement, sure that Killic had given me just the right place.

 Chapter 62 Meeting in Bamblebrook

    My carriage dropped me off just outside the gate to Bamblebrook, this choice was made because the streets inside were apparently painfully small and while they could be taken I didn''t have anywhere in particular I wanted to go. Since it was easier on everyone involved I''d opted for this measure, and as an added bonus I got to see the little town from the point of view of any other visitor.


    The walls were aged, and well built if a bit old in style. It always surprised me how many places here had walls, but the reasoning was clear. This world had monsters of all varieties, and even a moderately sized one could prove quite dangerous to a town. Small monsters popped up here and there and were dispatched with ease, but mid-sized to larger ones could be a real problem, so every settlement of note had some form of wall, even if it was a smaller one people could flee back to during emergencies.


    The main street was beautifully cobbled, and so thin it was clearly built for pedestrian traffic in anything other than emergencies. Surely the carriage that had deposited me hadn''t been the only one to make that decision, something likely encouraged by the local population at large. My feet clacked against the smooth, rounded stones as my eyes drifted this way and that.


    Each side of the street had a number of small restaurants, with coffee and tea served along with light pastries to the early morning guests, and I watched as a girl in a pink apron came out to put out the sign that her little institution was open. I liked the look of that one in particular, with an awning to keep the sun away covered in little flowering vines, and so I decided to be her first morning customer.


    ¡°What can I get for you this morning sir?¡± the waitress asked as she seated me.


    ¡°Something light I think, and some tea. What would you recommend?¡± I asked, seeing what she''d offer.


    ¡°The house special is the best,¡± she assured me.


    ¡°That then.¡±


    As it turned out the house special was two eggs and a bun served with a gently whipped cream and orange marmalade. The flavors balanced perfectly, with the cream unsweetened, as well as the milk bread roll, which was perfectly light and fluffy, and the eggs providing a much needed infusion of protein without too much fat. Even the tea matched it well, giving credence to the idea that this might be one of the better cafes in town.


    I of course ate alone, with few others yet choosing to be at any of the little shops this early. Military schools, like mine, had a military schedule, and as such food was served early in the morning, but for most of the upper classes this wasn''t the case. Well off people often ate their morning meal late, very late, because of course they did, the servants needed time to prepare such things in the morning. Your staff really only could wake up so early if they were going to be working all through the day, so there was a sort of hard limit on how early breakfast could be had. For example, at the summer house we seldom ate a meal before about ten in the morning.


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    After I finished I bid the nice girl good day and continued on my way. The town''s little brook, for which it was almost certainly named fed right through the local park, so I decided to head there next. It seemed a good place to relax and enjoy the morning if nothing else.


    There were lovely little path through the park, leading me on a quick little walkabout for much of the morning. Taking my time to enjoy the flowers and little statues here and there I strolled, in no rush since I didn''t have anything else planned for the morning. Eventually this led me to a little stone bridge that crossed the stream and gave a near perfect view of the whole park.


    ¡°It''s a lovely view isn''t it?¡± a voice asked beside me.


    I turned to find a man beside me smiling. He was slightly taller than myself, with pale white hair pulled back in a ponytail and porcelain skin women I knew would kill for. He also had deep shadows under his eyes, as if he hadn''t slept for days.


    ¡°Yes sir, it is.¡± I didn''t know the man, and while I didn''t want to be rude it seemed off to talk to such a stranger.


    ¡°If you don''t mind my saying, you seem troubled. Whatever could there be that would cause such a young lad to look so stressed?¡±


    ¡°Is that not the pot calling the kettle black? You''re not much older than I am.¡± It was true too, he looked to be perhaps in his twenties, and quite sickly.


    He laughed. ¡°I assure you I''ve aged gracefully, though it''s true that I''ve not been myself for awhile. Haven''t been out in some time you see. In fact my daughter forbade me from coming here, can you believe that? Ah, she''ll live though.¡±


    ¡°She probably just wants the best for you,¡± I assured him, at his age his daughter had to be at most about ten.


    ¡°Perhaps, but you still haven''t answered my question.¡±


    ¡°Many things, it just feels like I don''t have the time I need to get as strong as I need to.¡±


    ¡°Ah, I''m afraid I can''t really understand that one, but a bit of advice from an expert, don''t go seeking power. That road leads only to pain and heartbreak.¡±


    ¡°Pfft, I don''t want power for the sake of power, I want to keep the ones a love safe.¡± I already knew not to seek something like that to the exclusion of other things.


    ¡°A noble desire, but my statement stands.¡±


    ¡°What about you? What has such bags under your eyes?¡± I snapped, quite tired of this man''s unsolicited advice.


    ¡°A friend of mine died recently, one of many over the years.¡±


    ¡°Oh, my condolences,¡± I bit my lip, sorry now for losing my temper with a man in mourning.


    ¡°Murdered too, and I haven''t the slightest idea why, it''s quite frustrating. Though I don''t suppose a youngling like you has ever seen such a thing.¡±


    ¡°I have actually. Awhile back I met an old lady who was betrayed by someone who should have been on her side. I couldn''t do anything to help either, it... was so wrong.¡± I didn''t go into specifics, but there was nothing wrong with telling him such a broad story.


    I could see his jaw clench out of the corner of my eye, perhaps the story reminded him of his friend. ¡°And the killer?¡±


    ¡°She got him back, old spitfire that she was, might''ve missed some of his friends though.¡±


    ¡°I see.¡±


    We sat in silence for a few minutes, neither looking at the other until he spoke again, pointing.


    ¡°Do you see that?¡±


    He pointed at a large descending bird, easily the size of a horse with a wingspan wider than some storefronts. Without thinking I jumped the rail, drawing my sword from my cane as I did, for it looked to be going towards a pair of children playing in the park.


    On a hillside overlooking Bamblebrook a few seconds later.


    ¡°Should we have done something about that?¡± my companion asked. Even with his hair cropped short we could pass as brothers.


    ¡°No, the boy has it well in hand.¡± Sometimes it was good to let the young take care of problems, built character.


    ¡°So was it him?¡±


    ¡°I don''t think so, no. He did however give me an interesting tidbit. Let''s go back to that city, do a bit more digging around, maybe break into their morgue.¡±


    He laughed heartily. ¡°Ah, just like the old days, traveling around, doing things we''re not really supposed to, damn I''ve missed it.¡±


    ¡°You never did grow up did you?¡±


    ¡°Of course not, why would I?¡±


    It was my turn to chuckle. ¡°Come on, let''s get moving while it''s still early. Let''s find our culprit, so I can teach them why I was feared.¡±


    ¡°Sure thing boss.¡± He continued, a whisper under his breath, perhaps thinking I couldn''t hear. ¡°It''s good to have you back.¡±

 Chapter 63 Cleanup

    My conflict with the over-sized avian was disappointingly short. Sure, it was big, and fast, but as most people who studied such things could tell you, when a mammalian predator gets hold of an avian on the ground, it''s pretty much over for the bird. There was still a fair bit of blood though, and two very scared children, who''d somehow come out unscathed.


    There was shortly screaming as a hysterical woman, my guess was the mother of the kids, ran over to and embraced them. The beast hadn''t gotten too near to them, as it was rather weak for its size, but they looked to be in shock, as were most of the people running about, eyes like dinner plates as they looked on. Reactions like that were of course understandable, while we were okay there was a rather massive amount of blood flowing from the dead beast''s neck.


    ¡°Is everyone quite alright?¡± I asked as I sheathed my blade and moved towards them. It was a faux pas to speak to women you didn''t know, but in situations like this nobody would be bothered. After all, it wasn''t like I was doing anything uncouth.


    In times like this it was best to keep yourself calm and collected, at least on the outside. I wasn''t so used to things like this that my blood wasn''t pounding through my veins, but it looked like the danger was over, and causing panic wouldn''t do, so I kept my voice soft and even.


    ¡°You... it, that thing attacked my...¡± The poor mother was having a hard time forming coherent words at this point, but she''d stopped screaming, which was a plus.


    ¡°Worry not, the beast is dead, and it got nowhere near your children. Why don''t we go find somewhere to sit down for a bit?¡±


    Her reaction was understandable, the vast majority of people weren''t used to violence like I was. This lady had probably never been in any sort of life or death situation, and certainly not one as unexpected as this had been. She''d gone from a pleasant day in the park to her kids almost dying, so she was likely flooded head to toe with all the nice stress hormones that someone''s body could make. Oddly her kids were handling it much better than she was.


    ¡°I... yes, thank you.¡±


    She let me lead them over to a nearby restaurant, one with a large covered seating area, and fell into one of the chairs. A few quick words got the waitress to bring them some tea and biscuits, for which she refused payment, and I left them to it. After all, the authorities were now showing up and looking about and I could already see several fingers being pointed in my direction.


    The victims settled I walked back to the scene, and I was impressed. The local police had managed to get here in something like record time, only a few minutes had passed since the incident itself and there were already three on scene, quickly getting interviews while occasionally scanning the sky.


    One of the officers was interviewing a woman who looked stressed, but under it all it seemed she was having a grand time. Gossips were present in every world, and it was clear that this would be the highlight of her week.


    ¡°Oh yes sir I saw it all! I was just sitting in the park, as one does, and out of nowhere there was this shadow. That thing over there swooped down right out of the air at a pair of children, children for goodness sake, like a blur it was, seemed to just appear.¡± The officer, who had an amazing mustache, was writing on a small pad with hmms and yeses spread through. ¡°And this man showed up, tall as a lamppost and broad like a barn, with a flaming sword in hand. He appeared like some sort of specter and tackled the beast to the ground before cutting its head fully from its body he did! I''ve never seen something so amazing!¡± I had hid the thing from the side, but tackling it to the ground? This lady had a bit of an imagination, and my sword most certainly didn''t flame.


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    ¡°Good morning,¡± I said by way of interruption.


    ¡°Can you not see I''m talking to the...¡± her speech tapered off as she turned to tell me off.


    ¡°My apologies ma''am, but would you mind if I had a short word with the officer?¡±


    She sputtered a few confirmations before walking off with a red face.


    ¡°Tall as a lamppost and broad as a barn? You look like my nephew, and we could barely call him a man.¡± We shared a small chuckle at her words.


    ¡°Where are my manners,¡± he said extending his hand. ¡°Officer Larly.¡±


    ¡°Percival Shadestone,¡± I returned. ¡°And yes, I''m the one who slew that.¡±


    ¡°Well Mr. ah, Lord Shadestone, thank you for that. If you hadn''t seen it coming we may well have had deaths,¡± the officer said with a nod.


    ¡°I''m owed no thanks on that account sir, the man I was speaking with saw it not I.¡± I looked around for the gentleman in question, but didn''t see him. ¡°Odd, he must have left.¡±


    ¡°Have to thank him too then. Don''t suppose you caught his name?¡±


    ¡°No, though a local I think. Younger man, with pale white hair and wearing a blue...¡± a robe? No that seemed odd.


    You''d think that after living in this world for years some things would pop out to me, but it wasn''t always so. Coming from a modern country, and used to odd clothes, unless I was looking for them, I seldom noticed. That man though, he''d been wearing a robe, that I was certain of, not something one saw around here very often, not at all.


    ¡°A robe I think, how strange.¡±


    ¡°Afraid I don''t know him, but I''ll ask some of the other lads.¡±


    ¡°Thank you for that. Don''t suppose you know where I could acquire a change of clothes?¡± I asked, looking down, it wasn''t too bad, but there was blood all over my clothing.


    ¡°We''ve a bard on staff that can clean it up. Useful for cleaning up scenes sometimes.¡±


    Their spellcaster pulled through, unruining my outfit before I got sent upon my way. Sure, it was going to be a mess of paperwork for someone, and of course, there''d be cleanup, but I was hardly needed anymore. I did get a bit of attention from some of the locals and visitors today, but nothing more than expected.


    While the park was now closed, for obvious reasons, I did end up enjoying the rest of my day. There were a number of bookstores with absolutely silly fiction about places with metal and glass skyscrapers and something akin to digital assistants, I mean, who thought of that nonsense. There was also a bathhouse, which didn''t really fit in with the pseudo-Victorian world I''d been reborn into, but was magnificent.


    For my next two meals I even splurged on some wonderful restaurants, perhaps not quite as perfect as breakfast had been, but good none the less. While eating I got to listen to the stories being bandied about relating to my actions that morning. Some of them were truly off the wall, but most were close enough to the truth.


    I did file a brief report to the school when I returned, and expected someone would speak to me about it at one point or another. Then again the incident had been fairly minor overall, so perhaps not. What I wasn''t expecting was to be woken even earlier than our normal time to find two teachers and a knight in the office I was promptly led to.


    Professor Killic threw a newspaper forcefully on the Headmaster''s desk. ¡°One day boy! One day! I send you to one of the most peaceful, relaxed hamlets in the whole country, and somehow you find the only beast for thirty miles! What happened to relaxing!?¡±


    ¡°It,¡± I yawned. ¡°Wasn''t that major of an incident sir,¡± I answered before looking down.


    ¡°You made it to the front page,¡± Headmaster Logan answered, nodding downwards.


    ¡°So I did...¡± I answered as my eyes fell on the article.


    ¡°They even put an illustration.¡±


    ¡°I see sir.¡± Admittedly the picture used looked more like something from a novel cover than what actually happened, some epic battle over a pair of cowering youths.


    ¡°There''s even talk in the article of giving you an award. Saving children in the middle of town like that, turns out they were some editor''s. He''s making quite a big deal of it.¡±


    ¡°Sir, it really wasn''t a major thing. The beast was pathetically weak, and it wasn''t like I was looking for it.¡±


    ¡°Oh I believe you, but you do have a knack for finding trouble. For anyone else I''d suggest a chaperone, but based on previous adventures of yours I fail to see how that would help.¡± The other two men in the room scoffed at that one, and admittedly it was a pretty good joke for him.


    ¡°Please don''t take away my days off sir,¡± I asked, I really needed to get out sometimes.


    ¡°I''m not, but I will ask that you try to keep away from populated areas during them in the future, if only to reduce needless panic.¡±

 Chapter 64 Ignus

    Ignus


    I shifted through the city''s offices, eyes peeled for whoever and whatever might be a threat. The city was always under threat of some kind, be it bandits, organized crime, corruption, or something like the monsters now growing in our underbelly. Though none of those compared to the fact that otherwise well known men had betrayed the city.


    ¡°Report,¡± I said as I entered a meeting room.


    ¡°The undercity is still quiet. We know they''re down there somewhere, or at least we expect it, but we can''t find hide nor hair of them,¡± one of my men answered first.


    ¡°Unacceptable, those beasts have done more than enough damage. I want them found, and I want them destroyed completely.¡±


    ¡°I don''t know if that''s the optimal path sir,¡± answered one of our investigators.


    ¡°Explain.¡±


    ¡°From what we''ve seen they''re intelligent, and from the words of those boys they can at least be talked to. This ''Father'' is decidedly a problem, but if we can remove him we might be able to negotiate with the rest,¡± she didn''t seem bothered by my normally sharp tone, knowing that I valued her opinions.


    ¡°We''ll consider if we can find them, but they need to be fixed, and now. As for our other issues?¡± I turned to the other side of the room.


    ¡°The traitors have all been confirmed to have been elves by the priests we brought in. We''re having them quietly examine all of our people now, saying that we''re worried about something from the underground problem. Seemed prudent since they don''t look connected and we don''t want to scare any more traitors. We found one the last night... but this morning he was found dead in his cell. It was... extreme.¡±


    I''d seen the report of the capture on my desk this morning, but not the death.


    ¡°Extreme how?¡±


    ¡°The body, what''s left of it at least, is still being examined. Someone went in there and tortured him, looked like they were skinning the man before he was killed.¡±


    Wow, that was extreme. My people would sometimes torture, quietly, and well away from any priests, but none of ours would have done that in this situation, we needed answers, but the killing told me this was something personal. I''d have to see that too was investigated but one of my other officers on that side was looking alarmed too.


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    ¡°Speak up,¡± I told him.


    ¡°One of the coroners was complaining this morning that someone messed around in the morgue, had files out, left bodies where they shouldn''t have been. He thought it was one of his coworkers, but with that.¡±


    ¡°With that, we have another party involved, potentially more of these infiltrators found out about our captive and decided to remove him.¡±


    ¡°But why the torture? It doesn''t make sense,¡± said the same girl from before, and this was why I valued her opinion, she would point out when I made such foolish mistakes.


    ¡°You''re right, a third party? Maybe they thought he''d betrayed them? We just don''t know, but we need to find out.¡±


    Each of these people had been picked because they excelled at something. That was why I loved it when they disagreed with me, too many times had I gone through life with folks thinking that they needed to suck up, that was wrong. The thing I needed most was to win, it was the only thing that mattered in my line of work. There were people out there that thought they were the best, and everyone should sit down and do exactly as told without argument, and those people were fools. Everyone made mistakes, everyone missed obvious problems, it was only by surrounding ourselves with those whose skills exceeded our own in some field that we could overcome our failings.


    The duke employed me for similar reasons, that was part of why I liked him so much. Sure, he had to maintain appearances, but when it came down to it, he needed things to get done. So he found me, a man who would get the job done, who would protect his city from enemies. He gave me what I needed and listened when I counseled him, basically an ideal boss.


    ¡°Have someone sent to the morgue, doubtful that we''ll find anything of use, but we could. Other than that, make sure any more infiltrators who get caught don''t mysteriously die. We''ll be sending out word to other areas of the issue, so they can look for more once we''re done here.¡± I''d already informed the royals so they could purge the capital, but nobody here needed to know that.


    There were a few other minor details to cover, the results of the sewer searches (nothing), distribution of men, other possibly related crimes, but none of those were surprising in the least. We had one, perhaps two or more enemies in the city, so figuring out what went where and with whom was a chore.


    After the meeting was done I moved off to one of the workshops nearby, to check on another project. Honestly it seemed like more and more of my day was being taken up by meetings, even though I much preferred working in the field. The cost of leadership I supposed.


    ¡°How do things go?¡± I asked the man there, a foreman of sorts.


    ¡°Not well.¡±


    ¡°Go into detail please.¡± Really he should have without me asking.


    ¡°These new weapons work, but resizing them into something usable isn''t. Nobody other than a magic user could hope to wield one without breaking his wrist to shards. As for downsizing it, that''s presented its own plethora of problems.¡±


    ¡°You can''t just shrink the parts by a given amount?¡± I asked.


    ¡°Absolutely not, there''s an explosion in there, and the mechanics of it aren''t simple. Sure, we''ve got plenty of machines with tighter tolerances and comparable pressures, but this is a very different field. Getting it all right is taking time sir. We need men who both are experts in making guns and making small machines, something we just don''t have on staff.¡±


    ¡°I''d like this done quickly.¡±


    ¡°Then could you put us into contact with the creator? Get a consult from him and maybe even have him run us through his design philosophy? I feel like there''s a system to it, because these aren''t something that you could just make so well out of nowhere.¡± Interesting, very interesting.


    ¡°I''ll consider it, we want this project kept fairly quiet for now. What about the other thing I asked about?¡±


    ¡°That I can answer,¡± the foreman said with a slight smile. ¡°That chemical he asked for in pellet form is done, and I know what he wanted it for.¡±


    ¡°Don''t keep me in suspense then.¡±


    ¡°It''s another form of gunpowder, and an amazingly good one too.¡±


    The boy had asked for nitrocellulose, something I''d never heard of, but a chemist had managed to figure it out. He also wanted it in specific particle sizes, something doable, but odd. So I''d decided to hand the information over to our technical men, see what they made of it, at least after the chemist just gave me a shrug.


    ¡°Is that so? How interesting, see what you can learn from it, and how it works in these new firearms. If things go well we can arm all of our men with them by next year. That might be the edge we need against the lowlifes in this city.¡±

 Chapter 65 The Unknown Enemy

    Southern Elazia


    Nicon- Palace of the People


    High Leader Scoran


    I laid back as the girl dyed my hair, one at a time, careful, painfully so. There could be no room for any mistakes, it had to be perfect, look perfect. It was well known how fast an ancient''s hair changed from the normal color to white, not that one of those had been born in centuries, but it was important people at least thought I was perfectly pure.


    It was almost true that I had no human blood, but only almost. Generations could be counted back, generations where no human had marred my line with their filth, where only the best had been added to the family. Still though age crept upon us, slow, like the rocks approaching, but it came. Now only a handful of true pure elves lived, and Atal had more than half. My poor nation had none, hadn''t for so long, the foolishness of our ancestors ruining our chances at real power.


    ¡°How go the breeding programs?¡± I asked one of my aides as he entered the salon.


    ¡°Well Leader, we''re keeping the taint of mortality pushed back bit by bit.¡±


    ¡°And the research on the solution?¡±


    He sighed. ¡°Less well I''m afraid. Though our greatest minds and strongest healers try, they''re just not able to push out all of the human from a person. They claim there''s something missing, some part of the puzzle they don''t yet understand.¡±


    ¡°No progress at all?¡± I asked, slightly disgusted at their failures.


    ¡°Some, in the poorest subjects we''ve managed to increase their purity by around five percent. The doctors tell me that they''ve even managed to purify one enough that she could in theory reenter society.¡±


    He handed the papers to me. The girl had been only a tenth elf when they picked her up, but after their alterations to her she was now fifteen percent, pathetic, but enough for her to have a place. However her health had deteriorated dramatically, and though the tests were now showing her blood to be cleaner it seemed she might die in a year or less. Poor thin-blooded thing had no chance.


    ¡°Hmm, no I don''t think she can. Look here, she wasn''t one of the volunteers, but rather some rebel. Tell them to keep working though, see if this one can be of some use to society. How about the other part of our works?¡±


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    ¡°Going well Leader.¡±


    If only the results had worked on the actual volunteers then perhaps it would be enough. I myself was sitting at ninety-five percent, so close, as close as they''d improved her, but I knew it would be fruitless. Most of the better subjects died, though they''d known they might, it was simply the chance at true immortality that had spurred them to try. A few of the volunteers did manage a percent or two, even if it seemed to cause horrible side-effects. I had hundreds of years until my age showed though, so there was no rush.


    ¡°Good, once our nation is restored, once we are ourselves again then we''ll have the time to grow our power. We''ll rise and show the world what our kind once were, what we could be again. The mistakes of the past will be wiped away as we achieve our destiny my friends.¡±


    The dye was done so I rose, smiling at them, it felt almost like one of my speeches. The stylist beamed, my aide nodded. Then the man saw me looking at the other file in his hand and frowned.


    ¡°What news?¡± I asked after sending the stylist out.


    ¡°We anticipate failure, with some of our operatives still being caught. I recommend we pull the rest out.¡±


    ¡°She hasn''t been seen in months though, are we sure she''s alive?¡±


    ¡°No Leader, though this wouldn''t be the first time she''s disappeared on us.¡±


    I spat, the gall of that human, stealing the secret of gate travel from elvenkind and hoarding it. How much of our heritage had she absconded with? Even her life was too long for one of her kind, stretching years and years longer than any of the mortals had any right to. At first I''d thought she might be one of ours, as it was known her kin had elven blood, but no, it was some magic. Some of the fools in the western lands had even taken to calling her the ''immortal archmage'' a blatant insult to the true immortals of this world.


    ¡°Failures, all of them. Shame we couldn''t stir one of the ancient ones to our cause, they could have put the fool in her place.¡±


    ¡°Indeed sir, even those who don''t like the humans are loath to move though. You know as I that they sadly move slower and slower as they gain in years.¡±


    ¡°Perspective my friend, when you''ve been around for so long things must seem to be able to wait. That is the one thing The Great Ancestor never failed at. We should be more like him, always working, always improving, for all of our people.¡±


    ¡°There''s one more thing Leader,¡± he said, interrupting my thoughts.


    ¡°Hmm?¡±


    ¡°Some creatures were found, the reports are sparse, but it looks like they''re mixing with the humans.¡±


    One more file, barely a page described these green creatures, it even had their name and the island they''d come from. As I read down the page I saw more and more about them, and the memories in my mind tickled, showing me pages.


    ¡°With me, at once!¡± My memory was almost perfect, but for something like this I had to be sure.


    We moved down the halls of the palace and into the room of records. I sped through the aisles, knowing exactly where I was going. Here, deep down in the archives there was a book, ancient stories from The Great Ancestor, stories I''d long thought spoke of lost beasts or tales of creatures he''d heard of.


    ¡°Yes, yes, I knew it was here. Look, the words here tell of these monstrosities, warn of them. Goblins, small green creatures, much like men known for their fast breeding and rapine ways. An enemy of all decent creatures that should be destroyed. Even a reference in the margin here, of a hero known for slaying them.¡± The little drawing showed a warrior who it appeared had once had decorations on the side of his helm that had been broken off, but oddly didn''t show his face at all, instead his helmet remained on his head.


    ¡°And they''ve made it into the human lands? Should we do something?¡±


    ¡°Yes, send a fleet to purge that island with fire and death. We''ll also not be retracting our assets in their lands, but reassigning them, they''re to find and destroy these beasts wherever they might be.¡±


    ¡°Yes sir.¡±

 Chapter 66 Change of Plans

    I passed along the halls of my school, an academy for young knights. Outside young men sparred in one of the fields, others studied on the grass in the summer sun. Now well into my second year of school I had today off, time to relax and kick back.


    Months passed since our last encounter, but still my green-skinned enemies didn''t make themselves known. Some things of minor note happened of course, but nothing so serious as it could have been. That was good, for my teachers were still none too pleased with me finding trouble when away from the school.


    At one point there was a request from the local authorities that I consult with them on some firearm designs I''d provided. That was easy enough, and I quickly found the problems they were having. It was clear that they didn''t have the right experts for the adjustments they were trying to make to my designs, but I was in fact just the sort of person they needed, even if I was a rank amateur by my own estimation. A few notes here and there about adjusting size, pressure, and general layout and they quickly had something they could use. I still tried to push for everything to be massively overbuilt, because if a gun had too thick of certain parts it would be heavy, but too thin and you could have a catastrophic failure.


    Things were going well, in fact the only thing that was going wrong at all was the letter I''d received just this morning. My parents had written, and in a flowery explanation that really could have been two sentences had told me that they would not be coming to the city during the winter this year. Instead I was left to my own devices. Of course that meant that I also needed to take over management of the house and staff, though they did most of that on their own.


    On a happy note though this meant that I could check on my younger half-sister with impunity. My father may have hid her existence, and basically everyone though I should have nothing to do with ''servants'' other than purely professional things. Even the few who knew of my father''s indiscretion with one of our maids wanted me to keep at arm''s length, I had other ideas though. After all, it was a big brother''s job to keep an eye out for his siblings, and one I wouldn''t shirk.


    ¡°Oh, there you are,¡± said Lucas, approaching me at speed from the side.


    I ducked under my best friend''s arm and attempt at pulling me into a headlock. He was a good guy, but a bit of a fanatic about training.


    ¡°Good morning Lucas, how are things?¡±


    ¡°Excellent, the sun is shining, the breeze is blowing, and it''s time to train!¡±


    ¡°Don''t you get enough from the Headmaster? He has me doing session after session now and I know you''re on a similar schedule.¡±


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    ¡°Never enough my friend, never enough. So, you, me, arena.¡±


    ¡°Can''t right now unfortunately, I''ve got business in the city,¡± I said as I passed him the note, earning a frown.


    ¡°Are they even letting you into the city on off days?¡± he inquired.


    ¡°Eh, it''s been long enough since the last incident that they''re loosening the restrictions, and it''s not like I''ll be alone.¡±


    My reputation for chaos had spread, much to my chagrin. None of it was my fault of course, or at least most of it wasn''t. The simple fact of the matter was that the city''s goblin problem was still probably in full swing, even if they''d failed to find the little buggers. There weren''t even any actual reports of them, so I could tell they weren''t meeting with success in dislodging the green menace beneath the streets.


    Honestly I didn''t know if the local authorities could handle the goblins, and I couldn''t do too much to help them. The fact was that their leader was a centuries old biomancing madman from my former world, led to some significant issues for anyone trying to dislodge them. Even if I could tell the local leaders, which I couldn''t, and they did believe me, which they wouldn''t, I''m not sure it would''ve helped much.


    ¡°However are you going to catch up to me then? You know I''m beating you more and more by the week.¡±


    ¡°Don''t know that I will Lucas, and that''s alright, you''ll never be the shot or machine worker I am.¡±


    He looked at me almost pained, but what was there to do? I liked the fencing matches we had, to be sure, but I wasn''t obsessed like he was. He was well on his way to becoming a master of the art, while I fell behind constantly. Originally he and I had been evenly matched, but he was right, he was pulling ahead slowly but steadily.


    ¡°You could, you''ve got a gift for it.¡±


    ¡°No, I trained all through childhood. Heck, I''m still training far more than almost anyone except you now, but...¡± I wasn''t having the same improvements, progress, sure, but not like he was having.


    ¡°Fine, but you''d better be putting your all into your weapons.¡±


    I simply smiled. Perhaps I didn''t have either his gift or drive for swordplay, but when it came to other things I was progressing nicely. Hidden amongst my papers and things were blueprints, and the beginning parts of some truly amazing weapons, ones that suited me far better than blades, and would work for others too. Soon, so very soon we''d have a new era in this world, one I''d be at the forefront of.


    Splitting from him since I had things to do today I slipped into a carriage and soon found myself traveling in a familiar direction. Trees and fields gave way in short order to walls of stone and brick, the roads shrinking to fit between the rising buildings. Street by street we moved until a house I''d come and gone from for most of my life rose before me once more.


    Departing from my conveyance I strolled up to the front door and opened it. Unlike the normal homecoming my family had once a year the staff weren''t lined up and ready to greet me. In fact I was alone here in the entry, looking about with a light smile at the decorations. I never did get tired of some of the stylistic bits of art mother had put here.


    While I was staring at one particularly lovely painting of a sunrise over a snowy mountain I heard a call from behind me.


    ¡°Excuse me sir, what exactly...¡± the maid who''d stumbled upon me began, clearly displeased someone had just waltzed right into the house without so much as knocking. When she saw my face she snapped back. ¡°Apologies m''lord, I didn''t know you were coming by today. Can I be of any assistance?¡±


    Sadly I''d scared the poor girl. She''d thought I was some intruder to be chased off, and even begun to raise her voice, which was good. However with the distinctions in society and the strict discipline some people kept she might well expect to be punished for doing so to a member of the family she worked for. There were people like that, but not being a complete bastard I wasn''t one of them.


    ¡°Ah my apologies for that, I didn''t quite have time to send word ahead. Would you be so kind as to find Mrs. Rider and let her know I''d like a word?¡± I asked in a soft, relaxed tone.


    ¡°Of, of course, right away.¡± She turned on her heel and fled.


    Was I really that intimidating? Honestly I tried my best to be a decent man to everyone I met, but then again I supposed the house staff didn''t end up interacting with me all that much. Shaking my head I went back to my contemplation, this time on a cityscape painting of somewhere I''d never been before.9

 Chapter 67 Paperwork and Encouragement

    I did not aim to cause the family''s staff stress, but I did so with aplomb anyway. Mrs. Rider, the housekeeper for this particular home soon found me where the maid had, looking a bit surprised, but well composed. She looked at me, and at the small bag the coach had left before departing before speaking.


    ¡°Lord Percival, I wasn''t expecting you at all, was there some issue?¡± she asked with a rush.


    ¡°Not a particular one, but did you get a letter from my parents?¡± I asked in return.


    ¡°No, I can''t say I''ve had one in the last few days, but that''s hardly odd.¡±


    I''d luckily brought the one they''d sent to me, which I handed over to her. Her brow creased a bit as she read, sighing when she reached the end.


    ¡°Indeed, while I''m not in a rush today I was hoping you might be able to go over the expenses with me early. I imagine it will be a tribulation based on how mother regards them and would prefer to get started early.¡±


    My mother might not manage the day-to-day functions, but the expenditures were ultimately part of her responsibilities. Unlike my father who would work with those outside the home to bring in money she made sure it was all going where it was supposed to, checking finances, receipts, and the like to see that we weren''t being swindled and that everything was in its place. I knew she got monthly reports from the city house, but she went into much more detail for several days every winter to check the books.


    ¡°That''s no problem, but I''m afraid we don''t have any of the upstairs offices opened right now. Would it be acceptable to use mine?¡±


    ¡°Certainly.¡±


    Mrs. Rider''s office was a small room near the female staff''s dormitories. There were a number of the more expensive supplies for the house as well as bookcases of paperwork everywhere. With only a pair of seats to be had she tried to let me use the one behind her desk, but I insisted on a smaller stool instead, after all I was the guest here.


    For most of the first day I worked alone, the housekeeper having other things to do. Even during the downtime of the year she still had over a dozen staff to manage and a house to run. I bent over the books, checking receipts and records.


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    ¡°I think the butcher is overcharging,¡± I told her when she finally returned, it wasn''t much, but the costs were above what they ought to be. Only a few months into this year''s work and I could see that already.


    ¡°Oh I agree, and have told your mother as much, but she wants to keep with him. There''ve been reports of a few of the others in town serving less than stellar meats, sometimes even different animals than they''ve advertised.¡±


    ¡°That''s fair.¡± If they both knew then I''d leave it to them, after all I was just the fill in. ¡°How about the staff how are they doing?¡±


    ¡°Well enough, we''ve hired a new boy to help with the coaches as the old one is now being trained as a footman. He''s not up to snuff yet, but should be by the time winter rolls around.¡± I appreciated her candor in that. Training was an important part, and while he needed to be ready for when he would be needed if he wasn''t he simply wasn''t.


    ¡°Good, and the maids?¡± I asked, hoping to get some news on my little sister.


    ¡°Doing well, anything in particular you''re worried about?¡±


    ¡°No, not as such. I''d like to have a word with the staff at some point individually if that''s well and good. See if there are any concerns they have that I need to address.¡±


    Mrs. Rider gave me a kindly smile, seemingly pleased that I was so interested in the well-being of the people working for me. In this world such concern was not a given, though on Earth many managers hadn''t cared for their workers either. However I felt that it was important to know such things, to fix them before they became a problem. Though honestly I really was mostly concerned about one maid in particular.


    ¡°I''ll see to it,¡± she said, nodding happily.


    Satisfied that I''d gotten at least some of the housework done I retired to my private workshop. There was dust everywhere, as it wasn''t somewhere I wanted any of the staff to go, but I had a few things I wanted placed here. My previous weapon had been an over-sized revolver, but my next one, oh it would be something a bit more energetic.


    In my absence the materials and machines I''d gotten from the duke had been delivered, mostly piled beside the door. These I quickly moved to the places I thought they''d fit best and began working.


    My first attempt at making a piece of brass was lackluster, taking longer than I''d like and giving me dimensions that were slightly off. For some applications that would be fine, but not for this one. I scrapped it and began again. Soon I''d found a rhythm, and it wasn''t until a knock came from behind me that I looked away from my labors.


    ¡°Lord Percival, will you be staying for dinner?¡± It was Kaylee who''d been sent to check on me, and she stood there in the doorway, looking inside.


    ¡°Hmm? Oh hello there Kaylee, ah, no, but it is getting late isn''t it, thank you for letting me know.¡± I smiled a bit despite myself as I saw her. She was still the same cute little sister she''d always been.


    ¡°Of course sir, do you need anything else?¡±


    ¡°No, no I''m quite well. How are you by the way? It''s been some time since we''ve spoken.¡±


    ¡°I''m well sir, quite well.¡± I had to bite my desire to tell her not to be so formal back.


    ¡°Excellent, and your magic? Still practicing?¡± I asked.


    ¡°Oh, yes, though I can''t do much more than make a small fire. Mrs. Rider is happy to let me use it to light the fireplaces and the ovens in the morning. So I''m getting some use of it at least.¡±


    ¡°Well, keep at it and I''m sure things will improve for you, and if you ever want to charge some items let me know. I''m sure I can find something for you,¡± I offered, knowing that I could give her a better rate than anyone else would.


    ¡°Thank you my lord,¡± she answered with a shy smile.


    ¡°Look at the time though, I must be off if I''m to return to the school before curfew. My thanks again for stirring me, and do be well.¡±


    As I rushed off to return to school I wondered what she thought. Did she know what I knew? Did she think I was some odd rich boy, or perhaps inappropriately interested in her or that perhaps it was just our shared connection to her mother and my childhood nanny. At some point I''d have to find a way to tell her the truth, but I knew neither how nor when would be the right time to do such a thing.

 Chapter 68 Not My Fault

    School was, well, schooling, even if a number of the subjects were different it remained much the same from my previous life. Sure, there were no computers to write our reports and essays on, and sure, we had much more gym, and it was significantly more violent, but boys were boys regardless of the time period or place. The administration was always trying, and failing, to enforce discipline, the students always determined to get into one or another of any number of bits of trouble.


    While I myself had been involved in a minor rebellion on our first day here today it wasn''t my turn, it was Simon''s. One of my closer friends in this institution of education the boy had been caught in some shenanigan, and for some reason I''d been brought in with him. A message for me at lunch informing me I was to come to the headmaster''s office, nothing more.


    ¡°Why is it always you who ends up in my office?¡± our headmaster said, looking down at me.


    ¡°Honestly sir, I''ve no idea why I''m here.¡±


    ¡°He had nothing to do with it sir,¡± Simon protested.


    ¡°You two expect me to believe that?¡± He leaned over his desk glaring.


    ¡°Sir,¡± I told him, my heckles raising. ¡°We''ve met, when have you known me to lie? If I''d done something I thought you''d be this angry over, I''d just tell you.¡±


    He narrowed his eyes even more, picking up a small box and putting it on the desk between us. With a frown I opened it, and inside found something most unexpected. The pieces were small and complex, more complex than most people worked with, but they weren''t mine. This wasn''t machined, but rather magically constructed, and while I could see clearly that they moved I didn''t know what they did. There were even a pair of highly polished gems.


    ¡°What are they?¡± I asked.


    ¡°Pieces of a golem, headmaster, Percival had nothing to do with this, it was all me.¡±


    ¡°You? Young Simon, a skilled enough student you may be, but I''ve seen enough over the years to know that you''re not good enough to design these. I''d even doubt you could come up with the instructions to make them on your own.¡±


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    That was why I''d been brought in then, the headmaster thought I had helped him create a golem, though this one would only be about the size of my palm. I hadn''t of course, they were rare things, hard to design, harder to control, magically speaking they were among the most complex of projects.


    ¡°Ah... I didn''t do either. The designs and instructions came from a book. My father designed these, they''re supposed to be a toy. He never made any, but there''s this girl, and I thought...¡±


    ¡°That you would make a highly banned item in my school?¡± the older man growled.


    It was true too, there were laws, lots of them, about magical items. Certain wards were disallowed, too dangerous to the public, certain functions completely banned for even study. Golems themselves were highly, highly regulated, to the point that I''d never even saw one. Most of the designs were showpieces, kept to prove that it could be done, or war engines, useful for generations of people.


    The law used to be a lot looser, a lot more permissive on what people could make, but there''d been incidents. As both magical theory and technology increased so too had the danger of certain spells, ideas that wouldn''t have been feasible in years passed were now very possible. In the case of golems there''d been a particularly bad incident where a security model had gotten confused on what it was to guard and from whom. Massive magically enhanced metal monsters were not simple to kill, and that one had required military intervention in the form of artillery bombardment. Golem construction had been highly regulated afterwards.


    ¡°I''m sorry sir, I didn''t think...¡± Simon began.


    ¡°Clearly, golems don''t either, that''s the problem with them. A golem made to dig, digs, it doesn''t care if there are people in the way, or buildings, or anything else. Even simple toys made to do things like run in circles can become dangerous if there''s nothing to stop them, no proper protections. These things are banned for a reason boy!¡± Then he turned to me. ¡°Well Percival, you at least have my apology. It seems that for once in the past two years you''re actually not part of the mess I find on my desk.¡±


    ¡°Thank you sir,¡± I quickly said, happy to be excused.


    ¡°Leave now while I decide what to do with your companion here.¡±


    It wasn''t until dinner that I managed to find Simon again. I''d been worried when he missed our next class, but he was still here, just looking thoroughly tired.


    ¡°You alright there?¡± I asked, sliding in next to him at a table.


    ¡°Yes, I''m... well.¡±


    ¡°What happened? Percival here wouldn''t share the details,¡± Lucas added, joining us. He may have been an upperclassman, but he still hung out with us every now and again. ¡°Though he did insist it wasn''t his doing this time. What''d you do? Sneak naughty pictures into the school? Steal from a classroom.¡±


    ¡°I was trying to make something I shouldn''t have, and he got dragged in because he''s a troublemaker,¡± Simon said, looking over to me. ¡°Sorry about that by the way.¡±


    ¡°It''s fine,¡± I answered. ¡°What I''m more interested in is how you planned to actually make it. That would imply that you finished at least the first level of your core wouldn''t it?¡±


    I knew the people in the class for making magical items this year, and Simon here wasn''t one of them. How did he plan to make a golem if he couldn''t even do that? No, if he was planning that, if he even went through the effort of making the parts he had to have thought of that issue.


    ¡°Uh... don''t share it around, but I got one years ago.¡±


    ¡°What how!?¡± Lucas asked.


    Simon seemed a bit taken aback. ¡°Dad''s a wizard, likes books and all that stuff, he taught me when he thought it was right. Reason I don''t advertise is, well, it''s kind of nerdy isn''t it?¡±


    ¡°Should I take that as a personal insult?¡± I asked lightly, I didn''t think he meant it as one, but I didn''t like his tone.


    ¡°No, I mean, you do amazing things with machines, guns and engines whatnot, not... toys and pretty lights. Does that make sense?¡±


    ¡°Only if you''re willing to help me with a few projects,¡± I asked with a smile.


    ¡°What did you have in mind?¡± Simon asked, while Lucas just laughed.

 Chapter 69 A Proposition

    I didn''t just care about Simon because of golems, sure I could in theory come up with some great ideas of what to do with them, but more importantly, he had access to an actual core. One of those was illegal to have around, a tool of extreme danger, the other, the other was normal, something anyone could have, something anyone could use.


    Simon was also a friend though, so I wouldn''t draw him into the worst of my ideas, but there were so many. Before we could do anything serious I wanted to see some basics first though. Everyone had their own way of doing things, and I wondered what his was.


    ¡°So can you show me some of the things you''ve made?¡± I inquired when we got back towards the dorm buildings.


    ¡°I can, but I''m surprised that you''re not able to do it already. Is there a reason you''ve not fully built your first core yet?¡± he asked.


    Cores came in three basic levels, and while the literature dithered on what each should be called it was a simple progression. The first level, often called the apprentice core, would allow the most basic of enchantments, and was as a point of fact what most used.


    ¡°No time,¡± I responded.


    ¡°You''ve been working on that kind of thing for like a year though?¡±


    ¡°And it normally takes a year or more for that first level to be complete. Thing is I can''t put the kind of time I need into building upon it.¡±


    ¡°Why?¡±


    ¡°Have you seen my class schedule?¡± I laughed. It was well known among my friends that I hardly had free time for anything.


    ¡°Alright then, but can''t you buy anything you want? Your family is easily as wealthy as mine.¡± That too was true, but it was true for almost everyone here.


    ¡°Hardly, my parents give me a budget, and custom made pieces for my own enjoyment are not in that budget.¡±Unauthorized content usage: if you discover this narrative on Amazon, report the violation.


    Almost everyone at our school was wealthy in some way or another, that was just part of being able to wield magic. There was an endless need for enchantments, for spell-work, for powerhouses in any industry. Even the staff at my home that had minor magics like my sister weren''t poor, and almost never could be. Her income, and the income of anyone with such abilities, was several times what a non-magical person would make.


    ¡°And I''m assuming you don''t bother to make your own money either to supplement it?¡± I did, but that was hardly his business, particularly not because my money had come mostly from selling guns to the local government, or at least the plans.


    ¡°Now now, this is hardly the time to be speaking of such things. I just wanted to see what you can do.¡±


    ¡°So you can use me,¡± he griped.


    I opened my mouth to respond, but then closed it again. He''d pointed it out too well, too quickly for me to deny.


    ¡°My apologies Simon, that was what I was doing wasn''t it? I was seeing what I wanted, not what you wanted.¡±


    ¡°Well, you did get pulled into my mess so I wasn''t going to complain too much...¡±


    Simon wasn''t my closest friend, but he was still a friend, and I''d wronged him. That... hurt, I knew people like that in both of my lives and I wanted to do better, be better. Too many people longed for a second chance like the one I''d gotten, a chance to live a life different from the one they''d had, a chance to fix the mistakes they''d made, and here I was making one of those. I stopped where I was, drifting off into thought.


    ¡°No, you''re right to complain, I was being a proper fool. I''ll agree, that it was annoying for me to get pulled into your nonsense, but you don''t owe me anything at all for it do you? After all nothing really came of it. That said, I''d still love to see your work, if you''ll show me.¡±


    Simon didn''t answer me at first, instead also stopping before finally laughing and reaching out to punch me in the shoulder.


    ¡°Ow!¡±


    ¡°Stop being serious, come now, let''s go.¡±


    Simon was feeling generous enough to show me some of his work, and honestly it wasn''t all that impressive. Sure, everything was magic, but he wasn''t doing much with it. There was a lamp, a heater for water, and a few other odds and ends that he''d made, but all were about the simplest version that could be made. There were no controls to change the intensity, no frills, barely an on/off control to them. Even if everything worked, it didn''t work optimally, and it didn''t do anything other than the most basic function.


    ¡°So, what do you think?¡± he asked.


    ¡°I think if this is your work you weren''t ready for making a golem. Simon I know you''re better than all this. Even if you don''t like this kind of thing it''s not something you should put away, or ignore.¡±


    ¡°Well, everything works does it not?¡± he griped.


    ¡°It could work better, which we both know. You were going to impress some girl with a fancy item but what would have happened had she ever seen you using this?¡± I asked, poking his lamp to turn it on, then off, it was a cube even, and frankly ugly. All of his items were unbelievably ugly.


    ¡°That''s true...¡±


    With a smile I made a proposition. ¡°Maybe my eyes were getting a bit big for what I wanted too, but I do have a proposal if you''re interested.¡± At his raised eyebrow I continued. ¡°Why don''t we remake these? I could certainly use the practice, and between the two of us we have the skills to make much nicer things for you.¡±


    ¡°And what are you getting out of this?¡± he asked.


    ¡°Practice, and seeing the process in action, though I won''t complain if you decide to make a few extras that alone is enough. I know plenty of theory, and I''m sure I can machine out a few nice outer shells for these, but I''ve never done it. Even the professors have only shown us the whole thing once or twice.¡±


    ¡°Alright, let''s do it,¡± he said with a smile.

 Chapter 70 Prepping for Work

    Simon and I had to wait a bit to really get to work, mostly because I was too busy to do much more than I was. That said I did give him a few tips on what he should look for in features, and even loaned him a couple of my schoolbooks on programming. The latter would help for looking up commands and useful sequences, but didn''t really contain anything groundbreaking in it.


    While he did that I thought about some shell designs and how I''d go about making each, along with how I''d do what he should be doing, nothing too specific, just some basic notes. Even so we had access to the shop in the school, and I was sure that we could come up with something really quite nice. In fact I had some ideas based on pieces from my previous world I thought would go over well.


    The evening before our day off we had time, so we went to go see Professor Ruian.


    ¡°Good evening Professor,¡± I said as the two of us entered her office. ¡°I was hoping that we might have you look over something.¡±


    ¡°Hopefully not some attempt to make another weapon with my tools,¡± she said with a frown, apparently it had gotten back to her what I''d done.


    ¡°No ma''am, I promise we won''t be doing that.¡±


    ¡°Or any other illegal items,¡± she responded, pointedly looking at Simon.


    ¡°No Professor,¡± he said, looking a bit embarrassed.


    ¡°Hmm, what do you need then. Your work in my class has been acceptable, so I don''t think we have any homework you''d need help with.¡±


    It was clear that she was suspicious, and that was fair after all. Both of us had caused this particular professor no small amount of trouble, and while I''d heard nothing I was sure that someone had given her a talking to about letting students do things. She''d caught Simon though, so there was that.


    ¡°Just looking at making a few small items Professor, would you be willing to look over things to make sure we didn''t do anything wrong?¡± Simon passed over the runic sequences we''d written down, the codes for the items we were planning to make.


    The professor took them without losing her scowl and I worried. She''d been so friendly before, so full of joy. Had we taken that with out hi-jinks? I certainly hoped not, she was good at what she did, and making her lose her love of it certainly wasn''t what I''d intended.


    ¡°These are... not bad. There''s some room for improvement in the efficiency, and you need to add some limiters in a few places, but otherwise not bad at all.¡± She even made notes on the pages where we needed to improve them, and what we might do to do so.The narrative has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the infringement.


    Looking over what she''d written the reasoning was obvious. Simon hadn''t added in upper limits to how much heat or light the items he was making could produce, and that was mildly dangerous. They couldn''t really explode or anything, since they simply wouldn''t be putting out that sort of energy, but they could burn things, or potentially hurt someone''s eyes. It was something I should have thought of, but didn''t.


    ¡°Um... we were hoping to make these tomorrow if you don''t mind us using some of the equipment,¡± Simon added as he too looked over the notes.


    ¡°We have a new policy that students are only allowed access to certain pieces of equipment under direct supervision of a member of staff, and you are fortunate that I will be here tomorrow afternoon. She wrote the hours she''d be in on a slip of paper and handed them to us. I''m sure you two understand why such a policy is necessary?¡±


    ¡°Yes ma''am,¡± we chorused.


    A quick check on my part confirmed that the machine shop now had similar restrictions as well. Personally I was surprised, but also relieved. I might be fairly safe to use those tools alone, but others certainly weren''t as trained, and it would be a real shame if some kid got hurt. We also got lucky in that it would be open in the morning.


    We met once more as the sun crested the horizon, spilling pale light over the countryside. It was beautiful really, the pink stretching across the sky before fading into a pristine blue. There was not a cloud in sight, a perfect day. It was really a shame we''d be inside for most of it.


    ¡°You know, you never told me about this girl you were making the golem for,¡± I said as we left the dorms. ¡°Magical items are nice, but does she even have a way to power one?¡±


    ¡°She''s a priestess,¡± he said with a blush. ¡°So that wouldn''t be a problem. We met when I had to go for some healing, broken leg over the winter break.¡±


    I looked at him with raised eyebrows. All the boys at this school were physical magic users and it took a significant amount of force to break one of our bones. Some of us could lift small cars if we were in the mood to, or move at superhuman speeds, so even the least durable of us was still quite hard to injure.


    ¡°I''d rather not go into how, it''s a bit embarrassing,¡± he demurred when he saw my look.


    ¡°Alright, so you met her when you went to get healed and ended up courting?¡±


    ¡°Indeed, she''s so kind, and her face is like porcelain, surrounded by golden locks...¡± He looked off into the distance a bit. ¡°Add to that she doesn''t really have anything nice other than a few formal outfits and I wanted something special for her.¡±


    ¡°Doesn''t have anything nice? Goodness a caster of any kind should be able to afford at least a few things.¡±


    ¡°She lives at the temple for training and they encourage a very... ascetic lifestyle. Not allowed to sell mana to anyone for things beyond needs, or encouraged to buy fancy things. A gift though would be fine, so I thought the little golem would be perfect.¡± It was clear that he was trying, trying to give her something to impress.


    ¡°What magical items does she have though? Maybe we can think of something.¡±


    ¡°Oh, so far as I know nothing. She said they issue small allowances for things like oil lamps and wood for heating...¡± he said, nearly stopping where he stood. ¡°Oh I''m a fool aren''t I?¡±


    ¡°At least you realize it,¡± I teased, seeing that he now understood what he should have been looking at.


    ¡°We''ll need something pretty though, I''d hate to give her some ugly thing like I had. Hope you don''t mind me saying, but I''d like something different for her, something, oh I don''t know, feminine.¡±


    ¡°How about flowers?¡± I offered, I''d turned a few for decorations back on Earth. Tulips were easy, and with a bit of imagination you could even make others. ¡°I could make several of different metals and we could make each like the items your making for yourself.¡±


    ¡°That wouldn''t be to hard?¡± he asked.


    ¡°Not at all,¡± I assured him. ¡°We should even have enough metal in stock. It will be like giving her a bouquet, but useful.¡±


    ¡°Yes, yes let us do that!¡± He sounded thrilled with the idea.


    He was quite excited and so was I as we entered the shop. I breathed deep, the smell of oil and metal filling the air, the sun pouring through the windows. It was an absolutely perfect day, and the only way it could possibly improve was if I''d been able to do this partially outside, like my garage from my first life.

 Chapter 71 Magical Item Creation

    My hands tingled as the lathe spun to life. It didn''t have the hum I was so used to from Earth, the gears being run by magic instead of an electric motor, but it did make a slight sighing noise. The machine was so quiet, nearly a whisper, a whisper of what it could do, what it could make. These were the tools of civilization, of the bringing of people from the medieval era to the modern one.


    There was no doubt in my mind that the metal lathe had been the key, the absolute key to the industrial revolution, and that was true both here and back where I''d come from. The ability to make accurate machine parts for little money had changed the way the world worked. Perhaps there''d been some inklings of it in this world before, with the power of magic, but now the common man had access to it as well.


    Simon had insisted that we make the bits for his paramour first, and I was happy as anything to comply. The first would be a tulip, which as far as I could tell, existed here in exactly the same form as it had in my first world. The long, cylinder began to spin, and I began my work.


    We''d already cut out a cross-section, to form the petals, but I needed to bring things down, shape and alter, but by tiny bit. Small slivers of metal, pulled away as I worked the tools where they needed to sit, shaved by blades with careful precision. I lost myself as I went, careful to prevent any overly sharp edges on the end product. Once the bud was done I finished out the stem, it would be a simple length, not quite a foot long, the brass of the thing polished to a brilliant shine.


    Once the first was done I sat it to the side and began the next. A lot of flowers couldn''t be made exactly, at least not with this tool, but several renditions of them could be made to work. It was a refreshing exercise, something different. So much of my work had to be exacting, pushed to the very limits of what I could make fit, measured and absolutely smooth. Not this though, this wasn''t the artwork of perfect machines moving in ideal ways, no this was a different art, one where flaws, organic curves and angles were not just acceptable, but ideal.


    After my third piece I turned to see Simon, engrossed in what I''d been doing, and beside him Professor Turner, the metalworking teacher looked pleased.


    ¡°Not a complex piece, but well done,¡± he said as he examined my work. ¡°And quite lovely. Would you mind if I used the design as an example one? Something the other students should be able to manage.¡±


    ¡°No sir, please feel free.¡± After all, I wasn''t the one who''d thought of the idea of turning flowers, though admittedly most of the ones done on Earth had been done in wood rather than metal.


    Once the flowers were done I began work on Simon''s pieces, well, those and several extras, because I wanted some items as well. He was willing to make a few additional items without complaint, because of what I was doing and I was going to take advantage of it. They''d all be shaped rather like small bowls or vases, simple enough, small, and perfectly good for their purpose.


    Honestly, when I''d first considered designs I''d wanted to make them all look like adult toys, things nobody would recognize but would give me no end of humor. Sadly though, someone had taken the time to make such things in the past, and so I had to abandon that plan lest they be seen for what they were. This meant that I couldn''t give Simon a wall of magical butt-plugs to heat, cool, or light his room with, a sad day for humor everywhere. Even if I had the mind of an adult, I was bound and determined to maintain the humor of a child, if not, what was the point?Unauthorized reproduction: this story has been taken without approval. Report sightings.


    It took time, but time flew as I worked, and before I knew it not only was most of the day gone, but I was done. One by one my projects were lined up, placed along the counter. Simon was pleased, I was pleased, the professor had decided at some point that we weren''t causing trouble and let us alone. We could cause trouble now, but why break his trust? It was all well and good, all ready for the next step.


    I cleaned up, making sure not to leave my workspace a mess. Shavings went into bins, tools were confirmed to be off and set correctly. There was a protocol for all of this, ways of working that would make it so that whoever came next wouldn''t have problems, and such things were important.


    By the time everything was said and done it was easily time for lunch, so the two of us took a break.


    ¡°I love these,¡± Simon said, picking up one of the flowers I''d made. ¡°And I''m sure Priscilla will too.¡±


    ¡°Excellent, glad to hear it,¡± I said, before taking a spoon to the hearty stew the school was serving.


    ¡°Others might want them too, the professor''s right.¡±


    ¡°Then they can make them, it isn''t hard.¡± He laughed at that, shaking his head.


    ¡°No lady in your life that you''d want to get a gift?¡±


    I thought for a minute, then frowned. Rowenna would probably love something I made, and be understandably peeved should she learn that I was making things for other girls but not her. Was I sure that I wanted to end up with her? No, but I was absolutely sure that I didn''t want the kind of trouble that could cause.


    ¡°I''ll think of something else, repeating the same thing for two girls would be a bit crass wouldn''t it?¡± As I spoke I was spinning up plans in my head. ¡°Don''t suppose I could convince you to help me when the time comes around?¡± I asked.


    ¡°Of course, though really you should finish your own core.¡±


    ¡°I know, I know, it''s just scheduling.¡± That was an excuse, and he was right, doing so would strengthen me significantly.


    When we finally finished it was my turn to watch him work. None of the tools here were actually required for making an item into a magical one, that could be done manually, but they helped. They made sure that the central part of the item, its own core so to speak, was well hidden within it and were good for applying quick finishing touches.


    Every item had a core, just like people did, and in fact, they came from the maker themselves, a copying function from each person who had one. Unlike making the human version the item''s was quick, rapidly assembled within whatever shell you were creating to contain it. The rune sequences, previously looking much like a written coding screen in the mental space where they were laid out snaked their way along the item in question. These could be hidden, jumbled in such a way that they became nonsense, but for something like we were doing there was no point.


    Professor Ruian watched us like hawks the whole time. It was clear that she still had a pretty low opinion of our previous antics, but there was also a small smile when she saw the items we''d prepared for the process.


    Even these weren''t technically needed, since a magical item could be any shape you wanted. For the sake of efficiency most of them were spheres, contained within other, decorative pieces. Spheres were by far the most efficient shape, though nobody really knew why. Unfortunately if you used one it was only the sphere itself which functioned as the item. This was fine for most things, and could be worked around with proper rune usage, but having the whole item itself be magical had other advantages. It was easier to charge such things, and they also simply shouted what they were, for appearances sake.


    Simon took his time, after all, this was a delicate process, and not one that could be repeated if he failed. For the first time a magical item was deemed complete would be the last time, the runes locking themselves in and becoming unchangeable. It meant that if he screwed up even a bit here, there was no fixing it, we''d have to start again from scratch.


    It took a couple of hours, but eventually Simon too finished his part. Unlike Professor Turner, who''d shown interest, but quickly let us to ourselves Professor Ruian stayed with us the whole time. She even inspected each construct as it finished, testing it carefully to make sure it did what we said it did.


    ¡°Done,¡± Simon finally declared, looking exhausted as he sat down what should now be a lamp.


    ¡°Hmm,¡± the teacher said, picking up the device and pumping a bit of mana into it.


    The runes along the surface lit up as they absorbed her power, showing how much energy was in it. This was how people knew when to charge things, and even served as a good measure of energy for an otherwise difficult concept to explain like the amount of mana in something.


    ¡°Very well,¡± the professor finally declared. ¡°Good work boys, if only some of your classmates would show such creativity, focused on positive results, we might well see a new era.¡±


    ¡°Thank you ma''am,¡± we offered her in succession, and she shooed us off, it was after all getting on in the day.

 Chapter 72 Date

    I sat looking at the small box that I''d designed. It''d taken work from both Simon and myself to bring it to existence, but it was something special, something worthwhile, something I was just a little bit proud of. It wasn''t my normal work, or like it at all, but it was something I rather liked.


    Simon had liked it too, but I''d convinced him his gifts for his crush were more than enough. It would also be completely tasteless if we gave girls the same thing. Not that I''d not done it in my previous life, but I''d been found out, and it had not ended with any happy women. Unhappy women could make your life unreasonably hard if they wanted to, so we were doing what we could.


    A waiter came by looking me over along with my gift.


    ¡°May I get you anything sir?¡± he inquired, though he should have known the answer.


    ¡°No, not until my company arrives,¡± I answered.


    This particular restaurant was well outside of the city proper, on a lovely little hill overlooking it. The view was marvelous, however the staff was less than impressive. I''d come here on a recommendation from one of my classmates, said that it was one of the best spots he knew of, and perhaps it was. Other than the stunning vista of Exion out from the side of my table there was good decor, smells drifting towards me from the kitchen that were making my mouth water ever so slightly, and a calm, relaxed atmosphere.


    There was also the not so small detail that it was outside of city limits, one of the running requests from my professors. Honestly I didn''t want to jinx it, but I was hoping we wouldn''t have too many problems today. After all, I was here to meet a girl, not start a fight, burn something to the ground, or meet a monster of some sort. I would have to admit though that some of my classmates at times thought of girls as monsters.


    Luckily at least I didn''t have to wait for too long for my companion to join me.


    ¡°Percival, it''s been too long,¡± Rowenna said as she took her seat across from me, her chaperone looking on keenly from the side.


    I didn''t love the habit, but in some cases such people would be employed, particularly when, like us, two young people were officially courting and in public. During our dinner with the duke such a thing hadn''t been needed, since his people would be there, or the carriage driver otherwise, but here one was deemed appropriate.


    ¡°You as well Rowenna, I do hope everything is going well?¡±This tale has been unlawfully obtained from Royal Road. If you discover it on Amazon, kindly report it.


    ¡°Oh, quite busy, and everyone at the school is in a whole state. There''s been some kind of change in the administration, people are saying the king himself is involved. Probably rumors, but you know how things are. How are things at your academy?¡±


    ¡°Well, I''ve actually been spending some time with people other than your brother of late. One of them even helped me to make this.¡± With a light gesture I offered her the small box I had nearby.


    ¡°Lovely,¡± she said, pulling open the lid with a small smile and admiring the runes on the inside. ¡°What''s it do?¡±


    ¡°Nothing much, just keeps itself clean and a small lighting charm.¡±


    As she opened it fully the latter came into play, a soft white light spilling over her features. The inner lid held a mirror, made to stay magically clean perpetually. Well, actually I''d cleaned it manually, and it projected a tiny, almost infinitesimally thin shield over itself, repelling dirt and grime, the effect was the same.


    ¡°So many little compartments,¡± she giggled.


    ¡°I had to consult similar items, though I was told they were the right sizes,¡± I admitted.


    That too was true, it was made for jewelry, cosmetics, and all the little things women used to keep themselves looking nice. Personally I thought it was all a bit much, particularly for a girl of her age, but it was still the style. What did I know anyway? I was a man in both of my lives and had almost no experience with that kind of thing.


    ¡°Thank you so much, I know just the place for it. Actually there was something else I was hoping you could talk to me about though.¡±


    I raised an eyebrow. ¡°What''s that?¡±


    ¡°Do you know why I''m in town?¡± she asked.


    ¡°Not entirely, but I''ve heard a bit. Your school is taking a hiatus,¡± I confirmed, it was part of the reason I''d asked her to meet me once I''d learned she''d be around.


    I actually knew quite a bit, her school had been really tied up with the now dead archmage. That death was a country-shaking event, still being kept under a shroud. People knew, a good number of people, but how exactly it had happened, who''d done it, and the like were still deeply secret. She''d even alluded to it earlier, to keep details from the public eye, they were getting out of school much earlier than normal this year.


    ¡°Well, mother and father don''t have a teleport point near our summer home, so I''m staying in the city for now. They''re trying to find me a tutor, but for rather obvious reasons those are in very high demand right now.¡±


    ¡°Yes, I can see that they would be.¡±


    ¡°My brother as well will be around a bit, but he''s not of... a very intellectual persuasion either.¡±


    ¡°Indeed,¡± I snickered, Lucas was a dyed in the wool meathead, not stupid, but uninterested in things other than fighting.


    ¡°Would, would you be willing to help me with some of my studies... I mean, not the magic, but some of the other things. I really don''t want to fall behind on math, civics, or the like. Sadly I feel that many of my classmates will be doing just that too. Also, if you can make this,¡± she said, pointing to the box. ¡°Maybe you can help me with my magical items? I''m always ever so behind in that class.¡±


    ¡°Certainly, we can meet whenever we''re able, and it always brings a smile to my face when you send me a letter. I may not know all that much more than you, but I''ll help however I can.¡±


    I''d spoken before I thought too deeply about it, and found that moment that I''d agreed to a perpetual study date. It would be taking at least part of my days off whenever I had one for the rest of the year, at least if we followed the plan she was now laying out before me. Rowenna had come prepared, with a small notebook full of days, times, and subjects, organized to a T. Well, at least it would keep me out of too much trouble with the school.


    The waiter eventually interrupted us, and we made our orders. I had a pasta dish, served in a cream sauce with several herbs I couldn''t identify. Rowenna went with a type of fish, ever popular on an island, with a reddish sauce spread over it. After her deluge of plans we moved to more background topics, the kind of things one normally did on a date, fun anecdotes, recent events, even the news. By the time I left I''d almost forgotten about the new thing I''d added onto my schedule.

 Chapter 73 Days of Peace

    "I like your sister, but she''s running me so hard I''m exhausted,¡± I said to Lucas as I tossed the ball we were throwing around to him. Simon guffawed from the far side.


    ¡°I''m going to pretend I didn''t hear that,¡± Lucas deadpanned.


    ¡°I''m not,¡± Simon said as he caught the projectile that had been aimed at his head.


    ¡°Don''t tell me you''re thinking of reneging on your agreement to help her with her studies?¡± the brother asked with a slight glare as I caught the ball from Simon.


    ¡°No, but could you please ask her to put all her questions in one letter a day? I don''t mind getting mail, but I''m just unsure of how to arrange it all.¡±


    Letters were popular, unbelievably so, and there were several delivery times per day in cities. In our case we were close enough to the city that we too got several bags per day to be delivered. I had mail at lunch, at dinner, and oftentimes in the morning with things she''d sent the night before. It would be obvious if I wasn''t responding as I got them, but I was having to write enough letters a day as it was and it was nonstop.


    This was on top of the previous day''s outing, where I''d gone to study with Rowenna in person. She''d had a whole list of things, some of which I could do easily enough, but some of them were rather complicated. Her maids also spent a fair amount of the day shooting me with glances like daggers because she''d gotten so close to me at the table she was practically in my lap.


    ¡°I won''t, you''ll just have to accommodate that. She''s always been like that and always will Percival. Do you know how many letters she sends me a day?¡± Lucas asked.


    ¡°More than three?¡±


    ¡°At least five, I shudder to think the savings our family would have in paper alone if she''d limit herself, but it makes her happy. You do want to make her happy don''t you?¡± That was a trick question if ever there was one.


    ¡°Of course...¡±


    ¡°Good, then you know what to do,¡± Lucas said, cutting me off.


    I wanted to sigh, but I''d really dug myself in here already. He was my friend, one of the best I''d had in either of my lives, and his sister. Honestly I didn''t know quite what to think of Rowenna, she was a nice enough girl, but too interested in me, not something I wanted now or perhaps ever.Reading on Amazon or a pirate site? This novel is from Royal Road. Support the author by reading it there.


    ¡°Fine then, if that''s what she wants don''t say anything, I''ll just deal with the deluge.¡±


    ¡°Good man,¡± he laughed.


    ¡°Is more or less better?¡± Simon asked. ¡°Honestly my girl only sends me one or two letters a week. Not sure what to think of that.¡±


    ¡°You''ll have to answer that yourself. Personally I think all of them are different, or they''re really the same and just messing with us in some sort of conspiracy. It wouldn''t surprise me in the least if I found out that older women told their daughters to be completely unpredictable, just to mess with us.¡± That got me another round of laughter.


    Like most good times, days passed like water through the fingers. Life was like that sometimes, always passing you by when you were enjoying it, always slowing to a stop when you were in pain. Before I knew it another month had made its way away and left me in its wake looking about in confusion.


    I sat on the afternoon of one of my days off, deep in my workshop at home. I''d already had today''s study session with Rowenna, and while she was clingy I had to admit I enjoyed helping her. There was much for me to learn, things that were covered in her schoolbooks that mine didn''t really touch on, particularly when it came to the specifics of magic and its limitations.


    There was so much nuance when it came to the programming language that was the runic script. I simply didn''t understand most of it, but saw enough to know that nobody was using it to the full potential. I also got the distinct feeling that there were people in the world hoarding the best bits of code like they were precious gold, which of course they were.


    For example, I''d recently written a rather detailed code that made electricity of all things. This was something nobody in this world used, and for good reason. There were so many better ways to light your home, so much easier if you were rich, so much more safe too, that it had never caught on. Sure, some people knew that electricity existed, and some even knew that it could be used for some rather interesting things, but it was relegated to a curiosity in this world.


    My purpose though would use it, for I was making a barrel. There were other, more effective ways to rifle a barrel than the setup I had going, but I didn''t have those tools, they were expensive, and I wasn''t exactly making a lot of these. For now using a trick spread to my knowledge by one Mr. Jstark (may he rest in peace) to get the rifling correct. Technically it was called electrochemical machining, and it worked well enough.


    I was also having to redesign the handle for my current project, the only one of its kind I could properly dig from my memory no matter how hard I tried. I''d seen too many diagrams, too many videos of how it worked, and it was ingrained there in my weird elvish brain. That said, I was really looking forward to when this project was done.


    While that did its thing I moved toward project I felt would never finish. Ignus and the duke had finally come through with my propellants and now it was time for ammo. How I missed the days when I could go to the store for this kind of thing, then again, no I didn''t, prices had been absolutely insane. Even if I had to do it all myself having things delivered to me was... something.


    ¡°Um, it''s getting late Lord Percival,¡± I heard from the door, the quiet, almost shy voice.


    It was Kaylee of course, it was always Kaylee. The staff had gotten the memo that I was far more tolerant of her than anyone else. I turned to look over at her and smiled.


    ¡°Certainly, and please don''t feel the need to call me ''lord'' when we''re alone.¡± I''d told her before, and I was sure I would again.


    ¡°Oh, I can''t do that, what if the housekeeper heard me? It would be no end of trouble.¡± She made a placating gesture, and I simply smiled.


    I''d still not yet figured out what to do about her. Perhaps I could get my father to recognize her one day, and that would be the end of this farce. Then again I could just wait, one day I would be the one with the power to say who was my kin. Today wasn''t that day however, so I could only smile, smile and give her a fraction of the kindness he deserved.

 Chapter 74 Season Approaches

    I put the final one of the many, many documents Mrs. Rider had provided to the side. Over the past months the housekeeper had done a magnificent job, at least so far as I could tell. The books were in order, nobody was complaining about her behavior in any way I cared about, and things were running smoothly.


    ¡°Well, I would have liked to have finished sooner, but it''s nice to finally be done with this chore,¡± I said to her and I put the papers away.


    ¡°Oh I''m sure if you continue in it you''ll be an expert soon enough. You''re already paying more attention than most my lord,¡± she retorted with a small chortle.


    I didn''t really think I was, but shrugged, if it was worth doing something it was worth doing it right. It had taken so long because I honestly didn''t dedicate the amount of time I needed to it. Add to that the fact that we were still gaining expenses when I''d started and I really didn''t understand certain parts of them and it had been a learning experience.


    Had that been what my mother intended anyway? She hated ''the season'' with a vengeance, and getting me to do this was one of her most important chores of the year, but it also served me. Learning what I had would help me to manage a house in the future if I needed to. Normally it was the women who ran household expenses and the like, but being capable was a good skill to have.


    The sexual division of labor was still a thing in this world, though it was perhaps not as extreme as it had been in my previous one. Women, particularly those who had magic, could and did rise to very high places in society. However that wasn''t as common as it was for men, with many opting instead to stay and manage households, raise children, and generally work at home. Mother was like that, selling her mana at times, and certain magical services only available to those with that power, but generally remaining at home while my father worked.


    Within the majority of the population, those who didn''t wield the power of mana, the disparity was far higher. The sad truth of the matter was that pregnancy is debilitating and without a way to change that disparities arise. There was of course a form of birth control in this world, though I knew it required magic to keep going, and as such limited itself by that fact to those who had power or money to buy it.


    ¡°Ah, where was I? Oh yes, good work, and you''re sure we''re ready for this year?¡± I continued, realizing I''d been lost in my thoughts for a few moments there.


    ¡°Absolutely, of course we''ll be having less visitors overall, so that will make things far easier.¡±


    I nodded, even if my parents weren''t around that didn''t mean I was getting the annual party season off. No, I was still expected to go and attend to everything still, though this year I would be accompanying my grandparents, and at their homes for dinners more than my own.If you find this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the infringement.


    ¡°On that note, have you yet received word on when my grandparents will be arriving?¡± I inquired, having not gotten that letter yet.


    ¡°Indeed, three weeks from now. They''re arriving the day you get off from school, isn''t that wonderful?¡±


    There was a zero percent chance that was unintentional. My father''s parents might live in the city, but knowing that my maternal grandmother would be showing up just in time for me to have no peace at all during vacation really was a wet towel atop my head. At least grandpa was coming, and he was an absolute blast to be around.


    ¡°Wonderful is a word one could use,¡± I admitted.


    ¡°Oh don''t pout, it''s unbecoming, and I do hear your grandfather is bringing quite a few things with him.¡± That got my attention fully. ¡°Just a rumor though,¡± she teased.


    ¡°Come now, you must share after saying something like that,¡± I actually pouted this time.


    ¡°I was told you could hear the general news, but even I wasn''t given details.¡±


    ¡°Would you share them if you were?¡± I questioned.


    ¡°Of course not my lord. I may respect you but your parents employ me.¡±


    I laughed at her candor. ¡°True enough, I can''t blame you for that sort of loyalty.¡±


    ¡°I think your grandmother wishes to inspect the staff though, so we''ll have to get them into top shape.¡±


    ¡°You will indeed, grandmother makes mother look like a kind, gentle soul. Though I don''t expect she''ll find any problems, I certainly haven''t.¡±


    ¡°You say that, but I''m worried about the new footman lord Percival.¡±


    One of the boys was new indeed, but he was fine. There were standards, and while he didn''t blow them out of the water he was certainly well within them. If grandmother had any real problem with him I might have to address it, but that wasn''t an issue. I did worry however about my favorite maid, but even if she was found wanting she''d stay, I would see to that personally.


    ¡°Trust me, it will be fine. He''s not exceptional, but he''ll do well enough, and with my parents gone we won''t have many visitors for this year. You''ve an entire year more to get him ready for a real season and the madness that follows it. Just make sure everyone is ready as you always do and let me handle her if she finds something she doesn''t like.¡±


    ¡°Not quite sure that will work...¡±


    I snorted. ¡°You''ve all been under my direct supervision for most of this school year, and shall continue to be for the coming winter. I may be barely a man.¡± She raised her eyebrow but said nothing, I was only fifteen. ¡°But I''m enough of one to stick up for my people when they need it.¡±


    ¡°Well, if you say something like that to her I''m sure we''ll all come out alright. I''ll do my best to make sure you need not though.¡±


    After a bit of an early dinner I returned to my school. I didn''t eat at the house all that often, but there was always food of some sort around. The food made by the staff here was also leagues above that made for us students. I''d spent years giving feedback to Sinea and the others, so they all knew what I liked. She too was still with us, but had gone from the young girl I''d met as a toddler to a proper woman now. She''d even married a few years back, easily able to have a family with the fact that we were only here so much.


    I reflected on that, how much people had changed over the years, how much I had. I knew that with the few drops of elven blood I had I would age slower than most, perhaps not much slower, but slower. Mother still looked a couple decades younger than she actually was, and grandfather, though I knew he would be considered quite ancient by human standards had only a smattering of gray in his hair. How much more would I get to see? Would it be like my previous life, where I lost loved ones one by one, or worse because of it. Some of my family at least had a good chance to keep pace with me, but not all of them, and not necessarily forever.


    Putting those thoughts aside for now I got into the little carriage that would return me to the academy and my friends, knowing I should savor them while I had them.

 Chapter 75 Tests

    Word by word I worked, pen scratching, ripping into the paper before me. Beads of sweat rolled down my forehead, for I''d been at this for hours, and while I loved this sort of thing, it was mentally taxing. My hand was cramping, eyes bothered by the constant staring at papers, for this had been going on for days. I thought I''d had it bad before, but this was simply pure torture.


    All around the the other students were also crouched over their papers, eyes locked onto question after question and essay after essay. This world had unfortunately come up with the idea of final exams, chances for the teachers to figure out how much of their work you''d actually absorbed, not just short term memorized into one test or another.


    There were some upsides though, for nobody had invented the hated bubble sheet yet, nor would they if I had any say in it. Who was I kidding though? At some point someone would get the bright idea of multiple choice questions, and from there it was such an easy jump into horrors beyond human imagining, such as standardized tests and odious government oversight of all education to the point of ineffectiveness.


    Hours seemed to pass by while I worked, and before I knew it I''d reached the final question. No more paper left, no more queries to answer I briefly looked over my previous work. There wasn''t anything I wanted to change, sure I knew the professor would disagree with a few of my works but they''d been well written out and argued of that I was sure. Our professors were also fairly good, grading less on what they thought we should think and more on how we reasoned and understood the material.


    Satisfied I placed down my pen, capping the ink I''d had to reload into it several times now and waited. Many of my fellows were still working, still scribbling away as they worked their way through the sheafs of parchment to finish these exams, but I had managed to be done.


    ¡°Can I just say that I miss the practicals?¡± Simon complained as we found a spot on the grounds to lay down and unwind. ¡°Those were way easier.¡±


    ¡°I''m going to disagree there with you on all points,¡± I griped. ¡°I''ve still got one left too.¡±


    ¡°Which?¡± Simon inquired.


    ¡°Combat.¡±


    ¡°Those were two days ago though?¡± he questioned.


    ¡°Headmaster Logan is doing mine personally. I''m to meet with him this afternoon.¡±


    ¡°I''ll tell the others, we shall mourn your loss my friend,¡± Simon said with mock solemnity.


    ¡°Ah, there you two are, ready to celebrate the end to this madness?¡± Lucas said as he located and plopped down next to us.


    ¡°No, we''re planning Percival''s funeral,¡± Simon answered. ¡°Headmaster''s doing his combat himself.¡±


    ¡°Do you have a preference on what flowers I should put on your grave?¡± Lucas joked.


    ¡°I''m sure it won''t be that bad...¡±


    When the time came I headed in one of the practice rooms, with a chuckle I remembered that this was the same one he''d beaten my ass in on my first day. Did he plan that? Perhaps, or perhaps this was just the most convenient one to his office.


    The Headmaster and Sir Kendrick both entered not soon after, the former clad in a full suit of armor, the latter looking amused. Behind them came a smallish woman I didn''t recognize.If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it.


    ¡°I have been personally tasked with your progress, and we shall see how it has gone. Your instructors have given their reports, their opinions, but the time is now.¡± With those words a chest was slid across the floor to me.


    Inside the box I found armor and weapons, and not just what I would have expected. The protection was not unlike what we normally used in classes, but I could tell that this was far more enchanted than was normal. Beside it, rather than a choice of weapons I was presented with a short sword and a revolver, along with a box of rounds.


    ¡°Guns are quite dangerous,¡± I pointed out to my opponent and I began putting the armor on. He''d be cross if I didn''t get ready while voicing my concerns.


    ¡°I''m quite well aware Percival, and pleased to see you''ve learned to bring your worries to your superiors. Those rounds are loaded quite a bit lighter than is normal, they shall still function, but will be weaker. Similarly our armor is significantly reinforced, as has been the warding on the training area.¡±


    ¡°It''s been tested?¡± I inquired.


    ¡°Of course, first on dummies, then upon myself. I even arranged for a priest, just in case something should go wrong.¡±


    I didn''t know if I should be reassured or worried. A healer on hand meant that there was no reason for him to hold back, but it also meant that I couldn''t hold back. If something went wrong, it could go very, very wrong, and this seemed foolish to me.


    ¡°This still seems foolhardy,¡± I pointed out as I did the straps.


    ¡°If it bothers you so you may leave the firearm aside,¡± he finally answered, and I did appreciate that he was listening.


    ¡°I shall.¡±


    ¡°Very well, in that case you will need to demonstrate your proficiency later.¡±


    I heard a chortle from the knight to the side and a sigh from the priestess as I picked up the practice sword.


    ¡°That sounds agreeable.¡±


    Leaving the other weapon in the box and putting it to the side we took our places on the practice mat. It might have been reasonable to think he would take it easier on me since I was deliberately denying myself one of my weapons, but I knew better. If anything the Headmaster would only push harder, testing the very edge limits of what I could do.


    At a motion from the observing knight we launched at each other. I would like to say that I won, that I''d grown enough to defeat the man who''d once so trounced me, but that would be a lie. At the first crossing of our blades it was clear he was still the superior here, the strike sending a wave up my arm. With a quick twist I brought the point of my weapon close to his chest, only for it to be parried away with contemptuous ease.


    We fought again and again, parry, block, attack, counterattack, on and on. The practice weapons flashed as we struck, and were struck. I landed a few blows upon Headmaster Logan, but only a few here and there, quick moves into his guard where I could just hardly reach, but it was no war I could win.


    I was better than I''d been, better than I''d ever been, but I was still a boy to him. My arms were shorter, reach lesser, movements slower, and I lacked the power the man I was fighting held. It would be years before I was yet fully grown. That wasn''t all though, our headmaster was a master of his craft, with decades of experience that allowed him to exploit every weakness and no hesitation at all.


    Standing before him my arms shook from the strain, sweat pouring down my head like a river. There were bruises, even under the armor, though I could tell he hadn''t hit me as hard as he could have. In the end this was a test, not a beating, so he knew when and were exactly to push, and how hard. If I were less experienced I wouldn''t have been able to tell, but now I could.


    ¡°Enough, you pass,¡± Logan finally declared, and I sunk to the floor.


    ¡°Thank you sir,¡± I said as I looked at the ceiling, trying to catch my breath.


    ¡°Ma''am see if you can get him back up and moving, I''d like to finish these tests today,¡± the headmaster said to the priestess, his voice taking on a gentleness I''d never heard directed at us.


    She obliged, healing me, pumping me full of water and pickle juice (something I hated) and allowed the men to march me out to the shooting range. Of course our school had one of those as well, for guns were becoming ever more popular and even if few knights used them we were still expected to be familiar with them.


    I did far better with the pistol than I had in the ring, nailing target after target. Some were thrown with a speed that would make pitchers on Earth weep in envy, some were stationary, but they broke one by one. A few did escape me, here and there, shots not led enough, angles I didn''t expect, but I struck well over ninety percent of the various things we used.


    And then it was done, I''d passed. As the others left Sir Kendrick came to my side.


    ¡°You know, if you had actually shot at him, it would have been a failure on your part,¡± he said.


    ¡°It would have been stupid, and needless,¡± I pointed out. ¡°We don''t use bombs at each other either.¡±


    ¡°That''s why it would have been a failure, and you would have had to receive additional training.¡±


    ¡°Glad I didn''t fail then, I''m quite busy enough.¡±


    He laughed and patted my back. ¡°We''re always too busy. At least I can report to his Majesty that your training is proceeding well, enjoy your break Percival.¡±


    The healing did wonders and while I was still tired that evening I was released to go home. Some of the students would stay for a day or two yet, for official graduations, or just the time it took for them to have arrangements made, but I had a place in the city, so I could leave promptly. Giving my goodbyes to my friends, and promises to meet up over the intervening season I got in a hired carriage and began my way back to Exion.


    About halfway there the vehicle slowed to a stop and I felt something wash over me. A wave of drowsiness passed by and alarmed I grabbed the weapons I had on hand. Seldom did I now travel without both my cane and my pistol, and drawing them both I flew from the door, smashing it to bits as I prepared for violence.


    ¡°Peace,¡± a voice called out from the roadside, some hundred or so feet ahead, one I recognized. ¡°I did not come here to fight you, but rather to talk.¡±

 Chapter 76 Meeting on the Road

    I pointed my weapons as the goblin slowly emerged from the brush. Behind me the horses and the driver slept, clearly knocked out by some spell or other.


    ¡°I didn''t come here to fight,¡± she said, hands open to show she had no weapon, as if she needed one.


    ¡°I''ve heard that one before,¡± I replied.


    ¡°Fair, but if you kill me my siblings will destroy your home. They know I''m here, and they know where you live.¡±


    I felt a twitch at that, the house was defended to an extent, yes, but it was no fortress. If they went there now it was likely people would die, it was likely Kaylee would die. Did they know about her? I doubted it, but I couldn''t risk it.


    ¡°And your ''Father'' won''t do so anyway?¡± I asked.


    ¡°He''s not involved in this,¡± she answered, and must have seen my brow raise at that. ¡°I have several concerns, and... his temper got the better of him before.¡±


    ¡°You mean he''s a maniac, killing people when they displease him and with no concern for the lives of others.¡±


    ¡°I still believe he wants a better world... I have to.¡±


    ¡°What I believe is that that is what he''s saying, what he puts out there to justify his actions. Perhaps on some level he thinks helping people makes it alright, has convinced himself, but that''s not what he''s doing. He''s kidnapping humans, and I can guess what happens to them based on how many have returned.¡±


    This girl, goblin or not, bit her lip, clearly seeing where I was coming from. Good, very good, she had a conscience, and that was important, critical even. We didn''t need to genocide their whole race, and I didn''t want to. If we could just stop this ''Father'' from his experiments then we could find a place for them. It wouldn''t be easy, but I had some pull, and if some of them joined us it would be all the easier.


    ¡°Do you hate me for that? For allowing it to go on?¡± she asked, almost childlike, and she was a child in some ways wasn''t she?Support creative writers by reading their stories on Royal Road, not stolen versions.


    I remembered him coming here, his initial escape. This girl was likely years younger than me. I might well be talking to a girl no more than ten years old, and even if they matured quickly there could be some mercy there. If we could just bring them around to seeing what they were doing was wrong we could make those changes.


    ¡°Were you involved in the killing?¡±


    ¡°No, I couldn''t stomach it. My duty is to protect our home.¡± Excellent, she''d be the perfect one to turn.


    ¡°Then understand that what he''s doing is a danger. My people will continue to act, and if they find you an army you can''t hope to defeat will come for you. There can be another choice though, you can change things. We can find you somewhere your people can live in peace, without the fighting, without the hate. From what I understand you came from an island nobody else wants, you could return there, smarter then you were, and make it into something great without any more of this.¡±


    ¡°I will consider that, what I came to ask about was the strange ones you sent into the undercity.¡± A start, but one I could work with.


    ¡°Strange ones?¡± I asked.


    ¡°They''re not completely human, like us? But different, and it looks like they did something to their ears. They''ve been killing our people so effectively, so how can you call for peace when you do something like that?¡±


    ¡°I don''t know anything about that unfortunately, but there are people who I can ask. Don''t expect them to stop though, not after the problems your people are causing.¡± Also ears? Not completely human? Was she talking about... ¡°These strange people in the undercity, what else makes them different?¡±


    ¡°Father caught one, said he''d live much longer than was normal.¡±


    Oh, shit. ¡°Elves? I promise you I will bring that up to somebody. The fight, the one your sister was at, one of them was there. If they are who I think they are, they''re our enemy too.¡±


    It didn''t make sense, what was their angle here? I knew they''d been after the archmage, but now the goblins too? Were they just hunting potent mages? If so that was a huge problem. Others would need to be warned, because that would be the lead up to a war.


    ¡°Very well, I don''t suppose you''ll agree to meet later?¡± she asked.


    ¡°The last time I went to a meeting with your people it didn''t go so well.¡±


    ¡°True, will you at least let me leave peacefully this time?¡±


    ¡°You came in peace, you can leave in peace. Do think about what I said though, know that you have choices,¡± I added, it wasn''t like I had the backup to win for sure anyway, so a fight might well end poorly for me.


    ¡°I will.¡± With those words she slipped into the brush, disappearing again.


    I breathed deeply for a few minutes, stretching out my senses to their limits to look for any others, anyone who might ambush us. As I did I heard the driver stir behind me.


    ¡°Oh, Lord Percival, what? Why are you out here, and why are we stopped? Did something happen?¡± he asked in quick succession, clearly understanding that something was off.


    ¡°It did, and we should leave with haste,¡± I replied.


    ¡°Yes sir, at once!¡± He snapped the reins, causing the snoozing horses to shake awake quickly as well. They seemed less bothered by the fact that they''d fallen asleep in the middle of the road.


    As I walked back to the door I stopped to change his instructions.


    ¡°We''ve a new destination though, take me to this address.¡± I quickly jotted down where Ignus had his public offices, and being that they were the law enforcement for the whole city it was instantly recognized.


    ¡°Yes sir,¡± he answered, and we began moving once more.


    Now all I needed to do was figure out how I was going to explain all of this without causing another panic. I also needed to get Ignus and his superiors to agree to spare any who surrendered. If I could do that I could continue to try and get them to switch to our side in good conscience. I''d have to anyway, but I didn''t know how well I could act before people I knew I was turning on.

 Chapter 77 Coming Home

    Ignus seemed less than enthused when I shared with him my interaction. It was at least nice that he''d made a hole in his busy schedule for me, but that was sort of expected, after all it wasn''t like I spent a lot of time bothering him, and never did we meet for some needless thing. Once his people had relayed who was here he''d quickly made the time, and seemed satisfied that he had.


    ¡°It was good of you to try and convince them to surrender.¡±


    ¡°I''m assuming it would be accepted then?¡± I asked.


    ¡°There would be some concerns, and I''d need to talk with his Grace for any formal arrangements, but yes, it is always better to make enemies into allies than fight them.¡± I sighed in relief at his words. ¡°Of course I would have preferred if you''d come to us first to confirm that before making offers...¡±


    ¡°Honestly I wasn''t sure I''d have many more chances to do so. It''s not like I can just go down and find them with ease.¡±


    ¡°No, honestly not, an our people have failed outright. Their words about elves coming after them concern me most though. Why would they do that? Why change their target? It makes no sense unless there''s some other connection.¡±


    ¡°What if there is though?¡± I asked.


    ¡°Like what? It''s not like Archmage Penumbra and this ''Father'' have anything in common.¡±


    They did though, and so did I. Both of them were old, powerful, and from Earth. How had the elves known that though? And if they did, why not come after me? I was certainly a much softer target than either a hundreds of years old archmage or an insane goblin magus and his army of mutant children. Heck, even with my family around and guards the attacks I''d seen against the former would have left me stone dead.


    ¡°Their mana,¡± I answered. ¡°It''s the same.¡±


    Ignus popped his head up, staring at me.


    ¡°I''ll admit I can''t see it, but you shouldn''t be able to either?¡± he questioned.


    ¡°I can''t, but she confirmed it for me, and it''s how ''Father'' and his people found me.¡± At his raised eyebrow I continued. ¡°Mine is also the same.¡±


    ¡°Shit,¡± he breathed, grabbing some files from his desk. ¡°I''m not sure why it matters, but it could. You do have a knack for making friends too don''t you lad?¡±Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on Royal Road.


    ¡°A skill I''ve long cultivated,¡± I assured him.


    This conclusion raised so many questions though. How much did the elves know about people from Earth? Were they making the connection between us and the jumps in technology? If they were it might be understandable that they were a bit antagonistic. Elves were longer lived, but slower growing, with humans gaining power we could pose an existential threat, and the quick reproduction of goblins, according to stories, could be much the same.


    The elven nations had their own hero though, one who was almost certainly another reincarnator. He was supposed to be dead, but what if... What if they''d gained another, or their old leader had left instructions or something. Anyone coming from our world to this one would certainly know the danger, and he could have either been insane, like Parkov, or just misunderstood after so long.


    ¡°The look in your eye tells me you perhaps know something you''re not sharing,¡± Ignus said, pulling me from my thoughts.


    ¡°Nothing concrete, just suspicions is all.¡±


    He gazed at me like he didn''t believe that for a minute. ¡°If you know something you need to tell me.¡±


    ¡°Nothing I can put into words, but I think there may be a connection between our mana and something else. We''re all... strange, the kind of person who makes waves. What if there were others in the past like us, others who for some unknown reason caused them to react like this?¡±


    ¡°That seems improbable,¡± he grumbled.


    I just shrugged. ¡°There''s nothing else I can do for now, unless you had something?¡±


    ¡°No, just be careful.¡±


    I sighed that he wasn''t prying too much more and left. Between this meeting and my previous one it was now getting quite late. Crossing the city this way and that wasn''t instant what with the traffic from all the people arriving for the season. Dozens of noble families, wealthy individuals who wanted to emulate them, and a veritable army of servants were all coming into the city. It caused an absolute disaster of congestion for a week or two as things began to get prepared.


    It was nearly dark as we pulled into the house''s drive and I had to rub my head in exhaustion. Even if I''d done fairly little today, it was quite a bit of effort. Our cook Sinea would have prepped such a nice lunch too, all of my favorites. I''d have to apologize to her for my tardiness and missing that special meal. Something pleasant before my grandparents got here this evening.


    That thought hit me as the driver opened the door. My mind spun, perhaps I could avoid their attentions if they weren''t here yet. A quick look showed that there were no other vehicles present in the drive, where one might expect them to be had they arrived recently.


    ¡°Something wrong my lord?¡± the driver asked.


    ¡°Perhaps not just yet,¡± I said, hurriedly hopping down.


    ¡°Ah, very good sir, would you like anything else?¡±


    ¡°No, no, go take care of the horses, I''m sure they''re tired.¡±


    He chuckled just a bit. ¡°Right you are sir.¡±


    I hurried to the door, there wasn''t a moment to waste. I needed to get ready, to tell the staff to prepare, grandpa would be here any moment. He wouldn''t be a problem at all, but grandmother had rules like a chef had knives, many and sharp, and we couldn''t disappoint her.


    Passing the empty entry I hurried towards the central rooms. There would surely be someone here, and if there weren''t Mrs. Rider''s office was closest to the drawing room anyway. As I entered said drawing room I found them there, grandmother was about halfway through a sip of tea as I rushed through the door.


    My mother''s mother, slowly finished the drink she was taking, eyes narrowed over the cup. As she put it down I could see how her lips were thinned into a single line, displeasure written on her face. Beside her grandpa seemed moderately tired, but also a bit amused. He loved antics in a way I never did, though I surely ended up in more than he did.


    ¡°Good evening Percival, you''re late.¡±


    ¡°Ah, grandmother. Yes, I got a bit delayed with some meetings. I was unaware you''d arrived yet, I didn''t see your carriage at all.¡±


    ¡°A happy accident, our boat made better time than expected and we got here around noon. Hoping to see you we came right over.¡±


    They''d been here for hours and hours... ¡°Oh, I see. My apologies for not being here to meet you.¡±


    ¡°Nothing else to say?¡± she questioned.


    I thought for a second. ¡°Not as such no.¡± I then turned to my grandfather. ¡°Grandpa, do you happen to have any books on elven history?¡±


    Grandpa guffawed while his wife began to develop a twitch in her eye. You''d think after years of it they''d be used to me.

 Chapter 78 Stressed

    ¡°You could have at least been here on time,¡± grandmother complained, interrupting my attempt to change the subject.


    ¡°You were early, that is hardly my doing. I also would have liked to have been here to meet you, but as I said I had a number of unexpected meetings. Not ones I particularly enjoyed either.¡±


    ¡°Your teachers?¡± she questioned.


    ¡°No, everything at the school is... well busy, but fine. I did quite well on my exams.¡±


    ¡°Then why the questioning about history Percival my boy?¡± grandpa asked, putting a hand on grandmother''s arm to forestall any further questions.


    ¡°Personal interest, I''ve been running into a number of things I think are somehow related to the old king,¡± I explained.


    ¡°Oh, I see. That''s not altogether surprising, as his inventions are famously important in society. He made the core after all, and so much else. Personally I think it''s all a bit exaggerated, attributing to one ruler everything his lands came up with or something like that, but I do have a few.¡± Then he laughed. ¡°Though you''ll need to be able to read one of the elven dialects to understand them at all.¡±


    ¡°I don''t suppose you could teach me?¡± I asked hopefully.


    ¡°I could teach you to read pretty quickly, but the language itself is a language Percival, and I''m no expert in that sort of thing.¡±


    ¡°Certainly your school teaches it though, and it isn''t bad for a young man to learn another language. You''d be good to sign up for those,¡± grandmother pointed out.


    I briefly felt my eyes unfocus and begin to look out as I pondered the idea of adding more to my workload. Small sounds, like voices screaming ''NO!'' rang in my ears. Visions of my class schedule from the previous two years appeared before me, every time slot full, a few extra lines added on here or there for even more education.


    ¡°Oh, I''m quite booked already grandmother, though they do.¡±


    She looked at grandpa, and sighed. ¡°Could we get some privacy dear?¡±


    ¡°Certainly,¡± he said, and with a smile he wove a spell around us. That sort of thing wasn''t odd, and most families had that spell on tap for when they didn''t want servants overhearing what they had to say.Unauthorized duplication: this tale has been taken without consent. Report sightings.


    She patted the couch beside her. ¡°Come here Percival.¡±


    Hesitatingly I joined her, taking a seat as the haze pulled around us. As I did she looked into my eyes, taking my chin in one hand and giving me a good once over. She looked, really looked, before pulling me close and against her side.


    ¡°Grandmother?¡± I said, almost confused.


    ¡°You look tired son, so tired; tell me what''s wrong.¡± Her voice had changed, from the harsh demands to something kinder, more gentle, something I rarely heard.


    ¡°What?¡± I asked, surprised.


    ¡°You must think me so unkind don''t you? How harsh I''ve always been, always demanding, but I''ve never tried to give you more than I thought you could handle, a push, but never one past what I thought you could take. Just now though, you looked so broken, so tell me, what is happening?¡± I tried to get over the whiplash as she held me close, petting my head.


    ¡°There''s no time for anything,¡± I answered. ¡°Everything is falling apart and there''s no time for anything at all. Months going as fast as I could and it still feels as if I''ve hardly moved.¡±


    ¡°What in the world has you so rushed?¡± she asked.


    So I spoke, I spoke of the goblins, how I feared that soon they would come to the surface soon. I spoke of the former archmage, her death, the battle that had happened that day, the demand that I be properly trained. Even the elves that seemed to be attacking the city for some reason.


    It would appear that they''d been unappraised of all the details, because I could feel the stress radiating off of them both. Most of this was secret of course, but at the moment I wasn''t sure I cared, and I trusted both of them. Sure, grandmother was harsh, and grandpa was a bit silly now and then, but both were good people, trustworthy. Neither interrupted with questions as I went on and on, letting loose all that I''d been worried about for what seemed like years now.


    ¡°They shouldn''t be leaving this all on your shoulders,¡± she finally said when I was done.


    ¡°There''s nobody else who can do all of it. I''m the one who designed the weapons, who the goblins are so interested in, who the archmage left to be trained. There are others working, surely so, but they''re only seeing part of it, we''re all only seeing part of it. That can''t last though, factions like this won''t stay still forever, and if we''re not ready when it all comes to a head...¡±


    ¡°Who knows what would happen, but no, you''re too young. Youths should get the chance at youth, not be forced into adulthood like this.¡±


    I laughed, for I''d been an adult already once, and I understood that well. Still though, this body wasn''t there, I was still growing, hormones still raging. Perhaps I needed to be as I was, but I wasn''t there yet. Hopefully how I was would be enough, but I couldn''t tell for sure.


    ¡°Well, there''s only one thing for this,¡± grandmother finally declared. ¡°You''ll be having nothing to do with this nonsense through the season.¡±


    ¡°Not sure I''ll have much a choice grandmother,¡± I complained.


    ¡°Perhaps, but you''re not worrying about this nonsense more than is absolutely necessary. We''ll be here, and it sounds like your paternal grandfather has already arranged some guards, we''ll have to talk to him about that. You can also be sure I''ll be talking to your parents about leaving you alone at this time, dammed irresponsible.¡±


    That brought a smile to my face, and even caused me to laugh.


    ¡°I did the finances for the house this year, rather fun in the end.¡±


    ¡°I''ll be having a conversation with your mother about that too,¡± grandmother assured with just a bit of venom in her voice.


    ¡°Tell you what though Percival, I do have something that might help you relax,¡± grandpa added. ¡°I brought your project.¡±


    ¡°Does it work!?¡± I asked, having not had a chance to see the full-sized plane he''d ordered well over a year ago.


    ¡°Haven''t had the chance to try it out yet, and I''d never do it without you anyway. Did find a place to set it all up though... Soon as you''re ready.¡±


    ¡°I''m ready now!¡± I said standing.


    Grandmother pulled me back onto the couch. ¡°The only thing you''d better be ready for right now is dinner Percival. You also can''t test some fool flying machine that''s likely to fall straight into the ground at night.¡± She sighed, knowing well how I could be when it came to fun things.


    ¡°She''s right my boy, but your excitement is right on.¡±


    ¡°Rightly so,¡± I agreed with my grandfather, illiciting a laugh from him and a sigh from grandmother.

 Chapter 79 A Good Day

    I awoke excited, for today was the day, the day I''d been waiting for, the day I''d spent years preparing. My clothes were laid out the day before, my whole schedule cleared, ready for the one thing I had to do today. After dressing I nearly skipped down the stairs, seeming to float, like I soon would fly, as I descended.


    ¡°You seem in a good mood this morning sir,¡± the maid bringing me my breakfast observed, seeing the stupid smile plastered across my face.


    ¡°The best, today is the day!¡± I agreed.


    ¡°I''m glad to hear it, will there be anything else?¡± she asked, quickly leaving as I indicated I was well.


    The staff were always at arm''s reach, close to us, but far. It was something I''d dealt with for years and it still bothered me from time to time, but what was there to do about it? They had to maintain a professional distance, even if we were friends, almost, and in my case sometimes, family. People who I''d known since I first entered this world, who''d been there for my first steps, my first meals, all of the milestones of life treated me as if we existed across a vast gulf. It was kind of sad.


    Breakfast on the other hand was anything but. The first meal of the day often served as one of the most important for this world, and while dinners and the like often held the spotlight breakfast was still king. It was also the time of lovers, as many would meet to share their first meal, and the traditional time for dates. Some old notion about it being the right time to impress your loved one and make them think about you all day long. That notion was changing a bit here and there, but many still held to it, arranging a breakfast was a serious affair, and sometimes an actual sign of an affair.


    It was for that reason that the spread was so impressive, meats, fruits, nothing too heavy, nothing too complex to make, but all sorts of small dishes. I liked bread personally, and had never found a proper way to make biscuits and gravy in this world, something on the to do list, but this was little here. A few slices of it were to the side, which I loaded up with berries and a bit of honey before moving on to fish. Seafood was a staple in Exion, and probably every island city, but getting it light enough to not weigh you down for the day was a skill mastered here, some kind of citrus on lightly baked meat was just perfect for starting the day.


    As soon as I could I gathered up my hat and cane and went for the front door, jumping the steps and landing at the bottom with a small push of my left foot. The carriage was only feet away and the driver look at me after the feat, while basically anyone with a physical enhancement type magic could have leapt the seven or eight feet I had that didn''t mean they did normally. Wanton displays of power like that were a bit garish to a lot of sensibilities, and mostly reserved for children or those entirely too worked up.


    ¡°Lord Percival?¡± he asked, looking at me, and he wasn''t the only one as a few people from the nearby street also stared.


    ¡°A fine day isn''t it?¡±


    ¡°Yes sir,¡± he answered awkwardly.


    ¡°You know our destination?¡±


    ¡°Indeed Lord Percival, please leave it to me.¡±


    Doing just that I sat behind him, letting the wheels clatter without any more input from myself. Grandpa had said it was all ready, all prepared for the moment of truth, all I needed to do was show up. We''d both put so much into this, money, time, expertise, all for the first flight of our creation. There was no way for me not to practically bounce in the carriage, well more than carriages normally bounced.If you spot this narrative on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.


    Sadly I wouldn''t be claiming first flight for this world, since there were quite a few mages who''d flown before me. Nor would I be claiming first powered flight, as the elves would dispute that, claiming they had had it long ago, not that they still did. Regardless, I would still be making the first plane, to my knowledge, not some balloon.


    As we pulled into the large field that would be our first testing ground I didn''t even let the driver stop before leaping from my cushioned prison. I could already see grandpa there, by our project, talking to some man in a big leather jacket.


    ¡°It''s magnificent!¡± I enthused as I ran up to them like an arrow loosed from a bow.


    ¡°Slow down boy, it''s not going anywhere,¡± grandpa laughed as I skidded in near him. ¡°And if your grandmother sees you acting like that she might well try to keep you from coming out again.¡±


    ¡°I''d like to see her try, wait, is she here!?¡± I hadn''t seen her, but I quickly looked around in mock panic. The only things around us were a few other carriages and a small storage barn, not even animals.


    ¡°Of course not, do you think she''d want to go frolicking around a field at first light?¡±


    ¡°Only if she had no other choice.¡± I turned to the other man. ¡°My apologies, but I don''t believe we''ve met, Percival.¡± I offered extending a hand in greeting and a smile.


    ¡°Pleasure sir, Lionel Rightroad, I''m the test captain.¡± As he spoke I felt my smile falter.


    ¡°Ah, so you''ll be going after me?¡±


    The two men exchanged a glance, before my grandfather tried to speak to me again.


    ¡°Percival, this is an untested machine, and while I believe you''ll do fine, and it will work as we know it should you simply can''t be the first to use it. The danger may only be slight, but it is there.¡±


    ¡°There is nobody who understands it better than me, with the only possible exception of yourself grandfather, and I''d dispute even that. You''ll find that I''m also more than durable enough to survive any issues we might have today.¡±


    ¡°Your grandfather has been training me on the controls for the last few weeks, even allowing me to use the undersized versions, and while perhaps I don''t feel confident understanding all the concepts as well as either of you distinguished gentlemen I am quite durable myself.¡±


    ¡°Is that so?¡± I asked.


    ¡°It is in...¡± There was a resounding BOOM as I punched him in the stomach. He looked down, having been blown back, but not out of his stance. ¡°Kindly do not do that again.¡±


    ¡°Percival,¡± grandfather said dangerously.


    ¡°I am suitably impressed.¡± I was also suitably infuriated. They were trying to steal this from me!


    ¡°Apologize.¡±


    ¡°My apologies Mr. Rightroad, I felt the need to make sure.¡± The jerk was indeed tough enough to survive a crash, unfortunately.


    ¡°Let us put it behind us shall we?¡± the man said magnanimously.


    ¡°Very well, is everything ready?¡± I asked them.


    ¡°Should be,¡± grandpa answered.


    ¡°You''ve already done the full check too?¡± I inquired, almost hurt, they were pushing me out of my own project, and he was supposed to wait for me.


    ¡°Well, not this morning, but when it came in last night...¡±


    ¡°Before every flight,¡± I insisted. ¡°Let''s do it again, just to make sure.¡±


    My plan was a simple one, but one that I was going to do.


    ¡°He''s not wrong sir,¡± Lionel said with a shrug. ¡°We always the same thing with ships.¡±


    ¡°Fine, fine,¡± grandpa agreed with a gruff.


    They watched me like hawks as we went over to the plane, the first plane on this world, and began to examine it. I was stunned, thrilled, for it was a thing of beauty. On the outside it looked like something from world war I, but inside it was filled with magic. Magic devices were the motor, pulling it rather than an internal combustion engine, making it near silent, they ran the controls, moving flaps, adjusting speed, all o it. Motorized versions would come I was sure, soon enough, but this one wasn''t that.


    We took our time going over every inch, with me pointing out the small changes, things that were just a bit different from our models for one reason or another. They were few, but they were there, for no model really could do a perfect job. I even looked over the wheels, made from some rubber-like substance I was told had come from a magical beast. Though I looked I couldn''t find any flaws of note. There were a few marks from shipping, places where it had been moved or put together, but all looked perfect.


    In fact I took so long going over every crease and crevice that they moved back a bit and began talking. Perhaps they were satisfied with it, but I wasn''t, because I wasn''t supposed to be the first. A horse whinnied from where our carriages were loudly and grandfather looked. Horses got into such states often, kicking each other or making noise, and it was the perfect time.


    I hopped from the wing into the small cockpit, made for two but only needing one and hit the controls as fast as I could. Mr. Rightroad might have been tough, but I doubted he was as fast as me and I was right. Power flipped on before he even realized what I was doing. The magical, silent nature of the startup was key, there was no roar of an engine, no thudding of blades, no delay time, I just began to move. Grandpa barely had time to register the other man''s movement before the throttle was at full, pulling me down the runway as fast as a speeding horse.


    Lionel was shouting curses, grandpa was yelling, I was laughing manically, today was a good day indeed.

 Chapter 80 Grounded

    Faster and faster I moved, the wind reaching a peak until I felt it. The sensation of the wheels leaving the ground was magnificent, the bumps changing into small changes in the wind as I began to climb, away from the dirt and into the sky. It wasn''t fast, not like the insane speed jets from Earth could have done it, but just a few dozen feet.


    ¡°PERCIVAL GET BACK HERE THIS INSTANT!¡± The sky roared as my grandfather stopped yelling and began to cast spells.


    The field before me was massive, some kind of fallow farmland, hundreds of acres of it. Presumably this was so that we could do slow and steady testing, a smart thing, and build up to real flights. For me it meant that I had plenty of room to keep going as long as I wanted, the open strip giving ample room and wonderful views.


    For a moment I considered taking off for real, climbing into the clouds, soaring with the birds for an hour or two. Then I came to my senses, that wasn''t why I had done this. What I''d wanted was the first flight, the first time up, the proof of it, and I''d gotten that. If I kept pushing my luck I might never again be allowed to fly, well, I might not be allowed to anyway for a good while, but I''d accepted that.


    With a sigh I brought the plane down, slowly, with exceeding care. The wheels bounced a bit as I slowed, jostling me in the small pilot''s seat. As quick as it had happened it was over, moments of full flight time, but enough. I easily beat the twelve seconds the Wright brothers had managed, and that was good enough for me.


    Once I was back down I turned around began to coast my way back. Grandpa was going to be furious, but there was no reason to delay. Best to just take my lumps and be done with it. It of course took far longer to return than it had to flee, but I was aided by the fact that they''d chased me a bit. As I pulled up I could see my grandfather fuming, teeth tight together but no longer yelling.


    ¡°Of all the foolish, irresponsible, insane stunts to pull Percival, I cannot believe your gall,¡± he began as I got out of the seat and hopped down.


    ¡°I hope you understand why though,¡± I returned calmly. ¡°After so many years I had to be the first, even if it was only for a few seconds.¡±


    ¡°You could have been hurt, you could have died,¡± he continued.


    ¡°That seemed improbable, we''ve tested this as much as we could have without actually testing it. It''s also the reason I didn''t go any higher than I went.¡±This book''s true home is on another platform. Check it out there for the real experience.


    He looked particularly peeved when I didn''t while, complain, or try to weasel out of anything. ¡°That isn''t an excuse for your actions.¡±


    ¡°No, it isn''t, I''m merely explaining my thinking. I fully expected you to be furious, and am willing to accept punishment,¡± I told him with a shrug.


    ¡°You will not be flying again for the foreseeable future,¡± he began, and I nodded, that was obvious. ¡°I may tell your mother,¡± another nod from me. ¡°Bah! Do you know how hard it is to punish you when you''re like this!?¡±


    ¡°I do,¡± I chuckled, unable to contain that.


    ¡°Not even sorry are you lad?¡± asked Lionel, beginning to look over the plane.


    ¡°No.¡±


    ¡°Perhaps we should tell people that Mr. Rightroad here was the first up, how would you feel about that?¡± grandpa threatened.


    ¡°I will be telling nobody any such lie, and if they believe you I will still no the truth.¡±


    ¡°Your mother is going to tan your hide,¡± he went on, seeming fit to curse.


    ¡°Perhaps, but she won''t be around for some time; she''s skipping the season remember?¡±


    Grandpa twitched, knowing I was right.


    ¡°I''m going to look over this, because so help me if you''ve damaged it... You are to find a somewhere by the barn to observe and remain there until I can figure out what to do with you.¡±


    It took awhile, but in time he joined me as Mr. Rightroad got in and took off. This particular flight was much more by the book than mine had been, with the pilot having ample time to slowly go through the procedures we''d set up before beginning. Much like my first go Lionel only went a few feet up first, before returning to the ground. Each successive trip up he took though climbed higher, and within three he was circling the large field we were in at a few hundred feet.


    I looked on with a smile. Even if I wasn''t going back up today I could still appreciate seeing my work, well work, and just the was it was supposed to. Nobody was doing anything fancy in the plane yet, but that didn''t matter, just the huge step we were taking was enough.


    ¡°Magnificent,¡± grandpa muttered.


    ¡°It is,¡± I agreed.


    ¡°You could have been up there by this point, still certain your acting out was worth it?¡±


    ¡°Every bit.¡±


    ¡°You know we might forbid you from going up ever again after that nonsense.¡±


    I just laughed at that threat. ¡°How long have you known me grandpa? If you try to keep me grounded for too long I''ll just make my own.¡±


    Only a couple years off from legal adulthood that threat wasn''t any kind of a bluff. I had the earning potential, the know-how, the expertise from our work already to make a plane myself. It would take longer, and it would probably not be as good as what the two of us could do together, but it would fly, of that I had no doubt.


    My answer earned me a slap on the back of my head, but that was fine. Grandpa knew that I cared for him, for the rest of our family. He also knew that I was stubborn as a mule and smart enough to get myself into trouble. We''d spent far too long around each other for him not to get that.


    ¡°You could at least try to apologize,¡± he gruffed.


    ¡°I''m not sorry for what I did grandpa, to lie about that seems wrong to me. The lie would be worse to me than taking the plane up like I did. I am sorry for making you angry though, and don''t intend to repeat myself.¡±


    ¡°Well, even if you never learned obedience at least you learned morals,¡± he groused.


    To that I just answered with a small smile. He hadn''t realized yet that he would probably be the one blamed for not driving obedience into my head. He wasn''t, as someone who''d already lived a good part of a life it was impossible for me to abide the kind of restrictions people wanted to put on me, but mother and especially grandmother would place the blame soundly at his feet.

 Chapter 81 Desires of Life

    ¡°It actually works, like properly?¡± the girl sitting across from me asked over the table.


    ¡°Indeed, we had a demonstration for some of the more technically minded men from The Royal Society just earlier today. Perhaps my project isn''t impossible for them to have considered, but they''re all quite surprised,¡± I answered. ¡°You''d think that with all the papers my grandfather had published they would''ve expected this.¡±


    The girl''s father, some lower end noble laughed from a couple seats down. ¡°Ah, I might shed some light upon that. You see, people have been reading his papers, well a few of them, but they discounted that it actually worked. Normally we see such things coming from well known inventors and while your grandfather may be well known for his interest, he isn''t well known for his invention.¡± After a moment he took a look at me though. ¡°However I have heard some of the most interesting rumors about you...¡±


    ¡°Perhaps I''m a bit clever, but I''ve not made that many things,¡± I demurred, hoping to keep from getting too much attention.


    My date for the evening took a moment to stop giving the girl who''d started talking to me the stink-eye and chuckled at my remark. Rowenna had been happy enough to accompany me on this event, but had been significantly less thrilled when she''d seen the seating arrangement. She was getting a bit on the possessive side tonight and having me sat near a girl who''d tried flirting the second we came in the door didn''t sit well.


    Not that I really blamed her, I suppose if I''d been out with her and someone had started making eyes at first sight I''d have been rather cross myself, but it was behavior to note. The host for tonight was the Murkshire family and it was clear that their daughter wanted something. Perhaps her family had put her up to that after hearing about the test she was now inquiring about, perhaps she had herself.


    To be quite honest I barely knew them, having seen said daughter Lucy Murkshire at a few events over the years but hardly ever talking to her. She had a brother a few years my senior who''d attended the same school I did, but I don''t think I''d ever spoken to him either, just someone known in passing. Her uncle though was a common sight at Royal Society meetings, running in much the same circles as my grandfather did.


    ¡°I don''t suppose you''d be willing to show me this flying machine of yours?¡± Lucy asked, batting her eyelashes.


    ¡°You''re welcome to come to any of the demonstrations we''ve planned, they''re open to the public,¡± I answered. Telling her flatly that I wasn''t interested would be rude, but agreeing would make a whole slew of other problems, and honestly I didn''t know this girl at all.


    Once more I thanked my experience from Earth for saving me. Most boys my age would see a moderately pretty girl making eyes at them and do something stupid, but that was a lesson I''d already learned from my first adolescence. Perhaps I''d never been the wisest or cleverest person, but I''d made it to adulthood, and if you did that there were at least a few things you''d get clued in on.


    Like the fact that this girl probably didn''t care about me at all, not really. Planes were going to be big, and while a lot of people were writing them off, as they had on Earth, some weren''t. Those who joined early into the flight industry would soon find themselves at the head of new, huge investments. Cargo transport, private transport, military, the options were there, and I had the benefit of hindsight to know where to push.


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    Not everything would be the same, magic changed so much, but many things would be. Air travel for example would only be really good at medium range, for cross-continental or super long range travel magic gates were basically unbeatable, but for something like my family''s yearly trip to Exion? Shortened by days. Military applications would be huge too, as few mages could fly, and exploiting the air would be a force multiplier like no other.


    ¡°Are you sure nothing else could be arranged?¡± Lucy pushed.


    ¡°Unfortunately not, there are quite a lot of interested parties and it''s simply not feasible,¡± I didn''t add that I didn''t want to, this girl was causing me problems and I didn''t want more.


    Dinner after that was fairly bland. I''d made it clear to this family that I was unwilling to give them what they wanted, something I''d had to explain to others if not in the same setting. Seeing that they could only make inroads through proper public channels my hosts politely cut off their attempts.


    ¡°I''m sorry about that,¡± I said to Rowenna as we rode home. ¡°Had I known that they would use such tactics I would''ve found a way to decline the invitation.¡±


    She looked across the carriage at me and chuckled, not her normal high pitched laugh but something altogether less kind. ¡°Oh no, seeing you deny them like that made the whole thing worthwhile. Did she really think that was going to work? Honestly I feel a bit insulted on your part.¡±


    ¡°On a lot of boys my age it would''ve worked,¡± I informed her. ¡°Boys tend to be rather foolish when it comes to girls.¡±


    ¡°That''s what I like about you,¡± she told me, leaning in and kissing me so suddenly I didn''t know what to make of it. One second she''d been leaning forward to talk, the next she was practically in my lap. ¡°You''re not like others.¡±


    ¡°Rowenna,¡± I said, leaning back from her.


    ¡°Stop being such a prude. I know you''re holding back, but I don''t know why, I can tell you like girls, so it''s not that.¡±


    I wanted to scream at her that I was far older than her, but that wouldn''t make any sense. She wouldn''t understand rebirth, and telling her now seemed too much of a danger to me.


    ¡°If you still feel this way once you''re fully of age we''ll talk, but I don''t want to lead you on.¡± I''d always intended this to me mostly for show, something she had to know.


    ¡°Oh, now you are the silly boy,¡± she said as she curled up in my lap, refusing to move. ¡°You''re not leading anything, I am. I''m the one who chose you not the other way around.¡± She turned a bit to poke me in the cheek playfully.


    ¡°And when exactly did you do that?¡± I inquired.


    ¡°Do you remember when we first met?¡±


    ¡°You asked me to beat up your brother if I''m not mistaken,¡± I answered.


    ¡°And you agreed perfectly. I had an inkling then, one you''ve only confirmed over the years. No reason to lie, but I''ve had crushes on other boys, they''ve all just come up... short. You though have always been what I wanted, mature but silly, kind but dangerous, cleverer than is good for you.¡±


    ¡°I''m not sure that''s entirely healthy...¡± I tried, hoping to get her to at least consider the situation.


    ¡°It is, it will give me exactly what I want out of life.¡±


    ¡°And what is it that you want out of life?¡± I asked, blinking at her immediate response.


    ¡°A home, a good husband, a few children, that''s about it actually.¡±


    ¡°That''s...¡± I wanted to say ''horribly stereotypical'' but couldn''t. ¡°Not much.¡±


    ¡°It is more than most people get Percival. I mean, I''m sure I''ll do other things, but that''s the core of it. Mother managed it and she seems quite pleased with life.¡±


    ¡°You don''t want to study magic, or invent, or...¡±


    ¡°I''ve an aunt who is like that, she seems rather unhappy. Not sure if that''s because of what she does or because she''s just a miserable old coot, but no. Honestly I''m middling at magic at best, and like I said I''ll do other things, I''ll still do magic, still try to improve myself, but I''m no genius, and no inventor. It seems better to me to instead bring what light I can to the world than to do things I don''t want in an attempt to prove I''m someone I''m not.¡±


    ¡°That is not the answer I expected,¡± I admitted. ¡°That you just want a husband and children.¡±


    ¡°Not today obviously, not for a couple of years.¡±


    ¡°And what do you want today?¡± I asked, hoping for something slightly more understandable.


    ¡°The man courting me to wrap his arms around me properly rather than keep them to his sides like he''s afraid of me,¡± she answered snarkily.


    With a snort I did so, relaxing them around her in a gentle hug.


    ¡°Good, we''ll have you trained yet,¡± she said as she curled up against me, laying her head upon my chest.

 Chapter 82 Sewer Sights

    Greta slid through the sewers, she hated coming out here so much. It wasn''t like the surface, where there was fresh air and the bright open sky, and it wasn''t home either. Father at least kept the den well cleaned, some of the less intelligent of her kin might have made messes, but he made sure they cleaned them up. The sewers though were filled with filth.


    As she moved her glasses slid through lenses, moved and flipped by a slight expenditure of her will. Each was special, each suited for the purpose for which it was made. She''d been using some that enhanced her night vision, but now something more was needed. This time she needed her most amazing lens.


    The crystal she''d acquired from that shop had been so interesting, how oddly it glowed. Even Father had liked it, had remarked on how it seemed to react not to light but heat. Whoever had put it in the shop had clearly not known just how it could be put to use, but she''d figured it out, and now it added to her arsenal.


    ¡°Quiet, slow,¡± she told the three others who were following her, among the smarter of her burrow.


    Unsurprisingly her change in lens had shown her that one of the tunnels was hotter, there''d been a smell of burning but this confirmed it, someone was fighting down here. Their fight had been close, close enough that the stones were still warmed from the passing, close enough to follow. Brilliant spots in her vision spoke to flames licking the wall, possible to follow by smell perhaps, or the soot stains, but so much easier with her invention.


    As one the four of them slinked down the tunnel, watching corners and chasing what was down here. The hunters, possibly human, possibly not, had been a problem a real one. Local humans were bad at finding their foraging teams, but these hunters had chased them down, causing many deaths and more injuries, even big brother Sigmund had taken a blow from them, though survived to tell the tale.


    ¡°Greta, we need to hunt their hunters, as the cleverest of my children find them, destroy them,¡± that was what Father had said, and so she would, nothing else to it.


    Could he have done it himself? Certainly, and he had taken one of the teams out, but he had other things to do, important things. It was also good to let the young build themselves up, grow stronger to strengthen the burrow as a whole.


    She put those thoughts to the side as the sounds of battle began to echo through the sewers, the woosh of spells and the loud reports of guns appearing faintly at first, but growing rapidly in volume and intensity as they moved. Whoever was fighting they were near, very near. Comparing a mental map of this part of the undercity with the signs of fighting she''d seen led to a conclusion about where they''d gone.


    The cadre of hunters sidled up laying on a lip that overlooked a drop into a huge holding and distribution tank led to the battleground. She''d studied the build of it a couple years ago, a rather clever bit of architecture that served several purposes in making the whole city''s wastewater system far more efficient.


    ¡°Capture, don''t kill, we need to interrogate them!¡± one of the fighters said, a huge man in a dark uniform before he threw another fire spell.


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    It was four on ten, unfortunately the four all had power while the ten had only two individuals with the blessing of magic. Normally that powerful tool would against even such odds but there was a change, the larger group had new weapons.


    A trill ran up Greta''s spine as she saw them, works just like that boy had had, beautiful mechanisms spitting fire and death. Father had been injured by one of these but she''d as of yet failed to get a proper look, oh how she wanted a proper look. The massive increase in firepower was evening this playing field so well, how she wanted one.


    While she looked on several of the uniformed enemies fell to those she was hunting. At the same time, the four had been reduced to two, bullets shredding a pair of their companions to ribbons. The leader, the one talking kept shouting, kept commanding, until two went down to one, and finally the last fell to the ground, body broken and bleeding.


    As the uniformed men tried to check for signs of life, finding one of their enemies still breathing and beginning to patch him up something pressed the outside of Greta''s leg. One of the three she''d brought with her, Gar, her favorite among the males in the nest, had gotten against her. That wasn''t unusual, in such small confines contact was constant, but what wasn''t was his position. His member was poking her leg, arm even snaking near hers.


    She let out a harsh but low hiss, warning him off. There was a time and place for flirting, and this wasn''t it at all. Smarter than most of her kind perhaps, but still a male, still enamored with lust. That was fine, good even, but so was stealth, which they needed presently. Our of the side of her vision though she watched him, he was studying her, watching where she was, seeing what she saw.


    The uniformed men finished, hauling the living and the dead quickly to another tunnel, one which led to the surface after a cursory search around the pit they''d been fighting in, not that they could find anything in the muck. After giving them a minute to fully vacate she looked at the males.


    ¡°Follow behind them, go quiet, I return to tell Father of this.¡± It was best to keep her statements short and sweet just in case they were difficult for the others to understand. They all offered affirmatives and she slipped away back to the nest.


    She did just that, going back to report that the humans were fighting one another, an odd thing to happen.


    ¡°No, humans fight one another more than anything else,¡± Father corrected her when she told him as much. ¡°Are more of the hunters around?¡±


    ¡°No sign of them Father,¡± she replied.


    ¡°Good girl, make sure the rest of the team has returned and your task is complete.¡± He even patted her head when he spoke. ¡°I knew I could trust you.¡±


    She bounded to the opening of the nest to check, finding her sister on guard.


    ¡°They''re back,¡± Sasha told her from the front door with a horrid smile playing on her lips.


    ¡°Why are you smiling,¡± she asked the other girl.


    ¡°Hehe, you''ll see.¡±


    With a sigh she left to wash and go rest, it had been a long day after all. There was even a little soap, stolen from somewhere or other. Father used it, so she used it too, as did some of the others who were more clever. Too many ignored it though, washing only with cold water from a small pipe.


    Greta returned to her own personal space, a carved out hollow near the center where Father lived. As a female and one of his favorites she''d gotten a prime location. She wasn''t surprised to find Gar standing there holding something, however she was when she smelled him, he too it seemed had washed while she reported to Father.


    ¡°Gar,¡± she said cold, his antics earlier not amusing her at all.


    ¡°You wanted this right? I bring it to you.¡± He held out his hand revealing one of the weapons, it too well cleaned. ¡°One of the soldiers dropped it.¡±


    She registered his grammar being imperfect, but that gift was. Gifts she got, more and more as she grew older. The males of the nest brought her food, or shiny things, or whatever they liked. They also liked to do as he had and get almost upon her, or make big shows of their power, physical or otherwise, to get her attention. Frankly it was a bit tiresome and stupid.


    What none of them had ever done though, was try to figure out what she wanted. They thought of themselves, brought her things they liked, but Gar had brought to her something he thought she''d like; the difference was night and day. She loved her sister for how her sister thought about things, and now Gar was thinking too, thinking about her.


    ¡°It is beautiful,¡± she said, taking it carefully from his hands before turning to her door. It was a curtain, she''d seen the humans doing it and liked the idea, so she used the same thing to separate off her space from others.


    She stopped as she crossed inside, looking back through the curtain. Gar stood there, looking a bit dejected that she''d taken the item and said little else. Before he turned to leave though, she spoke again.


    ¡°Coming inside?¡± After all, the little gun wasn''t the true gift he''d brought her, he''d brought her consideration, something far more valuable than a trinket.

 Chapter 83 Grandmothers Demand

    ¡°Alright Percival, the time has come to host an event,¡± my grandmother told me one afternoon. She was making an awful habit of interrupting my personal words on an almost daily basis.


    ¡°You''re hosting something?¡± I asked.


    ¡°No, you are.¡±


    I was stunned, flabbergasted, and honestly a bit taken aback. ¡°Grandmother, I live alone, and I know absolutely nothing about hosting any such thing. Normally isn''t that something whole families do?¡±


    ¡°It is, normally your wife would handle parts of the arrangements, but since you''re still unmarried...¡±


    ¡°I''m not even of age yet...¡±


    ¡°Don''t interrupt, since you''re unmarried you''ll need to take care of the arrangements yourself. I''ll be about so you''re welcome to come and ask me any questions you may have, but I''m expecting you to do most of it without any input on my part.¡±


    I had hoped, longed for the season, for the break from the unending schoolwork and people trying to shove more things into my brain only for my dreams to be dashed upon my grandmother''s desires. I wasn''t about to give up that easily though, and if she insisted, well, I could certainly make something everyone would remember.


    ¡°Honestly grandmother I''ve no desire to do this at all,¡± I complained.


    ¡°Of that fact I am acutely aware, but you still must. It''s only one evening Percival, you should manage without problems. You''ve a competent staff, a good cook, and I know for a fact that you''ve been to enough dinners and parties that you should have no questions at all about what to do.¡±


    ¡°Really shouldn''t I be allowed a break from the work?¡± I plead.


    ¡°One never gets a proper rest Percival, not ever. Though if you truly desire one, make one, make an event that you think is ''fun'' so long as it works with what others will expect I''ll have no complaints.¡± At my raised eyebrows she continued. ¡°Just make sure not to do anything inappropriate or extreme.¡±


    Well that was something. Grandmother was insisting I preform some event, but allowing me almost free reign here, something that I could consider enjoyable. Most people in either this world or Earth wouldn''t have been terribly excited by my personal favorite of machining or playing with machines, but perhaps we could so something related. For I needed something others would find enjoyable too, since friends having fun around you almost always meant you''d have some fun too.


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    ¡°I need to think on this.¡±


    ¡°Very well.¡±


    So that afternoon think on it I did. I made my way down to my workshop and as I considered brought out the project I''d been playing with for some time. Most of the internals were done, but it needed ammunition, so as I began to shape those shells I thought.


    As my hands worked my mind wandered, the rote exercise allowing me to drift on daydreams to an extent, only surfacing briefly to take a measurement or check diameters. Many years ago, before the current kingdom I knew there had been decadent parties, but that seemed wrong. I didn''t have the facilities or the funds to throw something completely boggling, which would take a lot of magic anyway. More recently helping those weaker than you, or at least not showing off how strong you were was considered more gentlemanly, could I do something with that?


    So what, a bake sale? The very thought of that made me snicker and I ruined one of the casings I was making. No, that wouldn''t work, but something charity-wise certainly would. If people thought they were doing something for the poor, but didn''t have to interact with them then that would be best. Even in this world the rich liked to pretend the poor didn''t exist, at least not somewhere they could interact.


    Then it hit me, something quite obvious. I''d need to acquire a few things here and there, a proper venue, some interesting items... Pretty sure I could manage at least some of the latter easily enough. We''d also need drinks and snacks, though not necessarily the full-blown meal that others would likely expect, oh and instructions for everyone. Yes, that could indeed be fun, and do something for others at the same time, the best kind of fun.


    I could ask Simon to aid me with this, pay for him to make some items, or make them with him. The fact that they didn''t come from stores would only add to the perfection of this idea. One or two others I could make myself, no problems there. In fact it might be best if I leaned on the contacts I had at school or others my age for most of this, would look good too.


    By the time I emerged from my workshop to tell my grandmother about what I''d come up with she''d left. After all she had her own life to live and things to do. Mrs. Rider our housekeeper however did find me looking about and stopped.


    ¡°Something wrong sir?¡± she asked.


    ¡°No, not at all, just lost track of time.¡±


    ¡°A surprisingly common thing to happen,¡± she agreed with a smile.


    ¡°She left me with a task, I''d like to run some ideas by you and Sinea first. After dinner perhaps if that''s alright. Never done something quite like this and I find myself in need of advice.¡±


    ¡°Of course my lord, I''ll be happy to help in any way I can.¡± She looked on knowingly, and it wouldn''t surprise me in the least if grandmother had told her about my assignment.


    ¡°I need to write some letters...¡± I muttered, and she bid me farewell.


    First I wrote one to my grandmother, explaining everything in detail, all of my ideas. We were going to need to explain them to others too, so trying first with her would be best. None of it would be too expensive, a rented ballroom or some such, some basic provisions, a handful of hired staff, all very manageable within cost for something like this. To this I added a list of questions, how and where to send things, her thoughts on if it would work at all.


    Afterwards I began writing a few drafts to friends I''d need to participate. Simon was first, since his skills would be excellent, if not strictly needed. Then my dear betrothed and her brother got a pair. On a lark I began to form the guest list, the duke, seeing as I was on good terms, and Mr. Ignus, seeing as he would probably interrogate me about anything I sold even if it wasn''t dangerous or illegal. A few of my teachers as well might be interested, and though I feared to even try I made a draft to Headmaster Logan, scared of the idea he might actually take me up on it.


    With plans in motion I sat back. Sure there''d be a good bit of work to do, but most of it was easily manageable, at least I hoped. That''s what we had help for though, be they friends or family or just those working for us, to set us on the right path when we began to do something stupid.

 Chapter 84 Meeting Priscilla

    ¡°Hello there my friend,¡± Simon said cheerfully as I joined him at the small room in his home we''d agreed to have this meeting at. While his face smiled his eyes held a hint of irritation.


    ¡°So you''re this Percival I''ve been hearing about. I heard you assisted my Simon with those lovely little flowers he gave me,¡± a high voice added from a corner behind me.


    I turned to see what could only be Priscilla, Simon''s girlfriend. She was taller than I''d expected, and lithe like a tree, long, but graceful as she moved across the room. Blonde strands of hair fell lightly over her shoulders, straight and silken. Her gown was simple, but well made, not ostentatious, but enough to show she was someone important.


    ¡°Priscilla then? Thank you for convincing Simon here for me.¡± At my words the young man in question punched me in the shoulder.


    ¡°I would have helped anyway...¡± he griped as Priscilla approached us.


    ¡°Of course you would have, helping orphans? I''ve seen enough of you to know that the few moments of your time this would take wouldn''t have been enough to stop it.¡± She leaned in to whisper to him though. ¡°But you''d have complained the whole time.¡±


    ¡°Don''t worry Simon, I''ll make it up to you somehow,¡± I said, trying to placate my friend as he pouted a bit.


    ¡°Oh, how?¡±


    ¡°Want a gun?¡± I asked, on Earth that suggestion would have sent people raving, but he was much like me, and honestly probably had an arsenal of blades at his disposal.


    ¡°No, that''s your thing not mine. You had some models of those planes though right? Don''t suppose you''d be willing to share a scaled down one with me?¡±


    ¡°Easily done.¡±


    I could see the glimmer in his eyes and his girlfriend shaking her head in the background. He''d been trying to make a golem, something we weren''t allowed to do, but one of my toy planes? That was perfectly allowable, and honestly I owed him big for this and the gifts he''d helped me with with my lady friend.


    ¡°If you two are done, do you mind inspecting these?¡± Priscilla asked, motioning to the table.


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    I nodded and began to go down the line. Each of the small items he''d put magic into were of my own design and build, attempts at art. I''d based them off of pieces from Earth, some modern art swirls and twists, and some more like odd mathematical shapes people had come up with. Each was unique for this world, clearly something made for the joy of making but not fitting in clearly with any known aesthetic.


    ¡°They''re weird,¡± Simon said.


    ¡°Just fun shapes, I think they''ll do alright.¡±


    ¡°Any magical item sells well,¡± Priscilla pointed out. ¡°And I''ve talked to some of the other priests. We won''t be buying them, but we''re making sure to encourage those who might. The fact that these are pretty simple tools won''t hurt either, something anyone can use.¡±


    ¡°Anyone with magic,¡± I pointed out.


    ¡°Anyone rich enough to be at your little party. Those who don''t have it can just hire mages to fill them,¡± she said with a shrug.


    She wasn''t wrong either. Most of the wealthy were magical, or if they weren''t originally ended up so in a few generations by interbreeding with magical families. Magic was power, pure and simple, and there was nothing that would promise your family long term success more than having that power.


    On the outside it might have seemed that our country was a monarchy, and to an extent that was true. More importantly though it was a magocracy, the power of mana infusing all of those who held important offices. Here and there non-magical folk, skilled workers or intelligent folk, would slip into power, but they didn''t hold it. No, they were one offs, the exception to prove the rule, it was families like mine that held sway over governance in the end.


    ¡°Well, it is as you say,¡± I agreed after thinking it over.


    ¡°Of course, but do you mind if I ask a question about all of this?¡± she inquired.


    ¡°Go ahead.¡±


    ¡°Why are you doing this?¡±


    ¡°Priscilla,¡± Simon said tiredly. ¡°You''re being rude.¡±


    ¡°I mean no insult, actually I think this is just the sort of thing we should do more of, but why?¡± she pressed.


    ¡°My grandmother insisted I host an event, some kind of coming of age, so I''m doing it my way, not hers. Sure, it will be odd to everyone, but it''ll be fun, and we get to raise funds for a good cause.¡±


    ¡°Yes, I''m sure The Shield will be happy with the additional funding for their orphanage. Though I hope you''re not thinking of pulling money off the top?¡± she asked, looking me over suspiciously.


    Charity wasn''t that odd, but there were some cases of people using it for fraud. Not that I intended any such thing.


    ¡°No miss Priscilla, the auction will be public, the winning bids the same. It will be simplicity itself for anyone to add them up and see what the result will be.¡±


    ¡°I''m sure someone will.¡±


    ¡°Enough now, Percival is a decent guy, no need to act like that.¡± Simon stood up for me not, telling her off. ¡°You really should apologize.¡±


    ¡°If after the event is done you do as you say I''ll give you a full apology,¡± she said to me, making me laugh and Simon sigh.


    ¡°You Shield folk sure are serious,¡± I said, thinking about her advocation.


    ¡°I''m with The Lovers,¡± she corrected.


    ¡°Ah, right. Can''t say I''ve ever had much need of your Order''s services,¡± I demurred, having almost forgotten about them.


    ¡°You might some time, we do provide plenty. The marks are the most famous thing we do, and while you may not need pregnancy control one would keep you from becoming a father unintentionally. Other than that it''s mostly dealing with marriages and women''s issues, but there are a few other things for men we get involved in...¡±


    ¡°Wait, I thought the marks were only for girls?¡± I asked, confused at her words.


    Lover''s Marks were the signature ability of The Lovers, a priestly order dedicated to just that. These marks were a form of birth control, some kind of tattoo or magical symbol. I wasn''t overly familiar with the exact details because I''d never thought I''d need one, being completely incapable of getting pregnant.


    ¡°No the variant for men is less common, but there is one.¡±


    ¡°Might be wise to have...¡± I mumbled to myself, knowing that things could get out of hand sometimes from personal experience. Luckily I''d dodged the daddy bullet those times.


    ¡°Well, just come to the temple when you decide, we''ll be happy to help.¡± It seemed my mumbling hadn''t been nearly quiet enough.


    ¡°Understood.¡±

 Chapter 85 Masquerade

    The night of the party finally arrived and I strolled into the ballroom, slipping on my mask. The piece I''d made for this was a fanciful bit, white with feathers sticking out in all directions. Beside me Rowenna did the same, hers a pink version that matched perfectly with her dress.


    ¡°The guests are arriving,¡± she observed as she looked out a window.


    ¡°Yes, shall we go and greet them?¡±


    We moved from the window and around the room, both sets of my grandparents were here, along with Rowenna''s parents as her chaperons. I''d not seen their masks until today but each made sense. My grandfathers were in two opposite masks, one clearly militaristic, while the other looked decorated in cogs and small moving parts. My grandmothers on the other hand went for more understated ones, geometric and floral designs etched in.


    It was refreshing to see that they''d taken to the idea of a masked auction/ball so well. That had been my one worry, since I didn''t know of any similar events, but apparently half-face masks were universal enough that the simple designs we''d had put on the invitations had been enough to get the message across.


    First to arrive were Simon and Priscilla. While his outfit was about what I expected, her mask was a stark white, until you looked closer. A man and woman moved from each ear, nude and embracing in the center, a clear allusion to The Lovers. They greeted us briefly before continuing in.


    More and more people showed up as the next hour or so passed, and I hated to admit it, but I didn''t know or recognize all of them. Some I saw clearly, like Headmaster Logan, who couldn''t hide his form or gruff voice. Others passed by, showing an invitation at the door, but happy to have fooled everyone as to whom they were. It was a masked party after all, so I couldn''t begrudge them that.


    As I pulled back, letting people mingle as they would my grandmother approached me. Her perpetual displeased look was softened, practically a smile for her.


    ¡°This is going swimmingly,¡± she said, looking over the crowd. ¡°I''ll admit, I worried when you described this to me, but you''ve managed it well. Perhaps something smaller next time though?¡± she questioned.


    ¡°I don''t enjoy making these,¡± I told her, again. ¡°And if I must, I''ll be doing it how I please.¡±


    Rowenna stifled a laugh, turning it into a sneeze behind me. I saw my grandmother''s eyes flit toward her and narrow, but quickly return to me. Really it was lovely to see that my date was enjoying this conversation.


    ¡°When shall the main event begin?¡± grandmother asked acidly.


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    ¡°After the dancing is done,¡± I replied as placidly as I could.


    That moment music started from one side of the hall, and the floor cleared, couples taking hands and moving towards the center. I of course chose to lead, taking Rowenna''s and leaving my slightly displeased elder behind me. The girl must have thought this was wonderful, as she didn''t hesitate a bit.


    Normally it was considered inappropriate to dance with the same woman too much, but seeing as Rowenna and I were courting there was much more leeway there. After several dances with her we did have to move to other partners though. Everyone split, moving to others. Several of the women who joined me were unknown to me that night, a few whispering small jokes as we parted and winking. It was a time to let things be a bit wilder, seeing as nobody knew who they were.


    ¡°It''s been a pleasure young man, and one of such good pedigree. I long to see what you''ve brought us tonight,¡± one said as she flitted away into the crowd. I tried to catch a better glance at her but couldn''t.


    Soon after the auction begun, and I was thrilled to see how well that went. Before the beginning a representative from The Order of The Shield rose to the platform to speak. Getting him here had been something of a coup on my part, but with what we were doing he didn''t argue.


    ¡°Greetings ladies and gentlemen,¡± the man said from beneath a plain mask bearing nothing but a shield on one cheek. ¡°And thank you all for coming. Tonight you''ll be bidding on items sold for the express purpose of benefiting our local orphanage, we thank you. Some of you have certainly recognized me, some of you haven''t, but know that I am here to assure that all funds are taken where they should be, with all proceeds going directly to the children. So, please allow me to open the night.¡±


    Most of the items were of little repute, heaters, coolers, things which played a gentle tune or made soft light. I''d seen that each was artistic, and well made, but they weren''t special. They all sold well though, each bringing several times what they were worth. Of course this was a time for nobles to show off, to give to something worthwhile while getting a pretty trinket they could talk about later.


    The last item however was something from my personal donation; one of my toy planes. The bidding started low, but soon exploded beyond reason. Several of the people here seemed determined. Fifty gold coins, then a hundred, two, it kept climbing until even the auctioneer began to look nervous. However one by one the bidders reached their limits. When only two remained I could clearly see who they were.


    ¡°Two-seventy-five,¡± a man said, he stood by the strange girl I''d been dancing with earlier.


    His opponent, whom I recognized as Mr. Ignus shook his head, looking displeased. Well, he could get over it, it wasn''t like he couldn''t have requested one of those from me before. Not sure I''d have sold him one, but we could have at least had the discussion.


    As the night ended and the guests got their items he approached me.


    ¡°You, me, somewhere private, now.¡±


    ¡°This way,¡± I led him to the second floor, abandoned for this event and used only for storage.


    ¡°Do you not have any sense?¡± he asked as we reached an empty hallway.


    ¡°What?¡± I asked. ¡°I didn''t sell any guns or anything.¡± I''d considered it, but pulled them out at the last minute, knowing someone might have issues.


    ¡°That model you sold. What were you thinking? I''ll assume it works because I know you. Do you know how dangerous a working example of a flying machine would be? The tactical advantage alone is absolutely insane. Goodness, I knew you were working on the full-sized one, but not that you''d sell your work so easily.¡±


    As he was ranting my ears picked up something else, a feminine voice, one that pinged in my memory, though I couldn''t place it and focus on him at the same time.


    ¡°Come on you asshole, just get in, yes, yes, get your box, and that bitch... there you go, I''ll teach you a lesson you won''t forget.¡± It was faint, from a hallway or two over.


    ¡°Hold it, wait,¡± I said to Ignus. ¡°There''s something.¡±


    ¡°Got you,¡± the voice said, and Ignus yelled, reaching toward his left ear.


    A BOOM shook the windows as the lawman reached up, pulling out an earpiece and tossing it to the side. I could briefly hear it screaming in a high pitched tone.


    ¡°Attack!¡± he yelled, and I turned, running towards where I''d heard the voice.


    It clicked as I rounded the corner and saw her there. The smallish goblin girl in her massive goggles stood by a window, something that looked like a detonator switch in her hand.


    ¡°You,¡± I seethed, pulling the gun I''d been keeping with me constantly.


    ¡°Me, you? What are you doing here?¡± she asked, clearly surprised.