《The Usurped God》


 Prologue: Silence and Secrets

    Without moving, Wander quested through the entire fortress.


    His Curiosity itched at even the smallest secret, but there was one which stood above the rest. That one was especially bothersome, lying at the heart of the keep. He had to get it. After all, it most likely was what he was after.


    Wander left his hiding spot and approached the fortress. Guards patrolled every corner, getting inside would not be easy. He rounded from a distance, hiding in the streets and alleys that surrounded the building. Moonlight as his guide, he stalked his prey.


    These Rendareans had fallen for it. ¡®Embassy¡¯, Wander thought, shattering fools. A spy base at the centre of their capital and everyone called it an embassy. And nobody knew about it. Well, some did. Guess the Eye can be blind sometimes. Maybe the Blade was more useful than he thought.


    No. Those fools waste their time with politics rather than getting things done. They asked him to do the most important task, the one that meant progress. They probably thought he was doing their bidding. No shattering way, Wander thought, I¡¯m doing this for myself.


    Wander hid between two squat buildings; he had reached the northern side of the keep. The stone wall lay just a few steps away from him, across the street. From his position, he could see a window large enough for him to go through, about the same height as the roof of one of the buildings he was using as cover. He flowed to the top, his footsteps silent in the night. He studied what he could see through the window, but there was complete darkness. Stretching his Curiosity, he felt some secrets within the room. Some kind of storage perhaps. Maybe archives of some sort.


    He glanced down the building to the street which divided him from his destination. It was not that far. He could leap across the gap and go through the window. Only thing, he had to remain unseen.


    Guards patrolled the street beneath him. Rendarean guards, in their red robes and silver plates. They were probably unaware of the business that went inside this ¡®embassy¡¯. None of them wore the brass and blue. None wore the Eye.


    He waited for a lull in their patrol. A slight miss-step, a moment to catch their breath. Most of these things were about timing. True skill didn¡¯t come from a wide set of abilities, however useful they were. His greatest ability came from careful observation. And knowing when to take the chance. Now.


    Wander leapt across the street, crashed against the window, and rolled to a stop inside the dark room.


    There was no noise of course. No shattering, sparkling, or cracking of glass. Not when he held his Silence around him. Knowing his timing was his greatest skill, of course, but a wide set of abilities did make some things easier. He had to be careful to not be seen, but he was blunted sure he would not be heard.


    He rose to a crouch within the room. Not archives. Beds covered the room in two straight lines to his sides, people sleeping on them, their heads to the walls. Barracks. They had itched his Curiosity. After all, what were people but meat bags full of secrets?


    Wander sneaked to the door that opposed the window. But he stopped for a brief moment; something had caught his eye. A small pendant lay on a nightstand. A pendant in the shape of an eye. The Wise Eye.


    He could kill all of them and nobody would notice. Slit their throats one by one. But what good would it do to him? Though the Blinding Blade would be grateful if he did. I shouldn¡¯t waste my time.


    Kneeling, he rested his ear on the varnished door, trying to catch some movement on the other side. He quested with his Curiosity to see if any secrets moved around, but he had met someone with no secrets once. He wasn¡¯t taking any chances. Still, he doubted that these were the kind of people who had nothing to hide. Once he knew the place lay clear, he opened the door and walked into the crystal-lit corridor.


    Staying close to the wall, Wander quested through the keep again. The pulsing, itching sensation at the back of his head came from a single location beneath. His target. The collective effort to keep whatever it was secret from anyone had lit the way for him. Now he had to take it.


    To his right, a curving staircase led to the ground floor. Crystals in small sconces lit the way downstairs. No guards to be seen, but he could cast a shadow. As he descended, he leaned close to each crystal, resting his hand on it. ¡°Quo,¡± he whispered. Barely audible, just a murmur was enough. And the crystal slowly lost its glow. The room darkened with each crystal he deactivated.


    The ground floor here consisted mainly of tables and chairs, shelves and drawers. Some kind of administrative office. In hindsight, Wander should have studied the layout beforehand. Would have made the sneaking in part easier. Well, no turning back now. Better get the thing and leave.


    Led by his Curiosity, Wander moved towards his target. He walked until he was¡­ above it. He sighed. Now he had to find a way down. But that was just another secret.


    Closing his eyes, he let his Curiosity fill the space around him. He felt his body being slightly tugged from different directions, as if whatever lay there called to him. Most prominently was the one beneath his feet. But there were others. Most were minor, easy to ignore. Those led to the shelves or cupboards by the wall. A feast for the Blade, perhaps, but of no interest to him. The tale has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.


    There was another itch though, different from the rest. It led to a large painting that covered most of the wall it hung on. Wander recognized the scene. A man, robed in white with a brass mask covering his face, flying above a city in ruins, gazing straight ahead. His eyes looked as if they pierced the mind of any who stared at it. Graceful and brilliant, the man was a stark contrast to the bleakness of the ruins below. So-Phell revelled in his ¡®godhood¡¯, and he wanted everyone to call him God-King of Phoelles. Even in the capital of the Rendarean Empire. All Wander could think of was what had frightened So-Phell so much he had to hide it in here. Perhaps it was dangerous enough that it could kill this ¡®god¡¯.


    Which meant it could kill Wander as well. And here he was, stealing it from So-Phell¡¯s control. He didn¡¯t even have it in his hands, but he could feel his revenge getting closer.


    To his disappointment though, there was no hidden doorway behind the painting.


    Shatters.


    Wander hung the painting back in its place. Why did his Curiosity itch then? Where was the secret? He studied the figure. The clothes. The mask. The way it gazed forwards¡­ He followed the figure¡¯s line of sight, which fell upon a tall wardrobe straight ahead.


    The wardrobe¡¯s door wouldn¡¯t budge. So, Silence tightly around him, Wander kicked it. Still closed, and barely scratched. With a silent sigh, he began searching through one of his pouches. Various crystals lay inside it, of various colours, and each with its rune. Etten, Quo, Phos¡­ None of these. Here. The crystal had a dark, yellowish tint to it; its rune a downwards-pointing arrow-like pattern.


    With his left hand, Wander placed the crystal flat against the hard wooden door. ¡°Sil,¡± he murmured. It gave a slight glow, then faded. Wander struck the door with his other hand, piercing through the once tough wood as if it were paper thin. Pulling at the weakened wood, he tore a hole big enough to walk through.


    Inside it, a narrow stone staircase led underground. There was his hidden doorway. He looked at the painting again. Most of the time the secret was the key, not the treasure.


    Wander placed the Sil crystal within the pouch and stepped into the staircase, making his way downwards. He stretched his Curiosity, trying to determine if other people guarded his target. But whatever he was looking for was too big of a secret. Close as he was to his target, he couldn¡¯t determine if there were other secrets in the same room. He had to be careful.


    The stairs led to a stone, crystal-lit corridor, wide enough for two people to walk comfortably. Beyond it lay a wooden door. And on the other side, if his Curiosity did not falter, his target.


    Wander aimed towards one of the crystals by the wall. As soon as he was about to touch the crystal, the door swung open. Wander raced towards the man who entered. One quick jab to the chin was enough to knock him out cold.


    He peered at the room, and noticed another hallway. Steps marched towards his location and Wander hid behind the doorway. As soon as a face came within his vision, he struck out.


    A strike to the neck left his foe gasping for air. But from the other side of the door charged another guard. Wander pushed the still breathless guard, and dodged the incoming sword. He reached for his hip, where his dagger was. Or should have been. Shatters!


    Aiming for the chin, Wander struck again, knocking the guard backwards, sword slipping from his grip. He fetched the sword and turned around to face the guard still clutching his throat, pulling his sword from its sheath. The guard swung at Wander, but he sidestepped and stabbed at his throat. Blood spurted out, covering his brass-coloured mail and blue robes. While the guard bled to death, Wander slipped the throat of the others lying on the floor.


    If news of this theft reached So-Phell¡­ if he figured out someone was after him¡­ he had to be quick.


    Wander walked towards the source of the itch, a small wooden chest on a table by the end of the room. Within it lay a crystal, shaped like two pyramids with their bases attached, smaller than his palm. It was clear, colourless; which was strange. And the rune¡­ he didn¡¯t recognize it. So this is what So-Phell fears? Wander thought. Why?


    The itching on his Curiosity faded, he had uncovered the secret he was after. But now he could feel how six secrets ¨Cpeople¨C rushed to the room he was in from the other corridor. Before he could see it, he was surrounded by six guards in blue and brass. Necklaces with the Eye hanged at their necks. They all held short swords, like the one he was holding. But two of them grasped a pair of crystals, one crimson and the other deep blue, with their off-hand. Balancers. He had to stay in motion.


    A pair of crystals gave a slight glow and Wander felt a force tugging him sideways. One guard stabbed, but he managed to deflect the blow and counter-attack, but another sword blocked. Wander spun, parrying another blow. He tried to advance, but an invisible force pushed at his feet, and he slipped. He rolled, dodged and blocked incoming blades.


    He jumped to his feet, but now his boot began to burn. Wander kicked it off right before it caught aflame. Knives twisted and turned in the air, flying towards him. He deflected some, but others managed to cut his arms. Those balancers were good, he had to get rid of them.


    Aiming at a balancer, he threw his sword at him. Before it struck, it froze in its course. It began to fall, but Wander caught the sword again, and stabbed at the balancer¡¯s throat. Blood spewed out, staining Wander¡¯s face. One less.


    Wander parried a blade and stabbed, killing another foe. Four remained, one of them a balancer. He rushed towards the bigger threat, blocking and deflecting incoming blows. He slashed at the balancer, but the man managed to grab the sword with a gloved hand. The blade shattered in the balancer¡¯s effortless grasp. Shock painted Wander¡¯s face. The balancer stabbed, but he managed to evade the attack; manoeuvring behind the balancer. Wander¡¯s clothes began to warm up, then smoke. He dropped the bladeless hilt and took hold of the balancer¡¯s head. With both of his hands, he turned with every strength he could muster till he heard a crack, and the body fell limp in his arms. His clothes now began to cool down.


    Wander noticed a pale yellow crystal, Lis, attached to the back of the balancer¡¯s glove. That was useful. Using the dead body as a shield, he removed the glove and snuck his left hand inside it.


    Wander hurled the limp body at the closest enemy, picked up the sword the balancer dropped and slashed horizontally. A miss, but it gave him room to breathe.


    It was three against one. Nothing he hadn¡¯t done before. He fastened the glove on his hand and waited for the first bold enough to attack.


    A downwards hack approached. Wander caught it with his gloved hand and pulled, snatching the sword out of his foe¡¯s hand. He stabbed and turned, dodged and swung, until his enemies lay on the floor, covered in blood. He exhaled, cuts and bruises he had ignored now flared his skin.


    Exhaustion wrapped around him, edged by an incoming hunger, as his pain slowly mellowed. Wander sighed and reached the chest that held the crystal he came looking for. He snatched it out of the wooden box and limped, then walked, towards the way out.

 Chapter 1: Questions

    ¡°Time is running out Fen. What¡¯s your final answer?¡±


    Fen bit her lip. She should know the answer, it wasn¡¯t a tough question. But her mind was blank. Shatters, I¡¯ll have to guess it. ¡°Barthus¡¯ time invariance?¡±


    ¡°Wrong. It¡¯s Barthus¡¯ time invertibility.¡±


    ¡°What! Why?¡± Of course! Why didn¡¯t I see it?  ¡°You cheated! It was a trick question!¡±


    ¡°No, I didn¡¯t,¡± answered her father, trying to cover a smirk. ¡°There¡¯s no such thing as trick questions, little dragon. Only poorly understood ones.¡±


    Fists at her hips, Fen gave him her best pout. He always said the same thing. And she wasn¡¯t always inclined to agree. His speciality was trick questions, why did she agree to the bet?


    ¡°Yes, it was.¡± Well, maybe not all of it. ¡°And there are a thousand things named after Barthus. He is like the Eulen of balancing.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re right there,¡± he chuckled, ¡°but I still won. I asked you a question on balancing you couldn¡¯t answer. Now you have to go to town, and cook dinner afterwards.¡±


    ¡°Okay¡­ but you¡¯ll clean up!¡±


    Gennick faced her daughter, a smile forming on his spectacled face. Always calm behind those dark eyes. She noticed how his hair was greyer than the black Fen inherited. Living alone with her father she sometimes forgot time was a thing.


    ¡°You are just like your mother sometimes,¡± he said. Fen smiled back. ¡°You can be just as childish as she was.¡±


    ¡°Hey!¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m kidding!¡± He patted her head. ¡°You inherited only her good things. I surely hope you don¡¯t inherit any of my bad things.¡±


    ¡°You are the nicest man I know Da,¡± she said, ¡°I refuse to believe you have any bad things.¡±


    ¡°If you say so I believe you, little dragon,¡± he replied. But his eyes seemed to say the opposite.


    ¡°Anyway,¡± he continued, ¡°you should be going now. I want you back before sundown.¡±


    Fen sighed. ¡°Okay. Guess I have no choice.¡±


    ¡°If you knew the answer you would have,¡± Gennick said, a grin on his face.


    ¡°Oh, shut up.¡±


    Fen fetched her leather side bag and adjusted her coat.


    ¡°Oh, take this with you.¡± Gennick tossed her a small leather pouch. ¡°Nuts and dried fruit, in case you get hungry on the way.¡±


    ¡°Thanks! I¡¯ll be back before nightfall, I promise!¡±


    *??*??*


    Noon sun above her, Fen walked closer to the town of Northod. It was not that big of a settlement, but it did get traffic from northbound people sometimes.


    ¡®I bet I can ask you a question on balancing you can¡¯t answer,¡¯ her father had said. ¡®If you can''t, you''ll have to go to town to pick up some things. And cook dinner. If not, I¡¯ll do it.¡¯ A clear bait. Why did she fall for it? She should have thought it through, it was not the first time he had done something like this.


    Her father had that tendency to laze off lately. Well, he was growing old, and she should take care of him. But she also wanted to go to Phoelles, to the Akademia. Her father had studied there, she still didn¡¯t understand why he wouldn¡¯t let her. ¡®I can teach you everything that can be taught there,¡¯ he often said. That may be true, but still. Perhaps she could ask again tonight. But who would take care of him after she left? Maybe she could convince him to go to Phoelles with her. After all, he had lived there before.A case of content theft: this narrative is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation.


    While walking into town, she noticed not many people around. Perhaps there was a town hall meeting today. It was unlikely, at this hour of the day. Well, fewer people to talk to, it should make her visit faster.


    As she entered the market square, she noticed people gathering around some wagons by the centre. A lot of people. What could it be? Maybe trouble, she shouldn¡¯t steer to close. Perhaps she could avoid it. She sighed, her father would know what to do.


    Fen entered the first shop she got close to. The bakery. She had to pick up some bread for the week.


    Fen checked her pocket watch. Well, it was rather big for a pocket, but that was the way for hand-made things. And it could only tell the hour, with varying precision. Still, it was her pocket watch, and she was proud of it. She remembered making it with her father, her first engineering project. How to store mechanical energy to release it at periodic intervals. How to measure the frequency at which zehk vibrated. He had challenged her to finish it in one month. She did it in three and a half weeks. But it still was kind of bulky, rushed. Perhaps if she had more precise tools, she could make it smaller. But those were hard to come by here. In the Akademia though... there were the best tools. And the means for mass production. Probably every akademic walked with a watch. Maybe small enough to mount on a wrist, or as a necklace. That would be comfortable.


    She checked the pocket watch again, never having registered what time it was. Barely past noon.


    ¡°Oh, hi Fen,¡± said the portly baker from the other side of the counter. ¡°Didn¡¯t expect to see you here today. How¡¯s your old man?¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s alright. Probably taking a nap by now.¡±


    ¡°Look at you, taking care of him. I remember when you were a sickly child, barely able to leave your house; your father always worried. Now you look after him! Ha!¡± He paused, catching his breath before continuing. ¡°Anyway, what can I get you?¡±


    Fen asked for two loaves of today¡¯s bread, and the baker left the front to fetch fresh loaves at the back. She took a deep breath, the smell of rising bread warming her up.


    It had not been that long ago when she had been that sickly child. She brought her hand beneath her ribs, feeling the scar underneath her shirt. Sickly no more. Perhaps she was growing up. But she still felt like a child sometimes, her father still looking after her one way or another.


    The baker returned, handing the bread covered in cloth in exchange for the payment.


    ¡°Have you checked the traders by the square?¡± said the baker.


    ¡°What?¡± Traders? So that was why there were so many people at the square.


    ¡°Andaaran traders, with their carts and all. Perhaps they have something for your curious mind.¡±


    After leaving, and getting some cooking herbs elsewhere, Fen approached the market square. She fidgeted with her side bag¡¯s leather strap, palms sweaty because of the crowd. All the people, surrounding the wagons, and the traders casually doing business.


    Five traders in silk robes managed the crowd, selling their wares to the townsfolk. Their skin from bronze to dark, colourful bandanas tied at their foreheads, dark curls flowing on their backs. Fen stumbled a bit against the multitude. She had never seen almost the entire town together. With so many people, it was a bit hard to reach the wagons. But then she found herself in front of a trader. A tall woman, displaying a variety of crystals to a group.


    Fen had seen her fair share of crystals. Her father, as a former akademic, had quite the collection. Some both he and Fen used for household appliances; others for small projects. All of them he had used to teach her about crystals and science. But others she had never seen before could only be studied from books her father had. Despite being accustomed to working with crystals, she still got excited every time she saw them.


    Fen read their runes, recognized their colours, knew their names. Reth, Tehk, Vit¡­ Korr! Where did they get that one? She had only studied it in books. It was rather rare and could be very expensive.


    ¡°Whe¨C" Fen cleared her dry throat. ¡°Where did you get a Korr, miss?¡±


    The trader glanced her way before fully turning to face Fen. ¡°We come from Phoelles, shouba!¡± answered the trader, the accent thick on her tongue. ¡°I see you are knowledgeable about crystals. Have you been there, shouba? An akademic, perhaps?¡±


    ¡°No¡­ but I sure would like to.¡±


    ¡°If you are thinking of going, shouba, you should take a ship from Baysend.¡± The trader said as she dealt with the crowd. ¡°More expensive than travelling through the land, but faster. You¡¯ll be there in a few weeks, depending on where you harbour. Ain¡¯t that right, azi?¡± One of the other traders nodded absentmindedly. The people rounded around the trader, Fen subtly leaving the market square and the crowd behind. She checked her pocket watch. It was time to head home.


    She had to convince her father to go. She was older now, and more responsible; she could handle herself out in the city. Maybe. But again, she couldn¡¯t leave her father alone. Or her father wouldn¡¯t leave her alone. Then he had to accompany her. He knew the city and could help her gain favour in the Akademia. She clenched her fist, determined to convince him.


    *??*??*


    The sun made its way towards the horizon, the sky taking an orange tint before dusk as she made her way back home. She breathed in the summer breeze, combing her long hair with her fingers. She noticed her home at a distance, a wooden cabin over a hill surrounded by a farm. It was not big. More for a self-sufficient household than for a living. As she got closer, she noticed that the windows facing the road showed a dark interior.


    That was strange. There was still some remaining daylight, but usually, her father would have lit a Quo or candle by now. Perhaps he was asleep. After all, she hadn¡¯t been there to wake him up for an afternoon tea.


    She approached the door, opening it slowly so as to not disturb the silence within.


    Something smelled off, and the inside of her home lay in ruin. Chairs in disarray, pots broken, windows shattered.


    ¡°Da! What happened here? Da!¡±


    She rushed towards her father¡¯s room, dodging the turned over table. But she stopped. She had stepped on a puddle of-


    Blood.


    Fen crumbled to the ground, noticing the figure on the other side of the table. Tears in her eyes, she stared at her father¡¯s lifeless body on the floor.

 Chapter 2: Written in Blood

    They buried him under an apple tree not far from their home, beside her mother¡¯s grave. Maybe he would have liked that. Fen didn¡¯t know. He had never said how he wanted to die.


    It had not been long before everyone left. The few people that knew her father, that were willing to help bury him; and the fewer that were willing to help¡­ clean¡­ her home.


    Morning turned to noon, then noon to afternoon, and Fen still knelt by the grave. Shaded by the apple tree, the shadow felt cold despite the summer heat. She stared at the fresh mound of dirt, eyes dried out as if she had spent every tear in her body. Questions filled her mind but remained unsaid; a lump in her throat warned her that a single word might bring a waterfall.


    She was reluctant to leave. Leaving meant returning to the empty house, and it still smelled of blood in there. The wind sent a chill through her body. Grudgingly, she got up, but almost stumbled to the dirt. Her legs still didn¡¯t feel ready to walk. Numb, from all the time she spent on the ground. After a few deep breaths, she limped back to the house.


    Fen swung the door open. The light that pierced the broken windows cast shadows across the room. She stared at the empty hearth and shivered. The cold felt as if the empty fireplace had sucked out all of the heat from her home; as if summer was long gone and winter had skipped autumn to stop within her house.


    One reluctant step after another, she reached the spot where she had found her father. The body was no longer there, but the blood¡­ Those who helped managed to clean some of it, but part had stuck to the floorboards, unwilling to be wiped out.


    The scene had burned itself into her mind. She could still see all the blood, could still see his body sprawled out. His hand had been outstretched, finger stained with blood as if he had tried to write something. Only a smudge of bloody lines remained, a shadow of what he might have tried to scribble.


    ¡®A last message in desperation¡¯, one of the townsfolk had said. ¡®Maybe the name of the killer?¡¯ But it didn¡¯t make any sense. Who would want to kill her father? No one had any answers. And the scribble had been too small for a name, but too many lines for a letter.


    Her eyes watered again at the thought of her father. At the hundreds of things, questions, she didn''t understand. She knelt, hand tracing the stain. Not a letter, she recognized. A rune.


    It had been left incomplete. Her father had probably died before finishing it. But she could still recognize part of the pattern, of the rune it was supposed to be. Three parallel polygonal lines over the runic base. Etten.


    Runes were natural. It was not really known how, but crystals already had them. As a thing of nature, runes themselves had no meaning. There was a process to read the runes, but the result was just a sound. A name for each type of crystal. Yet, societies still gave meaning to them. Usually something related to the effect of that crystal. Quo for light. Lis for strength. Keth and Reth ¨C push and pull. Etten, heat.


    Heat? Why? I don¡¯t understand Da. Had he felt cold in his last moments? She didn¡¯t want to think about it. About her father¡¯s death. But she could muster no other thoughts; her head, when left empty, would wander towards his death.


    She raised her head and her eyes met the hearth. What did you mean? She approached the fireplace. Edged with stone and covered inside with clay bricks, it lay against the wall; almost every trace of ash had been wiped off. Fen sat by the hearth, analyzed it as if it were part of some sort of riddle; another trick question her father had given her. There¡¯s no such thing as trick questions, little dragon.


    Every brick had the distinct sootiness given by the constant exposure to fire they received. Together, they formed a pattern, a mark of the flame, where it burned, how the heat dissipated. But one didn¡¯t. It was covered in soot, but not in the same way as the ones surrounding it. Instead of the build-up blackness seen in the rest of the bricks, this one had simply been wiped over with soot. A quick glance wouldn¡¯t draw attention, but if you stare at it long enough, you''d realize that the brick stood out.


    It took Fen a couple of tries to finally lift the brick from its place. Beneath the now brickless spot was a hole. As wide as the brick, about two handspans deep. Within it lay a large coin pouch, two rings, and a leather-bound notebook.Enjoying the story? Show your support by reading it on the official site.


    Fen recognized the rings; they had belonged to her father. Both were thick, with holes a bit larger than Fen¡¯s fingers. One gold, with a hexagonal, scarlet crystal about an inch in size; the other silver, with a round, deep blue crystal of similar size. Thell and Maht. The crystals used in balancing.


    She had used them once or twice when her father introduced her to balancing. Initially, he had taught the subject with a larger pair of crystals; but had sold them off to a merchant on its way to Phoelles. Thell and Maht were a rare pair and could be worth a golden round each, depending on the size. So they had resorted to using the rings. She hadn¡¯t seen them in a while, but now she knew where they had been.


    The notebook, on the other hand, she did not recognize. She leafed through some pages. They were filled with scribbles she didn¡¯t understand, pages filled with complete gibberish, and poems. All in her father¡¯s hand. She had known her father had a taste in poetry, there were some lyrical books around the house. But she hadn¡¯t known he had tried his hand on the art himself.


    She opened the first page. It was mostly blank, except for a short poem at the centre of the page. Tears she didn¡¯t know she had left rained down her eyes as she read her father¡¯s words:


    My little dragon


    Of crystal heart


    I am with you, always


    We will never part.


    Oh Da, she thought, clutching the notebook against her chest, how much I wish that were true.


    *??*??*


    Days went by, and Fen lived her life in silent automation. Wake, sit by the grave, sleep. She starved, but could barely manage to eat; meals were not the same without her father to keep her company. The days and nights seemed to fuse, to Fen there was no distinction between one day and the following. Not when the sleepless nights turned into empty mornings.


    She refused to read the notebook. Part of her wanted to, and she did try, but reading her father¡¯s hand, imagining his voice¡­ it would bring the memory of his corpse to her mind. And the tears made it hard to follow the text. Either way, most of what she read was cryptic. She was not sure if the texts themselves were strange or if it was her own mind that had shut itself to any possible meaning.


    She did inspect the coin pouch. Twenty golden rounds, forty-eight silver edges, fifteen copper slabs. As close to a fortune as she could think of. What was she supposed to do with this much money? Spent it passively as she lived her life? Was it enough? Her father had taken care of most living expenses. Fen wanted to ask him for help, how to live her life, how to move on. But she couldn¡¯t. He was gone.


    The same questions always plagued her mind; they were the cause for her sleepless nights. Who killed her father? Why? Who was her father? When she thought about it, Fen realized that she knew very little about his past. He was born somewhere in the Rendarean Empire, became an akademic at some point in his life, retired, married, had a daughter¡­ and died. Did she really know her father? Was there anything she could do about it? Was she willing to leave the rest of her miserable life in the unknown?


    No.


    It was morning when she came to that realization, her mind clear despite the short sleep and troubled dreams. She still felt miserable. Still felt like not leaving the bed. Still felt that her feet were bound to a massive, immovable rock. But a small part of herself, small yet disproportionately stubborn, decided she¡¯d had enough.


    This morning, she didn¡¯t go to his grave.


    She sat by the table, leather-bound notebook in her hands. She read through the tears and tried to piece the meaning in each stanza, in each incomprehensible paragraph. There were some snippets she could understand: references to her childhood, inside jokes they shared, her mother¡¯s name.


    But it was not until she zoomed out that she realized the truth of the notebook. The poems, the texts, they were all part of the same facade. There were secrets hidden within the texts, secrets Fen couldn¡¯t even begin to piece out. But she was going to do it.


    One particular poem caught her attention:


    Beware of the eye:


    Eye that lies,


    Eye that is hiding.


    Eye that is wise,


    Eye that is watching.


    Fen was still not sure what it fully meant, but one thing was clear. She fetched another book from her father¡¯s bookcase and opened the first page. There it was. An image of an eye made off crisscrossing curves and circles. The All-Seeing Eye, the symbol of the Akademia. And if the poem was any indication, the eye also meant danger.


    But she had decided. It was perhaps the inquisitiveness, the attitude to always ask questions and seek answers that her father had instilled in her mind since she was a child, that forced her to make the decision. She would not, could not, sit and let time pass by. She was going to look for answers. And she was going to the Akademia to get them.


    Against her dead father¡¯s will, Fen was going to Phoelles.

 Chapter 3: New Dawn

    Fen had decided on a plan: to reach Phoelles before Autumn¡¯s Eve, and sign into the Akademia as a student. It still had some perfecting to do, but it was a starting point. First, reach Phoelles, then figure the rest from there. And if the poem was any indication, the Akademia was the first place to go.


    Her main priority was to waste as little coin as possible. One thing was clear, she had a limited fund. So she had to save as much as possible, and if it could be done, find a way to gain an income. Another part of the plan consisted of her finding a job.


    In order to save as much as possible, she had to get a Full Scholarship in the Akademia. This meant that tuition and living expenses could be one weight off her shoulder. But from what her father had told her, it would not be easy. Fen had to show the Akademia her knowledge. If what her father had told her was true, she qualified as a Second Year student. That might be a good bargaining point.


    If her father lived, he could have written a recommendation letter, which made the whole process easier. But again, if her father lived, she wouldn¡¯t be doing all of this. Her father¡­ dead.


    No Fen, she told herself, eyes closed. Focus.


    She left her seat to wander around her home. Her home! What was she going to do with it? Maybe burn it down, cut all attachments from this place. She didn¡¯t know when she¡¯d return here. Perhaps, she would never return. But this was her home. The place where she grew up, where she spent all her life. She could never bring herself to do it. She could talk with one of the neighbouring farms, reach an agreement where they could look after the place.


    Fen stopped by her father¡¯s bookshelf. Taller than her, and five times wider, it was stacked with books of every topic. She couldn¡¯t possibly bring them all with her. The Akademia had its library, but these were hers. She had to have her own.


    She fetched a leather pack and her side bag. Best to travel as lightly as possible. But better carry everything I could possibly need there. Paper, quill and some bottles of ink, another change of clothes. I¡¯m going to spend all winter there, Fen realized, I should pack something warm.


    All winter there. The farthest she had ever been away from her home was the village, and she only went for the day. Now she was willing to cross half of the Empire to reach Phoelles. And she had no idea when ¨Cif¨C she would return.


    But this time there was no one waiting for her here. She was alone, her father was dead.


    Stop it.


    Fen remembered what the Andaaran trader had told her. If she wanted to reach Phoelles sooner, she could go to Baysend. Get on a ship there, and travel through the Great Bay. It was without a doubt faster than doing an all round way trip through the Empire. But she had to save as much as possible. She had time. Autumn still was over two months away. Phoelles had its share of travellers, perhaps she could join a group making its way there. Travel to Baysend, she thought, then to Phoelles through the Bay-side road.The narrative has been illicitly obtained; should you discover it on Amazon, report the violation.


    *??*??*


    For the following days, Fen busied herself with the preparations. She spoke to a farmer from nearby who was willing to take care of her home, in exchange for tools and land. Fair enough trade, considering how she did not know when she would return. She hid the books though. Those were valuable, and she would want them back someday. Not all of the books; she¡¯d pack some. She intended to study during her travels, and they would be handy once she reached Phoelles.


    She had food for the journey. Smoked meats, bread, dried fruit, nuts; things that could last for the journey and more.


    Fen decided to bring her father¡¯s rings with her. With a leather cord, she let them hang from her neck. She was out of practice on her mental arithmetics and calculus, but balancing could be helpful. Her father had taught her those techniques; how to solve the balancing equations in her mind, with as little error as possible, to do shifts in self-defence.


    Her father used to challenge her to solve the equations in her head. They would compete over who could solve exponentials and logarithms faster and with the least error. Once he had told her the purpose for those games, she saw them in a different light. But she never thought there would come a time when she had to apply those techniques.


    Fen also prepared a small pouch filled with every crystal that lay in her home. Many she knew how to use as tools, and if the need arose, she could sell them.


    She packed her father¡¯s notebook. There were still many things she didn¡¯t understand, but she knew she could solve the mysteries within the poems. Whatever lay hidden within the texts, it would help her investigation. They better help. If not¡­


    Morning sun peeked through the jagged horizon, and Fen was ready to leave. She hadn¡¯t realized she was done. But when there were no more tasks at hand, she knew it was time. Taking a deep breath, she exited her home.


    Fen took one last look at her home. It was hard. Saying goodbye to her life. Leaving her home, her past, behind. But she had no choice. Fen was determined to find her father¡¯s killer. Wait! One thing remained undone.


    It had once become routine to go straight to her father¡¯s grave after waking up. But this time it was different. She stomped all the way to the grave. It surprised her to find that some grass was beginning to grow over the dirt.


    She hesitated for a few times, words stuck in her throat, eyes slowly watering. His corpse came to her mind. Then his notebook, then his voice, and his smile.


    ¡°You know Da, I would have liked it if you had told me more about your life.¡±


    Silence.


    ¡°Guess you can¡¯t do that anymore.¡±


    A soft breeze swept by.


    ¡°Well, guess you gave me no choice. I now have to piece it out myself.¡± She sniffed. ¡°Your poems are terrible, by the way. The rhymes are forced most of the time. And¡­ and¡­ I can barely understand what you mean.¡±


    Fen tried to chuckle, but it came out more like a whimper. ¡°I don¡¯t know what you were trying to hide in there, but I would have liked if you had told me yourself.¡±


    Some birds sang in the early morning light.


    ¡°I am going to Phoelles now. I¡¯m not sure when I¡¯ll return. Yes, I know. You want me to stay. But it is your fault, you hear me? Your fault! For leaving me all of a sudden. For not telling me anything.¡±


    Leaves rustled in the wind. She turned around, not wanting to face the grave. The rising sun now warmed her face.


    ¡°Da, I just¡­¡± Fen sighed. ¡°I miss you. So I¡¯m off to chase your ghost. Or whatever you mean in your poems.¡±


    She hesitated for a time, reluctant to say the words. But she set her jaw, looking towards the jagged horizon. There was no turning back now. It was time to seek the answers she wanted. Fen glanced at her father¡¯s grave one last time.


    ¡°Goodbye, Da.¡±


    One step after another, she made her way towards the road.

 Chapter 4: Bells and Seagulls

    After long days of travelling, Fen reached Baysend. Long, lonely days. Some days she had travelled all the way to a town and village that lay along the way, all similar to Northod, but with no familiar faces around. From now on, there would be no familiar faces to the places she went.


    Baysend began breaking the norm of the settlements she had passed through. It was large, larger than any other place she¡¯d been to. And the people. Crowding the street, yet flowing in masses like water in a river. A city. Would Phoelles be like this? Baysend was not Rendarr, the capital of the Empire, yet it was one of its larger cities.


    With her pocket watch marking past noon, Fen made her way through the crowded streets. Some wider and others crammed, the streets labyrinthed through the city. Structures of wood upon foundations of stone lay in between the city roads. All of this lay before the actual city gates. All marks of a city that had grown faster than accounted for.


    Where would she find a caravan heading to Phoelles? She had assumed there would be wagons waiting by the gate, ready to race off once she arrived. Perhaps at a stable somewhere in the city. But where would the stables be? She hadn¡¯t noticed any past the city gates. She sighed and decided that heading towards the docks might be the best way to begin.


    As she made her way towards the Bay, she noticed how the streets widened, yet the number of people increased. Now every building was made of clean-cut stone, yet merchants within wooden storefronts sold their wares. The ground began to curve downwards, and the smell of fish and saltwater filled the air. She could now see the sea stretch out as far as her eye could see. ¡®Great Bay¡¯ indeed. Only from a map, it looked anything like a bay. It was the first time she had ever laid her eyes upon the sea; upon the seemingly endless expanse of water. Her gaze swept northeast. Phoelles was in that direction, beyond the sea. Her destination. If only she could leap across, or drag the coast towards her, and reach there in an instant. Fen stretched her hand forward as if trying to grasp what lay ahead, grasp the answers she wanted, nay, needed. Yet it was so far it was beyond view. If only she could¨C


    Someone bumped on her shoulder. ¡°Make way!¡± Sailors hauling crates and dragging ropes crossed from one end to the other. Bells rang and seagulls squealed. ¡°Move girl!¡± It was a dockhand holding a crate, ropes slung across his chest. She yelped and leapt away so fast she couldn¡¯t even apologize. Not before someone else bumped into her. She tried to say something, but people just shouldered her away. Bells again, and seagulls screeching in her ear. And all the shouting. With all that noise and all so loud, her own thoughts became muffled. Hands covering her ears, Fen stumbled her way outside the crowd, unaware of any time she crashed against something or someone, ignoring the looks people gave her. She just wanted to leave the people. So many people.


    After zigzagging through the multitude, and ducking through several alleys, Fen was finally alone. The sounds of the city were now only a murmur and a buzz behind her ears. Finally some quiet. Her left hand went to her chest. She felt her own heartbeat beating fast. It reminded her of a galloping horse. Thud after thud after thud. She breathed in, tried to calm herself down. Her father¡¯s rings were pressed between her hand and chest. Balance, she thought. Her breathing stabilized, and soon after her heartbeat followed. She clutched her father¡¯s rings, eyes closed, head resting on the stone wall behind her. Exhaustion enveloped her, exhaustion edged by hunger.


    Fen opened her eyes to find herself completely lost, in an alley between two stone buildings, somewhere hopefully not very far from the docks. Hands still holding her father¡¯s rings, she began making her way back. It was unacceptable. She was supposed to be an adult now. Running from crowds, what was she, a child? To be taken care of? Fen sighed. There was nobody to take care of her now, she had to fend for herself. She had to.


    Turning the corner, she came across four men, not much older than her, resting in the alley. Some sat on some wooden crates, others rested by the wall. All four turned towards her. Fen stood still. She cleared her throat.


    ¡°Sorry,¡± she began, ¡°do you know the way to the docks?¡±


    ¡°The docks?¡± Answered a skinny, pale-haired man as he stepped away from the crates. ¡°What does a girl like you have to do at the docks?¡±


    All four moved closer to her.


    ¡°I¡¯m looking for¨C"


    The skinny man touched her cheek. ¡°I think you¡¯d have a better time here.¡± Another man began fingering the leather strap of one of her sacks.


    The hairs at the back of her neck shot straight up. Every fibre of her body screamed danger. What? What to do? Her thoughts were in jumbles.


    Her father¡¯s rings.


    She pulled them from her shirt so the crystals, Thell and Maht, were in contact with her hand.


    ¡°Woah, those are some fancy rings you got there,¡± said another man of the group. ¡°Are those crystals? Shatters, those rings must be worth a small fortune.¡±


    They began closing in on her, back now against the wall. What to do? The crates. Perhaps a simple Push to scare them off. Basic Kinetic Push. Fen began making the mental arithmetics. How heavy was the crate? She would have to over-estimate. Or just push it really hard. How hard? How fast? she asked herself. Very.


    ¡°She must be from Upper West with that kind of jewellery,¡± said the shortest of the bunch. ¡°You are a long way from Upper West, girl.¡±


    The man stroked her cheek again. Her heart was beating faster than it did before. How precise were her calculations? No time to hesitate. She began adding multipliers. Two. Three. More. Four. She could barely keep the numbers in her head. Now.


    Maht gave a slight scarlet glow. ¡°What are you¨C"


    One of the crates lunged and crashed against the man in front of her, knocking him down. Fen bolted away.The tale has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.


    ¡°What did you¨C"


    ¡°Help me put him on his feet again!¡±


    ¡°Hey, you! Get back here!¡±


    Fen ran without looking back. Their voices slowly faded in the distance. She kept on running, trying to follow the murmur of a crowd. She turned left, then right, then kept on running straight until¡­ The light of the sun blinded her. She heard bells. And seagulls. And shouts. No, not shouts; fish merchants. And the cacophony of people talking and walking. Fen never thought she would be so relieved to find herself in the middle of a crowd. Much less so after running from one earlier.


    Her back ached from carrying the leather sacks. A slow headache began; it had been a while since she had done any Balancing Shifts. And the hunger; her stomach began to grumble. Loudly. She felt through one of her leather sacks. Had they..? There. She still had the heavy coin pouch her father had left her. She sighed with relief, then cringed as her back tensed. Perhaps she could afford a nice inn just this once. Maybe she deserved a nice rest today. And a bath, she thought. I could really use a bath right now. The caravans could wait until tomorrow.


    Fen began making her way towards the more residential areas of Baysend. The¡­ men¡­ from before had mentioned Upper West; the northwestern end of Baysend. That must be the richer side of the city. Perhaps she could afford a nice inn close to Upper West.


    After some walking, Fen came across an inn she decided to settle into. The sign had caught her attention. ¡®The Misplaced Poet¡¯. A reference to a children¡¯s tale; her mother had told it to her many times as a child.


    The innkeeper was a tall woman of greying hair, with a wrinkled face around her bold nose. She introduced herself as Helga Ferguss, but Fen could simply call her Helga. She asked what was Fen doing all alone in Baysend, to which Fen gave a simple, yet truthful, answer. No luck finding a caravan? Perhaps better luck tomorrow. Maybe Helga knew something, Fen could ask her again later. She ended up asking for a room for one, and a bath, and for a meal whenever possible.


    ¡°That will be two silver edges, my dear.¡±


    Fen handed over the triangular coins. In the places she had stopped along the way they had never charged her more than five slabs. Perhaps she had chosen a too pricey inn. But there was no turning back now. Better enjoy it.


    ¡°Anna! Come here,¡± called Helga for a serving girl. ¡°Prepare a bath for the lady, and take her to the sea-side room, second floor.¡± Fen giggled. In the state she was in, if she was just a single unit less of a lady, she would have been a piglet. A starving, aching piglet.


    Helga gave her a gentle, motherly smile. ¡°Enjoy your night, my dear.¡±


    Anna, the serving girl, led Fen to her room. It was larger than any she had ever been to before, with a huge bed for two people. And all for her. Finally relieved of the weight of her sacks, Fen dropped onto the bed. What was the mattress made of? It was so comfortable! She would sleep well tonight.


    Fen ate a whole sack of pecans waiting for her bath. And she was still hungry. She edged closer to the large, single-pane window. She could see the Great Bay stretch towards the horizon. Again her eyes pointed northeast. One step at a time, she thought.


    Not long after, Anna called her to her bath. Fen spent her time there, working on the knots on her back. She hadn¡¯t stopped to consider but¡­ she had Pushed the crate rather strongly against the man. Strong enough to knock him unconscious. Or kill him. Had she killed him? Had she killed someone? No. No way. Had she seen blood? Or was she imagining things? Her father would¡¯ve known what to do. Her father would have protected her. Her father¡­ No. Stop it.


    After the bath, Fen changed into a clean set of clothes, not much different from what she was wearing before: a white woollen tunic with a thick leather sash tied at the waist, a brown leather vest, leather leggings, and boots. She took one last look at the window before descending; the sun had almost finished setting.


    The main room of the inn was filled almost to bursting. When had everyone arrived? Fen sat by the wall and Helga brought in a plate full of food. Meat with oven-baked potatoes and tomatoes all covered in a delicious gravy. Fen ate her fill.


    Helga giggled as she came back for the plate. ¡°You sure eat a lot for such a slim frame. How I wish I were like that.¡±


    ¡°Uhm¡­ thanks..?¡± What was she supposed to answer to that?


    Helga just giggled again and left.


    Some of the lights dimmed then darkened. Fen hadn¡¯t noticed before, but most of the lights here were Quo crystals. The crowd in the room was also beginning to quiet. The darkness¡­ she was beginning to daze off¡­


    A sudden strum of strings followed by a careful yet quick succession of notes awoke her. By the end of the room, a man was playing an instrument. Not quite a lute, but similar; only six strings, and a larger, sinuous body. The man was Helician, his short-cropped reddish hair and tan skin gave it off.


    The man kept on playing, both individual notes and strums full of complex sounds that filled the space within the room. He both played the strings while banging the instrument¡¯s body to a beat. The way he managed the tension, building up then realising it yet not quite, then playing a melody that almost seemed out of time with the harmony¡­ How did he do it?


    With a sudden strum that resolved the tune, the man finished playing. There was sweat on his face, his shirtsleeves were rolled back. Fen hadn¡¯t realized it, but he had played for a long time. The room roared with praise, Fen was too amazed to do anything. The man accepted coins and praises, then bowed and moved towards the bar. Who was he? He looked not much older than her.


    Fen stood and began making her way towards her room, but couldn¡¯t help but overhear what the redheaded musician was saying.


    ¡°... perhaps stop halfway in Reiss Bridge and walk the rest of the way, resting in different villages along the way.¡±


    Reiss Bridge¡­ that was along the road to Phoelles. Was he going to Phoelles? She should talk to him, but she was so tired. Fen kept making her way.


    ¡°Fen!¡± It was Helga that called her. ¡°Come here!¡±


    Grudgingly, Fen moved closer to the bar. The redheaded man was still there. He smiled at her.


    ¡°You were looking for a caravan towards Phoelles, right? Well, I got one for you. He is moving in that direction as well.¡±


    ¡°Hi, Fen, right? My name¡¯s Eliandor, but El is fine.¡± The Helician accent was strong in his speech; shortening vowels and slightly slurred. ¡°Heard you are going to Phoelles, right?¡±


    For a moment Fen couldn¡¯t answer. ¡°Uhm... Yes.¡± She was too sleepy to talk to anyone. Hope I¡¯m not looking like an idiot in front of him!


    El smiled again. ¡°The day after tomorrow I¡¯m leaving with a caravan Phoelles-bound. If you¡¯d like, I¡¯ll introduce you to the caravan master so you can arrange with him tomorrow.¡±


    Really? ¡°That¡¯s great, thank¨C" Fen yawned, barely able to finish the sentence.


    ¡°You look like you could sleep for a whole day,¡± El said with a chuckle. ¡°Meet me here tomorrow morning, I¡¯ll take you to the caravan master then.¡±


    Sleep didn¡¯t take long to come once Fen reached her bed. No wonder that. All she dreamt about was crowds, bells, seagulls and the strumming of strings.

 Chapter 5: Baysend

    Fen awoke to find daylight across her face. What time was it? She flung her arm around the bed, looking for her pack. Where did I leave it? She had no choice but to get out of bed to look for it.  She fished out her pocket watch out, which marked something around half-past eight. Maybe she could sleep some more? No, she thought, I have to meet El. He¡¯ll introduce me to a caravan master after all.


    After redressing, combing her hair, and wiping her face with water from a ceramic washbasin, Fen went to the common room for some breakfast. Few people were there, El wasn¡¯t one of them. She sighed. Helga was there though, ready to give her a quite elaborate breakfast, along with some fruit juice. The Misplaced Poet was definitely worth the two edges.


    Fen had breakfast mostly in silence, aside from some small comments from Helga or one of the serving girls regarding her room. She could stay one more night for just five copper slabs, and after the treatment she had, she saw no reason to disagree. One of the serving girls would even clean her clothes! Never in her life had she been treated this well outside her home. Not that she had left her home often. She always had her father, and her mother as well, as a child. But now she didn¡¯t really have a¨C


    Stop it.


    A while later, El descended the stairs. ¡°Oh, good morning Fen. Are you ready?¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± she replied, ¡°I mean, wait, I need to look for something in my room.¡±


    She went back to look for her leather side pack, along with the coin pouch. She would rather never let that one out of sight. Soon after, both of them were already on their way to meet the caravan master.


    El was wearing a long-sleeved red woollen shirt, different from the white one he had worn last night, and brown leather leggings. And a rather large belt knife. He walked with a certain rhythm in his step. Contrasted to Fen, he must have been awake for quite some time. Fen¡¯s thoughts were still on the bed. The clear summer day hadn¡¯t woken her up fully yet.


    ¡°Where are you from, Fen?¡±


    They had walked some distance in silence; she hadn¡¯t expected a question.


    ¡°Northod, a town south of here.¡±


    ¡°So why are you going to Phoelles?¡±


    Looking for my father¡¯s killer. She couldn¡¯t quite say that. ¡°Looking to enrol in the Akademia.¡±


    ¡°Akadimia, huh? You have that look about you.¡± What does that even mean? ¡°You might come across my cousin, she is studying there as well. Her name¡¯s Lisandra.¡±


    ¡°Oh, okay.¡±


    El looked at her; he seemed to be trying to hold in a smile. ¡°You¡¯re not much of a talker, are you?¡±


    Fen felt her cheeks getting warmer. ¡°Sorry, I¡¯m tired. I mean, I¡¯m still a bit asleep¨C"


    ¡°There they are.¡±


    They weren¡¯t that far from the docks, and various stables and caravans surrounded them. How had she not seen them before?


    Guided by El, they came closer to a group of eight or so people around five wagons. Rather simple the wagons, a wooden structure with a large cloth tarp as a roof. Some were loading some crates into a wagon, others were checking the wheels and tending to the horses.


    ¡°Ledwig, I found someone looking for transport.¡±


    Ledwig was a tall man, Rendarean by his dark hair, a beard surrounding his mouth. He was talking with a woman before turning to greet El.


    ¡°Oh, great, who is she?¡±


    Both stood looking at her before she realized it was her turn to speak. ¡°Oh! My name is Fen. I¡¯m looking to go to Phoelles.¡±


    ¡°Phoelles? That will be two rounds.¡±


    Two golden rounds! ¡°What?¡± Fen quickly covered her mouth; she hadn¡¯t intended to say that out loud.


    ¡°Ledwig!¡± protested El,  ¡°come on!¡±


    ¡°Ha! You could probably sail to Phoelles for that much. One round.¡±


    El glared at him, arms crossed, tapping his foot.


    ¡°Okay, okay, I was just playing with the lass. Ten edges.¡±


    That seemed more reasonable. Not that Fen knew much about prices, but a whole round¡­ She wasn¡¯t sure she was willing to spend that much. At least not yet.


    Fen paid the man, then he introduced her to the rest of the people there. His wife Maere, Jom, Able and Hart, lanky caravan drivers, and some of the guards. Fen tried to remember their names for later. Ledwig also said that other people not present were coming, people who had paid for transport as well.


    ¡°We leave tomorrow at first light,¡± said Ledwig. ¡°We¡¯ll meet here at dawn.¡±


    El chatted a bit with the rest of the crew, but soon after, both him and Fen left the stables.


    ¡°I¡¯ve got some things to take care of at various inns throughout the city,¡± El began, ¡°do you have any plans for the day?¡±


    Fen hadn¡¯t really thought about it, but she had an entire day to waste away. Perhaps she could read her father¡¯s poetry book. But who knew when she¡¯d be back in Baysend?


    ¡°No, not really. Might just wander around the city. Though I¡¯m not quite familiar with it yet.¡±


    ¡°Come with me,¡± he offered, ¡°I¡¯ll show you around while I do my things.¡±


    ¡°I mean, I¡­¡± El was quite friendly, perhaps she could stick with him for a while. And he seemed to know his way around. ¡°Okay, I think I will.¡±


    Fen accompanied El as he met various innkeepers throughout Baysend. Most remarked how talented he was, and wished to see him again before giving him a small leather pouch. In the meantime, El introduced her to the different boroughs of Baysend; Upper West, where they had left in the morning, Upper East with its amphitheatre, the Barracks with the huge set of stairs, Temple Town, with its, well, temple¡­ not that she would remember all the names.


    Along the way, Fen pulled a sack of dried fruit and snacked with El as they entered Reader¡¯s Apple. Now, this place she quite liked. The buildings were not very tall and there seemed to be various libraries around.


    El stopped by an inn next to a big park. There was a rather large statue; Fen stood studying it while waiting for El. It depicted a woman in robes, arms stretched to the sides, holding a book in one hand and some crops in the other. Who was she?


    ¡°So, when will you be back?¡± That was the innkeeper talking with El.Stolen from its original source, this story is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.


    ¡°Not sure. I¡¯ll be in Reiss Bridge for a while, then visit Phoelles. I¡¯ll be sure to visit if I return though.¡±


    ¡°Oh, great.¡±


    After their small chat, Fen heard a door close, then El walking towards her.


    ¡°This is the Reader¡¯s Apple that named the district,¡± he said as he gestured to the park. ¡°The statue, that¡¯s Z¡¯sof, Rendarean goddess of wisdom and humility.¡±


    Rendarean goddess? Despite being Rendarean herself, she knew very little of their religion. Her father had taught everything as the laws that bind nature, with little comment on theology. Perhaps a word or two about So-Phell, the God-King of Phoelles. Had he really lived over three hundred years? Maybe he was the closest thing to a God; if he wasn¡¯t one already.


    ¡°One of the few still standing.¡± He was talking about the statue. ¡°After the Vain Wars, few remained. And once So-Phell named himself the God of wisdom and knowledge, he ordered to demolish those left. The Rendarean pantheon is still present, but having a living god around¡­ Many don¡¯t know what to believe in.¡±


    ¡°You sure know a lot about history.¡±


    El faced her, then grinned. ¡°Helps when writing songs. But that¡¯s as far as my knowledge goes. Don¡¯t go asking me to multiply big numbers like you akademic folk.¡±


    Fen giggled despite herself. What did he think akademics did?


    ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°Akademics don¡¯t do maths for the sake of it. It¡¯s not like they go around making calculations for no reason.¡±


    ¡°Huh? What¡¯s, let¡¯s say, hundred-thirty-seven times twenty-five?¡±


    ¡°Three thousand¡­ four hundred¡­ twenty-five.¡±


    ¡°See?¡±


    ¡°I mean, it¡¯s not like akademics have to know how to do it. I just do. And I¡¯m not even close to being an akademic yet.¡±


    ¡°You do look like one already.¡±


    The next inn they stopped in, the innkeeper invited them for lunch. The sun was high up in the sky, and Fen¡¯s pocket watch marked about half-past two. They had walked for quite some time, yet Fen didn¡¯t feel tired at all. The innkeeper served them some fish dish that was refreshing for the summer day. And that they shouldn¡¯t worry, the meal was on the house for the bard Eliandor and his friend.


    ¡°You¡¯re quite the celebrity here in Baysend,¡± commented Fen once the innkeeper left their table.


    ¡°I¡¯ve been playing here for about three months,¡± El answered after swallowing, ¡°if I am to earn a living in a big city I should earn some renown first.¡±


    ¡°Then why are you leaving?¡±


    ¡°I like to move around,¡± he answered. ¡°And I like to think of it as a challenge to try and get known throughout a new city. I¡¯d also like to visit my cousin in Phoelles later in the year.¡±


    What about going back to Helicia? She didn¡¯t ask it though; El might ask about her family in return and¡­ she¡¯d rather not talk about that.


    ¡°You must not find it hard to get known around, you¡¯re very talented with your Helician, Uhm, lute.¡±


    El laughed.


    ¡°What?¡± Fen protested.


    ¡°It¡¯s not a lute, it''s a guitar. Simpler, yet more versatile.¡±


    ¡°Figure other bards may disagree, right?¡±


    ¡°Sometimes. Sometimes they just call me a ¡®six-stringed fool¡¯ and move on.¡±


    ¡°¡®Six-stringed fool,¡¯¡± Fen chuckled.


    Not long after, both moved on. El was done with his meetings, but they still spent time walking around Baysend. They chatted as they walked. Well, most of the time it was El who spoke; Fen just liked to listen. The things he said were quite interesting. Facts about history, especially about the city. Fen wasn¡¯t aware that the city was once known as Bay¡¯s End; the old Rendamic name long forgotten after the Vain Wars. And with time people made it one word. Sometimes people mistook it and called it ¡®Bay Send¡¯, which led to songs such as ¡®Sent from the Bay¡¯, a classic Rendarean royal ballad. Often he would drift from history to something music-related.


    ¡°I like to think that music is everywhere,¡± he said, ¡°and that every city has its own song, due to its history. Listen to the sounds of the city for a moment.¡±


    They had walked back to the docks. Again, she heard bells, seagulls, people walking and talking. If she strained her ear, she could perhaps notice the people walking to a beat. But it was all for nought.


    ¡°It¡¯s just chaos,¡± Fen said after a while.


    ¡°Does that mean it is not music?¡±


    ¡°Well, isn¡¯t music supposed to have some order or pattern?¡±


    ¡°Why can¡¯t chaos be music?¡±


    Fen paused to think. ¡°Chaos is just high entropy within a system,¡± she said matter-of-factly, ¡°it means there''s a lack of usable energy. If music is supposed to produce a reaction in people, how can it do it without usable energy?¡±


    ¡°You and your akademic terms,¡± El chuckled. ¡°If you listened to a Xaotepequi beat, the first word you would describe it with would be ¡®chaos¡¯.¡±


    ¡°Then what makes people like certain kinds of music?¡±


    ¡°That is something I¡¯m trying to figure out myself,¡± he said with a sigh.


    ¡°You sound more like a philosopher than a bard.¡±


    El shrugged. ¡°Maybe I am. Isn¡¯t science the philosophy of nature?¡± Fen nodded, reluctantly. ¡°Then you are not far from a philosopher yourself,¡± El continued. ¡°Perhaps you can find the answer to that question with your science, and I¡¯ll do it my way.¡±


    ¡°That doesn¡¯t seem very fair; you already are a musician and I¡¯m not an akademic yet.¡±


    ¡°Who says you have to be an akademic to answer questions?¡±


    Fen stood wide-eyed. Then she asked, ¡°what do you know about poetry?¡±


    ¡°Tends to have deeper and more obscure meaning than the songs I¡¯m used to writing. Why?¡±


    ¡°Oh, nothing.¡± I shouldn¡¯t have asked that. I should keep my secrets better.


    ¡°There she is!¡± Who shouted that?


    Both turned to the source of the shout. It was one of the men from yesterday, who stood across the street. The hairs at the back of her neck shot up as the other three caught up.


    El¡¯s hand went to his belt knife. He didn¡¯t draw it though. ¡°Fen, who are these people?¡±


    ¡°Yesterday¡­ they tried to attack me. I¡­ I just defended myself.¡±


    The lanky, pale-haired man stepped forward. He had a bandage wrapped around his head now and was holding some sort of club. ¡°Shut up witch.¡±


    Fen¡¯s hand went to her chest. If she had managed to escape before she could¨C


    Where were the rings? Shatters! I left them in my room!


    ¡°Watch out for her magic!¡±


    ¡°El,¡± said Fen. He eyed her in return. ¡°Run.¡±


    Both turned and bolted up the alley.


    ¡°You two, stop!¡± No shattering way I¡¯m stopping.


    They ducked through alleys, then merged back to the main avenue. Where to go? El took the lead, Fen followed his every move.


    ¡°You¡¯re not running this time witch!¡± The thugs were still on their tracks.


    ¡°Shatters,¡± cursed El as they ran, ¡°where are the shattering city guards when you need them?¡±


    Fen had no answer.


    ¡°Follow me,¡± he said some blocks later, ¡°I have an idea.¡±


    They rounded up another alley, then turned left. Then left again.


    ¡°Where are we going?¡±


    ¡°The roofs.¡± Roofs?


    They turned in another alley, where there was one squat building compared to the rest. In a swift motion, El climbed up its side. ¡°Quickly,¡± he whispered, stretching an arm for Fen.


    He grabbed her with both hands then pulled her up. ¡°We still have some way to go.¡±


    They climbed up another wall, then moved up a slanted roof. An entire block they moved through the tiled roofs of the city before stopping and lying down.


    ¡°Where did they go?¡± Someone asked in the distance.


    ¡°That shattering witch! Keep on looking for her!¡± Then steps that faded away.


    Fen was breathing hard. ¡°I think we lost them,¡± she whispered.


    ¡°Still, we should stay here for a while until we know they won¡¯t return.¡±


    Fen left out a long breath.


    A while later, El spoke. ¡°So,¡± he said trying not to grin, ¡°magic?¡±


    Fen giggled, ¡°akademic science.¡±


    Laughter burst out from the two. Fen couldn¡¯t remember the last time she had laughed so.


    Both sat on the roof until dusk, watching the sunset to the west.


    ¡°Phoelles has great sunsets,¡± El said, ¡°having the Bay to the west and all.¡±


    ¡°Can¡¯t wait to see them,¡± was all Fen said. Though perhaps, right then, she could have waited a bit.

 Chapter 6: Lessons

    A knock on the door woke Fen. ¡°It¡¯s me, El. Are you up? I¡¯ll wait for you downstairs.¡±


    ¡°Mhm? Oh, yeah, I¡¯ll be there right away.¡± Fen pulled her pocket watch into view. Not even five! How! How could he be up so early? Maybe she could sleep a bit longer. No. She had to go. As much as it pained her, she had to leave the bed. Ah, but she had slept so well. She couldn¡¯t remember the last time sleep had treated her right. But right now, sleep would have to wait. And Fen would have to hope to find such a comfortable bed elsewhere.


    Grudgingly, Fen left her bed and dressed, then washed her face in the basin and rubbed her teeth with some salt. She grabbed her father¡¯s rings and tied them at her neck. Tighter than before. She was not forgetting those ever again. Once she had everything in order, with both of her travelling sacks, she descended.


    Helga was up as well, ready to offer Fen some fruit before she left. El was eating some already. He had a large sack as well as his instrument within a case by his side. After thanking Helga for everything, both left for the caravan.


    Outside, it was still dark except for the few embers of dawn creeping through the horizon. And everything was silent. Even the seagulls seemed to be asleep. So strange compared to the day. After the last two days, Fen would have never imagined the streets of Baysend with less than fifty people. Now, they were empty. Well, not completely empty; some dock workers were already moving about.


    Fen covered her yawn as they got closer to the caravan; everyone from yesterday was already there. After greeting Ledwig and the rest of the crew, the journey throughout the Empire began.


    Once they were outside the city walls, Fen climbed aboard one of the empty wagons meant for people. Well, it wasn¡¯t really empty; every wagon was used to transport something, but this one had plenty of space for travellers. Her eyes still refused to remain open, and the wooden floor of the caravan felt strangely comfortable. Perhaps she could rest for a while, just a bit. There was a pleasant smell coming from the crates within the caravan, some aromatics perhaps, or tea leaves. And the soft twilight of the early morning¡­ Not long after, she stopped fighting against her eyelids and let herself drift into sleep.


    Her eyes eased open to the sound of music. A gentle melody, each string having its own voice, producing a soft sound that made Fen feel calm. She sat and turned to face El, who sat not far from her, playing his guitar.


    ¡°Sorry,¡± he said, ¡°did I wake you?¡±


    ¡°No, it¡¯s okay,¡± Fen replied before edging closer to the end of the wagon.


    Using her left hand as shade, Fen snuck her head outside the wagon. Daylight made it hard to see at first, but once her eyes adjusted, Fen could see the area surrounding them. There were mountains in the far east, preceded by some dense forests; making an interesting mixture of colours with the green of the trees, the grey of the mountain rocks, blue of the sky, and even white from the scarce clouds and snow from the mountain tops.  One of the mountains had a clear and abrupt split in between, further jagging the horizon. To the west, the land sloped slightly all the way to the sea. To the Bay.


    Fen descended from the wagon.


    ¡°Stretching your legs?¡±


    She raised her head, El had asked that from within the wagon.


    ¡°Just for a little while,¡± Fen answered. El smiled and nodded, then immersed himself again with his instrument.


    Fen wiggled her toes inside her boots as she walked the stone-paved road. Stretching, she tried to see if anything hurt. Just some minor knots in her back, but nothing serious. She had slept rather well inside the wagon. How long did she sleep? How far had they travelled? Fen fished out her pocket watch and noticed that a bit over five hours had passed. She scanned the south-west trying to find Baysend. Perhaps it was that glimmer in the distance, but no way to say for sure.


    As time passed, the road began to wind upwards, then back down again, as they journeyed further within the northern highlands of the Rendarean Empire. Grassy hills dotted the land now, with rock formations sparse around them.


    The sun had passed its zenith, and the caravan continued travelling until it hid behind the horizon. By then, the group had made a camp beside the road. With the wagons in a circle, the group made a campfire in the centre. Ledwig and his wife Maere cooked dinner and food for the following day as long as the rest took care of cleaning up and loading everything back inside the wagons. After eating, El played his guitar while the rest chatted or went to sleep. Rather than sleeping herself, Fen turned to study her father¡¯s poems. They still made little sense. One said something about circles and nothingness; others talked about nature, and how the mountains could shake trees down to their roots. One even talked about gods and religion of all things! She had never expected her father to wax poetic about religion. Still every bit confused as before reading, Fen turned over in her place and closed her eyes to sleep.


    *??*??*


    Next morning, with the sun barely sneaking above the mountains, the caravan resumed the journey. This time, Fen tried to remain awake during the beginning of the tread.


    ¡°Are we keeping a good pace, Led?¡± asked Able, one of the caravan drivers.


    ¡°I think we are making good time,¡± Ledwig answered, ¡°With this weather, I¡¯d estimate a week till Reiss Bridge, then perhaps five days till Phoelles. Maybe less.¡±


    So about eleven days till Phoelles¡­ Fen thought. Eleven  days till her search finally began.


    The following few days were much as the first. Awake early, travel through the hillside roads, camp for the night, then repeat. With each day, the caravan ventured further inland. The terrain turned more and more mountainous, the Great Bay no longer in view. One night they spent it in a small town along the way, where Ledwig tended to some business. However, they departed early in the morning like the previous days. Summer weather favoured them, allowing the caravan to travel without any rain that might slow them down.


    While travelling, Fen would read. Sometimes she would study for what she might come across in Phoelles and the Akademia, or practice her mental arithmetics. However, most of the time, she had her nose deep inside the pages of her father¡¯s notebook. Any new possible meaning rarely emerged, but Fen still read through the poems and cyphers.


    ¡°What are you reading?¡±


    Fen lifted her head and shut the book. She hadn¡¯t noticed El climbing inside the wagon she was sitting in. Her mind had completely shut out every noise from outside, from the beating of the horses¡¯ hooves to the birds¡¯ daylight songs. Had he caught a glimpse of the contents?


    ¡°It looked like poetry,¡± he said as he adjusted his guitar and fetched a book of his own. ¡°I remember you asked me about poetry back in Baysend.¡±


    ¡°Oh, it¡¯s...¡± what do I say? ¡°It was a gift from my father.¡± Oh Da¡­ Stop it. Change the subject. ¡°What do you have there?¡±


    El narrowed his eyes just an instant, but then began talking. What did he suspect?


    ¡°I¡¯ve been writing a new song,¡± El said as he searched through his notebook for a specific page. Fen moved closer to look. To her, the contents of El¡¯s notebook were as cryptic as those in her father¡¯s; stanzas scribbled wherever they could fit inside the page or sets of lines with numbers written on top of them. ¡°What is that?¡± Fen asked, pointing to the strange notation.


    ¡°It is a way to write music,¡± El began, ¡°each line represents a string, and the number tells me where to put my finger. Like this.¡±


    He gestured to a number on a line, then explained where the finger went. He then plucked the string, causing it to vibrate and produce sound.Stolen novel; please report.


    ¡°So that¡¯s how you make the different sounds,¡± she said.


    ¡°What do you mean?¡±


    ¡°By putting your finger in a certain place, you change the length of the string, so when you strum, it vibrates at a certain frequency.¡±


    ¡°Again with the akademic terms,¡± El chuckled. ¡°But yeah, you are right. Each note is a frequency, as you call it. And you can play them individually,¡± he placed three fingers over three strings and plucked each one separately, ¡°or together, making a chord.¡± He strummed the strings, making a sound that was somehow more than the individual strings being played.


    ¡°Then,¡± he continued, ¡°you can play different chords to make a song.¡± He strummed three times, and each made a different sound that gave a sensation of rising tension, which was then released with the final strum.


    ¡°Why does that happen?¡± Fen asked. ¡°The tension and release¡­ It must have something to do with the chords.¡±


    ¡°Without a doubt,¡± El said, ¡°but why it feels that way, no one knows.¡±


    Fen thought for a moment. ¡°If they are frequencies,¡± she began, ¡°then they are just numbers. That means there must be a way to relate all of them together, a formula that could write music based on these relations. I mean, it¡¯s just mathematics.¡±


    ¡°Perhaps you could do that,¡± he said, ¡°but not everyone feels the same way about some notes.¡± He placed his fingers over two strings then plucked both of them together, producing an awkward, dissonant sound. ¡°To us, that sounded completely jarring. But there are groups of people in the Andaaran Desert who think it is perfectly harmonic.¡±


    ¡°But¡­ How¡­ Hmm¡­¡± Fen crossed her arms, deep in thought. El burst out laughing.


    ¡°You were close, but music and people are still more mysterious than that,¡± he said after laughing. ¡°Not everything is mathematics.¡±


    Fen was sceptical about that. After all, people were part of nature. And if nature could be described through mathematics, then why not people? True, not everything was explained by science so far, but that didn¡¯t mean that it could not be explained someday, right? These things made her head hurt more than after balancing. El chuckled again. Had he said anything?


    ¡°Why are you laughing?¡± She asked.


    ¡°When you are deep in thought you become completely unaware of your surroundings. You didn¡¯t listen to a word I said.¡±


    Fen felt her face warm up. ¡°Oh, uhm, sorry.¡± She spun the poetry book in her hand, looking down. ¡°What were you saying?¡±


    He grinned and said, ¡°since I taught you some music, you should teach me some ¡®akademic science¡¯. If you want, of course.¡±


    Akademic science? Fen thought. What does he¡­ Oh. Balancing.


    Fen narrowed her eyes. ¡°You didn¡¯t teach me much music.¡±


    ¡°I know, I know, I¡¯ll teach you more later,¡± he said. ¡°I want to see the famous akademic science.¡±


    ¡°That ¡®akademic science¡¯,¡± she began, ¡°is called ¡®balancing¡¯.¡± Fen pulled out her father¡¯s rings and untied the cord which held them to her neck.


    ¡°What kind of crystals are those?¡±


    ¡°Thell and Maht,¡± she said. ¡°They are special; you don¡¯t need to say their name to activate them by touch. And, they are the key component of balancing.¡±


    He studied each ring intently. ¡°So, what¡¯s balancing? How does it work?¡±


    ¡°Matter,¡± Fen explained, ¡°is composed of very small particles that each have certain kinetic¨C"


    ¡°Wait, wait,¡± he chuckled, ¡°I¡¯m not an akademic. Try to keep it simple.¡±


    Keep it simple? Fen thought. How had her father explained it to her when she was younger? After a small moment, she began again.


    ¡°So, uhm, everything, from stone to water to air, is made of really tiny things that are always moving.¡± El looked a bit skeptical, but Fen continued nonetheless. ¡°The way these tiny things move is almost random, but it lies in a balance of order and chaos. Balancing allows you to Shift that balance, either by Pulling or Pushing, to make them move how you want and achieve different effects. Usually, Pushing requires adding energy, and Pulling taking it away. Sometimes, both are needed for more complex Shifts. And that is where Thell and Maht come in.¡± Fen held each ring in each hand. ¡°Thell, for Pulling, and Maht, for Pushing.¡±


    ¡°That looks rather simple, let me try.¡± He stretched towards the rings, but Fen snatched them away from his grasp.


    ¡°It actually isn¡¯t,¡± she said. ¡°To do a balance shift, you need to have a very clear understanding of what you want to do, as well as have the values of every possible variable of the system you intend to shift. From the weight to temperature to speed to anything that might affect. Which is everything. The more precise, the better. To produce the most complex Shifts, you need to know this for every particle that composes the system, but as that¡¯s impossible, an average is enough. But that involves a whole different statistical analysis.¡±


    El was frowning, scratching his forehead in thought. ¡°My cousin never explained it to me, but I can see it is quite the headache. How do you manage to do anything at all then?¡±


    ¡°With mathematics.¡±


    He frowned. ¡°How?¡±


    Fen fished out a copper slab from her coin pouch and a charcoal pencil from her bag. She flipped all the way to the end of her father¡¯s notebook where there were some blank pages. ¡°One of the most simple Shifts is the Basic Kinetic Push,¡± she said. ¡°You need to know relatively little about the system, and the formulae aren¡¯t complicated.¡±


    Fen wrote down the equations on a blank page. ¡°If I wanted the coin to move, say, upwards, I would need to know some things about it. First, how much it weighs, as that determines how strongly it is pulled down, and how strongly I need to Push it. Then, either the force I want to Push it with, or how fast I want it to move, or how far up I want to move it. The more, the better.¡± Fen then proceeded to make the calculations in the paper, explaining each part of the process to El. Once she had the numbers she needed, it was time to demonstrate.


    Fen held the golden Maht ring in one hand, and on the other lay the square coin on her palm, facing upward. With all the numbers clear in her head, Fen focused. Maht gave a scarlet glow, then the coin shot upwards, only to be stopped by the cloth tarp that covered the wagon. El gaped at the coin, at Fen, at the numbers on the notebook. ¡°How!¡±


    Fen laughed and said, ¡°akademic science.¡±


    ¡°Let me try it!¡±


    El grabbed the ring and coin imitating Fen, but nothing happened. He peeked back at the notebook, then tried again. And again, and again, each time taking more time studying the equations written down. He stared at the coin so hard that his eyes seemed about to pop. Fen just couldn¡¯t contain her laughter.


    ¡°Don¡¯t laugh!¡± he said. ¡°There must be some other trick you¡¯re not telling me!¡±


    ¡°It takes a lot of practice,¡± she said wiping a tear from her eye. ¡°And study.¡±


    He sighed and gave Fen back her things. ¡°Ah, it¡¯s too complicated,¡± he said. ¡°With all that mathematics beforehand I wonder what even is the practicality of it.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s why nobody except akademics do any balancing,¡± she said. ¡°Most of the time, balancing is done to test things. It¡¯s just another tool for them.¡±


    ¡°But the¡­ thugs¡­ back in Baysend said you did magic. How?¡±


    ¡°I can, uhm¡­ do some balancing completely in my head,¡± she said. Then added quickly, ¡°though just a little, and only  the most basic shifts.¡±


    El grabbed the notebook and studied the equations that filled an entire page. ¡°All this¡­ in your head? Impossible.¡±


    ¡°Look.¡±


    Fen grabbed the coin between her fingers. This time, she would move it towards the side of the wagon. She already knew the weight, she just had to adjust what she had done previously for it to move horizontally. Just a moment later, Maht glowed, and the coin flew to the side of the wagon. Just as it was stopped by the tarp, Fen Pushed it again but in her direction, grabbing it as it zipped back to her.


    ¡°No way,¡± gasped El.


    Fen would¡¯ve felt proud only if the headache that just began wasn¡¯t there. El noticed her somewhat sour look.


    ¡°What is it?¡±


    ¡°Oh, nothing,¡± she answered. ¡°Sometimes when I do that I get a headache from thinking so hard. It will fade in a moment.¡±


    She was right. Not long after, the headache was gone, but now hunger took its place. She fetched a pouch of dried fruit from her bag and shared it with El, as he played the guitar. He did try to teach her some more, but Fen¡¯s fingers couldn''t quite do what they were supposed to do with the guitar.


    That night the caravan camped beside a stone ridge. Everyone did as they had done all the previous nights. They ate, El played his guitar, the guards did their watch, and Fen read her father¡¯s poems. Ledwig had said that tomorrow they would reach Reiss Bridge. How had the week gone by so fast?


    She hadn¡¯t made any progress with the cyphers ¨Cif the gibberish were in fact hidden messages¨C so she instead focused on the poems. Still, she was skimming them now, too tired to actually pay attention. Again, the poems were about religion. Some questioned the definition of the word ¡®God¡¯. Some spoke of Gods and nature, and how they could make the ground shake as it did long before. About a blade that could blind God¡¯s eye. Why ¡®God¡¯s eye¡¯? Something with the Akademia? They didn¡¯t make much sense, and Fen couldn¡¯t understand her father¡¯s obsession with God. What had he believed in? Definitely not the Rendarrean Pantheon. So-Phell maybe? It is hard to believe in other things with a living god around.


    Fen decided to leave it for another day. Tired as she was, nothing new would come of them that night. Shifting in her place, Fen tried to sleep.

 Chapter 7: Reiss Bridge

    Fen thought that she had gotten used to waking up early. When the group awoke to resume the journey that day, Fen realized she had been wrong.


    She hadn¡¯t slept well the previous night despite how tired she had been. Something about her father¡¯s poems bothered her and wouldn''t let her sleep calmly. If only she could work out what they meant. Or at least decipher the gibberish. Had her father gone mad the last few years? They definitely looked like the ramblings of a madman but¡­ No, that couldn¡¯t be. She knew they had meaning. If not, then there wouldn¡¯t be a reason he had been killed. If not, he would still be alive. Stop it Fen.


    By midday, the caravan arrived at Reiss Bridge. From then on, Fen decided to walk. It was a large city, though not as big as Baysend; every building was neatly arranged within the stone city walls. As she walked, Fen counted her steps after each intersection. Each time, her steps amounted to fifty. The first two times she thought it was a coincidence. But when the following thirteen blocks all followed the same pattern, Fen decided that it was a deliberate choice by whoever planned the city. For that level of precision, the city planner must have spent quite some time designing the city¡¯s layout. And the intersections. Every time a street crossed another, the cross was ¨Cif not flawlessly, then almost¨C perpendicular. From above, Reiss Bridge might form a perfect grid, a matrix of every block, if the pattern of the Main Street repeated to the rest of the roads and alleys of the city. Highly unlikely, Fen thought. That level of order must be hard to maintain. Chaos always seemed to find a way into everywhere people lived.


    Fen raised her head once she realized she had been staring at her feet for a bit too long. To her surprise, the caravan was at the heart of the city. There were a multitude of people now. A multitude she hadn¡¯t heard. Well, she had heard a crowd while enwrapped in her thoughts, but it had seemed a distant murmur, perhaps a street or two away. But definitely not around her. Some trick of the architecture maybe? Or perhaps crystals? Tehk could be used to block sounds, maybe that was the trick.


    ¡°We¡¯ll cross to Northern,¡± Ledwig said, interrupting Fen¡¯s thoughts. ¡°There¡¯s an inn there where we can stay the night. I have some things to tend to, but tomorrow we depart just like any other day.¡± He looked at El. ¡°You can do whatever you want, kid. This is your stop.¡±


    ¡°I travelled by sea last time I went to Phoelles,¡± he said, ¡°so I might check this inn you mentioned.¡±


    The caravan kept north-wise through the stone streets until they arrived at the titular Reiss Bridge. Due to the upward slant of the trek, Fen couldn¡¯t really see it, but now just a few steps away, she saw why the bridge was so important.


    A rift divided the city in half.


    Perhaps two hundred feet wide, and who knew how many deep, the rift cut through the middle of the city, and stretched east and west as far as the eye could see. And the bridge. A huge structure of stone, about fifty feet wide, arching towards the other side of the city. But something else caught Fen¡¯s attention; the bridge wasn¡¯t the only way to cross the rift. Brass and steel structures to the sides of the bridge also crossed the rift, two from each side, with brass ¡®ferries¡¯ zipping from one side of the rift to the other. ¡®Ferries¡¯ because Fen didn¡¯t have another name for them.


    ¡°Incredible, right?¡± El said as they crossed the bridge.


    ¡°What are they?¡± Fen asked in return, eyes still fixed to the strange structures.


    ¡°They¡¯re as much a part of the bridge as the stones beneath our feet,¡± said Ledwig, ¡°though only for people. Built by akademics.¡±


    ¡°How do they work?¡± Fen began mumbling to herself. ¡°Must be a combination of reth and keth, surely. But that can¡¯t be all. Lis as well, for the structures to support the weight¡­ Why did akademics do this?¡±


    ¡°The rift cuts from the Bay to the mountains,¡± Ledwig answered, ¡°so this is the only way northwards. And well, technically, the northern side is within Phoelles sovereignty.¡±


    Just a couple of steps, and she was inside Phoelles. Not the city, of course, but the kingdom. Yet she felt closer. Every step she took was a reminder that there was no going back. Still, she was determined. But she was still unsure of what she was looking for. And who she was up against. She shivered despite herself. The danger was closer now. No backing away.


    ¡°Are you okay Fen?¡± asked El. ¡°You just shivered.¡±


    ¡°Oh, it¡¯s¡­ the wind, it¡¯s rather cool.¡±


    ¡°Guess you¡¯ve never been this north before, right? And even summer can be a bit chilly this close to the mountains.¡±


    Fen was glad he didn¡¯t ask anything else. The group kept their pace. Crossing the peak of the bridge¡¯s arc, Fen looked back to where they had crossed from. The Southern side of the rift was just a couple of feet higher than the Northern side. So that¡¯s why I couldn¡¯t see the rift before.


    ¡°Customs up ahead,¡± Ledwig said. ¡°You should hide that knife of yours if you want to keep it, El.¡±


    ¡°Already did,¡± he answered.


    Customs?


    On the northside end of the Bridge, a large stone building stood at the middle of the road, with large openings for caravans to go through. As the group got closer, Fen noticed several guards checking the different wagons and asking questions to the people going through. Once at the intersection, a guard approached them. The man wore a white cloak draped over a brass-coloured chest plate, with a blue shirt visible underneath. He had a sword strapped to his hip.


    ¡°Caravan master, good noon to you,¡± greeted the guard. ¡°I will be asking some questions while I check your cargo if you don¡¯t mind.¡±


    ¡°Not at all, ask away,¡± replied Ledwig.


    The rest of the travellers descended from their wagons as the guard went around, checking the contents of some crates and barrels. ¡°Would you mind telling me what you¡¯re carrying?¡±


    Ledwig began listing the various goods the caravan was transporting. Mostly foodstuffs, though some textiles from Wilberg, all the way down south. The guard nodded to himself, counting the wagons and people, as he took some notes in a wooden board.


    Three other guards approached the group and began asking questions to the rest of the travellers. Fen¡¯s palms began to sweat. What were they going to ask her? What should she answer? She took a deep breath. I have nothing to fear.


    One of the guards, a woman, finally walked up to Fen and greeted her.


    ¡°Going to Phoelles?¡± the guard asked.


    ¡°Yes,¡± Fen answered.


    ¡°Reason for travelling?¡±


    ¡°Seeking to enrol in the Akademia.¡±


    ¡°Ah, that is nice to hear,¡± the guard said. ¡°These days there is no such thing as too many Akademics, am I right?¡±


    Fen mumbled something of an agreement.


    ¡°Are you carrying any weapons?¡±


    Fen didn¡¯t expect that question. ¡°No,¡± she answered.


    ¡°Any religious symbols?¡±


    Another strange question. ¡°No,¡± Fen replied again.


    ¡°Great,¡± said the guard as she took some notes. ¡°Would you mind if I take a look at your belongings for a small moment?¡±


    Fen¡¯s heart skipped a beat. Did she have anything suspicious? What would she say about her father¡¯s notebook?


    ¡°Yes,¡± Fen mumbled. The guard raised her eyebrow. ¡°I mean no, no problem at all,¡± Fen corrected herself. ¡°Look all you want.¡±


    Oh, shatters, Fen thought. Was she in trouble?


    The guard began with Fen¡¯s larger travel sack. After seeing that it was mostly clothes and books, she went for her side bag. Again, some clothes and some books, which the guard leafed through with some comment regarding Fen¡¯s dedication to studying.


    Please don¡¯t check the notebook, please don¡¯t check the notebook, please don¡¯t check the notebook, Fen pleaded, nay, prayed in silence. The guard then lifted the all too familiar leather notebook from the bag and Fen¡¯s heart sunk.


    ¡°What a strange book, this one,¡± the guard said. ¡°What is it?¡±


    Shivers ran through Fen¡¯s spine, her hands felt soaked, her back drenched in sweat. Oh shatters, what do I say? What do I say?


    ¡°It¡¯s¡­ uhm... a book of riddles. So far I haven¡¯t solved any of them though.¡± Fen tried to chuckle, failed, then cleared her throat.


    ¡°Riddles, huh? Never been good with riddles myself,¡± said the guard. ¡°Anyway, that will be all, thank you, and may So-Phell grant you a safe passage to Phoelles.¡±


    Fen mumbled some thanks as the guard went to talk with El. Somehow, El managed to go through the questions with ease, even making the guard laugh! How did he do that? Meanwhile, Ledwig was still talking with the first guard which approached the caravan.


    ¡°Only five caravan guards, correct?¡±This book''s true home is on another platform. Check it out there for the real experience.


    ¡°Yes indeed.¡±


    ¡°Great. I will need their certifications as well as weapon permits if they plan to go to Phoelles.¡±


    The caravan guards approached the man in brass and white, papers on their hands. The man took his time with each piece of paper before scribbling something on it. Once he checked on the caravan guards, he asked Ledwig ¡°are you carrying any other weapon I should be aware of?¡±


    ¡°No sir,¡± he answered.


    ¡°Great. You can keep going then. Good day to you and yours. May So-Phell favour you in your travels.¡±


    ¡°Good day to you and yours too,¡± Ledwig answered before hurrying the rest of the group towards the other side of the intersection.


    Once Fen stepped from the Bridge onto the city street, she left out a long sigh then took a deep breath. Oh shatters! She had never felt that nervous in her life. ¡°What was that all about?¡± Fen exclaimed.


    ¡°Phoelles is a bit picky about its security,¡± answered El.


    ¡°Then why did you,¡± Fen lowered her voice to a whisper, ¡°why did you hide your knife?¡±


    ¡°I have my reasons to distrust city guards,¡± El replied. ¡°And weapon permits are hard to come by. Expensive and hard to get.¡±


    ¡°Only certain mercenary companies are allowed in Phoelles,¡± Ledwig added. ¡°Though they still have problems getting permits. And don¡¯t even think about bringing more than ten armed guards. Phew! I once spent over three days in Reiss Bridge waiting for paperwork to be done, all for bringing a few extra guards. Almost lost an important client.¡±


    ¡°But what would the guards do if you didn¡¯t have a permit?¡± Fen asked


    ¡°They would confiscate whatever you had until you paid for a permit and waited for the paperwork,¡± El said. ¡°It¡¯s too much of a hassle. I already lost a knife to them last year in Phoelles.¡± He chuckled, looking back at the customs building. ¡°I wouldn¡¯t be surprised if they treated forks as weapons.¡±


    At first, Fen didn¡¯t really understand the trouble they went through. It must be troublesome to check all of the people coming and going to Phoelles. But if it did help keeping the place secure, then she saw no reason to complain. But that was not all they had checked.


    ¡°What was that about ¡®religious symbols¡¯?¡± she asked.


    ¡°So-Phell is God-King in Phoelles,¡± Ledwig said. ¡°To acknowledge any other gods would be¡­ Denying his godhood.¡±


    Now that was strange. To Fen, it seemed like extra work for no real reason.


    Ledwig saw the confusion written on her frown. ¡°When you see him, you¡¯ll understand.¡±


    The caravan kept northward. Aside from crossing customs, there were no notable differences between this side of the city and the other. If Ledwig hadn¡¯t told her, Fen would still believe she was within the Empire¡¯s territory.


    Not long after, the group stopped at a stable. The travellers, along with Maere, went towards an inn not too far, while Ledwig and the rest talked with the stable owner. ¡®The Noble Steed¡¯ was the name of the inn. The innkeeper greeted Maere like an old friend. Or a lucrative business partner. Much like the previous inn the caravan spent the night in, the innkeeper charged a smaller fee for their rooms, with the exception that the group would share their rooms. After paying, the group went to their rooms to unload and rest.


    Fen let herself fall onto her bed. It was comfortable, but didn¡¯t really compare to her bed at The Misplaced Poet. However, it was miles better than the caravan or the ground. She took a deep breath. Her early morning exhaustion seeped back inside her, and she felt herself begin to drift off.


    A knock on the door brought her back up.


    ¡°Fen, it¡¯s me, El. Are you still there?¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± Fen replied, pretending to be more awake than how she felt.


    ¡°I¡¯ll take a walk around the city, care to join me?¡±


    She could definitely use a nap right then. The bed almost called to her. Maybe the walk could wait. ¡°I think I¡¯ll¨C"


    ¡°Maybe even cross to Southern on those brass ferries by the Bridge.¡±


    ¡°Just wait for me downstairs. I¡¯ll be there in an instant.¡±


    Fen splashed her face on the washbasin by the mirror, trying to wipe the drowse off. Maybe combing her hair would help. She still felt somewhat tired after that, but at least she would not fall asleep while walking.


    Guitar case strapped to his back, El greeted Fen with a grin. ¡°Knew that¡¯d pique your interest.¡±


    Fen scowled at him then shook her head. El opened the door wide, letting Fen go through first. ¡°Anyway, why are you carrying your guitar?¡± she asked.


    ¡°I¡¯ll be staying here for a while,¡± El began, ¡°so I want to get a feel for the city. And I want the city to see a Helician bard has arrived. Also,¡± he tapped the case, lowering his voice, ¡°I have my knife hidden here, just in case.¡±


    Fen sighed. ¡°Let¡¯s just go to the Bridge.¡±


    With her pocket watch marking half-past four, the two arrived at the Bridge. Fen hadn¡¯t realized over three hours had passed since they arrived at the city. The two of them went to the westernmost ferry. A stone fence stood between the street and the rift, with two gates where the ferries stopped. For every gate there were two helmeted guards in a similar attire to those at the customs. Fen and El lined behind five other people waiting for one of the ferries to return. A moment later, the ferry stopped by the gate. The gate opened, and five people descended, the guards checking each of them before they left. The five people in front of Fen stepped into the ferry, the guard then signaled Fen that five was the limit. She glanced back, but El and her were the last of the line. Once the five travelers were inside, the gate was closed. One of the guards operated a lever, and the ferry began its swift journey to the other side of the rift. A while later, the ferry returned. Three people got off, and again, the guards checked on the three of them. Fen glanced behind her again. They would travel alone, it seemed.


    Fen stepped into the ferry and realized her heart was beating rather fast. Crossing the rift had become quite the thrill for her. The ferry had a slight cylindrical shape and was larger than it had seemed from the outside. It seemed made of brass, with glass panels on the sides. El came in next, and the ferry¡¯s door closed behind him. Goosebumps ran through Fen¡¯s arms as the ferry began to move.


    Fen wanted to ponder the ferry¡¯s mechanism, but the excitement of the ride wouldn¡¯t let her think. In an instant, they were travelling at top speed, zipping through the air, crossing over the abyss. She had never experienced speed like this before. Her thoughts were in jumbles. Until she gazed outside.


    The rift extended as far as she could see. Like a gray waterfall, the stone walls fell into nothingness. The sun hit the rift at an angle, bathing it in light yet casting an array of shadows that made the rift seem to swallow the sky.


    ¡°A view worthy of a song,¡± El said to her side. Fen nodded in return. ¡°Just wait until you take one of Phoelles¡¯ Brass Rails. Now, that¡¯s a view like no other.¡±


    ¡°The what?¡±


    ¡°Brass Rails. Machines just like this one that cross over the roofs of Phoelles. People use them to travel throughout the city, crossing from one corner to the other in mere minutes.¡±


    Fen swallowed. Uncertainty and excitement fused whenever she thought of Phoelles. No backing away.


    The ferry began to slow down, and soon after, they were on the other side.


    As they descended, the guards let them through without a word. Fen noticed they were not dressed as on the other side; they wore a steel plate over red shirts.


    After a few steps through the Main Street, El reached for his guitar. ¡°Time to work.¡±


    ¡°What do you mean?¡±


    ¡°I need to get an audience if I wish to prosper here.¡±


    El began strumming the strings. Every now and then a head swung their way then resumed their own business. With each step, El raised the complexity of what he played before stopping by a fountain in the middle of a market square. More people began looking his way. Then, slowly, a small crowd began forming around him. As more people came to see, and listen, Fen stepped a bit further away. Clearing the view for the crowd, she thought, I¡¯m not running away from it. She wiped the sweat from her palms.


    After playing for several minutes, El bowed to the cheers of his audience. He stood straight, saluted, and announced, ¡°The Noble Steed! On Northern! I¡¯ll wait for you there!¡± before bowing again.


    As the people dissipated, Fen approached El while he closed his guitar case. ¡°So this was all a publicity stunt?¡±


    ¡°Yeah,¡± El grinned, ¡°sorry to drag you into it.¡±


    It hadn¡¯t bothered her but, ¡°couldn¡¯t you have done it by the inn?¡±


    ¡°I guess I could,¡± he answered, ¡°but there¡¯s something about this side. There¡¯s more people here yet¨C"


    ¡°Yet you can¡¯t really hear the crowd,¡± Fen interrupted, remembering her thoughts entering the city.


    ¡°Exactly. My music travels far here, and more can listen.¡±


    They walked through the Southern Market for some time. Some people came to compliment El on his skill, or said they would love to listen to him play again. He answered by telling them to join him at The Noble Steed. One fruit seller even gifted them a pair of apples which they snacked on as they toured through the city.


    Fen¡¯s pocket watch ticked seven as they began the trek back to the inn. Unlike before, the line of people for the ferry increased. Especially the one they had used on their way here. Why was that?


    ¡°That one must give you the best view of the sunset,¡± El chuckled, ¡°let¡¯s take another one.¡±


    A while later, they were zipping through the rift. The ride back was just as exciting as it had been before, though this time there were other people with them.


    Once on the other side, the guards in brass and blue stopped them. Fen wasn¡¯t carrying her side bag so she passed without any problem. But El had his guitar case. His knife!


    El opened the case for the guards to look. They spent some time inspecting the case. However, they didn¡¯t find anything, and let El through. Fen kept eyeing him all the way to the inn.


    ¡°It isn¡¯t that easy to find,¡± he said.


    ¡°Still, you could¡¯ve gotten into trouble.¡±


    He smirked. ¡°But nothing happened.¡±


    Fen sighed and shook her head. El just laughed.


    At the inn, El went to talk with the innkeeper. Something about planning for the night. Fen decided to take a bath. After her bath, she went to eat with the rest of the caravan travellers. El came and went, taking a few bites before leaving to organize his space.


    With time, people began dripping into the inn. Not before long, the common room was filled to the edges with people drinking and eating. They all had their eyes on El. The lights dimmed, the talking became less than a murmur, and El, under his spotlight, began his performance.


    The way he played¡­ It was no wonder he hypnotized the crowd so. All that time he had spent practicing on the journey here showed. To Fen, however, the common room felt a bit stuffed, so as El¡¯s performance came to an end, she stepped outside. Shutting the door to the cheers, she laid her back on the stone wall, right under a quo¡¯s light. The silence and coolness of the night embraced her.


    Tomorrow her journey would continue. But this time she would be alone again. True, she had formed a companionship with the rest of the caravan, but El was her friend. And the caravan was only until Phoelles. From then on, she would be alone. Again. What awaited her in Phoelles?


    The door opened and El stepped outside, a mug of ale in hand. He stood by the window, on the other side of the door from Fen.


    ¡°When will you¡­¡± Fen cleared her throat. ¡°How long will you be staying here?¡±


    ¡°About three months.¡± He took a sip from his mug then placed it on the windowsill. ¡°Don¡¯t forget about my cousin Lisandra. You¡¯ll get along well, I think.¡±


    ¡°I think I¡¯ll go to sleep,¡± Fen said. ¡°You know how Ledwig is, we¡¯ll probably be outside the city while the sun is still rising.¡±


    Fen faced the door then stretched her hand towards the doorknob.


    ¡°Wait.¡±


    Her hand froze. She turned her head towards El. Back to the inn, he stared at the ground.


    He hesitated. Then, ¡°I don¡¯t know what you¡¯re¡­¡± He shook his head. Did he suspect something?


    El sighed. ¡°Just¡­ Take care in Phoelles.¡±


    Fen smiled at him. ¡°I will. Goodbye, El.¡±

 Chapter 8: A Single Step Away

    For the second half of the journey, the caravan travelled northwest. Although each night she slept little, Fen didn¡¯t feel tired during the days of traveling. Or perhaps she always felt tired, but it had become the norm.


    After leaving Reiss Bridge, Fen refused to read her father¡¯s notebook. Not that she didn¡¯t want to; the desire to uncover its secrets, answer its questions, was always there. But to add more questions to the ones she already had in her head would rob her of the little sleep she had left. What would she come across with in Phoelles? She had to be careful of every step she made. Should she trust the people in the Akademia? Whoever killed her father must have been connected to the Akademia, if the poems were any indication. So, Fen decided to plan a small background of herself. To try to distance herself from her father as much as possible. No matter how many times she went over it in her head, she still felt unprepared for what was coming.


    However, there was something she would be prepared for. The scholarship exam was the only thing she was certain would happen, so Fen decided she was going to ace it. As she wouldn¡¯t read her father¡¯s notebook, she resorted to studying. She was getting the Full Scholarship. For the rest of the days of traveling, if she wasn¡¯t dwelling on what would happen, Fen had her head inside her textbooks. She hoped the books she had were enough. They certainly seemed enough, covering every field the Akademia could evaluate her on. Physics, algebra, crystallography, calculus, balancing, metallurgy¡­ She had one of each. It should be enough, she thought. To save paper, Fen decided to do all her studying in her head. It helped her train her mental arithmetics, keeping long equations in her head as she solved them. This helped her with her balancing as well. She stretched her limits, trying to do harder and harder shifts. She was getting the Full Scholarship.This content has been misappropriated from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.


    The downside to her constant studying ¨Cand lack of sleep¨C was that she lost track of time. For how long had they been traveling now? Had it been a day or three? Since when had the Great Bay returned to the view? Had they stopped at an inn yesterday or the night before?


    ¡°Tomorrow we¡¯ll reach Phoelles,¡± Ledwig said.


    Fen looked up from the campfire, then at her hands. Her rough wooden bowl was still full. A week had passed since leaving Reiss Bridge. There still was half a day of traveling left, yet Phoelles felt a single step away from her.

 Chapter 9: City of Brass

    Fen stood outside Phoelles Southern Gate. After a long month of travelling, she was here at last.


    As the caravan entered the city, Fen couldn¡¯t help but marvel at the gate itself. A clockwork mechanism operated the brass portal. Capable to move on its own, the gate required no manual labor to open it. Not when crystals did the trick. Impenetrable, unmovable, a work of both akademic ingenuity and craftful design, the gate was already a symbol for Phoelles.


    ¡°This is where we part, lass,¡± Ledwig said. ¡°We have to go through customs, but you can go straight ahead.¡±


    ¡°Z¡¯sof light shine on you, girl,¡± added Maere. ¡°You¡¯ll ace that exam, I¡¯m sure of it.¡±


    After Ledwig gave her the directions to the Akademia¡¯s Central Office, Fen thanked everyone in the caravan and went her own way.


    Phoelles. Despite how many times she reminded herself to be careful, the excitement of finally being in the city took over her. Her blood pumped both thrill and alertness, and Fen forgot about her lack of sleep.


    She walked northward through the wide Gate Avenue. The smooth black building stone used was unlike any she had seen before. And it was used everywhere. But the stone was not the only remarkable thing about Phoelles¡¯ architecture. Brass seemed to find its way to any corner of the city. From a simple aesthetic function to the five distinct Railways that drew lines through Phoelles¡¯ sky. Fen thought it was unlikely that all of it was brass though. Brass, steel, and stone were the bones and muscles of this city. And crystal its blood.


    Fen walked under a set of rails just as a cart zipped eastwards above her. How did they work? They were similar to the ferries in Reiss Bridge, yet they moved faster and crossed over the entire city. It had moved impossibly fast, yet it had been silent. Silent¡­ Fen stopped gawking at the Railway to pay attention to her surroundings. Her definition of ¡®multitude¡¯ changed that very instant. She had thought she had seen a multitude back in Baysend, but it was nothing compared to this. And as in Reiss Bridge, the sound it made was a whisper. From Andaaran traders in their colorful wagons to akademics in their pristine white robes, from merchants in their storefronts to onlookers and passer-bys, the crowd of Phoelles flowed unperturbed. Taking a deep breath, Fen kept moving forward.


    She walked until the road widened then split into two, one heading east, the other west. At the center of the intersection, a stone statue stood at its center. Of the same black stone as that of the city, the statue greeted those coming from the south in open arms. The figure was heavily robed and had his face covered by a mask reminiscent of a crown. Despite being made of rigid stone, the figure seemed to float. So-Phell, God-King of Phoelles welcomed everyone who came into his city. One of her father¡¯s poems mentioned ¡®God waiting in open arms¡¯. Could it refer to this? It had been some time since she read the poems, Fen would have to check them again later.


    North of the statue, past the intersection, a brass pillar stood between black-stoned buildings. Shading her eyes from the sun, Fen inspected the structure. The pillar stretched perhaps fifty feet upwards. At the top, there was a platform, by which a Rail Line passed by. That very moment, a cart passed by the platform. It stopped for a moment before continuing its trail. Shivers crawled through Fen¡¯s arms. She was going up there.


    Standing at the base of the pillar, it somehow seemed taller. There were glass openings spread along the length of the brass building. She heard a soft sound coming from within, the sound of smooth metallic plates rubbing against each other. A breath later, the front of the pillar split in two, both parts sliding around the brass cylinder, revealing the inside of the structure. People poured from within. Fen noticed three Akademics in their layered white robes stepping out. She followed them with her gaze before someone urged her in. She hadn¡¯t noticed there were other people waiting to get in. After a few hesitant steps, Fen entered the brass pillar.


    Fen huddled to the side as the rest of the people stepped inside. A moment later, the front of the pillar slid shut, and the floor began to move. Fen almost stumbled, but she managed to use the side of the structure to support herself. So these were the Raisers Ledwig had told her of. As the whole thing sped upwards, Fen saw the city loom into view from the intermittent glass windows. The Raiser stopped and the front slid open again. Fen waited for the rest  to step out before she exited the Raiser.


    The platform was large. Fen walked cautiously despite the sturdy floor beneath her feet. As in Reiss Bridge, a fence divided the outer edge of the platform from the fall, with two gates in between. One guard stood by each gate. A moment later, a cart stopped by the platform. The guards opened the gates and the side of the cart slid open, letting people descend. After some people left the cart, the guards hurried the people in, and Fen stepped inside the cart. The opening slid shut behind her.


    The cart was similar to the ferries in Reiss Bridge, yet it was larger. Way larger. Fen noticed about twenty people inside, yet there was plenty of space left. She stepped by the windowed side of the cart as it began to move.The genuine version of this novel can be found on another site. Support the author by reading it there.


    Phoelles stretched beneath her, the ground about fifty feet below. The cart moved eastward, then softly turned northeast, before setting a northern path. From her position, Fen could see all the way to the Great Bay. Sunlight reflected from the thousand rooftops beneath her. Another Railcart zipped underneath.


    ¡®A view worthy of a song,¡¯ El would¡¯ve called it.


    Despite the distraction of the view, Fen kept count of the stops the cart took. After the fifth stop, Fen left the cart and descended from the platform. If she had followed the directions correctly, then she now stood in the Akademia District. She thought she had recognized what Ledwig had described as the Industrial District three stops before, so she should be on the right path.


    A few steps later, she knew she was in the Akademia District. It was as Ledwig had described it. Various plazas, inn and taverns, five looming buildings in the background, and a sea of people in grey and white. Those robed in white she recognized as Akademics, but not the people donning grey. Upon walking past a group of them, she noticed that the grey attire was a simple coat. Considering that there were about three times more grey than white, Fen deduced that those were the students in the Akademia. If all went according to plan, she¡¯d be part of that crowd in no time.


    As she walked, Fen took notice of her surroundings. She took note of the various inns, trying to pick the best ones. Not that she had that good an eye, but it was a good distraction from the amount of people surrounding her. She passed by the first of the looming buildings she had seen before. It was Akademia''s library. The huge structure was built of the same black stone as the city. Perhaps it was the building itself that was huge, or maybe the surroundings were shorter. Either way, the library was already imposing. Fen kept moving, she would return to study there. If everything went according to plan.


    Fen reached the end of the avenue, which stopped against another imposing building. The entrance, a double door over fifteen feet tall, stood open; people came and went from within. Above the door, an all too familiar symbol gazed back at her. An eye, made of crisscrossing curves and circles.


    Eye that is watching...


    Warily, Fen made her way inside.


    There was a line of people before a sort of reception. Fen walked behind the last person in the line and waited. She tried to go over the story she had devised, but the drumming of her heart kept her from thinking straight. She brought her hand to her chest. She felt her heartbeat, felt her father¡¯s rings beneath her shirt, and tried to find balance. A moment later, and her heart began to slow down.


    ¡°Next.¡±


    Her heart began racing again. It was her turn.


    The reception table stood higher than her; a greying man in squared glassed sat behind, a tired expression in his eyes. Fen fidgeted with the leather strap of her bag.


    ¡°Purpose,¡± he said in monotone.


    ¡°I wish to enrol,¡± Fen answered. ¡°Full Scholarship.¡±


    The man¡¯s eyes widened for an instant, then blinked slowly.


    ¡°Name, please. And the name of one of your parents. Or family name, if applicable.¡±


    ¡°Fen¨C" she bit her tongue. She had already failed a part of her plan. No time to change that, now.


    ¡°Fen Drake,¡± she continued. ¡°Of family Drake.¡±


    The man scribbled something on his high table. ¡°Never heard of the Drake family.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s, uhm¡­ a rather new and small family from the outskirts of Wilberg. In the textile business. An akademic in the family could bring new ideas for production.¡± Fen wished her story was convincing.


    ¡°Do you have a letter of recommendation?¡±


    Fen looked sideways and hoped her nervous flush could be interpreted as shame. ¡°I¡­ lost it¡­¡±


    The spectacled man sighed, then scribbled something else.


    ¡°My teacher¡­¡± Fen added, suppressing the thought of her father, ¡°he said I¡¯m qualified as a second-year student.¡±


    The man eyed Fen in return. ¡°We¡¯ll see about that,¡± he said, then gave Fen a piece of paper. ¡°Your exam is two days from now. Be here when the clock strikes eight. Bring this paper with you. Next.¡±


    Fen stepped away from the table, eyes on the piece of paper. In it, the details of her enrollment were written, as well as the date and time of the exam and the subjects she¡¯d be tested on. She had been prepared. And now, she had two more nights to study. That had not been too hard. Hopefully, the exam wouldn¡¯t be too hard as well.


    Fen left the Central Office, and went to the library. Against her wishes, in order to enter she had to be a student already. She still had resources, but the extra books could¡¯ve been helpful. No more time to waste, she could be studying.


    Fen headed towards one of the inns she had noticed. One of the larger ones. After her journey, and the nights that awaited her, Fen was willing to spend a whole round on a room. The innkeeper at ¡®The Lumbering Akademic¡¯ welcomed her warmly, as to any client. She rented a large room, with a table, for two nights and requested that any meal be taken to her room.


    Once in her room, she spread her books on the table. She took out her paper and ink. With a leather cord, she tied her hair in a tail. And, not long after, she was immersed in her studies. The night was as long as the day, and she was determined. She was getting the Full Scholarship.

 Chapter 10: Full Scholarship

    On her third day in Phoelles, Fen left her study cave. Her room had become that, a cave. She had shut all openings, lighting her room with Quo crystals so little shadows remained. And all the time she spent there, she studied. Fen had eaten plenty, slept irregularly, and went outside rarely. But she was prepared. She was getting the Full Scholarship.


    After checking out from The Lumbering Akademic, Fen made her way to the Central Office. Morning light bathed the city of Phoelles, and few students and akademics walked in its streets. Soon they would be full again, but at the moment, there was a lull in the Akademic District. Fen took advantage of it, taking deep breaths and calming her heart for the evaluation that was expecting her. She checked her pocket watch. She still had almost an hour left for the exam, and the walk from the inn to the Central Office was a short one. But she wanted to be there early. To get used to the place. And the nerves.


    Fen arrived at the Central Office, announced herself at the reception, and waited for her turn.


    Doubt struck her like a Railway cart.


    Was she prepared enough? Were the books she brought enough? Her metallurgy felt shabby, and she couldn¡¯t remember the optics equations no matter how hard she thought about them. Calm down, Fen, she told herself. You studied enough. You¡¯re ready. If only she could believe more in what she told herself.


    The receptionist called for her, telling her to leave her belongings in the reception. They would be kept in a secure place, and she could retrieve them later. Initially, Fen didn¡¯t want to, but after the receptionist insisted and showed they would be behind closed doors, she had no choice but to leave them. She could only hope nobody snooped her things. She could only hope nobody found her father¡¯s notebook. After guiding Fen through some black-stoned hallways, the receptionist left her by a large wooden door at the end of the corridor. Fen went through.


    The room was not large, with a single window and another door. In the middle, lay a table; a spectacled man in akademic white robes sat behind it, with a stack of papers in hand. The wall behind the akademic was made of black slate.


    ¡°So, you must be... Fen Drake, right?¡±


    Fen nodded in return.


    ¡°Full Scholarship¡­¡± he read from the papers, ¡°second year¡­ no recommendation letter?¡±


    She nodded again.


    ¡°Alright. I¡¯ll be evaluating your knowledge in the subject of physics.¡± He handed her a piece of chalk. ¡°Please, proceed to the slate wall.¡±


    Chalk ready in hand, she walked to the back end of the room. Physics. What was he going to ask? The akademic limped closer to Fen, facing the slate wall. Now that he was closer, she could get a better view of him. He was rather young in Fen¡¯s eyes, and perhaps even good looking, in a messy kind of way. Hands in his pockets beneath his robes, his clothes seemed a bit rumpled, as if he had slept in them. He slouched a bit, as if tired. Fen couldn¡¯t feel tired. She didn¡¯t know what was pumping in her veins, but it kept her alert.


    ¡°I will be asking you to solve some problems, while I ask you some questions regarding the subject in general, perhaps.¡± He adjusted his glasses before beginning.


    Fen solved problems and answered questions from a variety of branches. From statics and rigid body dynamics, to kinematics and mechanical oscillations. Luckily for Fen, the only question regarding optics had been simple. The akademic made no comment regarding Fen¡¯s answers or solutions, but only took notes in his papers. It nerved her a bit, but she felt confident she was giving the right answers.


    ¡°Now,¡± he said after Fen finished a problem on the slate wall, ¡°find a general solution for Farier¡¯s bidimentional heat dissipation equation.¡±


    Fen didn''t expect that sort of question. At least not from physics, perhaps in calculus or balancing even. Regardless, her father had taught her Farier¡¯s heat equation. Fen began to write it in the slate but the akademic stopped her.


    ¡°I was just playing with you,¡± he chuckled a bit. ¡°That¡¯s third year territory, perhaps.¡± He adjusted his glasses and sat by the desk. ¡°That will be all from me, you can go on to the next room.¡±


    Fen left the piece of chalk on the table and thanked the akademic. He nodded a sort of farewell, eyes on the papers he had been holding onto before. Fen left through the other door.


    The rest rooms were similar, and followed the same mode of operation; with only a desk, a slate wall, and an akademic who would evaluate her on each subject. For calculus, she was asked to calculate infinite sums and differential equations. In algebra, she had to solve a few systems of equations and had to answer some questions on set theory. In crystallography, she was asked to identify ten different crystals the akademic had on the table. Fen had to explain the process for reading each rune, some characteristic equations of their effects, and give examples of applications. Thanks to the practical knowledge her father had given her, she could answer with little to no problem. For metallurgy, the akademic had various metals on the table, and asked Fen to identify their composition, as well as list some properties of each metal. This is where Fen had her biggest doubts. Was gold soluble in oil of vitriol? Had she given the correct fusion point of bronze? She hoped she had been correct. As in her physics evaluation, none of the akademics made any comment regarding her answers but only took notes, so she had no way of knowing if she had answered correctly.This story originates from a different website. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.


    Fen crossed the door from the metallurgy evaluation to the next room. By process of elimination, the balancing test awaited her. As the rest, the room was empty, except for the table and the akademic. However, the akademic was in front of the table, covering whatever lay on top of it. She stood tall and straight, arms crossed,  chin raised, and a slight smile on her face. Her hair was a shade too red to be brown, and had a bit of grey at the temples. When she spoke, the Helician accent was clear in her tongue.


    ¡°So, Fen Drake. You have to be bold to ask for a Full Scholarship without a letter of recommendation.¡±


    Fen gulped and nodded.


    The akademic chuckled, baring her teeth. ¡°I like that boldness. Anyway, usually the Akademia wouldn¡¯t evaluate newcomers on balancing, but if you insist that you are qualified as a second year student, and if you¡¯re asking for a Full Scholarship, you have no choice but to prove you¡¯re capable.¡±


    She moved, revealing the contents atop the table. There were two familiar crystals, Thell and Maht, resting on a small brass pedestal, a piece of chalk, and a large squared glass beaker filled with water.


    ¡°Freeze the water,¡± the akademic said, ¡°then cut it in four equal pieces.¡±


    Thermodynamic pull and two single-plane division pushes, Fen recognized as the shifts. Not the most basic, but neither too complicated. And, she knew how to solve the equations in her head. By instinct, Fen reached towards the crystals on the table, but stopped. She had caught a slight motion in the edge of her vision. The akademic had made a brief movement. Perhaps it was just a lowering of her chin, or a narrowing of her eyes, but it made Fen stop and reconsider her actions. She felt like prey, being stalked by a wild beast. Her back felt drenched. She swallowed. Instead of taking hold of the crystals, Fen reached for the piece of chalk. She took careful steps towards the slate wall, her evaluator¡¯s eyes seemed to bore holes in her skull. Fen proceeded to write and solve the equations, taking note of the volume of water in the container. She knew water¡¯s heat capacity and freezing point by memory, and as she was capable of solving them in her head, writing the process wouldn¡¯t take her too long.


    Once she had everything ready, Fen returned to the crystals. She placed her hand over them and focused. But nothing happened. The akademic smirked. What was the problem? The volume she had taken note of was correct, so that wasn¡¯t it. Fen dipped her finger in the water and tasted it. Her father had once done a test like this to her, adding either salt or sugar in different amounts to change the properties of the liquid. She wrinkled her nose in response to the taste. It was saltier than the sea.


    Fen returned to the slate wall and wrote the system of equations she needed. In order to find the new constants, she had to do another shift in a different direction. Once she had everything in order, she returned to the table.


    Again, she placed her hands on the crystals, focused, and waited. Once Maht gave a scarlet glow, Fen began counting. When the mixture began to bubble, she stopped, and returned to the slate wall. After finishing the equations with the new data, Fen returned to the table.


    Once again, she placed her hand on the crystals. Ultramarine and scarlet light glowed through her fingers, and despite the heat it had maintained from the previous shift, the mixture froze in the blink of an eye. And with a crack, split in four equal pieces.


    With her fingernails, the akademic evaluator worked a block of salt-ice from the container. She analyzed the clean cuts. ¡°Impressive¡­¡± She turned her head to Fen. ¡°That will be all for now. Wait beyond that door until someone calls your name.¡±


    Closing the door behind her, Fen walked into a large hallway with a number of people waiting. Some paced back and forth, others sat on some benches by the wall, legs bouncing, biting their nails. Five more came after Fen from different doors, and about half an hour later, names began being called.


    At first, Fen didn¡¯t feel nervous. But as people stepped from the room with tears and horror in their eyes, her heart began to tremble. One by one, the number of people in the hallway shrunk. It should¡¯ve been logical, she had been one of the last out, it would take longer for her name to be called. But she couldn¡¯t help it. If she sat, the way her leg bounced made the bench tremble. So, she began to pace. Fen tried going over every answer she had given, but couldn¡¯t remember everything she had said. Pocket watch in hand, she tried to keep track of time, but it seemed to stand still, then jump forwards whenever a name was called. She wiped sweat from her palms, but nothing seemed to dry them.


    ¡°Fen Drake.¡±


    Her heart skipped a beat and shivers ran through her entire body. Her heart felt about to burst. Fen turned; the balancing evaluator waited by the door. ¡°Come in,¡± she said.


    One heavy step after the other, Fen entered the room. All six evaluators waited inside behind the table. There were two grey coats folded on top of it. One by one, the evaluators gave their thoughts on Fen¡¯s results.


    ¡°Everything was fine on my end,¡± said the physics evaluator while reading some notes he had written. ¡°I was surprised even. She knew about Farier¡¯s heat equation despite not being part of the evaluation.¡±


    She also received positive reviews from the calculus, algebra, and crystallography evaluators. The metallurgy evaluator gave some positive comments, while correcting her on a few things, remarking that gold was in fact not soluble in oil of vitriol. But regardless, her answers had been mostly right.


    ¡°She displayed adeptness in balancing,¡± said the Helician akademic. ¡°She managed to pass the balancing evaluation quickly, perhaps even in record time.¡±


    She paused for a moment, lifting one of the grey coats. ¡°Fen Drake, step forward.¡±


    Fen took a step, or tried to. Her knees wobbled and she almost stumbled, but she managed to regain her composure.


    ¡°Arms forward.¡±


    Fen stretched her arms in front of her. She couldn¡¯t keep them from trembling.


    The balancing evaluator placed the rough woolen coat on her arms. ¡°Welcome to the Akademia, girl.¡±


    Fen tried to stand straight, but failed, as tears streamed from her eyes.

 Chapter 11: A Warm Welcome

    After Fen wiped her face clean, the balancing evaluator accompanied her towards the reception, stating that Fen had been her last evaluatee. Along the way, she explained that there were some conditions to the Full Scholarship. As the Akademia was paying her tuition, Fen had to ¡®pay back¡¯ by working for the Akademia. This ranged from giving classes in some courses to working in the Industrial District. She still had time and could begin in a couple of weeks. And, she could choose where and what to work in, as long as she completed a number of monthly hours. Fen sniffed agreement to the things she said.


    ¡°By the way,¡± the evaluator said as they reached the reception, ¡°my name is Alazana. If you need any help, feel free to ask me.¡±


    The receptionist gave Fen her things back, then gave her the directions to her rooms. They were two blocks away. Alazana accompanied her to the entrance of the building then bid her farewell and good luck. Fen thanked her deeply for everything.


    Two stories tall and about half a block long, the building blended itself with the rest of Phoelles. Fen opened the door to some sort of common room. There were some people around, making conversation in groups. Mostly women, but she saw a man by the end of the room. Some sat by a long wooden table or on a couch by an unlit fireplace, while others were already donning their student greys. The smell of tea, coffee, and toasted bread filled the air. Fen took a deep breath, the smells reminded her of her home. She suppressed a tear, then realized this would be her new home. At least for a while. She hoped it would become a home to her.


    One of the women approached Fen, asking if she was new. She told her that her room was on an upper floor.


    The woman turned to the rest of the room. ¡°Everyone, welcome Fen! She¡¯s the new girl here!¡±


    Everyone in the room welcomed Fen aloud and congratulated her on passing the exam. Some even clapped, others raised their cups as if cheering. Fen tried to contain her blush, failed, then tried to hide her face. Hurriedly, she thanked everyone and darted to her new room.


    Fen struggled with the lock on the door. Between everything she was carrying, she couldn¡¯t position the key in the keyhole, but kept trying to fidget it inside. The door opened though, and a mass of curls stood on the other side. Wait, there was a face underneath. ¡°Hmm¡­?¡±


    ¡°I¡­¡± Fen began. ¡°I¡¯ve been told this is my new room¨C"


    A smile beamed beneath the curls. ¡°You must be my new roommate!¡± enthused the host in a strong Andaaran accent. ¡°Come in!¡± She swung the door wide open.


    Fen stepped inside the dark and disarrayed room. The Andaaran girl began lifting clothes from the ground and from the bed that remained unused.  ¡°Sorry about the mess, this room was mine alone for the last three weeks.¡± She cleared the curtains and opened the single window by the end of the room, letting light and a soft breeze in.


    ¡°I¡¯m¡­¡± Fen tried to say, ¡°I¡¯m sorry if I awoke you¨C"


    ¡°Ah! Feels great to have a new roommate!¡± She took Fen¡¯s hand in both of hers, joy shining through her golden eyes. ¡°What is your name?¡±


    ¡°Fen.¡± She couldn¡¯t help but smile back at her enthusiastic roommate.


    ¡°Great to meet you Fen! I¡¯m Elle. Now sit while I do some order out of my mess.¡±


    The room was small, but it didn¡¯t feel cramped. The two beds were against the walls on opposite sides, between them a table just beneath the window. At the feet of each bed was a wooden chest for their belongings, and to one side was a washbasin and mirror. Despite its current state of disorder, to Fen it felt¡­ cozy. Maybe it wasn¡¯t the room but the company. First, everyone in the common room. Now Elle, who acted as if Fen arriving had been the best thing to have happened to her in a long while. With the way things had been for the last months, Fen couldn¡¯t remember the last time she had been welcomed so warmly.


    ¡°Ah you have your student coat. I remember when I got mine.¡± Elle hugged herself. ¡°I looked like a bayet but I felt so proud when I finally passed¡­¡±


    ¡®Bayet¡¯? ¡°I haven¡¯t tried mine yet,¡± Fen said.


    ¡°Well? What are you waiting for?¡±


    Elle hurried Fen on while she moved the mirror to a more comfortable position. The wool was thick and roughly spunned, but overall, it was comfortable to wear. Fen raised her head to look at the mirror. The coat was too long. Too wide at the shoulders, and it didn¡¯t slim at all at the waist. The sleeves were over by a whole hand, and the length reached past her knees.


    Elle burst into laughter. ¡°Was that the smallest they had?¡±


    Fen blushed. ¡°I¡­ I¨C"


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, they never fit anyone. The men mostly don¡¯t care, or they grow into it. Us, we have to manage. Let¡¯s go to Lis, she¡¯s the best with this.¡±


    Elle grabbed Fen by the hand, dragging her back to the common room. Lis¡­ Why did it sound familiar? Oh, it was the name of a crystal. ¡®Strength¡¯, Fen remembered its meaning.


    ¡°Lis!¡± Elle greeted her energetically. ¡°I have a new roommate!¡±


    Lis lounged on a couch, a book in one hand, a cup of tea in the other. She had strawberry blonde hair that reached past her elbows. As Elle called her name, she smiled at both of them.


    ¡°I thought that would be the case when the new girl walked through the door. Fen, right?¡±


    Fen nodded.


    ¡°Bring your needles,¡± Elle said, ¡°the bastards gave her drapes instead of a coat.¡±


    ¡°As expected,¡± Lis sighed then smiled. She gulped her tea and left.


    While they waited, Elle asked her about her time in Phoelles. How long had she been here? Today would be her third day. She had spent two full nights preparing for her exam. How hard was the exam? Not too hard, but the balancing evaluation had been a bit tricky.


    ¡°Balancing evaluation?¡± Elle asked.


    ¡°Yes¡­ Alazana said it was a requirement for the Full Scholarship as a second-year student.¡±


    Elle stared at her, mouth opened wide.


    One of the other girls turned her way and, ¡°Second-year?¡±


    Another stood to look at her. ¡°Full Scholarship?¡±


    All eyes gazed at her. Then, the questions rained in. What did they evaluate you on? Who were the teachers? Was Alazana too rough on you? Was it hard? What did they say afterwards? All the questions made Fen dizzy, and she couldn¡¯t finish answering one before another one popped in. Her face was burning. How many times had that happened today already?


    ¡°I couldn¡¯t stop crying when they told me I passed,¡± Fen said.


    ¡°I would¡¯ve been screaming in joy,¡± one girl in the back said.


    ¡°Oh, shut up Narita,¡± another replied, ¡°you cried for an entire day when you passed higher calculus.¡±


    Everyone in the room laughed. Even Fen felt amused.


    ¡°So, our new girl got a Full Scholarship on her first try,¡± Lis said as she walked into the room. ¡°This is cause for celebration. We have to show her off to the rest.¡±


    Everyone jumped into action. Some started discussing which musicians to bring, others argued over which inn was better. Hart had to come with his drums, and Will had to bring his lute. ¡®The Brass Tankard¡¯ had better drinks, but ¡®The Railway Cart¡¯ had a bigger common room. With time, people started leaving the room, off to do their duties for the day. And to get the ball rolling for the celebration.The story has been taken without consent; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.


    Elle and Lis were free today, so they accompanied Fen. As the people in the common room diminished, they moved to Elle¡¯s ¨Cand Fen¡¯s¨C room. They helped order the chaos that remained, as well as arrange Fen¡¯s things. Her chest was still mostly empty, so Lis suggested getting more clothes. Fen made some mental calculations taking into account how much coin she still had. All things considered, she could afford more clothes, so she saw no reason to deny.


    A while later, Lis finished with her coat. It no longer sagged at the shoulder, and the sleeve length was on point. The cut now fitted her waist better, and it no longer reached past her knees. It felt good. Fen felt good.


    ¡°Wait,¡± Elle said, ¡°somethings missing.¡±


    To Fen, nothing was missing. The coat was a perfect fit.


    Elle rummaged through her belongings, dumping a variety of colorful garments on her bed, before lifting a long red kerchief. She tied it at Fen¡¯s waist, twisting it around her twice then knotting it at the side. She fingered the kerchief. It was incredibly soft. What was it made of? Silk?


    ¡°Now, that¡¯s stellar,¡± Elle said. Lis nodded in agreement beside her.


    It¡­ did make a difference. Most of the clothes she wore were rather colorless or mild. And with the grey coat, she looked even more dull. But the red kerchief broke that monotone.


    ¡°But it is yours.¡± Fen began to undo the knot.


    Elle stopped her. ¡°Keep it, it looks great on you. Think of it as a welcoming gift!¡±


    ¡°I¡­ Thank you.¡±


    Elle grinned back.


    ¡°The kerchief is nice and all, but, let¡¯s get you a nice dress for tonight,¡± Lis said with a wink.


    They dragged Fen towards a Brass Railstation. Apparently, if they wanted to go to the Bazaar District, they had to take the Second Line.


    ¡°What, you¡¯ve spent two full days here and never left your room?¡± They were crossing over the city, over thirty feet above the streets. Lis couldn¡¯t believe Fen had only ridden the Rails once, and had never visited the markets.


    ¡°Uhm¡­ Yes?¡± Fen answered.


    Lis¡¯ slanted brow looked more surprised than mocking. ¡°Huh. No wonder you got that Full Scholarship.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not only that, Lis,¡± Elle said with a lecturing tone. ¡°I saw the njardhuk in her eyes.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re the only Andaaran here, Elle. Neither Fen nor I know what you mean.¡±


    They descended from the Rail Line, Lis taking charge, leading the way through various shops.


    ¡°I know njard means star,¡± Fen said, ¡°though I have no idea what the rest is.¡±


    ¡°You speak Njulgha?¡± Elle¡¯s eyes shone like stars, arms wrapped around Fen¡¯s.


    ¡°I only know three words,¡± Fen answered, prying her arm from Elle¡¯s grip. ¡°Ma, sah¡¯ri and njard. That¡¯s all.¡±


    ¡°Water, sand, and star. Not bad.¡± Elle stroked her chin. ¡°Dhuk means bright, or light. But njardhuk is more like¡­ Intelligence. No, something more than that. Like a gift, a blessing.¡±


    Fen¡¯s face blushed again. What was it, the fifth time that happened today? ¡°I did spend two days shut in studying though. And I was lucky.¡±


    ¡°Elle¡¯s right though,¡± Lis said, eying Fen through different dresses, as if seeing which would look better on her. ¡°It takes something special to get that Full Scholarship on the first try. And as a second year¡­ Even more impressive.¡±


    Elle sighed, head back, backhand to her forehead. ¡°And here I thought I would be a nice senior to you¡­ Turns out we are in the same year.¡±


    ¡°I actually think she might be more advanced than you,¡± Lis said with a chuckle. ¡°You still have to take Advanced Algebra, right?¡±


    ¡°Shut up, it doesn¡¯t count.¡± Elle crossed her arms and pouted. Lis laughed, and Fen couldn¡¯t help but chuckle.


    ¡°You might be smart, Fen, but I still have more experience in the Akademia than you,¡± Elle said, finger pointing at Fen. Though she then looked down, then sideways, and her cheeks took a red tint. ¡°Though I¡¯d appreciate it if you helped me study sometimes¡­¡±


    Fen smiled back. ¡°Sure.¡±


    They spent some time reviewing other dresses, before Fen picked one. Actually, Lis picked it, but Fen liked it. Fen left the changing booth, and her companions approved of the choice. A while later, the three were on their way back to the dorm, already planning their lunch.


    ¡°Is Alazana really as rough as the other girls said? She seemed nice to me.¡±


    ¡°Some students call her the ¡®red lion,¡¯¡± Elle said, hands like claws. ¡°She¡¯s fierce in her lectures, and unforgiving in examinations.¡±


    Fen remembered her balancing evaluation and felt shivers run down her spine. Perhaps she understood why she had that nickname very well.


    As the three entered the dorms, Fen yawned.


    ¡°You must be beat,¡± Lis said. ¡°After the entrance exam and everything. That was pretty early today, right?¡± Fen managed to mumble in agreement after yawning.


    ¡°Take a nap, I¡¯m sure you need it.¡± Fen saw no reason to decline.


    The bed was not bad. It was nothing like The Lumbering Akademic or The Misplaced Poet, but it was pretty comfortable. Not even five minutes in, she was fast asleep.


    * * *


    ¡°Come on Fen,¡± Elle said, dragging her by the arm. ¡°Everyone¡¯s already there!¡±


    It was a pleasant summer night, and the moon and stars shone unperturbed. But The Railway Cart shone even brighter. And louder. Did stars make any noise? Fen shook her head. It didn¡¯t matter. What mattered was that there were a multitude of people inside.


    Fen fidgeted with her hair. Lis and Elle had helped her get ready, but Fen still felt like a physics textbook in the poetry aisle. The last time she had gone to something like this had been Summer¡¯s Eve back in Northod, and that happened almost three months ago. And a lot had changed since then.


    ¡°Come on Fen, you look stellar. Everyone¡¯s here waiting for you.¡±


    ¡°Is¡­ is everyone really here for me?¡±


    ¡°I think they wanted a get-together for a while now,¡± Lis said beside her. ¡°But you¡¯re a great excuse.¡±


    Elle opened the door, and the music poured out; flutes, drums and lutes, and the sound of feet kicking the floor to the beat. Someone shoved a cup into her hand before being presented to the crowd. The common room was large. Larger than any she had been to before. Yet it was still filled to bursting.


    ¡°To Fen!¡± And everyone cheered, before resuming their dancing and chatting.


    ¡°I can¡¯t see Taaron,¡± Elle told Lis. ¡°I thought he¡¯d come.¡±


    Lis sighed, looking down. ¡°He has work tomorrow morning, so he couldn¡¯t.¡±


    ¡°He could¡¯ve shown his face at least for a little while¡­¡±


    Lis shrugged in return.


    ¡°Who¡¯s Taaron?¡± Fen whispered to Elle.


    ¡°He¡¯s Lis¡¯ guy,¡± she whispered back. ¡°Oh, Henry is here,¡± she said. She raised her arm and started waving at him. ¡°Henry! Hi! I haven¡¯t seen him in ages. Let me introduce him to you, Fen.¡±


    He was tall with black wavy hair. Stepping outside from a large group of people, he did a small wave back at Elle before greeting them. ¡°Let¡¯s move a bit further away,¡± he said. ¡°I can barely hear you speak.¡±


    The four of them sat on a table to the side. Often while they talked, someone else stepped closer to say a word or two. Mostly to Fen, congratulating her, or giving her some tips, or suggesting showing her around the city. She would thank them, but so many came that Fen wished her drink would swallow her instead.


    ¡°Autumn¡¯s Eve is next week,¡± Elle said. ¡°Let¡¯s go to the audience together.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s next week already?¡± Henry sighed and slouched. ¡°I wished I could rest a bit longer.¡±


    ¡°What is happening next week?¡± Fen asked.


    ¡°So-Phell¡¯s giving a public speech for the holiday, and to signal the beginning of the term,¡± Lis said. ¡°He always says the same things, but it is always a shocker to see him.¡±


    Fen took a sip of her drink. She would finally see So-Phell, the king of Phoelles. The living God.


    The night moved on. Fen met new people, and talked till her throat ached. She hadn¡¯t talked that much in months. She enjoyed talking with the people she met, and she realized that perhaps she had drank a bit more than she should have. With time, the number of people dwindled, and Lis, Elle and Fen made a stumbling return to the dorms, exchanging few words and many giggles. By the time she was in her bed, few stars remained in the sky. Fen smiled into her pillow.


    And she had thought she would be alone.