《The World Sphere》 Chapters 1 to 3 Chapter 1: The Failed Human Resources Liaison (Prologue) The sun¡¯s glare made the day¡¯s heat much more intense. As I walked along the mountain ridge, sweat beaded on my brow and stung my eyes. I was out for a ten-day hike, a 100-mile trek through the Rocky Mountains in Colorado. It was a reprieve from my endless hours working as a vagabond sous-chef. The terrain was very manageable, and the trail was well-marked. That was why I was shocked when the entire trail gave way beneath me, and I slid down the mountain in a rockslide. Fortunately, the pain didn¡¯t last long as large boulders quickly crushed me to death. I was now in a minimalist beige room with no doors or windows, basically a box. A large onyx desk with multiple screens facing away from me dominated the desktop. Behind the desk sat a middle-aged Asian man in a fashionable dark blue suit with a gray tie. He presented himself as the Next Life Specialist for my reincarnation. He explained I had accumulated enough positive karma that I would be able to have some input in my reincarnation. My emotions were flat, but I was still stunned. My agent seemed extremely bored with the process and kept glancing at the screen on the left like he was checking emails, watching a video, or something else that kept distracting him. He explained I could go to another universe in his sphere of influence or stay in this one. After my shock subsided, I inquired about a universe with magic. He tapped away and then replied that there were two options with high aetheric content; that was what magic was evidently called: aether. I was immediately all in. He began tapping away and asked if I wanted to remain human, to which I replied in the affirmative. I didn¡¯t want to be an animal, or maybe he was referring to elves, dwarves, and such? He was already past the screen and ignored my question when I inquired about my other choices. With a few more taps on the keyboard, he checked his screen on the left again. Then, before we could continue, he swore and slammed his fist down on the table, rattling the screens and desk. The box room echoed from the strike. He quickly stood up and walked through the wall to his left. I sat there puzzled and then walked cautiously around the desk. The screen had an open email saying the man had been fired, indicating that this was his last shift. The language was not English, but I could still read it without difficulty. I muttered to myself that I thought he left a little early as I was still in limbo for my reincarnation. I looked at the other screens with my information and was surprised I could also read it. The language was definitely not English. Was there some universal comprehension in this room? I felt my emotional state had been greatly muted as well, and I had no anxiety about my death or reincarnation. I walked to the wall where the man had disappeared and found it solid after running my hands along it. Other than being slightly warm, I didn¡¯t find any access. After a few minutes, I got bolder and took his chair to examine the screens in detail. I began delving into my file displayed on the monitor. It took a few minutes to figure out the navigation, but it was all very intuitive. My reincarnation status was clearly displayed before me, indicating that my race was human. As I explored the interface, I realized I had the ability to edit my physical appearance on the screen. It seemed harmless to tweak a few details while I awaited a new agent, right? With a sense of purpose, I began crafting my new body. I envisioned a tall physique, solid and muscular like that of a linebacker, exuding strength and vitality. My new body boasted striking green eyes, standing out against a backdrop of deep, jet-black silky hair. The image reflected a version of myself that I remembered well, yet it was undeniably more athletic, embodying an idealized form that transcended my previous appearance of light brown eyes and a less defined build. I slid the aging ¡®expectation¡¯ to the max for a human, giving me about 150 years of prospective life, according to the translator. Then, I got to the interesting parts with abilities, traits, and affinities for skills. The screen read like a game to me. There were seven tiers of power of for abilities, with tier one being the lowest. If I selected random, I would be assigned two to eight points worth of abilities based on my karmic accumulator. The random generator clearly showed my chance of getting each value when I hovered over it.
70% 2 points
25% 3 points
4% 4 points
0.9% 5 points
0.09% 6 points
0.009% 7 points
0.001% 8 points
With these points, you could purchase abilities. The cost for the abilities was reflective of the tier.
Tier Point Cost
1 1
2 2
3 3
4 5
5 7
6 11
7 13
I looked at the random generator for points and tried to enter a larger number in the output manually. After some attempts, I found the largest number accepted was 23. That was much better than my chance of getting eight points, so I entered 23 and was prompted to confirm entry¡ªyes. Next, I found I could select my abilities rather than use the random generator. I was getting worried someone would show up soon, so I selected things that popped out to me from the massive lists. I didn¡¯t delve too much into the full descriptions as I felt time-constrained. I was doing something I should not be doing and figured someone would come by and change my work anyway. My selections... 13 points, Tier 7¡­create metal using aether 5 points, Tier 4¡­major aether core 5 points, Tier 4¡­metal shaping Having finalized my selections, I felt a surge of confidence; I was now convinced that I could conjure silver and gold from aether like a genie. While some might consider it a questionable path, I had no desire to don the mantle of a hero, slaying fearsome monsters or rescuing fair maidens. Instead, my dreams were painted with visions of immense wealth. The next screen was for traits, similar to abilities but apparently non-magical in nature. It seemed the number of points was typically between two and seven for a human, but I could not enter anything manually, and the value was set at zero. After a quick search, I found I maybe had maxed out my possible points on magical abilities, or maybe it was because I was human, the text was confusing legal jargon about equity and I didn¡¯t have time to delve further. There was no override, at least none that I could find. I skipped to the next screen. The last selection section was for skill affinities. It gave bonuses related to learning and using skills based on knowledge. There was a very long list of skills, and I skimmed them. I found 23 schools of magic on the list, which drew my attention immediately. Skill affinities ranged from 1 to 7. At tier 1 affinity, there was a 25% increase in the learning speed of a related skill. It doubled at tier 2 to 50%, at tier 3, it was 100% improvement, and at tier 4, it was 200%. Tier 5 was 250% but also gave a 25% increase in the effectiveness of the skill as well. Tier 6 was 300% to learning speed and 50% to skill effectiveness. Tier 7 was 300% and 100% more effective. Once again, I was locked out of editing the available points, but my default was 5 points based on my karmic accumulator. If I selected randomize, it would be 0 to 0, so I stuck with the 5 points. The costs mirrored the costs I noted for abilities. I decided to choose the following skill affinity, using all my points: 5 points, tier 4, healing magic skill I felt great about my decision in terms of setting myself up for a great, easy life. Learning healing magic three times faster than normal should be a good backup plan if my fantasies of swimming in a vault of gold coins failed. I also figured healing magic could help me extend my life span. The screen progressed to the next phase of my reincarnation. I was now looking at the default world in the universe where I would be reincarnated. On the display was not a planet but, in fact, a Dyson sphere. The world¡¯s magic stabilized the titanic shell and gave billions of square miles on the inner Sphere to live on. The shell was thousands of miles thick with its own ecosystem as well, and if I understood everything properly, the shell hosted millions of dungeons within the magic aether ley lines, which were essentially the skeleton of the Dyson sphere. The outer surface of the shell, or Dark World, had its own civilizations, and it appeared some of them were space-faring. Crap, the magnitude of everything. I was not so sure anymore. Hundreds of billions, probably trillions of people, species, monsters, and threats, quickly passed in front of me as I promptly paged through a wiki. I thought to go back and change my race but feared I wouldn¡¯t have enough time to redo everything. I quickly refined my search, seeking specific information. Technology did not work well on the inside of the Sphere¡­well it needed specialized magi-tech to balance the technology in the aether-rich environment. I was uncertain how much time I had left, and the butterflies in my stomach were growing. Did I have some sixth sense? I risked having my selections reset if someone showed up to replace my liaison. I tried to get as much information as possible. The Dyson sphere was called a World Sphere, or Sphere for short, by the inhabitants. These spheres were the origins of all magic in the universe, generating aether. The further from a World Sphere, the less dense the ambient aether was in the universe. Taking aether from the World Spheres as aether crystals into the rest of the universe was a massive industry. Aether crystals could hold aether, like magic batteries. The easiest way to mine the crystals was through dungeons. Dungeon entrances were located across the Sphere, and adventurers were portaled to secure dungeon instances embedded inside the massive ley lines running through the shell. It all sounded like a complex video game. The brightness of the room started dimming. Was my liaison¡¯s shift over? Was someone coming? Were they coming for me? My mind was racing with numerous possibilities as the lights faded. I didn¡¯t want to push my luck anymore even though I wanted to learn more. The monitors were fading slowly¡ªlike they were powering down. I went quickly to the screen, which indicated where I would spawn in the Sphere. As I liked sunlight, I needed a stable civilization on the Sphere¡¯s inner surface. I promptly filtered the search criteria and found a place called Skyholme. According to the brief notes, these humans lived on massive floating islands for almost 2,300 years. Without reading further, I selected the location and hit the complete button, finishing my reincarnation. A few errors popped up, but I dismissed them because the text on the screen was so dark I couldn¡¯t read it anyway. My body slowly faded with my consciousness. I awoke and found my mind and vision fuzzy. It took me a while to figure out I was a baby in a womb. I guessed I made a slight error as I had thought I would be reincarnated as a full-grown man, but this might be better as I could learn the idiosyncrasies of this fantastical new world as I grew up. Chapter 2: Growing up in Skyholme After I was born, I was frustrated. My thoughts were slow and cloudy, and my past knowledge was hard to grasp and form coherent thoughts. It was like remembering the plot of a book you read years ago but did not like very much. I also had to work hard at acting as baby-like as possible. Let me say I was not a fan of soiling my diaper and crying when I was hungry. When my eyes developed enough, I was able to see my family. My father, Caleb, was a solid man of above-average height and musculature, and I figured out he was a town or city guard by his dark gray uniform. He wore his black hair in a short ponytail, and his blue eyes seemed hard to me. I did not see the lively, loving nature I saw in my mother¡¯s eyes. My mother, Alurha, looked average but had amazing blue-green eyes that sparkled. Her dark blonde hair was worn as a long braid, and her brilliant white smile was always there when she looked at me. She worked as a leather engraver, specializing in cutting images into leather pieces. I also had an older brother, Pascal, who was about three years my senior. I quickly grasped the language as my older brother was building his vocabulary. I listened to his inquiries with intensity. I grew up soaking in everything I could. I quickly gained movement, crawling, then walking. I learned to speak early. I started talking around six months, and by six years old, I had a good handle on my new existence, and everyone commented what a bright boy I was. I was named Storme. I was born during a lightning storm while a flight of lightning drakes attacked the island. I heard the story of my birth every time my mother introduced me. I learned many things in my early years. Skyholme was comprised mainly of eight large floating islands. The largest was the Capital Island, where most of the wealthy and ruling families lived. The other seven islands each had their regional specialty as well. Our island, Titan¡¯s Shield, trained soldiers, supplied armor and arms, and had a minor agricultural development focused on grains that produced bread and beer. Large, magnificent airships and skyships transported people and goods between the islands. Our small town was named Hen¡¯s Hollow. It was about three miles outside one of the cities and had a single skyship dock where my father worked. My father was a guard for skyship transports but usually spent his day at our platform dock checking passengers and goods¡ªnot that we saw many skyships. The history of the Skyholme empire was mostly told through stories. About 3000 years ago, the floating islands were once a single large island ruled by an arrogant avian race called the Haikarum. The large island moved in a massive circular orbit over the lowlands, tracing a prominent aether ley line buried deep within the Sphere. Support the author by searching for the original publication of this novel. An archmage from the Haikarum tried to draw the power of the ley line into the island, which caused the catastrophic shattering of the massive island. The remains of the Haikarum civilization were rocked into disarray, and a group of adventuring humans in an old airship conquered the islands. They killed the Haikarum without mercy. Of course, the songs we sang about their deeds made their genocide sound heroic. The various islands still follow the same path today, but no magic could pull them back together. They were locked in their new orbits. The conquering adventurers soon started a settlement that grew into the nation of Skyholme over a few hundred years. Nowadays, Skyholme controls the eight largest islands and a few smaller, fractured ones. The Triumvirate, the heads of the three prominent noble families, ruled Skyholme. Each family had dozens of members, but a maximum of 23 was recognized in each actual line of succession. Based on the adults¡¯ conversations in my presence, the internal politics were supposedly brutal. Each family of the Triumvirate was in charge of one aspect of life in Skyholme: commerce, military, and citizenship. The commerce faction was involved in all aspects of harvesting, dungeon delving, manufacturing, and trade. But it was the citizenship faction that had the true power. They controlled the people through laws, education, and immigration. The military faction was focused on training the city guard, navy, and battle mages. They were responsible for raiding the lowlands, defending, and guarding Skyholme. Even though the Skyholme Empire was apparently human-centric, they still had an interesting military unit that was surrounded by mystique. They were a wolfkin half-breed that looked more human than wolfkin. The academies were where every child went in their 17th year. You first completed a local one-year Academy and then entered a four or seven-year specialized Academy. You could also forgo entering the Academy and enter an apprenticeship with a master in a trade, as my mother had done. After you complete your academy training, you would have completed various internships and gotten an education to contribute to society. I began playing regularly with children in my neighborhood at the age of six. My best friend lived two houses down and was named Gareth. He was a few months younger than me but looked two years older. It was easy to tell he would be a huge man. I took advantage of my time with Gareth, forging a lifelong friendship. Gareth and I delivered food, messages, and items in town to earn a few coins. We made good money for kids and quickly became known in town for our speed and reliability. I also learned the currency. Steel, copper, silver, gold, platinum, mithril, and adamantine coins existed. Each coin was the size of a penny, and 10 steel equaled 1 copper, 100 copper to 1 silver, 100 silver to 1 gold, 100 gold to 1 platinum, 100 platinum to 1 mithril, and 10 mithril to 1 adamantine. Copper, silver, gold, and platinum also had a large ten-piece coin. A ten-piece was also called a ¡®large coin¡¯ for short. Also, steel was only used in small towns outside cities. No one in the city accepted them. For our delivery work, we started making 4 to 5 steel coins per delivery and, on good days, could pull in a few coppers each. When Gareth and I reached our 10th birthday, we had more freedom, and we sometimes even had a delivery to the city, which was just a thirty-minute walk away. We earned a few coppers for the extra effort on those treks. We usually would spend half our income on food and drink to replenish our energy. Our one luxury item was a pair of fishing poles. The wide stream that was outside of town had a fair number of small fish, and on a good afternoon, we could catch enough for our family with extra to sell at the local pub in Hen¡¯s Hollow. Gareth became a loyal companion, following my lead. We spent our mornings studying with a few local kids under Gareth¡¯s mother¡¯s care, who was a scribe. We learned letters and numbers to help prepare us for entering the Academy. Then, we spent most of our day running errands. It was a happy time for me, a second childhood¡ªnot that I could recall much of my first. My older brother had his own crew, and they played at being soldiers, getting ready for the Academy. I also had a younger sister now, Freya. She was five years my junior and tried to tag along with Gareth and me. We allowed her to follow along on our deliveries and adventures as long as we were not going to the city. The Sphere was very different from what I remembered about Earth. The first odd thing was the day-night cycle. Every day was identical; days, as close as I could tell, were just over 24 hours long. We had 13 hours of daylight, 9 hours of twilight split between morning and dusk, and two hours of semi-darkness. The central sun had some dark zones, accounting for the lighting changes based on its rotation. There were also 23 planets that rotated around the sun within the Sphere. When a planet eclipsed the sun, it usually marked a special event. There were 12 months, each with 30 days and a five-day holiday ¡®week¡¯ not included in the months to celebrate the past year and the coming year. So, one year in the Sphere was slightly longer than a year on Earth. Another thing about the World Sphere was the sky itself. It looked like a pastel painting of greens, blues, whites, browns, and yellows. It was definitely pretty amazing to gaze on, and I never got sick of looking at it, wondering about all the civilizations, dungeons and happenings in that marvelous prismatic sky stretching infinitely. The only respite I had from my childhood was the city¡¯s bookstore. Every sixth or seventh day, I would make it to the city on delivery with Gareth and borrow a book on magic theory for a week for a few hard-earned coppers. Developing a trusting relationship with the bookstore owner, Wigand, took me a while. Without access to aether, I just read the theory and tried to puzzle out basic spell forms. Magic itself was fairly rare. Only one in nine people had enough aptitude and a large enough aether core to imprint and cast spells. I knew I would have a large aether reservoir in the future, so I was not wasting my time. Magic-like abilities were much more common. In my readings, I found abilities were documented up to tier 3. Tier 4 abilities were considered rare, and tier 5 was considered a generational talent in Skyholme. Well, tier 6 had no recorded instances in the Skyholme Empire that I could find. Personally, I planned to keep all my abilities secret. One problem I faced was that spell books were very expensive, and I had my sights set on three tier 1 spells after I awakened my aether core. Cleanliness, remove all dirt from clothes, skin, and hair Mend Flesh, repair damaged tissue Obfuscate Abilities, shield abilities from inspection abilities and spells The first spell, cleanliness, was cheap at seven gold and was considered a tier 1 spell, but it was extremely complicated. It was a channeled spell, meaning the amount of dirt removed and cleaning determined the total aether cost. The second spell, mend flesh, was also a tier 1, but the spell book was an astonishing 30 gold. I only found references to the final spell, obfuscate abilities, in my readings, and I figured I would have to obtain it on the capital island. It was a passive spell that required a constant minor expense of aether. There was no cost listed for the spell, but I guessed it would be over 100 gold. I assumed this was because of Triumvirate control rather than the spell being rare. A few days after my 15th birthday, my aether core manifested, arriving slightly later than it typically does for most. It coincided with the conclusion of a growth spurt. I awoke in a haze, drenched in sweat and trembling with fever. A wave of nausea washed over me, and I doubled over, emptying my stomach of its contents, which felt like the remnants of a whole week¡¯s worth of meals. I longed to keep this transformation a secret, so I isolated myself in my cramped room, enduring the ordeal alone for hours. Inside me, the core pulsed quietly, and as my body adjusted, I began to perceive it like a second heart. Instead of pumping blood, it circulated aether¡ªthe very essence of magic. With this awakening, I felt as though I was on the brink of unlocking incredible powers. Chapter 3: Abilities and Secrets I was excited to try out magic for the first time. In the morning, I raced out of the house to the only public bathhouse in Hen¡¯s Hollow. I paid the old woman, who was the attendant and owner, three copper coins. This got me a hot bath, a cold shower rinse, and my clothes were washed with scented soap. It was a splurge on my part, but I knew that creating unlimited wealth was in my future. Typically, our family would spend two coppers for just a cold shower for all five of us once or twice a week. I was the only person in the bathhouse this early, as most people showered in the evening before bed. I soaked in the large heated copper-lined tub as I tried to draw my aether to form copper. My aether core was still a bit tender, like constant heartburn. From my readings, I knew it would take many years to form completely and for the pain to subside. I think my pain was more intense than the books suggested. Or maybe I was just a wimp. I decided it would be worth it in the end. After all¡ªI would have magic. I eventually gave up trying to make a copper coin and scrubbed myself in the tub with a grainy soap and a soft bristle brush and asked the woman. ¡°Edel, how long have you lived in Hen¡¯s Hollow?¡± She stopped scrubbing my clothes to answer. ¡°Storme, I grew up in Haven¡¯s Fjord but moved here with my husband some 30 years ago.¡± She paused, ¡°If you have time later today, could you and Gareth make a run to the soaper in the city for me? I will give each of you a free cube and eight steel each.¡± She waited patiently for my reply. We had made runs to the city for her before and usually received about that amount, and we got a free cold rinse shower for our effort. I thought since I was going to the city later today, I should try to line up some other jobs and bring Gareth. ¡°Sounds good. How many blocks?¡± I replied, distracted by my thoughts. Edel replied with a sly smile, ¡°Eight blocks, two hard soap, and six scented soap.¡± Damn, that was twice the normal haul. Each block weighed about five pounds and was cut into 64 cubes. Typically, I would have negotiated for more money before agreeing, but the idea of developing my magic clouded my mind. I exited the tub and headed to the shower stalls for my rinse. There wasn¡¯t a huge taboo on nudity, so I wasn¡¯t surprised when Edel stood and walked around the screen to hand me a towel since there were none on the shelf this early. She returned to cleaning my clothes, smiling. My last growth spurt had me nearing six feet. If my foggy memory was correct, I would reach 6¡¯3¡± when I finished growing. I took my cold rinse in the shower and went to get my clothes from Edel. Edel had an ability that allowed her to evaporate water quickly. It gave her a career drying plants for the herbalist and drying laundry in the bathhouse. Not a world-breaking skill, but she did well; her husband was a wood carver, but I rarely saw him around Hen¡¯s Hollow. ¡°Storme, my lovely niece in the city, is turning 16 in two weeks. Would you be available to escort her to her coming-of-age party?¡± She asked sweetly. I felt my face flush reflexively, and I responded quickly, ¡°Miss Edel, I must apologize, but I believe I will be engaged in other activities.¡± I rapidly took my clothes from her, dressed quickly, and left. I had too many things on my mind to be escorting a young woman to her coming-of-age party. I went to the town commons, where there was a large water fountain with a lion, and sat on a stone bench. This square was where most town celebrations were held and it was currently empty. It was still early in the morning, and I sat and thought. My first thought was how good my clothes smelled. Edel had used the vanilla soap on them as she must have remembered it was my favorite scent. Focus Storme. I needed to master my metal creation ability. I needed to purchase some spells. And lastly, I should go to the apothecary to see if they had something for my aether core heartburn. Or maybe not the last, as it would reveal I had awakened. I pulled out a copper coin and tried to mentally duplicate it. No luck, but my metal-shaping ability cut the coin in half when I applied my will, creating two sharp-edged half coins. Well, I guess that counted as my first use of magic. Ok, maybe I should try without a coin in my hand. I focused on the idea of copper, its color, smell, and taste. I got a brief sense of vertigo and felt a lightweight enter my palm. I looked at a lump of copper metal in my hand. Success? I turned the shiny orange-red lump in my hand¡­maybe an ounce? Now, I needed to make it into coins. I looked and didn¡¯t see anyone nearby. I took a newer copper coin out of my pouch and studied it. One side had a triangle with images at each corner, a sword and shield, scales, and two men holding hands. The opposite side had the silhouette of the Skyholme palace, Skyhold, where the Triumvirate resided, and it had the date the coin was minted below. I studied the coin for twenty minutes before forcing my will and attention on the copper lump I had created. The lump flowed like water into ten identical coins in just a few seconds to match my mental image. I breathed heavily in excitement and a tiny bit of mental fatigue. I was startled when the baker passed me with a sack of bread meant for the pub. I was sure he hadn¡¯t seen my efforts, but I scolded myself for doing this in the open like an idiot, even though I hadn¡¯t expected success so soon. My excitement was overcoming my common sense. My stomach was also roiling with hunger, so I followed the baker and the scent of fresh bread to the pub. The pub had a few customers already. They usually served a worker¡¯s breakfast of heavy white gravy with bread, a small bowl of boiled oats with heavy cream, and a weak ale for a copper coin in the morning. I ordered two servings and used two of my new copper coins to pay. The gravy didn¡¯t agree with me, but the two bowls of oats and cream filled me. I didn¡¯t like the weak ale either, as it tasted slightly sour. I left the pub to head to Gareth¡¯s house. This morning, I was to attend lessons with Gareth and six other children from our town, including my sister Freya. As I made my way to his house, I spotted Gareth outside, chopping firewood. Despite being younger than me, Gareth towered over me by four inches, his broad shoulders giving him a robust appearance. Gareth devoured three times what other kids ate, fueling his body, which was quickly transforming into a strong, muscular frame. In stark contrast, I looked down at my own lean physique, feeling a pang of envy at the sight of his growing muscles. ¡°Stormy!¡± He called when he noticed me walking toward him. Yeah, I hated that nickname. My mother had added the ¡®e¡¯ to my name to make it unique, and when Gareth and I were first learning letters, he pronounced the ¡®e.¡¯ He knew I didn¡¯t like being called Stormy, but he continued to do so. However, if another kid called me Stormy, he made them stop by word, threat, or force. ¡°Ready for numbers and transcription this morning?¡± he asked when I was within easy talking distance. I was good at numbers. It was mostly basic arithmetic with some light word problems thrown in. Transcription was kind of boring. Each student spent time copying a book word for word. Gareth¡¯s mother was a scribe and thought it a good way to learn the common language of the Sphere. Well, at least the books were always stories of heroes, monsters, and faraway lands. The stories were usually parables teaching some ethical principles or moral lessons. ¡°I bet I can finish the numbers before you today,¡± I replied with a smirk. Gareth knew he could not finish before me unless he wanted to get most of the answers wrong. ¡°Yeah, not a chance. How about we let Freya judge our script from the transcription?¡± His typical grin appeared on his face. My younger sister usually tagged along with us and was frequently called to choose a winner in our spur-of-the-moment competitions. She was mostly fair, but sometimes she got mad at me, which tilted the scales toward Gareth. I shrugged in consent, and we went to the ad-hoc classroom inside his house. My sister Freya was there, and she gave me a cross-look. Oh shit! I forgot I had promised to take her to the baker for a breakfast cake this morning. I had promised her before bed last night but forgot after my core awakened. Even though my script was neat and was at least equal to Gareth¡¯s careful hand, I knew I had no chance of winning now. I had been played. Gareth¡¯s grin only got bigger as we sat down. The tiny woman who had somehow birthed the monster of Gareth entered, and the other kids took their seats. I raced through the numbers problems certain I hadn¡¯t made any errors. We had twenty pages to transcribe today. The story was part of the tale of Farrod the Warrior. He was a solo dungeon delver, and the tale focused on how his greed and lust for coin led him to an early grave. I put effort into my copying as the texts were eventually sold by Gareth¡¯s mother for a small amount of coin to pay for her time. She walked around the room and asked questions about the tale depending on where each student was in their transcription. It was to make sure we were reading and understanding the words and not just copying letters. Soon, she announced time was up, and the six of us got ready to sprint out of the room. Gareth hadn¡¯t forgotten the bet and was whispering with Freya. I walked to Freya to interrupt their conspiracy, ¡°Freya, sorry about this morning. Here is a steel so you can get some honey suckers.¡± Gareth immediately looked betrayed, his grin fading, thinking I would now win. Freya grabbed the coin from my hand and yelled, ¡°Gareth¡¯s letters were prettier.¡± She ran out the door. Gareth¡¯s grin returned immediately. Shit, so much for bribery. We turned and started to walk out together. Gareth put his hand on my shoulder as we walked. ¡°What is on the list for today? Mother was hoping we could get some spiced sausages in the city that she likes for her today. She gave me a copper for four.¡± Gareth always had suggestions on things to do but always followed my lead. ¡°Well, I made a deal with the bathhouse lady to get soap in the city. But we will need our packs as it is eight blocks. I also wanted to show you something in private. Let¡¯s go to the barn.¡± My parents¡¯ house had a stable with two stalls, but we had no horses or farm animals. The space was more for storage now and a hangout for Gareth, me, and sometimes Freya. My older brother, Pascal, had his own group of friends that played with wooden swords all day, so the space was secure from intrusion. Once we were secure in the building, I turned to Gareth, ¡°It happened last night. My awakening.¡± It took a brief second for him to process before his eyes bulged. Excitedly, he asked, ¡°Can you do anything? Did any abilities manifest? Are you stronger? Faster? Can you throw lightning bolts? Fireballs?¡± Magic was rare, and abilities that utilized aether were a means to gain entrance to a better Academy. ¡°I can do a few things. But this will be the biggest secret I have ever shared with you. You cannot let anyone know, not even my parents. Agreed? Blood-bonded brothers?¡± I said it in an even and serious tone. Blood-bonded brothers was our oath to each other to never betray each other and come to each other¡¯s aid if needed, no matter the circumstances. ¡°Blood bonded.¡± He said in all seriousness. He was rarely serious, so I nodded, accepting the oath. ¡°I can shape metal.¡± His left eyebrow cocked up, skepticism clearly etched on his face. I pulled a copper coin from my pouch and proceeded to shape it into a tiny cat figure, an ugly cat figure, but you could see it was a cat. ¡°Wow, a dog!¡± Gareth rasped out before collapsing in laughter when I announced it was a cat. It was a cat, damn it. He thought my failure at sculpting was more humorous than the enormity of the ability or the implications of my shape-metal ability. I quickly changed the CAT back to a coin and handed it to him. ¡°Angelic saviors, Storme,¡± he muttered. Well, at least I knew he was serious, as he used my proper name when he was no longer joking. ¡°You are not going to tell your parents?¡± I shook my head no, ¡°Not for a while. Father would probably force me to be a battle mage. Maybe I will tell them after I learn a few spells and get used to using my aether.¡± Gareth looked incredulous but accepted my decision with a nod. A few moments later, Gareth said, ¡°You have hundreds of paths ahead of you, my brother.¡± He was still examining the coin when I held up my empty palm, closed it, and opened it to reveal a lump of copper. Gareth partially collapsed to the ground. ¡°Did you just? Is that real? You teleported it, right? Sleight of hand?¡± I just slowly shook my head. ¡°You can create copper,¡± he paused, ¡°Real copper? Is it temporary?¡± his voice was weak in disbelief. I finally spoke, ¡°It is real and permanent. And I think I might also be able to create other metals.¡± He was still in shock, so I gave him a few moments to recover before speaking again, ¡°So now we need to start making plans.¡± He looked up at me, and our eyes met. We both had huge grins and started laughing in unison. ? Copyrighted 2024 by AlwaysRollsAOne No Permission is given to translate, copy, repost or alter to an audio format of this original work of fiction. If you are reading this on a site that is not my Patreon, RoyalRoad.com, or Scribblehub.com, it has been stolen without my permission and violates DMCA. Remember, this work is the result of my creative effort and is protected by copyright law. Removal or altering of this notification is an acknowledgment you are aware you are in violation of DMCA. Chapters 4 to 6 Chapter 4: Freya Freya raced through the cobblestone streets to reach the candy maker. Her thoughts were on what a steel coin could buy. She was definitely getting a honey sucker. They lasted hours. They were her favorite, even though Storme said she was rotting her teeth. What else should she get? Three honey suckers were one steel. She suddenly stopped. Storme had given her the coin, and she had voted in favor of Gareth. Was it a bribe attempt, or was he making up for not taking her to the bakery this morning? Storme was always saying she needed to slow down and think things out before acting. He called her impulsive! But Gareth had promised to bring her to the Gaskil farm to see the new puppies! Well, she should have at least spent time comparing their two scripts before deciding. Storme had drilled into her the importance of appearing fair and impartial. Wait. Her thought process reversed. It wasn¡¯t a bribe. It was a trick to ditch her! Storme hadn¡¯t put on airs of disbelief at her pronouncement of Gareth winning like he usually did. They were up to something. Freya thought herself a tried-and-true companion to Storme and Gareth. She hadn¡¯t told anyone of the time they had released old lady Beatrice¡¯s chickens, only to walk down the road a few minutes later and offer to round them up for a few steel coins. Or the time the three of them went to Twin Rock Lake to go fishing since nothing was biting in the stream outside the town. It was the fact the blue pike they caught that day never traveled downstream that got them whipped. It was one of the few times Storme and Gareth had been punished. Twin Rock Lake was near the edge of the floating island; sometimes, large birds of prey flew up from below to hunt the pike in the lake. She never told anyone that Storme and Gareth continued fishing at Twin Rocks. They wouldn¡¯t bring her anymore, but she covered for them in exchange for a few steel coins when they sold their catch in the city. The blue pike was the tastiest fish on the island and could be sold for good coin. Her mouth watered, thinking of the buttery blue pike Storme had once cooked for her. Well, Freya decided she would make haste to spend her steel coin and then find the boys. Well, haste for a ten-year-old girl was a matter of perspective. After buying her first honey sucker, she sucked on it while deciding what else to buy. She wasn¡¯t impulsive! With a second honey sucker, two birch taffies, and a thimble of sweet water, she searched for her brother and Gareth. She started looking at the gate out of town to the city to check with the sentry to see if they had headed to the city. It was the most likely scenario if they were ditching her. Yadam, the bored sentry on duty, said he had not seen them today. Her next stop was the miller. They delivered flour for him regularly around Hen¡¯s Hollow. No luck again. She wandered through the small town, checking with the business owners they frequently helped, but found no sign of them. Storme and Gareth were well-liked in town. They were industrious boys who were always eager to help in exchange for a few coins, making people¡¯s lives easier. Freya also knew they did extremely well for themselves in terms of earnings. Two weeks ago, she had snuck into Storme¡¯s tiny room at home and pried out the loose wallboard to see his hoard. He had stacks of 50 coins wrapped in paper. He had two tubes of 50 steel coins, three tubes of 50 copper coins, some loose steel and copper, and 34 silver coins! She returned the board and left everything as she found it. Freya eventually returned home and saw Storme¡¯s fishing rod outside the barn. Today wasn¡¯t the typical day he went fishing, so that didn¡¯t surprise her, but it had been her last guess. She went inside and checked Storme¡¯s small room, but nothing, and just to make sure, she checked his stash. Maybe they snuck into the city, avoiding Yadam, to go on a spending spree. After all, her birthday was coming up, so maybe they were out buying her something! But the coin rolls were all still there, and his silver had grown to 37. It was getting close to the midday meal, so Freya went to the leather worker¡¯s shop to see her mother. ¡°Freya! Sweetheart! What has you so down?¡± Mother asked when she saw her. Freya tended to wear her mood on her face quite openly. ¡°Storme and Gareth ditched me this morning,¡± she said melancholily. Well, I guess if she really thought about it, she had ditched them, but who was splitting hairs? ¡°Mother, I came by for lunch since Storme isn¡¯t around to cook.¡± Storme was a great cook. He came up with the tastiest creations. His ¡®cheeseburger¡¯ had swept the pubs and inns across Skyholme, but an innkeeper in the capital had claimed credit for the grilled culinary treat months later, saying he tried it in the lowlands. Everyone in Hen¡¯s Hollow knew the truth, though. ¡°Sweetheart, I¡¯m sorry. Pascal and his friends are on the common fairground.¡± Freya gave her mother her best ¡®death¡¯ stare, as Storme called it. She didn¡¯t want to spend what remained of the day watching boys and girls hit each other with sticks and playing soldier. ¡°Oh. I think Gwen and Sassy are at the tailor¡¯s shop¡­.¡± Mother tried again, and she turned up her death glare. In Hen¡¯s Hollow, Gwen and Sassy were the only other girls close to Freya¡¯s age. Gwen was the magistrate¡¯s daughter and always talked down to Freya. Storme had called her a ¡®stuck up bitch¡¯ in private, and when Freya had repeated the phrase to her face, Freya had gotten a good spanking from her father after Gwen had told her own father. Freya had never revealed that she had learned the phrase from Storme. Another secret she had kept! Mother had gotten out her mid-day meal basket. Inside were pickled vegetables, rosemary bread, and some red apples. They ate in silence, and then something clicked. She hadn¡¯t checked the barn. Sometimes, they all hung out inside, usually just when the weather was miserable, but they could be hiding in there. She quickly kissed her mother and hurried off while munching on an apple. Freya approached the barn through the high grass to be as quiet as possible. And when she was within three paces, she could hear them whispering. They were inside! How should she approach this? Should she scare them? Walk in like it was all a normal and fine day? Or should she try to listen in on their newest mischief? It¡¯s not that she would ever turn them in, but getting some ¡®leverage¡¯ on Storme would be great. She might get them to escort her to the candy store in the city! They had a much larger selection. She moved to the back of the barn, away from the windows and the stall door. There were cracks in the siding, and she could look through them and see Storme and Gareth. That is, as long as they were not in the loft. Her movements were slow and careful, and soon, the whispering became coherent. ¡°Storme, try and make a dagger with these steel pennies,¡± Gareth said. A few minutes passed, and then Gareth gasped and spoke louder, ¡°Wow, that is an amazing blade. How did you get the ripples in the steel?¡± Storme responded in a whisper, and his back must have faced Freya because his response was too low for her to hear. She moved down a few boards and was able to see the pair. Gareth held a spectacular short dagger that rippled in the light from the window. Where did they get that? It must have cost quite a sum. ¡°Storme, can you make another? We each should have one, and I will get sheaths from Master Aldrich.¡± Master Aldrich was the leatherworker for whom their mother worked. He had to be very good to have earned the master title. Then Freya saw something she couldn¡¯t believe. Storme¡¯s back was to her, but Freya could see one of his hands. He held about ten steel coins. The coins then flowed together like water while he held them. They rippled in his hand as they formed a dagger a little bigger than the one Gareth held just a few moments ago. It took all her will not to gasp and give herself away. Her brother had magic, and he had awakened! Why didn¡¯t he tell everyone? Why didn¡¯t he tell her immediately? Was there something wrong with his ability to control the metal? It seemed like a really useful feat. And they were told in the fables that there were no useless abilities. You just had to find a way to use them productively. She moved away from the barn ever so slowly, and when she was sure that they wouldn¡¯t see her, she went into the house and to her room. Freya thought for a long time, the longest she had ever thought about anything. She was not impulsive! Her brother was smart, very smart. He had his reasons for not telling anyone but Gareth. She would keep his secret, and hopefully, he would share his magic with her when the time was right. She heard her mother enter the house. It must be close to dinner time. Maybe she should ask Storme for a dagger for her birthday¡­ Chapter 5: The End of a Long Day After Gareth and I enjoyed a good laugh at our impending good fortune, we got to work. ¡°How many coins can you make in a day, Storme?¡± Gareth asked. He was serious now and probably thinking about all the things we could buy. ¡°Let me see how many steel coins I can make today. The smaller value coins will be easier to spend without drawing notice. We will have to think about creating a reasonable enterprise to cover our growing wealth in the future. I am not sure to what extent we should include Freya in our plans,¡± I informed Gareth. Gareth raised his left eyebrow. Yes, I had a soft spot for Freya, and if I didn¡¯t include her initially, I usually caved after she begged and pleaded for a while. I didn¡¯t have any memories of siblings in my past life. I was learning to be an elder brother and genuinely cared about her. I wasn¡¯t sure where the disconnect had happened with Pascal. Probably because he never treated me like a brother. I think this was because he was a bit jealous of me growing up as I had learned things quicker and was really well-liked and praised by our parents and the townsfolk. I focused and made my first steel coin. Well, a lump of¡­not steel. ¡°Looks like iron ore, not quite as shiny as steel,¡± Gareth helpfully supplied, taking the small chunk. ¡°Well, if you can¡¯t make steel, the copper will do.¡± He was trying to placate me because of my obvious failure and my disappointment. I thought for a few minutes, trying to draw on my knowledge of my past life. Steel had carbon in it. My ability could only create metal. Well, Gareth was right; I could always make copper. I was disappointed, though. Then, I spotted the crates of coal in the corner of the barn we used for the stove. I retrieved one coal lump, took the iron from Gareth, and focused on my ability to shape metal. It was the first time I could feel myself drawing from the aether core in my chest as I blended the iron and coal. It didn¡¯t help my constant feeling of heartburn. The metal lump flowed over the coal, and I could feel the iron responding to my will to draw in the carbon. I zoned out for a bit, trying to find the correct balance and make it homogeneous throughout the lump. When I was finished, the excess coal fell away from my hands as dust. Besides needing to wash my hands, I now had a good lump of steel. I looked at Gareth, pride on my face. He spoke in a whisper, ¡°That was amazing! It took you a few minutes, but I will be an orc¡¯s cousin; you did it!¡± I turned the lump in my hand and focused on making it into a shiny new steel coin. I flipped the coin over to Gareth, who caught it with lightning reflexes. Yeah, Gareth was not only big but also a phenomenal athlete. He was quick, strong, and had excellent balance. While he rarely talked, he was also no dummy. ¡°Stormy, we probably should dirty up the coins a bit. If we started spending shiny new coins all around town, that would draw attention, right? I don¡¯t think I have seen more than a dozen coins this shiny in my entire life.¡± I nodded and had been thinking the same thing earlier about the copper coins I had made. ¡°Yeah, I know some basic magics can make coins clean and shiny, but it would be suspicious if we were always spending shiny coins and didn¡¯t have the magic to clean them. Ok, Gareth, let¡¯s see how much steel I can make.¡± I focused and started pulling on my aether to make a big lump of iron. I could feel the aether leaving my core again and focusing on my hand, pulling the most aether I had pulled to date. The ore ball grew, and I got distracted when the weight exceeded three pounds, causing me to fumble and drop it, breaking my concentration. I had plenty of aether in reserve, but this was good for now. I looked up to see Gareth¡¯s jaw was slack, and his eyes bulged a bit. I picked up the lump and brought it to the coal crate, ignoring my friend¡¯s dumbfounded stare. I needed to be near the metal to affect it, more than two feet, and the effort became unwieldy, like trying to tie down a tarp in a wind storm with thin twine. The iron flowed through the coal as I felt out the best balance between hardness and brittleness. To make my feat even more impressive to Gareth, I formed the new steel into 48 large new steel coins. This took several minutes as I had to do the first few individually before figuring out a trick to make them in batches. Gareth was right there when I was done picking up each coin and inspecting it. ¡°Damn, Storme, we are going to be rich.¡± While he was focused on our new wealth, I tried something new. I was combining my two abilities. I tried to create copper and create it directly into a large copper coin. Success! I turned over the shiny new copper coin, feeling the weight. Gareth interrupted me, admiring my work, ¡°Can you make other things? Armor or swords? Stormy, try and make a dagger with these steel coins?¡± He grabbed a handful of coins, pushing them into my hand. Huh, that was a good question. Did I need to have knowledge of blacksmithing, just know the shape or the end result I wanted? My metal shaping skill was much more powerful than I had realized. It gave me a ¡®familiarity¡¯ with the metal as I worked it, allowing me to balance the alloy or additives and eliminate impurities. I took 11 of the steel coins Gareth had pressed into my hand and started working it into the shape of a large kitchen knife with a full tang. I had previously helped my mother replace the wood and leather wrap on knife handles, so I knew what I wanted to make. The knife was 10 inches long with a single edge. ¡°No, Stormy, make a dagger instead,¡± Gareth whispered, focused on my work. The flowing metal hypnotized him. I altered my thought, and with a thicker blade and tang, the two-edged dagger was now just 8 inches. I then remembered watered steel from foggy memories. Could I do that? Could I layer steel? I restarted and folded the metal. It looked like a puddle in my hands to Gareth, but I was working hard to fold the steel. Two, three, four, five¡ªcompressing the metal after each fold. The 5th fold started to require effort. The 7th, and I could feel myself needing to invest some aether. I could have gone further but stopped after 11. I then reformed the short dagger with the full tang and handed it to Gareth. He gasped and spoke with excitement, ¡°Wow, that is an amazing blade. How did you get the ripples in the steel?¡± I was pretty tired and not sure how much aether I had left. I needed to experiment more to find my capacity. I spoke very quietly, ¡°It is just watered steel. Folded steel. The master weaponsmiths in the city do it this way in order to add aether dust between the layers to enchant the blade.¡± I admired the dagger with Gareth for a while before he spoke again. ¡°Storme, can you make another? We each should have one, and I will get sheaths from Master Aldrich.¡± I nodded and grabbed 10 of the steel coins in each hand. I focused on one hand and then the other, working the metal again. This dagger was much larger than the last, 13 inches. When I was finished, I handed the new dagger to Gareth. He now held both blades. ¡°You know, Stormy, both of these blades are fine works of art. I will purchase sheaths and handles for them. But I think I should get the larger of the two. You know, since I am bigger, after all.¡± His grin had returned to his face. I rolled my eyes at my friend. ¡°Fine. Take the daggers to get them sized for sheaths and handles.¡± Gareth hesitated for a bit before slowly turning toward the door. He probably didn¡¯t want to miss what I would do next, as today was highly entertaining for us both. ¡°I am just going to meditate for a bit and try to figure out how to sense my aether core. I promise I won¡¯t do anything exciting without you.¡± The Gareth grin lit his face, and with his back to me, he said, ¡°Well, just don¡¯t get into any trouble without me.¡± With Gareth gone, I spent some time getting dirty. I cleaned up the barn a bit. My focus was cleaning out the loft to create a decent workspace. I managed to get filthy and blew out lots of dirty snot as dust invaded my nostrils. I was going to need another shower and my clothes cleaned again. The upper loft was eventually cleared, and the old family couch was mostly cleaned. I had it positioned on the far side of the loft with a short table in front of it. That way, we could sit by the tiny window at the back of the loft and not risk getting walked in on while I worked in the future. It was getting close to dinner, and my mother and father would be home in about an hour or so. I decided to run down to the river and wash up there rather than go to the bathhouse, which would be crowded at this time. Also, Edel would probably press me to meet her niece again. I suddenly panicked. Oh, Edel! We hadn¡¯t gotten her soap in the city today. Ugh. I grabbed an old leather backpack from the barn. The city was about a thirty-minute walk. I would swing by Master Aldrich¡¯s leather shop and hopefully catch Gareth. Otherwise, I would make the run myself. My reputation was important to me, so I had to get the soap today. I had missed Gareth, and Master Aldrich was examining the daggers when I arrived. His gruff voice stopped me in my tracks as I was leaving since I had not seen Gareth, ¡°Storme! How did you two come across these fine blades? I offered Gareth 80 silver for each, and he turned me down, saying they were yours.¡± His eyes were going back and forth from me to the daggers. ¡°Yeah, they are, but I am giving the smaller one to Gareth. Are you making the handles and sheaths?¡± I replied, anxious to get the soap job done but not wanting to be rude to Master Aldrich, who employed my mother. I also thought 80 silver was way too light a price for the daggers. ¡°Yes, I agreed on two silver and fifty copper with Gareth for both sheaths and another silver for wooden grips,¡± he replied evenly. Damn, Gareth, you should have negotiated that down to 2 silver total. Gareth sometimes got excited and forgot to think things through, or maybe he just didn¡¯t care because of my new ability. Small sheaths were made from leather scraps and worth next to nothing. I pulled out three large copper coins. One of the coins was a shiny new one I had made earlier. ¡°Here is a deposit, Master Aldrich. Do you know where Gareth went?¡± I was already backing out of the workshop after placing down the coins. He eyed me up and down. It was obvious his mind was working. ¡°Gareth was off to the Perault farm to get some sausage,¡± he said. Damn, that was in the wrong direction from the city. And their sausages were not as tasty as the ones in the city that his mom liked. I yelled thanks before increasing my pace to a fast jog. I would have to go to the city without Gareth, and he would probably be upset. The run to the city was a straight road lined with small industries, farms, and orchards. The trip gave me time to think about other metals. I should try silver and gold tonight. We should also start forming a reason for our increased wealth and explain how we got the daggers. My first thought was daily work trips to the city to cover the increased coins. My second thought was maybe we could cover the wealth by saying we found an old cache of coins left by the Haikarum race that used to rule the islands. I recalled there had been a book in the bookstore that had pictures of hundreds of coins. Even in this realm filled with magic, coin collecting was a hobby. However, the hobby was not well received on our island. If I remember correctly, the book was in the discount bin. I slowed to a walk. I tried to create large copper coins while I walked. No issues, and by the end of the trek, I had 21 more large coppers in my money pouch. They were too shiny, though. I had come up with a plan to use them in the bookstore. I went through the outer city and straight to the soaper. The packages of soap were ready, and I carefully packed them in my backpack. The pack was really heavy for me alone, and my back was already aching as I reached the bookstore. The proprietor was named Wigand Goodholme. I developed a relationship with Wigand by delivering and picking up books for him that he was commissioned to repair. I had borrowed every cheap introductory book he had on magic for just a few coppers over the last few years. These books sold for between 50 and 200 silver, so he was doing me a big favor when he charged me a large copper to borrow a book for a week. He would loan me another as long as I brought the first back in the same condition.Stolen story; please report. Wigand¡¯s bald head swiveled my way when I entered. ¡°Hi, Wigand! I have a favor to ask. Do you still have that old beat-up book on the different dungeon, kingdom, and guild coins? I found some rich woman who was looking for something like it, and she gave me a few coins to purchase it.¡± My speech came out a little rushed, and I needed to slow down when I talked. According to Gareth, that usually happened when I was lying. Wigand flashed his bright smile, ¡°I believe so. How many coins did she give you?¡± He was an entrepreneur, but I knew he wouldn¡¯t overcharge me. He was already going through a stack of books in a rack marked as discounted. ¡°Two silver. And she gave me a large copper to run the errand for her. If it costs more, then I can just return the coins to her.¡± I said, this time forcibly controlling the pace of my speech. Wigand opened the front cover and started tapping his finger on the page, thinking. The prices were usually inside the front cover. Finally, he said, ¡°It is four silver. Hmm, ok, I will take the two silver. This book is over a hundred years old, and I don¡¯t think it will sell unless I bring it to the capital, and I don¡¯t plan on a trip there anytime soon.¡± He focused on me, ¡°But if your new patron needs another book, you will send her here? I can procure almost anything from my contacts.¡± I nodded eagerly. I pulled out the 21 shiny large coppers and handed twenty to him. He was clearly puzzling out what kind of patron had access to newly minted coppers. ¡°Does your patron have a name? Is she an adventurer?¡± He was obviously more than a little curious. And I guessed he thought the only person interested in the different types of coins would be an adventurer. ¡°She was from the capital island but didn¡¯t look like an adventurer. At least she didn¡¯t have the guild¡¯s medallion around her neck. She cleaned the coins with her magic.¡± My speech had quickened again, and I forced myself to slow. Damn it, Gareth was right; I talked faster when I lied. ¡°I think she was just exploring the islands, and I mentioned the coin book I saw in the city.¡± Fortunately, Wigand just nodded and took the coins. I packed the book with the soap. ¡°Wigand, how much for a lesser light stone?¡± It was the simplest bit of magic runecraft, a light stone that gave off light with a simple on/off control and could be recharged by someone who could manipulate their aether. These were cheap stones for reading and would eventually burn out after several recharges. He looked me over and pointed to my last large copper coin. I nodded and dropped the coin lightly on the counter. I swept up a light stone from the basket full of them on the display case. I said my thanks as I headed off. I knew the light stone usually cost 30 copper, so he gave me another discount. Shortly after exiting the city proper, I was on the road back home. Four figures lounging by the side of the road stood as I got closer to them. I groaned. Three boys and one girl around my age. I usually had Gareth with me and was never bothered. I could see them whispering to each other as I approached. One thing about Skyholme was it was a safe place, but the youth needed to occupy their time. The apparent leader, a tall thin, red-haired boy, took the lead as the others spread out. I had no chance to outrun them with the backpack I was hauling. The heavy backpack was also probably the reason they stopped me. The leader finally spoke in a high-pitched voice, ¡°This is a toll road. 2 steel to pass unmolested, town boy.¡± It was a simple shakedown. I wasn¡¯t going to pay. An adult should pass by soon. I looked down in both directions, and no one was in sight. Damn it. I turned to face the crew, who spread out and circled me. ¡°Don¡¯t make this hard,¡± the leader said with a more level voice. He was gaining confidence, but I guessed this was probably his first time trying this. I looked each bandit in the eyes, memorizing their faces. I won¡¯t forget these kids anytime soon. The red-haired leader looked familiar, and I had seen him in the city before. The raven-haired girl was too pretty to be hanging with these ruffians. The fat kid with brown hair looked like he was allergic to exercise. The last one had facial features similar to the leader, probably a younger brother. I decided to try to scare the group. I put my pack down. I reached into it as they watched me like hawks and manifested a short blade of iron with a slight curve. They all took a step back and looked at each other for direction as I spoke confidently, ¡°I am not giving you anything. Who wants to try and take it from me?¡± Well, I felt pretty sure of myself with a weapon in my hand, and then a fist-sized stone slammed into my shoulder and ricocheted up into my head. Two more stones hit me, and I wasn¡¯t sure from which direction as I was already dazed. The pain told me one hit me in the left thigh just above the knee, and the other connected with my sternum. The head graze had me seeing stars, and by the time I oriented myself, I found the four racing to the city. They were probably just as fearful of me reporting them as they were of the blade. The blade? I looked down, and it was gone. I must have dropped it, and one of the ruffians must have scooped it up. I felt my temple and was bleeding a little from the head, but other than that, I would just have some nasty bruising. I ended up limping most of the way back to Hen¡¯s Hollow. I forced myself to walk as straight as possible when I reached the sentry. It was Yadam, and he knew me well as he worked with my father. I headed straight for the bathhouse. Once there, I pulled out the soap, and Edel stopped her washing for a minute to extract two cubes of soap and produce the promised coins. She mentioned something, but I didn¡¯t catch it as my eyes surveyed the bathhouse. I waved numbly to two business owners I knew before leaving. I could probably get some jobs if I socialized a bit, but I needed to rest and heal. It had been a long day. I made a quick stop at the pub, drawn in by the aroma. Tonight''s offering featured a warm, crusty loaf of bread accompanied by a rich, olive-seasoned paste that promised flavor. Alongside this were tender, soft spiced jerky sticks, perfect for snacking, and boiled yellow carrots that added color. I carefully packed the food into my bag and began the journey home. Oddly enough, the walk felt longer than usual. My family was in the kitchen eating dinner. I told them I had eaten already and was heading to bed. I was sure to keep the bloody side of my head out of their view. I was filthy, and I noticed my parents slightly concerned looks. Reaching my room, I still felt disoriented and was ready for a long sleep. The rock must have given me a concussion. I went to my tiny room, stripped off all my dirty clothes, and fell face down into the waiting blankets. It was only a few seconds before I was fast asleep. Chapter 6: Golden Opportunities Naked and lying face down, I was awoken by a pounding on the small door to my room. I moaned a little. My head, shoulder, thigh, back, feet, and chest hurt. The aether core heartburn was working full-time today. I was going to get back at those city bastards. The knocking continued, and I rolled over to see Gareth in my doorway, pounding on the open door. ¡°You look like a sow after the breeding season,¡± he said with real concern in his voice. I stood, and the bruises were evident, and Gareth¡¯s expression turned to anger. ¡°Who did this?¡± he demanded. ¡°Gareth, my friend, it was my fault for being careless,¡± I confessed while wincing. ¡°We will get revenge, but in the future. It was one of the groups of kids from the city, and I memorized their faces. I couldn¡¯t find you last night, so I did the soap run to the city myself,¡± he nodded slowly, putting the pieces together in his mind. ¡°They tried to shake me down on the road for a few coppers. I created a rough short sword,¡± I paused, ¡°I must have dropped it when I got the rock to the head. The group took off after throwing some fist-sized rocks at me. The only real damage is the rock that glanced up to my head.¡± I rubbed the massive bump above my right ear. The dried blood wasn¡¯t evident to Gareth with my dark black hair until I pointed it out. It only made him angrier. I pulled on some cleaner clothes while Gareth fumed, probably planning some type of revenge. ¡°We have bigger fish to fry,¡± I noted, now dressed and trying to downplay the situation. Gareth had gotten himself into trouble a few times defending me. I noticed the food I had picked up last night, and my stomach reminded me I hadn¡¯t addressed its needs. The olive paste bread wasn¡¯t looking so good after sitting so long. The carrots were now mushy. Gareth took one of the jerky sticks and quickly chewed it down. ¡°I¡¯m going to the bathhouse this morning. You can grab some coins from my stash for the sheaths and handles. I gave Master Aldrich a deposit yesterday.¡± My memory was still a little fuzzy, and I could not remember how much I had given him. ¡°Get us some new matching belts to go with the sheaths,¡± I added. I started reaching for the remaining jerky, but Gareth swiped it before my hand got halfway. While munching on the jerky, he walked to the wallboard where I stashed my coins, popped it off with a solid strike, and took out two rolls of coins. ¡°I will see you at the bathhouse after I stop by Master Aldrich. I could use a hot soak myself,¡± he said as he smelled his armpits. I had just planned on getting a cold shower, but a warm bath might be good for my aches. ¡°I will also stop by the apothecary for a salve for your bruises.¡± He paused and grabbed a few silver I had in my stash before replacing the wood panel cover. I had worked hard to save these coins, and Gareth was already acting like we were nobles with unlimited coins. ¡°Spend frugally, Gareth, and haggle, for goodness¡¯ sake! Master Aldrich is already suspicious. I devised a plan for laundering our coins in the city. While I was at Wigand¡¯s bookshop yesterday, I spun a tale I was getting a book for a benefactor from the capital who was visiting Solaris. He seemed to buy it, and I think it should be a good cover for us in the city,¡± Gareth nodded, swallowing the last of the jerky. ¡°Laundering. I thought we were going to age the coins, get them dirty, not clean them?¡± My past life idioms kept entering my speech unintentionally, and Gareth could usually puzzle them out, but when he didn¡¯t, I had to explain. So, I had to take a moment to explain the concept to Gareth. ¡°Laundering means hiding the origins of the coins. We are going to make people think our new patron is supplying us with coins to buy her things. Oh yeah, the patron is a woman from the capital,¡± I struggled to remember what I told Wigand yesterday, but my head was throbbing. ¡°I think I said she was not a dungeon diver or adventurer, just a merchant. We can flesh out her background together later.¡± At least that idiom Gareth was familiar with. ¡°Yeah, my best idea was saying we found a cache of buried treasure,¡± Gareth responded, ¡°but that might be limited. How many times can you say ¡®we found buried treasure¡¯ before people start following you every minute of the day?¡± Gareth turned and paused in his movement, obviously thinking. ¡°I will bring you some breakfast from the pub as well,¡± he said, probably feeling guilty about eating my jerky well after the fact. ¡°Go get cleaned up.¡± He left, and I heard the front door close, and shortly after, another door opened in the house. Was it Pascal or Freya? Based on the time, my mother and father would be off to work by now. I had given Freya the larger bedroom in the house. Well, Pascal got the biggest bedroom after my parents. We only had three sleeping rooms in the house, and my bedroom had actually been a writing and reading room. It had been big enough for a desk, chest, and one wall of shelves. It also had a large window that Freya¡¯s did not. Most importantly, it was on the other side of the house from the three bedrooms. I had snuck out numerous times to rendezvous with Gareth at night for minor mischief. In the closet-sized room, I was able to squeeze a long, wide bench after removing the desk. My mother gave me a great new mattress to reward me for giving Freya the larger room. The shelves had various books, clothing that wasn¡¯t stored in the chest, two pairs of shoes, six hats, a collection of skipping stones, six rolls of twine, a roll of fishing line, a box of fishing hooks and lures, four silk handkerchiefs of varying colors, a checkers board game with pieces, three decks of cards, three sets of throwing dice, one of which was dragon bone, three flutes, one of which was expensive mahogany from a dungeon reward. At least that was what the man said, who I bought it from, but it was more likely just carved from dungeon mahogany. There were also three empty glass flasks, twenty-eight carved figurines of various beasts, and a wooden box with an assortment of steel and copper coins. My real hoard was in the secret compartment in the wall, which I was fairly certain Freya was aware of. The mahogany flute was worth at least a full gold and was the one I practiced on. I was terrible at playing it, but I could get a rhythm going for a song. I was not too fond of singing, so supplying the tune was much preferred. Almost everything was trophies from work Gareth and I had done for the townspeople. I loved the dragon bone dice as they had been lucky for me when Gareth and I diced against each other. I also had made a GO board, but that was at Gareth¡¯s house. I also commissioned a chessboard but ended up selling it for 30 silver after Gareth didn¡¯t like playing because I beat him so soundly every time. Getting six times my investment back had made the sale worth it. I noticed Freya was in my doorway. She looked at me with a focus I had never seen on her face before. ¡°Father said to let you sleep. I told them you cleaned the barn yesterday and were tired. Also, last night at dinner, Pascal convinced Father to bring him to Captain Callem¡¯s farm for a sword lesson. Father said I should check to see if you and Gareth wanted to come. Pascal was sour on that idea, but father told me to ask you directly.¡± Freya had spoken with poise and clarity, not like her. Something was up. Was she angry with me for not letting her hang out with us yesterday? I remembered who Captain Callem was. He was an old naval officer who had retired to our island, Titan¡¯s Shield. He had a small farm outside of town. He had been a marine or an arms master, I think. The title of arms master meant he had achieved mastery over at least five different weapons. He had taught and mentored my father and uncle in the sword when they were in their first year at the Academy in Hen¡¯s Hollow. Father mentioned that Callem had a sizable pension from the navy, and his small tobacco farm gave him a good amount of coin on top of that. Supposedly, his tobacco had a unique magical effect and was very expensive. Gareth had wanted to sneak out and pick a few leaves once, but I convinced him not to risk angering him. I had never planned to fight in my reincarnation. I planned to live a slothful and hedonistic lifestyle once my abilities awakened. Now, after my encounter yesterday, I wasn¡¯t so sure. I should at least be able to defend myself, right? Skyholme gave its youth a modicum of training in weapons at the Academy. ¡°When are they going?¡± I asked. Freya¡¯s face lit up with surprise. Well, I had made it known many times that I had no interest in the sword. In my past life, I wrestled in high school and continued in my first year in college. I quit after not making the varsity lineup in college despite winning the wrestle-off in my weight class. The coach had tried to explain his decision, but I wasn¡¯t having any of it. I had busted my ass the summer before my freshman year of college, and then being told a senior deserved the spot because he had been on the team three years! But those memories were just a hazy dream now. That one experience had a lot of emotions tied to it, so maybe that was why I remembered it. Freya finally composed herself from the shock of my answer. ¡°Tomorrow after breakfast. It is Father¡¯s day off. Also¡­¡± she paused, ¡°Are you going fishing today?¡± I had forgotten about our normal schedule. Today, I would usually go to Twin Rocks with Gareth. If we had a large catch, it was usually good for a silver coin or two in the city. I had to think that changing our routine might be suspicious, and the blue pike was our biggest revenue generator. ¡°Yes, we are going fishing, but just by the river today. Are you coming?¡± Her face lit up, and she was already nodding emphatically. ¡°Great. Get the poles together and wait by the barn. I¡¯m going to the bathhouse and getting some breakfast. I will get us a packed lunch.¡± Our favorite fishing spot on the river was just a 10-minute walk, but we usually stayed there for a few hours. A sloping rock formation right by the river was very comfortable to recline on. Hopefully, none of the other local kids would be there today. The best swimming hole was just 50 yards upstream from the spot. Freya bolted out of the house. She returned an instant later to grab my tackle box on the shelf while wearing the biggest and brightest smile the entire time. After she had left in a whirlwind, I stood stiffly and painfully and made my way to the bathhouse. When I arrived, Gareth was at the bathhouse and had two small meat pies, one chicken and one lamb for me. There was an empty dish behind him as well. He must have gotten breakfast for himself, probably his second breakfast. I thanked him and ate in the small lobby, scarfing down both pies and ignoring the heartburn from my aether core. He then handed me a vial with a thick white paste in it. I uncorked it and sniffed. ¡°There should be enough for applying after the bath and tonight before bed,¡± Gareth said. The smell was reminiscent of lemons. Gareth reached down to the floor to produce and unwrap a package. Pulling out two black leather belts, each with a simple sheath holding the daggers. ¡°Master Aldrich had Antal mold white boar tusk harvested from a dungeon for the handles and wrapped them with leather stripes from a black forest rabbit from a dungeon. He said it would be a shame to use anything less on these fine blades.¡± He was grinning broadly. More likely, Aldrich felt guilty for charging such a high sum. Well, the work was very fine as I inspected it. The belts were plain, but all of Master Aldrich¡¯s work was of high quality and would last a very long time if properly cared for. Antal was a sort of medic in town. He had a low-tier ability that allowed him to shape and fuse bone. He could even mend a person¡¯s broken bone. It was his only ability, and he had made quite a good living. In fact, he was one of the wealthiest men in town and was responsible for most of the figurines of mystical beasts in my room. Gareth added, ¡°I told him we found the blades in a rotting chest in the woods and cleaned them up ourselves. I think he believed me.¡± I shrugged, as it would not be the first time we found something in the woods surrounding the town. These would definitely be the most valuable of our finds. Not that many of the 300 people in town had much wealth. The surrounding farms added another 200 people to our total population during town festivals. There were no extremely rich individuals in Hen¡¯s Hollow. Gareth interrupted my thoughts, ¡°I got us the private room with the two big tubs.¡± I walked with him to the private room and saw Gareth walking before me, trying to sneak a peek into the women¡¯s showers as we passed. I shook my head and resisted the urge myself. Right now, I was in too much pain to try to get a glimpse behind the angled screens. At the right angle, you could only see a small corner of the room, and the women who bathed in that corner were almost always older women. The younger women generally swam in the river and didn¡¯t use the showers often. The private room we entered had two of the largest tubs in the bathhouse and water circulating through a small artificed pipe, keeping the water hot. I stripped and quickly slid into the left tub before Edel could come in and sneak a peek. Oh my! I was in heaven as the hot water melted the aches and pains away. Gareth took the other tub. Edel briefly appeared right after we submerged, took our clothes to clean them, and thanked me again for the soap delivery. After soaking for a bit, I spoke, ¡°We are going to fish the river today.¡± Even with my eyes closed, I could mentally see Gareth arch his brow in question, so I answered the unasked question. I whispered, ¡°We will stick to our normal routine today. I will not make coins until tonight after I am sure my core is topped off.¡± It took an entire day to replenish an empty core, exactly one day for an untrained core. There were ways to accelerate the core¡¯s recovery, but I hadn¡¯t practiced any of those skills. The books I had read on magic detailed them; I just needed time to practice them. I continued, ¡°But tomorrow, instead of instruction with your mother, we are going with Pascal and my father to Captain Callem¡¯s for sword instruction.¡± I smirked, anticipating Gareth¡¯s reaction. His tub water splashed as he sat up hastily, water hitting the floor in a waterfall. Excitement laced in his voice, ¡°You are not pulling my leg, Stormy. That would be a cruel joke if you were.¡± Gareth had always wanted to play with swords but followed my lead instead. He would make a fantastic warrior, but I had always pushed our path toward commerce. Fighting only increased your chances of getting injured or killed, but I had been na?ve. Trouble would find me. It was best to prepare to defend our interests. ¡°Yes, Gareth, we are going.¡± I looked over to see his fist pump, splashing hot water everywhere. He would be wired all day and probably not sleep tonight. When we finished scrubbing and rose from the tubs, Edel entered with our cleaned clothes and smiled as she handed them to us. I grabbed a towel and started dressing before Gareth joined me. Edel must have scented mine with vanilla again, which is my favorite. ¡°Why don¡¯t you take the larger dagger,¡± I said, handing him that belt and sheath. ¡°Thanks, Stormy. I will be sure to take it easy on you tomorrow,¡± a little dark humor in his tone. Oh, shit. Yeah, Gareth was going to beat me silly tomorrow. Maybe I should save some of the lemon-scented salve. After dressing, I used the lemon-scented balm, and it immediately had a positive effect. Together, we left, stopped to get some packed meals for lunch, and headed to the barn. Freya was there, waiting anxiously, and the three of us went to the river. No one was swimming. The fishing went well¡ªfourteen harvestable fish between us. While we fished, Freya kept asking for us to take her to the city and reminded me at least five times her birthday was approaching. But we had evolving plans, and I wouldn¡¯t commit. Gareth kept talking about swords. He was trying to puzzle out what specific sword he should focus on learning. In the end, he was torn between the saber and the scimitar. Our island produced many of the city guards throughout Skyholme, so we were versed in melee weapons growing up, and our first year of the Academy would focus on the craft. My brother and his friends aspired to be city guards or marines on the skyships. It was a pleasant day, and the misty clouds let the sunshine through for most of the day. I napped and fished, speaking little and focusing inward on exploring my core. I hadn¡¯t developed the ability to see or manipulate aether yet, but from my readings, I knew a mage¡¯s core was like another limb. You just needed to learn how to control it. I didn¡¯t actually make progress as I kept falling into brief naps in the grass. What I needed was a spell. Innate abilities that drew on my aether core were fine, but imprinting a spell on my matrix could train me on using my core and manipulating aether. Using our new daggers, we gutted the fish and made fillets to carry back. Gareth carried our load home in the fish bag, and we chatted about other kids in town. All of us contributed to the gossip wheel of our tiny town. Back home, we split the fillets, and I went to cook for my family. I made a simple garlic butter to cook the fish and had a side of saffron rice with diced sweet peppers. I had been a good cook before being reborn. Recipes, by far, seemed the easiest thing for me to recall from my past life. I think this was because I had taken so much joy in cooking. I found most of the ingredients I was familiar with in the Sphere. My family gushed over the meal, and Pascal couldn¡¯t shut up about the trip to learn from Captain Callem tomorrow. My focus was not on the dinner. It was on what I would do in a few hours, testing my limits. With the family asleep and certain a full day had passed since I had last drawn on my aether core, I was ready. I decided to go for it, completely draining my core and making as much gold as possible. I hadn¡¯t even made any silver yet, but I felt confident I could make gold. I focused on the manifestation and soon felt my core draining. It was like vertigo, no, fainting without actually fainting. When I knew I was tapped out, I looked at the product. A good-sized ball of gold was in my hands. I had done it! How much gold, though? I needed a little aether to use my shaping ability, so I waited an hour while laying in bed playing with the golden lump. Then, focusing on my shaping skill, I started to make one coin at a time. Thirteen small coins with almost enough for a fourteenth! And I knew a mage¡¯s core would grow 10 to 20 times after puberty, according to the books I had read! I placed three of the coins in my coin pouch and the remaining ten coins into the secret wall vault. I wrapped the coins in cloth and shoved them in the back in case Freya came snooping. Sleep came easy after that from the happiness and fatigue. ? Copyrighted 2024 by AlwaysRollsAOne No Permission is given to translate, copy, repost or alter to an audio format of this original work of fiction. If you are reading this on a site that is not my Patreon, RoyalRoad.com, or Scribblehub.com, it has been stolen without my permission and violates DMCA. Remember, this work is the result of my creative effort and is protected by copyright law. Removal or altering of this notification is an acknowledgment you are aware you are in violation of DMCA. Chapters 7 to 9 Chapter 7: Weapons Training Pascal was up early, and his obnoxiously loud voice was obviously meant to get the entire house up. When our mother called for breakfast, I dressed slowly to annoy him. With all my life experiences, you would think I would be above such petty brotherly antagonism, but no. ¡°Gareth has been waiting outside for an hour,¡± Freya whispered to me when I finally got to the table to eat. Well, apparently, Pascal was not the only one excited. I turned in my chair to look out the window, and yes, Gareth was sitting in his regular spot on the stone wall across from the house. Mother had probably asked him not to disturb us until after we had finished breakfast. Not because he was unwelcome but because he could eat like there was no tomorrow, and she didn¡¯t make big spreads at breakfast. Pascal was grumpy. I was taking so long, and Freya was also showing some glumness since she had to go to instruction alone. Caleb, my father, took my slowness as hesitation and obviously didn¡¯t want to push me. He had long been trying to get me interested in martial skills, and this was a crack in my armor. He finally spoke, ¡°So, Storme, have you decided on a weapon?¡± Finishing the blackberry jam spread on simple bread, I replied to him, ¡°No.¡± A simple response and the truth. Disappointment clouded his eyes, so I decided to follow up. ¡°Maybe the saber or scimitar,¡± I said. Wait, wasn¡¯t that what Gareth had been deciding between? He nodded with a smile shadowing his face and nodding. Soon, he offered his advice, which I knew was coming: ¡°Callem taught me the basics of the long sword, spear, and short bow during my first year of Academy.¡± Oh no, I hoped this wasn¡¯t going to become one of his academy stories. They were entertaining, but I had heard them all at least four times. I got up from the table, spurring Pascal to speedily do the same, heading out the door to the road. I emerged shortly after, and Gareth waved. His grin was plastered on his face, and he wore his dagger proudly on his new belt. I had forgotten to put mine on as it was not yet engrained into my routine. Father took the lead, with Pascal right next to him, talking excitedly. I fell in behind Gareth and whispered to him, ¡°Thirteen.¡± His eyebrows shot up. ¡°Holy angelic fervor Storme.¡± Doing the math in his head, ¡°You could make over a gold every week!¡± His enthusiastic voice carried, but we should be far enough behind Pascal and my father that they didn¡¯t hear. I shook my head no and handed him my coin pouch, wanting to see his reaction. He poured the contents out into his large hand in anticipation. Four steel coins, two coppers, and three gold coins. He immediately fumbled the coins, dropping the lot on the dusty road. He quickly dropped to his knees to pick them up like he had accidentally dropped the queen¡¯s jewels. My father stopped and turned to look but was fifteen paces ahead of us. ¡°I was just paying back Gareth for something yesterday, and he dropped my coin pouch,¡± I said straight-faced without mischief coating my voice. Gareth had thrown the coins and a good portion of the road dirt into my coin pouch, hurriedly hiding the massive amount of wealth. We regained our stride behind them, and Gareth finally whispered, ¡°Thirteen gold? You are not playing with me?¡± I was silent, and he spoke again a few minutes later. ¡°You can magic up a year¡¯s wages in a day.¡± I was just quiet as I let Gareth ponder the implications. A year¡¯s wages? I think my father made less than twelve gold in a year after his taxes. He did have two gold annual stipends for his equipment, so yes, I could make more in a day than my father did in a year. My mother made eight or so gold in a year, by my estimation. Sometimes, she would get a large project like cutting the sigil of a minor house on a handful of hardened leather chest pieces for their house guard. That might take her most of a month and earn her an entire gold or two for the effort if the work was intricate enough. Our family was in the lowest economic class in the Skyholme social hierarchy but high for the tiny village of Hen¡¯s Hollow. Gareth interjected on my train of thought, whispering again, ¡°So what is next?¡± Well, I had given it a lot of thought, and I needed some spells. I had my eye on a difficult tier-one spell called cleanliness. ¡°I think I want to set up the mysterious benefactor from the capital as a cover story in the city. Before that, I would like to get a spell to practice to develop my spell craft.¡± I paused before asking, ¡°What do you want, Gareth?¡± I left it open-ended for him. Gareth wasn¡¯t simple, and he would think hard about it. We walked in silence, and finally, the small farm came into view with the tobacco field to the right and the potato field to the left. Captain Callem was in the tobacco field and waved to us. Suddenly, Gareth spoke. ¡°Stormy, I want you to make me a steel blade of my choosing and get it enchanted.¡± Even using my nickname, I could tell he was serious and had given this profound thought. Gareth was a fighter at heart, but his friendship with me had pulled him from his nature. He had had his opportunities to get into a fight every once in a long while, and his dominance in those fights had scared the other children from provoking us as a pair. ¡°Done,¡± was my response to his request. I would put all my effort into giving him the best sword I could manage to repay his friendship. Captain Callem approached our group. He was a square man who moved with a cat-like grace for his size. His thick hair and beard were snow white, and if it wasn¡¯t for his advanced age, I might have felt like a mouse under a cat¡¯s gaze. His most striking feature was his golden yellow eyes. From my father¡¯s stories, I knew he had one ability, perfect sight. A tier two ability allowed him to see in most conditions with near-perfect clarity. According to my father, he had developed the ability to be exceptionally observant, and no doubt he was sizing us up. Pascal was practically hopping out of his shoes in anticipation of starting. My father exchanged a handshake and some private words with the Captain before turning to us. ¡°Captain Callem is an arms master. If he were to charge you for his time, it would be at the rate of one gold per hour. He will spend the next three hours with you boys, so pay attention.¡± My dad had his sternest face on and his command voice going. He didn¡¯t want us to embarrass him. I knew the Captain was giving his time for free. We all knew people traveled from other cities and even the capital island to learn from him. These people had passed through our small town occasionally while they were on their way to his farm. Captain Callem brought us to a well-trodden practice yard next to his farmhouse. First up, he went through sixteen limbering exercises because the range of motion and ease of movement were essential factors in combat. Just from these exercises, I knew I would be terribly sore tomorrow. After that, we were all led to the far side of the combat yard behind the small farmhouse. There was a small shed with one side open. Inside were racks and racks of weapons. I could see my brother and Gareth drooling, almost literally. I was trying to think of a quip when Callem said the next step was safety and care of weapons. When this was finally done, we had just one hour remaining. My father sat on a stone wall smoking a pipe with blue-white smoke coming out of it and watched us the entire time. ¡°Ok, boys, it is time to try to find the weapon you wish to train with.¡± This released the hounds, and Gareth went right for one of the two sabers. Pascal took a longsword. It took me a minute before I selected a short sword. The next hour had us practicing footwork with our selected blades. We never fought each other, but we definitely digested a large amount of knowledge. I felt I could now hold the blade properly and move somewhat fluidly with the short sword in my hand. The lesson ran half an hour more than planned before my father said it was time to go. We thanked Captain Callem and started walking back. I turned around and said I had left my pouch by the fence and was going back to retrieve it. It had been intentional as I had given my following action some serious thought after watching Gareth¡¯s joy today. I found Callem in the tobacco field and went to him, grabbing the pouch by the fence as I approached him. ¡°Captain Callem, is it true you charge a gold per hour for instruction?¡± I asked patiently. ¡°Yes,¡± he paused, appraising me anew. I had been by far the worst of the three of us, and my mind and focus had wandered more than a few times. ¡°What do you seek of me?¡± he finally asked. ¡°I wish to come three times a week with my friend Gareth for training. Hopefully, you will have time to train us on the 1st, 3rd, and 5th days after the mid-day meal. We have lessons in the morning so cannot come any earlier. But I ask that you do not reveal this to my father or brother.¡± I asked earnestly. The powerful persona of Callem stared at me with his white hair blowing in a strong breeze that had gusted. Before replying, he digested what I said, ¡°Yes, that can be arranged. You will be here after the mid-day meal all those days, and I will train you for three hours,¡± I looked about to interject, but his severe look and eye contact gave me pause, ¡°Then you two will help around the farm for three hours.¡± Okay, he probably thought I didn¡¯t have enough coin to pay. This was better than I expected as I had planned to give him three gold a week for three one-hour lessons. ¡°I don¡¯t train students for less than three hours at a time. Any shorter, and the muscle memory doesn¡¯t take hold,¡± he explained. ¡°Also, if I have another student here during that time, don¡¯t expect my full attention. In addition, I expect one silver coin per week to be paid for by each of you. The more you sacrifice for something, the more you will be thankful for it.¡± He finished. I just nodded and started looking around the farm. It was only an acre of tobacco, half an acre of potatoes, and a small raised bed of herbs by the farmhouse. His face lit into a bright smile, reading my mind. ¡°Oh boy, there is plenty to do around here. A mage friend in the capital visits me every other month to fertilize the fields and grow my tobacco with aether. I also was thinking of building a new drying barn.¡± He motioned to the shed holding the weapons racks, indicating it was his current drying barn. I puzzled out that he must remove the weapons to hang the leaves. The shed had that sickly sweet smell of tobacco when we cleaned weapons today. ¡°Agreed,¡± I said, reaching out with my right hand to shake and pulling a large silver coin from my pouch with my left hand. After shaking to confirm the deal, I placed the silver coin in his hand, which was much larger than I had thought, ¡°Here is the first five week¡¯s payment!¡± I turned and left the man in shock. He obviously hadn¡¯t thought I had that much on me. The coin was shiny and new, so I would have to ensure we aged them in the future, at least most of them. Catching up to the group, I fell into stride with Gareth. My father and Pascal were talking a few paces ahead of us, and Pascal seemed happy, but he obviously had wanted to spar by the few words I caught. He had learned enough to gain a significant advantage over his friends. Now, our father had taught him some basics, but for the most part, everyone in his friend group was on equal footing in terms of swordplay knowledge. ¡°Gareth, I got us lessons with Captain Callem. We will visit him thrice a week after lessons with your mother.¡± I considered withholding the farm hand part of the agreement to surprise him but decided not to. ¡°We will get a three-hour lesson each of those days, but after, we have to help on the farm for three hours.¡± I looked over at my friend. He had a grin so big it split his face. He just couldn¡¯t stop smiling, which caused me to return it with my own. After a few minutes, he regained his composure and said, ¡°We should get there early each day to do the stretching. We don¡¯t want to waste any of the three hours of instruction.¡± He was dead serious. He wanted this. We had done everything I wanted since we were seven, and Gareth followed my lead without question. It was time to balance the scales. When we got home, Gareth and I went to the barn while Pascal ran off to show off his new skills to his friends. Father went to have lunch with my mother at work. I was a little shocked when we entered the barn. Some dust still hung in the air. Freya was filthy and pushing a crate across the floor. ¡°Storme! How did training go!¡± She burst into excited words. Standing and showing off the space she had apparently worked all afternoon on. I had moved a few things to make getting to the loft easier, but I had not organized. Freya had packed, stacked, dusted, and apparently thrown out some junk. Besides the dust in the air slowly flowing out the open door and windows, the place looked pretty good. ¡°I had Brianne help for a bit, but she went home sneezing. But I did promise to put in a good word for her with Gareth,¡± she rushed through the words. Brianne was the cobbler¡¯s daughter and had a crush on Gareth. She made this plainly known to anyone who listened. She was a year older than us and had plain prettiness to her. Gareth hadn¡¯t taken an interest in Brianne, though. He had liked one girl, Casrine. Well, every boy had been infatuated with Casrine. To his credit, she was the prettiest girl in town, but when she finished her first year at the Academy, she attracted a benefactor to pay for her to attend a Merchant¡¯s Academy in the capital. Personally, I doubted her benefactor was doing it purely out of benevolence. ¡°Are you going to take me to the city tomorrow?¡± Freya asked while trying to clean her face. I had promised to take her if she helped out. But I couldn¡¯t remember what I had asked her to do. It definitely wasn¡¯t cleaning the barn, but she did do a good job. ¡°Yes, Freya, after breakfast tomorrow, you can come with us to the city,¡± Gareth¡¯s eyebrow cocked in question. ¡°You did a fine job in here,¡± I added, giving her some praise. ¡°I have some business at Wigand¡¯s, and Gareth can take you to Sweets and Treats.¡± It was her favorite candy store in the city. Well, it was one of two candy stores in Solaris City, and there was just one general store in Hen¡¯s Hollow that had candy. Her expression was furrowed. ¡°And I will give a copper. You, my dear sister, are going to rot your teeth,¡± I said, mussing her hair and smiling at her. She just burst into a bright smile as she ran and hugged me. Ugh, she transferred some dust to my damp, sweaty clothes. Not that I was very clean, and her nose wrinkled at my body odor. The three of us retired to the loft, and I told Freya about our upcoming lessons with Captain Callem. She would have to cover our absence, which wouldn¡¯t be too difficult as we frequently spent all day at our various enterprises. Eventually, I would tell Father about the lessons, but I planned to keep them secret for a time so Pascal wouldn¡¯t be jealous and worm himself into them. After figuring doing the math, she was even more upset that we would be gone six to seven hours, for three days a week. I appeased her, saying we would bring her to the city with us every 2nd day of the week, and I would give her a copper to save or spend. That was the upper range of what she made ¡®helping¡¯ with our various errands every week. We all went to the river to swim so we could clean up. There were other town kids there, and soon, we were all playing in our underclothes in the water. Things briefly got interesting when Brianne showed up and talked privately to Gareth out in the middle of the shallow water before leaving in a huff. I was curious about the exchange, but Gareth wouldn¡¯t tell me what it was about. He just blushed and didn¡¯t respond. The misty evening clouds denoting twilight moved in, and we ambled home. I made dinner that night. I fried something similar to polenta, adding a white cheese sauce with chunks of bacon, and made a salad with sweet peppers, red onions, and a simple oil and vinegar dressing. Pascal delighted in relaying his tales of sword practice with his friends and his ¡®outstanding¡¯ victories. I remained silent through dinner other than mentioning that I would bring Freya to the city tomorrow. I lay in my bed later that night. It was time to manifest some coins. I decided to go with silver this time. A large lump of silver was on my chest when I had finally depleted my aether stores. It was quite heavy. I started turning the lump into large silver coins. In the end, I had six large shiny silver coins and enough remaining material for six regular silver. The total value of the silver was just two-thirds the value of a single gold coin. So, I had made much less than the value of gold. In terms of ounces, I estimated I could make 1.3 ounces of gold compared to 6.6 ounces of silver. So, was my ability a multiple of five? Could I then make three platinum coins equal to 300 gold!? I would have to wait till tomorrow night to find out since my aether was depleted. I added the six silver coins to my pouch and the large silver coins to my stash. My dizziness from draining my core soon faded, and sleep embraced me. Chapter 8: Captain Callem POV Captain Callem woke up early to walk, weed, and water his fields. He took pride in working the land after spending his life serving the citizens. He was once Commander Callem, overseeing all the naval training for Skyholme. Under his guidance, the navy built and crewed more sky ships than ever in its long history. The new Triumvirate Council has since slowed its growth due to bureaucratic hurdles. The survival rate of Skyholme¡¯s Marines had also increased during his supervision. This was due to the improvements he instituted at the Naval Academy. But as with all good things, that had come to an end when Lord Councilor Oskar to the Triumvirate¡¯s Military arm was retired with a dagger in the back. His death had not been made public knowledge. Lord Councilor Oskar had been a friend and supporter of Callem¡¯s efforts. The intrigue of the three ruling families was outside the scope of his duty, but his friend¡¯s assassination had hit him hard. Callem had two daughters to worry about and five grandchildren. If he made waves, he risked them coming under scrutiny by the unsavory politics of the capital. Not long after, Callem was asked to assume a lesser role or retire. Callem had too many friends and too much influence in the capital for the new Lord Councilor to trust him. He did neither and was demoted to Captain and assigned to Titan¡¯s Shield to oversee the barracks in Hen¡¯s Hollow. Barracks? Now, that was a joke. Nine men, five of whom were assigned in rotation to the town gate, and the other four were assigned to the airship dock. Also, not a single one of them lived in the barracks. The only good thing was that the barracks served as the town¡¯s first-year Academy, which meant he could watch the training of the young men and women in the first year of the Academy. His input completely overhauled the training and expectations at the small Academy. He wasn¡¯t permitted to teach since he was on active duty, but occasionally, he would selectively mentor one or two students. One of those students was Caleb Hardlight. And today, Caleb was bringing his son to his farm in the morning for a lesson in swordsmanship. He looked over his farm with pride. He had enjoyed smoking tobacco. After much research, he had gotten ahold of a strong type of sweet tobacco whose seeds had been harvested in a dungeon in the lowlands. Most seeds from dungeons were difficult to grow since they required aetheric soil. Fortunately, he had a friend who made it possible by bringing him aetheric soil to keep his crop viable. His tobacco, when properly dried and shredded, gave off a pleasant blue-gray smoke and had the added effect of increasing one¡¯s reaction speed for a short time after smoking it. The tobacco had the side effect of staining the smoker¡¯s teeth with a blue tint. For Callem, getting the special toothpaste from the city¡¯s apothecary was a nuisance to keep his teeth white and healthy from his tobacco habit. He suddenly seethed, looking over his cash crop as he had a flashback. The bastards in the capital had given him a Captain¡¯s pension even though he had spent 42 years as a Commander. There is a sizable difference, just nine gold a month compared to thirty gold a month. Oh, nine gold was still a sizable sum out here in the poorest regions of Skyholme, but after everything he had given Skyholme, he hadn¡¯t expected to be discarded and shorted. Well, the joke was on whatever bureaucrat had shorted him. He sent his pension to his two daughters and lived off his efforts on the farm. He had been retired for six years and earned nearly two hundred gold in profit annually from selling tobacco harvests about five times a year. A lot of the credit had to go to his mage friend, Admiral Sebastian. He was a Navy mage specializing in earth and nature magic. When he first moved out to Hen¡¯s Hollow, Sebastian had cleared the land, built his house, and came by every other month to deliver aetheric soil and accelerate the field¡¯s growth. In exchange, Callem had a fermentation and distillery in his basement, making a fantastic vodka using the three varieties of potatoes he grew. His vodka was exceptional, but he only made five gallons monthly and stored the product in special oak casks in his cellar to age it. He also grew sweet potatoes to sell in town and consume himself. Technically, he didn¡¯t have a license to make vodka, but he dared the Brewer¡¯s Guild to object. His other venture and pastime was training young men and women in combat. His remaining friendly contacts on the capital island would send their children to him before entering their first year of the Academy, and he would take a large gold for every three days of training. After he retired and built the farmhouse, he had trained two or three children monthly. Now, as time distanced himself from the capital, he only had two or three students come to his farm every year.Unlawfully taken from Royal Road, this story should be reported if seen on Amazon. His musings ended as Caleb Hardlight came into the clearing, walking beside a boy. Two more boys followed the pair, one quite large, and Callem wondered if he was still under 16 years old. Callem walked to Caleb, and the two separated from the boys to speak privately. Caleb started, ¡°Thank you for taking your valuable time today to work with the boys. The large boy is my younger son¡¯s friend, Gareth. My eldest, Pascal,¡± he gestured with his head to indicate the non-descript boy with excitement in his eyes. ¡°He has gotten the basics from me and practices every day. My younger son there, Storme, is probably only here because of his friend.¡± Callem had a unique ability, true sight, which allowed him to see extreme details and clarity even in the dark. This allowed him to glean dozens of details through simple observation. Over the years, he had been able to sort and refine what he was seeing. He assessed the boys as they walked forward at Caleb¡¯s invitation. Pascal was particularly fit but had a poor range of movement. His eagerness would also get him into trouble in a fight by overestimating his abilities. The big lad moved surprisingly well. He probably had manifested some ability because he didn¡¯t have the marks of a trained fighter. The smaller boy, Storme, was distracted, and it was obvious his heart wasn¡¯t in today¡¯s lesson. It also looked like he was nursing some injuries or strained muscles from his movements. ¡°I will do my best to get them self-aware in the next three hours,¡± he told Caleb. Caleb turned to the boys, ¡°Captain Callem is an arms master. If he were to charge you for his time, it would be at the rate of one gold per hour. He is going to spend the next three hours with you boys, so pay attention and make good use of it.¡± Well, that sounded about right. Caleb had been a good student, but Callem could see from the man¡¯s movements that he had not been diligent in his practice. He first brought the boys back and showed them the sixteen basic facilitated stretches for joint and muscle movement. The big lad, Gareth, was by far the most limber of the three and could probably make a good acrobat if he had the mind to. He now needed to teach the boys weapon care and safety and to see who had good focus and attention to detail. He demonstrated to the boys how to clean, store, and do minor repairs, then set them up for it. Once again, Gareth was at the top of the class, meticulously cleaning the weapons in his charge, tightening wraps, and carefully stowing the weapons when finished. Now came the fun part for the boys, ¡°Ok, boys, it is time to try to find the weapon you wish to train with.¡± The excited boys wandered through the racks, and Gareth immediately pulled a saber¡ªthe better of the two sabers, Callem noted. Pascal, after a brief hesitation, went for a long sword. The weapon would be too heavy for him at his age and development¡ªa poor choice. Storme moved among the shorter blades. He was smart, but he should have sought a spear or staff. He pulled a shorter blade and joined the other two. ¡°Okay, staying on your feet, boys, is the most important thing to know to stay alive in a fight. We will spend the next hour drilling proper movement skills with your selected weapons.¡± The next hour was very enjoyable. None of the boys complained, and Gareth never needed to be corrected twice. This boy would be an amazing swordsman if he devoted his life to it. It had been a long time since he had seen someone with such potential. Pascal was doing well enough as well. Once he fixed his mobility issues, he should make a passable swordsman. The last boy, Storme, had some potential too. He was obviously fighting through some discomfort from injuries but didn¡¯t complain and worked hard to try and match his bigger friend. The lesson ended up going a little long, but that was ok. ¡°Good work today, boys. Remember the stretches and do them at least once a day. Practice the footwork with or without weapons. Balance will be key to attacking and defending. You all did well,¡± Callem said, leaving the boys after shaking Caleb¡¯s hand and telling him he had good children. As Callem returned to his fields, he began thinking of ways to get Gareth out here regularly. It would be a shame to waste such innate talent. He was surprised to see the smallest boy returning and grabbing a small sack by the fence post. He must have forgotten it, but then he approached. ¡°Captain Callem. Is it true you charge a gold per hour for instruction?¡± What, did he want private instruction? ¡°Yes, what do you seek of me,¡± Callem said, trying to run out the possible conversation possibilities before they were spoken. ¡°I wish to come three times a week with my friend Gareth for training. Hopefully, you will have time to train us on the 1st, 3rd, and 5th days after the mid-day meal. We have book lessons in the morning so cannot come earlier. But I ask you not to reveal this to my father or brother.¡± Storme said with a hopeful expression, but on the inside, Callem was jumping for joy, but that joy did not show on his face. Don¡¯t seem too eager he reprimanded his inner mentor. He needed to bring the price down to something the boys could manage too, ¡°Yes, that can be arranged. You will be here after the mid-day meal on those days, and I will train you two for three hours,¡± he said, and before the boy could object, he continued, ¡°then you two will help around the farm for three hours to pay for the majority of your lessons.¡± That should be something they could manage. ¡°I don¡¯t train students for less than three hours at a time. Any shorter, and the muscle memory doesn¡¯t take hold. Also, don¡¯t expect my full attention if I have another student here during that time. In addition, I expect one silver coin per week from each of you for payment. The more you sacrifice for something, the more you will be thankful for it.¡± He was ready to add if they didn¡¯t have the silver, they could run errands to the city for him, but the boy just nodded. Storme started looking around, probably trying to imagine what he would have to do. ¡°Boy, there is plenty to do around here. A mage friend in the capital visits me every other month to fertilize the fields and grow tobacco. I also was thinking of building a new drying barn.¡± The boy¡¯s hand shot out to shake, and he said, ¡°Agreed.¡± Callem covered his surprise when the boy slipped him a coin. ¡°Here is the first five week¡¯s payment!¡± Seeing that it was a shiny, large silver coin, his jaw dropped a little. The boy was already off to rejoin the others. What were the gods working at? He wanted to train Gareth so bad he was ready to do something extreme, and instead, the boy was hand-delivered to him. He could also use the labor on the farm to train the boy¡¯s muscles. If he was correct, Gareth would be one of the best swordsmen of his generation. Hopefully, he wouldn¡¯t be foolish and run off and get himself killed in a dungeon. That thought pulled at his heart. His only son had died in a dungeon. Callem¡¯s mind began to forecast what he would need to train Gareth. He should have them start by rebuilding the obstacle course in the woods¡­ Two days later, the boys were walking into the farmhouse clearing wearing packs and having a lively conversation. Chapter 9: Obtaining the First Spell I awoke so sore I couldn¡¯t move. Yes, that was a lie. It was just excruciating to move. The pain triggered a hazy memory of the first day of wrestling practice in high school when the coach decided to check out the team¡¯s conditioning for the entire practice. I grabbed the lemon-scented salve and used the rest of it on the most painfully sensitive muscles and more significant bruises. I sat in my bed and found the leather backpack, which contained the book about various coins and light stone, nearby. It was still a little dark outside, so I used the light stone to explore the pages. The coins within were drawn to scale, and weights and metal alloy content were listed for each of them. The book was well written. Each page had a brief history of where the coins came from and then located that site within the Sphere before having detailed images and denominations of the coins. The most fascinating coins were the dungeon coins. According to the stories I had read, each dungeon manifested rewards, which usually included coins. But dungeon coins usually depicted monsters on both sides, usually floor-challenge monsters. If I had a bestiary, I could figure out what monsters resided in the dungeons just from the coins it rewarded. According to the book, most civilizations in the Sphere melted down dungeon coins and restamped them in their local currency. Dungeon coins were pure metal. Civilizations added other metals, reducing their purity but increasing their hardness. I thought this was truly a waste looking at some of the artwork on the dungeon coins. I had only made it a quarter of the way through the book before the house started stirring. It was my father¡¯s turn to cook, and I smelled bacon and eggs. I thought I had better get up before he burned the eggs. At breakfast, Freya was super excited, and I was also happy because I had managed to save the eggs from my father¡¯s cooking. Freya rarely got to go into the city. Since Gareth and I were usually just on errands when we went to the city, we didn¡¯t take her often because she wanted to explore the various shops. After breakfast, I got my best backpack, dressed in my best clothes, and gathered all my coins. I planned to spend most of the day in the city and had a few purchases in mind. My gold coins needed to be altered to include 11% silver. I could try that while we walked, sticking my hand into my money poach. It would be a pain, but it would also increase my gold coins by 10%, so it was worth the effort. When I exited my room, Freya was ready to go, and I slipped her the promised copper for her to spend at Sweets and Treats. Gareth was outside waiting, but he had other plans, ¡°Storme Captain Callem said we should do the stretches every day.¡± I held back a groan. How could the big guy still move? And he wanted to stretch? I conceded and stretched with him while softly moaning and grimacing the entire time but only voiced two or three complaints aloud. Well, two or three loudly enough for him to hear. Freya thought it was hilarious, especially since Gareth didn¡¯t complain once and kept correcting my form. An hour later, we were off to the city. Freya and Gareth were having a lively conversation while I wept internally from the pain of simply walking and tried to distract myself by altering the gold coins. At the city gates, I palmed Gareth three large silver coins as I was heading in a different direction. I noticed a few local kids around the gate but didn¡¯t recognize them as the ones who had assaulted me. Gareth eyed me, waiting for the word to act, but I just shook my head no. I was then off to see Wigand. I entered Wigand¡¯s shop a short time later with a rough plan. I would put a deposit down on a spell in the name of my mysterious benefactor. However, when I entered the shop, I stopped dead. Under the one sole glass display case reserved for his most expensive books was a large book bound in a silvery, shimmering cover. ¡°Storme!¡± Wigand greeted me with a massive grin on his face. ¡°It is an impressive book. A patron brought it by. He found it in storage after his grandfather¡¯s passing. He charged me with selling it. The cover is from a lightning drake hatchling. It shimmers like that because the scales have not formed yet. The cover itself is worth a large gold, but the contents! It contains within its pages the original schematics and runic inscriptions for the original Harbinger Skyship!¡± Well, that sounded impressive, but I didn¡¯t know what it meant. Fortunately, he continued to explain excitedly, ¡°The Harbinger Warship Storme! The core battleship of Skyholme¡¯s fleets!¡± I tried to remember, but military skyships were outside my current education, and rarely flew low over Hen¡¯s Hollow. Exasperated at my lack of excitement, Wigand exclaimed, ¡°Storme, the first Harbinger, was built some 2000 years ago, designed by the famed shipwright Vaso Vidalatos. The Harbinger became the ship that allowed us to claim all eight islands and has been integral to repelling attacks from beasts, lowland kingdoms, and expanding our influence in the Sphere. The Harbinger boy!¡± He went to a shelf behind him, returned with a book, and thrust it into my hands. The title read The History of the Skyholme Navy. ¡°You can borrow that for a week, no charge.¡± Then it clicked for me. Wigand had a dozen skyship miniatures in his back room. I had been back there twice, and each skyship was a meticulous model, even having small figures on the deck. Wigand had said they were famous warships that had perished in battle. ¡°So, are you going to purchase the book for yourself?¡± I asked, making small talk, and Wigand scoffed. ¡°Oh, I will page through it¡­but the price? If I had a conservative estimate, it would be ten platinum to a collector, but most likely two times that number at auction as it is a status symbol to own among the nobles. I could never afford that, even if I sold all my books. Well, maybe if I sold all my books. But I am in line for a 10% commission on the sale! The High Auction House in the capital is coming to get it tomorrow morning.¡± He looked disappointed and sighed. ¡°The book has magic laced into it. It will never rot but cannot be duplicated by magic means.¡± He sighed. He pulled the book out and placed it on the counter. ¡°You may look.¡± I came forward and touched the clasp. I sent my metal sense into it¡ªit was platinum. It was my first time getting a feel for the metal, and I thought now I might be able to use my ability to create it. I started paging through and was instantly enthralled with what was detailed within. The beginning text detailed the best lumber and the preparation of the wood after it was harvested. Then came the ship¡¯s construction schematics. It was awe-inspiring and detailed. The ship looked sleek and predatory. Much more impressive than the cargo haulers and passenger skyships that visited Hen¡¯s Hollow. I was hooked and intense in my study as I turned each page. A stupid grin and smile were pasted on Wigand as he watched me. Then, the book¡¯s second half had the runic inscriptions that made the skyships fly, powered by aether crystals harvested from dungeons. Studying the runes made me dizzy with their interwoven lines. There was a flow to them far beyond my understanding, but the maze of lines drew me in. I wanted to understand and knew I wanted to build my own skyship one day. Reluctantly, I closed the book. I needed to focus on today¡¯s business. ¡°Wigand, I came here today on behalf of my patron. She is seeking a book on creation magic, creating objects from aether directly. She has promised to get me a tier 1 spell if I can procure such a book. So, I am also seeking the cleanliness spell for myself. For a first spell, she advised me that it is versatile and that exact spell is what she uses to make her coins shiny and new.¡± I smiled earnestly, hating the fact I was lying. My gaze fell on Wigand¡¯s prized book, and my thoughts were still straying to what had just regaled my vision. Twenty platinum for that one book¡ªI asked, ¡°How much does it cost to build a Harbinger?¡± I was off-topic, but I thought the side comment would help obfuscate my requests and perhaps give me something to strive for. As he was putting away the silvery tome and locking it behind his security measures in the display case. Wigand responded, ¡°The classic Harbinger costs about 250,000 gold to build, or at least that is what the Triumvirate reports as the cost. But that includes overpriced parts and labor to grease the wheels of governance. 125,000 gold¡ªYes, that is what it would cost without any armaments, an aether power crystal, or inflated labor costs. Armaments can vary greatly. Aether cannons and aether power crystals can add tens of thousands of gold to the cost. Beyond that¡­the upkeep, crew, aether crystals¡­20,000 gold annually to operate.¡± Wigand¡¯s dreamy look revealed he had researched and fantasized about this. Wigand¡¯s focus returned to the sale, ¡°Ah well. Okay, a book on creation magic. It is mostly the purview of the dungeons. A dungeon can create organic and inorganic things from the aether. Mages can create inorganic things with high-tier spells. There may be two mages in Skyholme with that type of power. But it is extremely inefficient. Then there are god-class beings. But they reside mostly on the 23 moons.¡± He pulled a hefty tome from beneath the desk that indexed hundreds of titles and began paging through a particular section. ¡°Here is a good book for your patron: The Complexities of Aether Creationism, A Qualitative Comparison of Dungeon and Mortal Spellcraft. Let¡¯s see. However, it is available for copying only from the Triumvirate Grand Library. Let¡¯s see¡­48 gold for the copy, adding the tax and transport cost, 55 gold¡­and my commission,¡± he looked me in my eye, ¡°60 gold total.¡± Wow, I had hoped for a cost of maybe ten gold, but this mysterious patron was hopefully going to be my cover for other purchases in the future. ¡°That is easily within her means. How long to get a copy? And the cleanliness spell?¡± I replied, a little upset that the cost would take me five days to manifest. ¡°Ah, the cleanliness spell. Glad you came to me instead of going to Margold¡¯s shop. I may not be a mage, but I will not steer you wrong.¡± He said with his salesman smile. ¡°The cleanliness spell is common, and there are dozens of variations of the spellbook from which to learn it. As with any spellbook, the detailed evolutions within are the true value.¡± I had learned that all spells evolved, basically leveling up. Each evolution allowed changes to the spell framework. You could make a fire spell hotter or bigger, for instance. ¡°The best cleanliness spellbook accordingly,¡± Wigand continued, ¡°is Guidance for Personal Manicuring and Hygiene, The Comprehensive Handbook for the Cleanliness Spell by Archmage Sana Velin. It has over 250 evolutions and is considered the best reference for the spell. And today is your lucky day, Storme! I know where to obtain a copy. It would cost 20 gold, though, since it is a rare version,¡± he looked at me, and I swallowed hard and nodded. That was much more than the 6 or 7 gold I planned to spend and extremely expensive for a tier-one spell. ¡°The spellbook was in the estate of a war mage who recently lost her life. Her items have not yet been sent for sale, but one of my patrons has a list of the items the family is going to sell, and the book was among them with a buyout price of 20 gold. If I act in the next three days, I am certain I can get you the spellbook.¡± Wigand had doubt in his eyes that my patron would trust me with such a sum. I pondered, then pulled ten shiny gold coins from my pouch. I could pay for the spellbook in two days and bring a deposit for the other. ¡°Will ten gold be enough of a deposit now? So, 20 golds in two days?¡± I asked hopefully. Wigand was wide-eyed at the amount of gold I was carrying and thought for a moment before responding. I added, ¡°She had only promised me ten gold for a spellbook if I completed all her tasks, Wigand. But I am sure Gareth will loan me his ten gold.¡± It was a patchy excuse explaining how a fifteen-year-old could get 20 gold. ¡°Quite the wealthy patron,¡± he said suspiciously. ¡°I know. I think she is interested in recruiting Gareth after he completes Academy training.¡± I blurted. That would make perfect sense, as Gareth was larger than most adult men and was a phenomenal athlete. Wigand started to nod as he puzzled out the plausible explanation. ¡°Yes, that should be enough to submit a request to start the copying request and hold your spellbook.¡± ¡°Okay, when Gareth and Freya get here, please have them wait. I have a few errands,¡± I said as I left. Relieved that I had started the process of obtaining my first spell, I left the shop in high spirits, not even feeling my sore muscles. My next stop was at the pie street vendor, with whom I was friendly. We sold her blue pike to make fish pies, and I got a chicken and vegetable pie at a discount today to feed my healing body. My next stop was at the dressmaker. I placed an order for a light blue dress for Freya two weeks ago and came to pick it up today. Her birthday was soon, and she had repeatedly mentioned she was envious of Gwen¡¯s blue dress. This one should upstage Gwen¡¯s by a good margin. I paid the three silver I had due for the dress and packed it carefully at the bottom of my backpack. My next stop was the cooper shops. I was looking for a small barrel butter churner. They sold a four-gallon churn barrel that was mounted to a rack with a handle. I wasn¡¯t going to make butter but ¡®age¡¯ my coins in it. Once I learned the cleanliness spell, I could pretend I was using the spell to make my coins shiny and new. Until then, we should dirty up the coins. Wigand had definitely been curious about my shiny coins and the mysterious patron. It was much bigger and heavier than expected, but I still paid 20 silver coins for it. With some straps, Gareth could carry the barrel, and I could manage the stand. My next stop was the butcher, two smoked hams, 40 sausages, and one pound of ground beef. I had introduced ground beef to this region of Skyholme, so the product was relatively new, but people had fallen in love with cheeseburgers, so it was available in most butchers now. I then bought some dried cooking spices from the apothecary. My funds were quickly dropping. My last stop was the cheese shop for a block of hard-aged cheese similar in taste to parmesan. Tonight, I would make fresh pasta noodles with tomato meat sauce. I returned to the bookstore, and Gareth and Freya were waiting for me. Freya was chewing on some soft caramel and looked happy. We all went back to the cooper to get the churn. I had to keep deflecting questions about why I had purchased it from Freya. But between Gareth and me, we convinced Freya to help us sneak it into the loft in the barn. Leaving the city, we did see the adolescents that had accosted me last time on the road. They were watching from a distance by the city gates. I pointed them out to Gareth, and he eyed them, burning their faces into his mind. They didn¡¯t make a move on us, but there were six of them now, and I thought I remembered one of the new ones watching me during my shopping spree. Well, the trudge back to town could have been more fun. Even Gareth looked uncomfortable with the barrel strapped awkwardly to his back. We had no trouble getting the churn into the loft and were exhausted lying there with the task done. I caught Freya trying to sneak into my backpack, and she left us in a huff when I yelled at her curiosity, something I rarely did. Before my parents came home, I was in the kitchen. Freya made the noodles with flour and eggs, and Gareth cut up a light salad. Since I had paid for most of tonight¡¯s dinner, Gareth would be eating with us. Gareth had already brought the sausages to his house and told his parents he was eating with my family. His mother¡¯s favorite sausages were garlic, herb, and pork mixture. I made the meat sauce with two types of onions, tomatoes, and some seasoning before adding the cooked ground beef. The noodles were cooked, and the sauce was added on top with thin slices of hard cheese. Mother and Father returned home, and soon, everyone was eating. Pascal showed up a little late but joined us at the crowded table. There was enough for everyone to have seconds, and we all did. The small talk centered around the news of the recent skirmish with the Sadian Kingdom. It was rumored that we had lost two skyships in the conflict over control of one of the dungeons in the lowlands. The dungeon had evolved and was producing violet aether crystals in tiny amounts. It was the most valuable aether crystal as it held the most aether per unit. According to rumors, it wasn¡¯t so much the fact that we needed the crystals, but we wished to prevent the Sadians from getting them. The Sadian and Skyholme peoples had been at war for the last millennia. We had the high ground, better skyships, and didn¡¯t have to deal with many of the challenges of bordering kingdoms and beast-filled wilds. ¡®At war¡¯ might also be too strong a phrase. There was a major skirmish like the recent one every other year or so. The last major conflict before I was born was when the Sadians sent over 50 skyships to try and gain a foothold in Skyholme and failed to do so. The Sadians did have one advantage over us. They had better warriors and more numerous mages. They were also tolerant of other races; the people of Skyholme were humanists, and very few non-human races were allowed to reside on the islands. A few non-human traders had citizen status in Skyholme, but I had never seen one. Of course, the Wolfsguard also lived in the capital but did not have citizenship status. From my point of view, the Wolfsguard were closer to slaves. After dinner, I retired to my room, and Gareth went home. I was sure he would be topping off his meal with some garlic sausages. I didn¡¯t have to do dishes as I had cooked. Pascal was already working furiously on them so he could go bathe in the river. Tonight, I was going to attempt to make a small platinum coin. I had a good understanding of the metal from Wigand¡¯s shop today. I tried to do so for the better half an hour. I couldn¡¯t make a small coin, as I kept defaulting to one ounce of the metal for a large coin. I needed more practice and refinement with my creation ability. I was getting overly tired from all the attempts, so I just made 13 gold coins and a little extra gold, exhausting my aether. But I compared the little extra with last night¡¯s, and it was definitely slightly more. I slept well that night, exhausted and still sore. In the morning, Gareth brought some fig pastries and woke me early. He had talked to his mother, and we could start our lessons with Callem early today. ¡°Fantastic,¡± I retorted. I didn¡¯t match his enthusiasm, lacing my ¡®joyful¡¯ response with sarcasm. Lessons flew by. Numbers tables, a few questions, and we read and discussed three short ballads. Then Gareth was dragging me away as soon as we finished. I panicked a little as I had left my pouch on my bed with the 13 new gold coins I had made last night. My family wouldn¡¯t steal them, but if they found them, they might question where I obtained them. Since we were already halfway to Callem¡¯s farm, I would deal with any fallout later and be much more careful in the future. We were soon joking back and forth as we walked to the tobacco farm. I was trying to tease him about his exchange with Brianne at the swimming hole. I was curious about what had made her angry, but he wouldn¡¯t divulge what was said. As we got closer to Captain Callem¡¯s farm, our conversation turned to using the butter churn to age the coins and what we should add: rocks, metal cubes, dirt, some oil, water¡­ It was an in-depth conversation about how much and what would be best to age the coins. We came out of the woods to see Captain Callem looking at us, and I swear he smiled in anticipation. Gareth also seemed eager to start. I was the only one apprehensive and still sore. What had I gotten myself into? ? Copyrighted 2024 by AlwaysRollsAOne No Permission is given to translate, copy, repost or alter to an audio format of this original work of fiction. If you are reading this on a site that is not my Patreon, RoyalRoad.com, or Scribblehub.com, it has been stolen without my permission and violates DMCA. Remember, this work is the result of my creative effort and is protected by copyright law. Removal or altering of this notification is an acknowledgment you are aware you are in violation of DMCA. Chapters 10 to 12 Chapter 10: Gareth, The Prot¨¦g¨¦ We walked toward Callem, and before I could speak, Gareth spoke firmly and clearly, ¡°Captain Callem, we are early and don¡¯t want our instruction time to begin just yet. Storme and I will complete the daily stretches before we start. Is that okay?¡± Whoa. I stared at Gareth, whose face was relaxed, and his eyes locked with Callem. What the hell, Gareth! An hour of stretching¡­three hours of combat training¡­three hours of farm work. Was he adding an hour to our commitment? I felt betrayed as we had not discussed this, or had we? I did the same to Gareth sometimes, explaining my reasoning after the fact. ¡°That will be fine,¡± Callem¡¯s pleased, deep voice intoned. He then proceeded to return to pulling weeds among his tobacco plants. Gareth was already walking to the packed earth training ground by the shed. I noticed six different training dummies set up in the yard that had not been there the last time. ¡°Gareth,¡± I intoned with irritation in my voice, ¡°We should have discussed this more?¡± He looked at me without his normal grin and sighed. ¡°Storme, do you know who Captain Callem actually is?¡± What? No, you didn¡¯t tell me anything. Why have you been waiting till now to reveal this? We were best friends, damn it! ¡°Captain Callem is Commander Callem Dregalla. He was the First Sword of the Skyholme, recognized as the best swordsman in all of Skyholme for 17 straight years. The streak only stopped because he stopped competing in the Annuals. When he was promoted to oversee the training of all Naval personnel and raised to Commander, he just stopped competing for the title.¡± Gareth had reverence in his eyes, ¡°Freya and I went to the library in the city yesterday after Sweets and Treats and lunch.¡± He smirked and got his grin back, ¡°She didn¡¯t tell you about the lunch or the library trip?¡± First betrayed by Gareth and now my sister. ¡°Well, I researched and read the news posts from when Callem was in his prime. He was unbeatable in combat duels and earned numerous accolades. He single-handedly boarded a Sadian warship and killed everyone on board while in the midst of an aerial engagement.¡± Captain Callem called in his booming voice from twenty paces away as if he was listening right next to us. ¡°I hate that tale, boy. There were six of us that boarded that ship. Four of us lived, and all the credit was given to me because I killed 27 men and women myself. Get to your stretching, boys, and stop bringing up fables.¡± I was a little startled by his interruption. I started the progression of stretches with Gareth, my body protesting by obeying. Gareth seemed reluctant to say anything else for fear of Callem overhearing us. We finished the stretches in quiet, well, almost silence. Gareth annoyingly corrected my form every time I made an error. At the conclusion of stretching, Callem approached us again. ¡°Okay, boys, let us continue with footwork. The next hour and a half were brutal for me, and my body was broken and abused. ¡°Good boys. I have two weighted training blades for you.¡± He retrieved two heavy, dull blades and handed us each one; Gareth¡¯s was slightly bigger. ¡°These blades are dull and useless in real combat but are perfectly balanced and twice as heavy as a normal blade their size. I am going to teach you the 23 master sword forms. Each sword form has 23 movements, and each movement has 23 variations.¡± ¡­ it took me a moment to do the math in my head: 12,167! My face fell as I muttered the number. My shock had Callem smirk, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Storme. The variations are based on the blade. If you stick to just one sword type, it is just 529 movements. The first form is called the Snapping Tortoise. It is heavily defensive and only has five of the twenty-three movements dedicated to attacking.¡± The next hour proceeded as we practiced the first two movements. My arm was dead after just half an hour, but Gareth showed only eagerness. He rarely needed correction while I constantly did as we put the movements into muscle memory. ¡°Now I will attack each of you, and you will defend.¡± Wait, what? Before I could respond, Callem had another training blade in hand, swinging simple strikes at each of us. First Gareth, then me. My aching arms could barely hold the training sword, but I blocked the first six deliberately telegraphed strikes before the seventh bashed my own sword into my forehead, knocking me out. Fortunately, I had been struck with the flat of the blade, and my head wasn¡¯t split open. When I woke, I just heard the clang of steel. Gareth and Callem were still at it, but Callem¡¯s strikes had increased in speed. As I sat up, they stopped. ¡°Storme, sorry about that,¡± Callem said with sincerity. ¡°I had judged you capable of handling three or four more strikes. I am out of practice sparring with a student.¡± Sparring? I had been defending my life. I felt a large lump on my head. Did I crack my skull? ¡°Storme, in the kitchen, there is a white cabinet. There are restorative vials in there. The small white ones will erase your injury. Go and drink one.¡± I walked jelly-legged to the farmhouse. The farmhouse was quite nice outside¡ªtwenty yards by fifteen yards and two stories built completely out of stone. The wood trim was in excellent care, and I entered the large front door and was stunned by the interior. The house was immaculate. White walls and clear, stained, fine woodwork were everywhere. The living room, kitchen, and dining room were one massive room. A staircase led upstairs, and the first floor had three doors to other rooms. No, one of those doors was under the staircase, so it probably led to the basement. The kitchen was small but had two cold storage boxes powered by a runic script and small aether crystals. I peeked inside and found one was a freezer and the other a fridge. The cooking top was also rune-scribed for heat. All of them were very expensive luxury items. I found the white cabinet and opened it to find an assortment of neatly labeled vials. I heard Callem yell, asking if I needed help. I had been dawdling. I grabbed one of the small white vials and drank. The taste was best described as a sour apple. The elixir acted fast, and all the pain in my body vanished in just a few seconds. I headed back out to the yard, dragging my feet. Half an hour later, I really wanted another elixir. I had a few bruises, but nothing serious. With the lessons done for the day, Callem complimented us. ¡°Storme, you did very well. Do not think you failed today.¡± He put his hand on my shoulder and looked into my eyes, and I could tell he was serious. ¡°I know you are not as motivated as Gareth, but I have worked with hundreds of boys, girls, men, and women, and I can honestly say you have the potential to be better than the majority.¡± His eyes and voice indicated he was sincere. ¡°Gareth, do not get a big head, but I think you could surpass me in time.¡± So much for not letting Gareth get a big head. It was swelling before my eyes. ¡°Ok, you boys have some work to do for me. This way.¡± He turned and headed into the nearby woods. Gareth followed like a puppy. I hesitated and needed to consider. I was at a crossroads. I was sure Callem would continue to train Gareth if I quit, but I didn¡¯t want to abandon my friend on his journey. I didn¡¯t care that he would far surpass me. I decided we would be taking the journey together, which is what mattered. I hastened after them. In a clearing after a short trip through the woods, the site I beheld had me thinking about changing my mind. Gareth was puzzling out what he was seeing, but I knew. It was an obstacle course straight out of hell. Narrow beams ten feet off the ground, ropes, suspended bags, walls, a pond with stepping stones. There was also an archery range on the far side¡­or did that mean he was going to shoot arrows at us while we ran the obstacles? Before I could do an about-face and return to the farm, Callem spoke, ¡°The course is a little overgrown, so rather than work the fields today, we will clear the brush and check the ropes.¡± Callum had a devilish grin, and Gareth was tickled pink by the idea of the training course and the stupid look of joy on his face. We got to work and finished the hard labor in just over three hours and were allowed to head home. ¡°Gareth, I think I am going to buy a cart,¡± I said after I had forced my body to walk the first half a mile. ¡°Why Stormy?¡± he asked, already knowing the answer. ¡°So you can pull me home after training,¡± I replied without humor in my voice. Gareth had a response ready, ¡°You should just get a horse or reindeer.¡± I thought that wasn¡¯t a bad idea, but it would draw my attention as they were expensive animals to maintain in Skyholme. Gareth suddenly went off-topic, ¡°Tell you what, we race home, and the loser buys lunch for the next week.¡± Before I could reply, he was off. I didn¡¯t chase him as he sprinted away. I was slightly faster than him over rough terrain, but his long legs easily beat me on these straight paths. The only solace I took was that he was moving a bit gingerly, so that inhuman boy had felt today¡¯s training a little, at least. On returning to town, I went to the pub and gorged on milk, bread, roasted chicken, glazed vegetables, and beer cheese soup¡ªall without Gareth. I rolled myself home and went to my bedroom after letting my parents know I had returned. Freya came in, and I quietly relayed the day¡¯s tales, ensuring she knew how gallant her brother was in his training. I did tell her I was a little upset she hadn¡¯t told me about the library trip and what they learned about Captain Callem. She then told me she had just looked at the picture books in the library and didn¡¯t know what Gareth had been researching, but he did mention a Commander Somebody. Ugh. I gave her a lecture about paying attention to her surroundings and the absolute importance of sharing relevant information with her brother. That brother being me, not Pascal. She was a little huffy but seemed to acquiesce. After she left, it took me a while to find a comfortable position to settle into. I generated my nightly gold coins and stuffed them under my pillow, not wanting to travel the five feet to the secret cache in the wall. At least tomorrow, there was no sword training, and I could go claim my cleanliness spell! Chapter 11: Magic Isn¡¯t Easy I woke often during the night, trying to reposition my body to avoid pain. I also came to one conclusion: I needed more pillows! I slept in short bursts and dreamed of getting beaten by a sword, casting amazing magic, running a merchant empire, and buying a horse, only to find the horse talked and didn¡¯t like to be ridden. It was a crazy night, and the fatigue, large amounts of food in my stomach, and growing anxieties needed to be addressed. I was up far too early, consolidated my wealth into my money pouch, and went to the barn before anyone else was up. I was going to age the gold coins, but to my absolute horror, I found butter in the butter churn! Freya! I scraped out what I could and disposed of it in the refuse pit. I then added the coins, some stones, metal nails, dirt, and coal. Then, I began to churn the coins. It was a little noisy, but the barn should be far enough from the house to not wake anyone. After thirty minutes, I used some wet rags to clean the coins. I thought they looked passable as aged coins and placed them into my pouch. The butter remnants had probably helped dirty the coins, but I would have to talk with Freya to see what she was up to with making butter. It was probably my fault for not telling her why I bought it. She probably thought she was helping with making the butter. I walked to see Gareth at his house and couldn¡¯t help but grin. Gareth was cutting wood but was definitely moving with a lot of discomfort. He noticed me and seemed to stand straighter, trying to hide his own pains. ¡°Stormy! Ready for the morning stretches?¡± His grin was on his face. So that was it. We were playing a silent game of who could endure the pain the best. We began the stretches, and we began the tough guy game. Soon, I was moaning and groaning over the movements as my muscles were doing their best to tell me enough already! After a while, Gareth stopped being so exact in correcting my movements, and I was thankful when we finished the routine. ¡°Stormy, we need to complete the series of stretches in 30 minutes, according to Callem.¡± I just glared at him while he grinned. Maybe I wouldn¡¯t give him an allowance today in the city as recompense for these indirect assaults on my body. I moaned and sighed, ¡°We should get to the city in haste this morning. I want to purchase my new spell and return to practice it. What if we go to Twin Rocks Lake with our poles when we get back? You can fish, and I can practice my spell.¡± Gareth seemed to consider. ¡°You want to return to the city to sell fish later today?¡± I hadn¡¯t thought of that. No. that would be a waste of time, and I churned over some ideas before responding. ¡°You know that camping kit you always wanted at the adventurer¡¯s shop? Why don¡¯t you get it? We can cook the fish by the lake for dinner. I will write down some vegetables and other ingredients you can also get.¡± Gareth immediately fist-pumped, excited but looking goofy. We spent a short time getting breakfast and packing snacks at the Hen¡¯s Hollow¡¯s general store. I returned home and strapped on my dagger at Gareth¡¯s insistence. Freya was up and devastated she wasn¡¯t going with us to the city today. However, her birthday was just around the corner, and I teased her about her present. If she ransacked my room looking for it, she would find the dress in the bag under my bed, and that would make her happy. Soon, Gareth and I were walking toward the city. It was the smallest city on Titan¡¯s Shield but big enough for us. The city was called Solaris, after a sun god. The citizens of Skyholme did not practice religion much. The only representation of the god in the city was his likeness in a fountain in one of the squares, but that was a remnant of the ancient avian race that ruled the islands. The maps of Titan¡¯s Shield showed it to be roughly ovaloid in shape, with the widest part around 150 miles and the short side of the oval being 80 miles. There were four cities on the island, forming a diamond shape. Our city, Solaris, was at the bottom, while the island¡¯s capital city was at the top of the map and was called Aegis City. It was the capital because it was built on top of one of the two dungeons on our island. The other dungeon on the island was up in the mountains overlooking Aegis City, so the city had a monopoly on both dungeons. The other two cities, Silver Warren and Shiphaven, were similar to ours in that farms and light industry surrounded them. If you also looked at the map of the island, it was clear our small town of Hen¡¯s Hollow was close to the edge, just a few miles from a very long drop. Gareth and I had been to the edge of the island a few times, and it was unfathomable how high above the lowlands we were. During the walk to the city, Gareth asked, ¡°Do you think we should get some recovery potions from an alchemist?¡± He was being serious, and I remember Captain Callem had an impressive array of potions. But I had read a lot and knew some general things about potions. ¡°We should stay away from potions, Gareth. Heavy use when you are young can stunt your growth. Well, maybe in your case, that would be good for you.¡± I ducked a lazy swing by Gareth. But it was true. Using potions adversely affected the growth of young people. Or, to be more precise, poorly made potions had adverse effects, and one thing the Skyholme people lacked was quality alchemists. Oh, there were a lot of alchemists and even some good ones, but the prices were extremely high, and the effects were not too impressive from what little I understood of the other civilizations throughout the Sphere. This was in part due to Skyholme¡¯s limited array of ingredients. We had very few dungeons on Skyholme, and our trade with the lowlands was constantly in turmoil. The genuinely effective alchemy ingredients rarely grew outside of dungeons. ¡°Ok, Gareth, get us each a minor restorative potion for minor wounds. That should be what, 50 silver each, maybe? Take three gold coins for everything today, but stay with me until Wigand¡¯s. The local kids have been eyeing me.¡± Gareth¡¯s face clouded in anger as I reminded him of my body being used as target practice. ¡°You will stay in Wigand¡¯s till I return?¡± He looked at me, waiting for the question to be answered. ¡°Fine, yes, you want an oath or something?¡± I was teasing him because I planned to get my spell and fall into the bookstore¡¯s big plush leather reading chair. My aching body was looking forward to it. We ran into no problems getting to Wigand¡¯s, and Gareth left for his errands. On entering the shop, Wigand came out of the back room with his usual good cheer. ¡°Storme! So good to see you! I got your spellbook in the back! And have a few other books you may be interested in.¡± Wigand was always the salesman. I smiled tightly in response. I pulled out the 20 gold coins. It was ten for my spell book, and a ten gold deposit for the other book Wigand was having copied for our fictional patron. ¡°Fantastic! When the copy is ready, I will let you know so I can get the remaining 50 gold from your benefactor.¡± Fifty gold, I suddenly realized what an unreal sum that was. I stopped to think about my family. My abilities and wealth would improve their quality of life. I just needed to be careful and not get drawn into the politics of Skyholme. I would tell them eventually¡ªonce I mastered some of my magic. Wigand went to get my spell book, and when he returned, it was the most beautiful thing I had ever seen. It was a thick book with a black cover and the title in silver letters embedded in the leather, Guidance for Personal Manicuring and Hygiene, The Comprehensive Handbook for the Cleanliness Spell by Archmage Sana Velin. It wasn¡¯t overly special compared to any other book I had read, but it was mine, and as I took it, I am ashamed to admit I hugged it to my chest for a brief moment before realizing what I was doing. Wigand had a knowing smile, and his eyes were on me. ¡°So Storme, I have two other books you may be interested in as you are just beginning down your path to magic. I take it you do not have a teacher.¡± He looked embarrassed for a second. Wigand didn¡¯t like to pry into other people¡¯s business unless asked. He continued, pretending he wasn¡¯t prying. ¡°Well, I have two books, as I said, Understanding Spell Imprinting and Aether Core Facilitation. Both are very old, out-of-date printings from the Skyholme Mage Academy in the capital, but they are two important primers for new mages. I got both books at the same estate sale. I got them with your cleanliness spell for very cheap.¡±You could be reading stolen content. Head to the original site for the genuine story. Spell imprinting was the process of learning a new spell. I knew this much. A mage could only learn so many spells based on his or her capacity to lock the spell form to their aether matrix. The process was commonly called imprinting from my readings. Once locked in, a mage could evolve a spell as it essentially leveled up. ¡°How much?¡± I asked, very interested. Wigand relaxed and smiled, ¡°Two gold for both or a gold and fifty silver for the imprinting book and fifty silver for the aether core book.¡± It was an extremely reasonable price as both books should be a few gold coins if new. I paid him with one gold and ten large silvers. Both books were well-worn and contained about twenty pages each with text on both sides. I went to the comfy chair to read, and Wigand went about his work, sensing I didn¡¯t want to be disturbed. I opened the spellbook because, just like in my last life, I skipped the directions, confident I could figure it out on my own. I read the forward by Archmage Sana Velin. Many have overlooked the usefulness of the basic spells. I have always believed that a spell is a living, evolving companion to mages. Within those evolutions, a simple spell can be utilized far beyond the originally intended scope. For this tome, I talked to dozens of mages from all walks of life who had mastered the cleanliness spell and detailed their evolutions within. One woman had extended the range to clean others, and another mage had increased the range so far he could clean entire rooms! One hunter frequently used the spell during tracking to eliminate his odor. A warrior who battled in the arena used it to sterilize his injuries. In all, you will find 254 unique evolutions within. -Archmage Sana Velin, Instructor of the Tertiary Codex Well, I was super excited as I turned the page. I was ready to learn my first spell. The spell forms made me dizzy looking at them as I paged through. Four pages full of magic lines that made little sense to me, and this was a basic spell, granted with some complexity. I just had to burn those four pages into my memory right? I spent twenty minutes and just got nauseous looking at the curvy lines forming spiraling paths and circuits. I rested my eyes and turned to the evolutionary index for the spell. The first thing that caught my eye under the ¡®adding a lingering scent¡¯ was that vanilla was listed as an option. Ok, my first evolution would definitely be that. Other evolutions that attracted me included simple effects: a fresh breath evolution track and the health track for eliminating bacteria and disease within a caster. After each evolution, there were details on coercing the spell to initiate the new desired effect, and the book provided a structured overlay for the spell form alteration. The spell truly had some depths. I spent almost two hours picking out the evolutions I wanted before Gareth returned with an extremely large pack. ¡°So Stormy, are you a wizard yet?¡± His grin turned to a laugh as I stared at him with indignity. ¡°Ok, let¡¯s go. The pack has a folding fishing pole in it, so I don¡¯t need to stop and get mine at home.¡± He knew me too well. I would spend my day on the spell and not fishing. The walk to Twin Rocks was down a lightly trodden path and over an hour from Hen¡¯s Hollow. We circled around Hen¡¯s Hollow without losing any time. Not many people went to Twin Rocks. Besides the blue pike, there wasn¡¯t much. At the lake, we set up between the two big rocks on the shore for which the lake was named after. The lake had good depth here, and we usually did well fishing there. Gareth set his line and pole and then went to stretch, but before doing so, he tossed me a small vial, which I caught. ¡°The restorative potion. Expiration is on the cap.¡± He said, turning away and going through the stupid limbering exercises for a second time today. I put the vial, its shape similar to my index finger, in my pocket. If we were going to carry potions regularly, we would need a separate pouch on our belts for them. I focused on my studying while Gareth proceeded with his own training. After a short while, I reluctantly picked up the spell imprinting book and read it cover to cover, and I was deeply saddened. Imprinting a spell took weeks! A tier-one spell took a new mage on an average of 20 days! Their best advice was to trace out the spell forms over and over on paper. I was unhappy as I had been hoping to cast my spell today. The other book was a quicker read. It focused on understanding how to focus inwardly and find your aether core. But most importantly, it described the aether in a newly formed core as thick like molasses. You needed to thin the aether by ¡®stirring¡¯ it constantly and using it up to draw in the fresh aether. So, this cheaper book was actually more useful to start on my path to becoming a wealthy archmage. It was probably the reason I couldn¡¯t make less than an ounce of metal at a time. I needed to thin out my aether to better control it, according to the book. The book highly suggested getting magic devices to charge with aether if the mage didn¡¯t have a spell or ability to empty their core. Apparently, regularly drawing on the aether core was important to help it grow, as was doing the exercises described. I added this to my to-do list; I just had to remember to make coins daily. Maybe I could disguise myself as just a mage with spells and no abilities in the future. The last thing I wanted was to be chained in some noble¡¯s dungeon, making endless amounts of coin for them. It was why I was holding back from telling my parents. My father would probably want me to start making coins immediately. I put away the spellbook and imprinting book and started focusing on my core. The book detailed 23 suggested exercises. All of them were supposedly simple but hard to master. I was on exercise five when Gareth yelled. ¡°Storme, move it!¡± I looked around in panic and didn¡¯t see anything besides Gareth running at me. Then, a massive beast of black feathers and talons barreled into me from above. Chapter 12: Sebastian The large bird grasped my right shoulder and left bicep in his talons. One talon pierced my upper chest on the right side. The momentum of the raptor took my left arm into a painful rotation, pulling it out of its socket and tearing ligaments and muscles. The pain was so much and so quick I didn¡¯t have time to scream. I was now pinned to the ground and looking up at a giant black eagle. It had a foot-long beak whose sharpness looked like it would make easy work of my tender flesh. When we locked eyes, I saw my end in its black unforgiving eyes. Gareth suddenly appeared behind the eagle¡¯s head, flying through the air out of its line of sight. The eagle didn¡¯t pick up on his presence as he landed on its back, wrapped his left arm around the neck of the raptor, and drew his dagger clean across its neck with his other arm in an instant. The bird tried to turn, but it was far too late for it to respond to the attack. Its neck tendons were most likely cut, and the large bird hung over me for a brief second before collapsing onto me, completely burying my body. The death collapse movement wrenched my arm and shoulder more, but I felt the talon release from my chest, alleviating pressure but allowing my lifeblood to flow from the wound. The weight of the bird was not my biggest problem. The blood from Gareth¡¯s attack flowed freely from the eagle¡¯s neck, and the feathers were suffocating me. I was drowning in blood and suffocating at the same time. It was a short time later that Gareth had pulled the beast away. I couldn¡¯t speak; the only sound I could make was a rasping moan. My eyes were mostly out of focus, but I could see the panicked look on Gareth¡¯s face. He fumbled through a pouch on his waist, produced the restorative vial he had purchased today, and poured it into my mouth. ¡°Shit, still bleeding,¡± was all he said as he ran to my pack and dumped the contents out. Was it weird that I was more concerned with the rough treatment of my books than my ebbing life? Gareth returned with the vial he had given me a few hours ago and again forced the liquid into my throat. How the hell was I still conscious? My mind was currently clear and, oh shit! Two potions consecutively before the first dissolved! It was a simple thing told in a child¡¯s rhyme. The dangers of combining two potions within the digestive tract. It was rarely a pleasant experience for the imbibers. It was a major error on Gareth¡¯s part, but as long as they were from the same batch, I should be all right. At least, I hoped so. A few moments later, Gareth finally relaxed. ¡°It stopped bleeding, but your arm is all messed up. What should I do?¡± Well, I was in no place to give advice as my shock was starting to wear off, and the pain was doubling every second as my body figured out my condition. Tears started streaming from my eyes, and then I screamed. Well, it wasn¡¯t a scream, as I now knew some of my ribs were broken. ¡°Quiet Storme!¡± Gareth whispered urgently, rushing back to me, ¡°The shadow eagles usually hunt in pairs.¡± He was scanning the sky now. My thoughts drifted to shadow eagles. We learned about them in school. They had not been seen on the island in over twenty years, and Gareth and I had decided the stories of them were more to scare young children from venturing toward the edge of the island and the risk of falling. Even the tales said the eagles just targeted small children and livestock. I guess in the raptor¡¯s eyes, I fell in that category. ¡°Okay, Storme. I need you to wait here. I am going to Callem. He is a little closer than if I went all the way back home. But I am going to have to move you beneath the ironwood tree by the water for cover. This is not going to be pleasant.¡± Well, it didn¡¯t matter as Gareth¡¯s first tug under my arms pushed me into unconsciousness. I awoke with Callem kneeling over me, but I couldn¡¯t open my eyes, so I just recognized the man by his voice. I wasn¡¯t sure how long he had been there, but he was checking my body. I felt his hands inspecting my injuries gently. ¡°It is not good, Gareth. The vial I gave him will deaden his nerves and keep him from feeling the pain. He is going to need a good healer from the capital,¡± he paused, ¡°I have a friend who will come. We will get him back to the farmhouse first. Once he is safe there, you can go tell his parents.¡± I managed to shake my head somehow, signaling no. Iron was in Callem¡¯s tone of voice, ¡°Fool boy. You are halfway to the grave, and if not that, you are probably going to be crippled unless you receive some upper-tier healing.¡± He sighed loudly. ¡°Gareth, tell his parents what you will. He will live, and if he is crippled, he can explain to his parents why,¡± Callem said with some frustration. I heard Gareth¡¯s footfalls fading as he raced away. Although I couldn¡¯t think clearly, I still muttered two words before slipping away to unconsciousness again, ¡°My books¡­.¡± I awoke and could hear three distinct voices talking. One was Callem, one was feminine, and the third was male. I kept my eyes shut and listened. The female voice was speaking, ¡°¡­are you sure? I repaired all the damage to the flesh and bone. The scar on his right shoulder will not be difficult to remove. There is also no sign of any further infection.¡± The unfamiliar male voice spoke next, ¡°Nisil, that will be all. Callem wants the scar to remind the boy of what happens in your youth when you are foolish. Hopefully, he will learn from this little adventure. You can wait on the Wind Splitter.¡± I heard the shuffling of someone rising and exiting the house. The unfamiliar voice continued, ¡°So, friend, you called me urgently out here on the communication stone to tend to this unremarkable boy. Who is he? I don¡¯t see any resemblance on his face to you, so he is not a relation. I know you called me because Nisil was attached to me. She is definitely one of the better healers in all of Skyholme, but explain it to me in more detail so I can better ask a favor in return.¡± Callem''s rich, deep voice rumbled with a lighthearted chuckle as he replied, ¡°Ha, Sebastian, your words have the air of a damned politician¡ªbartering favors for lives. The boy I¡¯m mentoring is part of a duo of disciples I¡¯ve taken under my wing in the art of swordsmanship.¡± His tone shifted subtly, becoming more serious. ¡°The other boy shows remarkable promise; in time, he will likely outshine me. As for this boy, he too has the potential to become a skilled swordsman, but my primary reason for teaching him lies in the fact they come as a pair. They are fast friends like you and I.¡± ¡°Fast friends, are we now?¡± the man inquired with a hint of sarcasm. ¡°So, you¡¯ve taken up the role of mentoring boys to become master swordsmen? I distinctly remember you saying you would never venture down that path again after what happened to your son¡­¡± He trailed off, suddenly realizing the weight of his words. The memory hung heavy between them¡ªCallem¡¯s son had perished in a dungeon, a truth my father told us about. Regaining his composure, the man continued, ¡°Well, you might have saved my life on a half dozen occasions, but then you chose to run away out here to the middle of nowhere, leaving me to contend with that viper¡¯s nest in the capital.¡± His voice held a mix of frustration and betrayal, underscoring the tension that lingered in the air. I heard some movement in the kitchen. ¡°I am parched, old friend. How about some of the 10-year-old vodka on ice with that red fruit juice you like so much?¡± His tone was lighter, and it was obvious he wanted to get past the uncomfortable conversation. ¡°You mean the juice you like so much that costs me 20 gold to import from the Sabian merchants? And the vodka I made with my own two hands and aged in my own white sugar oak casks imported from the lowlands? What happened to the 5-gallon cask you took with you last time you were here to grow my tobacco?¡± It was the first time I heard Callem sound exasperated, but his voice had no malice. The mention of his son was now safely buried in the conversation¡¯s past. ¡°Don¡¯t tell me how you get the juice! I might have to report you to the Triumvirate Customs Office!¡± Sebastian replied jokingly. ¡°I still have some of that cask left, but the headaches of running the shipyards require a good shot every evening, so it is running low.¡± Movement in the kitchen paused the conversation, ¡°Did you know Lord Leif Dintho has nearly doubled the cost in the last year of black cedar he is selling to the Navy? I checked, and the general market price has barely budged in the lowlands. He is the only supplier in Skyholme, and when I told the Triumvirate in my monthly report, they just signed off on the cost increase. But you know what I did to spite the corrupt asshole? I redrafted our three standard ship hulls to reduce the inclusion of black cedar by half! You wouldn¡¯t believe the hell storm that was created!¡± The man was passionate in his speech and laughing at his own cleverness. ¡°I¡¯ve had enough of the political games, Sebastian. You¡¯ll need to take on the challenge of saving Skyholme by yourself. I intend to savor my remaining years here in peace. Speaking of challenges, there¡¯s that other boy, Gareth. He may very well be the key to stabilizing the Navy, provided you can guide him down a righteous path. I also want an assessment of his abilities. Are there any independent assessors or readers who aren¡¯t swayed by noble interests? I¡¯m reluctant to expose his talents to the Houses or the Triumvirate until he is capable of standing on his own.¡± The man sighed resignedly and, after a pause, said, ¡°Wynna and her daughter Ennet. They are two of the better readers in Skyholme, if not the best. They keep their readings private. At least I have not heard anything about them revealing information they have gleaned in my 72 years. That can¡¯t be said of any of the other powerful readers. No matter how much they profess confidentiality, they are all in the pocket of one house or noble. If you are that worried, you can always take him to the lowlands for an assessment. I will even fly you there myself.¡± The man continued. I heard liquid being poured. When had Callem moved? I hadn¡¯t heard him shift position. ¡°This drink is fantastic, but it doesn¡¯t settle our debt of you dragging me out here. I do have a favor to ask of you.¡± Callem spoke immediately, ¡°Name it, and if within my power, I will do it, friend.¡± I think Sebastian was finishing off his glass as there was a long pause. ¡°My granddaughter, Cilia, is in her fourth year at the Naval Academy. She wants to captain a ship as I did in my heyday,¡± he paused, sighing heavily, ¡°Well, earlier this year, there was trouble at the Naval Academy,¡± he paused. Sorrow laced his words as he continued. ¡°Another officer assaulted her outside of training.¡± I heard wood splinter from the direction Callem had been speaking. ¡°I know this would have never happened under your watch. That idiot in charge of the Academy always lets things slide and looks the other way for favors. I took care of what I could, Callem. The cadet was the son of Halifax Bricio. He is 22nd in line to succeed the Bricio seat on the Council of Three. He is still enrolled in the Academy, but Cilia has been moved back a year, repeating her 3rd year.¡± Sebastian sighed, ¡°I know she is being punished for his transgression. But at least she will not be in his classes any longer. I need you to teach her how to defend herself. Her martial skills are the only area in which she ranks low at the Academy. She can come here in a few months and train with you between academic years. The Bricio cadet also has two Wolfsguard with him at all times. While I could temporarily assign my Wolfsguard Nisil to her, it wouldn¡¯t help. She needs to be able to stand on her own two feet in the Navy if she wants to be a captain. She is too stubborn to give up her dream. I have tried to convince her many times in the last few weeks. If this is too much, just say so, and I will hire others in the city.¡± I heard an empty glass being set down. Captain Callem was quick to reply. ¡°Cilia is the tall gangly granddaughter?¡± ¡°Tall, yes, and she has filled out. The last time I brought her to your farm was five, maybe six years ago. She is strong and a pretty good athlete, but her mind is her sharpest tool. She even has a small aether core and can imprint a few tier-one spells.¡± Pride rang in his tone, ¡°I will also set up an appointment with Wynna as additional payment.¡± Sebastian added, sounding hopeful. ¡°Between terms? Not a lot of time to train her.¡± I heard Callem¡¯s finger tapping on the counter as he considered. ¡°I will focus on hand-to-hand, and she can choose one weapon to focus on while she is here. The boys can help. Ok, it is a deal. Get me an appointment with Wynna as well.¡± There was some movement as the pair moved about the kitchen. Callem suddenly added, ¡°Readings for both boys. I doubt Gareth will go without Storme to see a reader, so make an appointment for two.¡± The pair sounded like they moved together and were shaking hands, sealing the contract. ¡°I will bring out three pouches of tobacco to the ship, but it is time for you to get moving. Your unexpected absence like this may draw eyes to me. And if you want more of the fruit juice and vodka, you can stop by anytime for a drink.¡± ¡°Hah, I am free to go where I want to old friend! The benefits of having my own skyship, but I can see my welcome has been used up,¡± he said in good humor. The door closed as Sebastian left. ¡°So Storme, how much did you hear?¡± I nearly jumped off the couch but slowly sat up. It was work to even sit up, and I was lightheaded. ¡°You can wipe the surprise from your face. You don¡¯t snore but have a low-pitched whistle when you sleep. Sebastian didn¡¯t notice that it had stopped. I did.¡± ¡°Captain Callem, I woke shortly before Nisil left,¡± I said truthfully. He was nodding, replaying in his mind what had been said. ¡°Well, that was Admiral Sebastian Woodcraft. He is a powerful earth and nature archmage. I count him a friend,¡± he sighed, ¡°one of the few I have left, alive at least. In case you are wondering, he changed his last name when he became recognized as an archmage. It had been Riffolk prior. Riffolk is a minor house of nobles in the capital that is known for¡­unsavory things.¡± ¡°He dissolved his bonds to his family when he reached the status of an archmage. Why do I tell you this? It is more for your safety. Even though he has cut ties with his family, they are still like mosquitos around him. Keep your distance from Sebastian until you are old enough to fend for yourself. So, do you know what a reader is?¡± Callem had moved to sit in front of me. I shook my head no. ¡°Well, man has always quested to quantify everything he lays his eyes on. I bet some mathematician out there has calculated how many blades of grass there are within the entire Sphere.¡± He huffed, ¡°I digress. By assigning numbers to certain descriptors, readers can access how strong, smart, fast, fit, and many other things that make you up. The magnitude on their power will determine how accurate their readings are.¡± ¡°Some magitech devices do the same thing, but only the Triumvirate is allowed to utilize them in Skyholme. Readers are not outlawed yet. Some of the more powerful readers with tier 2 or tier 3 reading abilities can read others¡¯ actual abilities, affinities, and racial traits. We do not have many in Skyholme, but there are many in the lowlands. I believe your friend Gareth has the tier 3 ability called Giant¡¯s Constitution. He also has at least one other ability that has improved his reflexes, but I haven¡¯t yet been able to ascertain which by observation. If I can identify his abilities, I can serve him better as his teacher.¡± He was looking at me for approval¡ªmaybe permission. ¡°How much do readings cost?¡± I asked. He misinterpreted my question. ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it. I will cover the cost for both of you. If you choose not to reveal your abilities to me, I am also fine with that. I know your aether core awakened. Sebastian saw your books. He even offered a platinum coin for your cleanliness spell book in jest. It is quite the collector¡¯s item. We both met the mage who wrote the spellbook in our youth. Her spell books are enchanted and cannot be copied, so each copy is treasured.¡± ¡°Well, you should rest after you eat. There is plenty of food in the cold chest. I need to see Sebastian off.¡± Callem rose and looked a little older, if that was possible. He retrieved some pouches of tobacco from the basement and went outside. I hobbled over to the fridge. I started in on a complete strawberry pie. I was surprised when it was completely gone. Next, I cut off some cheese and large slices of ham and made two sandwiches with a few slices of herb bread. While I was working on the second sandwich, Callem returned. ¡°Gareth is back.¡± As if by magic summoning, Gareth burst into the house. He looked me over intently, ¡°Storme, you look good. Can you use the arm?¡± I moved it to show him I was whole and functional. ¡°I told your parents and mine we were out here helping Captain Callem on the farm for the next few days. I had to tell your mother you wrenched your shoulder, but Callem healed you. Also had to fend off Pascal from wanting to come out and help,¡± he grinned at his successful mission. Callem interrupted our reunion, shaking his head. He was obviously not happy Gareth hadn¡¯t told our parents the truth. He sighed, ¡°Let Storme get some sleep. I will get you both some bed rolls, and you can sleep in my common room tonight. I believe you both have a sword lesson tomorrow.¡± I groaned, my body already shivering in anticipation of a new wave of pain. ? Copyrighted 2024 by AlwaysRollsAOne No Permission is given to translate, copy, repost or alter to an audio format of this original work of fiction. If you are reading this on a site that is not my Patreon, RoyalRoad.com, or Scribblehub.com, it has been stolen without my permission and violates DMCA. Remember, this work is the result of my creative effort and is protected by copyright law. Removal or altering of this notification is an acknowledgment you are aware you are in violation of DMCA. Chapter 13 to 15 Chapter 13: Vested in the Sword Gareth had to wake me in the morning as I hadn¡¯t risen. My body was in full recovery mode. Callem had slipped out and was already in his fields, watering individual plants. He was wearing what I guessed to be a large oxen yoke, and two massive buckets hung on either end. As he walked the rows, he pulled a rope attached to each bucket, releasing water over each plant. He noticed us in the doorway gawking. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, boys, you will work yourselves up to this. Your breakfast is under the cover on the counter.¡± He returned to watering. We removed the worn wooden cover on the counter to find an array of fresh fruit, muffin cakes, cold sliced ham, and hard-boiled eggs. A pitcher of sweet-smelling red juice was there with ice cubes floating in it. How in the hell did he prepare all this without waking either of us? After glancing at each other, we dug in and quickly vanquished our shared enemy of the prepared food. I was happy almost to match Gareth¡¯s caloric intake this morning. I knew healing magic typically used body stores to heal, and I had had an awful lot of healing done yesterday. Satiated, we both sat near the bedrolls, holding our bellies. I was dressed in oversized linens. The eagle and the blood completely ruined my other clothes. Apparently, the linens were from a prior trainee of Callem but would do for me until I could get clothes from home. They were only slightly baggy on me. My leather belt worked well to hold the linens to get a decent fit. I looked at Gareth, ¡°Where do we go from here?¡± He looked a bit uncomfortable at my question. ¡°I want to stay here, Storme. I talked to my parents when I tried to explain my reason for heading out here for three days with you, and even though I fumbled the words I found in my heart, I want to be here. I want to learn as much as I can.¡± I was stunned, and before I could respond, Callem had returned to the house from the fields. He started talking with Gareth, and I tuned them out as I began to think. I didn¡¯t want to invest my remaining youth swinging a sword around all day. Three days a week had been my self-assessed limit. I needed to have a serious talk with Gareth as it looked like we might be on different paths. But what could it hurt to spend some of my youth learning to fight with steel as I mastered my magic? Callem was refilling the pitcher with the red drink that reminded me of a strong fruit punch but not overly sweet. I spoke, ¡°Callem, has Gareth expressed his interest in moving out here to stay with you?¡± His confused look told me Gareth hadn¡¯t asked yet. I broke the ice, ¡°We could help you full-time five days a week and return to Hen¡¯s Hollow for two days to stay with our families.¡± I took a deep breath before continuing, ¡°I am not nearly as committed as Gareth, but I will train with him for most of the day before focusing on my aetheric studies.¡± I was preempting Gareth¡¯s request to control the situation and restrain Gareth¡¯s expectations. I was pretty sure he would train every hour of every day if given the option. Gareth was a little confused, and his face kept transforming, first happy, then contemplative, then a little bit unhappy. I couldn¡¯t really worry about what was going through his mind right now. Personally, I was thinking of Freya; she might never forgive me for this and would see it as me abandoning her. Then there was my brother; he also probably wouldn¡¯t forgive me. Father would support my decision as he always hoped his sons would aspire to a higher standing in the militaristic Skyholme Empire. Callem slowly nodded. His tone was serious, ¡°I do not think you should have hidden from your parents what happened to you with the eagle attack, Storme. But I have always thought you need to make your own decisions, regardless of age. However, if your parents ask, I will not lie to them.¡± This man was good, and I suddenly felt guilty. He was probably either trying to decide on my character or build my character. ¡°Callem, thank you. I will tell them what happened¡­but maybe not that I nearly died.¡± I replied respectfully. He nodded, which I assumed was approval. ¡°Good. You both can stay here and train. Before we get too far along, I need to assess you!¡± He started asking us both questions. He wanted to get a fair appraisal of our knowledge, math, writing, history, dungeon lore, bestiary lore, and politics. We had strong responses to his test questions for the first two subjects and did ok with the verbal history exam. We could barely answer any of his questions in the last three subjects. Well, the biggest animal threat on our island was the wild foxes, which controlled the rabbit population. Well, if you ventured too close to the edge of the island, something from below could get you¡ªlike a giant black shadow eagle. His questioning lasted two hours, and we were mentally exhausted by the end and embarrassed by how few questions we could answer toward the end. Callem voiced his assessment of our knowledge. ¡°Okay, normally you boys would get most of this knowledge in the academy. You are expected to know basic numbers and be able to read before the academy, and both of you far surpass that minimum.¡± Gareth beamed at the compliment. I remained blank-faced, waiting for the ¡®but.¡¯ ¡°Though you are still a little behind the children in the capital who have personal tutors as soon as they can walk.¡± He shifted his stance fluidly and started pacing. I knew this was what Callem had also wanted, to get his hands on Gareth full-time. From the outside, he seemed contemplative, but I suspected it was an act. ¡°You will stretch and work the farm with me in the morning. In the afternoon, we will focus on combat training. In the evening, we will spend two hours on books. I will purchase the required texts. You will have three hours after dinner to do what you will in your free time. If you had the mind to, you could make it to town each day and spend an hour with your family before returning. As Storme suggested, you will spend every 6th and 7th day with your families. I will feed you three full meals daily and pay you one gold per week¡ªto split between you for your work.¡± He was trying to flip the script. He didn¡¯t know money was not an obstacle for us. It was his final ¡®lure¡¯ attempt. Gareth didn¡¯t need any extra incentive, and somehow, I had convinced myself to remain with Gareth. Who was following who now? Gareth had a pleading look on his face, his best puppy dog eyes pleading for me to agree for both of us. Callem had made a compelling case, outlining a structured schedule that our parents would likely agree to, which would far exceed what kids our age could typically make. However, I couldn¡¯t help but think that Callem was a bit out of touch with the poor people in Hen¡¯s Hollow, as my share would probably surpass my mother and father¡¯s income. I nodded to Gareth, and he yelled, ¡°Agreed!¡± like a little kid, fearing it might just be a prank or that he would wake up from a perfect dream. Well, the first day wasn¡¯t as bad as I had thought. We stretched as a trio, weeded the fields, and continued clearing the obstacle course. Watering wasn¡¯t required as the morning clouds had provided some rain. Usually, the island had a heavy mist in the morning that did a fair job soaking the earth. Only when the mist and rain were missing for two or more days did Callem water the fields. In the afternoon, we focused on bows, but more specifically, on arrows. Callem emphasized the importance of archery, highlighting that it consists of two main components: the bow and the arrow. We spent hours sorting through six bundles of arrows, removing the defective ones and repairing those we could salvage under Callem''s guidance. In the evening, we went to the spring to clean off and pull the splinters out of our hands and forearms. The food the first day was plentiful, and Callem muttered more than once he had erred in not considering the cost of food for two growing boys when he agreed to compensate us a gold a week. It was more Gareth than me, as he ate twice as much as Callem. The evening found us having free time after we aced some math problems for Callem. Callem also stressed that we should call him Callem, not Captain Callem. I went and worked through my aether core exercises that evening. I managed to understand the first seven and put them into practice. Fortunately, the text was very good at explaining what needed to be done during each step of the exercises. I might fail a few times before getting it, but I have encountered no major problems. That night, I made a stack of gold coins and had Gareth stash them in his pack. I still planned to take Freya to the city once a week and visit Wigand. I also needed 50 gold coins to complete the transaction with Wigand for our fictional benefactor. The next two days were more of the same, except my strength had returned, and the intensity had ratcheted up. We spent just thirty minutes with bow practice before proceeding to sword forms in the afternoon. While I was mastering just one sword, Gareth was rotating through different blades, mastering the current sword form we were working on with each one. I settled on a saber as that was closer to a katana. A katana was thinner and lighter than a saber, but Callem didn¡¯t have one for me. The saber was the blade I felt most comfortable with since it focused on slashing attacks instead of the piercing attacks of a gladius. Well, truthfully, neither of us was ¡®mastering¡¯ the blade after a few days, but we gained confidence and comfort with the forms. Callem let us use a salve that helped form calluses on our hands quickly, for which we were both thankful. I learned 18 of the 23 exercises for working my aether core. Like my first sword form, snapping tortoise, I was far from mastery of the aether core exercises but was slowly becoming proficient. Being self-taught from a book was probably much more challenging than having an experienced mage teach me. The next day, after a massive breakfast, we were released to go home. Callem told us he was going to the capital island to pick up some books and restock his pantry over the next two days. He said we should just stretch in the morning and relax with family on our ¡®off¡¯ days. I was going home to face Freya. If we walked fast, we could get home in a little over thirty minutes. It was less than four miles, by my estimation, to the edge of town. As soon as we entered the town, Gareth went to see his parents to convince them to let him live and train on Callem¡¯s farm. After a short search of my house, I found Freya out in the barn. She ran to me and hugged me. ¡°Hiya Freya. Do you want to go to the city today? We have some things to talk about.¡± ¡°Yes! I was hoping you would say that! But it would help if you put on some actual clothes. You realize that you are wearing woman¡¯s clothes?¡± Her statement had me stumble a bit as she giggled at my bewilderment. The oversized clothes Callem had given me were women¡¯s clothes? ¡°Yes, silly, the cut here and here is for breasts! And the sagginess around your waist is for larger hips!¡± She was laughing as she explained it to me. Well, at least no one saw me enter town. I went into my room and found the bed neatly made and everything on my shelves organized. Freya was in the doorway shortly after and stumbled on her words, ¡°I, uh, had nothing to do, so I, uh, cleaned up the room.¡± I looked her seriously in the eyes and asked, ¡°Did you dust underneath the bed?¡± She turned crimson. ¡°I am sorry, Storme. I was cleaning and came across the package and¡­I thought it was a pillow¡­yeah, and, so I¡­it is so pretty! I love it!¡± She came and hugged me again. ¡°Can I wear it on my birthday? Gwen is going to be so jealous! I cannot wait! Oh, did you know a traveling troupe from the lowlands is coming to the city? They will be there on my birthday! They have a beast menagerie, acrobats, games, bards, and master sword duelists. Will you take me? It is two silver per person, according to the posters. Please¡­¡± She had the same puppy dog eyes Gareth gave me when Callem offered to train us five days a week. ¡°We can talk on the walk to the city. Can I change now?¡± Freya left and shut the door, but I could feel her waiting on the other side. I got my best clothes on, which were quickly becoming mediocre in my mind. I planned to buy new clothes today. I seethed a little bit, wondering if Callem intentionally dressed me in girl¡¯s clothes. I left the house with Freya in tow. We quickly found Gareth cutting wood. He was three days behind on his chores and hadn¡¯t had the courage to ask his parents to move to Callem¡¯s farm yet. Freya and I helped him finish his chores, and we all left for the city. ¡°So, Freya, I have some bad news.¡± I had had some time to think out my approach to breaking the news to her. ¡°You know in our 17th year, we go to the academy and live in the old barracks building at the edge of town?¡± She nodded, ¡°I know Pascal is going next year.¡± She had a concerned look on her face, and she was bracing for the bad news, understanding my tone. ¡°Well, Gareth and I are sort of starting early. Next 1st day, we are going to go live with and learn from Captain Callem.¡± It was best to rip the band-aid right off. Then, give some news to soften the blow. Freya already looked crestfallen as she processed what I was saying. ¡°We will come back every 6th and 7th day. And Gareth and I will spend one of those days entirely with you doing whatever you want.¡± Gareth¡¯s eyebrow went up at that. It was a little get-back at Gareth for pulling me into weapon training for the next two years. I doubted he would mind as he saw Freya as much as a sister as I did. Gareth, collected himself quickly, grinning as he announced, ¡°Yeah, Storme and I talked about it, and we figured you would want to go to Sweet and Treats and Madam Margot¡¯s Tailor shop. We are making decent coin and can get you a few things.¡± Gareth was setting me up to spend coin on Freya. I couldn¡¯t let him win this joust. The clothing store had expensive dresses and accessories for women and girls¡ªsupposedly the height of fashion from the capital. ¡°Yeah,¡± I said, giving him a sour look. ¡°I¡¯ll take you to Sweets and Treats, and Gareth can take you to the tailor shop every week.¡± Game set and match for Gareth! Freya was definitely going to spend much more time in the clothing shop. Freya responded with excitement, ¡°You said you would both hang out with me, so we all stay together in Sweets and Treats and at Margot¡¯s Finery.¡± And the pass is intercepted by Freya and spiked in front of both of us. At least she wasn¡¯t as upset as I thought she would be. We entered the city, and I gave Gareth four large silvers after they dropped me off at Wigand¡¯s. I found Wigand in the back and handed him 30 gold coins. Some of the coins had a shiny new appearance as I had not had time to age them. Wigand stared at them for a bit before depositing them in his lockbox. ¡°So, I haven¡¯t seen my patron recently, but I did have a note from her with the coins attached. She will return in a week to get me the rest of the funds. She went to the lowlands for something.¡± I didn¡¯t rush my words this time while spewing the lie. ¡°Your patron must trust you implicitly to handle such a large sum on her part. Gold is the currency on the capital island but she may be testing your trustworthiness,¡± Wigand said with a note of warning. I nodded in agreement, ¡°I think she is more interested in Gareth than me. He will be an exceptional fighter.¡± Wigand nodded in understanding, but looked a little sad, either at me devaluing myself or Gareth being tied to one of the nobles. He sighed, ¡°Don¡¯t discount yourself, Storme. Those who can imprint spells are just as valuable as those who wield blades. We wouldn¡¯t have our Navy to protect us without our mages.¡± I nodded at his advice. My aether core was becoming more malleable, and it had just been a few days of the exercises. I pressed forward with my request. ¡°I was looking to get another spell if my patron allows. Can you get a copy of the mend flesh spell?¡± After nearly dying, I decided to learn some healing magic. The mend flesh used the body¡¯s own fuel, mostly fat stores, to knit flesh back together, accelerating healing in a sort of stasis field created by the invested aether. The spell was tier one, but the spell book was usually over 30 gold. Wigand looked thoughtful, ¡°The mend flesh spell¡­ complicated spell to learn. It would be of great use to your mentor if you are able to learn it. Have you already learned the cleanliness spell, Storme?¡± He asked with a wink. I flushed red. No, in truth, I had given up on that until I could master the aether core exercises. Then, I could progress to learning the spell imprinting process from the other book rather than proceeding mostly blind. ¡°I¡¯m getting close,¡± was my reply. Wigand nodded and went to the massive index. After a short time, he responded. ¡°I have a line on two versions of the spell. The first is 35 gold, the generic spell book you can get at any mage academy. The second is an older spell book recovered from a wrecked Sadian skyship. Apparently, it was the ship¡¯s chief healer¡¯s personal spellbook of the mend flesh spell and had copious handwritten notes. It is 42 gold. But it has been posted for over a year. If it is still available, I should be able to get it for 40 gold if you are interested?¡± He studied me, judging my mannerisms and response like a true merchant. I made my best sad face. ¡°I will have to check with my patron as she hadn¡¯t mentioned any new payments to us, but I would like the costlier version if you can confirm its availability. I will know next week. We have to finish our current tasks for her.¡± Ugh, I was terrible at lying, at it turned my stomach a little. I left the shop and then traveled to the clothes shop nearby that specialized in boy¡¯s clothes. I quickly selected six comfortable outfits, three for working the farm and three for combat training and running the obstacle course. I added two heavy pairs of boots as well. I wasn¡¯t looking forward to breaking them in. Maybe the salve we used for our hands would help with that? When I left, I had a large wrapped package of clothes, boots, and 18 quality socks. The only thing in the package for Gareth was half the socks. His feet were extremely unsanitary, and sleeping next to him on the floor in Callem¡¯s living room made me appreciate the fresh air outdoors all the much more. I had been thrifty, only spending 13 large silver on everything, half the sum was the boots. They were pricy because most of the leather in Skyholme came from dungeon creatures. The sum would have drawn attention in Hen¡¯s Hollow, but in Solaris City, the merchant didn¡¯t even give them a second look as he stored them. Gareth and Freya were still in Sweets and Treats when I found them, and she had a big bag of candy. Gareth paid for the candy, and we went to a restaurant in town for lunch, and I paid for us. We then took the road home and went swimming. I spent my time focused on my exercises and tanning my upper body while other locals were swimming. I noticed Brianne was with Edward, a boy her age and the son of the stone mason in town. I found it humorous that Gareth kept glancing at the pair, clearly jealous, when I thought he rejected Brianne. My one mistake was displaying my scar as I had my shirt off. Freya thought it was a tattoo when she briefly spotted it from a distance and promised to keep my secret from our parents. Oh well, it was a good day, and my body needed rest. I knew Callem would soon be cranking up the training intensity, so I would enjoy this moment. I fell asleep in the sun, enjoying my second chance at youth. Chapter 14: Settling Into a Routine Waking up in my own bed was nice, especially on a mattress and not a hard floor. I needed to confront the parents today. I could already hear Freya talking to my mother at the other end of the house. Shit. I forgot to tell her I was going to that myself at breakfast. I remained in my room as the house came to life and breakfast was prepared. Even if they said no, I would still be going. Hoping it will go well, I left my room to face the music. I entered the kitchen. Breakfast was on the table, with buckwheat porridge and candied nuts to mask the heavy blandness. The nuts were local and common but had a bitter aftertaste that the candying did not mask well. Ok, the day was not starting well. Mother asked, ¡°So Freya said you have a big announcement?¡± Well, she hadn¡¯t broken the news yet, at least. Father stopped spooning the porridge into his mouth and looked at me. Pascal took the opportunity to pour half the remaining nuts into his bowl and then stopped to look as well. ¡°Yes, um. You know I was working for Callem, I mean Captain Callem, the last few days. The reason why is Gareth and I were attacked by a shadow eagle, and I was healing.¡± Before they could become shocked, I rambled on, ¡°Well, Callem sort of recruited, no, um, asked us if we¡­that is Gareth and me, well mostly Gareth, if we wanted to work his farm and train on his farm,¡± My speech went from halting to fast-paced suddenly, ¡°It would just be for five days a week. I would be back for the 6th and 7th days. And we will learn more than just fighting and tending his fields. And he is paying us and feeding us. It is ok, right?¡± I breathed deeply, unsure how I had become winded from those few words, but my pulse raced, and my aether core hummed and burned, responding to my anxiety. Father was the first to speak, and apparently, the shadow eagle attack was the furthest thing from his mind. ¡°Captain Callem is going to train you himself?¡± The words were cold and questioning, sounding doubtful. I just nodded, thinking he was upset, but then his face broke into the biggest-toothed smile I had ever seen from the man. ¡°Alurha, we are going to have a master swordsman for a son!¡± He was soon up and hugging me, a rare occurrence. In my father embrace, I was keenly paying attention to everyone to gauge their reaction, Freya was smiling, and my mother had a small grin, but that was apparently at seeing father happy as she was eying him more than me. Pascal had stormy, resentful eyes and a darker facial expression. Well, 3 out of 4 was good, right? Instead of going to work today, my mother started helping me pack. She put everything in my bedroom except one set of clothes in a crate and asked if I needed anything else. I said pillows and explained how it was hard to sleep when my body was so sore. I didn¡¯t feel self-conscious at all, whining a bit about the rigors of training to my Mother. She went out and bought me nine new super fluffy feather pillows! She explained that since she didn¡¯t have to feed me, she would have extra coin, and spending it a little early on me was just common sense. She also gave me a drying rack for clothes, detergent, three newish towels, some old dishes and pots, two of my dad¡¯s old jackets, a needle and thread, and six sweet rolls wrapped in paper. I could see she was both proud and worried about me. Freya confirmed that I would be back for her birthday and to take her to see the traveling show in the city on her special day. Pascal was nowhere to be seen, clearly jealous I was training with Callem. I made sure my mother never saw my collection of mage books. My aether core was not something I wanted to reveal yet. Eventually, I had two large crates outside, storing most of my worldly possessions inside them, and I found Gareth with a single overstuffed backpack walking toward me later in the day. His eyebrow rose in question at the crates, and I just shrugged with a mischievous smile. ¡°Gareth, you remember when I said I would buy a cart so you could pull me? Well, that time has come!¡± I laughed my most evil supervillain laugh, and he actually edged away from me. Well, it ended up just being an oversized, two-wheeled wheelbarrow. Gareth did, in fact, push it most of the way, and the one time I jumped in, he just stopped until I paid him a large silver, then he pushed me a few hundred feet before demanding another. I started walking, exclaiming, ¡°Good and honest help is hard to find in these woods!¡± It was late in the day when we got to Callem¡¯s farm, and we were shocked to find a new building opposite the training yard from the farmhouse. It was not very big, just 15 feet by 30 feet. It was stone, and we entered to find a common room and kitchen with ladders on each side leading up to sleeping lofts. The kitchen was fully furnished, and the common room had two plush chairs and a small dining table with four chairs. I could already imagine relaxing in one of those plush chairs after a hard day in the fields and weapons training. We investigated both of the doors. One led to a tiny washroom, and the other had stairs down to a fully stocked larder. The larder was very cold, and I noticed the runic markings on a stone in the center. Looking around, there was enough food to feed us for a year! Callem descended the stairs as we gawked at all the food on the stone shelves. ¡°Boys, good to see you are back. Called in a favor.¡± Callem winked at me, ¡°From an earth mage to get this outbuilding done while you were gone. We can¡¯t have you two sleeping on the floor with the type of training we will be doing. The furnishings I retrieved from my storage unit in the capital.¡± He muttered under his breath, ¡°I haven¡¯t visited those memories in a while.¡± He recomposed himself, ¡°The larder down here,¡± he hesitated, thinking what to say, ¡°...well, you two need to learn how to cook your own food. I said I would feed you, not cook for you.¡± Gareth excitedly butted in, ¡°Storme is the best cook in Hen¡¯s Hollow¡­¡± his voice died as I gave him a death stare. The last thing I wanted to be doing after working myself to exhaustion every day was to cook for three hungry men. ¡°Is that so?¡± Callem responded with a smirk and eyed me deviously. I swear he could read minds. ¡°Well, I will prepare breakfast every morning, and you will eat in the house with me. Mid-day meal will be from the larder here, prepared by both of you. The evening meal will be a hearty stew that I will put on in the morning to cook all day and will be eaten here as well. You will clean all the dishes from each meal here.¡± Yeah, I already knew I would be preparing the mid-day meal by myself as Gareth was a terrible cook. He could make a baked potato taste awful. I surveyed the larder, making mental notes and putting together meals in my head. ¡°Now, boys, come to the house, and I will show you the new library!¡± Callem sounded excited and seemed much younger today by his enthusiasm. The ¡®library¡¯ had two copies of twenty-one texts, each thick with pages. They covered beasts, dungeons, politics, law, culture, and trade. All the books were old, and Callem conceded he got them from the Naval academies¡¯ storage units. They were supposed to be handed down to lesser academies when the Naval Academy got the newest copies, but had been packaged in crates and put into storage instead. Callem told us he had purchased them for a few coins since he knew the logistics officer in charge of the academy. After all the changes were noted and explained, Callem produced his stew for the evening. It was a bit mushy, and when I asked how he made it and offered suggestions to improve it, I was named the new stew chef. Callem, the sly fox, had been waiting for me to criticize his cooking. So, from now on, after breakfast and stretching in the morning I would be given an hour to prepare the dinner meal. At least I wouldn¡¯t have to work the fields during that time. It wouldn¡¯t have been so bad if not for Gareth openly laughing at my error. You should never insult a man¡¯s cooking by saying you can do better! The plush chairs in our new bunkhouse were well-worn, well-made, and extremely comfortable. There were lanterns fitted with soft aether light stones. I marveled at the time, effort, and expense Callem had put into making us comfortable¡ªwell in counterpoint, he was going to do his best to make us very uncomfortable during the day, I surmised. The upper lofts were very comfortable as well. There was a loft on each side measuring 5¡¯ by 15¡¯, and each loft had two narrow beds, three chests under each bed, a long shelf over each bed, and two armoires. The beds were in the center of the lofts, end to end. So Callem could host four students here. Something must have happened, or at least I was predicting Cilia would be coming with someone else. Gareth and I selected opposite sides of the loft, and I unpacked, hauling my stuff up the ladder. I knew all these pillows would be a godsend starting tomorrow night. I spent some time working on my aether core before falling asleep. We had cold roasted pork, soft cheese, and a thick applesauce in the morning¡ªno fruit juice this morning, just water. We stretched together, and they went to the fields while I went to the house to set up dinner. I prepared lamb stew with potatoes, carrots, and red wine for the stew. After coating them in flour, I braised the lamb cubes to hold them together and seal in the juices while the stew simmered. I accessed Callem¡¯s larder in the house and found a decent-sized distillery in the basement and dozens of full oak casks marked vodka with different dates on them. His larder matched the size of the one under the bunkhouse. There was no way we were going hungry. He had twenty-two large casks of the fruit juice too, and three were empty when I taped on them. He didn¡¯t have an extensive selection of wine, though, just 37 bottles; all were local vintages from Hen¡¯s Hollow. There was no stigma in regard to kids drinking wine in the Skyholme, and I had my fair share. Most wines had very little alcohol and were very fruity. After the stew was simmering over coals, I joined them in the fields, and then we began the real work¡­ Five days had passed, and not a single inch of my body did not hurt. Callem knew how to push us without quite breaking us. My favorite part of the day? It was falling face first into the cold spring we used to bathe a quarter mile from the farm. The cold water shocked me enough to forget the muscle pain. This morning was the absolute worst day so far. We learned there were actually 23 stretches.The narrative has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the infringement. The five we hadn¡¯t learned were because they were for acrobatics. Callem didn¡¯t seem to care, and so we started to force ourselves into being able to do a split. When we struggled, we asked him if he could do a split, and he did so without hesitating. How could a man as square as him splay his legs and get his pelvis to the earth? I shuddered, thinking about how far I still had to go to match that feat of mobility. My only solace was that Gareth had also struggled but he had put forth a painful effort to try and not disappoint Callem. Gareth splashed into the water a few seconds after me. It had been a productive week, as I reflected. I let the cold water numb my poor body. The bend in the stream here was shaded, and the natural sandy-bottomed pool here was perfect for us to lounge on. It was actually the only place deep enough to submerge in the nearby stream. We returned to eat with Callem after getting our bodies sufficiently numb. Tonight¡¯s stew was a meat and bean chili with roasted sweet peppers. It was the second time I had made it this week at Callem¡¯s request. Callem had eaten over half of the first batch himself. The man loved my cooking, and I couldn¡¯t believe how much he ate. I had already scaled up portions of my stew twice. I was now using the biggest pot Callem had in his kitchen. One good thing that came from cooking dinner and preparing lunch was I didn¡¯t have to do the dishes! Callem and Gareth did all the day¡¯s dishes together while discussing sword mastery after dinner. Gareth was outpacing me in learning the art of combat. It seemed I would only master one blade to his 23, but I was fine with that. I was actually a decent archer when Callem had us practice with the bows. Callem used the bows to teach us patience, steadiness, and how to anticipate our opponent¡¯s moves. Gareth was better, of course, but only by a slight margin, and Callem could usually find and correct my faults. Just a few comments from him made me improve swiftly. We have been working with smaller bows with low draw weights for now. Callem also had us making our own arrows as well. I was actually better than Gareth at fletching. It had absolutely nothing to do with me using my metal shaping skill to fit the arrowheads. Yep, that had nothing to do with it. Gareth wasn¡¯t training us to be fletchers just to be competent enough to make arrows if we needed to. The obstacle course, or the ¡°Course of Ultimate Pain¡± as I liked to call it, was fun at first. Then Callem added weighted vests, shot arrows capped with leather balls at us, had moving obstacles on pendulums, and secretly changed the obstacles during the night to trip us up, and I mean literally trip us up. He said it was the first phase of teaching a soldier to be aware of everything in combat and expect the unexpected. He was definitely having more fun than us. Gareth was having fun because he seemed to recover three times as fast as me. Callem withheld salves and potions, saying we needed to train my body¡¯s healing processes. Yeah, at least the cold water felt good as it sapped away the heat from my muscles. The best part of the last five days was my aether core training. I had gotten all 23 exercises down and practiced them each night until I passed out from fatigue. I also never forgot to add to my growing horde of gold coins. To my surprise, the number of gold coins had increased to 14. I also felt, no, I knew, I was extremely close to being able to make just a single gold coin at a time which would mean I was close to making my first platinum. ¡°Stormy?¡± Gareth asked to see if I was paying attention. ¡°Yeah, bud, what¡¯s cooking in your head tonight?¡± The cold water soaks had served as a time of reflection for us, but we usually relaxed and just talked nonsense. ¡°You have a meal request?¡± He let out a sigh, ¡°No, I was just thinking I wanted to become an adventurer.¡± I was quiet, so he continued. ¡°I want to see more than just Skyholme. I actually don¡¯t think I want to live here, in Skyholme, that is.¡± This was Callem¡¯s fault. In our nightly lessons, he had revealed the corruption of politics within the capital. A fairly na?ve boy like Gareth had not taken it well, but he worshiped Callem, so Gareth took everything he said literally during lessons. ¡°Gareth, we are only 15.¡± I said emphatically, ¡°It is too early to think about these things. Can we revisit this conversation after our first year of Academy?¡± I hadn¡¯t soured on spending my life in Skyholme. I was sure I would find the old adage, ¡®power corrupts, absolute power corrupts absolutely¡¯ would hold true anywhere I went within the Sphere. The mood mellowed, and soon we were walking back to the house, a little gimpy but clean. We talked about going home tomorrow and planning what to do for Freya¡¯s birthday. Basically, we planned to escort her to all the various acts from the traveling troupe coming to the city. At dinner, Callem devoured an astonishing amount of an extremely spicy chili. It was my poor attempt to get a modicum of revenge for the pain he was inflicting on me daily. I found it hard to believe he wasn¡¯t going to burst from the volume he consumed. Feeling guilty, I offered him a slice of cheddar cheese and a warm, buttered piece of bread, to help temper the fiery spices I had used, but he completely dismissed me. Instead, he relished every mouthful of the steaming, spicy chili, his eyes were a mix of delight and discomfort. Gareth was suffering as he ate but also refused the cheese-topped bread to show his willpower to Callem. I just shook my head at my foolish friend. That night lying in my bed, something amazing happened. After my exercises and getting close to falling asleep, I decided to take another shot at making platinum before making the gold coins. I made two platinum coins and half of a third! Chapter 15: Abilities, Traits, and Affinities Unfortunately, my excitement kept me up most of the night. I had made 250 gold worth of platinum! That was unfathomable to me. I had only seen platinum and felt on the skyship manual in Wigand¡¯s shop. I would have to check and see if there was something unique about platinum coins used in Skyholme. Short periods of sleep had my dreams wandering again. This time, I was dreaming mostly of traveling the skies of the Sphere in my own skyship and shooting down giant black eagles with aether cannon in petty revenge. It was a pleasant dream. On waking, Gareth dragged me to an early breakfast. Breakfast was rosemary bread with hard cheese baked into the loaf. The sliced bread was slathered with butter and a potato and egg salad. Callem had also brought out the expensive fruit juice this morning to celebrate the end of the week of training. He also had ten large silvers on the table for us. I almost wanted to tell him he could keep the coin but Gareth¡¯s eyes were fixed on our pay so I held my tongue. ¡°Boys, it was a fine week. Next week, I want to build that new drying shed, so I will be getting some dried lumber in town. I will get more of those spices and various peppers for the chili while I am in town.¡± Gareth moaned softly as his night had not been pleasant. Callem ignored him and continued, ¡°Weird name for a food, chili. It burns as much going in and it does going out and isn¡¯t cold at all.¡± He laughed at his joke, and we ignored the quip. I had used the spiciest peppers I could find when I cooked the last batch in hopes of turning Callem off to the chili stew, but it only heightened his passion for it. The man had a cast iron digestive system, something neither Gareth nor I shared. Callem had become livelier every day as Gareth had made quick progress. I attributed his liveliness partially to enjoying the new ¡®delicacies¡¯ I had been making. He was also more passionate about his tobacco fields. He said he was trying to improve the quality of the leaves to earn more money to pay for the prodigious amounts of food we were consuming. I almost noted he was eating the same as Gareth and I combined. I thought of something, ¡°Have you ever used Edel to dry your tobacco leaves? She does that service for the town¡¯s herbalist all the time.¡± Callem looked at me, confused momentarily, while I explained her ability to evaporate water from clothes and dry out herbs. I told Callem that she worked in the bathhouse during the day, and he was immediately interested in meeting her today. ¡°Hmm, I think I will walk with you boys to town this morning to meet this ¡®Edel.¡¯¡± He looked at us and decided we were not thrilled at the prospect of an escort, ¡°Well, maybe I will wait till after lunch to go to town. There were leftovers from a few nights ago I should finish.¡± As I had used an enormous bird, a good amount of barbeque-pulled chicken was left from a prior meal. I had been planning to use that as a pizza topping, but Callem had quite the appetite, and none would be left after his lunch today. When we trained, he worked twice as hard as we did, and I think the old man was leaning out even with his increased food consumption. Our walk to town was without Callem, and I had the opportunity to show Gareth the coins. His jaw dropped when I told him what they were. ¡°Platinum, Storme! There is a Princesses ransom right here, well maybe enough for a princess¡¯s handmaiden.¡± He was still looking at the two coins. I expressed my concern at their similarity to silver to him, ¡°Yeah, I don¡¯t know how Skyholme denotes it from silver. I can feel the difference with my metal shaping skill, but they look very similar on a quick inspection.¡± Gareth flipped one of the coins in the air and caught it, ¡°It is definitely heavier than silver, though. Do you think we can spend it in the city? Are you going to try to use it at Wigand¡¯s?¡± I thought for a while while we walked, unsure what I would do. Finally, I told Gareth, ¡°Why don¡¯t you sew one of them into your shoe? I will remove the imaging on the faces to make it a blank coin. It can replace the gold you have there as your emergency fund.¡± That gold had been upgraded from silver just a few days ago at Gareth¡¯s request. While pocketing the coin, Gareth said, ¡°Nah, I will just put it in my other shoe.¡± I just shook my head as my friend grinned at his own cleverness. I had been drilling into him the importance of keeping a low profile, and I think he was more cognizant now of his actions and spending. Maybe I should take my own advice? Maybe it was time for my mystery benefactor to leave Skyholme. We found Freya waiting anxiously at the edge of town. She must have been waiting all morning for us. Since we were not around to escort her, mother wouldn¡¯t allow her to leave the town. She ran to us smiling. ¡°Are we off to the city?¡± She bounced around excitedly. ¡°Yes, Freya, we will go today. I just want to drop off some butter and herb bread I baked at home. Gareth wants to go see his mother, too.¡± I said, smiling, happy to see my excitable sister as well. My mother was busy completing a large order, engraving 36 sword scabbards for a branch of the city¡¯s constables, but she was happy to see me. We chatted briefly about my training, and she asked me how serious the shadow eagle attack had been. I thought I had escaped her scrutiny on the attack. I considered showing her my scar, but I knew it would only make her worry, so I downplayed the encounter instead. After spending time with my mother, I took my impatient sister to the general store in town and bought a few things with the fifty silver coins I had earned. It felt good to spend the silver I had worked hard for while helping Callem. My wages were exceptionally high compared to what my parents and most people in Hen¡¯s Hollow earned. A typical farmhand might make no more than five silver coins a week, which usually included room and board. We didn¡¯t know how much Callem earned from his tobacco sales, but it must have been significant. I also suspected that Callem was unaware of the substantial amount he was paying us. I bought 40 pieces of paper, an ink well, and two simple fountain pens in the general store. I wanted to start working on my spell soon, and one of the ways to imprint it was by copying the spell forms over and over on paper. I also traded in my backpack for a bigger and much better-made one. This cost me four large silver coins even after the trade since it had a simple durability rune sewn into it with silver thread. I hemmed and hawed with the proprietor about the investment to act like the coins were substantial for me. I also bought twenty-two small sacks as well. Callem had shown us a few edible plants we could harvest, and I planned to add them to our diet and season our food. I also added two glass bottles. One would be for garlic-infused olive oil and the other for vinegar. We needed more veggies in our diet, and salads were in our future! I dropped everything off in my room at home and found Gareth doing chores. Gareth was an only child, so with him gone, more had fallen to his parents. I helped him, as Freya had mysteriously disappeared at the general store. When Freya did make an appearance, she helped as well. When we finished Gareth¡¯s chores, we headed for the city together. Freya bombarded us with questions as we walked, and we took turns answering her. She mainly wanted to know what we were doing to become master swordsmen so she could brag to her friends. We eventually reached the city and went straight to the candy store. Today at Sweets and Treats, she was very restrained, spending just two large coppers of my coins. At Margot¡¯s Finery, she got a blue scarf and hair ribbons, all to match the dress I was giving her on her birthday. We did see numerous postings in town for the coming troupe. I was surprised our small city had drawn them. I think the last time we had a traveling troupe was five years ago, and it was not this extravagant. My parents hadn¡¯t brought us to town to see it, so this would be my first experience. We went to a relatively pricy restaurant, and I volunteered Gareth to pay with some of his large silvers we earned from Callem, as we had each taken five. The food was only average for the price. I had the pheasant stuffed with herb-infused rice. Gareth had a dungeon steak and lemon-butter-coated vegetables. Freya just had three desserts. As Freya worked on the second dessert, she commented, ¡°Storme, you have gotten taller.¡± I thought she was just being nice, but Gareth nodded in agreement. I would have to confirm that myself, as I was desperately waiting for a growth spurt. ¡°I started doing your deliveries in town, too.¡± ¡°That is fantastic! Are you buying lunch then?¡± Freya froze, concern on her face. I laughed, ¡°I will pay.¡± I thought taking over my enterprise would teach her responsibility and allow her to save some coins on her own. ¡°I am proud of you,¡± I said patting her back. Gareth grinned, ¡°Guess you can pay your own way at Sweets and Treats next time.¡± Freya gave him a dirty look. Ha! Gareth would be on her naughty list for that jab. The walk home was pleasant, with Freya zipping around us, burning off her sugar rush. I did check when I got home, and I had grown a bit! This put me in a fantastic mood, and I put together a nice dinner for the family of braised pork loin with an apple chutney sauce and red wine vinegar cucumbers. Pascal was still quite upset with me by his expression and treatment of me at dinner. He had asked our father incessantly, pleading that he should join us for the training with Callem. Father gave me a chance to capitulate, but I didn¡¯t. Fortunately, my father didn¡¯t press me further, not wanting to risk upsetting Callem or me. That night, I created gold coins, almost 15 in total were made from my aether. I was happy my aether pool was growing steadily. I also spent time on my aether core exercises and began focusing on imprinting a spell, copying the lines from the spell book over and over until my eyes burned and I needed sleep. When we returned to Callem¡¯s, I would continue the process, but I would hopefully soon have a second spell. I had a heavy and restful sleep with no powerful dreams. I was up and stretching with Gareth in the morning before we returned to the city. Gareth wanted new boots, and I needed to get to Wigand¡¯s bookstore. We parted in front of the bookstore, and Gareth said I should wait for him to return. I hadn¡¯t noticed anyone following us, but after he pointed out two teenage boys, I changed my mind and was certain we were being watched. I told Gareth jokingly but seriously, ¡°I will definitely be waiting for you to be my escort home.¡± Wigand looked up as I entered, and his face showed something I hadn¡¯t seen there before. His forehead was creased in concentration as it looked like he was trying to puzzle me out. It soon evaporated to his normal salesman¡¯s smile. ¡°Storme, it is so good to see you! What news do you have for me in regard to your fortunes?¡± ¡°Wigand, it has been a fruitful week, and I have seen my patron. She has given me the coin for her book and some extra as well. It was an advancement on her part for a long list of tasks I have yet to complete, though.¡± Wigand closed his eyes momentarily as if looking inward for the proper question. I interrupted his contemplation, ¡°I do have a request. I have never seen a platinum coin. Do you have any I could look at? Someone said they look just like silver coins.¡± My question seemed to sidetrack what he had been preparing to say. ¡°Platinum? I have two in my vault in the back¡­¡± he paused, looked frightened for the briefest second, then smiled again. I was definitely not a criminal and wouldn¡¯t be stealing from him. He started to his backroom before pausing. Then waved me to follow. His back room was as I remembered it. The model ships, tables, benches with books he was repairing, and shelves with neatly ordered books. ¡°Storme, the platinum coins in my lockbox are not actually mine. They are a down payment on a book I am procuring for a client.¡± He went to the vault. It looked like a robust steel safe but with a key lock. He pulled out the key and opened it. Inside was an ordered stack of books, three trays of coins, a handful of rings, and a bunch of rolled-up scrolls. ¡°Here,¡± he said, handing me a coin he plucked out while I had been focused on trying to read the titles of the books inside. His visage turned hawk-like on me as I studied the coin. The coin had the same markings except that the center of the coin was punched out and replaced with a small circle of gold. I reached out with my metal shaping to get a clear picture of the coin and returned it to him after I was confident I had gleaned everything I could. The coin had a fair amount of silver in it too. I wondered if it was counterfeit. I estimated it was 80% platinum, 10% gold, and 10% silver. ¡°Thank you. I just wanted to make sure the coin my patron had given me was really a platinum coin.¡± His eyes bulged at my statement, and he carefully put the valuable coin away. I could see he was checking on the other platinum coin he had before closing his vault. During this time, I reached into my pocket, pretending to fish around. As I did, I added the gold to the center of my platinum, and matched the coin to the one I had just held. I added the some silver as well. I handed the new shiny coin to Wigand, and he studied it for a good while before saying, ¡°I don¡¯t see many platinum myself. Newly minted like yours sure makes them look pretty, though. Where did you say your patron exchanged her coins?¡± Wigand prompted. Was he testing my story? My heart suddenly raced a bit as some anxiety in his voice accompanied his inquiry. Then my anxiety kicked in and caused me to rush my fabricated words again, ¡°Oh, I don¡¯t think it is a new coin. She has the cleanliness spell. I think she has been visiting the other islands, even the smaller ones.¡± Wigand was waiting for more, but I clammed up after that, not wanting to build a fragile web of lies. He studied me, but he let it drop. ¡°Just give me a moment to confirm the coin¡¯s authenticity.¡± He went to a desk, pulled out a rack of tubes, and placed a drop on the coin. A little surprised, he said, ¡°Huh, it is genuine. Ok, Storme,¡± He studied me again. ¡°Tell me the truth.¡± I braced myself. ¡°Your benefactor is from one of the ruling families, no?¡± Unsure of what to do, I nodded slowly, confirming his guess. ¡°Oh, Storme!¡± he shook his head. ¡°You are probably being prepped to be some pawn in their machinations. Did she promise to pay your way through one of the Academies in the capital?¡± I was still in shock at Wigand¡¯s guessing, so I nodded affirmatively. He sighed heavily and sat down behind his counter. ¡°You shouldn¡¯t have revealed your aether core to her, or did she find you by another means? Wait! Don¡¯t tell me. I probably know too much already. Be careful, Storme. The games of houses are not safe. Be wary of anything she asks of you and Gareth. That is all the advice I will give.¡± Wigand was lost in thought as his face pitied me but returned to the present, his sweaty face now dry. He had been worried about me, and his look showed that he was still worried about me. I wondered what had happened to him in the past but decided not to ask. ¡°I have your spell book over there. I procured it two days ago, trusting you would be back. Don¡¯t look surprised. If you hadn¡¯t shown up, I had another buyer lined up. So that is 40 gold plus 20 gold for the book on aether creationism. That means I owe you four large gold. Is there anything else you need before I get your change? Another spell? Is your patron seeking another specific book?¡± I felt a little uncomfortable, and Wigand¡¯s normal smile felt like it was now pitying me for my predicament. ¡°None of the tasks I have assigned by her are regarding books,¡± I sputtered out. ¡°If I do need another text, I will come directly to you.¡± He was appraising me. I think he wanted to say something but held it back. The air was getting heavy in the backroom as Wigand finally retrieved the four large gold from his vault and handed them to me. I took them and my new spell book and quickly left the store. Yeah, and I had been telling Gareth to be careful, and now Wigand thought I was the pawn of some powerful and wealthy noble from the capital island. Well, maybe it was not a bad thing. It did explain the shiny coins. ¡°I will have the creation book in three days, Storme.¡± I heard Wigand say in crisp words as the door was closing. I was self-aware enough not to wander from the entrance of the bookstore and awaited Gareth¡¯s return. He came by thirty minutes later with a cocky grin on his face. His two old boots are under his arm, and a pair of new dark brown boots were on his feet. I started walking, and he quickened his pace to fall beside me. ¡°Nice boots,¡± I said, knowing he wanted the praise. We had a good amount of back-and-forth as I retold my recent interactions with Wigand. And yes, he did call me out on the hypocrisy I had been preaching to him about being reserved in our spending, and I had just spent a platinum coin. Gareth was intrigued by the idea of making our mysterious patron some noblewoman from the capital, a beautiful young noblewoman like in the stories. We both decided to head back to Callem¡¯s today, after getting a massive meal at a tavern we liked, The Maid¡¯s Folly. It had good, prodigious amounts of food for a reasonable price. They even served cheeseburgers. Gareth beat me by consuming five medium cheeseburgers to my four and a half, but I claimed victory based on body weight. With full stomachs, we headed back to Hen''s Hollow. Along the way, we spotted the kids from town playing near the gates. The red-haired leader was among them and gave me an intimidating stare from a distance. He looked confident in his perceived superiority, but with Gareth beside me, the group quickly dispersed when he took a step toward them. Gareth laughed as they scattered, and I was grateful to have him on my side. Gareth and I decided that after taking Freya next week to see the carnival, we would try to avoid the city going forward. It wasn¡¯t that we were intimidated by the local teens, but it was best to avoid a confrontation that could get messy. Now that we had the funds, we discussed the possibility of getting airship tickets to visit one of the three other cities on Titan¡¯s Shield or even another city on another island. We said our goodbyes to our families and gathered our things back in town. We could be back at Callem¡¯s farm in a few hours and still have time before making dinner. The small farmhouse was alive with loud conversation when we approached the farm. We looked at each other, confused. Callem had female company? My first thought was he had convinced Edel to come out here to dry his tobacco leaves. We slowly ventured to the door and knocked. Callem¡¯s voice boomed, ¡°Boys, if that is you come in!¡± We entered and saw an older woman and a middle-aged woman at the table with Callem, with a spread of meats, cheeses, and sliced bread between them. A pitcher of red fruit juice was there as well. ¡°What luck you are back tonight instead of in the early morning, boys!¡± He stood and made a half-bow to introduce the two women, ¡°This is Master Reader Wynna and her daughter, Master Reader Ennet.¡± Not sure what to do, I bowed and elbowed Gareth to do the same. Callem smiled, so I guess it was the right thing to do. ¡°They are visiting Hen¡¯s Hollow on Holiday and are in incognito.¡± He said as if it was a well-known joke, and the women smiled. ¡°Well, sit boys, there is much to talk about and much to do so these women can be on their way.¡± The older woman with silver-aged hair spoke first, ¡°I am Wynna. Master Callem spoke with us a few days back about two exceptional boys he would like us to read. We were so intrigued that we found time to leave the capital and come here, hoping to meet these boys. So, I pushed up your scheduled reading and decided to visit you.¡± The younger woman with dark brown hair and blue eyes scoffed. ¡°Yes, mother, it had nothing to do with Lord Garay sending his servants for the tenth time this month to recruit me to his household,¡± the younger woman said with icy humor in her tone. ¡°Well, if you want to marry his third son, daughter, you have my blessing.¡± The slightly comedic exchange ended as they both smiled at what seemed like normal banter. The older woman locked eyes on us. ¡°Ok, down to business. Callem has paid our price, and we are here for a reading. Boys, do you know what a reading is?¡± The older woman asked nicely. We both shook our heads uncertainly. She turned and gave Callem a disapproving look. He just shrugged in response. The woman got us seated and comfortable at the table, and we started picking at the food while she spoke. ¡°Well, readers are capable of reading a person¡¯s soul imprint. What is written on the soul, to be exact. Some readers can only gleam tidbits of information, and some can read a person like a book. What can they read, you are asking yourself? Many things, depending on their aptitudes. Some things include how long they will live, their strength, fitness, intellect, fortitude, reasoning, what abilities they have been blessed with, the size of their aether core, what traits they have, what skill affinities they have, what skill competencies they have, where their passions lay and many other things.¡± She took a breath to continue, ¡°Callem has asked us to read your abilities, traits, and skill affinities to help you in your training. Abilities are what you are born with and are formed from your connection to the aether. If you were born outside the Sphere, you would most likely not have any abilities as they are reliant on the aether generated here. Traits are also aether linked but revolve around your bloodline derived from your race and ancestry. Finally, we will read your skill affinities: your ability to learn certain things faster. Some people are more effective at performing those skills beyond what should be possible. Some say skill affinities are residual advantages gained from past lives, but I digress. We can read other things, but that is all we are doing today.¡± She looked pointedly at Callem. Callem muttered something about how they wanted all his gold. The older woman had finished and waited for us to digest everything she had said. We both knew about abilities, traits, and affinities. We had spent days fantasizing about what we would have when we reached puberty. There were books talking about hundreds of affinities and traits. All the books only listed tier 1 and tier 2 abilities, nothing higher. I asked, ¡°Can you gain new abilities, traits, and affinities after you are born?¡± The woman arched an eyebrow at Callem, which I took as a sign that I had asked a very introspective question. ¡°That is a very interesting question, and the answer is yes. The wealthy pay large sums to do so. Sometimes they succeed, and sometimes they do not. While failures can be significant, they are usually not catastrophic,¡± she finished. ¡°In terms of adding new abilities, imagine your soul to be a beautiful painting of a landscape with a lake, trees, and mountain. Every time you try to add something new to the painting, the colors can run and ruin the image. This could damage the current abilities the person already has or even erase them completely from the painting. Everyone generally has two free attempts to add something new to their soul, but after that, you are playing Death¡¯s Dice.¡± Death¡¯s Dice was a game if you rolled doubles of any number, you would lose all your points up to that point in the game. She continued, ¡°The safest way to add abilities is with a dungeon elixir. Imbibing a dungeon elixir with an ability would be like painting a beautiful swan upon that lake in the painting without disturbing the painting at all. Of course, the Triumvirate confiscates all dungeon essences, so put it out of your minds of gaining power that way.¡± She added the last sentence with hardness. ¡°Regarding adding traits, races, and beasts have different traits for a reason. You can add them via strong aetheric magic or dungeon elixirs as well, but your body will change too, add cat¡¯s grace, and you might grow a tail and whiskers, for example.¡± She looked at us sternly and warningly, ¡°And most likely, you will never be able to have children. 90% of those who have changed thus can never conceive or contribute to conceiving a child.¡± She waited for her warning to sink in before continuing, ¡°What is last, oh yes, skill affinities! That is the easiest to gain with memory crystals, but each person¡¯s soul can only hold so many affinities. Memory crystals can only be used once and rare in the islands. A person can have three, perhaps four affinities at most. Forcing more will scramble your mind.¡± She stopped to take a long pull of the juice. ¡°Now Callem has paid for us to read both of you. We are doing abilities, traits, and skill affinities today. That will be all. This is typically a private matter of the individual.¡± Without being told to, Callem rose and left the house. Wynna nodded appreciatively as the door closed. Gareth and I stared at each for a moment and nodded. ¡°We have no secrets between us,¡± I said. The women smiled at us. The younger woman, Ennet, picked up the conversation, ¡°So we will be doing a blood reading on each of you. How this will work is one at a time, we will cover our hands over yours above an enchanted parchment to collect the blood. We will activate our abilities to read your soul, and you will bleed onto the parchment below, and everything will be written out for you to read in a script you are familiar with. It is a bit of a messy method, but it is how our ability works best.¡± Neither of us was squeamish as we had to bleed many times under Callem¡¯s tutelage, so we nodded in consent. Gareth went first, and the woman prepared as they had mentioned but also put a small blanket over the clasped hands so they could not see what was written in his blood. The process ended up taking about three minutes. Gareth¡¯s blood dripped onto the parchment in a steady cadence before Ennet announced it was finished. Both women smiled at Gareth as he secreted away his parchment. I was up next, and the experience was unpleasant. It did feel like someone was crawling through my soul and reading it. My palm burned briefly, and I felt my blood being pressed out of my skin. The sound of it dripping on the enchanted paper was more disturbing than I had thought it would be. It took no longer than Gareth¡¯s reading, and the older woman did cock one eyebrow in surprise for the briefest instant. She had definitely caught something about me during the reading. I stored my paper in my pocket without looking at it, and my angst rose slightly. ¡°Boy, Storme, correct? Come talk with me.¡± The older woman, Wynna, said. We went off to a corner of the kitchen, and I thought my secrets had been exposed. Before I could plan to deal with the repercussions, she said, ¡°Caught my surprise, did you? I have been doing this for years and can feel a person¡¯s strength during a reading. My daughter has not reached that understanding yet. What I felt, Storme was something stronger than I have ever felt before,¡± she pointed at my paper. ¡°I have felt tier 4 powers before, so I know what is written on that paper is probably tier 5. Whatever it is, I suggest you keep it secret no matter how useless or powerful that ability is.¡± She waited till I nodded. The woman looked tired from doing the readings. Callem returned, we all ate a little, but Gareth and I were anxious to read our papers. As if he enjoyed the torture, Callem watched us while the socialization continued. Finally, Callem smirked, ¡°Boys, you can go. And boys, you have no obligation to share anything on those papers with me. After you burn the text into your mind, I suggest you burn the parchment. Understood?¡± We both nodded and rushed out to the bunkhouse. We sat in our living room in the comfy chairs, looking at each other and seeing who would break first. ¡°Fine!¡± Gareth yelled fairly quickly, ¡°I will go first.¡± He opened his parchment and read, and his eyes bulged. Soon his grin split his face before he handed me the paper. I took it slowly, realizing the trust my best friend was putting in me. Abilities Giant¡¯s Constitution, Tier 3 Vestibular Movement Sense, Tier 2 Traits Adaptive, Tier 1 Charismatic Attraction, Tier 1 Skill Affinities Melee Weapons, Tier 4 Riding, Tier 1 It was probably everything Gareth wanted, with a cherry on top. I was shocked at how close Callem was to pick out his abilities just by watching him that first afternoon! The movement ability was a step from the generic balance skill we read about. Both of the traits were well-known and common. The adaptive trait basically meant a person could get comfortable in new environments and learn slightly better than the average person. The charismatic attraction meant he had a strong natural charm for others of his race. He was going to be a ladies¡¯ man for sure. His first skill affinity of melee weapons was a bit unfair, to me at least. EVERY melee weapon, I mean, come on! The second was new, as neither of us had ever ridden any animal. Looks like I would be buying Gareth a horse¡ªno, a pony. It was my turn, and it¡¯s not like there would be any surprises for me, so when I read through the paper once, twice, and then a third time very slowly, Gareth got impatient and swiped it. Abilities Aetheric Conversion to Metal, Tier 7 Greater Aether Core, Tier 4 Metal Sculpting, Tier 4 Traits Past Life Knowledge, Tier 1 Skill Affinities Healing Magic, Tier 4 Lightning Magic, Tier 2 Cooking Tier 4 There were two affinities I wasn¡¯t expecting. The lightning magic was one, but the other was my past knowledge being revealed. I didn¡¯t realize it was a racial trait. I figured I remembered maybe 5% of my past life clearly and another 20% foggily, so it was not a strong ability. Gareth finally spoke after reading it, ¡°What the hell, Storme! We need to talk!¡± ? Copyrighted 2024 by AlwaysRollsAOne No Permission is given to translate, copy, repost or alter to an audio format of this original work of fiction. If you are reading this on a site that is not my Patreon, RoyalRoad.com, or Scribblehub.com, it has been stolen without my permission and violates DMCA. Remember, this work is the result of my creative effort and is protected by copyright law. Removal or altering of this notification is an acknowledgment you are aware you are in violation of DMCA. Chapters 16 - 18 Chapter 16: Fluff Monster ¡°Talk about what?¡± I knew Gareth was shocked at my list, but I was stalling for time. I was shocked a bit myself. ¡°What! A demon screwing an angel tier seven ability, Storme!¡± Gareth said a little too loud for my liking. I gave him a hand signal to bring down the volume. ¡°Storme, tier seven abilities don¡¯t exist! They are a myth, legend, things of gods¡­wait, are you a god in disguise?¡± Gareth was studying every inch of me as if he had never seen me before, and I was still formulating a response when he stepped back, ¡°Are you a reincarnated demon or god?¡±. I started speaking slowly, ¡°What? No, I am just a normal boy.¡± I tried to look as innocent as possible. He snatched the sheet and reread it, shaking his head as he did so, and then looked at me again, focusing on my eyes with his brown eyes. ¡°Healing magic? Lightning magic? Past Life Memories? What do you remember then if you were not a god or demon? Wait, were you a woman? Is that why you never told me? Maybe an elf woman in your past life? Now that would be cool!¡± Gareth¡¯s sudden grin had turned fiendish, but at least it was there. His initial shock was wearing off. ¡°No.¡± I needed to play this well. I was surprised I had remained so calm, at least outwardly, ¡°I was a cook, and I went for a walk one day and fell off a cliff and died.¡± Yeah, that should work, and Gareth could draw the proper conclusions. ¡°I don¡¯t remember much.¡± That was at least true. ¡°Most of what I remember are recipes and what things tasted like. Of people and places¡ªmost are just hazy images to me.¡± Again, that was mostly the truth. Gareth sat heavily in the chair, thinking momentarily, ¡°That makes sense. That is why you are such an awesome cook and keep coming out with new meals. Where in the Sphere did you grow up? Were you a human man?¡± Gareth was leaning forward in the chair, focused on me. I could tell this was exciting to him, and it looked like our friendship was still secure. I personally didn¡¯t like being under the microscope of someone I counted my best friend over two lives. I didn¡¯t want to lie to him, so I must be general. ¡°I don¡¯t have great recall about it. But I worked in a restaurant, and I was a man and human.¡± I stressed the last, ¡°I don¡¯t recall much about my family, city, or country. Most of what comes to me from my past life is my time in the kitchen and cooking at the restaurant.¡± He was nodding and gobbling it up. I could reserve the truth for another day when we were much older¡ªthat I was from another planet, possibly in another galaxy. ¡°Ok, when you remember more, just tell me about it?¡± He said eagerly in anticipation, and I nodded. ¡°So, angelic freaking lightning! When will I see you zap birds from the sky with red bolts of fury?!¡± He was way more excited about this than I was. How did I get the lightning magic affinity anyway? I was positive I didn¡¯t select it. Oh, a thought occurred. My mother had told the tale a thousand times about why I was named Storme. I was born under auspicious circumstances of a lightning drake attack and severe thunderstorms. Mother had said multiple lightning strikes were close by. Maybe this triggered the affinity somehow? Well, I had this bonus and could now figure out how to get the most out of it. Over the next three hours, Gareth relentlessly asked questions about my abilities, affinities, and past life. Whenever I tried to steer the conversation back to him, he cut me off, ¡°Stormy, you are our ride out of Skyholme! Let¡¯s make sure we maximize your potential!¡± Maximizing potential was something I always preached when we ran around the town and city doing jobs for the people. It felt like he was throwing it back at me. Eventually, I climbed to my loft and told him I needed sleep for tomorrow¡¯s punishing regimen. I only managed to do seven aether core exercises and make some gold coins before passing out from Gareth¡¯s stressful inquisition. The morning brought a small surprise. Wynna and Ennet had stayed in Callem¡¯s house in his guest room. That they stayed was not such a surprise, but he had a guest room! Why had he made us sleep on the floor? Callem had also gone all out for breakfast. The spread of fruit was amazing. Many of the fruits I was unfamiliar with but enjoyed trying. My favorite fruit was something similar to kiwi in size, seeding, and texture but had a yellow-orange flesh and tasted closer to banana strawberry to my taste buds. It was called Bramble Fruit because it grew in a dungeon on a heavy vine with large thorns. The thorns were also poisonous, according to Wynna. Wynna had brought the fruit with her. There was also something similar to coffee-flavored milk to drink. It was called Dark Milk. It came from something similar to a coconut from the way Callem described it. It was found in the tropical area of the lowlands and was a normal breakfast drink down there. It was another contribution by Wynna and Ennet. Soon after everyone finished eating their fill, conversation broke out. ¡°So, boys, were you pleased with what your papers told you?¡± Callem initiated with his face impassive. I was hesitating, unsure what to say, and Gareth saved me. ¡°Yes, Callem. I have the tier 3 ability giant¡¯s constitution.¡± Ennet gasped while everyone else held their poise. Callem slowly nodded and then spoke. ¡°That is an exceptional ability. You will have increased size, fitness, and recovery. But maybe you shouldn¡¯t reveal your abilities in front of our guests. I had just asked if you were pleased with the paper''s contents. A tier 3 ability with such advantages to combat¡ªit will attract a noble house. They would sacrifice quite a bit to get you under their thumb or manipulate the circumstances to do so.¡± Gareth turned bright red at his error and at being rebuffed by Callem. To their credit, Wynna took her daughter¡¯s hand, ¡°I wish to see the fields and this training course Callem talks so fondly about. Let us go for a long walk.¡± The pair smiled at us but were soon out the door. Callem chuckled lightly as he intoned, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, boys, they won¡¯t reveal anything. After spending the last day with them, I know they are honorable women.¡± ¡°So, Gareth, it¡¯s a formidable ability. As you finish growing through adolescence, it will become stronger. The only downside is that you can expect to be somewhere between 6¡¯6¡± and 7¡¯ tall, which will make you a clear target on any battlefield. It¡¯s quite rare to have a natural ability at Tier 3 as a human; there may only be a dozen men in all of Skyholme with similar abilities, and most possess it at Tier 2.¡± A teacher''s pride illuminated his face. Gareth continued, ¡°I also have a tier 2 ability, vestibular movement sense.¡± Callem slapped the table so hard it cracked. He was torn between being upset about the table and happy hearing what was apparently excellent news. ¡°I knew it!¡± Callem exclaimed. ¡°Big and dexterous. You are going to the greatest weapon master of your generation!¡± Callem was beaming. ¡°Anything else you wish to share with me?¡± Gareth paused momentarily before saying, ¡°The adaptive trait at tier 1 and skill affinity for melee weapons at tier 4.¡± Gareth intoned in finality. It was apparent this was all he would reveal, but Callem¡¯s mind was already churning a mile a minute. Gareth had revealed everything that would help Callem plan his training in his mind. ¡°All melee weapons? No specific branch?¡± Callem asked, clearly astonished and happy. Gareth nodded. ¡°Damn boy, that is pretty amazing. Adaptive is useful but pretty generic among humans and other races. But all melee weapons. We need to start expanding your repertoire in training to expand your arsenal. We definitely shouldn¡¯t limit you to just swords.¡± Callem started pacing while shoving food into his mouth, planning in his mind. He was probably thinking of ways to torture us to bring out Gareth¡¯s potential. I snatched all the remaining bramble fruit before Callem could get to them, and as a consolation prize for the months of pain, I foresaw ahead of me. Gareth was just waiting with a somewhat eager look on his face. ¡°Ok, we have quite a bit to work with. No aether core awakening?¡± Gareth shook his head no in response to Callem¡¯s question. ¡°Okay. We need to get you as many masteries as possible in melee weapons for the next eight years. We also need to be on the lookout for a defensive ability to add to your skill set. It is best if it comes from a dungeon. The best we could afford is a tier 1 ability. It should cost between 8 and 10 platinum coins if we can get it at a reasonable price. I can make that in a few years.¡± The shock of his statement was plastered on both our faces. Callem was committing a vast sum to Gareth¡¯s future growth. Callem smiled at Gareth, ¡°Don¡¯t look surprised, boy. You are my legacy, and I have maybe 15 to 20 good years left. My daughters are well taken care of, but I have been searching for meaning out here, and you have given me something to grasp onto.¡± He paused. ¡°Is this what you want?¡± Gareth didn¡¯t hesitate at all before nodding energetically with a sloppy grin. ¡°Just don¡¯t get cocky, boy. Up here in Skyholme, you will be the big fish in the small pond. Down in the lowlands of the Sphere, there will be hundreds of thousands stronger than you.¡± Gareth seemed to take that advice to heart and was nodding at the wisdom. I had been a bystander so far, and I probably would have made the same faux pas of revealing my abilities in front of the women. Maybe because I didn¡¯t want to be upstaged by Gareth, I butted in with my qualifications, ¡°Callem, I have one ability and two skill affinities. I have enhanced aether core at tier 2, affinities for healing magic at tier 3, and lightning magic at tier 2.¡± That should be enough revealed to get some praise. ¡°For all the Hellspawn from the Red Moon!¡± Callem exclaimed. His face creased in worry, and then he thought. ¡°The damn magi academies in the capital would fight over you if they knew that! Tier 2 aether core! You are practically an archmage already!¡± Ok, maybe I messed up revealing what little I did but I had downplayed my core from tier 4 to tier 2. ¡°Anyone found with just a tier 1 core ability is married immediately into one of the Triumvirate families.¡± He sat and started thinking. He then started talking to himself, ¡°Sebastian, no, he would just try and use you toward his own goals, and being around him is dangerous. Isaias is dead... Reid went to the lowlands, Bennett¡­no, he is an asshole.¡± He refocused on me. ¡°Sorry, Storme, I just can¡¯t think of any mages at the moment I trust to train you in your magic without pulling you into a viper¡¯s nest in the capital.¡± I waved my hands, ¡°No, I am good with self-learning. I am doing fine. I think I just need time to learn spells on my own and maybe some help getting some spell books.¡± Callem slowly nodded, acknowledging his inability to help. Even though I was not his primary disciple, he still looked pained. ¡°What about another reading Storme? Wynna can read the potential size of your aether matrix. That should at least let you plan which and how many spells to imprint.¡± He looked hopeful I would accept his offer, so I just nodded. He went to the door and bellowed nicely for the women. Then went to his room and retrieved two large golds. Soon, I was sitting with just Wynna in the private guest room. The room was very nice. It had a full-sized bed and fresh flowers laid out in vases, their aroma lingering in the air. A small table with two chairs is where we took up residence for the reading. Much like last time, it was going to be a secret blood reading. ¡°Well, Storme, here we are again.¡± She smiled at me. ¡°I hope you didn¡¯t reveal too much to Callem. He is a good man, but secrets never remain secrets forever.¡± I was starting to get uncomfortable under her friendly gaze, my secrets were bigger than she could possibly guess. ¡°Can we get this completed so I can begin practice today?¡± I said as nicely as I could, not wanting to be rude. ¡°Yes, Storme,¡± she began without any further delay, and the next unpleasant reading began. It was like spiders going throughout my body, and my aether heartburn seemed to flare up in response. ¡°Ok, it is finished. You will find a lower and upper range for the number of spells you can learn on the sheet. Your aether matrix is like a muscle. The more you work on it, the bigger it can become. I will leave you to look. My readings are fairly accurate. Both marks should be within two of their actual. So plus or minus two points for both numbers¡± She winked and left the room. Tentatively in anticipation, I looked at the paper. Aether Matrix Size 22, Aether Matrix Maximum Size 103 Damn, that was huge from what I knew. Each tier of an imprinted spell took up one count on my aether matrix. So, I had 22 points right now, which was essentially the amount of a fully trained high mage! And that could still grow. Perhaps I should be looking at tier 2 and tier 3 spells. Slow your horses, Storme, I chided myself. Let¡¯s get the two tier 1 spells imprinted before proceeding with any big planning. Wait, a stored bit of knowledge popped to the forefront of my thoughts. I read something about magic affinities and spell imprinting. It was something that the space required to imprint higher-tier spells was reduced if you had a certain tier of skill affinity. I would need to find that reference again. I did remember in which book the reference was in Wigand¡¯s shop. I exited the guest room while still in a daze, and everyone stared at me expectantly. ¡°It is good news,¡± was all I said with a slight smile. Gareth looked relieved, and Callem looked happy. ¡°Well, boys, the ladies are staying here for the week, so be on your best behavior. They plan to attend the carnival in the city.¡± Callem looked happily at his guests. Was he interested in one of the women? Ennet looked to be in her 20s, but Wynna was probably 50 or older, still much younger than Callem. ¡°We have burned too much of the day already! To the yard!¡± Callem ordered his troops. The women spent the day watching us train. My body was adapting fairly well to the training, and I knew I wouldn¡¯t be as sore this evening, still I would welcome the cold waters of the stream. Callem decided Gareth would forgo practicing the bow even though he was pretty damn good at it. He would let me continue, though. Gareth had pulled out staves, maces, axes, polearms, and shields from storage during the day. They didn¡¯t match the quality of the swords Callem had, but there were now another 38 melee weapons for Gareth to learn. During a short break, Gareth asked me if it was alright if he got Freya a puppy for her birthday. Freya had always wanted a puppy, but there was a tax on dogs and any large animal in Skyholme, five large coppers every month. I wasn¡¯t sure if this was because resources were limited or if they wanted to limit large pets to rich people, as there was no tax on cats or birds. So, he was asking if I would pay the tax. I agreed. Callem was also a little more intense when we finally got to sword practice. It was a pecking order for sparring after training sword forms for a few hours. I would get beat senseless by Gareth, and then Callem would beat Gareth senseless. I think Callem was also trying to impress our observers today. I could see our fast progress as Callem was a great teacher. I was thankful when the long day finally ended, and we were released. Gareth asked me that evening in the cold pool, ¡°Storme, you did a smart thing holding back. I thought Callem needed to know the extent of my abilities.¡± He sighed, ¡°You will be the greatest mage Skyholme has ever known, and I will be its greatest swordsman. You can rest assured I will be there protecting your back. And thank you. I know that this training is not your favorite thing, but I recognize you are here to support me.¡± We shared a look, our friendship growing stronger. Dinner that night was just slow-cooked barbeque chicken and coleslaw. It was very quick to get going for me in the morning, giving me bonus free time to study my spell. The conversation with the women at dinner was slightly muted to start but slowly warmed up. Nothing of importance was said other than learning the women were, in fact, hiding out. They were also enjoying their vacation from endless readings in the capital. After dinner, I excused myself first. That night, I did some aether core exercises, made some gold coins, and then went to the spell books. I started with the cleanliness spell since it should be a little simpler than the mend flesh spell. Unfortunately, it was the same as the first time. The spell forms just gave me a headache. Frustrated, I opened the mend flesh spell book for the first time. My eyes seemed to be able to focus on the first page, and it sort of made sense¡­the second page¡­I could see the connections to the first set¡­the third page¡­yes! Finally, the fourth and final page¡­ I could see how they all connected, and they even made some sense. The healing spell was like reading Shakespeare in 8th grade compared to the cleanliness spell, which was like trying to figure out how to speak Russian from an original Tolstoy work. With my healing affinity, I could really do this! It was extremely late when I finally went to sleep. The next four days were groundhog day to me. Breakfast, stretch, set dinner on, obstacle course work, farm work, lunch, sword practice, dinner, and finally, studying. Callem tried to vary things from day to day, but I truly looked forward to making some coins and then delving into my mend flesh spell book. The notes of the previous owner were very helpful as well. I had also been writing out the four-layered spell form on paper and could feel myself getting close. We got to know Wynna and Ennet fairly well at breakfast, lunch, and dinner as we became more comfortable in their presence. I also noted that Callem was possibly growing sweet on Wynna. I was happy for him. They were good people, and their disposition had improved from being very friendly to being friends. It didn¡¯t hurt that they both loved my cooking. Wynna liked the pork fried rice the best, and Ennet liked the pizza. I was still a burger guy and even made some passable French fries even though I didn¡¯t have good ketchup yet. We learned Ennet had been married twice previously with no children from either marriage. Both marriages did not end amicably. Wynna¡¯s husband, Ennet¡¯s father, had died in a shadow cloud encounter. A shadow cloud was a massive dark cloud full of shadow monsters that the island floated into during their orbits. It happened every seven years to the capital island, but the populace was usually prepared or evacuated to the other islands. They didn¡¯t offer how he died with forewarning, and we didn¡¯t pry further. Well, by the end of the training week, we were all excited about the carnival. Callem was going to escort the women. Gareth and I would need to collect Freya. Her birthday was on the 7th day of the week, so we had the 6th day to plan. Gareth also had to get one of the puppies on the Gaskil farm for Freya¡¯s birthday present. I needed to talk with my parents and get them some coins to cover the puppy tax. We left as a large group after breakfast on the morning of the 6th day. Gareth and I each pocketed five large silvers from Callem before leaving. I had fused my gold into large coins, and my pouch was extremely heavy. I should have given it to Gareth to carry, but traveling with the adults, I didn¡¯t want to pass it off in case Callem noticed. Freya was waiting on the edge of town and rushed to me, hugging me. ¡°Storme, is this Callem and his wife?¡± It was the first time I had seen Callem embarrassed. The flush in his cheeks evaporated just as quickly as it had come. ¡°I can¡¯t wait till tomorrow, Storme! Can we go today? The carnival has been going on since yesterday. The other kids in town have already gone at least once already! I already know what I want to do, too! You get ten tickets for a silver coin, and shows only cost a few tickets. Can we go today, Storme!? I can get my dress on, and today can be my birthday instead of tomorrow!¡± She was finally out of breath. Wynna spoke first, ¡°Freya can you give me and my daughter a tour of your wonderful town? We just passed quickly through a week ago and didn¡¯t have time to investigate all the attractions.¡± I nodded a ¡®yes¡¯ to Freya. ¡°If you do a good job Freya, they might tip you!¡± I voiced loudly as they walked away, Callem reluctantly in tow. I went home to find my parents and get permission for the puppy. I also needed to find the book on the History of the Skyholme Navy, which I had borrowed from Wigand and never read. I think Pascal had taken it. Pascal was home and, like a petulant boy, retrieved the book from his room and then left in heated anger. He would eventually cool off from his jealousy of me. I found my mother at work, and she was surprisingly very open to the idea of the puppy for Freya. I guess she had been depressed when Gareth and I started our training. I gave her two large silver, telling her it was my pay from Callem. It was to pay for the dog¡¯s taxes and food for the next year. She didn¡¯t want to take it but reluctantly did since a dog would be a large financial burden for the family. Mother also asked me about the butter churn in the barn. Freya had told our mother that I had purchased it and had tried to make butter, but it didn¡¯t taste right because she forgot to add salt. Freya was worried she had done something wrong and thought I might be mad at her for leaving the ¡®bad¡¯ butter in the churn. Freya had cleaned it since we hadn¡¯t done a very good job after dirtying our coins, but she didn¡¯t need to know that. Mother wanted to know if I planned to take it to Callem¡¯s farm, but I said she could keep it as it was a failed enterprise on my part. I would need to find another way to age my coins or just risk spending them as is, as there didn¡¯t seem to be any consequences for using the shiny coins in the city. Once I mastered the cleanliness spell, it would completely hide the coins¡¯ origins as I could demonstrate my ability to clean them. My next stop was lunch in the pub. Gareth was there with a puppy. It reminded me of a Bernese Mountain dog pup but mostly white with some brown and light spots of black. Gareth was excited, saying it would get up to 180 pounds like his father. Oh yes, that was right, these big fluffy monsters were sheep-herding dogs. He would be Freya¡¯s fantastic friend and protector, and I told Gareth so. But I probably should get a few more coins to our mother to pay for the food. No, I decided Freya should have to earn money for the pup¡¯s food. Who was I kidding, though? All she needed to do was bring the dog by the pub and butcher for free scraps in town. Gareth and I took the puppy to the river for the rest of the day and played with him. I returned home to our mom cooking chicken fajitas for dinner. I showed her how to cook them and make the cornmeal tortillas. Freya was proud and vocal about getting a silver coin tip today from giving the tour to Callem, Wynna and Ennet. The dinner was good, and Pascal had mellowed from our earlier encounter. The dinner had a bunch of innuendo about Freya¡¯s presents, and she eventually went to her room in a huff, missing the constant queues about the puppy. The entire family will be going to the carnival tomorrow. Gareth and I would have to supervise Freya. In the morning, Gareth brought the puppy in and used it to wake Freya up, who screamed in joy, scaring the pup so much it peed in her bed. We laughed about it, and Freya didn¡¯t care. She wanted to call him Fluff Monster but eventually was talked into something more reasonable, Monty. Finally, the dog fell asleep and was locked in her room with a water bowl as we headed off to the carnival. Chapter 17: The Carnival Freya wore her new blue dress with blue ribbons and looked adorable. I had secreted coins into the bottom of my new backpack with some drinks. My belt pouch contained four gold, a few silver, and large coppers. I also had Wigand¡¯s book and planned to return it to him. I hoped to be able to sneak away during the carnival to finish my business with Wigand today then, I wouldn¡¯t have a reason to return to Solaris in the future. On the road to the city, Freya said she first wanted to see the play Ashton¡¯s Valor. It was a common ballad about a woman who became a knight and rescued her true love. It was two hours long, but the other kids in town told Freya it was awesome. After that, she wanted to play some of the games for prizes or, more precisely, have Gareth or me win her some prizes. Then she wanted to go to the beast menagerie with various monsters and beasts from the lands throughout the Sphere. Then she wanted to see one of the magicians perform real magic. To top off her birthday, she wanted to get a ride on the unicorn, which Gwen had not been able to do. Also, if time permits, she wanted to see the baby dragon. I doubted it was a real dragon. Probably just a drake hatchling or common lizard. As we got to the city, there was a massive airship sitting in the fields just outside the far side of the city. The massive vessel made me think of Noah¡¯s ark from its prodigious size. Painted on the side in the sizeable familiar script was The Wonders of the Sphere, Traveling Carnival. Surrounding the airship was a tent city. Around the tent city was a short wooden fence. It was a fantastic sight covering maybe a half-mile square. In addition to the carnival airship, several visible airships and skyships were docked inside the city limits, with more coming and going. Freya answered the question before I asked, ¡°They are only performing here. The Triumvirate is just allowing them one week to put on their shows for some stupid security reason. But it has brought thousands of people from all over Skyholme, even nobles from the capital!¡± I looked at the people milling about around the tents. Even from here, I could see half a dozen Wolfsguard escorting important-looking people in finery and a large array of clothing from low to high born. Freya pointed, ¡°Look, the Blackguard!¡± I turned to see a Wolfsguard in a trim black leather uniform outside the fenced area. Freya continued, ¡°There are supposedly three hundred Blackguards in the city to keep the peace and watch the performers. At least, that is the rumor. Gwen said she counted no less than fifty when she was here two days ago, but that is probably a lie.¡± Well, anything Gwen said was a lie or exaggeration, according to Freya. We reached the fence gate where people were entering. We saw hawkers for food and souvenirs from around the Sphere as we approached the crowd. Others were walking advertisements for the various large tents that housed specific shows. The paths were getting crowded, but Freya led us straight to a ticket vendor, and I gave him a shiny gold. Freya missed the exchange as her eyes were focused elsewhere. The man licked the coin before returning me 30 tickets, nine large silver, and seven silver coins. Freya then dragged us to one of the larger tents with a big advertisement on it for the performance of Ashton¡¯s Valor. It cost us three tickets each to enter. Inside, there was a large stage set up and seating for maybe five hundred people. Two elves directed people to seats. Elves were a curiosity for us as different races from the lowlands were not generally welcome in Skyholme, and our remote town rarely saw them. A quick inquiry informed us the next show was starting in 40 minutes. We were early and learned the front row, where we first tried to sit, was considered ¡®principal¡¯ seating by the young elf male who was acting as an usher. Those seats were larger, padded, and right in front of the stage but cost ten tickets each. Freya gave me her puppy dog eyes, and I gave the elf usher three silver coins for the center front-row seats. Soon after we had sat down, the stands behind us started to fill quickly, and you could hear the hawker outside yelling the countdown to the start of the show to draw more people in.Stolen content warning: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences. A young woman in finery sat next to me and looked me over before holding her nose up and trying to avoid acknowledging my presence. A man I assumed was her father sat next to her, also looking disdainfully at my appearance. Freya was between me and Gareth, and I decided to make the best of the situation by ignoring the young woman and enjoying myself. I ordered us drinks and a snack. The drink ended up being a ginger beer, nonalcoholic, that was chilled and quite good after you got past the bite. The snack was salted caramelized nuts, but I couldn¡¯t place what kind of nuts through the salt and sweetness. Gareth ordered some meat on a stick for all of us which I ended up paying for as well. The meat reminded me of sweet teriyaki chicken but chewier. It wasn¡¯t long before the play started, and I turned briefly and looked to the stands behind us to find every seat had been filled. I counted fifty luxury seats and estimated another 500 other seats. So that would be around two gold per show they netted, plus more for the food and drinks. I had spent one silver and six large copper alone on snacks and drinks. They did four shows a day, so maybe this troupe netted ten gold a day? My merchant musings ended as the show got underway. The show was put on entirely by elves. They had many varying body types, like humans. These elves were mostly slender, at least the ones that were in the cast. They also had a unique charisma to them. The lead actor was a gorgeous elven woman with dark hair and aquamarine eyes. She was very good at her part and drew you in when she spoke. Actually, all the actors were excellent, and I found myself enjoying the play more than I thought I would. The play was similar to a modern performance of Shakespeare, except they had the added benefit of illusion magic for special effects. I could see the two elven mages casting spells far off-stage. In all, there were maybe 20 elves in the troupe. I scolded myself for putting effort into sorting the behind-the-scenes work and returned to focus on just enjoying the performance. The play was two hours, but definitely worth it. It had a lot of romance, comedy, action, and magical special effects to entertain the audience. The cast got a standing ovation when it ended. As we were leaving, Gareth was clearly smitten by the lead elf woman. He kept staring back at her as we were getting ready to leave. Well, his teenage hormones were starting to kick in. Being in the front row, we got the unexpected extra benefit of meeting the five leads in the cast as we were leaving. This made Freya ecstatic, and I was sure she would be bragging to Gwen non-stop about it. The young woman who sat next to me handed one of the male actors a large silver and complimented him on his performance, and she had that same infatuation look Gareth had for the lead actress. I guess it was normal to tip actors? I pulled out a shiny gold coin and handed it to the lead woman with a slight flourish so the snobby girl who sat next to me could see, ¡°Your performance was marvelous. My friend, Gareth, and sister, Freya, greatly enjoyed the show.¡± I said with respect, giving a partial bow. ¡°Please accept this coin on behalf of your entire troupe.¡± Yes, I was trying to be spiteful to the young woman who had looked down on me; she gave just a large silver in appreciation! Well, here is a gold coin worth ten times that amount! The elf locked eyes with me and smiled brightly. Damn, she was more beautiful this close. She then clasped her hands over mine and said, ¡°I, Niserie Imiduis, thank you for your generosity on behalf of my troupe, young man. Perhaps you will see a second showing.¡± Her touch sent pleasant tingles to every extremity of my body. And her intoxicating smile fogged my brain. Maybe my hormones were ragging, too! They were even trying to get past my aether core heartburn. I stammered a response, ¡°Uh¡­sorry Niser..ie¡­we only have¡­come¡­have time for the one.¡± Freya¡¯s face was laughing at me, while Gareth had a shadow of jealousy on his. Well, next time, Gareth, you can give the damn coin! We were pushed along and out of the tent by the remaining people in the front row waiting to thank the actors. Outside, I was sweating a bit, even in the cool air. Gareth seemed to catch his breath, ¡°Whoa. That was great, but I think one or two of those elves had some type of charisma ability!¡± Yes, that was it! I wouldn¡¯t have been flummoxed so easily. I nodded heartily at Gareth¡¯s intuition. Freya spoke impatiently, ¡°Guys, come on! We don¡¯t have much time before they close down for the day.¡± She started dragging us, and we could clearly see the countdown showing the carnival was open for another eight hours! What did Freya think, that we would stay for eight more hours? She dragged us to the rows of small tents with games. ¡°Gareth and Storme, win me a prize!¡± It was kind of a demand, not a request, by her tone. The tents were crowded with people trying the games. I found something to try. It looked like a mini laser rifle shooting game. You had six shots to hit six targets. I paid for my chance with a ticket and picked up the metallic rifle with Gareth and Freya looking on. It was somewhat heavy, and I extended my metal shaping sense into the rifle. There was a spell form inside! Pulling the trigger activated it, casting the small flashy bolt out the end. The sights seemed like a normal rifle, but¡­there something was wrong at the barrel¡¯s end. Oh, this was interesting. The end of the spell form had a metal gyroscope inset at the nozzle. Each time you fired, it ¡®wiggled¡¯ the bolt a little. So even with the targets being just 10 feet away, hitting them would make it hard. I used my metal shaping skill to steady the gyroscope and quickly went six for six on the targets before handing the rifle back to the stunned Carnie. Freya chose a pair of red silk ribbons for her prize. I didn¡¯t tell Gareth; he tried the rifle game thrice before giving up. A short walk later, Gareth took on the challenge of catching and putting balls into large cans. You stood at one end, and six young ball tossers threw 60 softballs at you. You needed to catch and dunk 10 of the same color before they hit the ground. The balls were different sizes, weights, and three different colors. The better you did, the faster the balls came from the tossers. Gareth did it on his first attempt. Freya got a small jar of hard candy for her prize this time. The last game we played was against other carnival goers. It was like skee ball. The first competitor to get 12 balls into the single hole down the ramp won. Of course, there were 12 stations. Gareth got a little too pumped up, wanting to win. All three of us played the first game, and we lost. Gareth played three more times before giving up. A smug kid with a Wolfsguard behind him kept beating Gareth by a single ball. We had to pull him away from the game rather than make the noble brat angry. Our next stop was the beast menagerie. It was the biggest tent of all. The tent was sectioned off with wooden walls to separate the exhibits. Each stop had a showman explaining the beast, where it came from within the Sphere, and how dangerous it was. It had cost each of us two tickets to enter, and we moved with a group of 20 or so from exhibit to exhibit. The first exhibit was a panther the size of a horse. Its eyes were coal black; if the lighting hadn¡¯t highlighted the beast in the large cage, it would have been hard to find it in the shadowy enclosure. The announcer said the beast hunted the Jungles of Terminalia and was the apex predator there. The next exhibit was a large water tank with three mermen in it. Gareth commented it would have been better with a female of the species. We were told the mermen lived in massive underwater cities across the Sphere. These three were ¡®rescued¡¯ from a leviathan by the carnival. It was interesting to watch them swim, but soon we moved on. The next monster gave us a scare, a nine-foot-tall snow-white yeti. It was chained. It was clearly unhappy with its fate, and red-brown eyes burned with hate. We moved quickly to the next exhibit as the beast had an intimidating aura. The next exhibit was a small ice elemental the size of a cat. It was snowing in its enclosure, and the walking ice statue was not overly interesting otherwise. Soon we were moving from exhibit to exhibit. A troglodyte, a bullywug, a giant forest python, a stegosaurus, an imp, three kobolds, a trap door spider, an owlbear, and their piece de resistance in the final exhibit was an adult griffon who was actually tamed. There was a quick sketch artist at the griffon, and he would sketch you riding the griffon for two silver. We passed on it as you did not actually get to sit on the griffon. The walk-through took two hours, and it was exciting seeing the beasts up close that we had read about in stories. Next on Freya¡¯s list was a magician. There were multiple acts to choose from, and as we were looking, Gareth talked her into seeing the acrobat troupe instead. So, we spent an hour watching ten acrobats do amazing feats that would make an Olympic gymnast go pale in fright. We were all enthralled as every display they did seemed to defy common sense with their athleticism. I thought these tickets were well spent and hoped Callem didn¡¯t see this show and get some ideas to add to the obstacle course. The last two items on Freya¡¯s list, the dragon tent, and unicorn, had extremely long lines. I didn¡¯t want to wait, so I talked Gareth into waiting with her while I went to the city to visit Wigand¡¯s bookstore. We agreed where we would meet up later. The meeting location was one of the fence gates monitored by ticket sellers near the city side of the enclosure. Since the city was crowded and there were Wolfsguard around, I didn¡¯t fear the locals. Getting out of the tent city took a little while as the population density had grown. I heard someone saying more adult acts were performed later in the evening. I was slightly curious, but I had things to do. There was also some pyrotechnic display just before they closed for the day, so the crowd was growing to see that since it was essentially free. Also, I could smell dozens of food vendors sending aromas into the air, which slowed me. I had not eaten since the play, and my growing body was complaining. I was checking the food on display as I passed, trying to decide what to get when I returned. The other large tent in the complex maze was the trader¡¯s tent. I wish we had gone there as I am sure there would have been many items of interest to purchase. I planned to run to Wigand¡¯s and get back here to convince Freya to go shopping in the tent. I noticed a large number of city guards wearing uniforms from across the Skyholme islands. It was not surprising that the influx of people into Solaris City that they needed the help. The streets were crowded, and I heard several people say what a dumpy little city this was. I am sure it was compared to the capital. I pushed on toward my goal. Thankfully, Wigand¡¯s shop was open. I entered to find six customers browsing his shelves, and he was hawkishly watching them. ¡°Wigand?¡± He jumped at my voice. ¡°Oh, Storme! Good to see you!¡± His facial expression did not match his greeting, as the volume of customers probably stressed him. ¡°I have your book¡­give me one second while I go grab it.¡± He went into the back room, and I took the opportunity to pull out the Skyholme Naval text. When he returned with the large book in a fresh leather binding, he said, ¡°Very good! I had forgotten I had loaned you this book.¡± I took the large tome I had purchased and placed it into my pack while he returned his book to the shelf behind him. He turned to face me, asking hopefully, ¡°So Storme, what else can I help you and your patron with?¡± I just shook my head, ¡°Nothing currently. I want to return to the festivities, but I wanted to browse your shelves for a bit.¡± His face creased in thought. He leaned in and whispered low to me, ¡°I have some new spells you might be interested in¡­just got them. Forty gold each,¡± he winked at me. ¡°Rare spells. Condense ice and Ice Shield.¡± Those spells were more uncommon than rare, and neither interested me currently. ¡°Not today, Wigand. I just don¡¯t have the coins and still have a lot of debt to work off,¡± I walked into the aisle where his magical references were located. He followed my movements and the other six patrons in the store. It took a few minutes for me to find the book I was looking for, Introduction to Your Magic Skill Affinity. I read the text over a year ago. It mostly described the 23 magic affinity skills and how having a tier one or tier two affinity affected your practice of spells within that sphere. I found the passage I was looking for near the end. If you are fortunate enough to be bestowed with a tier-two magic skill affinity you will most likely be able to imprint spells for a lower cost on your aether core matrix. It is generally accepted that a tier 2 spell can be imprinted for the cost of a tier 1 spell. Tier 3 spells can be imprinted for the cost of a tier 2 spell. It should also be noted that even with a skill affinity of two, mages are not always successful in reducing imprinting costs. Spellbooks sourced from dungeon rewards are highly suggested as they always ensure a reduced spell cost. I read the passage twice before returning it to the shelf. My cleanliness spell was in the aether sphere, while my mend flesh spell was in the healing sphere. This reduced cost would not work on either of my current spells. I slipped out the front door while Wigand was busy with another customer who was paying for two books. I was not planning to return to Wigand¡¯s store anytime soon. I made my way down the street, and my focus was split on thinking and avoiding the press of traffic. I was suddenly shoved strongly into an alley. I swore in disbelief. I hadn¡¯t been paying enough attention and was going to give the idiot a piece of my mind. There were five boys my age blocking the exit to the street concourse. I recognized all of them. I crawled deeper into the alley before scrambling to my feet. This was not good. I reached down, yes, my knife was on my hip, drew it, and took a defensive stance. A larger shadow filled the mouth of the alley, and I felt relief as he wore a city guard uniform. A smug grin came on my face as I said, ¡°Don¡¯t look behind you boys, but you all are done for.¡± The red-haired boy laughed. Soon, I could see why. The guard was also red-haired and shared features of the gang leader. Fuck. Ok, Storme. Pull your shit together. I positioned my body and feet with the blade. All the boys produced clubs except the red-haired boy who had that stupid short iron blade I had made in our first encounter. Not to worry, I told myself. They had range, but I had the skill and better movement speed. Three of them could come at me at most, and I would just have to injure one quickly. The guard turned his back to the alley, probably making sure no one disturbed his brother¡¯s mugging. The red-haired leader spoke, ¡°Just give us your backpack and the pretty dagger, and you can go.¡± I growled as I had stashed a small fortune of coins in the bottom of my pack in case I needed them today. I shook my head no and appeared confident. I mean, I thought I looked pretty confident. Callem had taught me well with a sword; a dagger was just a really shorter sword. Two of the boys smirked but were obviously nervous. No one wanted to get stabbed if they didn¡¯t have to. I heard a scraping of a hard shoe on a stone behind me. I turned in time to see a girl swing a club at my back. My quick feet sidestepped, and the club barely touched my shoulder. My dagger slashed her arm as I moved behind her, putting her between me and the advancing boys. The girl was tough; she dropped the club but didn¡¯t cry out. She moved to the side and let the boys pass as she cradled her arm. I backpedaled and kept my ears on alert for more ambushers behind. I realized my mistake too late. The alley started to widen quickly, which allowed the boys to surround me. I turned to run, but my heart fell. The alley was dead, and I was now 50 feet into it. Even if I screamed, I was sure no one would come with the city guardsman at the entrance. ¡°Since you hurt Gundrun, we are going to have to hurt you now.¡± The red-haired boy said menacingly. ¡°You should have just given us your pack.¡± I supposed it didn¡¯t make any difference that she had tried to hurt me first. I got the wall at my back and waited for them to make their move. The black-haired girl was out of it, as I was sure I had cut the tendon in the forearm of her dominant hand. So, it was just five-on-one. Great odds, right? The red-haired boy who had claimed the short sword I had dropped started ordering his thugs to attack at once and overwhelm me. Not a bad plan. Since it was going to be an all-out assault, meaning I would have to take the initiative before them. Just before they attacked, I moved quickly to the right and got a weak club strike on my back as I moved too close for the boy to hit me with full strength. My dagger cut through his quad muscle and to the side of his thigh. As he dropped to the ground in a choked cry, I rolled away, planning to run back to the mouth of the alley and tackle the guard out into the pedestrian traffic, screaming bloody murder. I came out of my roll too slow, though, and the red-haired boy got me in the temple with the hilt of the sword. It was a lucky swing on his part as he had been planning to strike me in the side with the blade, but I was too fast¡­well, not fast enough. I stumbled from the blow, slightly dazed, but lost my sense of direction and ran into the alley wall. I knocked my head as I had not quite braced myself. I was groggy when I came to and heard voices. ¡°¡­.what the¡­¡± ¡°¡­.so much¡­.¡± ¡°¡­.how many gold¡­¡± ¡°¡­is that a platinum¡­¡± My head was clearing up, except I didn¡¯t like what I was now puzzling from the voices. ¡°He isn¡¯t a lord, and he probably stole all these coins,¡± the red-haired boy was trying to convince his friends. They had emptied my pack on the ground, and my new book was soaking up gutter water. My coin purse on my hip was gone, and they found the wrapped-up coins at the bottom of my bag. God damn it. I tried to rise. ¡°He is up. Beat him to unconsciousness.¡± It was the red-haired guard who had given the command. Greed was heavy in his eyes as our eyes met. I was too woozy to defend myself effectively other than back up as the clubs started raining down. My dagger was nowhere near me. They were not overly strong but kept targeting my head and ribs, and my wrists and fingers were soon broken as I covered my head. Darkness was coming, and I felt a blade push through my chest, the fucking blade I had made in haste in our first encounter. One of the kids swore, ¡°What the demon-cursed shit, Leon! You killed him! Why?¡± The irony of being killed by my own creation was not lost on me. I couldn¡¯t see anymore, just a blurry red haze. Blood was in my lungs as I struggled to take a breath. A few greedy street toughs ruined all my big plans. I was dead, and I knew it. My ears heard them stream out of the alley clearly scared at what their leader had done, leaving me to bleed out. I reached within myself, trying to find the spell I had been trying to learn for five days. I had been close if I could just¡­seconds felt like hours while I struggled to overlay the spell forms¡­damn it! Imprint ALREADY! I felt something click in my mind and pushed my aether through the spell form a few times, directing the flows to my organs before passing out. <<<<<<<<<<>>>>>>>>>> Arturo of the Skyholme secret police watched as the city guardsman and local kids streamed from the alley. They were excited about something. The boy had probably just been mugged. It wasn¡¯t his concern. He was in the city due to the carnival, tracking the carnival workers entering the city. Minutes passed, and the boy didn¡¯t emerge. After nearly an hour, Arturo dropped his chameleon ring effect, stepped away from the wall, and headed toward the alley. He was cautious entering but, noticing the broken body on the ground, started walking purposely forward. Damn, lots of blood and the boy¡¯s head and hands were a complete mess. Maybe if he hadn¡¯t waited so long to enter the alley, the boy might have lived? Probably not. The boy¡¯s chest rose slightly and fell. Arturo squatted down in the blood pool and looked more closely at the boy. He was breathing very shallowly and strained. He moved the shirt where a blade had obviously punctured the boy¡¯s chest garment. The wound was closed¡­ This young boy suddenly got a lot more interesting. Chapter 18: Arturo vs Callem Arturo Arturo studied the scene. He was looking for a vial from a potion. He noted nothing in the mess of the alleyway. This boy probably had a healing ability. Or maybe he had already imprinted the mend flesh or a similar spell. No, that was unlikely, as that would have taken months for someone so young. He had common clothes on and no noble signet ring on his hand, so he had no mage tutor. It was probably a healing ability, as regeneration would not have saved him. The boy had numerous facial lacerations and fractures, and his hands and forearms had bone sticking up at angles under the flesh. His dagger sheath was empty, and his backpack was gone. There was one large tome in a puddle of blood. He picked it up and read the title, The Complexities of Aether Creationism, A Qualitative Comparison of Dungeon and Mortal Spellcraft. Interesting reading for someone so young, and the pages smelled fresh, like it was recently copied. Maybe he was an apprentice to some obscure mage out here in the lower cities? The boy would likely live. Arturo leaned against the wall, deciding on a course of action. He had two subordinates who could take over and bring the boy to a healer. The carnival workers were much more interesting after all. His office had confirmed three spies from the Sadians within their number already. On top of that, there were four others that were divined as having malicious intent. Not a large number when considering their massive airship had just over 600 people on arrival. He selected the communication stone in his vest for his agent, Jurmaer. After some thought he activated the stone and waited for the return activation signal then spoke, ¡°A boy in the city has been accosted.¡± Before he could continue, Jurmaer spoke. ¡°Someone from the troupes?¡± Jurmaer asked hopeful for some action. ¡°No, just a city kid, but he may have a high-tier healing ability,¡± Arturo responded calmly. ¡°I plan to bring him to the medical clinic in the city. You will need to change positions to watch my street as well.¡± He heard Jurmaer¡¯s frustrated sigh on the other end before acknowledging in the affirmative. Arturo put the book on the boy¡¯s chest before lifting him. Ugh, he would have to pay for magical cleaning to get the blood out. He wished he had his anti-gravity medallion with him, but he only wore it when he was serving aboard a skyship. Oh well, he walked the four blocks to the healer¡¯s clinic and brought the boy in and let them do their work as he faded into the background and, when he wasn¡¯t observed, activated his chameleon ring again, blending with the wall. Callem Callem was working on another prize for Wynna, to the distressed dismay of the carnie behind the counter. He noticed Gareth and Freya were running toward the city between the tents in the distance. He could see the panic on their faces even from this distance with his enhanced sight. It had been a wonderful day so far. Ennet had let Wynna spend time alone with him and there was definitely something there. Something that hadn¡¯t stirred within him for years was coming to the fore. She was a remarkable woman. Well-read, kind, funny, and attractive for her age. He could help her with her fitness since it was lagging but he figured to let the relationship progress before pressing that. Right now, his concern was on Gareth. Where was Storme? He excused himself from Wynna¡¯s company, saying one his students appeared to be in trouble. He followed Gareth and Freya from a modest distance in case this was nothing, and he could slip back to enjoying the day. Callem was able to follow at a brisk jog; his movement didn¡¯t portray that he was following the kids, though. He just seemed in a rush to get somewhere, blending with the other people of the city. The couple picked up their running speed when they could, Gareth didn¡¯t let Freya fall too far behind, keeping an eye on her as he ran. The girl was giving it her all, and there was an obvious emergency. When they entered the merchant¡¯s ward of the city, they started frantically searching the buildings until they found the healer¡¯s clinic and went inside. Callem guessed Storme was inside and walked through the door shortly after them. Callem found Freya crying over her unconscious brother in a room at the back. Gareth''s face was a mix of anger and concern as he listened to the healer. Relief washed over Gareth when he noticed Callem standing in the doorway. The healer paused, glancing at the impressive figure filling the entrance, but then continued when Callem nodded for him to proceed. ¡°¡­as I was saying, he has multiple fractures in his face, hands, and arms, along with two broken ribs and a shattered kneecap. We were able to repair the two skull fractures, as they were placing pressure on his brain. Surprisingly, he has no internal organ damage, except for a lung laceration likely caused by one of the broken ribs during transport here. He should recover, but the cost of additional healing¡­¡± The healer trailed off, leaving the implications hanging in the air. ¡°I will pay the cost,¡± Callem said to the healer. The middle-aged healer looked relieved. He seemed indecisive on whether to ask for payment first. Callem passed him a large gold coin, to which his eyes widened, ¡°Yes, this should cover most of the costs, if not all. I will need to complete the bone repair over two days unless you want to purchase an aether restorative potion for me¡­?¡± He left the question hanging. Callem gave the greedy healer a hard look that got the man to start casting his spells. Callem then turned and looked at the far corner of the room, speaking in ironclad words, ¡°I hope for your sake, inquisitor, this was not of your doing or scheming.¡± Arturo Arturo had watched as the boy, Gareth, had arrived with the boy''s sister. Someone in the city recognized the boy as he carried him and let his friend know. It was all a very touching reunion but not very interesting. Then, a large square man entered the doorway and Arturo suddenly felt constipated with worry. Arturo recognized the man, although he thought Callem Dregalla had been exiled to retirement and should have died by now. Callem had been the arms instructor at the Naval Academy when Arturo attended many years ago. He remembered him as a focused teacher who remained neutral in almost all political matters. Arturo had chosen a far corner of the room, which had no windows and only one door. He was reflecting on his choices of escape when Callem turned to him and spoke in the coldest tone Arturo had ever heard: ¡°I hope for your sake, inquisitor, that this was not your doing or scheme.¡± Arturo knew that Callem¡¯s eyes could see through most minor illusions but had hoped to remain unnoticed. There was no point now, so he dropped his chameleon ring effect and startled the healer, large boy and sobbing girl. They all seemed on the defensive so he remained calm. ¡°No, Commander. I found the boy in an alley and brought him here.¡± He addressed Callem with the highest title he had had in the Navy to show respect. His thoughts were also reordering, trying to puzzle things out. Was Callem related to this boy somehow? It would make complete sense. Maybe Callem had remarried and had children in his time away from the capital. Callem¡¯s voice was still hard as he retorted, ¡°And I assume the attackers were left to go free? Inquisitors don¡¯t take action; they just report what they see.¡± Arturo fumed internally but calmed before his anger showed. His job was information gathering and interrogation. Anything beyond that without approval from the chain of command¡­ ¡°I did not catch the culprits in the act.¡± Arturo responded evenly. Well, that was the truth. He knew what was likely happening in the alley but he didn¡¯t actually see it. He needed to watch his words because he knew Callem had a sort of truth-sense about him. During his time at the Naval Academy, nothing got past the man. He decided to reach for information, ¡°Are you this boy¡¯s benefactor?¡± Well, that was obvious as he had just paid for the healing, but perhaps he would volunteer more. Callem responded with some moderation in his tone now, coming down from his initial anger. ¡°These two boys,¡± he smoothly gestured to Gareth and Storme, ¡°are my students and farm hands. They are under my protection and employment.¡± The words had some bite and warning to them. Arturo leaned against the wall comfortably for the first time in this encounter. Well, at least he had something to report today; the great Commander Callem had taken on students. A number of people in the city would be interested to hear this news. Maybe he could gain some goodwill from Callem and play both sides? Even with his advanced age, he was probably one of the most powerful fighters on the islands. ¡°I am glad I was able to get him to a healer for you then. I will look into the assault and see if I can bring them to some justice.¡± He pushed himself off the wall, walked calmly past Callem, and was planning to exit the room. Callem Callem was fuming on the inside. Inquisitors were the spies of the Skyholme elite and cared nothing for the common folk. It was obvious from his words he could have prevented the assault. He had just used the plural, ¡®them¡¯, to describe the attackers. Inquisitors never lifted a finger unless it was beneficial for them or their masters. His shock at seeing Callem showed that he hadn''t realized the boy was connected to him initially. He decided the best course of action was to get the inquisitor as far away from the boys as possible and to warn this one off. Before leaving the room, Callem said, ¡°No. I think it¡¯s best if the boy handles his own problems. That way, in the future, he will learn not to start things he cannot finish. I want you to leave this room as well, and I hope I will not find you or any of your associates near me or my people in the future. I gave my oath to never take sides, and in return, I was promised to be left to my own devices. You will honor that.¡± His last sentence was delivered in a steady, commanding tone. Arturo responded after having a slight look of disappointment on his face, ¡°As you wish, Master Callem.¡± He took measured steps to the doorway, and Callem allowed him to leave. ¡°If you need anything from us in the future¡­¡± ¡°I will not, Arturo,¡± Callem said in a voice going hard. He had finally remembered the man. He had taught him as a boy at the Naval Academy. His face had changed quite a lot, but the familiarity was there. He recalled that Arturo was a ladder climber. A boot-linking kid who did whatever the most powerful person in the room wanted. He had modest skill with the blade if he remembered correctly. Gareth would easily outstrip his blade skills within the year. ¡°As you will.¡± Arturo said slightly surprised Callem remembered him. He made his exit and left the building. Callem returned his attention to the healer¡¯s progress. Storme was gaunt already from the healing. Low-tier healing spells used the body''s energy to heal, and a lot of healing had been done. ¡°How does he fare, healer?¡± He asked softly now that the encounter with Arturo was over. Gareth looked worried from the encounter, but the distraught Freya was focused on Storme. ¡°I have just finished with the facial bones and his hands. There was a lot of damage there. He still has the knee cap, ribs, and one forearm bone needing to be healed. There is still a large amount of swelling as well. I am pretty spent, as is the boy.¡± The healer did look tired. ¡°Good enough, Gareth, get a cart and horse to bring us back to Hen¡¯s Hollow. There is a bone healer there that can finish the work there. Then, we will be headed to my farm for the boy to recover. Freya will accompany us till Hen¡¯s Hollow, and I will talk with Storme''s parents there.¡± Callem just stated what he wanted, and people reacted to his orders. Two hours later Storme was being serviced by the bone shaper in town, Antal, fixing his remaining bone injuries. Bone shaping didn''t require the bodies stores to work so the unconscious Storme wasn''t being drained by the healing. Callem had a conversation with Storme¡¯s parents, Alurha and Caleb, about the attack. Alurha was frustrated and wanted to report the incident. However, it had already been observed by an Inquisitor, and he had done nothing. He reassured them that the best course of action was to let Storme stay with him at his farm and train. Alurha reluctantly agreed at the urging of her husband. Callem¡¯s plan was to keep Storme there until he entered the Academy at seventeen, out of the eyes of the Inquisitors and power-hungry families. Callem wasn¡¯t sure why the inquisitor had helped Storme, but whatever it was, it couldn¡¯t be good. Callem wasn¡¯t sure why he felt the need to protect and train Storme. Perhaps he was trying to fill the void left by his lost son with these two talented boys. He believed Storme had the potential to be a unique talent in Skyholme¡ªa powerful mage and a competent warrior. Whatever his ulterior motive, it was obvious that Storme couldn¡¯t protect himself yet. First, the giant eagle and now the boys in the city almost killed him. The only dissenter was Freya, the boy¡¯s vibrant younger sister. Freya was upset at this plan as she would barely see her brother anymore. Callem consoled her by saying she could come out for two days a month and stay at the farm and watch Storme and Gareth train. It would be good for Storme to be reminded he was loved. Gareth could escort Freya to and from the town for her safety. He was also going to have to do a better job preparing them for the harsh challenge of the elite Academies and cutthroat nature of the ruling families. He was reworking his training plans for the boys in his head¡­ ? Copyrighted 2024 by AlwaysRollsAOne No Permission is given to translate, copy, repost or alter to an audio format of this original work of fiction. If you are reading this on a site that is not my Patreon, RoyalRoad.com, or Scribblehub.com, it has been stolen without my permission and violates DMCA. Remember, this work is the result of my creative effort and is protected by copyright law. Removal or altering of this notification is an acknowledgment you are aware you are in violation of DMCA. CHapters 19 & 20 Chapter 19: Dungeons I woke disoriented. My eyes burned, and it hurt to open them and look around. Familiar markers in my surroundings made it clear I was back at Callem¡¯s in our bunkhouse. A bed had been made up in the lower room near the table for me. I tried to sit up but felt weak, and my skin was on fire. It brought hazy memories of a time I went to the beach with some friends and fell asleep in the sun for 5 hours without sunscreen. I worked myself into a sitting position. Well, I wasn¡¯t dead, which was a positive. I heard the sounds of sword practice outside and Callem¡¯s voice giving corrections and suggestions. My stomach growled, indicating it needed filling. I stood and tried walking, but my right knee was very stiff, and I had to force it to bend, even though it protested. I went into the cold cellar and started slicing off a slab of smoked ham. I grabbed two good-sized blocks of hard cheese, six apples, a jar of apple butter, and a jug of chilled water to wash it down. Getting back up the stairs was a chore in its own right. I took a seat at the dining table and started to fill my protesting stomach. My mind was fuzzy on the details. I had been forced into an alley¡­I was mugged¡­beaten¡­I started to get flashes of scenes. That cursed red-headed boy from the city. Then I remembered he had an older brother. The city guardsman! Shit! The memories suddenly locked into place sequentially, and I recalled the encounter and the city teens taking my purse and backpack. I went through stages: awareness, an adrenaline rush, anger, dispersion of rage, and finally, calm reflection. My first thought was I had almost died twice in the last few weeks. Twice! And I was 15! I was supposed to have a luxurious new life here, and I had been nothing but a punching bag. I was having regrets about my ability selections. I mean, there were some pretty ridiculously powered tier 7 abilities on that screen. And I choose metal mage? I had just skimmed that list so long ago, but I should have chosen wiser options. The apples were now just cores with most of the apple butter gone with them, so I started on the ham and cheese, stacking them together. Well, I could become a powerful mage if what Callem had said was true. I stood and started pacing to work out my muscles and the protesting knee. My skin was tight and burned a bit, and on inspection, I could still see some bruising. I detoured to the one mirror in the house and saw my face intact with some yellow-blue bruising. Well, at least I wasn¡¯t disfigured. I remembered hearing bones cracking during the pummeling. I shivered in a wave of phantom pain at the memory. My thoughts returned to my own survival and, hopefully, prosperity. Spells. I needed spells. A tier two lightning spell was preferred, but a tier two or tier three healing spell would be okay. I stopped in stride and looked within myself. The mend flesh spell was there! I could trace the spell forms on my aether matrix. It took me a while to feel it out and figure out its possible evolutions. It had two obvious evolutions. The first was a self-diagnostic. This would let me use the spell to look at my person for injuries. The second evolution allowed the spell to target other soft tissue beyond blood vessels and skin. This second was actually the most common first evolution of the spell and the most useful, according to the spell book. I scrambled up the ladder to my loft. Everything was there, as well as the book I had bought, The Complexities of Aether Creationism, A Qualitative Comparison of Dungeon and Mortal Spellcraft. It was stained with dried blood. I ignored it for now, grabbed the mend flesh spellbook, and sat on the bed to read. Evolutions occurred at spell levels 1,2,3,5,7,11,13,17,19, 23, and continued to progress through the prime numbers. It took a mage, on average, 20 years to reach level 23 of a tier 1 spell with regular casting and studying. Well, I had a massive aether core, so I assumed it wouldn¡¯t take me nearly that long. I paged through the book as I wanted to reference the spell form that I wanted for the next evolution: diagnose other. It was another common evolution, but I wanted to have the evolution clear in my head, so I studied it. It was less than an hour before the door opened, and Gareth came in to check on me. He scanned the room and quickly found me in my loft, ¡°Stormy! Up and about, I see!¡± He was grinning. ¡°You shouldn¡¯t go getting into scraps without me. It hurts my feelings, you know!¡± I retorted with sarcasm, lacing my words, ¡°Next time I am against ten-to-one odds, I will be sure to invite you!¡± How many had there been in that alley? At least seven, I thought, maybe eight. ¡°So, how long have I been out of it?¡± I asked and started making my way down the ladder. ¡°Callem had you under a sleeping draft to let you rest. It has been just under a day. No need to worry. The healer in the city did good work, according to Callem. Antal¡¯s bone-shaping ability finished the work the healer in town couldn¡¯t do because he ran out of aether. Antal did have some issues with your kneecap. Said it might be stiff for a while as the tendons are not quite correct.¡± Gareth sat down all sweaty and finished off the remaining ham, cheese, and jug of water. Callem walked through the door saying, ¡°Is our slumbering vigilante awake?¡± He was obviously joking, and he knew I was awake since Gareth and I had not been talking quietly. ¡°So, Storme we can discuss the incident when you feel up to it. For now, your parents have given me wardship over you. You will not leave the farm without my permission.¡± I was shocked to hear that but not overly disappointed. I was about to mention Freya when Callem beat me to it, ¡°Your sister can visit two consecutive days every month.¡± I sighed, content with that information. Callem sat in one of the chairs at the table. ¡°Storme, you have had quite a bit of healing done, and it will take you two to three days of gorging to replenish your body¡¯s stores.¡± He held up a hand to stop my question, ¡°No potions. I do have the restoratives, but they are not needed. For the next three days, we will work on one of the texts after stretching.¡± Gareth butted into our conversation, ¡°Can it be the Dungeoneering book!?¡± His excitement was palpable. Callem had a sour look on his face that he erased quickly. ¡°I suppose we can work on that book. Everyone needs to know the basics about dungeons. That reminds me, Storme.¡± He gestured to Gareth, ¡°I already told Gareth. Wynna will be staying here for a while.¡± Callem¡¯s face was unreadable, and he held back his body language in check. I knew those two were getting along. I smirked, and Callem continued pretending not to notice, ¡°She will be helping with your book lessons in the evening and will be preparing lunch for all of us.¡± Well, that was great news, one thing off my plate, so to speak, since I was no longer responsible for lunch. It looked like dinner was still my domain, though. ¡°Ennet has purchased a house in Hen¡¯s Hollow and will be moving her business there.¡± Callem read my confused look, ¡°Wynna is retiring. At least she doesn''t plan to entertain any new clients.¡± Callem stood and walked toward the door. He looked over his shoulder at us, ¡°You have an hour to bathe before lunch, and then we will begin on the books. Storme, you smell like you crawled out of a latrine!¡± I sniffed myself, and that was definitely not an understatement. Callem finished his chiding before closing the door behind him with the final word, ¡°With Wynna staying here, personal hygiene will need to be improved around here!¡± Gareth and I locked eyes and laughed. Generally, we were the cleaner and better smelling than Callem, whom I had never actually seen bathe. Gareth spoke, ¡°About time we delved into that dungeoneering book. He was always putting it off.¡± I started to speak, but he cut me off, ¡°I know his son died in a dungeon, but that doesn¡¯t mean we would. Not that I plan to try my luck anytime soon.¡± Gareth had been inching toward the door and then sprinted out yelling, ¡°Race you to the stream!¡± I still was moving very gingerly but made an effort to catch him. I was pretty sure he slowed down just enough to let me think I had a chance to catch him. I dove in while still dressed while he was removing his clothes. I figured my clothes needed washing anyway. ¡°I win!¡± I yelled as my head emerged. Gareth was on the shore half undressed with his mouth agape. ¡°Well, that¡¯s just not fair," he stated sullenly. However, his grin quickly returned as he ran full tilt and did a cannonball right next to me. When the water settled, we both relaxed, and Gareth asked, ¡°So, Strome, it was those kids you pointed out to me before, wasn''t it?¡± ¡°Yeah.¡± I sighed heavily, ¡°but it¡¯s not good. He has a brother, or maybe it was his father in the city guard.¡± There was silence between us as I scrubbed my clothes near one of the short waterfalls nearby. ¡°We need to bid our time, Gareth,¡± I finally said. ¡°We will even the score. Hell, they took all my coins, too, and there were a few platinum in there. If they see me alive again, I don''t expect the encounter will be pleasant.¡± I finished clothes washing and put on just undergarments that were still wet. ¡°I think it is good we are here. We are learning from the best and I should be able to work on my spells. I am going to need more spells, though. I can¡¯t leave, according to Callem, but you can. Would you be up for making a trip to the capital in a few weeks?¡± Gareth¡¯s eyes lit up. ¡°Demon¡¯s yes, Stormy!¡± As we walked back, we started planning his trip to the capital. After he got there, he would buy some fine clothes to have the bearing of a noble with wealth and then go to a magic shop, drop a few platinum coins on some spell books, and return. It was a simple plan, but any number of things could go wrong. We changed into better evening clothes in our lofts and went to the farmhouse. Lunch was laid out: a hearty pea soup, grilled cheese sandwiches with bacon, two pitchers of fruit juice, and some baked breaded fish. Forgetting our manners in front of Wynna, we dug in. I was a little off pace as I had stuffed my stomach just over an hour ago, but I still consumed a lot of food. The fish was a bit dry, but other than that, everything was good. Satiated, we sat in the ¡®new¡¯ living room. Four large plush couches surrounded a large square coffee table. Wynna was already redecorating Callem''s house. ¡°Boys I have never taught before, but I like to think of myself as fairly well-read. What we will do is read a chapter and then discuss what you read as a group.¡± She handed me and Gareth the book, and I read the title, The Basics of Understanding Dungeon Ecology. Wynna continued, ¡°Most of the knowledge in these books is from two old adventurers, Mundu Aetherseeker and Jamath the Traveler. Mundu had a high-tier ability that allowed him to commune with dungeons. Some say he could talk to dungeons, but since he lived more than 20,000 years ago, I don¡¯t know if legend has surpassed reality. Jamath had a powerful ability for navigation and location sensing. He could enter a dungeon portal and know exactly how far and from which direction he had traveled. With that primer, boys, let''s start on the first chapter.¡± I opened my text, Chapter 1: Dungeon Portals. I quickly read the twenty-page chapter. Dungeon portals were archways engraved with standardized symbols throughout the Sphere. Apparently, Mundu was footnoted as having translated all of the symbols. Each dungeon had a series of up to six standard symbols. The first was the number of people allowed in at one time. This could range from one to essentially unlimited. Some dungeons reset if a group left the first floor. If the cap had been reached, then all entrants had to leave before the dungeon would reset as well. So, you couldn¡¯t effectively swap members of a delve team unless everyone exited the dungeon. It was unlikely a dungeon could become locked by someone living in a dungeon because the longer you stayed in a dungeon, the harder it tried to kill you¡­well, there was a passage from Mundu that said if you stopped making consistent progress, it would try harder and harder to kill you anyway. The second symbol was the relative difficulty of a dungeon, from one to seven. The difficulty was relative to the preparedness of the dungeon dive team. If you knew what to expect and prepared for it you would be mostly fine. The third symbol was the number of levels a dungeon had. The fourth symbol describes the terrain or terrains inside the dungeon. The fifth symbol denoted the dungeon''s age, usually dungeons were over 10,000 years as they evolved slowly. The sixth symbol was the only fluid symbol and showed how many people were currently challenging a dungeon and if there was space for any more. Those were the six common symbols every dungeon had. Mundu noted there was sometimes a seventh symbol, but since it was rare to see, it was not included in this book of basic knowledge. Gareth finished reading shortly after I finished, and we started the discussion. Callem was more knowledgeable than Wynna on dungeons, so he trumped input on our questions for this chapter. Gareth wanted to know how big a dungeon dive team was typically. Callem said most dungeons allowed between four to seven delvers. Most adventuring teams had six to eight members, each with a specialization. All the dungeon entrances on the Skyholme islands had limits between five and seven challengers. I was mostly curious about resources, and Wynna said there was a chapter covering that aspect, so she delayed answering the question. We both were curious about dungeon ages, how old did they get? Wynna fielded this question. The oldest dungeon noted in the text was 370,000 years old. A dungeon evolved every few hundred years, expanding its footprint and adding levels. Wynna put a halt to questions and told us it was time for the next chapter, Chapter 2: Dungeon Size and Terrain. I was a little surprised to learn a dungeon could be anywhere from a few hundred feet up to a few thousand miles! A thousand miles to cross a dungeon floor sounded ridiculous. The terrain also was so varied it sounded mystical, traveling from desert to a glacier in just a few steps. We finished reading, and Wynna expanded on the text. ¡°The dungeons themselves are contained within a massive aether ley line matrix inside the crust of the Sphere. These ley lines are almost four thousand miles in diameter.¡± My look of disbelief had Wynna smile, ¡°The size of the ley lines has been confirmed by dozens of independent researchers over the millennia. The ley lines can not be penetrated from the outside. Anyone who has tried has died from aether backlash, a defense mechanism that effectively burns away all material in a large swath area. The only way to enter inside a ley line is through a dungeon portal¡ªthen you are expected to complete the trials.¡±If you spot this story on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation. ¡°Trials?¡± Gareth asked, leaning forward. ¡°Well, trials is a strong word. Each floor or level of a dungeon is a challenge with rewards,¡± Wynna said and stopped. Gareth eyes were glinting with excitement. Seeing Callem upset, I asked a question to get off the topic of dungeons. ¡°If the ley lines are that thick, how thick is the Sphere?¡± Wynna smiled at my question, ¡°Between 15,000 and 20,000 miles, depending on where you were.¡± My mind was spinning a bit at that scale. I had not been fantastic at physics in my old life, but shouldn¡¯t gravity be crushing us like zits? I didn¡¯t voice this question. Gareth was asking about how someone dug down to the aether lines as I was distracted. Callem answered his inquiry. There were 23 passages, each thousands of miles across, through the Sphere to the Outer Sphere. The truly powerful controlled these gateways. They were merchant highways for resources gathered within the Sphere¡¯s dungeons to be sold to Dark World civilizations and the rest of the galaxy. Wait, Callem knew there was more out there than just the Sphere? Gareth was pounding Callem with questions about life outside of the Sphere until he silenced him. ¡°Today¡¯s lessons are about dungeons, not the expanse of the Sphere or what lay beyond.¡± Gareth looked disappointed, clearly having a taste for adventure. I had dampened it growing up. Outside of Skyholme, the Sphere was a dangerous place. Returning to the book, Chapter 3 was all about resources. The book detailed that anything in a dungeon was real, and as long as you could carry it out, you could keep it. The natural resources depended on the environment. Monster harvesting, lumber, herbs, metals, rocks¡­anything. I asked, ¡°Can you bring in a large cart?¡± Callem and Wynna laughed together. ¡°Dungeons have a sense of fairness. As long as it is not too large¡ªsay a wheelbarrow, you would be fine. Try to take a horse and cart, and you may find your cart missing after passing through the portal. There are specialists in delve teams that have dimensional spaces and focus on harvesting loot.¡± Callem spoke, ¡°The true value in a dungeon are the aether crystals and aether-infused ingredients. Plants, metals, and rocks in more powerful dungeons had aether laced into their makeup. This makes them extremely valuable for alchemists, enchanters, and in magitech devices. My own tobacco plants were from a dungeon and even retained a slight aether property. But most aetheric seeds brought out of a dungeon don¡¯t grow unless you have aether-rich soil.¡± The conversation lasted for a while talking about environmental treasures. Some cities in the lower lands lived completely off the harvest of a single dungeon. Wynna soon had us move to Chapter 4: Aether Crystals. Both Gareth and I had heard of aether crystals and knew they only came from dungeons. I read the chapter twice to make sure I understood. Aether crystals were found inside monsters in a dungeon. A sort of prize you got for defeating the foe. There were also aether crystal deposits in some dungeons that could be mined. These dungeons that had aether crystal mines were highly sought after. Aether crystals came in seven grades or tiers. The first three grades red, orange, and yellow were the lowest. The amount of aether they contained tripled each grade. So, orange contained three times that of red and yellow nine times that of red. These low-tier crystals were used mostly in enchanting. They were ground to a powder and mixed with metals to inscribe runes. The crystals also varied in size, from the size of a grain of rice to the size of a basketball. The three-fold increase in capacity held true for the next three grades: green, blue, and indigo. These crystals had a much larger capacity and were extremely durable compared to the first three tiers and difficult to turn into a powder. They were mostly used as batteries for magic devices. The red, orange, and yellow became brittle after a few recharges. Inside the Sphere, the crystals recharged naturally from the ambient aether. A mage who could control his aether could also forcibly recharge a crystal. Pulling aether from a crystal required a runic array and was not a fast process. The final aether crystal: violet was virtually indestructible. These were the crystals used to power the strongest magitech devices and also skyships and starships. Dungeons that supplied such crystals were valued much more than others. A violet aether crystal could contain 729 times the amount of aether as a red crystal of similar size. Wynna said if we had trouble remembering the grade scale, think of a rainbow. I had a flashback, ROY-G-BIV. Huh¡­was magic and science linked somehow? Gareth was already into his questions. He wanted to know what type of crystals and how big they were, and which came from which monster in the Skyholme dungeons. Neither Callem nor Wynna had answers for him, leaving him disappointed. I asked about their value. ¡°How costly are aether crystals.¡± Wynna cocked her head thinking. ¡°Not so much in Skyholme, but other parts of the Sphere, they are used as a currency. In my business, I have accepted some in exchange. For the lower tiers, the reds, oranges, and yellows, it is about one silver per aetheric unit, with some variance. The cost doubles for the greens, blues and indigos, to two silver per unit. For violets¡ªfour silver per unit.¡± I did the math in my head, ¡°So a single unit of violet crystal is thirty gold!?¡± A unit was about the size of a rice grain. Wynna smiled at my astonishment, ¡°About. However, economies are different in each city in the Sphere. A small fist-sized violent crystal contains about 9,000 units and is worth 250,000 gold. But that small crystal can make a skyship fly!¡± Even Gareth was flabbergasted. ¡°Where do we get those aether crystals!¡± Callem laughed deeply, ¡°There are no dungeons in Skyholme that produce tier six or tier seven crystals, and nothing remotely as large as a fist. Those dungeons are in the lowlands and on the moons and more dangerous than they have a right to be.¡± The last was said with a warning. It was getting late, and we still had three chapters to go, so Wynna said we would finish the text over the next few days. We had a cold dinner of sausage and buttered bread as no one had cooked. The conversation lingered on dungeons, but I was not interested. After dinner, Gareth took his copy of the dungeon book to read in his loft. While Gareth was reading about dungeons, I did my aether core exercises and produced two platinum coins. I needed to start filling my purse again. I would need some gold later to complete them, but this is fine for now. I had some aether in reserve, so I started working on my mend flesh spell. First, I puzzled through the self-diagnostic tool and found lots of lingering injuries on my body. They had a bright red-hot feeling from the feedback. I had mostly strained tendons and capillaries were still being repaired. I was surprised how little aether I needed to heal everything completely. I found everything that needed attention, including my troubled knee, and healed myself completely. Of course, I was hungry again and snuck down for a snack. Gareth joined me and said, ¡°Storme, I want to try out a dungeon sometime.¡± He had a serious look on his face. ¡°Gareth, after we finish our first year of Academy training, we can try delving.¡± He grinned happily that I was on board. He didn¡¯t realize that gave me three years to convince him not to. Gareth slapped me on the shoulder before tossing a handful of nuts in his mouth. Sleep was welcome in my flotilla of pillows. Chapter 20: The Second Spell I was happy to just be hungry when I woke, with no lingering pain other than the burn of my growing aether core. I quickly made use of the diagnostic spell and I was happy at what little I found wrong. Gareth was still asleep, which didn¡¯t surprise me as he had studied really late into the night. I was quiet as I made my way down my ladder. I had my cleanliness spell book in hand and started reviewing the spell forms. It was just thirty minutes later when I heard Callem yell for breakfast. I calmly walked out as Gareth was scrambling to get up and dressed, and he yelled after me, ¡°Damn it, Stormy, you could have awakened me! Callem is going to work me over in practice today if I¡¯m late for breakfast again.¡± I was out the door. My fiendish plan was just to get the choicest morsels at breakfast. Gareth was a fast and relentless eater, after all. Breakfast was potato pancakes with butter and a side of boiled oats with fruit. No juice, unfortunately, this morning. Both items were plentiful, though. Gareth barged in just a minute after I had sat down. I had already loaded my plate. Gareth sat and piled the pancakes on his plate. I snagged two more before he got them all. Callem immediately said we would not talk about dungeons at breakfast. This news had Gareth deflating. He had probably come up with a hundred questions. Getting close to finishing breakfast, Callem spoke, ¡°We will stretch together, then Gareth and I will work on harvesting the tobacco. Storme, you can work on dinner after stretching, then study your spells till lunch.¡± ¡°I already learned the mend flesh spell,¡± I said between mouthfuls and noticed everyone staring at me. ¡°Yeah, it sort of locked in while I lay there dying in the alley. If I hadn¡¯t imprinted it, I would be dead.¡± Wynna looked concerned, Gareth shocked and Callem thoughtful. Callem spoke first, ¡°I thought you might have. The mend flesh spell¡­how many times can you cast it, and what are your evolutions?¡± Light suddenly dawned on Gareth¡¯s face, and it went panicky. He was shaking his head, trying to get my attention. As teens, it was not advisable for us to take potions, but aetheric healing wouldn¡¯t affect our growth, just require us to eat more. ¡°My spell is just second level, and I just have a self-assessment and can mend organs, tendons, and ligaments.¡± Callem was thinking, and Gareth looked resigned to painful lessons, already knowing the outcome of Callem''s deliberations. ¡°Well, it would be best for you to practice that spell as much as possible. We should increase the intensity of our training to help you level it. Spells don¡¯t adversely affect growth like potions, so there are no limits on your casting.¡± Oh shit. Gareth would be beaten down for two days, but then I would join him. I gulped, knowing I would be joining Gareth in his pain eventually. We went outside and did the stretches at a quicker pace after Callem noticed I was moving ok. He probably figured I had cast the healing spell on myself and I would need to get better at acting. After stretching, I was off preparing dinner. I decided on blood orange chicken with pork fried rice. I would add some broccoli florets to the rice for fiber. I would just get everything ready to cook. Before dinner, I could quickly make the meal. Wynna was there watching me from a couch with a book in her hand. She tried to start a dialogue, ¡°I may have retired, but if you or Gareth need another reading, all you have to do is ask.¡± ¡°That is very kind of you. If you don¡¯t mind me asking, what are your intentions with Callem?¡± I had put on my adult face. I was more trying to deflect her attention from me, but I was also curious. Wynna didn¡¯t look upset at the question, putting down her book, and more thoughtful than anything else. ¡°Callem and I are both at the tail end of our lives¡ªyes, he has lived a lot more than I have.¡± She chuckled, ¡°We both didn¡¯t think we would find much joy in our remaining time. Callem found something to invest in you two and had enough left over to share with me.¡± She paused, and I nodded in understanding. ¡°We enjoy each other''s company and still have some intimacy left in our bodies.¡± She winked at me, and that was enough for me. I then steered the conversation to the carnival. She told me about her impressions of the play. She was very insightful regarding the implications and lessons within the simple plot. She reminded me of an English teacher reaching for layered meanings in Shakespeare. I enjoyed talking with her as she treated me as an adult, and I found myself liking the older woman. Back in my loft, I delved into the cleanliness spell. Now that I had one spell imprinted, the next shouldn¡¯t be as hard. Yes, it was still hard. My best analogy was memorizing and writing a 30-page short story from memory without any errors. I made some progress before lunch. Wynna made a hearty vegetable soup and some tasty warm crusty bread with a choice of a butter spread or olive tapenade spread. It was the first time I had seen olives in Skyholme, and she even had some olive oil from the capital¡¯s markets. Fortunately, there was plenty of soup and bread for three hungry men. Callem had me heal Gareth. When I explored where my spell was healing, I found just some minor bumps and bruises. I couldn¡¯t assess him like I could myself, but the spell naturally sought his injuries, and I could feel where it was being directed. At first, I was a little hesitant, as I didn¡¯t want to cut into my coin creation at night, but the amount of aether was actually minimal. After lunch, I returned to my studies, and Gareth and Callem started practicing outside. The clang of weapons was a bit distracting, but I learned how to tune things out while growing up in a small house. Before I knew I had to make dinner. Callem brought out some of his fruit juice stash and a bottle of wine for him and Wynna. Everyone said the dinner was excellent, but Wynna said she would need to get her wine collection transferred from the capital after sampling Callem''s offering. When dinner was finished, we again took up positions on the couches. First, I cast my healing on Gareth. He had a few good bruises and one small laceration on his thigh. Callem was already increasing the intensity in sparring, and Gareth was loving it by his mannerisms even with the increased injuries. As we began lessons, Gareth had finished the last three chapters last night, so I was behind. I said I could read and tune everyone else out as Gareth asked all his burning questions. It was something I was getting really good at: tuning out distractions. I started the reading. Chapter 4 was about reward chests from dungeon challenge bosses. The chests were generally well-made and contained coins and items of value. Sometimes artwork, sometimes minor enchanted items, sometimes well-crafted weapons, sometimes aether crystals, and much rarer were dungeon essences that could bestow abilities. The items were usually much more valuable than the coins also contained within. The chests themselves were also valuable, so some delvers hauled them out as well. The 5th Chapter was mostly a chapter warning of dangers in dungeons. Traps, staying too long, underestimating beasts and monsters, environmental dangers, and warnings not to eat or drink anything not confirmed safe by the Adventurer''s Guild. The final Chapter in the book gave examples of how to prepare for certain environments and challenges. I tuned into the conversation but didn¡¯t ask any questions. Gareth was mostly interested in ways to fight beasts and monsters with his abilities, and it was a back-and-forth between Gareth and Callem. I was glad when the session ended. I wasn¡¯t interested in risking my life in a dungeon. I already had all the wealth I would ever need at my fingertips. I hoped Gareth would grow out of his interest in delving into dungeons. If we traveled the Sphere, exploring safe cities and keeping him in luxury should be enough, right? That night, I made two more platinum coins, did my aether core exercises, and studied the cleanliness spell. The next day, Callem decided I was recovered enough to rejoin training. He had reworked my schedule. My new daily schedule became breakfast, stretching, preparing dinner, conditioning training, an hour to work on and study spells, lunch, observation training, weapons training, dinner, book discussion with Wynna, and then a few hours of study on my own. The book discussion was to be limited to just two hours in the evening to give me time to study spells before bed. Gareth spent his free time with his nose buried in the dungeon books. Callem wasn¡¯t just going to teach us to fight. He also wanted us to be observant. The observation training involved Callem teaching us how to recognize changes in the environment and be more vigilant. Callem kept changing things in the practice yard, his kitchen, and dining room during the night. We had to identify the changes the next day. It wasn¡¯t fun at first, but at least it was something that I was better at than Gareth. I caught maybe 70% of the changes, while Gareth was around 50%. The training was working as I started noticing things quicker and puzzling things out. I felt like I was being trained as a detective. I dreaded resuming weapons practice, but Callem was surprisingly gentle. Gareth, not so much. He was having difficulty switching his intensity from crossing blades with Callem to me. After a few weeks, I started to hold my own, but maybe it was Gareth tempering his strikes as we practiced the sword forms against each other. My mend flesh was leveling rapidly. When it reached level three, I evolved the spell to be able to remove scars. I had a number of small scars from my youth and a large one on my chest from the shadow eagle a month ago. It was a vanity choice on my part, but unlike other mages, I would be able to level and evolve my spell much faster. The days started to blend together, and before I knew it, ten days had passed, and I hadn''t realized we hadn¡¯t had a single day off. Gareth didn''t seem to mind, but I did. When I brought this up, Callem said I had two days off coming up in a week. Freya would also be visiting. I was excited to see my younger sister, it felt like it had been ages. I refocused my efforts, and two days before Freya was to visit, my cleanliness spell was finally imprinted! ? Copyrighted 2024 by AlwaysRollsAOne No Permission is given to translate, copy, repost or alter to an audio format of this original work of fiction. If you are reading this on a site that is not my Patreon, RoyalRoad.com, or Scribblehub.com, it has been stolen without my permission and violates DMCA. Remember, this work is the result of my creative effort and is protected by copyright law. Removal or altering of this notification is an acknowledgment you are aware you are in violation of DMCA. Chapters 21 & 22 Chapter 21: I Want One I had imprinted the cleanliness spell, but when focusing inward discovered I had erred. The first evolution at level one was supposed to extend the range from just the body to include the clothes the caster was wearing. Instead, I must have focused subconsciously and forced a different evolution. I had been planning on this evolution for the 5th or 7th level of the spell, so I had reviewed the notes on how to do it. The evolution created vanilla aromatics that lasted around an hour after casting the spell. Gareth would roast me with laughter if I cast the spell and couldn¡¯t clean my clothes. I had been bragging for weeks about how I would never have to do laundry again. I started to spam the spell, my skin tingling with each cast, hoping to push it to level two quickly. And I made sure to focus on the correct evolution this time. It took one-quarter of my aether stores and two hours before the spell hit level 2, and the evolution was correct this time! I could now use the spell to clean myself and clothes instantly after training, before bed, and on waking up. It was pretty late, but I got my light stone and opened the spell book. I had noted a few evolutions I wanted to research and needed to pick my 3rd. I looked them over and was torn between the mouth cleanse or hair trim. Eliminating bad breath¡­or¡­being well groomed and looking good. I started pushing the spell again. The aura for cleaning extended about 3 inches from my body. This meant my bedding and pillows were immaculate after twenty castings while rolling around, and they smelled of vanilla. Also, I confirmed that I was able to make old coins shiny again! I could use this as my excuse when I spend my new coins from now on. I fell asleep having forgotten all about making coins with my remaining aether stores¡­not that my aether stores could have made more than a few gold coins. In the morning, I was in a fantastic mood. Rather than reveal my spell, I decided to hold the secret until after Gareth and I were both filthy. Maybe we would have to run the obstacle course today. This time, I would look forward to it, and I planned to get extra dirty. Breakfast flew by, then stretching, and after, I prepped some veggie lasagna and a vanilla cream tart for dessert. I rarely made desserts but felt smug with making something with vanilla oil. Conditioning today was weight training oriented. Callem planned no obstacle course training this morning. However, after some needling of Gareth about how I could best him on the B course, Callem decided we should run the course in parallel. The B course was currently an elevated course through some blinds. Callem usually tossed things at us or fired arrows capped with leather bags to distract or knock us off. The very end of the course was a mud crawl, though, which is why I chose it. I had a plan that I hoped would get me close to Gareth¡¯s time. Gareth was up the ladder and into the course a few steps before me, even with my best effort. My fitness had improved in the last three weeks, but I was no match for my friend. Only his large body gave me a chance, as he had a lot more mass to push down the course. Callem was helping me to start. Well-aimed, weighted projectiles slowed Gareth down just enough for me to catch up going into the rope section. Gareth pulled away again, which frustrated me a bit. A capped arrow hit my hip, throwing me sideways and letting Gareth open his lead even more. I could curse Callem, but Gareth was getting about eighty percent of his attention. For the rope descent, I just jumped down the 10 feet rather than climb as Gareth had done. I did my best parkour roll to minimize the landing, but I definitely strained my ankles. We were almost even now as we hit the obstacles in the mud. The final obstacle was a series of eight walls. The area where the walls were was irrigated from the stream to maintain the muddiness. We had to alternate climbing and going under the walls. The walls were just ten feet tall and had plenty of handholds. Being smaller, I was able to get under quicker and push through the mud. The finish was close, but Gareth had me by six steps. It had been one of the closest parallel runs I had with Gareth on this course. We were both caked in mud, and mud was in all our body cracks. Gareth was smiling and grinning at me in his victory under his mud mask. Callem approached and spoke, ¡°Best effort I have seen from both of you in a long time! I assume there was a wager attached?¡± Gareth was facing Callem and said, ¡°Storme¡¯s on dishes tonight!¡± Oh, I forgot that bit. It was now doctrine that if I initiated a challenge and lost, I had to do the dishes. If it was Gareth¡¯s challenge and I won, he had to do my laundry¡ªwhich now wouldn¡¯t be much of a reward. I cast my cleanliness spell and reveled in becoming clean in seconds as I funneled aether through the spell. Callem eyebrows rose in surprise, which caused Gareth to spin and stare at me. His jaw dropped. I inhaled the vanilla scent and smiled as Gareth was at a loss for words. ¡°Well, I am off to study¡­¡± Gareth groaned in frustration at being tricked. ¡°Stormy! Wait! Do me! I concede you won! Do me!¡± I was laughing at his pleading tone as mud dripped off his clothes. ¡°Sorry, Gareth. I would need to invest, like, four evolutions to clean up after others, and that¡¯s not going to happen.¡± I waved as I walked away, leaving the pair behind. Callem, smirking, joked about giving Gareth some time to clean up, and I could hear the humor in his voice. Inside, I got some water and then spent time healing up. I had pushed hard on the course and had two minor sprains in my ankles, and a bunch of contusions on my body. I had dislocated my right pinkie finger climbing the walls and just noticed. I used my mend flesh spell to correct everything in just a few castings. I smiled inwardly as I achieved a new level. It was my lucky day as the mend flesh spell hit level 5 and I set my evolution. I choose to be able to extend my diagnose injury to another person. It would allow me to me more efficient in healing other people and with practice, use less aether. With how fast the spell was leveling, I had a lot more evolutions coming in the future. I decided to cast the cleanliness spell a few more times to work on leveling it and shortly after that hit level 3 too. I choose ¡®mouth cleanse¡¯ for the evolution. It probably wasn¡¯t as useful in a world with magic but dental hygiene was important. I had vague memories of being a fastidious brusher in the past. Gareth had an impressive athletic physique and ability. I was a freaking mage! The rest of the day was normal, and I received praise from Wynna and Callem for my progress in my spells. Gareth spent his time trying to convince me to guide my evolutions toward being able to use the cleanliness spell on others. The lasagna at dinner was a hit, and so was the tart. Callem was the first to pick up the vanilla ingredient in the tart relating to my new vanilla scent, complimenting me and causing Gareth some angst. When we finally got back to our room Gareth continued asking me about the cleaning spell. He wanted to know about my evolution choices. I told him about the mouth cleanse and my planned upgrades beyond. The hair styling, minty breath, extending the time of the vanilla scent, the bowel and bladder cleanse, and then adding various scents beyond just vanilla. His reply was expected. With his pleading grin, he said, ¡°And all that that is more important than letting your best friend share in your fortunes?¡± The compromise we came to was that I would buy him an enchanted item to do the same thing as my spell. I fell asleep after doing my aether core exercises and making a few gold coins. The next day was not noteworthy. No spell evolutions or spell levels, but I did add to my coin collection, and finally, the day arrived for Freya¡¯s visit. I was torn between the joy of seeing Freya and getting a two-day break. Gareth went into town early in the morning and returned with Freya and Monty. Monty was growing rapidly. He was already twice the puppy in just a month! We spent the morning playing with the Monty, and I showed Freya how to use tiny food rewards to train him. The puppy was smart and soon had learned to sit, stay, and come, accomplishing the trifecta in just a few hours. Freya had the town gossip to spread as well. The carnival was the big news. The day after my incident, the Yeti escaped and caused some damage, and injured a bunch of people. The Wolfsguard had also arrested three of the performers before the carnival left. I was shocked when one of them was lead elf actress in the play! It took me a moment to recall her name, Niserie. That news had Gareth upset as he had been infatuated with her. According to Freya, the mother and father were doing well. Father was up for a promotion. Pascal was annoying as he got closer to entering the Academy, but at least he was nice to Monty. I gave Freya two large silvers for the upkeep of Monty, even though I had given mother some coin already. We were still getting paid five large silvers a week by Callem, and I wasn''t going to get the opportunity to spend them anytime soon. That evening Freya slept in the other bunk on my side of the loft. Monty was desperately trying to find a way to climb the ladder up to her before he calmed down and just kept an eye on her from below, curled up in Gareth¡¯s chair. She was a little annoyed that I studied late into the night with a light stone. I focused on the mend flesh spellbook as I searched for my next evolution. The next day was much of the same. As we completed our stretching, Freya even joined us. Then we explored the woods around the farm with Monty, who was interested in everything, especially treeing the red squirrels whenever they got brave enough to venture to the ground. I was happy to notice the puppy didn¡¯t let Freya out of his sight while we walked. Freya tried some of the obstacles on the course and determinedly finished each one she attempted. Sometimes, with a little help from Gareth or me. There were no good fishing spots near the farm, but we went to the small stream and fished anyway. The conversation was now mostly gossip about the town kids. Gareth wanted updates on a few girls our age in town, and Freya was just bragging about how jealous Gwen was of Monty and her successful business empire. Freya had taken over our delivery duties and was making almost a silver every week on her own. I was proud of her and told her so. Too soon, it was time for Gareth to take Freya home. We went and ate lunch with Callem and Wynna, and then they left. Gareth was pulling a large cart with tobacco leaves for Edel in town to dry for Callem. Callem mentioned after they left that Sebastian, his mage friend, would be visiting soon to fertilize the fields and do the next round of plantings. He would also be recharging the accelerated growth runic item buried underneath both fields. I spent the evening opening up the bloodied tome, The Complexities of Aether Creationism, A Qualitative Comparison of Dungeon and Mortal Spellcraft. The author was a pompous scientist, and it was difficult to read. The author was infatuated with the powers of dungeons. The book was full of ludicrous hypotheses based on no concrete observations. The few facts that I found were interesting were only tier four or higher spells were able to create anything out of aether directly. Lower-tiered spells could transmute material but not create matter. The aether conversion rate to matter was also terrible. A powerful archmage emptying his entire aether core could make a little over an ounce of gold. The author hypothesized that mundane aether creation was super inefficient, like using an ocean to put out a campfire. The author then made some theories about dungeons being 100 to 500 times more efficient than mundane magic and also having unlimited aether from the ley lines. It was based on his equations, which apparently were based on little factual evidence, on how much aether dungeons accumulated to make their environments, monsters, and rewards after a delve passed through and the dungeon was ¡°reset.¡±. I closed the book. I was over halfway through, but I had enough and shelved the book, probably permanently. I did learn that my tier seven metal creation ability was much closer to a dungeon''s ability than a magic creation spell. I made some platinum coins before falling asleep. Gareth was staying with his parents tonight and would be back early, so at least the room was quiet. Gareth didn''t snore, he just breathed really loudly. In the morning, as we were eating breakfast, Gareth returned and told Callem his tobacco leaves were being processed by Edel. We soon returned to training, and the days blended together. Five days after Freya¡¯s visit the most beautiful thing I had ever seen appeared. A copper-paneled skyship came to the farm and landed in the training yard. It was eerily quiet as it flew and moved gracefully like a fish of the sky. It was 60 feet long, 40 feet wide, and 20 feet high. The skyship was enclosed with no top deck like a sailing ship, and after it landed, a ramp descended in the rear. Unlike the bulky wooden sailing ships that docked in Hen¡¯s Hollow, this ship was beautiful! A well-groomed older man in an immaculate naval uniform walked down the ramp. An older-looking female Wolfsguard soon followed him in a plain blue civilian dress. Sebastian had returned, and all I could think was I wanted that skyship! This narrative has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. If you see it on Amazon, please report it. Chapter 22: The Wind Splitter While Gareth and I gawked at the beautiful, shiny ship, the ramp closed on its own. Gareth was impressed as it was clearly magic¡ªmaybe I was too. Callem had entered the house with the newly arrived guests. We walked around the parked ship, getting an up-close view. The landing struts were relatively short and looked like they could retract. The copper plating had seams, but had no rivets, The plates were smooth with graceful curves. We could not find any thrusters, windows, weapon mounts, or other entrances besides the seam for the ramp that had lowered. If we hadn¡¯t known it was the ramp¡¯s entrance, we wouldn¡¯t have been able to find it either. Gareth spoke first. ¡°This is the finest skyship I have ever seen. It looks like it is really fast.¡± Gareth¡¯s observation was spot on, in my opinion. It looked like a racing ship with its sleek curves. Most skyships had an open deck on top and sails to help cut through the skies. My best guess was this was not a combat ship. Maybe it was a scout or messenger ship. Callem yelled from the doorway for us to hurry up. As we walked toward the door, I used my cleanliness spell to remove the dirt, grime, and sweat of today¡¯s training. When the vanilla scent hit Gareth¡¯s nose, he smelled his own pits and groaned but entered the house with his chin held high. We found a large spread of food being put out by Wynna. The Wolfsguard woman was seated, sipping on some of the red juice. Callem introduced the guests, ¡°Boys this is Sebastian, a very old friend, and an admiral in the fleet. This woman is Nisil, a skilled mage who protects him and ensures he does not get into too much trouble.¡± I bowed low to the Wolfsguard, ¡°Thank you for healing me, Nisil. And thank you for bringing her, Admiral Sebastian.¡± Sebastian guffawed, ¡°Well, he is polite.¡± He looked over at Nisil, ¡°She protects me? Well, I suppose that I am her charge. I am not a full admiral anymore Callem, so stop introducing me as such,¡± Sebastian¡¯s stiff and proper demeanor suddenly relaxed. ¡°I just build ships for the Navy. I mostly do paperwork and work with the engineers on schematics. The only ship I command is the Wind Splitter outside, and she has a massive crew of two!¡± He gestured to Nisil, indicating the extent of the crew. I asked the burning question Gareth, and I had, ¡°Can we go inside the Wind Splitter and possibly go for a ride?¡± I looked hopeful and locked eyes with Sebastian. I hope I wasn¡¯t making pathetic puppy dog eyes and just looked eager. Sebastian grinned at our youthful fascination with his ship. ¡°Well, Storme, you are looking much better!¡± Sebastian eased into one of the couches. ¡°I suppose I can do a favor for the boys who will be helping train my granddaughter.¡± Gareth had a confused look, and that kicked my memory into gear. Callem and Sebastian had negotiated to have his granddaughter come here to learn martial skills. Someone assaulted her, if I recall. Sebastian explained, ¡°Callem has bartered to have my granddaughter, Cilia, come here and train for a bit.¡± His follow-up had eased Gareth¡¯s confused look in contemplative thought. He was probably wondering what Cilia looked like, ¡°After some food, boys, I am sure Sebastian will show you his ship,¡± Wynna said, joining the conversation. We all took up seats on the large couches, and the food was spread across the large table in the center. We all started eating. I held my manners, while Gareth ate normally, much to the amusement of Nisil, who hadn¡¯t touched a thing. Callem chewed on some salami. ¡°So what news in the capital?¡± Sebastian put down his drink. ¡°No good news, I am afraid. The Sadians have attacked three times in the last month. Only one serious attack, but they are obvious probing attacks for a larger assault. We are rushing out three new Harbinger class warships in the next two weeks. Putting extremely green crews fresh on them. If there is a battle, it is going to be a waste of good ships.¡± Harbinger, I recalled from the models and book in Wigand¡¯s bookshop. ¡°Isn¡¯t the Harbinger an old class of warship? Don¡¯t we have anything newer?¡± I thought my input was insightful and I desperately wanted to be seen as intelligent in front of Sebastian. The well-groomed mage answered me, ¡°Yes, the Harbinger has been around for a while,¡± he paused, ¡°We have updated the design seven times over the centuries. It is a solid ship for the cost and size. I tried to switch the construction to the Wasp-class a few years ago. The Wasp is a better ship. It is smaller, faster, just as well-armed, and cheaper to build. However, that was opposed by the families that control the supply chain for the materials used to build the Harbinger. Less materials, less profit for them. I built six Wasps in my time controlling the yards, but the admiralty has incorporated them as scout ships instead of core warships.¡± He sipped his drink and focused on me, ¡°So, to answer your question, we still focus on building the Harbinger.¡± Sebastian¡¯s tone was a little bitter. Ok, it was very bitter. ¡°Yes, boys and their toys.¡± Wynna quipped, ¡°Well any other news from the capital? That is one thing about having moved out here. It just takes so long for news to reach us unless we use a communication stone.¡± Callem sipped his juice with vodka and smiled. ¡°Three things you may be interested in. The Triumvirate has reinstated the Inherited Indenture Law, the dungeon tax has increased by 25% for the next year, and The Blackguard has been assigned to a few Harbinger warships, the Firestormand the Dark Howler. The Blackguard hasn¡¯t been assigned to warships in about 50 years,¡± Sebastian supplied. ¡°On the second point, that means your next load of dirt will cost 8 gold instead of 6.¡± Callem explained Sebastian¡¯s last statement as Gareth and I were confused, ¡°Sebastian is here to revitalize the soil. I contract a team of delvers to haul out soil from a dungeon. It is extremely fertile and has some residual aether properties that help the tobacco grow and maintain its aether effects.¡± Callem¡¯s face erupted into a grin, ¡°You boys will be unloading four tons of dirt this afternoon for your training!¡± Gareth was unfazed, but I was already trying to figure out how many wheelbarrow trips would take. ¡°I could dump it like usual¡­¡± Sebastian had started to speak, but Callem waved him off, maintaining his grin. ¡°Why did they reinstate Inherited Indenture Law?¡± Wynna asked, turning the conversation. Sebastian answered testily, ¡°It was Bricios who rallied to get it reinstated. They even reset the limits from one platinum to fifty platinum on damages to be repaid.¡± Wynna gasped. ¡°And the work rates have not increased, actually for skilled or magical indentures, the rate has been equalized for ¡®fairness¡¯.¡± Wynna¡¯s face contracted in anger. She put on her lecture fa?e we had come to know. ¡°Boys, slavery is illegal in Skyholme. Well, it is illegal to have humans as slaves,¡± she added and looked sadly at Nisil. ¡°However, if you commit a crime or owe a large debt, you can be put into indentured service to the offended party. You are tattooed by a mage so they can track you and can¡¯t hide or escape. The family that holds the indentured contract must supply food, housing, and fair treatment. In addition, the person¡¯s debt is reduced by 50 silver per week. So, at most, a person was going to be indentured for 200 weeks.¡± Callem and Sebastian nodded in affirmation. Wynna continued, ¡°Mages used to get two gold toward their debt, but that has now been rescinded to make everyone earn 50 silver per week. Now, it also appears that a very old law allows a family member to take someone''s place for a crime or debt. So, a father can put a child in his place. Also, if a person hasn¡¯t paid their debt completely it passes to the eldest born.¡± Wynna was not at all happy from her tone. I asked a question, ¡°Can more than one family member take on the debt at once?¡± Sebastian¡¯s eyebrows rose, ¡°Yes. I think that is why the Bricios rationalized increasing the debt limit. It allows their indentured enterprises to enlist more family members at once. The Bricios are the ONLY family in Skyholme allowed to buy and sell indenture contracts, and they always sell them at higher rates than they are worth.¡± A thought drifted to me. Bricio¡­that was the last name of the cadet that raped his granddaughter. I already didn¡¯t like them, but now I have more reasons. The food on the table had been mostly consumed. I noticed that Nisil had only eaten a little but drank a lot of juice. As we were cleaning up Sebastian talked with Callem just loudly enough for me to stretch my ears to hear. ¡°So, Callem,¡± Sebastian started, ¡°Cilia is looking forward to coming here. I did manage to get her friend to join her. She has a minor healing ability, nothing spectacular, but that should suffice your needs. Oh, don¡¯t worry. I will still provide the list of recovery potions you gave me. With some healing, you can have them train harder, though.¡± Callem had listened intently and then gave a little grin. ¡°Oh, I hadn¡¯t realized you would find someone, so we made other arrangements. Storme has imprinted the mend flesh spell.¡± What was this ¡®we¡¯ Callem mentioned? My guess was that he was just needling Sebastian¡ªor maybe bragging about me. ¡°That boy?¡± Sebastian was pointing at me now with shock on his face. ¡°At fifteen? Impressive and curious. And you are still training him to fight by the looks of his developing frame. I could¡­¡± Callem cut him off, ¡°No, the boy is just fine under my tutelage. His magic isn¡¯t overly strong.¡± Callem said with a straight face. ¡°He just has a little skill affinity for healing magic.¡± Sebastian nodded, taking the rebuttal and comment. ¡°Well, keep him under wraps. If the Triumvirate gets smart, they will be drafting him for a full term of service as a medic in the Navy.¡± Yeah, that wasn¡¯t going to happen. Even if they drafted me, I could quickly pay the 100 gold to buy out the draft card. ¡°What can you tell me about your granddaughter¡¯s friend?¡± Callem asked, and I slow-walked the dishes to the cabinets to make sure I heard everything. Gareth was leaning in, eager to hear as well. He had even stopped eating. ¡°She has been Cilia¡¯s roommate since entering the Naval Academy. Her name is Leda Aethen. Her family owns an enchanting shop in the lower city of the capital. She doesn¡¯t have a very strong aptitude for enchanting or magic in general. She has four tier 1 spells, to my knowledge: light healing, light flare, updraft, and air shield. Her sword skills are average, but she is very good with a staff. I haven¡¯t met her personally, but she is a real spitfire, according to Cilia.¡± He turned to the Wolfsguard, ¡°Nisil, you can show the boys the Wind Splitter and they can start unloading.¡± Callem took a moment to think, and I was basically loitering now as the dishes and food were cleaned up. ¡°How are the young women at hand to hand and wrestling?¡± I didn¡¯t hear Sebastian¡¯s response as I was pushed out by Gareth. Nisil opened the ramp to Wind Splitter , and we were led inside. The inside was actually white wood with gray growth rings. The white wood helped reflect the light stones placed throughout the ship to brighten the interior. The entire lower level of the ship was just one large cargo deck with two sets of stairs going up. The bay was full of large crates. Nisil indicated the eight crates in the back were the dungeon soil. We opened the first crate and it was just dirt to me. It had the normal earthy odor and a hint of fresh-cut grass. We got two wheelbarrows and started working. Callem came out after we had already unloaded the first two wheelbarrows, and we learned there was a correct way to spread the soil with the shovel. The task took a good two hours of constant work. Then we got to watch Sebastian work his magic. The piles of new soil melted and merged into the earth. The field roiled as he turned the soil and then neat rows ready for planting emerged. With his task finished, Sebastian was ready to give us a tour of the Wind Splitter. We walked up the ramp with Sebastian, and he began speaking, ¡°The ship was unearthed a few hundred years ago on one of the Skyholme islands. It was in the Navy museum as a wreck and curiosity. We learned it was a dark elven transport. Not the dark elves you are thinking of. Just elves that live on the Outer Sphere in the Dark World. The ship was used to take cargo from the Inner Sphere to the Outer Sphere. Before you ask we have no idea how it ended up on Skyholme. The nearest passage to the Outer Sphere is over a hundred thousand miles away.¡± Sebastian was walking up the stairs, and we followed. We entered the central room on the upper deck. It was filled with runic markings on floor-to-ceiling panels throughout the room. ¡°This is the engineering room. These panels control the anti-gravity units embedded in the hull. Those over there are the movement controllers. This is the central power core.¡± He pointed out two eye-ball-sized violet aether crystals embedded in the runes. ¡°Those two stones can continuously power the ship for a week and fully recharge in about a month. The ship can also be sealed and has its own life support.¡± He indicated another panel. ¡°But I haven¡¯t restored those runes yet, and finding more violet aether crystals to power them¡­well enough about my problems.¡± I ran my fingers over the silvery runic script. ¡°Those runic etchings are made from platinum mixed with powdered green aether crystal. It lasts much longer than the standard silver mixed with yellow crystal. I am not wealthy enough to use mithril, which has the best aether conductivity and would last thousands of years¡­¡± He had a dreamy look on his face. I asked about the white wood. ¡°The bone ashwood? Yes, that is fantastic lumber. It is light, strong, works well with enchantments, and is easily repaired with magic. It is common in the Sphere and also dungeons. The downside is the trees take a long time to grow, so finding a supply of large supply outside a dungeon is difficult. The outer hull is covered in quarter-inch copper alloy plating strengthened with runic inscriptions¡± We walked to the forward room, which was the bridge. It had three chairs in the large room and a window. ¡°The window is one-way viewable panel. The pilot¡¯s central chair links to the runic panels in the engine room to control the ship. The external remote viewer is also connected to that chair. The right chair is the navigator¡¯s chair, but I haven¡¯t been able to restore the magitech to functionality. The third chair was the weapon¡¯s operator chair, but alas, this ship has no weapons.¡± He sighed. The rest of the rooms on the upper deck were not as interesting. Three small crew cabins, a captain''s cabin, a small office with books and a comfortable chair, a larder, a small dining room with seating for six, two guest cabins, and a common bathroom that somehow had running water for both hot and cold. With the tour done, Sebastian took us off the ship and went and talked to Callem. A bit later, Sebastian and Nisil were on board and lifting off. Sebastian promised us a ride in the future when he had more time. It was eerily quiet as the Wind Splitter lifted off. Callem approached us as we watched longingly. ¡°Hope the tour was good. As you heard, we are going to have some guests in a few months. Our training is going to start to include some hand-to-hand, some wrestling, and also some stave work to get ready for them. We are going to teach them to defend themselves in any circumstances.¡± Callem went into more detail about how the training would change, and we listened. I was going to lose a little of my free study time, which Callem said was because I didn¡¯t have any new spells to learn. I really needed to get Gareth to the capital to get me more spells. At the end of the day, in our bunkhouse lofts, we started talking about when Gareth would make his way to the capital. I planned to have 100 platinum for him. The sooner he went, the better. My metal creation ability was close to making three platinum coins a night now. Since I had been using aether to heal during the day and advancing my cleanliness spell, I was stuck at making just two platinum at night. I had also been making some gold coins, but that was only to add to the platinum coins. I fell asleep, dreaming of getting a skyship similar to the Wind Splitter. ? Copyrighted 2024 by AlwaysRollsAOne No Permission is given to translate, copy, repost or alter to an audio format of this original work of fiction. If you are reading this on a site that is not my Patreon, RoyalRoad.com, or Scribblehub.com, it has been stolen without my permission and violates DMCA. Remember, this work is the result of my creative effort and is protected by copyright law. Removal or altering of this notification is an acknowledgment you are aware you are in violation of DMCA. Chapters 23, 24, and 25 Chapter 23: Gareth POV, Part 1 The morning sun came and Gareth woke before Storme. Gareth was the heavier sleeper and rarely got up before Storme. He quietly lowered himself down the ladder and dressed. If you were late for breakfast Callem usually was a bit harder on you during training. Well on Gareth anyway. The one-time Callem made Storme do extra work during training Storme made a very bland dinner the next day in retribution and that was enough for Callem to minimize his punishments for being late for breakfast. For Gareth, though, the sparring in the evening was more intense and required more healing from Storme. It was Callem''s attempt to ingrain in Gareth that being on time was important. He heard Storme stirring just as he quietly shut the door. Damn, Storme wouldn¡¯t be late, but that was ok as he would still get the best portions at breakfast. Storme said he had an internal clock that got him up on time every morning, which Gareth assumed had something to do with his magic. Gareth entered the farmhouse and started helping Callem and Wynna lay out breakfast. Blueberry pancakes with butter, fried eggs, greasy pork sausage, and some iced tea. Iced tea was another invention of Storme. Tea was supposed to be hot but Storme added some ice cubes, lemon juice, and sugar and made it a great drink to pair with meals instead of something you sipped after a meal to soothe digestion. Almost all of Storme¡¯s culinary creations were great, except when he started kicking up the spiciness of dishes. He made a ¡®five-alarm chili¡¯ for Callem weeks ago, and Gareth¡¯s digestive tract still hadn¡¯t forgiven him. Callem loved it, but the chili burned going down and coming out for Gareth. If Storme wanted, he probably could have made a fortune owning a restaurant. Maybe he could convince Storme to buy a restaurant where Gareth could eat for free whenever he wanted. He would have to wait for the right time to bring this up. After setting the table Gareth pulled half the pancakes to his plate just as Storme entered. Storme liked blueberry pancakes, and his annoyance showed on his face, especially after Callem and Wynna took all but one of the pancakes quickly after Gareth. The air carried the smell of vanilla into the room from the door. He was a bit envious of Storme¡¯s spells, but he had his own gifts. He was progressing at a phenomenal rate, according to Callem. In another year, Callem said he would be unbeatable by anyone his age¡ªeven the nobles who had been training since they were able to hold a sword. Storme was also doing well with the sword and had learned the sword forms, but Storme had not mastered them. He still made numerous tiny mistakes. When they sparred with swords, Gareth had to hold back enough to make it interesting and improve himself. Storme was closing the gap due to physical growth, but his skill development would never equal Gareth¡¯s. Both boys were growing quickly, and Gareth was now 6''1" to Storme''s 5''8". They were tall for boys their age, and Gareth could pass for a young adult in his second or third year of Academy. Storme barely looked his 15 years, but was growing and filling out. Storme''s body type was a bit gangly compared to Gareth''s thicker frame. Both boys were well-muscled, but Storme had a much leaner build. Gareth was worried about what his Giant''s Constitution ability might turn his body into. Callem had assured him that it would just make him a larger man and not turn his features to mirror a giant. Both boys ate enough for three boys, and sometimes they made it a competition at meals. Apparently, Storme was not playing the game this morning as he ate sparingly. During stretching later that morning, Gareth started needling Storme about his inflexibility, well, his inflexibility compared to Gareth. Storme returned the favor by needling him about Brianne. Brianne was a year older than him and was fairly attractive in his opinion. It was a sore subject for Gareth. He had let slip a few times about his jealousy over Brianne hanging out with Edward. Gareth hadn¡¯t told Storme, but Brianne had offered to teach Gareth how to kiss and practice with him. Gareth was nervous at the moment and refuted her invitation. Brianne had stormed off and not talked to him since he rebuked her. He had regretted it ever since. He just hadn¡¯t been prepared for her forwardness, but he would be next time an opportunity arose. Gareth had taken a much greater interest in girls and young women in the last few months. The only woman Gareth had seen Storme ogle over was the elven woman from the play. She also caught Gareth¡¯s eye with her lithe figure and charismatic glow. Gareth had been a little concerned that Storme didn¡¯t like girls for a while. Which was okay with him, but Gareth was definitely only interested in girls. Stretching ended, and Storme went inside. Callem and Gareth bombarded him with suggestions for dinner that night as he entered the farmhouse. Callem directed Gareth to the fields to finish planting the tobacco and watering both fields. Gareth could do three times the amount of work now compared to when they first moved to the farm, a mark of his improving fitness. The hard morning continued as Storme joined Gareth on the obstacle course. They had three timed runs today at Callem¡¯s direction. They usually competed against themselves by competing against the time piece. Gareth was just too fast for Storme to compete with when he went all out. Storme improved his time for the C course from 7:25 to 7:09 on his first run. Storme had put in an amazing effort to achieve his new best time. His second and third were 7:45 and 7:50. And after each run, Storme came up to Gareth clean as if he had just stepped out of the shower and smelled of vanilla. The vanilla scent was a little over the top for Gareth. It was pleasant, for sure, but after a certain point, he would get sick of it. Gareth had improved his best time as well today. 6:32 was his previous best, and today he ran 6:27, 6:31, and 6:39. Callem praised both of them. Gareth was filthy after working and training the morning. He looked forward to lunch as he had burned a lot of his energy stores, but Callem made him wash up a bit before entering the house. Lunch was bacon sandwiches, which Gareth helped himself to three of. He tried to uncover what Storme was preparing for dinner, but Storme had taken to hiding it so it would be a surprise¡ªand so Gareth wouldn¡¯t sample it at lunchtime. Gareth tried to get Wynna to reveal the upcoming meal but failed. Storme and Wynna had definitely bonded a bit in the kitchen. The early afternoon was staff practice. It was something that Storme was actually quite good at. Storme could hold off Gareth even when he went full tilt. Storme even scored a pair of hits on Gareth¡¯s thighs in today¡¯s sparring. They were glancing blows but still counted as hits. After staff practice, Storme went to study while Callem did some advanced sword training with Gareth. The special training was all about reading the opponent''s movements. Eye movements, muscle movements, shifting clothing, and, unfortunately, feints. Callem was his subject, and the man could make it impossible to read him if he tried, but as Callem got further and further along, Gareth was finally getting it. That was until Callem introduced feints, and Gareth¡¯s nightmare for the last few days began. Deciding on whether something was a feint, distraction, or actual movement was impossible. He got it right maybe 10% of the time when they started. To his credit, he was already up to 25%. Yes, if you do the math, just guessing he should be at 33%, but this was Callem, and you couldn¡¯t guess, or maybe Callem was changing the movement partway through based on Gareth''s own reaction? Gareth had to read, decipher, and then react in a split second. After every engagement, Callem would question him on his thought process, then make suggestions and reveal what his actual intentions had been. Soon, the sword practice came to a close as Storme rejoined them. They were now working on wrestling, hand-to-hand combat, and restraints. Wrestling was just hand-to-hand combat without punching or kicking. A silly form of fighting in Gareth¡¯s opinion. Restraints were about subduing your opponent and also breaking from an opponent''s hold. At first, Storme was the victor in the wrestling, to Callem¡¯s surprise. Although Storme was smaller, he was wiry, and he later told Gareth he had some experience with wrestling in his past life¡ªso he was cheating. Well, after a week, Storme¡¯s advantages faded, but he was still a very tough competitor. Gareth¡¯s skill affinity didn¡¯t extend to wrestling or hand-to-hand combat, so he had to use his superior agility, speed, and strength. Today, Storme won three bouts out of ten, which meant he was having a very good day. What annoyed Gareth the most was after each bout he lost, he would use his cleanliness spell on himself and complain about how bad Gareth smelled. Unfortunately, there was no hand-to-hand combat training today. Gareth usually won every bout in that discipline. After they finished, Storme healed them both up, and then they engaged in a handful of sword duels to help Storme''s technique. Callem actually let Gareth do the teaching now. Callem just corrected Gareth on his ability to facilitate improvement in Storme¡¯s forms. Storme had trouble chaining the different forms together in a fluid act. He was still completing Tortoise Shell completely before switching to Fox¡¯s Lunge. Couldn¡¯t he see he only needed to do about 80% of the Tortoise Shell defense form before switching to attack in a fluid motion with Fox¡¯s Lunge? He also rarely chose the optimal sword form based on what Gareth was presenting to him. Well, a sword master wasn¡¯t made in a day¡­unless that person was Gareth. He smirked to himself and almost let Storme pass his defenses to graze his thigh. Sword practice ended and they had time to clean up. Storme still loved swimming in the cool waters so they went together. As they were in the pool Storme swore. ¡°Fucking shit.¡± Gareth was on alert. ¡°No, no worries. My cleanliness spell advanced to the 5th level and I wasn¡¯t paying enough attention to focus on the evolution. Give me a second while I figure out what the new evolution now does.¡± He sounded pretty upset and two minutes later Storme sounded much happier, ¡°Actually it is not too bad. It appears my healing affinity must have aided in the evolution a bit. I didn¡¯t realize that could happen¡­¡± Before he could ramble on about magic nonsense, Gareth interrupted, ¡°What did you get!¡± Storme grinned and relaxed into the waters. ¡°It is a skin renewal and hydration effect. Basically, it makes my skin appear like I just came out of the shower and used a body oil rub.¡± Storme said with a cocky grin. ¡°You mean like a noblewoman?¡± Comparing Storme to a woman always got him irritated, so Gareth did it often. What were friends for if not to keep you grounded? ¡°Let me demonstrate my new power and see what you have to say afterward.¡± Storme held some irritation in his tone. He stood and a few seconds passed, and I suppressed my reaction as he did look quite a bit better. Healthier, attractive, and fairer looking. Damn it, Gareth wanted magic. Gareth held his face blank before speaking, ¡°Let me know when you cast the spell.¡± Storme looked crestfallen, but before long Gareth¡¯s grin creased his face, ¡°No, I am kidding; your new evolution works as you advertised. You look much prettier. You should be able to find a good man if you use your spell prodigiously!¡± Gareth started laughing, and Storme joined in after a few seconds. Dinner tonight was Philly Cheese Steak sandwiches with a fruit salad and fried squash. He wasn¡¯t sure why Storme insisted on calling the steak Philly, wasn¡¯t that a young horse? And who would eat horse meat? But the sandwiches were awesome. It was the third time since we moved to the farm he had made them. He kept wanting to get feedback on the bread. Storme wasn¡¯t sure if it paired well with the sandwich. Wynna had baked it, so Gareth wasn¡¯t going to say anything other than saying it was perfect. Never insulting the chef was his motto...unless Storme needed some grounding. After dinner, they had lessons with Wynna. To Gareth''s dismay, it was the recent history of the Skyholme Triumvirate. It was a boring subject, but Wynna wanted to make sure they understood the political climate, so she circled back to this subject at least once a week. After their time with Wynna, he sat with Callem for a bit of weapons knowledge while Storme went off and did his magic thing. Callem brought out weapons and quizzed him on how to defend against them and what advantages they had versus various weapons Gareth might wield. He was already starting to puzzle out some things without Callem telling him, which was making Callem giddy. Gareth went back late to find Storme still up. ¡°Hey Gareth, I made three platinum today even with all the healing I did today,¡± Storme said to Gareth from his loft. ¡°Even with all the prettying up, you did today as well on top?!¡± Gareth retorted with his grin. ¡°So, are you close?¡± He asked in anticipation. ¡°Yep, I have 107 platinum coins ready for you. The sixth day is two days away, and I should be able to get you another four and add some gold as well.¡± Storme paused, thinking, ¡°For gold, a should have six large gold and 19 regular gold coins for you.¡± Gareth still hadn¡¯t quite grasped the immense wealth that was, even though Storme tried to pound it into his head. Gareth was just thinking he would be off to the capital in two days and could explore the sites he had only read about in books and discussed with Wynna, Storme, and Callem during meals. Two more days¡­he fell asleep thinking about his coming adventure. Chapter 24: Gareth Part 2 The next two days were difficult for Gareth as his mind was distracted. Callem kept pushing him, but it didn¡¯t help Gareth refocus. Storme had scored multiple times in sparring and it made him insufferable. When the morning of the 6th day finally arrived, Gareth raced to Hen¡¯s Hollow to bring back Freya. She would stay with Storme, Callem, and Wynna for the two days that Gareth would be gone. Callem thought Gareth was going to the capital of Titan¡¯s Shield and not the capital city of Skyholme, Skyhold. It was not a lie as Gareth would have to stop in the capital on the way to Skyhold. Gareth didn¡¯t spend much time getting Freya and Monty, rushing them back to Callem¡¯s farm. He talked with Storme briefly going over the plan as he eagerly took the purse containing 111 platinum, 6 large gold, and 25 gold. Gareth had plenty of time to get to the docks in Hen¡¯s Hollow for the transport to the capital on Titan¡¯s Shield. He arrived early and had to wait nearly 40 minutes for departure, which was very awkward as Storme¡¯s father was there. Caleb, Storme''s father, kept trying to make conversation, asking what Gareth was planning to do in the city and asking how Storme was doing. Gareth felt guilty not telling the complete truth to his inquiries. Finally, the ship was ready to leave, and he paid his five large copper for transport to the capital. Thankfully, Caleb was not assigned to the trip. It would have been difficult to catch a skyship to the capital with him at the Aegis City docks. Gareth made his way to the rail to watch as the ship lifted and drifted across the land. Gareth was hypnotized by trees, rivers, towns, farms, and roads passing below him. Other passengers also watched from the rails, and the trip ended far too soon for Gareth. The capital of Titan''s Shield was much more impressive than Solaris, the city near Hen¡¯s Hollow. This city had many more buildings, and they were much taller, some reaching ten stories into the sky. The large number of people he saw wandering the streets just before the ship landed in port mesmerized him. A typical day in the Aegis City was just as crowded as the carnival had been at its peak in Solaris. He looked for the dungeon entrances but could not orient himself quick enough before the ship nestled down between the buildings. He was a bit lost as he disembarked, but since he was on the airship docks, finding the right ship to reach the capital island shouldn''t be too hard. After asking a few questions, he found a passenger transport to the capital. There were actually three ships headed there today in the next few hours, two were headed to the lower city and one to the upper city. He figured the upper city would get him closer to the trade district with the best shops, so he got a ticket for that liner. The cost was five large silver! That seemed excessive to him, but the dock master said the ship going to the upper city was faster and more comfortable, so he paid with Storme¡¯s coins. He rationalized it would also save him a half-mile walk from the lower city to the upper city. He only had a rough map from one of his textbooks, and Storme said the best course was to walk straight to the trade district directly from the docks. Everything he needed to purchase would be there. Even though Gareth was in his best clothes he got a lot of disdainful looks from the other passengers. He bore with it and went to the wide bow of the skyship, ignoring the pompous people denigrating his appearance. He planned to stay on deck the entire time, not going below deck to sit in the cushion seating. He watched the island fall below as the ship took off the ground. His stomach dropped as the speed was much faster than his previous transport. Soon, the vessel cleared the edge of the island, and the vast world far below appeared. Gareth gripped the railing as his mind processed that he was not going to fall the impossibly far distance. A young man to his right snickered at him for his fear. He straightened and forced himself to relax and enjoy his first voyage off his island. The features below were tiny, as they were miles up, but Gareth studied them with intense interest. A hunger for exploring the unknown lands below grew within him. Time passed too quickly for him again as he gazed, and the ship was flying over the capital island now. The ship passed over large country estates. Some were academy compounds, and some were estates of the wealthy. A few small orchards, vineyards, and fields dotted the land. Even the forests and lakes seemed groomed to act as boundaries to various estates. The ship passed over a small city with white stone buildings and tiny people walking the streets. It was not the capital of Skyholme, just a vast urban expanse of the capital. Gareth looked up, and the capital city etched the horizon with impossibly tall buildings silhouetting the skyline. From his lessons, Gareth knew magic reinforced the stone, allowing them to extend buildings hundreds of feet into the sky. The opulence and enormity of everything made Gareth envious, but he knew from readings that most buildings were left by the avian race that once inhabited the island thousands of years ago. The tall buildings had been renovated by the Skyholme people, but the architectural legacy could still clearly be seen. The ship lowered and landed on top of a building near the trade district, one of the urban districts just outside the city center. Tall buildings surrounded Gareth, and he felt very small. A deckhand indicated the way, and Gareth disembarked and walked straight to the trade district. Pairs of smartly dressed, large, and imposing city guards walked the streets. Dozens of well-dressed men and women hurried along the streets, and Gareth got looks of disdain. Gareth traveled as far off the main concourse as possible. At least the presence of the guard pairs made him feel somewhat safe carrying around the small fortune. His goal today was just to get some new clothes to pass as a rich noble¡¯s son. He would then stay in a fine inn tonight and enjoy the comforts of the city. Gareth refocused, ok Storme said the most important thing to impersonate a pompous ass of a noble was to act like one. Gareth straightened, started walking down the street, and soon found a tailor shop in the heart of the trade district that seemed to specialize in men¡¯s clothing. The shop had a sicky sweet smell to it that almost made him sneeze. He entered the shop and found one man being fitted for a long coat by a male tailor, and immediately, another tailor approached him from behind a desk. The tailor was old and partially bald but had a friendly enough smile. ¡°What can we do for you today, young sir.¡± The man was evaluating Gareth, sizing up his potential sales. At this point, the man probably didn''t think much of his possible fortunes. ¡°Good man,¡± Gareth said, clearing his throat and deepening his voice. ¡°My family has sent me to the city to get some outfits for my sister¡¯s wedding. I have been training in seclusion for three years, and just now, my father thought I should rejoin the family functions. I need an everyday outfit and one for the wedding.¡± It was a story Storme and Gareth thought sounded plausible. The man looked at him again, reassessing his initial appraisal. ¡°What is your budget?¡± he finally asked. Storme had told Gareth to spend at least 100 gold on each outfit. Gareth pulled out three platinum coins and placed them on the counter to which the man just raised an eyebrow. Was it not enough or too much? It was enough coin to buy half the houses in Hen¡¯s Hollow. Fighting back nervousness, Gareth added, ¡°My father gave me a little more, but I wanted to see what you have to offer first.¡± The man nodded and smiled but it no longer felt friendly. He pulled the coins into his hand and quickly inspected the three shiny coins before placing them in his pocket. ¡°Okay, you want one formal outfit, and what about the second?¡± The man asked. ¡°Just casual clothing for going out in the city but something that I can move freely in for my morning training. I don¡¯t know what the current fashions are, but I want to fit in with the capital¡¯s aristocracy while I am here,¡± Gareth said while forcing a smile. ¡°Fit in, yes. Very good.¡± He said skeptically. ¡°Let us start in the back room, with me, please, young sir.¡± Gareth followed him to a private room. ¡°Please strip to your underclothes.¡± Gareth complied and stood in his underwear. The tailor looked at him, wincing slightly. ¡°Ah, yes, new underclothes as well?¡± he asked, and Gareth nodded slightly embarrassed. First, the man took many measurements, and sometimes, the man''s hands across his body made him a bit uncomfortable. When finished, the man brought out three undershirts made of different materials for Gareth. ¡°We have common cotton, trap door spider silk from the local dungeon, and dungeon linen from the lands below.¡± Gareth was drawn to the spider silk shirt by the name and smooth feel. The tailor read his eyes, ¡°Fantastic choice. The shirt has some elasticity and can be enchanted with silver runic thread. It is extremely durable and should last you many years. We offer the comfort enchantment and the temperature management enchantment. Are you interested in one or both?¡± Gareth was tempted to ask how much, but that would reveal his ignorance, so he just said both. He decided on a light gray shirt, and somehow, he agreed to get three undershirts, four pairs of underwear, and eight pairs of socks in the same material. All the shirts would have both enchantments. Next, the man brought out shoes, ¡°The best way to build an ensemble is from the ground up. You will want light boots for the city walking and some good shoes for dancing for the wedding.¡± A parade of shoes in various styles and colors was shown to him. He decided on the simplest designs for both. The boots and shoes were made from dark brown leather that the man said was from the dungeon monster called the giant terror mole. With the shoes chosen the tailor put together a complete dress outfit for the fictional wedding as Gareth tried to hurry him through the selection process. It included pants, a decorative belt, and a decorative scabbard for his dagger, a long-sleeved shirt, a vest, a long coat, a fashion scarf, a low-brimmed hat, and silver bands to go around the wrist and hold his sleeves in place. To the tailor¡¯s disappointment, Gareth declined to get any of those items enchanted, saying he only planned to wear the outfit once. The casual clothes the tailor selected were light brown pants in the current fashion made of a mix of leather and linen that made them heavy and durable. He didn¡¯t get any embellishments on the pants but did get both enchantments they offered. For the shirt, he went with a loose-fitting white shirt that buttoned up the front. The buttons were made from silvery ivory bone. Well, he had a selection of buttons put before him, and those looked the most attractive to his eyes. Gareth ordered both enchantments for the shirt. For a coat, he went with a long coat, similar to a duster from the old west. It was dark gray and made from the hide of a stone aurochs from the lowlands. It was thick and a bit heavy. With the enchantments, the tailor assured Gareth the coat would be extremely comfortable. After going through about a dozen hats, Gareth picked out a hat that resembled a fedora made of the same material as the duster. After the long three-hour process, it was time to pay, and Gareth was extremely thirsty. The tailor moved to the counter and started to write the invoice. Trap Door Spider Silk Under Shirt, Light Gray (3) 15 gold Trap Door Spider Silk Underwear, Light Gray (4) 16 gold Trap Door Spider Pairs Socks, Light Gray (10) 10 gold Terror Mole Shoes, Dark Brown (1) 30 gold Terror Mole Boots, Dark Brown (1) 40 gold Yak Deep Blue Dress Shirt (1) 8 gold Rock Wool Off Deep Blue Dress Pants (1) 10 gold Giant Badger Leather Hide Dress Coat (1) 15 gold Giant Silk Worm Black Vest (1) 5 gold Tellomere Yellow Scarf (1) 25 gold Constrictor Low Brimmed Hat (1) 3 gold Fine Leather Belt and Scabbard (1) 11 gold Silver wristbands (2) 8 gold Durable Leather/Linen Pants (1) 3 gold Linen Long Sleeve Shirt, White (1) 1 gold Ivory Buttons (16) 8 gold Auroch Long Cloak, Dark Gray (1) 20 gold Auroch Brimmed Hat, Dark Gray (1) 5 gold Comfort Enchantments, Standard Silver Thread 46 gold Temperature Management Enchantments, Standard Silver Thread 42 gold Multiple Enchantment Discount -21 gold Total Invoice¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­300 gold Gareth hid his astonishment and his nervously shaking hand. A fortune was spent in just a short time. Storme had told him to expect it, but now that it had happened, he was in slight shock. The total was exactly what he had given the man before the fitting and selection. He knew he was being taken advantage of; it was painfully obvious. The tailor said with a contented smile, ¡°We can have the garments ready in three days and delivered to your residence.¡± Gareth was about to ask heatedly, ¡°And how much for that service?¡± But he held it in. He was here to fit in. ¡°I need everything by tomorrow morning. Also add on another auroch long cloak.¡± His tone was firm and not voiced as a question. The tailor backed a step up, looking a little embarrassed. ¡°Sorry, good sir, but our weaver enchanter is quite busy. If you wish to forgo the enchantments, we might be able to have everything ready in the morning.¡± He was trying not to upset Gareth, that was obvious by his mannerisms. Gareth reached into his pouch and placed five large gold coins on the counter.Find this and other great novels on the author''s preferred platform. Support original creators! ¡°And now?¡± Gareth intoned with an arrogance he didn¡¯t feel. It was Gareth''s attempt at being a rich pompous noble. The man was staring at the coin, and the gears in his head were turning. ¡°Give me a few minutes to discuss this matter with the master tailor and the weaver enchanter.¡± The tailor hurried out a door in the back, and Gareth had to wait twenty minutes for him to return. When he returned, the tailor seemed a little out of breath but said, ¡°I have excellent news. We can expedite the items you have selected and add on the additional cloak. The charge for the cloak with be just 20 gold, and the enchantments will be free. The expeditious completion of your order will be 30 gold as we will have all eight of us working overnight to complete everything.¡± Gareth nodded, not expecting any other result after seeing the greed in his eyes. ¡°Can you recommend a good inn nearby? I will stay there tonight and you can drop my clothes off as soon as they are completed.¡± The man didn¡¯t take but a breath to reply. ¡°The Gentle Tauren is just three buildings down on the left. Tell the innkeeper, Broderick, that you were sent by Danlius. He will take good care of you.¡± Gareth thought, ¡®Sure he will.¡¯ He was quickly becoming cynical. ¡°And your name, sir?¡± It was strange in the entire period, Gareth had not given or received the man¡¯s name until now. ¡°Gaston,¡± Gareth said. He didn¡¯t want to use his real name and that was the first thing that came to his head. Gaston was a fabled dungeon delver. Gareth left, finally free of the tailor, and planned to never go through that ordeal again. Shopping for clothes was exhausting, boring, and painful to the purse. At least the money wasn¡¯t his. He made his way to The Gentle Tauren. The inn was four stories tall and made of the same white stone common throughout the city. Inside the common room were neatly aligned tables, a bard strumming a small harp near a large, quiet fireplace, and three attractive waitresses waiting near the kitchen door to serve patrons. A few patrons were eating and drinking throughout the room. A slightly overweight and average-looking man stood behind the bar. He had salt and pepper hair, but after just a moment of studying the man, Gareth knew he was a skilled warrior. The pudge on the man hid muscles, and his dark eyes were observing everything inside the inn¡¯s common room, including Gareth. Besides the cleanliness and brightness of the room, it was what he had expected. Well, the serving women were more attractive than he expected. Gareth walked to the bar, ¡°Broderick?¡± The man nodded, ¡°I am Gaston. Danlius sent me,¡± Gareth said. The man laughed instantly, ¡°Really? I am absolutely shocked that old fart sent someone to my establishment again. You still got your invoice on you?¡± Gareth nodded a little as he was caught off guard, and the man made a gesture to hand it over. Gareth did so reluctantly and the man scanned it. After reading it twice, he handed it back to Gareth. ¡°Not too bad, boy. In my younger years, I used to be a dungeon delver, and I supplied many monster and beast carcasses to tailors throughout Skyholme. The last man who came through here from Danlius¡ªwell, let us say I told him the truth about how much he overpaid.¡± A pit was descending in Gareth¡¯s stomach. Broderick continued, ¡°Oh it''s not too bad. The materials for what you have listed would amount to around 80 gold¡­well maybe a little more with the trouble we have been having getting imports from the lowlands. So, let''s say 100 gold for the capital. The tailor should get around 40 gold for his work, and the enchanter about the same. So, a good price would have been 180 gold. I take it you didn¡¯t haggle.¡± Gareth shook his head, realizing he had been so caught up in the moment and overwhelmed he had forgotten. People rarely haggled in Hen¡¯s Hollow, but it was a game in Aegis City between the shopkeepers and customers. The man laughed again. ¡°Well, unless you are made of coin, take it as a life lesson, boy. Enchanting clothes is just a waste, in my opinion. It only takes a single thread to break to ruin the enchantment. Save yourself the coin next time.¡± He produced a glass mug and filled it with a foamy beer that Gareth drank immediately. The beer was excellent, cold, nutty, and flavorful. ¡°My own brew. Well, it¡¯s my own recipe, anyway. I don''t dabble anymore.¡± The man said. Gareth sat at the bar. He was embarrassed enough not to tell Broderick he had paid another fifty gold to get the clothes in the morning. A little timidly, he asked, ¡°Can I get a room, dinner now, and breakfast first thing in the morning?¡± ¡°Sure! We are between lunch and dinner in the common room, but I have pheasant pies ready to go into the oven. Or you can order something. I would suggest our boar cheeseburgers.¡± Gareth had eaten dozens of burgers and was almost tempted to tell Broderick that his friend had invented the cheeseburger. ¡°The pheasant pie sounds fabulous, and two of your boar burgers as well,¡± the innkeeper''s eyes rose in mild surprise, but he just nodded and went to the kitchen. He returned shortly and positioned himself in front of Gareth. ¡°So, what type of room are you looking for? The only rooms we have with a view are on the fourth floor, and two of them are open right now,¡± the man patiently asked. ¡°No, something simple is fine, but I would prefer a bath after dinner. Is there a bathhouse nearby?¡± Gareth asked. ¡°Bathhouse? Not in the upper district. All buildings here have their own running water, and all my rooms have showers¡­a few have baths, too.¡± Gareth felt he had just blundered. He was coming across as an ignorant farm boy who had never been to the capital. ¡°Just a room with a shower is fine. Can I get another ale?¡± Broderick smiled and got him the ale and a silver key. He noticed the three waitresses were watching him and talking to each other. What was that about? Soon, a large dinner plate-sized pie was in front of him. He dug in, and the flaky crust, smooth, thick gravy, hearty meat, and vegetables filled him up. Before he realized it, two massive burgers were on plates to his right. Broderick had stepped aside to let him eat, and a short waitress with blonde hair had delivered the burgers. Gareth made it halfway through the second burger before reaching his limit. He had been receiving refills on his cup during the meal as well. He was feeling the effects of the alcohol. ¡°Room 6 on the second floor,¡± Broderick said as Gareth slid off the stool and stumbled a bit. He had enough sense to wander toward Broderick. ¡°Can I pay for the meals and room now? I might leave early in the morning.¡± Gareth felt the alcohol working. He had never drunk so much before, and he was fighting to control himself to appear unfazed. The most he had in one sitting before was splitting a liberated bottle of wine with Storme and he thought he needed four mugs to wash down the food. He thought he was doing a fantastic job of maintaining his composure. ¡°The room is 2 gold, and let''s call the three dinners tonight 1 gold. Breakfast will be 20 silver¡­but maybe you will want a double portion?¡± he asked, amused at Gareth¡¯s prodigious appetite. Gareth reached into his purse, fingered the last large gold there, and placed it on the counter. The shiny coin glinted in the aether lights lining the walls, and Broderick¡¯s eyes furrowed at the sight of it. ¡°If I was a betting man, I would say that is a dungeon coin.¡± Gareth''s stomach dropped, and suddenly, he was at risk of returning the pheasant pie and one-and-a-half burgers to Broderick. ¡°Well, all coin is good at my inn, but you look young for a delver.¡± The coin disappeared. He soon returned Gareth¡¯s change, which Gareth started to put it away. ¡°You forgot to haggle again. Call it another life lesson. I freely gave you drinks, hoping you wouldn¡¯t contest my pricing¡ªand you didn¡¯t.¡± Broderick said with a smile. Gareth counted the coins in his hand, seven gold. Broderick winked at him as he had charged him 20 silver less than he had just requested. ¡°A fair price would have been about 2 gold and 90 silver, but you did consume a lot of my ale. Gareth¡¯s mind was clearing from his alcohol buzz, but he was learning a lot of hard lessons. Broderick patted him on the shoulder. ¡°You clean up and get some rest. My ale is quite strong. I would suggest avoiding Nina over there tonight.¡± He indicated the blonde waitress that had served him. ¡°That is if you want to get a good night¡¯s sleep.¡± Gareth blushed and unsteadily started walking to the stairs. He paused and returned to get the last half of a burger and went to his room carrying the plate. Broderick smirked at the young man. It was a nice and simple room. The bed was ridiculously soft, and it had a flush toilet instead of a pot! He had read about them and actually flushed them three times before actually using them. The shower took a few minutes to figure out as well. There were two nobs, one for hot and one for cold water. He did the hot shower first and then finished with the cold shower. After the shower, his stomach had made enough room for the rest of the burger so he finished it. He was lying naked on his bed, ready to pass out, when a knock came. Gareth got to the door with a towel around his waist and found the waitress, Nina, there. Seeing his muscular upper torso, she stumbled on her words: ¡°Sir, I came to check on you and see if you needed any assistance with anything in your room and if your appetite was satiated.¡± Gareth thought for a second. Well, if she had come earlier, she could have helped him with the shower controls. Too late now. ¡°Will you need your clothes laundered?¡± she asked. No, Gareth thought. He would have new clothes in the morning, and his clothes were still fairly clean anyway. Seeing him not saying yes to anything, she tried again, ¡°Are you interested in any pies, cakes, or torts to complete your meal?¡± Well, if he hadn¡¯t just eaten the rest of the burger, he might have wanted something sweet. Gareth finally responded, ¡°I think I am ok. I just need to stretch out on my bed and dry off a bit. I should probably do my limbering stretches before bed as well.¡± Gareth was talking mostly to himself and didn¡¯t notice the smile creeping onto the young woman¡¯s face. He missed her face turn to shock when he shut the door. Gareth was feeling the long day and had missed stretching. Not long after, he passed into a deep slumber on the very comfortable bed. The only thing that bothered Gareth was the pillows, which had a faint vanilla aroma. Chapter 25: Gareth Part 3 A loud knock woke Gareth. Before he realized it, he stumbled out of bed with a slight migraine and opened the door without the towel. Broderick stood in the doorway with a massive package that contained all of his new clothes and shoes. ¡°They came late last night, but I held them till early this morning for you. You sleep quite loudly, according to Nina. I found her listening at your door after dinner service concluded.¡± Broderick had a devilish grin on his face. ¡°So, breakfast serving will be in about 15 minutes¡­¡± Broderick was studying Gareth, ¡°You look pretty good for having downed five cups of my personal brew. I actually thought that you might be late for an engagement, so I came to get you up myself.¡± Gareth nodded in thanks and took the bundle. ¡°Thank you, Broderick.¡± At least he had remembered the man¡¯s name. Gareth¡¯s body felt fine with his Giant¡¯s Constitution, but his head was still a little foggy with some pressure behind his eyes. ¡°I will be down when I am dressed. Did I already pay for breakfast? I think I remember doing so.¡± Broderick had a big grin on his face, chuckling, ¡°You did at that, there is a double portion waiting for you. See you in a bit.¡± He left, and Gareth closed the door and unpacked his new clothes. He lamented the dress clothes, which were a waste of coin just for a cover story, but that was Storme¡¯s plan. Maybe he could use pieces of the outfit as gifts for his family. His mother would love the yellow scarf. He dressed in his ¡®new¡¯ common clothes, which were extremely well made. Now that he had a chance to really look at himself in a mirror, he thought he could really pass for one of those snobbish nobles in this outfit. The clothes fit his frame extremely well as he went through his basic movements. He proceeded with his stretching progression and found no issues. The best part of the clothes was the new underclothes. He wasn¡¯t sure if it was the material or the enchantments, but he now knew he wouldn¡¯t be able to live without them in the future. Gareth went down to the common room carrying a large bundle. He had repacked all the clothes, including the set he had worn to the city. He got a lot of stares and felt like he was being evaluated again by the staff. ¡°Don¡¯t worry! The women approve. You look dashing, Gaston. Your new threads cut your athletic figure extremely well. Well, have a seat and Nina will bring your breakfast.¡± Gareth sat and placed his bundle on the chair next to him. For breakfast, Gareth had two large sausages, a big pile of scrambled eggs, a pitcher of cider, and hearty rye bread baked with nuts and smothered in butter. Nina hung over Gareth as he ate, which just made him eat faster, as Gareth thought she was waiting to clear the plates. Following breakfast, Gareth talked with Broderick and got directions to the Mage¡¯s Spell Emporium, which supplied textbooks and spells to the Mage Academy near Skyhold. Soon, Gareth was out the door with his large bundle of clothes under his arm. He needed to obtain a few good spells for Storme. But with half a day to explore the city, how long would it actually take him to select spells? He went into a sweet treat shop, filled a bag for Freya, and sampled a number of delectable items himself. Then he went into a pet store and got some toys and chews for Monty. His next stop was a weaponsmith. They had a number of finished weapons on display. A few had rippled steel like the daggers Storme had made. The proprietor said the ripple was made by folding the steel. Before each fold, the metal was coated in aether crystal dust. This process made adding enchanting runes much easier. The broad sword that he was interested in was 15 platinum coins. It had a sharpness enchantment and thunderstrike enchantment. He resisted his urge to buy it but spent another hour looking at all the various weapons. Callem had taught him how to spot quality, and 90% of the weapons in this shop exemplified traits from his teachings. He was in heaven as he explored the shop. Reluctantly, he moved on to his next stop, the emporium for spells. As he was passing an elaborate storefront with two guards at the entrance, a man came out in haste with a greeting, ¡°Why, my young noble friend, are you carrying your own things? You need a porter or better yet a servant! Come inside, and let¡¯s see if we have something that fits your needs!¡± Gareth was going to walk past, but something pulled at him¡ªit was the crest etched on the building. He recognized it as the Bricio family crest. Was this a place where they sold indentured contracts? Mostly from curiosity, Gareth considered going inside. The man trying to lure him inside said, ¡°Young lord, what do you need? We have over 100 contracts up for sale at this location!¡± The man had a slimy quality. Gareth paused and studied the building. It had a large footprint but was only two stories high. The stone was white but had black wooden trim. The emblem on the double doors at the entrance was similar to the Bricio family crest, but the colors did not match. Thus, it was probably an offshoot or subordinate branch, or maybe just a business enterprise. Maybe this was a mercenary hall. The man persisted, ¡°It is close to the midday meal, and I would be honored to offer you our hospitality.¡± Gareth felt hungry again, and he had some free time to eat. Despite his reservations about the man, he decided to enter. The man introduced himself, ¡°Danic Bricio. Follow me!¡± he said, shaking wrists with Gareth. So, he was a member of the Bricio family. He led Gareth to a modest-sized room adorned with rich furnishings and a long stage surrounded by tables. He seated Gareth at a table close to the stage, and two guards entered, flanking the archway that served as his exit. Gareth wasn¡¯t nervous, but he felt a little wary. Danic began his conversation. ¡°Forgive me for making assumptions, but I am excellent at reading people. Not a reading skill just my mental aptitude at play. I see you are out for a shopping trip in the city, and I see a renowned tailor¡¯s mark on your bundle, so I am assuming you come from a well-off family.¡± Gareth nodded at the man¡¯s guesses, making him smile. It felt good to have people cater to him after being looked down on during the skyship trip. A servant came out and poured them some wine and left some heavenly-scented bread with roasted garlic dredged in an oil Gareth was not familiar with. ¡°I assume by your age, 18 or 19 by my estimates, that you are enrolled in one of the academies in the upper city.¡± Gareth paused on his third slice of bread. He had a youthful face, but his frame matched any adult in Hen¡¯s Hollow. What harm could there be to lead the man on, so he nodded. Giddy with excitement, the man said, ¡°Let me guess. Of the four academies, definitely not the Mage Academy, your muscles are showing.¡± He winked creepily. ¡°Not the Naval either, or you would be in uniform. That leaves the Scholarium or the Adventurer¡¯s Academy. By your physique and gait, it must be the Adventurers!¡± Gareth made direct eye contact and nodded. He did plan to join the Adventurer¡¯s Academy eventually. ¡°You are an excellent reader of people,¡± Gareth said as the servants brought out a pea soup with small cubes of fried meat. The soup was excellent, and Gareth tried to show his best table manners by eating with a spoon instead of using a bowl as a cup. ¡°Very good! It is a fun game. I do not have any reader abilities, so I try to puzzle things out.¡± Gareth gulped but remained poised. He should have thought of that. And there were skills used to detect lies. He was being careless. ¡°Well, I see you are struggling to carry all your packages, so I assume you are without a servant?¡± Gareth nodded as it was the truth. ¡°Excellent we have some fabulous options for you! Are you looking for something long-term or short-term?¡± Gareth had to process the words and recount what he had said. Did the man assume that by coming inside, he was in the market for a servant? He was already eating the man¡¯s food, so he should play along and turn him down at the end. He said, ¡°Long term.¡± ¡°Very wise! Most young people don¡¯t understand that a servant can be an excellent companion to attend to your needs as you age. Training someone early is the best way to get the most out of a contracted. Any particular skills you are looking for?¡± The man had stopped talking to finish his own soup, and it was clear that Gareth had to say something. ¡°I think a sparring partner would be great,¡± he thought hard; what does a servant do? ¡°They would have to be able to scribe letters I dictate as well,¡± he thought quickly. ¡°They must be competent and trustworthy with my coin as well.¡± Well, maybe the last would be considered an insult to the man. An entire roast was brought out and carved for the two of them. Some raw and cooked vegetables accompanied the meat as well. ¡°Hmm,¡± The man was thinking. ¡°Good martial skills, and someone with good penmanship¡­maybe a calligrapher¡­someone well versed in the customs of the upper class and with a long outstanding contract¡­I can think of a few options.¡± He pulled out a pen and wrote down something and handed it to the servant. ¡°Let us finish the meal, and then we can sip some wine while the candidates are revealed.¡± He smiled wickedly. ¡°That is my favorite part of these working lunches, the big reveal!" Gareth had three large servings of meat before he was finished and Danic made idle chat obviously trying to ferret out Gareth¡¯s origins and his family. Gareth gave obscure answers and focused on eating. With the meal done Danic clapped his hands and jumped up onto the stage. ¡°My good man Gaston, I have five excellent servants for you. The first is a man who has ten years left of his contract. He spent his early years as a duelist and then as a guard on merchant skyship.¡± He gestured, and a man walked out in a simple beige top and pants with leather sandals. The biggest feature was the tattoo that covered the entire left side of his neck¡­no it was the mage mark for the indentured that Wynna had warned him about! He was essentially in a slaver''s den. He remained calm and studied the man. He would leave as soon as this farce was over. The man was shorter than Gareth at 5¡¯8¡±, and Gareth could tell he was not a great swordsman by his gait. He didn¡¯t have a good range of movement, and his steps were heavy. He would be slow to react. Danic listed the man¡¯s accomplishments, but they were obviously drummed up. Seeing Gareth¡¯s lack of interest, he stopped talking about how well-read the man was and motioned for the second candidate. Gareth was already trying to figure out a way out of the compound. He should just see the show to its conclusion, decline every option, and leave. The second candidate was a younger man but much taller at 6¡¯. His reddish hair and brown eyes made him look like a foreigner. Most people on Skyholme had dark hair or some shade of blonde. Gareth guessed him to be about twenty, and he had some potential as a swordsman. Danic began his diatribe, stressing that the boy was the son of a merchant, skilled with numbers and letters, and had excellent handwriting. He was also capable with a long sword and bow. Gareth let him finish. The man had seven years on his contract, and if Gareth wanted it, he could buy it for ten platinum. Seeing Gareth not flinch and pretend to consider it made Danic smile. The first candidate was led away, and the second remained as the third was brought out. Every candidate had the same tattoo on the left side of their neck. This man was middle-aged and a veteran. He had actually sold himself into an indenture to give the money to his estranged daughter and grandson. He was fifty years old, and his contract was 5 platinum for five years but could be renewed indefinitely. By Gareth¡¯s estimation, he was fit and a good fighter. Seeing no objections, the man stayed on stage as the fourth candidate came out. It was a Wolfsguard! Gareth sat straighter in his chair, and Danic noted his increased interest with a smile, ¡°What we have here is a washout from the Blackguard program. The new laws allow them to be indentured for life. But don¡¯t be fooled. The wolfman here is a great swordsman; the Blackguard standards are just very high. He isn¡¯t capable of writing though¡­but the status you would gain by having a Wolfsguard servant!¡± He paused, ¡°In addition to his 25 platinum cost, though, there is a 5 platinum annual tax to Skyholme as long as he lives within the islands.¡± Seeing Gareth¡¯s focus sharpened on the Wolfsguard, Danic called for weapons and had the old man spar with the wolfman. The younger man was brought away, clearly not garnering interest from Gareth. Gareth was focused on the sword skills and foot movements. Both were as good as advertised, if not better. The wolfman¡¯s superior strength and speed kept the older man on the defensive though. Gareth knew at this moment in time he probably couldn¡¯t beat either of them. Danic''s inner child was screaming for joy as he saw Gareth¡¯s intense focus on the contest. He thought he had finally found a buyer for the wolfman. Well, he had buyers, but no one the Bricio family head would approve of. The annual tax had been a killer to other potential buyers as well. He wondered which family this Gaston was attached to. He was guessing he was from one of the other islands by his mannerisms, and lack of decorum. But platinum was platinum. With the sparring done, Danic tried to get a commitment from Gareth for the Wolfsguard, but he didn¡¯t bite. Maybe the kid''s father wasn¡¯t as rich as he had calculated. Well, he had one more option. Maybe the boy would want a plaything for a servant? He didn¡¯t think Gaston had the aura of wanting a woman indentured, and he was usually fairly good at judging. He was young, and maybe in time he would gain the disposition for it. ¡°I have one last potential contract you may be interested in. She is a half-breed but does check all your qualities. A good swordswoman, educated, and she will be loyal as the Triumvirate has leverage on her.¡± Gareth''s attention snapped to Danic as he continued, ¡°She was part of the carnival a few weeks back. Her mother was taken in as a spy, and her good behavior ensures her mother''s survival. Also, she has a tier 5 mage mark¡­makes her more costly but¡­¡± He waved his hand and a half-elven young woman came out on stage. She had long silvery blonde hair, large blue eyes, a very attractive face, a lean athletic frame, and stood around Storme¡¯s height. Gareth''s intense study of the young woman made Danic focus on the young man''s reaction. The boy wasn¡¯t lustful but perhaps infatuated. He would probably not like the cost. The girl did have a severe restriction on her file but for the right amount of coin, anything was possible. Danic changed his pitch angle, ¡°So this fair maiden was part of the tumbling troupe. When her mother was being brought in for questioning, she defended her from two Wolfsguard with a rapier for a brief amount of time. She was almost as quick as the Blackguard, according to the arrest record! Well, she was questioned after being subdued and found not to have any connection with her mother¡¯s links to the Sadians. But she was put on trial for attacking the Blackguard and now has a contract for life! She does need some taming, but I am sure you could handle that. The tier 5 tattoo should be invaluable for the training as well.¡± Gareth¡¯s only thought, was freeing her. Seeing the fire in the young woman¡¯s eyes, stirred him. Such a beautiful woman shouldn¡¯t be a slave for her life. Danic was smiling at his reaction but Gareth didn¡¯t notice. ¡°Her contract is 45 platinum plus 5 platinum still owed in damages from the day of the incident.¡± Danic had put the number quite high to see if it was out of reach for the young man and to have some wiggle room if Gaston decided to haggle a bit. Fifty platinum! That was a lot but he had it. Wait. He still needed to get the spell books for Storme. ¡°I will need some time to think on it,¡± Gareth finally said after obvious introspection. ¡°I may need to talk with my father as well, as the expense is quite large and exceeds my allowance.¡± The half-elf looked in her late teens, but didn¡¯t elves age slower and live longer? ¡°Well, do not wait too long! Our next phase of program training is coming, and the more skills we teach them, the higher their contract will sell for.¡± The man¡¯s sliminess was in full force at the inference. The only indenture that had made continuous eye contact with Gareth had been the old man. If he had been here to actually get a servant, he probably would have chosen him. The wine at lunch was potent, but Gareth¡¯s constitution gave him good resistance. He left the compound, reluctantly shaking Danic¡¯s hand and telling him he would be thinking hard about the servants he viewed today Gareth¡¯s mind kept returning to the elven girl at the Bricio compound, and he nearly passed the entrance to the Mage¡¯s Spell Emporium. The store was made of the same white stone most of the buildings in the city were made of. Behind the door, Gareth found an immaculate lobby with a half dozen men and women looking at tomes on shelves throughout the lobby. Looking up the building extended two more stories with terraces overlooking the lobby. Gareth could see shelves lining the terrace walkways with a few people perusing them. A large skylight was directly over the lobby giving lots of natural light. Not that it needed it as there were more aether lights in here than he had ever seen. A young woman interrupted his gawking, ¡°Young lord how can we be of assistance today?¡± Gareth took the beauty in for another few breaths before turning his attention to the woman. She was dressed in simple fine robes and quite beautiful. Her blue-gray eyes made him pause as he took her in. Gareth was finding out today he was a sucker for pretty eyes. He stumbled on his words, ¡°Umm, yes. Sorry, just haven¡¯t been here before. I am actually here for my younger sister.¡± Gareth got control of his overloaded senses of the building and woman eager to help him. He dove into the prepared story. ¡°My sister just recently awakened and she has no spells, so my parents sent me here to purchase a few. She has a skill affinity for lightning magic¡­¡± He paused, lost in the woman¡¯s eyes again and bright smile again. ¡°Oh, the lightning affinity! That would be the fifth one in the last three weeks! It has been a pretty popular sphere, so the cost for most lightning spells has increased recently. Supply and demand you know. Well, since it is your first time here, I will give you the tour.¡± She winked and turned, motioning for Gareth to follow¡ªand follow he did. She led him around the first floor to each of the shelves and indicated the collection of books on each. The first floor contained lesson books for the Mage Academy and some books on general magic theory. No spells were actually on the first floor. She took him up the rear staircase to the second floor and showed him around. The second floor contained 1st and 2nd tier spells mostly divided by their sphere of magic. A colored dot on the spine indicated the spell¡¯s affinity. She told him some spells had multiple affinities and pointed out how that was denoted by multiple dots. Inside the cover of each spell tome was a slip of paper indicating the cost. The third floor had 3rd tier spells and a few 4th tier spells. She didn¡¯t take Gareth up there. Gareth thanked the woman, but she remained by him, not letting him browse unaccompanied. Seeing his confusion, she explained, ¡°All guests require an escort while on the 2nd and 3rd floors.¡± Gareth nodded and started looking at books while she stayed close. He took in her perfume and found it pleasant. It took him a minute to find the obfuscate spell Storme wanted. It was in the darkness sphere. He opened the book and coughed, tier 1 spell, Obfuscate Abilities, 120 gold. Okay, this was the top priority on Storme¡¯s list. There were seven copies of the spell, but four copies had the same author, and the other three were each written by a different author. Gareth asked about the difference, and the woman briefly looked through both tomes. She then told him about the two authors in detail, which meant absolutely nothing to Gareth. He then asked her to recommend one of the spell versions, and she lifted one of the books. The young woman asked if he would be purchasing the spell, and he nodded. She made a gesture that she would hold the book while he continued to shop. He spent some time walking through the lightning sphere spell shelves on the second floor. Tier 1 spells for lightning were phased lighting (30 gold), electrical transference (25 gold), lightning arrow (50 gold), static wave (20 gold), and lightning shield (50 gold). There were a few copies of each spell with some books having different authors again. He left the tier 1 spells and looked at the tier 2 spells. Lightning spear (140 gold), thunderwave (120 gold), lightning sphere (250 gold), flash step (300 gold), and lightning rod (190 gold). Not as many copies or versions of these spells existed. Gareth was supposed to get one offensive and one defensive lightning spell. He pulled the thickest copy of lightning sphere and lightning spear spell and gave them to his escort to hold. She looked perplexed, ¡°If your sister just awakened her aether core, she might be better with just tier one spells for now.¡± Gareth had a perfect response, ¡°My sister thinks she is the smartest mage in the islands. Humbling her a bit couldn¡¯t hurt. Besides the gold is hers.¡± She shrugged and balanced the books. All he had left on his list was to get a tier 3 or tier 4 healing sphere spell. As he started making his way to the 3rd floor his escort halted him. ¡°Sorry, the 3rd floor is restricted to members only.¡± Gareth looked confused and she clarified. ¡°Sorry, I didn¡¯t tell you, but I didn¡¯t think you would get any 3rd tier spells for your newly awakened sister. We have a membership program. It gets you 10% off all purchases but costs 500 gold¡­¡± She paused, ¡°and we only sell our tier 3, 4, and 5 spells to registered members. Do you want to purchase a membership for your sister?¡± Gareth pondered what to do. The woman continued while he thought, ¡°Your sister needs to be present to get her membership but¡­we could give you a token that she can present when she comes to the shop herself.¡± Gareth nodded, and pulled out five shiny platinum coins, and handed them to the young woman. The woman took them. Looking at the coins, she asked. ¡°Did she already learn the cleanliness spell?¡± Gareth nodded. ¡°I will be right back,¡± she said, smiling. She went downstairs, and Gareth observed her from the terrace. She went to a desk and looked to be confirming the authenticity of the coins. Soon, she rose and went to an older man, and after talking to him briefly, he handed her a large emblem. She came back up the stairs and handed Gareth a large copper emblem with something Garth assumed was runic script on both faces. Gareth took the token and pocketed it. She smiled brightly, ¡°Ok, he said I can take you to the third floor now but just this once. The owner said he would make an exception this time but generally, only the one linked to the token is allowed up there.¡± They walked up the stairs and Gareth sensed many eyes on him. He asked and was directed to the healing sphere section and uncomfortably looked at the tier 4 spells. Infuse Vitality, Restore Amputation, Spirit Fortification, and Ranged Healing. Gareth had no idea what was good so he just pulled the last spell book which was the thickest of the bunch, Ranged Healing. He looked at the paper inside the cover, 1000 gold! He shakily handed the spellbook to his shadow. She had a look of shock on her face. He figured that was enough but noticed another spellbook with the gold dot marked for healing spells and the silvery blue mark for lightning. It was a spell that combined the two spheres. He pulled out the book and looked at the title, lightning reflexes. He looked inside, tier 4, 1200 gold. Being a mage was really expensive. He read the spell description on the first page of the tome. The spell greatly increased the mage''s reflexes and reaction time. The healing aspect of the spell came from maintaining the body of the mage¡¯s integrity from the accelerated speed. Maybe this spell could make Storme a better swordsman? More of a challenge for Gareth? He handed the book to the young woman. She said, ¡°This book has been here for a while. Not many mages would use eight spell slots for a spell that essentially focuses on melee combat. It only speeds up your body, not your ability to cast spells faster.¡± The young woman added the spell book with the others under her arm. ¡°I think that will be all for today,¡± Gareth said satisfactorily. He thought he did a great good for Storme. He followed the woman down to the first level and to a desk. She slowly pulled each paper from the book and double-checked that the paper matched the title of the book. She got a sheet and tallied the total. ¡°Sir, that will be 2,926 gold and 8 large silver.¡± She turned the sheet so he could look at the math: 2,710 gold total, with a 271 gold discount, a 15% triumvirate tax, and a 5% capital city tax. Gareth pulled out 30 platinum coins. Their newness was clearly evident. The woman slowly confirmed each coin with a strange runic item. She explained nervously, ¡°No offense; we just confirm the platinum coins have the minimum content for all new patrons to the store.¡± When she was done, she carefully bundled the tomes together, wrapped them in a white leather hide, and bound it with leather straps to protect the books. ¡°Here is my name,¡± she said, slipping a piece of paper in the bundle. ¡°If you require my assistance again, ask for me. I am in my third year at the Mage Academy and work here to pay tuition. My commission today should help me get another spell or two for myself.¡± She squeezed his arm in appreciation. Gareth was happy and returned the smile, but hefted the books, leaving the young woman behind. He still had the 50 platinum if he returned to Bricio¡¯s slave market to free the girl. Gareth knew it was the right thing to do. However, it would draw attention to him and be the exact opposite of keeping a low profile. Screw it. Carrying multiple unwieldy bundles, he returned to the Bricio compound. ? Copyrighted 2024 by AlwaysRollsAOne No Permission is given to translate, copy, repost or alter to an audio format of this original work of fiction. If you are reading this on a site that is not my Patreon, RoyalRoad.com, or Scribblehub.com, it has been stolen without my permission and violates DMCA. Remember, this work is the result of my creative effort and is protected by copyright law. Removal or altering of this notification is an acknowledgment you are aware you are in violation of DMCA. Chapters 26, 27, and 28 Chapter 26: Aelyn Arrives I was happy to see Freya and Monty. Gareth had been expeditious in bringing them for their two-day stay. After dropping them off, Gareth practically ran back to the city to go on his own solo adventure. His enthusiasm actually made me nervous, but Gareth was smart enough not to make any major mistakes. The task was straight forward and simple. The first thing Freya mentioned was that Pascal¡¯s 17th birthday was coming. His Coming of Age was when he would be recognized as an adult. Seventeen was the age of maturity in Skyholme. Once you reached seventeen, it was your last celebrated birthday and then everyone aged just on the New Year. Freya was pushing for me to get Pascal something nice. ¡°Come on, Storme. Pascal hates you, and I hate seeing you like this. You are both my family!¡± She tried a different tactic: ¡°It would make Mother happy if you came.¡± Freya had her puppy dog eyes and an actual puppy sitting behind her as reinforcements. ¡°Fine! I will get him a blade. What does he practice with?¡± I caved to my sister¡¯s demands, and a smile spread on her face. After talking with her for a bit, I found out Pascal¡¯s preferred sword was just a standard long sword by her description. I said I would have one ready for her to bring him before I left. She probably thought I would get it from Callem, but I planned to forge it myself. I would give Freya the sword and some coin to buy a scabbard as I wouldn¡¯t be present for the celebration of his 17th. We spent a few hours playing and teaching Monty new tricks: roll over, play dead, and shake. They were simple tricks, but Monty mastered them all quickly, eager to please Freya. Freya and I then went to Callem¡¯s house and cooked with Wynna. We made berry filling for a pastry and prepared the phyllo dough. For our meal, we made a basic lasagna and garlicky spinach as a side dish. Callem enjoyed the meal with us. Later, Freya and I headed to my bunkhouse and played some board games into the night. When she finally passed out from exhaustion, I got to work on Pascal¡¯s long sword. I got some coal, manifested the iron, made the steel, and worked the steel to make as strong and durable of a blade as I could. I folded the steel again but was able to tighten the lines enough that it just shimmered instead of showing the wave pattern. I realized that I probably hadn¡¯t even come close to exploring the depths of my shape-metal ability. It was a tier 4 ability, and those abilities were extremely powerful. I was quite impressed with the finished blade myself. I figured this was good practice for when I finally made a blade for Gareth. It still needed a handle and sheath, but it was more than adequate for Pascal. Hell, it was the finest blade I had seen outside of Callem¡¯s personal collection. He kept seven remarkable blades in his bedroom which he had shown us a few times and let us clean for him. I wrapped the blade in one of my blankets and put it aside for Freya to bring back. I focused on my aether core exercises for a bit before repeatedly casting my cleanliness spell. I knew I would be getting new spells soon, and I was hoping to get this spell to level seven for a new evolution. The spell still hadn¡¯t reached level 6 yet so I was pushing it. I fell asleep with the smell of vanilla filling the room. The next day Freya and I had a simple breakfast of diced ham mixed into scrambled eggs topped with shredded cheese. It was my go-to for an easy but tasty and filling breakfast. Monty also seemed to like the dish, cleaning the plates with a fervor. After lunch, Callem and Wynna would be taking Freya back home, so I let her decide what to do for the rest of the morning. She wanted to see my sword skills. The little brat, this was my day off! Callem just smiled as Freya repeated her request to see her brother¡¯s sword mastery. I was hardly a master¡ªI wouldn¡¯t even say I had reached the apprentice rank yet. In the practice yard, I did my stretches and instead of the sword, I decided on a staff demonstration. It was a little more flashy, and I was actually more comfortable with that as a weapon. After my demonstration, Callem grabbed a staff, and we engaged in a few friendly bouts. So as not to embarrass me too much in front of my sister, Callem let me show off my prowess without giving me too many bumps and bruises. Freya, for her part, clapped at my effort, and Monty barked and needed to be restrained a bit as he didn¡¯t like Callem hitting me¡ªor maybe he just wanted to play with the big sticks? Lunch finally came, and I was super dirty and sweaty. I healed myself and used my cleanliness spell. Callem asked for healing, which surprised me. Had I injured him? Then he showed me his injury, and I nearly fell over. He had gotten a large splinter when his practice staff had cracked a little from hitting me too hard. Still, Freya was happy to see my magic, and Callem winked at me. As I was walking Freya to lunch, she asked me, ¡°Was that magic? Cleaning yourself instantly and healing the welts on your skin?¡± ¡°Yes, Freya,¡± I told her. ¡°I can do a little magic now. Nothing extraordinary, just some simple healing and that cleaning trick.¡± ¡°Can you use magic on me? I can''t wait to tell Gwen my brother is a mage!¡± She was excited. ¡°Oh no! It is a secret, and I can''t really do much other than heal you. Can you keep my secret for a little longer?¡± She looked a little defiant but eventually nodded. She had a scrap on her forearm, and I quickly healed it. I also removed some small scars on her hands and arms. ¡°Storme, you need to tell mother and father. They would be so proud! Healers are held in such high regard! I bet you can marry into a noble house with your skills!¡± Freya¡¯s mind was going down a road I didn¡¯t want to travel. It took time to calm her down, and we had some nice finger sandwiches that Wynna made for lunch. After getting her to promise to keep my magic secret, she left with Callem and Wynna for the town. I gave her the wrapped sword for Pascal and 20 large silver coins to get a quality hilt and scabbard. After they left, it took me a second to realize I was alone! I went swimming in the buff, wallowing in the cool water. Then tidied up my loft. I used my cleanliness spell to make sure all my sets of clothes were clean, as well as my spare blankets and pillows. I had a lot of pillows and had gotten comfortable enough in training I didn¡¯t need them all anymore. Each loft had two beds that were head-to-head and a large closet armoire built into the walls at the ends of the beds. Under the beds were three medium chests to store possessions. On the wall over each bed was a full-length shelf. Like Gareth, I had spread my belongings to the other bed in my loft but thought it was time to contain my things. We were having guests in a few months and Gareth would have to move to my loft or vice versa since they were both woman. I neatly packed my loose belongings in one of the chests under my bed. Laying in a clean and organized loft I started reading my aether core book and practicing when I heard Callem and Wynna return. I could hear them talking as they returned and heard their door open and shut. Gareth should be returning soon as well. The transport skyship should land around dinner time and then it would take him 40 minutes or so walking time to get back to the farm. I went and ate dinner with Callem and Wynna, some fabulous crusty cheesy bread and smoked ham they had gotten in town with some apple cider. The apple cider was an import from another island and was extremely good but a little thick for cider with its pulpy texture and slight fermentation. I returned to my loft and had trouble studying. I was anticipating that Gareth had found me some remarkable spells. My eyes perked as I heard Gareth loudly arguing with a female voice I didn¡¯t recognize. I couldn¡¯t make out the words yet but both parties were not happy with each other. I rushed down my ladder and outside to see Gareth coming out of the trees with a tall young woman with long golden hair. Many things went through my mind. Did he kidnap her? Did he somehow get roped into marriage while in the capital? Did she kidnap him? The last was because of the tongue-lashing she was giving Gareth. Callem and Wynna were also outside watching the procession in confusion. As they got closer, I could see a large mark on the side of the young woman¡¯s neck. I had moved to stand next to Callem and Wynna, and it was Wynna who spoke first among us, and he tone was angry, and I mean mother ready to beat her kids angry, ¡°Gareth, I thought you were much better than this! How could you do something so foul and unjust!¡± Before Gareth could respond she stormed away into the house and slammed the door behind her. I was still trying to puzzle out what was going on. Callem spoke next and his tone was hard as well but not angry, ¡°Gareth get into the house and you can explain yourself. Storme join us as I am sure you played some role in this travesty.¡± What, me? I just wanted books! At least I could be happy to see the young woman was carrying a large strapped white bundle that was very square¡­maybe four spell books? ¡°Inside, NOW!¡± Callem yelled, breaking his normal calm. ¡°You as well girl!¡± His command voice had all three of us scrambling inside. We were all seated on different couches surrounding the large square coffee table. Wynna was not there but I was sure she had her ear to the door. ¡°So, Gareth,¡± Callem began in a very gruff and aggrieved voice, ¡°It seems you have taken on an indenture contract. What possessed you to do so? And where did you get the funds?¡± I connected the dots as Callem spoke. The large tattoo on the young woman¡¯s neck must be the mark of the indentured. We hadn¡¯t been told that in our lessons. ¡°Well!?¡± Callem¡¯s patience was wearing thin at Gareth¡¯s silence. ¡°I¡­I thought I was doing something good.¡± He squeaked out. ¡°I wanted to free her. I didn¡¯t know she couldn¡¯t be released from the bond.¡± Callem¡¯s eyes at least softened slightly as his gaze went to the young woman. ¡°And you girl, your name? And what great evil have you committed that has gotten you a life bond so young?¡± The girl was on her guard and not at all as animated as she had been when I had first seen her verbally laying into Gareth. ¡°My name is Aelyn, Aelyn Imiduis. I committed no atrocity!¡± Her voice had grown a spine as she spoke. ¡°You people are the wicked ones. We came here with the carnival and were ripped from it on the last day proclaiming we were spies and saboteurs!¡± I could see she was holding back tears now. My god Gareth, what fucking mess had you gotten yourself into? ¡°This oaf over there,¡± she pointed at Gareth, ¡°bought my contract and took me. I don¡¯t care what he paid, 50 or 100 platinum! I will break this evil mark and free myself!¡± I was processing what she had said. Did she say Gareth had spent 100 platinum to get her contract? To my shame, I only thought of how few and meager spells the remaining 11 platinum could have purchased. But Callem brought up a point I had overlooked and yelled, ¡°How in Demon¡¯s spawn pits did you get 100 platinum boy!¡± Surprise, anger, and worry were lacing his words. My thought was Gareth had just screwed us both. Gareth was stumbling and gasping, not finding the words, and then made eye contact with me. He wanted me to bail him out. He wasn¡¯t going to break our promise. Come on Gareth, you had a simple mission, get to the capital, get clothes, buy spells, and return. Well, if I couldn¡¯t trust Callem, then I couldn¡¯t trust anyone, really. I spoke, ¡°They were my coins. I gave him 111 platinum to go to the capital and purchase a few spells for me.¡± All eyes were now locked on me, and I heard the door open behind me. Wynna had entered the room. Callem¡¯s jaw was briefly unhinged, Gareth¡¯s face was relieved, and Aelyn was in mild shock. For the first time since arriving, she was actually studying me as if noticing me for the first time. Callem regained his composure first, ¡°And where did you find so many coins Storme?¡± At least his voice was not hard and interrogating like it was with Gareth. I squeaked out my response, seeing no recourse without creating compounding lies. ¡°I made them.¡± I heard Wynna rushing into the circle of couches, emitting a frantic worry, ¡°Oh, Storme! How could you! When they find out the coins are not real¡­well, they probably already have¡­how much did you spend, Gareth? I have savings and should be able to cover¡­oh boys, this is a fine mess, but we will get through it, and you will learn from your mistakes. The Inquisition will probably become involved..¡± She sounded concerned and motherly. We had definitely grown on her in the last few months. ¡°Wynna, the coins are real¡­well, at least the platinum is real. I can turn my aether into metal.¡± To illustrate my point, I created a steady stream of small gold coins rolling out onto the coffee table until my aether almost bottomed out. I had gotten really good at combining my abilities, and it was actually fun to show them off, even under the current circumstances. The next few minutes had Wynna, Callem, and Aelyn examining the coins while Gareth looked relieved the attention was off him. I gave him a look that said, ¡°Don¡¯t get comfortable Gareth, me and you will be having words after this!¡± Wynna asked a few questions about my ability: ¡°How many coins could I make? What metals? How long did they last? Where else had I used the coinage?¡± Callem still looked in disbelief, and Aelyn was now dressing me down with a hungry stare that made me very uncomfortable. After answering Wynna¡¯s questions, Aelyn interrupted. ¡°Since they were this boy¡¯s coins, he is the owner of my contract, Gareth. Give him the ring.¡± I didn¡¯t realize what this meant, but Gareth took a ring out of his pocket and tossed it at me like a hot potato. This young woman was an unknown factor. A factor I didn¡¯t want to know my secret. ¡°I don¡¯t want your contract; you are free!¡± I yelped, dropping the ring like it was hot. Wynna, now seated next to me, picked up the ring and briefly studied it before putting it on the table with a clink. ¡°Storme,¡± Wynna said. ¡°The magic binding her to the contract is quite strong, tier 4 I¡¯m guessing.¡± Gareth interrupted with, ¡°Tier 5 actually.¡± This didn''t help his case as Callem and Wynna gave him a stare that caused him to shrink into the couch. Wynna winced at the new information. ¡°The mark on her neck is permanent, it can only be removed by the mage who cast it or a tier 6 spell that can overpower the magics in the mark. No one in Skyholme can help her. In the lowlands there are mages strong enough,¡± she paused, ¡°Have you worn the ring, Gareth?¡± He violently shook his head no. ¡°So, this ring is tied to her mark. She must obey the wearer.¡± ¡°And the longer I go without someone wearing the ring the more the mark burns me. Three days without a wearer and I would be incapacitated with pain.¡± Aelyn supplied mournfully. This got a pitying look from Wynna and made Gareth shrink even further. ¡°You or Callem should wear the ring, then!¡± I shouted loudly. Or Aelyn can wear it herself. Yes, let¡¯s do that!¡± I thought my idea was brilliant. Wynna at least seemed thoughtful, and Callem was still processing that I could make coins out of thin air, but it was Aelyn who spoke, ¡°No, if you are all giving me a choice, I want him to wear it!¡± Her finger pointing at me didn¡¯t make me feel any better. ¡°If I put the ring on it would just accelerate the burning pain. The ring can only be attuned to one person. If that person dies, I have to return the ring to the archmage that linked it to my tattoo to reset it. That way, they can sell me again.¡± My mind raced for a solution. I held up my hand. ¡°Okay, wait a second. What if I just learn a tier 6 spell and free her of the tattoo?¡± It was Callem who laughed at my suggestion first, followed by Wynna and Aelyn. Gareth chuckled not getting the joke. I definitely didn''t get it. ¡°Tier 6 magic Storme?¡± Wynna said. ¡°First finding a spell capable of breaking the mark and removing it, then imprinting that spell? Archmages struggle to imprint tier 4 spells due to their complexity. Maybe in 50 years, you might have the capacity to do so¡­¡± She trailed off. ¡°Storme put on the ring,¡± Callem said, the matter apparently decided by him. ¡°Aelyn has chosen you for now, and I trust you will not abuse her trust and will work to free her of her bond.¡± Aelyn looked smug. I reluctantly took the ring from the table and slid it on. It sent tingles through me, and almost immediately, I was aware of where Aelyn was. ¡°Now, make sure she promises never to reveal your secrets, Storme.¡± Aelyn¡¯s smile faded. ¡°Aelyn, never reveal my secrets to anyone or talk about them,¡± I said. I could feel the command work and felt sick as the young woman scrubbed her neck. Callem looked at me, still unhappy and serious, ¡°Now, Storme, let''s talk about the other big problem. Your coins.¡± I had to tell Callem everything¡ªeverything I had used my aether-created coins on since I started making them. Wynna started taking notes as I spoke, making me uncomfortable. It was a story highlighting my decision-making processes. Callem did not look amused when I finished. ¡°If anyone asks Storme you got the coins from me. The same goes for you Gareth. And give me all your remaining coins.¡± Gareth slowly produced and handed over his money pouch. Callem emptied it and mixed them with the gold coins I had made earlier. Callem picked up one of the remaining platinum coins and studied it. ¡°Shiny,¡± was the extent of his appraisal. He looked at a few more coins before returning to look at me. ¡°Don¡¯t make any more platinum coins.¡± It was not a request. But I took it as permission it was ok to still make gold coins. I nodded in acquiescence. ¡°I need to think more on this with Wynna. Storme, you will take Aelyn to the bunk room and get her settled in. Gareth, I still have some words for you, so you can remain for now.¡± Gareth looked like I was abandoning him to the executioner¡¯s axe as I left with Aelyn. I got up and left the hot seat. How was I feeling like a kid who had their hand caught in the cookie jar? I was just using my abilities to beat the system. That was why I had chosen the abilities I had! Aelyn followed me, carrying the white square package. Well, at least I could see what spells Gareth had obtained for me. In the bunkhouse, I told Aelyn about the larder below and the two lofts. I told her Gareth would move his things to my side, but she nixed that. ¡°I am perfectly fine sleeping in the bed adjacent to you.¡± I got the uncomfortable feeling she had something planned for me or at least planned to use me somehow. The tattoo meant she couldn¡¯t hurt me, right? The other bed in my loft just had a lot of pillows on it, which made me a little embarrassed. I told her they were there so I could find a comfortable position to sleep in after a hard day of training. I got her some blankets from one of the chests under the bed and took the white package from her. Aelyn made her bed and was trying to be busy organizing her space, but since she didn''t own anything, she mostly arranged the pillows. I thought I would need to get a partition for the beds as they butted against each other. ¡°If you want to clean up there is a stream not far,¡± I pointed, kind of dismissing her. ¡°I will stay here.¡± She narrowed her eyes at me. I dug around in my chest for some of my clothes and held them out to her with some soap. She took them and smelled them to make sure they were clean. Of course, they smelled like vanilla, and she was surprised. ¡°Fine. I will bathe. You know I can¡¯t run. If I do anything to harm you, this,¡± she touched the tattoo, ¡°will burn like it was being pressed into a fire.¡± With that pleasant thought, she climbed down, looked up at me thoughtfully, and left. I exhaled in relief. This incident had thoroughly quashed my excitement over new spells, but I unwrapped the package anyway and looked at the receipt. The obfuscate spell! The most important spell by far, and at least Gareth had obtained it. Ranged heal? I found the spell tome, opened it, and started reading the spell synopsis. It was a tier 4 spell that was fairly powerful and filled my need for repairing the bone structure. The aether cost was steady out to about 10 feet (3m) and then increased quickly the further away. So, it is not an all-powerful healing spell for long ranges, but it did a much better job healing than my current basic mend flesh spell. Even with the higher aether cost, it would be very useful. I put the spell tome down and went to the obfuscate spellbook and paged through it. It was definitely the spell I would be working on next. After paging through it and getting a headache from my initial perusal of the spell forms I looked at the three lightning spells. Lightning Sphere and Lightning Spear were both tier 2 offensive spells. One of these should have been defensive, right? Maybe Gareth didn¡¯t read the synopsis? The lightning sphere created a ball of contained electricity that acted as a sort of hand grenade on contact after leaving the mage¡¯s hand. Lightning spear flung a six-foot lightning bolt at a single target. I had brief dreams of obtaining the nickname Zeus...but that name meant nothing in this realm. Aelyn had returned and was wearing my damp, very baggy clothes. As she came through the front door, I yelled down to her from the loft, ¡°Get whatever you want to eat from the larder below!¡± I just wanted more private time with my books. She looked up at me momentarily before descending the stairs. My final spell was Lightning Reflexes, and I was surprised to see it was a tier 4 spell as well. The spell synopsis was quite wild. The spell essentially accelerated a mage so much that it appeared time was slowing around him. The spell had a component to stabilize and strengthen the mage¡¯s organs and skeletal frame to prevent him from being ripped apart. The spell did have issues in that it required a lot of aether to maintain. Hopefully, with my aether pool, it wouldn¡¯t be a hindrance. I still wasn¡¯t sure which spell I should learn after the obfuscate spell, though. Aelyn had returned and climbed up to the loft and handed me a jug of pear juice and a sloppily made sandwich from sliced beef, tomato, and a garlic spread. ¡°No eating in the loft,¡± was all I said as I returned to the spell books ignoring the young woman. I winced at my comment and added, ¡°But you can choose to follow it or not.¡± She gave me a little smirk but climbed down the stairs with the food. It was a rule that Gareth and I had to keep bugs and mice out of the sleeping area. I was engrossed in the obfuscate spell book. Aelyn returned to the loft a little later and slipped into her bed. She was obviously exhausted, as when I finally looked up, she was sleeping. Gareth entered a short while later and looking down on him he looked like a beaten man. He had his pride, ego, intellect, and our trust greatly thrashed in the last few hours. I gave him a bone, ¡°Nice job on the spell selections Gareth. They are all extremely useful.¡± He perked up at that. He started eating the sandwich that Aelyn had made for me and drank the juice as well. Well, I could do without food tonight. Soon Gareth was up on his side of the loft and in his bed. ¡°Did she decide to sleep over there or did you tell her to?¡± Gareth asked hesitantly. ¡°What, Aelyn? Yeah, she just chose this side. I think she is asleep, so we should be quiet,¡± I responded as I read with my light stone. I planned to put out my own aether light in just a few minutes. ¡°Storme?¡± Gareth whispered loudly. ¡°Yeah?¡± I responded. ¡°I¡¯m sorry I screwed this all up.¡± His low voice was hurt and ashamed. After a long pause, he said, ¡°I did get you a nice present, a new coat.¡± After another long pause, ¡°And some new underwear which are pretty awesome.¡± He didn¡¯t say much after that and his heavy breathing that signaled he was asleep. I closed my book put out the aether light and went to sleep myself. Chapter 27: First Impressions I awoke uncertain if yesterday had not been a bad dream. I looked at the bunk next to mine. The bed was neatly made, and the pillows were neatly arranged. Okay, maybe it was¡­but no. In the lower room, Aelyn was there, and she had a bunch of things out from the larder and was cooking. Her golden hair was pulled back, exposing her slightly pointed ears. Looking at the mess, I reassessed. No, she was trying to cook. After watching her for a few minutes, nothing she was doing made sense. I groaned and descended the ladder. As I pressed my cleanliness spell, a wave of vanilla washed over me, and my body felt like I had just exited the shower. I announced politely, ¡°Morning, Aelyn. Callem makes breakfast in the farmhouse. There''s no need to,¡± I waved my hands at the mess. Do this.¡± She looked disappointed, and I felt slightly guilty. I could see Gareth up on his bunk, pretending to sleep. He was definitely awake, as I knew he usually slept on his stomach. He was facing us on his side with his eyes falsely closed. ¡°I¡¯m sorry I didn¡¯t know,¡± she looked a little abashed. ¡°I just thought¡­¡± I offered a weak smile. ¡°No, problem. Gareth get down here and help put these things away,¡± I said. Gareth gave the fakest yawn ever and started to move and dress slowly. The ring on my finger suddenly felt heavy with responsibility as I watched the young woman. She was quite beautiful now that I studied her. She was tall, maybe a little taller than me right now, perhaps 5¡¯9¡± or a little taller. She had light blonde hair that reflected the light just past her shoulders that had a silvery highlight to it. Her shoulders were square like a swimmer''s. Underneath the baggy clothes I had loaned her she had a lean and muscular frame. She had light curves on her hips and chest. Easily one of the more attractive woman I had seen in Skyholme. ¡°Why?¡± I asked, cutting the silence. When she looked puzzled at me, I added, ¡°Why me? What do you want from me?¡± I didn¡¯t like playing games or being manipulated. Gareth was still up in his loft and we were talking quietly enough he couldn¡¯t hear. She locked her eyes on mine and it was a few seconds before she decided to answer me. ¡°I...I¡­¡± She started and then changed her mind. ¡°You are young. You won''t take advantage of me, and you have the potential to be a powerful protector.¡± My skeptical look had her continue. ¡°You seemed to be my best option with your abilities to get me free one day. If I am good to you, you can buy my freedom from this in the lowlands!¡± she said passionately as she slapped the tattoo. What was I to say in response? Internally, I was struggling and at a crossroads. Should I be the good guy and commit to helping Aelyn, a stranger, and never take advantage of our relationship? Could I just lead her on and never actually plan to help her? Or would I just abuse the power the ring had over her? The last one was really never an option for me as it didn¡¯t fit my beliefs. I was quiet as her beautiful face slowly produced tears. Gareth was coming down the ladder. I whispered to her, ¡°Fine! I will do what I can to free you of the mark.¡± Aelyn wiped the tears before Gareth could notice them. I didn¡¯t think they were crocodile tears, but it was definitely an attempt to garner pity from me. After that, Aelyn¡¯s breakfast mess was quickly cleaned up, but it was clear there was some tension between Gareth and Aelyn. I was tempted to intervene, but I didn¡¯t have the energy right now. We all left to go to the farmhouse for breakfast. Wynna had a large spread out and a smile on her face, ¡°Everyone slept well? Aelyn, were the boys behaved?¡± Aelyn looked at me before responding, and I just nodded. Why did I have to nod for her to speak? ¡°Yes. They were good to me, and the accommodations were pleasant. The vanilla smell is nice, too. I was expecting the boys living arrangements to smell unpleasant.¡± She responded and seemed relaxed for the first time since I met her. I saw Gareth was about to comment on my vanilla scent and gave him a hard glare. He clapped his mouth shut, holding in his quip. ¡°Excellent! Callem will be out in a minute to talk with everyone. We have been up most of the night deciding what to do,¡± Wynna said. I was not comforted by those words. We all started to dig in. I went for some slightly burnt toast with scrambled eggs and filled the other half of my plate with thick-cut bacon. I thought if the shit was about to hit the fan, at least I could have a good last meal. Callem came out and joined us. Everyone slowed their eating except for me, waiting for Callem to talk, but he just started eating too. Fifteen minutes later, the food was gone, and just empty plates were left, and all eyes were on Callem. He laid back in his chair and spoke. ¡°It has been an interesting night.¡± He gathered himself, unreadable. ¡°Here I thought Gareth was going to be the one causing an uproar in the capital one day,¡± Callem sighed and looked at me and then at Gareth. ¡°You didn¡¯t know, but Wynna, Ennet, and I had things in motion to be your teachers at your first year of the Academy in Hen¡¯s Hollow.¡± It was a shocking revelation to me. When you turned 17 you did one year of Academy, usually near your home, before proceeding to an academy for your career. ¡°Hopefully, we can still get to that point.¡± Callem sipped on some juice, making us wait. Callem continued with all of us silent and in rapt attention. ¡°From what Storme and Gareth told us last night, we will make contact with friends in the capital to see if there is any backlash from Gareth¡¯s spending. A few dozen platinum is not a big deal¡­but a few dozen platinum spent by an unknown boy might stir interest from the wrong people,¡± he said seriously. My mind started putting some pieces together, and I told Callem and Wynna our original plan, ¡°Callem we had planned to set up a mysterious patron for ourselves to funnel the wealth.¡± I didn¡¯t use the term ¡®launder¡¯ because I didn¡¯t feel like explaining the slang to Callem. Callem looked thoughtful and nodded. It was Wynna who spoke. ¡°Callem, it is similar to what we planned.¡± Her eyes settled on Gareth, ¡°We just need to control their impulsive spending.¡± Some accusation in her voice, but it was not reserved for just Gareth as she stared at me next. Why was she eyeing me? I hadn¡¯t spent dozens of platinum openly! Maybe I directed Gareth to, but it wasn¡¯t me. Wynna nodded mostly to herself, then spoke, ¡°Yes. Callem can go to Solaris this week and open an account for you Storme, at the Depository.¡± That was basically a bank run by the Triumvirate. I added, ¡°Um, we have been saying our patron is a woman from the lowlands.¡± Wynna pursed her lips in slight irritation. ¡°Well, I can make a deposit for you then. You can just tell them I am your patron.¡± Wynna smiled, but it felt forced. ¡°It is well known I am quite wealthy in the capital, so it should not draw too much attention. But let us limit the deposit for you to say¡ªten platinum. That is a sizable amount and should last you two until you graduate from your Academy.¡± This was working out better than I could hope. Callem interrupted, ¡°I will be traveling to the capital and let it be known that Gareth.¡± He cleared his throat, ¡°Umm, Gaston is my student. It should divert the Inquisition¡¯s attention from you and onto me, Gareth.¡± He turned to me. ¡°For you, Storme, I have placed pressure on Leon Mogensen¡¯s family. That is the red-haired boy who stabbed you.¡± I hadn¡¯t realized Callem had continued pursuing justice and didn¡¯t know what to say, a knot in my throat at his concern. ¡°Don¡¯t get excited. His family is deeply embedded in the guards throughout the islands. My influence has waned, but I should be able to make his life miserable if I cannot get justice for you.¡± We had truly been fortunate to stumble into the care of these two. ¡°I will go with you to protect you to open Storme¡¯s account. A young woman carrying around ten platinum is a target for thieves and cutthroats,¡± Callem said while giving Wynna a rare grin. There were no thieves or cutthroats in Skyholme¡ªmaybe I would have to reconsider that assertion. ¡°We can make a day of it. I know a great inn where we can spend the night in the city,¡± she returned a mischievous smile. Callem quickly caught on to her intentions, but he looked at Aelyn, who had been quiet this entire time. ¡°Yes, we can stay in the city. I believe I can trust these boys with Aelyn for a night. If they don¡¯t behave, just let me know, girl,¡± she nodded slowly. ¡°Aelyn, do you have some skills? Well, if not, you soon will. You will begin training with the boys. Sebastian is bringing his granddaughter and her friend, so that should make you comfortable. Until then, you are my guest.¡± He stressed the last word to make her feel at ease. Callem eyed us both to make sure we understood and as a warning. He chugged his glass of juice and stood energetically, ¡°Time for stretching!¡± We went outside and started the stretching routine. We found out Aelyn was in the acrobat troupe at the carnival and she crushed all of us on mobility and flexibility. It sucked for me because I was still at the bottom of the ladder. She also took pleasure in correcting Gareth''s form, which caused me to smirk for joy every time. When we finished, I went inside to make dinner. Callem decided Aelyn could chose to help with the fields or help me cook. She decided to help me. I quickly found out she was terrible in the kitchen and told her to just watch and learn. Wynna stayed was packing for the trip with Callem, leaving us to talk freely. I soon got her talking about herself. ¡°My mother used to be a dungeon delver. She fell in love with a human in her party, and I popped out a few months later.¡± ¡°You make it sound so romantic,¡± I said while dicing vegetables. ¡°Well, I was conceived in a dungeon. That is the only place two different races can conceive,¡± she retorted. ¡°What¡¯s more romantic than killing monsters and making love?¡± She broke into a laugh at my confused expression but quickly got hold of herself. Aelyn got more serious. ¡°Once my mother got pregnant,, she stopped dungeon delving and joined her extended family, who was the acting troupe in the carnival. I spent my entire life on that skyship, traveling from city to city.¡±Did you know this text is from a different site? Read the official version to support the creator. Thinking of all the places she had visited, I was slightly envious, ¡°It must have been exciting.¡± ¡°Not when I was younger. The elves don¡¯t like half-breeds like myself. I was teased every day growing up,¡± she sighed heavily, and I couldn¡¯t tell if she was acting for sympathy. ¡°I did pick up a lot of skills in the troupe and various cities we performed in.¡± I nodded for her to continue. ¡°I have been an acrobat since I was three,¡± she smiled while doing a stationary flip to impress me. ¡°I have practiced with a rapier since I was six to develop my own act, learning from different sword masters across the Sphere. I am not a master yet¡ªbut in a few years I might be.¡± It suddenly made sense how she had fought off the Wolfsguard. ¡°What was your act?¡± I asked, finishing the meal prep by placing every in the cold chest. ¡°I was encircled by twelve big hairy men with swords. My outfit was¡ªminimal. I was the innocent maiden being accosted. Everything was choreographed, but it was a good show. I had thousands of fans in the cities we performed in.¡± She was watching me for a reaction, but all she did was nod in acknowledgment. ¡°I also did shows with just the tumblers. We wore skinsuits and performed amazing feats,¡± she added, watching me again for a reaction. I nodded again and handed her a chocolate ¨¦clair. She bit into it, not thinking, and her face lit up in pleasure. Callem might be upset the last ¨¦clair was missing, but Aelyn needed it more. ¡°That is all far more impressive than my skills. I just know how to cook,¡± I said. She choked on the ¨¦clair. ¡°I prepared teriyaki chicken with pineapple rice for dinner.¡± I had a pineapple substitute that worked just as well as pineapple. Pineapple was one of the things I hadn¡¯t yet found in this new world. ¡°But you can¡­¡± she started to say and stopped. Her had shot to the tattoo and pain laced her features, ruining the mood. She hadn¡¯t screamed in pain, which made me admire her. ¡°I didn¡¯t mean you to say that,¡± I apologized. ¡°Yes, I can do that, but I am just learning to master my abilities.¡± I had been teasing her a bit and had forgotten I had forbidden her from talking about my abilities. At least I knew the tattoo worked, even if I now felt guilty. ¡°It is time to go to training,¡± I stated, breaking the awkwardness. We headed out to the obstacle course with Callem and Gareth. Callem explained first course to Aelyn. Gareth ran the course first to show Aelyn how it was done. Aelyn ran it second and tried her hardest to beat Gareth¡¯s time. She was just 9 seconds off his time! ¡°Did I beat him?¡± she said, sucking wind. ¡°No, 9 seconds slower than Gareth¡¯s time,¡± Callem said with admiration. ¡°I will go again,¡± she turned to run it again. I could see her mind working, and she had probably thought of some ways to cut her time. ¡°No,¡± Callem said with finality. ¡°It is a good first time. But you should practice all the course today.¡± ¡°All the courses?¡± Aelyn said in confusion, realizing she had only run a small section. I couldn¡¯t help but smile at her. A look of determination came across her face. ¡°I am ready!¡± She wanted to beat Gareth so badly. I didn¡¯t understand why. Gareth had essentially freed her. I still had to run the first course. I ran a disappointing 19 seconds slower than my best time and well behind the other two. Callem decided for all of us to do the second course next, focusing more on agility so that Aelyn would have a chance to beat Gareth. As Gareth ran the course, I asked Aelyn, ¡°What is your beef with Gareth? He is a good person, and he freed you.¡± Aelyn studied me and I wasn¡¯t sure if the tattoo was going to force her to answer. ¡°I have a small aether core. I have only imprinted one spell, read surface thoughts. I read his thoughts and¡­his thoughts were wondering what I looked like naked¡­kissing me¡­and¡­¡± I waved my hands in understanding and for her to stop before my opinion of my best friend dropped. She continued, ¡°When I read you last night¡­your thoughts¡­¡± ¡°Stop there. Please don¡¯t do that again! You shouldn¡¯t do that to anyone without asking.¡± I was shaking my head and worried about what she might have found out about me. Gareth had finished the course and was returning to us. Callem had Aelyn line up and start. She beat Gareth¡¯s time by 6 seconds! I had cheered her the entire time. Gareth gave me a sour look as I cheered for Aelyn. But his eyes did pop when she navigated the course with rolls, tumbles, and flips. Gareth studied her movements, and I just hoped Callem didn¡¯t get any ideas on how to make the course more difficult. Who was I kidding? Of course, the course was going to get an upgrade, and I would be at a disadvantage! Callem congratulated her with a nod. It was great that someone could challenge and push Gareth as he was getting further and further ahead of me. Callem realized this and although Gareth might be jealous now, it would make him improve faster chasing someone. We moved to the training yard, not doing the third course today. Callem wanted to evaluate Aelyn¡¯s skill with the rapier. I was the third wheel as Gareth and Aelyn spared, Gareth with a lightened broad sword, and Aelyn with a training rapier. Aelyn bested him in the first nine engagements. It made Gareth frustrated, but I was cheering for both Aelyn and Gareth equally. How had she won me over so quickly? It had to be the eyes. I was always a sucker for pretty eyes in my past life, and hers had a depth to them. The matches continued, and soon Gareth was winning 1 out of 3 engagements, but that seemed his limit, and Callem stopped the practice. ¡°Aelyn, you will be a master of that rapier in a few years,¡± Callem said with respect in his voice. ¡°You are incredibly adept, Aelyn. And Gareth, you made a lot of progress in just a few hours. You just had trouble with her speed, as she has a much lighter weapon and better mobility. We will start to work on counters for her style of sword work.¡± Gareth looked relieved. He was probably worried Callem had found a new prot¨¦g¨¦e. ¡°Storme, why don¡¯t you go study for a bit?¡± I was happy to get away without sparring and embarrassing myself in front of Aelyn. I went to my loft after using cleanliness and got to work on my obfuscate abilities spell. All too soon, I was called to lunch, and both Gareth and Aelyn were an absolute mess. Gareth had a smirk of victory on his face, and Aelyn had the shadow of defeat on hers. Callem said Gareth had won 8 of the last 10 engagements. That was a huge turnaround in such a short time¡­just two hours or so. Lunch consisted of sandwiches and some fruit juice that Wynna had made. Aelyn asked, ¡°how are you always clean all the frigging time.¡± She was covered in dirt, nicks, and bruises. I reached out and touched her arm, healing her minor injuries. She gasped in surprise. ¡°You can heal, too?¡± ¡°It is the mend flesh spell,¡± I replied nonchalantly. I healed Gareth and noted they both had been rather intense today by the number of injuries. Callem surveyed the table, the sandwiches were gone. ¡°Let¡¯s practice wrestling next.¡± Wrestling was more of a submission form of combat, immobilizing your opponent and getting them to submit with an arm or leg lock. I was shocked as Callem had Aelyn pair off with me first. We were of similar size, but I was reluctant to wrestle a woman. She took the first two bouts with an arm lock because I hesitated. I wizened up with encouragement from Gareth. We split the next eight engagements. Aelyn actually looked to be having fun and encouraged me to be aggressive and not hold back. If she won, she wanted it to be a fair contest. She wasn¡¯t very skilled in wrestling, and that was why I had a chance, even though she was quicker, more flexible and more slippery. As long as I treated her like any other combatant, I could overpower her and lock her up sometimes. We were both filthy after the practice, and I used my cleanliness spell on myself. Aelyn gaped again, ¡°You know the cleanliness spell, too?¡± She looked down at her dirty clothes. Gareth chimed in with a grin, ¡°He does, but he is too selfish to evolve it to clean others.¡± I rolled my eyes, ¡°I just learned it a few weeks ago, Gareth,¡± I said defensively. I wasn¡¯t sure if I wanted to utilize so many evolutions for that path. After wrestling, we went to practice with staves. I easily bested Aelyn as she was unfamiliar with the weapon, and Callem instructed her as she improved rapidly. Then, I was paired with Gareth, and he had his chance to get revenge for all the times I cheered Aelyn over him today. I actually got two concussions from him that I had to heal. Callem was a bit angry with my injuries as head strikes were generally off-limits unless we were wearing the hard leather caps, and today we were not. It was finally time for dinner, and after cleaning the practice yard, Aelyn went to wash in the stream, and Gareth didn¡¯t know what to do. There really was only one spot in the stream deep enough to wash. He ended up waiting for her to return before going to wash. I just used my spell to clean up and used my brief amount of spare time to study my spell. While Gareth was gone, Aelyn talked to me. ¡°So, what other magic do you have? Cleaning, healing, cooking, gold producing¡­you are basically the perfect man.¡± I blushed hard at Aelyn¡¯s words. ¡°You brought me some new spells. I hope to learn them in the next few months.¡± I said. Wow, in less than a day, the young woman had befriended me and learned all my secrets. I showed her the spellbooks she had given me. When Gareth returned, clean and smelling a lot better, I cast my vanilla scent a few times to irritate him as he was sick of the scent. When Aelyn returned clean, we all went to the farmhouse, and I cooked the prepped meal. Aelyn was very impressed with the dish, having two servings. I had made enough for 10 people, but it was all gone in an hour, and Gareth also seemed impressed at Aelyn¡¯s stomach. During the meal, Callem and Wynna did most of the talking, with Callem relaying the results of the days training to Wynna. I noticed that Callem had managed to praise all of us multiple times. I wish I had made a dessert tonight, but I hadn¡¯t thought about it. I really wanted to make ice cream, and I just needed a cold container. Maybe I could use ice from the freezer to insulate a bucket. After the dishes were done, we sat down for lessons with Wynna. Tonight, we had Aelyn with us, and Wynna¡¯s lessons were on the cultures and inhabitants of the lowlands. We had only spent an hour listening to Aelyn describe her impressions of various cities and cultures. I noted that she had a nice feminine voice that was easy to listen to. Finally, Callem stood and said, ¡°Fantastic effort today. Storme can study, and Gareth, we can discuss variances in attacks with Flying Eagle and Thunder Strike.¡± ¡°Can I stay and discuss the sword forms as well?¡± Aelyn was asking me for permission, not Callem. I was surprised but nodded. Later, in the evening, Aelyn and Gareth returned. Since Aelyn was next to me, she whispered two words to me before she crawled under her blankets: ¡°Thank you.¡± Chapter 28: Cilia and Leda The next six weeks involved a lot of hard work from all three of us as Callem pushed us. Incorporating Aelyn into our daily training was a fairly smooth process. She seemed deeply motivated to impress me and outdo Gareth. Unfortunately for Aelyn, other than flexibility, Gareth only took a few hours to surpass her when he focused. I was actually extremely happy that Gareth had someone pushing him so hard. Even though my fitness and strength were rapidly improving, I had failed in that role as his friend. Most nights, I was too tired to study and fell asleep with a book in my lap. Still, I felt like I was making some progress with my magic, and I was getting constant encouragement from Wynna and my friends. Aelyn apologized for not being able to help as she had no formal training, even though she had a simple spell. Instead of Freya visiting after a month, Gareth and I took her to Goose Meadow, a small town with a skyship dock on Titan¡¯s Shield. They had a playhouse and were outside of Celesward, one of the four major cities on our floating island. As long as I didn¡¯t go to Solaris City, Callem was fine with us traveling. I was also apprehensive about Freya meeting Aelyn but felt guilty about not inviting her. It could almost be said we were developing a friendship. Even Gareth and Aelyn were getting along, although their relationship was very competitive. Her indentured tattoo had a stigma, and I didn¡¯t want my sister to learn I held Aelyn¡¯s control ring¡ªor for my parents to learn it either. The day off and the chance to visit another part our floating island were welcome. I think Freya was most disappointed that Goose Meadow was just like Hen¡¯s Hollow. It was about a week after we had traveled to Goose Meadow, and we were eating dinner when Callem announced, ¡°Sebastian is here.¡± Aelyn was puzzled, but Gareth and I rushed outside, forgetting the meal. I wasn¡¯t sure how Callem knew the skyship was approaching. To my senses, the ship was silent. All of us were eventually outside to greet the arrivals. It was still amazing for me to see the Wind Splitter moving so gracefully without sound. The beautiful copper-plated ship scored high on my aesthetic scale. After landing, the ramp descended, and Sebastian walked down the ramp smiling, shortly followed by an impassive Nisil. A minute passed and then two young women exited the craft as well. The woman on the right was tall, almost six feet. She had rich blonde hair pulled back into a ponytail. Her eyes were a light brown, almost golden. She had a square build and was obviously lean and well-muscled by her movement. She lacked a strong feminine presence from her dress and figure. She could have been beautiful but her face took away from her potential. It was hard, and she pursed her lips tight as she walked. Her eyes, even with their rich golden color, had a fury written into them. My focus switched to the young woman with her. She was much shorter, maybe 5¡¯5¡±, and her hair was a shiny black. Her skin was dark too, a deep golden tan. She was the darkest-skinned person I had met on Skyholme. Her eyes were a dark brown but had a happy liveliness to them that the other girl lacked. She was also much more feminine with her curves. She did have an athletic grace to her walk, but she didn¡¯t strike me as overly athletic from my observations so far. As they approached, we were sizing them up as if they were us. I could tell Gareth was excited because he was tapping his foot in anticipation. I wasn¡¯t sure if it was for more competition or because we had more woman joining us. Callem and Sebastian had already retreated inside the farmhouse to talk in private, leaving us to introduce ourselves. We stared at each other for a time, Cilia looking unhappily at Aelyn¡¯s tattoo. She finally waved her hand, ¡°We have six trunks on the ship boys. Bring them to our quarters,¡± Cilia commanded. She was the tall blond one. Gareth and I looked at each other and then at Aelyn. None of us moved. The smaller young woman, sensing an argument about to break out, stepped forward, ¡°Hi! I¡¯m Leda, and this is my friend Cilia.¡± She elbowed the stern, blonde young woman hard in the ribs. ¡°Perhaps you can give us a tour of the¡­¡± she looked around at the small farm, suddenly uncertain, ¡°fields?¡± She smiled brightly and guiltily. She probably thought she was making fun of us for living in the middle of nowhere. This was not off to a great start, and Cilia made it worse, rubbing her side, she ordered, ¡°If you boys are not going to get the trunks, you can have the servant girl get them for us.¡± My temper flared. ¡°She is no servant, and you will treat her with respect! Aelyn is our friend, and you came here to learn, not to boss us around!¡± I focused on the short young woman, ignoring the tall one, and trying to salvage the encounter, ¡°Leda, we would be happy to give you a tour while Cilia decides how much of a stuck-up bitch she wants to be.¡± I spoke in a low tone but with inflection. I turned and started to walk away with Gareth and Aelyn following. I could hear the two young women whispering back and forth before they eventually followed us. The two were quiet as I led them to the clearing where the obstacle courses were located. We patiently explained the three different obstacle courses and answered Leda¡¯s questions. Cilia was quiet but still looked like she had a rod shoved up her ass. Leda asked if Gareth was really 15 and actually went into his personal space to squeeze his biceps and grasp his shoulders. He had the body of an athletic adult man, and just his youthful face betrayed him as being young. If I met Gareth, I would definitely guess him to be about 20, maybe as old as 25¡ªuntil he started talking anyway. He flushed as Leda got a little handsy, and I caught Cilia rolling her eyes at her friend''s forwardness. Leda squeezed a few handfuls of muscle before separating from Gareth, confirming that the muscles were real. I continued the tour, trying to figure out if we were all going to mesh in training. Our next part of the tour was the part of the stream we used as a bathing spot. This had both women incredulous. No showers like at the Naval Academy? Still, Leda seemed to accept the pool, nodding after a moment and giving Gareth a look. I had to remember that Cilia and Leda were both in fourth year at the Naval Academy, which meant they were 20 or 21 most likely. Not that they showed such maturity so far. We returned to the training yard, and the new large drying shed that we had built with Callem. The shed was actually being used to store farm tools right now. Callem had been extremely happy with Edel¡¯s drying work on the tobacco leaves and planned to use her in the future so the shed we worked so hard to build was being repurposed. The old drying shed was now storing training dummies and training weapons. Leda went to the rack with the staves, picked a short one, and with a mischievous tone challenged Gareth to a quick spar. ¡°Are you any good with a stick?¡± He agreed immediately, eager to test the young woman. ¡° I am proficient with all the weapons. If you prefer me to use the staff, I am fine with it.¡± I wasn¡¯t so sure this was innocent banter. As they walked to the center, I moved next to Aelyn. Cilia was on the opposite side of us, looking smug. She probably thought Leda would show up, Gareth. ¡°Aelyn, what is going through Gareth¡¯s mind,¡± I asked quietly. She looked at me questionably. ¡°I know what I said not to read people but I am just curious.¡± She focused on Gareth as he limbered up. ¡°He is thinking of ways to get behind Leda and pin her with his staff. Ugh, he is going to reciprocate her handsy action and try to cup her breasts,¡± she said with some disgust. Oh, this was not good. I didn¡¯t think Gareth knew Cilia had been assaulted, and manhandling Leda would ruin his reputation with the two new arrivals. I yelled, ¡°Hey, Gareth, it isn¡¯t right that you get the first crack at the newbies. Let me take the first action! Come on, brother!¡± I said, stressing, ¡°Brother.¡± That was our sign for him to retreat. He looked about to protest but relented morosely and walked to me, handing me the staff. I whispered to Aelyn, ¡°Please tell Gareth what an idiot he is in no polite words.¡± Aelyn smiled happily at my request. I walked to the engagement circle and squared off with Leda. The smirk of superiority on her face made me not want to give her anything easy. In our first engagement, I managed to catch her ankle with my staff, trip her, and retreat from her quick recovery sweep with the staff. Her smirk was gone at least and a fiery determination was now firmly in its place. I tuned out the others who were cheering me on while Cilia was cheering her friend on. We had a minute of quick exchanges, and neither of us gained the upper hand as we sized each other up. She was good with the staff but not that good. After crossing with Gareth and Callem for so many months, I actually felt pretty confident but remained solidly on guard and kept giving her the same opening. When she ran out of patience, she finally took the faux opening, and I put her on her back and pinned her to the ground on her back before she could recover. We recovered, and she wasn¡¯t upset, even smiling now. She was enjoying herself even though she was losing. It took me six minutes to get her down again and pin her, this time face down. After that, she relinquished the victory to me. Leda smiled, even though she was dirty and had lost, but Cilia was not happy. I checked on Gareth, and he looked miserable, so Aelyn put him in his place. Cilia, annoyed at her friend¡¯s loss, pointed to the farmhouse. ¡°Grandfather and Callem have been watching us. We should head inside.¡± I looked, and yes, they were over by the farmhouse door, watching. We put away the staves, and Leda walked next to me. ¡°You are pretty good. But now I am as filthy as are you. Perhaps we should go wash up in the stream?¡± I looked at her, and she definitely had a mischievous look in her eyes. I found her attractive and she was at least five years my senior. However, my aether burn seemed to be masking my teenage hormones as I wasn¡¯t drawn to the woman¡¯s flirting. ¡°I am fine, but you can go with Aelyn before bed tonight if you forgot where it was,¡± I cast my cleanliness spell on myself, and she gaped at me as the dirt, sweat, and grim melted from me. ¡°Boy, you wasted a slot on that spell? Well, I guess I should say I am a little jealous. And what is that scent?¡± She moved closer to me, but I managed to get Aelyn between us before she could sniff me. With Aelyn between us, she focused on the girl. ¡°You are a pretty one. Who commands you here? Callem?¡± Aelyn, to her credit, didn¡¯t miss a step. ¡°The boy who just dominated you in the ring.¡± I think Leda licked her lips as she was once again eyeing me hungrily. ¡°Dominated? Yes, I suppose so. Does he dominate you as well?¡± Her tone was playful, but I got started to get a sense she was testing me. Maybe she was protecting Cilia by putting herself out there. Aelyn defended me from the woman¡¯s advances, ¡°No, Storme is extremely respectful, protective, and a perfect gentleman.¡± That seemed to shut her up, and I noticed Aelyn had said it loud enough for everyone to hear. We entered the house with Sebastian and Callem. Wynna had set out some snacks. Callem addressed me, ¡°Storme, go take a walk with Sebastian. We are going to take some time getting to know each other here. And Storme, nice work with the staff this evening.¡± He was obviously proud I had bested someone five years my senior. I left with Sebastian feeling pretty good about myself. I walked with Sebastian, who led me up the ramp into his ship. ¡°We can talk freely now, Storme. The Wind Splitter has runes that prevent scrying. Callem is still concerned the Inquisition may be meddling, but it is unlikely so far out here.¡± We went up the stairs to his office on the ship and sat down in wooden chairs. I was surprised when he poured me a drink of juice with a splash of vodka. ¡°Storme, things are happening in the capital, and my attention is split,¡± He sighed, getting serious. ¡°Callem said you display a maturity beyond your years. Cilia needs to get out of the Academy, but won¡¯t listen to me. Her assaulter, Abaddon Bricio, is working to corner her. I had to pull her from the Naval Academy as setting her back a year wasn¡¯t enough to take her out of his sites. I want both you and Gareth to try and help convince, indirectly, of course, that returning to the Naval Academy is a mistake for her,¡± He seemed deflated. ¡°I can''t protect her if she chooses to return.¡± I was at a loss for words at the faith and trust he was placing in me. It probably had more to do with Callem than me, and I could easily guess why he was talking to me instead of Gareth and me together. ¡°What do you need me to do?¡± was all I could say. ¡°I was hoping you and your friend could convince her to join the Adventurer''s Academy or perhaps seek adventure in the lowlands. The lowlands may be dangerous, but if she persists in the Navy¡­¡± he paused with a sad look on his face. I concluded that he was disgusted with what the Skyholme Navy or the politics were in their current state. Sebastian stood, ¡°There may be a Sadian attack coming soon. Not a skirmish, but an attack on a large scale. Cilia cannot be in the Naval Academy when it occurs. If she is then she will be assigned under Abaddon¡¯s command on one of the skyships.¡± My face creased in puzzlement and then disgust. ¡°Callem has taught you well. The Bricio¡¯s may just be one of the three ruling families, but they essentially control all of Skyholme now. They have either married into, have leverage on, or outright bribed enough members of the other two branches to do whatever they please,¡± Sebastian said heavily. I didn¡¯t know what to say. Sebastian was laying quite a bit on a 15-year-old boy, even if Callem thought highly of me. He sipped his own drink and I sipped mine, finding it very pleasant on the palate. By Sebastian¡¯s body language he was obvious he was getting the courage to do something or tell me something. I was certain he had already told me too much by revealing the impending Sadian attack. He sighed, looking older. ¡°The best-case scenario is that the Sadians weaken the Skyholme Navy, allowing the military to reset and receive increased funding. The failure would considerably weaken the Bricios'' hold over the Torrent family.¡± My heart raced. Was he talking about treason? Did they plan to intentionally make the Sadian attack a little more successful than it should be? I could see why he was reluctant to tell me this. He nodded in response to my widened eyes. ¡°Callem was right about you. I can see that.¡± He sipped some more of his mixed drink, ¡°Worst case scenario is the Sadians get a foothold on one or more of the islands, and we enter a drawn-out war which we will eventually lose.¡± Seeing my worry, Sebastian said, ¡°Your family should be safe. Callem and Wynna said they would protect them and get them to the lowlands if necessary. He will tell you as much himself.¡± I shifted uncomfortably in my seat at the mention of my family. War was unpredictable¡ªno one would be safe. ¡°After talking with Callem, I know how exceptional you can be as a mage¡ªyour potential.¡± I got a little nervous but trusted Callem and doubted he had revealed too much to Admiral Sebastian. Seeing me uncomfortable, he continued, ¡°As a reward for looking out for my granddaughter, I would like to offer you some assistance and a bit of advanced payment in the form of knowledge. I¡¯m somewhat of a collector of spells and have an extensive library. I wanted to offer you three spells from my collection.¡± I looked around the room but didn¡¯t see any spell books. Sebastian smiled at my confusion. ¡°In addition to the spells, I have the complete first two years of texts from the Mage Academy in the capital, totaling 11 textbooks on the basics of magic.¡± Again, I glanced around but didn¡¯t see anything. ¡°They¡¯re in my personal space,¡± Sebastian, said, grinning. Sebastian stood and waved his hand and a portal appeared in the wall. Inside the archway was a short hallway with shelves lining both sides. ¡°Impressive, isn¡¯t it? It is a dimensional space connected to my aether core. It is a tier three anchored spatial magic spell. It measures 10¡¯ by 10¡¯ by 20¡¯ after five evolutions on my part. I wouldn¡¯t suggest selecting it as one of your spells, though. Maybe the tier one version of the spell. Using four slots on your aether matrix for the dimensional closet spell this early in your career¡­¡± He let it hang for a second like I should know what he meant, but I didn¡¯t. He went in and picked up a bundle of 11 books on a small end table. ¡°These are the textbooks I mentioned. Feel free to pick any three books in here as well. I will advise you as best I can. I don¡¯t have a descendent who is on the path to becoming an archmage, so my collection will go to waste when I die.¡± A little grumpily, he added, ¡°My descendants will probably just sell them all off piecemeal. Maybe they will help you become a powerful archmage who can save Skyholme from the Bricios.¡± Sebastian sighed as he stared wistfully at his collection. I didn¡¯t know what to tell the man who appeared defeated in his position. I walked down the short hallway and looked at the books. A silvery book drew my attention, and pulling it out, I recognized it. It was the manual for building a Harbinger ship. The one I had seen in Wigand¡¯s shop. ¡°Ah, Storme, that is not a spell book. It is flashy but not what you seek. It was a gift from Braden Torrent. Yes, that Braden Torrent. A sitting member of the Triumvirate for the Torrent family. They are in control of the military branch and have been on the decline for years as the Bricio and Miaden families have squeezed resources, raised prices, and lowered military funding in favor of covert operations. They are mostly honorable, well honorable, for the nest of corruption that is the capital of Skyhold.¡± Sebastian exhaled in disappointment, ¡°Well anyway, I digress. You probably don¡¯t want that book, though, but it is valuable. Here, let me show where the pocket space spell is.¡± Sebastian went to a shelf, pulled out a book, and handed it to me. I opened the book and examined it. The tier one pocket space spell created a space that was two foot cube. ¡°It should take you a week or two to imprint this spell, as it is fairly simple. The one drawback of these personal dimension space spells is that they occupy a small portion of your aether core, thereby reducing your available aether. This is because the space is actually nested within your aether core. When you first cast the spell, you orient the doorway to your person. Then, every time you access the space, it appears in the same orientation to your body as when you first cast it. So, keep that in mind when you are able to cast the spell. You cannot cast multiple iterations of the spell to gain multiple spaces.¡± Sebastian finished his quick lesson on the spell. ¡°Can I cast the spell¡¯s tier 1 and tier 3 versions to get multiple spaces then?¡± I asked. Sebastian responded impressed with the question, ¡°Unfortunately, no. Your aether core can only support one dimensional space. How best to explain,¡± Sebastian thought for a second before continuing, ¡°Imagine your aether core as a bucket of water. The pocket space is a ball that floats in the liquid within the bucket in three dimensions. If you add another ball and they collide¡­bad things happen. There are techniques you can learn to fix the balls in place within your core¡­but that is well down the road in your development. In that case you could cast another dimensional space¡­but I get ahead of myself. The warnings are in the spell book you hold so pay attention and read it well before casting the spell once you imprint it.¡± I thought for a good few minutes before replacing the book and pulling out the personal dimensional closet spellbook that had been next to it on the shelf. This spell on examination started with a 10¡¯ x 10¡¯ x 10¡¯ space. Well, if I was only going to get one space to store things I should go big. ¡°I think I will take this spell instead. Do you have any spells for defense with a lightning affinity?¡± I asked. Sebastian arched an eye but didn¡¯t object to my exchange of dimensional spells; he just nodded. Then, he put his hand to his chin and thought for a moment, ¡°No, I only have a few lightning spells and no defense-oriented spells for lightning. You need a good defense spell?¡± I nodded to his question. ¡°Okay, I have two that might interest you, one is aether shield. It is a tier two spell with no affinity, and the shield is about a yard in diameter to start and invisible to anyone without aether sight. It has no affinity like your cleanliness spell which makes it very versatile in its evolutions. It does take a fair amount of aether to maintain, which is a negative. I haven¡¯t imprinted it myself. The other is a tier one spell called deflect. The deflect spell acts passively and deflects one attack before dissipating but only works against physical attacks. The aether shield is quite rare, a dungeon prize if I remember correctly from deep in the Nightmare Crypt dungeon in the city of Brightstand.¡± Sebastian was done explaining and retrieved both books for me to look at. I perused both books, and I definitely took the aether shield spell after looking at both. The spell book itself had a heavy copper cover with a hydra on the cover, which I assumed was the monster the dungeon delvers had to defeat to earn the book. The script was in the common language of the Sphere, which was good, and the spell forms inside were quite orderly compared to what I had seen so far. ¡°Yes, dungeon spell books are essentially perfect spell forms. They are what all spell forms evolved from, but the problem with them is they don¡¯t detail any evolutions within the pages, and you cannot copy these spell books. They will dissolve once the spell within is successfully imprinted for the first time.¡± This information was mostly known to me and welcome. ¡°I will take this one then,¡± I said. Sebastian smirked as he acknowledged that I had made a good choice. ¡°Don¡¯t show it to anyone. It is worth quite a massive sum, and many people would take it from you, whether to use it themselves or sell it. I haven¡¯t used it because I don¡¯t have any space left in my matrix to imprint spells. I was hoping I could make enough space over the next decade to imprint this very spell, but you can make much better use of it than I.¡± He smiled and gestured at the shelves, ¡°You can see I have lots of other options. And I expect you to protect my granddaughter.¡± I nodded. ¡°Okay, one more choice.¡± Sebastian said, eagerly. I think he was enjoying this process as much as I was. I thought about the Harbinger book. I had no aspirations of building a Harbinger ship but having all the runic script for building a skyship would be useful. Sebastian seeing my eyes on the silvery-covered tome spoke again with a smirk on his aged face, ¡°I think I know a book you may want.¡± He went to the back of the shelves and pulled out a book. He handed it to me and the cover was an image of the Wind Splitter. I eagerly opened it and it was similar to the Harbinger book but detailed the Wind Splitter construction and runes. It was mostly loose pages neatly placed inside and not in an organized way. ¡°I have been compiling that book myself. That has my copied notes, research, and everything I have found out during my restoration of the Wind Splitter. I was hoping to eventually get a new class of ship into the Skyholme fleet, a fast transport for troops and supplies. I doubt I will have much say in things anytime soon¡­¡± He tailed off, clearly disappointed with his role in the Skyholme navy. ¡°I have copies of these notes anyway. If you prefer this over a third spell I am ok with your choice.¡± I nodded happily, carefully closing the book. ¡°Okay, Storme. I have fulfilled my obligation and then some,¡± he motioned me out of his dimensional space. I looked at the massive collection as the entrance disappeared and hoped one day I could match such knowledge in my own space. ¡°I have one other gift for you.¡± He went to the desk drawer and retrieved a marble. ¡°This is an anti-scrying item. It is also a dungeon-created magical object obtained from a prize chest.¡± He handed it to me and I took the black marble. ¡°All you need to do is continually channel a minor amount of aether into it and it will prevent anyone from remote viewing you. It has an effective range of about 55 yards. It is actually a gift from Callem. I obtained it at his request. He thinks either you or Gareth may have need of it in the future.¡± Sebastian sighed for the umpteenth time. Sebastian led me down and out of the Wind Splitter. The fourteen books were heavy, but they were a prize I wasn¡¯t going to let go of. We had spent over two hours inside, and as we walked to the farmhouse, Sebastian continued to talk. ¡°I wish I had time to mentor you, Storme, but Callem is certain that only bad things would happen if it was known I was tutoring a promising young mage. My last two apprentices were kidnapped by my old family to gain leverage on me. Yes, they are bad people. If you run into anyone with the Riffolk surname, definitely don¡¯t trust them. They control the seedy underworld in Skyholme and are heavily connected to the Bricios.¡± He didn¡¯t mention what had happened to his apprentices, but the pained look on his face told me enough guess. We entered the house and everyone else was in deep conversation. Cilia still had her hard look and Gareth looked so uncomfortable that I almost laughed. Callem spoke, ¡°Ah good! Sebastian, did you give the boy the bauble you wanted to give him?¡± Sebastian laughed, ¡°Yes, it just took me a little to find it and he wanted to see the bridge and for me to explain the controls for the Wind Splitter.¡± ¡°Well, it is all good we have just been detailing the new training schedule. We are going to focus on unarmed combat for the next few weeks before incorporating sword work,¡± Callem said. Was that why Gareth was looking miserable and uncomfortable? Aelyn had berated him and now he had to fight Leda and Cilia with his fists? Callem continued, ¡°Sebastian, we will need your skills to expand the bunkhouse. It has been determined it would be best to add a third loft with two beds for Cilia and Leda. Aelyn has apparently taken a rather protective big sister role in regards to Storme.¡± A look of jealousy was on Gareth¡¯s face, and Aelyn had a rare smirk on hers at Callem¡¯s words. I was curious about the extent of the conversation that had occurred. ¡°Boys why don¡¯t you go and get the young woman¡¯s chests on the Wind Splitter while the rest of us go and work on the bunkhouse upgrades.¡± Gareth jumped out of his seat and to the door. Aelyn made to follow us but I waved her off. Gareth needed some ego soothing it appeared. I just didn¡¯t like that Cilia looked a little smug that we were getting their chests. We both went up the ship¡¯s ramp and found the crates before I spoke, ¡°Gareth we are brothers, closer than brothers. You never have to fear I would place you under any circumstances.¡± Gareth looked at me and he wasn¡¯t wearing his usual grin. He looked a little constipated, ¡°Storme, I have the charisma trait, but I can''t seem to get any of the girls interested in me! Well maybe Leda, but she scares me a bit now. What the hell is wrong with me? Did you know Aelyn can read minds? She berated me for what I was thinking about Leda before we were about to engage with staves.¡± Gareth had never been so upset before. His hormones must be raging. Maybe it had something to do with his rapid growth. ¡°Gareth, you have nothing to worry about. Aelyn has been abducted and branded by Skyholme and has trouble trusting people. Cilia was assaulted and probably wants nothing to do with men. And Leda¡ªscares me too.¡± This seemed to make him feel a little better. ¡°You will have absolutely no problem getting as many women as you want in just a few years. Just give it some time.¡± We started moving the chests in silence. Inside the bunkhouse, Sebastian was shaping lumber from outside into a new loft. It didn¡¯t flow like water like my metal shaping ability but seemed to warp the wood. The new loft was a cantilever on the far side to give it similar space to the other two lofts. Watching such powerful magic never got old. The new loft was similar set up with the furniture. By the time we got all the girls'' chests inside, Sebastian was done. One of the chests had rolled mattresses and bedding for the wooden bunks in the new loft. Before he left, I asked Sebastian to put a panel divider between my bed and Aelyn¡¯s. Aelyn nixed that, saying there was no reason for Sebastian to waste his aether. The look of amusement on Sebastian¡¯s and Callem¡¯s faces was not to my liking, so I insisted on the upgrade to my loft. Sebastian relented and added a wood panel, stretching a log into the panel, and he added small shelves on each side of the separation panel, expanding the storage for my books. I smiled because it finally felt like I got the win. Instead of helping Cilia and Leda unpack I went to my loft and started studying. Aelyn was up in the loft shortly after with a plate of food for herself. When I reminded her that there was no food in the loft, she icily said, ¡°That is a rule for your side, Storme. I can eat on my side.¡± This was clearly anger at the new panel separating us. She had said it loudly enough that everyone heard. It drew everyone¡¯s eyes to us. I just rolled my eyes at her antics. I never understood women in my past life and apparently had made no progress in this one. I ignored everyone and studied my spellbook for the obfuscate spell and its evolutions. I needed to imprint this spell before I could focus on the dimensional closet spell. I did my aether core exercises and spent two hours spamming my cleanliness spell, filling the bunkroom with vanilla. Two hours of constant casting only used up half my aether stores and I was so tempted to make coins but held back with all the new additions to the bunkhouse. Maybe once all the aether lights went out. Everyone else was in their bed, and I heard Aelyn whisper to me. ¡°I am sorry, Storme, I lied to you.¡± She was quiet enough that I didn¡¯t think anyone else could hear. ¡°What about?¡± I asked, sounding unconcerned. ¡°My read surface thoughts is an ability. I have been using it on the others. Sebastian has some type of shield against it. Callem¡¯s discipline makes him hard to read but the others¡­¡± She said sounding remorseful about her actions. ¡°What do you want to tell me?¡± I was overly cautious. ¡°Cilia is angry. She is angry at everyone around her for what happened to her. She respects Callem and loves her grandfather, but she is extremely angry and wants revenge on her attacker. She associates you and Gareth with being similar to him.¡± She paused, and when I didn¡¯t ask a question, she continued, ¡°Leda is in love with Cilia¡ªor maybe just loves her. Everything she does is to protect her. She was trying to draw Gareth¡¯s and your attention away from Cilia. Cilia tends to get overly aggressive toward men, so Leda was trying to temper her a bit.¡± Well, Leda''s flirtatious actions make a bit more sense now. ¡°And Gareth?¡± I asked now committed to invasion of privacy but not really wanting to know the answer. ¡°He is a typical male. I have read many men in the past and like them his thoughts are focused on women. He thinks a lot about what he has seen farm animals do and that spurs him to think about women in the same way.¡± That was more information than I needed. ¡°That is too much information,¡± I said, stopping Aelyn. She was silent for a minute before finishing. ¡°Wynna is an overprotective mother hen. She is very fond of Callem and you two. She already thinks of you two like adopted sons. She hasn¡¯t made up her mind on me yet, though. When I first arrived, she asked me if I would let her do a reading on me, and I declined.¡± Another long pause. ¡°Do you want me to let her do a reading?¡± I thought for just a moment, ¡°She has a method that allows only you to see the results of a reading. It is up to you, but it may help her build trust with you.¡± I no longer saw Aelyn¡¯s tattoo but it still clearly bothered her that she was marked. Very rarely did I make in mistake when I said something to her that forced her to obey. ¡°Okay,¡± she said. She appeared to be finished, but then added, ¡°I haven¡¯t read you again, Storme, and I never will unless you ask.¡± That seemed to conclude the conversation. I went to sleep with a swirl of thoughts, forgetting to empty my aether pool by making coins. My first thought was about how I could ensure Freya and the rest of my family would be safe if the Sadians attacked Skyholme. ? Copyrighted 2024, 2025 by AlwaysRollsAOne No Permission is given to translate, copy, repost or alter to an audio format of this original work of fiction. If you are reading this on a site that is not my Patreon, RoyalRoad.com, or Scribblehub.com, it has been stolen without my permission and violates DMCA. Remember, this work is the result of my creative effort and is protected by copyright law. Removal or altering of this notification is an acknowledgment you are aware you are in violation of DMCA. Chapter 29, 30, and 31 Chapter 29: New Friendships The next morning, there was still some tension with our new arrivals. Aelyn had taken weeks to acclimate to Gareth and me, and now we had two more young women sharing the bunkhouse with us. While Gareth was uncertain about living with two more women, it didn¡¯t bother me. However, there were challenges. The biggest negative that morning was how loud Leda was after waking up. She was a loud talker, and I was thankful that at least Cilia''s responses came softly from their loft. So far, Cilia''s only positive was her quietness. The five of us dressed in our workout clothes and moved to the farmhouse for breakfast. Callem was inside and had ham steaks, pancakes, fresh fruit, and the red juice out. He was all smiles this morning as well¡ªCallem rarely smiled. He was probably thinking about how to torture all of us today during training. As we dug in, I learned the new daily routine they had discussed last night while Sebastian gifted me spells. After breakfast, we would all stretch, and most of us would do farm work for two hours. During this time, I would prepare dinner with Wynna, avoiding the farm work. We would then do an abbreviated stretching routine, as, apparently, Cilia and Leda had failed to meet Callem¡¯s minimum expectations for mobility. Then, we would work on wrestling, hand-to-hand combat, submission holds, and escapes for three hours. During this time, Wynna would prepare lunch. After lunch, we would have a free hour. Then, we would do strength and conditioning training for two hours. Immediately after that, we would have two hours to practice sword forms, with absolutely no sparring. Following that, we would have two free hours before dinner to bathe, relax, or study. My free time might be a bit limited since I had to prepare dinner for everyone. After dinner, we would have about an hour of instruction from Wynna and Aelyn about the lowlands. When I asked when we would get a day off, Callem simply said he would give us a day off when he thought we needed it, which to me implied we would never get a day off. Well, when we started the stretching routine, I was in heaven. Cilia and Leda were both less flexible than me, so I was no longer at the bottom of the ladder in something! I kept my face straight, not revealing my joy, and it seemed Aelyn went out of her way to show how much better she was at stretching than the two new arrivals. Watching the young woman set their hierarchy of competency in stretching was humorous. Gareth was engrossed watching all three of them for other reasons. After stretching, I went to prep dinner and decided to go with southern fried chicken, mashed potatoes with gravy, coleslaw, and cornbread. It was the first time I would be making this meal, and it really required little preparation on my part, so it gave me time to study the obfuscate spell. I prepared enough for twenty people, and I hoped it was enough to feed everyone, but I had been wrong before. The first wrestling and hand-to-hand combat did not go well. Everyone was trying to prove that they were the best. There was really no contest, as Gareth could easily best any of us. Aelyn was slippery, quick, strong, and learned quickly. She elbowed Gareth in the sternum twice when he had wrapped an arm around her chest while they tangled their legs. I had to heal his broken sternum, broken noses and many other injuries. Cilia was also fairly aggressive against Gareth and me. I did my best not to grab anything that would cause me to get an elbow to the sternum or face, but she did not make it easy. Leda, on the other hand, was having a blast as it was apparent she liked wrestling. She may be in love with Cilia, but she obviously also liked men, and she made an effort to put me and Gareth in compromising positions. I was glad my aether core growth was still hindering my own libido once again. Gareth wasn¡¯t so lucky and had to break an engagement with Leda twice due to his growing embarrassment. Of course, all this did was make Cilia disgusted with Gareth and me. Cilia and Leda were shocked as I healed everyone a few times during the training. I ignored inquiries by Leda asking how much aether I actually had but knew it wouldn¡¯t be the last time she asked as I spammed my minor healing spell dozens of times. With revealing my endless aether to Cilia and Leda, I hoped Callem and Sebastian had a plan to keep my secrets. I was happy for lunch, which consisted of a hearty vegetable stew and sandwiches. The sandwiches were smoked turkey, cheese, lettuce, and bacon with a mayo spread. It was a combo I had suggested to Wynna in the morning while I was cooking. I was happy to see Leda talking with Aelyn during lunch. She was offering to share some of her clothing with her so she could dress better. Cilia would have been a closer fit, but she was still tempering her interactions with Aelyn. Wynna took that as a cue to promise to go to town tomorrow to get some clothes for Aelyn. After lunch, I was studying my spell under a tree at the edge of the fields when Leda sat beside me. Aelyn was nearby practicing her tumbling and keeping an eye on the interaction, probably reading Leda''s thoughts. ¡°So, Storme,¡± she started, ¡°tell me about yourself.¡± I put the book down and tried not to show irritation at being interrupted. We were going to be living together for a few months, and I planned to try to be nice. ¡°You first,¡± I said, reflecting the question. She had a bright white smile on her face, highlighted by her tanned complexion. ¡°Well, I come from a good family. We have been enchanters for six generations. My older brothers and older sister are carrying on the legacy, but I am terrible at it. My father sent me to the Mage¡¯s Academy, and I only had minimal space to imprint spells, so I transferred to the Naval Academy in the first month. I am in training to be an attendant. That is someone who serves as the right hand of an officer, doing their paperwork, handling meetings, and such. That is how I was paired with Cilia since she is on a captain¡¯s track.¡± So, captains were not chosen because of merit in Skyholme, apparently. Finished, she asked, ¡°And you?¡± ¡°Tell me about enchanting. I have always been interested in the craft but never had the opportunity to study it.¡± Once again, I deflected to make her talk and closed the book to show she had my attention. She seemed to acquiesce and began speaking, ¡°Well, enchanting is really about creating spell forms with metals. You need to have a steady hand and be skilled at working with metal. Silver mixed with tier three aether dust is the most common mixture for writing out the runes with an artificed stylus. Those enchantments should last longer than a human¡¯s lifetime. The silver will degrade over time, but as I mentioned, it should last fifty to seventy years, provided the silver lines are thick enough.¡± ¡°You could use platinum, which lasts ten times as long, but that gets expensive. Then there is mithril, which doesn¡¯t degrade at all over time. Then there are the materials you put the runic spell forms into. Certain types of wood are good insulators. Gold is a good insulator as well, but once again, it can be expensive, and the gold actually degrades over time, usually at a pace similar to platinum. Adamantine is the prime insulator; aether cannot permeate it at all, and it never degrades. My family primarily uses wood and silver to create household items such as cooling chests, freezer chests, cooking surfaces, room heaters, various lights, and sound capture boxes for recording music. These are our main products.¡± Leda was finally not flirting and seemed happy to talk about her family. ¡°You have to share something about yourself, though. Come on! Cilia and I are curious, not that she would ever ask!¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t realize how involved enchanting and artificing was. Thank you for the lesson.¡± I took a deep breath and then spoke about myself, ¡°I have a younger sister and older brother. My father is a skyship guard, and my mother is a leather carver. I have been friends with Gareth since before I was allowed to go out on my own in town. As you know, I have an awakened core and you also know I have some healing magic and the cleanliness spell.¡± I thought that was enough. ¡°Yeah, I never thought I would ever be jealous of someone¡¯s magic like I am of your cleanliness spell. What is that intoxicating smell? I can''t seem to place it.¡± She asked, smiling. ¡°Vanilla,¡± I said. ¡°Vanilla,¡± she mumbled, committing the name to memory. ¡°I only have one free spell slot left, and I am seriously considering that spell. Can I borrow your spell book?¡± She asked with big brown eyes and a grin. She actually looked kind of cute, and I could see Aelyn eyeing her interactions with me from a few yards away. Aelyn reminded me of a mother hen ready to protect her chicks. Is that what Aelyn thought of me, a chick that needed protecting? I suppose she needed to protect me since I wore her ring. ¡°Sure, do you have any enchanting books I could borrow in exchange?¡± I asked. ¡°Yes! I have three basic primers with me. One for the heating rune, one for the cold rune, and one for the light rune. You can borrow all three while I work to imprint the cleanliness spell.¡± She was actually pretty excited as she left, and Aelyn came to me and squatted to talk to me. ¡°She was being genuine with you. She truly wanted to know more about you,¡± She paused. ¡°Can I borrow the cleanliness spell after Leda?¡± This caught me off guard. She had lied to me about knowing a spell and I didn¡¯t know if she had an awakened core. ¡°Do you have any spells? How much space does your aether matrix have?¡± I asked, but she shrugged her shoulders, not knowing the answer. ¡°I never had money to get a spell I really wanted. I probably wouldn''t have had the patience to learn it anyway. I did talk with Wynna and she said when she went to town tomorrow, she would bring her daughter back to do a joint reading on me. Apparently, they are stronger together when they do a reading together. Is that okay?¡± ¡°Aelyn, that mark on your neck means nothing to me. You can do whatever you want. There is no need to ask for my permission. I would prefer if you didn¡¯t go around reading other''s thoughts but I must admit the ability is useful.¡± I admitted reluctantly. ¡°I count you a friend,¡± I added while making eye contact with her. She nodded, looked away quickly, not wanting to show weakness, and returned to her practice. I went back to my book. Conditioning was actually fun for me today as well. Gareth and Aelyn had their own private competition, but I easily outclassed Leda. Even though Cilia was quite strong, I still managed to beat her on the obstacle course and during the weight training, which annoyed her to no end. I don''t know if it was the fact that I was five years her junior or the fact that I was a male. We moved on to sword forms next, and it was clear Cilia was skilled with her blade. Callem still spent a lot of time correcting her. It was the first time I noticed her putting in a tremendous amount of effort. She was probably imagining using the blade against Abaddon Bricio. She also understood the value of Callem''s feedback. Gareth, for his part, was able to perform his forms easily while still observing everyone else and occasionally voicing corrections for us. He usually directed his comments at me, as Aelyn and Cilia seemed to ignore his corrections for a moment before actually making the suggested adjustments when he looked away frustrated. With everyone sore from conditioning, the sword forms were quite challenging. ¡®Not easy¡¯ was Callem¡¯s way. It had something to do with working through adversity. When we were finally done, I was glad to have a few hours to study while the girls bathed in the stream. Gareth tried to talk to me, but I told him I needed to study, so he went for a walk in the woods. After he left, I hoped he didn¡¯t get caught spying on the girls bathing because I was fairly certain that was his plan. I was called by Callem to make dinner and prepared a massive southern fried chicken dinner for everyone. I was amazed at how famished everyone was. After I told them they were supposed to eat the chicken with their hands, I had trouble frying it fast enough to keep it stocked on the table. There wasn¡¯t much conversation at the table other than everyone giving suggestions to Wynna on what types of clothes to get Aelyn in Solaris City. I also gave her a list of ingredients I was running low on. I planned to make mini bacon cheeseburger sliders tomorrow with a three-bean salad and roasted corn on the cob. After dinner, Callem said I could heal everyone who needed it. I had healed myself earlier, so I just had to get everyone else. The lesson tonight was on the Sadian kingdom. Wynna had a map showing their territory in detail and the arcs that the Skyholme islands traveled over their lands. We had five outposts in the lowlands, according to the maps on the table but they were old maps. Three were near the Sadians, and the other two were by dungeon entrances. Aelyn did most of the talking tonight about the cities on the map she had visited, and we all listened intently. After dinner, I went to my loft immediately and returned to my studying, but Leda interrupted me by climbing up to my loft with the three enchanting primer books, so I gave her my cleanliness spell book off my shelf. She was shocked by the author, Sana Velin. Apparently, she was more famous than I had known, an archmage who grew up in Skyholme, and all her spell books were quite valuable. She promised to treat it with respect. My head rested on the wooden wall divider between Aelyn¡¯s bed and me so that when she climbed up into the loft an hour later, we could talk quietly. ¡°Gareth is upset. He thinks you are becoming attached to me.¡± I was a bit shocked by the revelation. ¡°I think you should move over to his loft. It would solve his insecurities.¡± This was a bit shocking as Gareth and Aelyn butted heads daily. This showed she was concerned for him. Maybe he was rubbing off on her. I yelled across the room to Gareth¡¯s loft, ¡°Gareth can I move over there tomorrow? Aelyn tosses and turns in her sleep and keeps me up.¡± Gareth sat up instantly, ¡°Yes. I will clean things up a bit. We can move you tonight!¡± Aelyn had been right. Gareth missed me. I didn¡¯t miss his stinky feet, loud breathing when he slept or him constantly leaving his dirty clothes on the floor. At least I had my cleanliness spell and maybe I could make some earplugs. ¡°Tomorrow is fine, but clean up tonight,¡± I yelled back. I was the last one asleep as I struggled to imprint the obfuscate spell. I did get some good news as I was able to feel my mend flesh spell had advanced to level four. One more level, and I could evolve the spell again. My cleanliness spell was also on the verge of level six. Even though I only had the two spells, they were advancing. I fell asleep doing aether core exercises and casting my cleanliness spell, filling the entire bunkhouse with a vanilla scent. Chapter 30: Enchanting Primers The next day was much like our first-day training, except I had to make lunch and dinner because Wynna was heading into the city. I gave her a note for my parents and another for Freya. I just wanted them to know I was doing well. Gareth, seeing me do this, also scribbled a short note to his parents. Gareth was also in a much better mood. So, Aelyn had been correct in that my moving to his loft would solve a lot of his insecurities. I prepped the mini burgers as I had planned, and for lunch, I put a pea soup simmering, got rosemary bread ready to bake, and thin-sliced some smoked bear meat into a marinade to soften it up. I mixed some herbs in a creamy cheese to make a spread to go with the bear meat and bread. I didn''t have any free time this morning for extra studies so I needed to plan simpler meals in the future. After the long three-hour hand combat practice, I healed everyone, and we had lunch. It was the first time that Cilia commented on my cooking skills saying everything was delicious and even better than the academy cooks. Was that a compliment from the ice queen? Her comments had everyone, including Callem, pause to stare at her. It was like everyone was silently asking if Storme had cracked her icy exterior with just his cooking. She responded by continuing to eat and just mumbled with a full mouth, ¡°It is true.¡± Gareth moved all my things after lunch while I just studied and started to trace out the spell forms for the obfuscate spell. Conditioning seemed to come too soon for me, and Callem was feeling a little mischievous today. We had to run all three obstacle courses back to back and would all start together. The winner would get to take off from combat practice tomorrow. Ugh, I knew that it would be Gareth, and he would turn down the reward. When we started, Leda practically tackled me while giggling. When I fell, Leda dashed ahead of me. She was trying to help Cilia get a lead on me. Gareth and Aelyn were already a few steps ahead of us, and I was a little pissed off with the skullduggery. I recovered quickly and, in less than a minute, had caught Leda and hip-checked her into some netting as revenge. She wouldn¡¯t recover from that! I pushed myself even harder, and soon, I was coming up on Cilia. A bag-tipped arrow hit my knee, causing me to lose a few steps and develop a slight limp. I took a moment to glare at Callem while running, but he just had a big smile on his face, enjoying his arrows causing havoc. Rather than interfere with Cilia, I just tried to pass her with my own efforts, which spurred her on. We were both well off Gareth and Aelyn¡¯s pace, so we raced for third. After we entered the third course, I was a good ten yards in front of her and knew I had the win locked up. Callem didn¡¯t think so and had turned from harassing Gareth and Aelyn to just focusing on me. What the hell? A storm of arrows and swinging bags were released on me. I eventually got knocked off a beam and fell seven feet (2m) to the hard earth, knocking the wind from me. I needed to cast a heal to gather myself and climb back up, and in that time, Cilia had gotten a lead back. Leda was cheering for her friend from way back in the course, but that just made me angry, so I put all my effort into trying to catch her. My efforts were not wasted, as just before the finish, I was on her heels. She crossed first, but not by much. I collapsed to the ground, trying to get as much air into my lungs as possible. I was wet with sweat, and more sweat poured from my pores to try to cool my overheated body. ¡°Well, if I was judging by just the effort today, Storme would be the winner,¡± Callem said. ¡°But Gareth, you finished first by seven seconds, so you can take off from tomorrow¡¯s hand-to-hand training.¡± Gareth was breathing heavily but still standing and responded, ¡°If Storme gave the best effort, then he deserves to get it off. Can I give him my reward?¡± I was on my back, wheezing, trying to get oxygen into my lungs. I saw Cilia bent over breathing heavily, too, but she eyed Gareth impishly and looked to see Callem¡¯s response. Callem considered and slowly nodded, ¡°Yes, that is agreeable. Any winners in the future are free to give their rewards to someone else.¡± Well, it appeared I was back in Gareth¡¯s good graces, at least. He smiled at me and gave me a thumbs up, which took some effort on my part to return. Sword forms went by quickly, and I was happy to get to studying my spell again, but my mind kept going to ice cream. I hoped the herbalist had the vanilla beans I had asked Wynna to get. The heavy cream and milk should be easy to get for Wynna. Wynna returned a while later with Ennet helping her carry many packages. While the women opened all the clothes Wynna had gotten for Aelyn, I went to the groceries. Yes! She had gotten everything I needed to try my hand at ice cream. I had made it from scratch a few times in my past life, and it was just going to be about getting it cold enough. For the remainder of my free time, I prepared the ice cream. If it worked, I could make chocolate ice cream and then chocolate milkshakes! Cheeseburgers, fries, and a chocolate milkshake. I was drooling, just thinking about my favorite indulgence meal. I had the mixture chilling and stirred it at intervals while I made dinner. The bacon cheeseburger sliders were a huge hit, but when Leda mentioned that a restaurant owner in the capital had invented them, Gareth let out a huge laugh and said that was a lie, ¡°Storme has been making them for years!¡± This got everyone to stare at me. When I didn¡¯t say anything, Gareth said, ¡°Tell them, Storme, you invented cheeseburgers.¡± Gareth was looking at me and I knew that look, it was ¡®back me up, brother¡¯. ¡°Yes, I was the first person in Skyholme to make cheeseburgers,¡± I said, confirming Gareth¡¯s proclamation. How was I going to explain that I had made cheeseburgers since I was eleven? Cilia asked, ¡°How are you such a good cook? Do you have a high affinity for cooking skills?¡± All eyes were on me, and I saw Gareth was about to answer her. Not wanting my past life knowledge to be revealed accidentally by Gareth¡¯s big mouth, I responded to her. ¡°Something like that, Cilia. I like food, and making it taste good is a bit of a passion of mine,¡± I said. ¡°I even have a special treat for everyone tonight after lessons. I just like making food¡ªnot talking about it.¡± I grabbed two more sliders, leaving just ten left. This caused everyone to reach for the remainder before they were all gone. That, thankfully, killed the conversation thread. Ennet did mention that if I was ever in Hen''s Hollow, she would pay for me to come and cook for her and give me free readings. I don''t think the woman in her 30s implied any innuendo with her request, but Aelyn sharply eyed the woman after the comment. I planned not to ask Aelyn what Ennet had been thinking. Some things were better left unanswered. Tonight''s lesson focused on currency in the lowlands. We discussed coins and aether crystals. While all nations generally used metal coins, aether crystals were recognized as a hard currency universal in all kingdoms. Dungeon crystals were much more prominent in the lowlands. According to Callem and Wynna, in Skyholme, they were a controlled material used to feed the Triumvirate¡¯s war machine and control the populace. As the conversation died out, I retrieved the ice cream from the freezer box and stirred it. It was a little soft but looked ok. I spooned the dessert out into the bowls and passed it around, and it was as big a hit as I had hoped. I think Cilia actually smiled at the taste but quickly hid her happiness. Gareth ate his portion so fast he got brain freeze by the contorted look on his face. He probably had thought he could get seconds if he finished quickly, but alas, there was no more. I had to figure out how to get chocolate next. Sweets and treats in the city were the only places I knew that had cocoa powder. Hopefully, Callem would let me spend coins freely soon.Taken from Royal Road, this narrative should be reported if found on Amazon. We all headed back to the bunkhouse except Aelyn. She was going to get her reading from Wynna and Ennet tonight. Back in the bunkhouse, I climbed into my bed and found that Gareth¡¯s clothes and bed linens didn¡¯t smell great. Too tired to clean his clothes, I put my head at the far end of my bed and tried to focus on my aether core exercises and studying my spell. As it got later in the evening, Gareth climbed up to the loft and started talking. I tried to multitask, studying and holding a conversation with Gareth. It was hard, and I didn¡¯t get much studying done before Gareth¡¯s heavy sleep-breathing started. Well, at least I would get some studying time back tomorrow during my time off from hand-to-hand combat. Aelyn returned much later that night from her reading. She didn¡¯t say anything; she just climbed up to her loft, went under her covers, and turned off her aether light. The next few days had us all working extremely hard. Aelyn¡¯s new wardrobe made her extremely happy and she didn¡¯t seem to mind having a loft to herself. I, on the other hand, was wishing Aelyn was my bunk mate over Gareth. I had made some beeswax earplugs, but they didn¡¯t help as his breathing actually vibrated the entire loft. If his breathing eventually became snoring, I would have to sleep outside. Cilia was opening up more as well, talking to us a little more each day. My extensive use of my mend flesh spell had it close to level five already. My cleanliness spell had hit levels six and then seven from me spamming it at night to combat the odors from Gareth¡¯s side of the loft. The evolution ended up being a small range extension, not what I had wanted, but the cleaning aura now extended about 18 inches from me. I needed to do some focusing exercises described in the texts Sebastian gave me in order to control my spell evolutions. This was not the first time I had the wrong desired spell evolution. This failure caused me to start to investigate the textbooks that Sebastian had given me. The first text I read was the aether core book, Understanding Your Aether Core, A Newly Awakened Guide. It was much longer than the book I already had from Wigand''s and contained a lot more detailed information, and I found a handful of ways to better perform my aether core exercises. I next read the spell imprinting text, Spell Imprinting, A New Mage''s Guide, and it was ten times better than my old book. I was a bit upset with myself for not reading them immediately when Sebastian had given them to me. I was now pretty sure I could imprint a tier 1 spell in less than a week of hard study after what I learned from the text. The third book I read was about advancing, leveling, and evolving spells. It was called Spellcraft, Leveling and Evolving Your Spells. This book said casting spells under duress and in times of need advanced them quickly as it ''stimulated'' your spell matrix to a greater extent. Combat was mentioned as the best way to expedite advancement. It had numerous ways to check on a spell''s progress so you could prepare for evolutions as well. I was kicking myself and I read the text twice to make sure the information would stick. I sorted the other eight books into two stacks. One pile was the books I planned to read and the rest were books I would hold off on. The pile I planned to read contained four books; Methodology to Expanding Your Aether Matrix, Utilizing Your Spell Skill Affinity, Defensive Against Magical Arts, and Utilizing Aether Crystals to Recharge Your Aether Core. The other pile had Understanding Your Responsibilities as a Mage of Skyholme, How to Choose the Best Spells to Complete Your Aether Matrix, Supportive Magics and Using Aetheric Items, and Introduction to Progressive Magical Theory. We had been an expanded group for eight consecutive hard days of training, and we were all dragging from fatigue. I noticed we had all greatly improved. During lunch, Callem studied us and Wynna nodded to him. He sighed, ¡°You all have tomorrow off. No stretching, no farm work, no training.¡± Looks of disbelief passed between us. An entire day free of training? Excitement started to ripple through us. Cilia and Leda planned to spend their off day going on a picnic lunch which they asked me to make for them. I turned them down to their disappointment. Gareth planned to spend his day soaking in the stream as he had had limited time over the last eight days to use the spot due to the woman monopolizing it. He invited me and I was tempted but told him I needed to learn my obfuscate spell. Aelyn said she just wanted to sleep in. That was how I found myself in my bunk working on my spell and I didn¡¯t notice Aelyn climbing the ladder until her head popped up above the ladder. She moved into the loft and sat next to me on my bunk and pulled out a sheet of folded paper and handed it to me. ¡°My reading from Wynna and Ennet. I want you to read it.¡± I took the paper and unfolded it, and looked at it. The script was deep red from the dried blood used in the reading, like mine had been. ¡°They are excellent readers,¡± Aelyn added. ¡°I wasn¡¯t aware of my traits, skill affinities, and the size of my aether core and matrix.¡± Abilities Read Thoughts, Tier 2 Nimbleness, Tier 1 Duelist, Tier 1 Enhanced Mobility, Tier 1 Traits Improved Sight, Tier 1 Long-lived, Tier 2 Skill Affinities Acrobatics, Tier 3 Long Bow, Tier 2 Aether Matrix Current 3 Maximum 6 Aether Core Current 6 Maximum 19 There was nothing really unexpected as I read down her list. ¡°It is impressive, Aelyn.¡± If this was a move by her to try to learn my secrets, it wouldn¡¯t work. Well, she already knew most of my secrets. She smiled, and it made her face light up. Aelyn spoke conspiratorially, ¡°I am above average in terms of abilities. I showed you because I wanted your help.¡± Her big blue eyes locked to mine, and I could see her pleading to me in the depths. How could anyone resist that? ¡°What can I help you with?¡± I asked tentatively. Aelyn hesitated for a second, ¡°I want to get stronger and use my magic,¡± she said. ¡°I mean, Callem is making me a much stronger fighter, but my potential magic¡­Can you teach me magic?¡± It was weird being asked to teach magic when I was blindly trying to learn it myself. But Aelyn was my friend. I looked at her sheet again. Studying the sheet intently I spoke to Aelyn, ¡°Your aether core is currently 6¡­I don¡¯t know what that means in terms of size or amount of actual aether, but your maximum size is 19, so you should work on that. Your matrix is small so selecting the right spells to imprint will be important.¡± I reached around her and pulled the newer text I had recently read regarding aether core exercises. ¡°Here is the first book you should work on. Focus on learning all the exercises within to expand your aether core.¡± She paged through the book for a little while and I watched her. ¡°If you have questions just ask,¡± I added before returning to my own studies. Aelyn started focusing on the book. She pulled her legs under her to sit Indian style and made herself comfortable next to me. Here position mirrored mine with both of us on my bed with our backs to the wall and heads just below the long shelf. Couldn¡¯t she study over in her loft? And wasn¡¯t she a little too close? I mean our knees were touching. I shuffled a little away from her, turned 90 degrees, and said, ¡°You should also think about what spells you want to learn. You can learn three tier 1 spells. You should select spells to either increase your strengths or fortify your weaknesses.¡± Aelyn turned her sitting position to face me and moved closer, both her knees touching mine. ¡°What do you suggest?¡± ¡°I would focus on your strengths Aelyn. Three spells, one to hide your mind reading ability¡­so you can learn the obfuscate ability spell I already have. For your other two spells? Maybe the dimensional pocket spell to store things you need. The last spell¡­ maybe a defensive or escape spell.¡± She nodded as if I was bestowing some sage wisdom on her. Aelyn started in on her book again without repositioning herself. I decided to ignore her and just studied my own book not moving. I noticed she smelled a bit earthy and sweaty, not unpleasant, but I tried to cast my extended-range cleanliness spell onto her. It didn¡¯t work. Sentient and sapient beings had an aura that extended a few inches from their skin to prevent simple spells from violating the space. I would need to invest in additional evolutions of the cleanliness spell to break that defense barrier and extend the range of the spell to completely encompass another person. Oh well, I returned to my studies and could feel myself progressing. Cilia and Leda barged in a few hours later. Aelyn and I had not moved from the loft. They both looked up, surprised to see us in my bed facing each other, extremely close. My back was stiff, but I just waved awkwardly to them. Cilia had a dark expression, and Leda wore a face steeped in curiosity. Gareth soon followed them, and his expression was of abhorrent shock. It wasn¡¯t like we were kissing, although we were definitely close enough to be doing so¡­maybe that is what they thought? I didn¡¯t have time for this, so I moved off my bed and found that I was extremely stiff from sitting still for so long. I went down the ladder and into the basement for some food. I figured I would cook an early dinner for everyone, so I gathered ingredients for mac ¡®n¡¯ cheese and seared garlic and pepper steaks. While I was cooking, Aelyn had made herself at home in my bed, stretching out and continuing to study the book I had given her. This left Gareth with nowhere to go as Cilia and Leda had plopped themselves into the only two comfy chairs. He tried to help me make dinner, so I sent him to Callem¡¯s larder for the red juice. It got me thinking about Aelyn¡¯s intent. To me, it appeared she was claiming me in front of the other two women, right? That was her purpose for being in my bed when the others had returned. Her being in my bed in my loft was her way of saying this one is mine, hands off? It did make me feel special if that really was her intention. But as in my last life, I never understood women, and when I assumed anything, I was usually wrong. Dinner was a hit with everyone, and it also got Aelyn down from my loft. Leda had mentioned that she had made real progress on the cleanliness spell today, which reminded me that I had borrowed some enchanting primers from her. After dinner, I decided I should at least read them. So, while everyone was cleaning up, I went to my loft and spread out on my bed, leaving no space for anyone else, and grabbed the three primer books. I ignored everyone¡¯s conversation below and focused. I noted happily that at least Gareth was being allowed into the conversation of the three women. The enchanting primer books were captivating, and I realized I could use my metal shaping skills very effectively to create these simple enchantment runes. I envisioned crafting a great ice cream churn bucket with the cold runes. I began sketching my ideas on paper, deciding where to place the runes and how to set up the controls for them. There were two ways to power a runic device: channel aether into it or embed a rechargeable aether crystal. When you channeled aether into it, the aetheric dust embedded in the silver remained active for a time before the aether fizzled out. I was puzzling over these concepts late into the night when I fell asleep, not realizing that Gareth had already been asleep for quite some time. Chapter 31: Unfathomable Aether Core The next morning, I was excited and up early. I had only a few hours of sleep, but if I could make a magic device to create ice cream I would be ecstatic! I was the first one at the farmhouse and was glad to see Callem had returned. Wynna was in the larder below, so Callem had a few minutes to talk to me. ¡°Good morning, Storme. Yesterday, we went and got supplies in the city.¡± He paused as if coming to a decision and continued, ¡°Wynna has registered as your mentor and set up an account for you with the coins you created. Well, not your coins. She used her own coins and kept your shiny platinum.¡± Callem took a thick bracelet out and placed it on the counter. ¡°This bracelet will let you withdraw coins from the Depository. You need to place a drop of your blood on the aether crystal embedded here to link it to you.¡± He stopped talking as Wynna came up from below with a tray of food to prepare for breakfast. She saw the bracelet on the counter and gave a curt nod, not happy about something. They obviously disagreed on whether it was wise to give me access to my own coin. She forced a smile. ¡°Storme, how was your day off? Callem said you all needed it, she winked at Callem when it was clearly her who had forced him to give it to us. Who did you spend your time with?¡± Wynna said being a bit nosy. Maybe there was a gossip wheel on the farm? ¡°I just studied, rested, and ate. Nothing that great.¡± I said, then I thought of something. ¡°Wynna, Aelyn showed me her reading,¡± Callem¡¯s and Wynna¡¯s faces expressed extreme surprise, so I paused. ¡°Wow, Storme. We both warned her to keep what was on that sheet a secret and to destroy it after she read it. She has shown you a large amount of trust, A LARGE AMOUNT of trust, Storme. Keep her secrets.¡± Wynna said with sincerity. ¡°Um, yes, I will. I am curious about getting my ether core size read, but none of my texts mention it in terms of actual numbers,¡± I said, keeping my tone low and somewhat pleading. Wynna spoke thoughtfully, ¡°I don¡¯t have that ability, Storme, Ennet does. But maybe I can give you an idea? Well, Storme, an average person without an awakened core, has an aether count of 1; this is just what saturates a normal person¡¯s body within the Sphere. They cannot control it as they need a core to manipulate the aether. But a single point can be utilized for abilities that require aether even if they do not have an aether core. As a person ages, they are able to use this minor amount of aether much more effectively, extending the use of their powers, but their total aether pool never increases without an aether core.¡± Wynna started working on breakfast as she continued. ¡°A person with an awakened core usually has between 3 to 23 times that amount of aether on awakening, so their reading score usually falls in the range of 3 to 23 as their current value. As you have probably read, as aether core matures it expands slightly in size and density to fall somewhere between 10 to 20 times its initial size on awakening. That is where the maximum range in Ennet¡¯s reading comes in. With your enhanced aether core at tier two.¡± She stopped and looked at Callem with a guilty expression because I hadn¡¯t told her about my aether core tier, and I had told Callem it was a tier two core. It was actually a tier four core. So, I deduced that Callem had let slip my secret, but I didn¡¯t hold it against him. He did look awfully guilty at the moment, so maybe I could get something out of him later? Wynna¡¯s pause ended, and she continued her lecture, ¡°Well, each tier is three times as powerful as the last generally, so that means you should have had nine times the average on awakening¡ªsomewhere between 27 and 207 in terms of aetheric points available to you when you first awakened.¡± Wynna said, doing the math. Then, a manufactured shocked look passed her face. ¡°That means when your core is fully mature, you will have between 270 and 4140 aether!¡± She was shaking her head. ¡°That is incredible, Storme. Archmages without an expanded core ability usually have somewhere in the range of 500 to 1000, I think. I am not sure about that, though. I may have read something to that effect a long time ago,¡± she had a distant look on her face, then returned to focus on me, ¡°You could try casting a tier one spell over and over and count the castings. Usually, a tier 1 spell uses about 1 relative aetheric point,¡± she paused pulling up knowledge from memory, ¡°Tier two about 2 aetheric points, tier three costs 4 points, and tier four costs 8 points. I assume a tier five spell costs 16, but I didn¡¯t read that, just following the progression from a textbook I read many years ago.¡± I thought for a bit while helping to prepare breakfast. Callem was silent and not making eye contact with me. Wynna was studying me. No, she realized that I might be a monster in terms of my aether core capacity. I thought for a moment that the last method didn¡¯t work for me in my current state. My cleanliness spell varied in aether investment based on how dirty I was. Also, every time you leveled a spell, it cost a tiny bit less aether as the mage¡¯s efficiency increased and took a little less time to cast, and the cleanliness spell was already level seven. My mend flesh spell was sort of in the same boat as I unconsciously chained it over and over until I felt the healing was done. Seeing my consternation, Wynna said, ¡°I am sure Callem can bring you to visit Ennet if you really want a reading.¡± I looked at Callem for a second, and I sensed he would say no, but then he nodded. I was also doing some more math in my head as I had a tier four core, which meant my initial core fell between 243 and 1863! And my maximum core would be between¡­2,430 and 37,260! I was a monster! It now made sense how casting spells had trouble draining my aether pool, and I needed to create the coins to empty my core. Callem spoke, breaking my inner haze of math calculations. ¡°Yes, Storme, I can take you to Hen¡¯s Hollow. We can visit your family and Ennet while we¡¯re there. Your brother¡¯s birthday is just a few days away, right?¡± Oh, I hadn¡¯t planned on attending, and the fact that Callem remembered when Pascal¡¯s birthday was, when I didn¡¯t, made me feel guilty. However, the possibility of seeing Freya and my parents made the decision easy for me. ¡°That sounds good.¡± I paused for a second running some scenarios through my mind, trying to decide if what I was about to ask would be a good idea in the long run. ¡°Callem, can I ask a favor?¡± Callem looked defensive but nodded, so I continued, ¡°My brother Pascal. He has a passion for the sword, and for his birthday present, I was hoping he could come out here and train with us for a while. We do have a free bunk,¡± I supplied hopefully. Callem relaxed as my request was not as bad as he thought it could have been. He thought for more than a few minutes. Probably calculating how Pascal would fit into his training regimens with us. It took Wynna elbowing him not too subtly for him to agree. ¡°Yes, that is fine. Let¡¯s say just for a month.¡± Ok, I had been thinking more like a week, but a month was ok. ¡°And Storme, this will be my apology for telling Wynna about¡­¡± I waved away his apology, ¡°No, it is all good, Callem. I actually don¡¯t mind at all, as I trust Wynna completely.¡± This actually gave them both smiles, and we prepared breakfast in good humor. My motives for inviting Pascal were a bit more selfish. I was thinking if Pascal was stronger, then he could help protect our family better. With my wealth and Gareth¡¯s thirst for adventure, I didn¡¯t think I would remain on Titan¡¯s Shield forever. There was also Sebastian¡¯s warning about the Sadians. The others soon came in like ravenous beasts after a long fast and devoured everything we had prepared. From the buffet, I got a stack of blueberry pancakes with butter and some summer sausage with melted cheese. After breakfast, I realized I had four days before Callem would take me to Hen¡¯s Hollow. The workouts were just routine for me now, as I wasn¡¯t as focused on progressing physically as Gareth, Aelyn, or Cilia were. Leda and I shared a similar mindset; we put in a fair effort but didn¡¯t overexert ourselves. My true focus was on studying mage craft. With two days left before we would go to town, I finally imprinted my obfuscate spell! The spell essentially put a black unreadable haze over my entire aether soul. Wynna couldn¡¯t read anything from me when I asked her to try so it worked! The first evolution of the spell allowed me to reveal only what I chose. Controlling this aspect of the spell was like having a mental image of a sheet of paper and covering everything on the page except what I wanted to reveal. For my second evolution, I planned to alter what people reading me would see. Each evolution could only alter one aspect, one line on the sheet. You could turn those alterations on and off independently to either show the truth or falsify it. I was also happy to see maintaining the spell draw so little aether, so little I didn¡¯t even notice the expenditure. Before Callem took me to Hen¡¯s Hollow, I managed to get the obfuscate spell up to level three by casting it non-stop for two days. My second evolution focused on the size of my aether core, which was represented as a percentage of its actual value, so I needed to get that reading from Ennet to know how to adjust it. Obtaining my precise aether core size was essential. In my third evolution, I chose to modify what my enhanced aether core ability displayed. I decided to present it as a tier two rank instead of tier four. Since everyone already knew I had a significant amount of aether, this should give me an excuse to cast a multitude of spells in public. With those alterations completed, I kept the aether core tier two ability ¡®visible¡¯ to explain my large aether pool. During the walk into town, Callem asked if I knew anywhere that sold chickens. Apparently, Wynna had asked him to get some as she liked fresh eggs and I used them a lot in my cooking. I told him the Gaskil farm had chicks and coops for sale. Other than that, I knew the Gyles farm had a lot of chickens as they supplied eggs to almost everyone in town who didn¡¯t own their own chickens. I told him I liked the Gaskil¡¯s better so Callem said we would stop there on the way into town. The Gaskil farm was large. It had three large fields and raised sheep for milk, wool, and meat. It also had chickens and geese. I saw Monty¡¯s parents, two massive fluffy hounds that came bounding up to us, tails wagging but not barking. I stayed in the background as the Gaskil¡¯s came out and greeted Callem and petted the dogs. The Gaskil twins, Meradith and Feradith were there as well. They were my age and had grown since I had last seen them. They were identical twins, blonde, blue eyes, tall and well-muscled from working on the farm. I wouldn¡¯t call either of them cute, but they had their own allure, a sort of rough-neck cowgirl look to them, and they were always smiling, which I found extremely attractive. Something struck me¡­did Gareth want to get the puppy for Freya so he could see the twins? They would be in our first year of the Academy. I was lost in thought as Callem negotiated for chickens, and the twins moved next to me to talk. They looked the same, so I wasn¡¯t sure which one asked the question, ¡°How is the puppy Gareth bought doing?¡± ¡°He is doing great! He is with Freya, my sister. He is extremely smart. I think you met my sister two years ago at the New Year festival. That was the last time I saw either of you! I bet I can tell who is who?¡± They both had wide smiles. ¡°Bet? What should we bet?¡± one of the girls asked the other. The girls seemed to communicate mentally before she looked at me and said, ¡°Okay, Storme, how about we cook you a meal at the academy if you guess correctly? If you lose, you have to cook each of us a meal on different days.¡± It was well-known in town that I was a great cook, so their wager made sense. Although the stakes of the wager were not equal, I agreed. ¡°Sure! Your Feradith, and you are Meradith.¡± I pointed each in turn. Their smiles didn¡¯t waver as they answered. ¡°Correct! Well, I guess you had a 50-50 chance!¡± They said, laughing. Callem interrupted, calling me over, and I found out he had bought twenty chickens, a rooster, a large chicken coop, and a large wagon to transport everything back to his farm. The Gaskil¡¯s would load everything and we would pick them up on the way back. The twin''s father called them back to work, and they reluctantly left me. There were about seven kids on the farm, with the addition of the parents and grandparents, and eleven people in all. I scanned the large group as they started to work on gathering the chickens into individual cages and caught the twins turning to eye me and smiling as I was leaving. I was sure once they saw Gareth, their interest in me would instantly fade. Although I had filled out and grown a few inches, I couldn¡¯t compare to my friend. Our next stop was Ennet¡¯s. Callem left me there to get supplies at the general store. When I knocked, Ennet was beaming when she opened the door. ¡°Storme! I am happy to see you! Are you here to make me dinner?¡± she asked teasingly. I smiled and said, ¡°That could be arranged. But I am also here for a reading.¡± She grabbed my bicep, gently pulling me inside, ¡°I know! My mother and I have communication stones, and she told me you were coming!¡± I thought she was being a little handsy, but didn¡¯t mind. ¡°You are getting bigger and stronger, Storme,¡± she complimented me, releasing her grip on my bicep. I decided to make her something in exchange for the reading. ¡°Let me see what you have in your kitchen,¡± I waved off her objections to my cooking. I needed her to do me a favor, and doing something for her in return felt natural. I quickly put together a simple pasta dish with roasted vegetables and an Alfredo sauce. After we both finished the hasty meal, we settled down for the reading, as Callem returned. Since the reading wasn¡¯t complete yet, Callem decided to wait outside, but not before grabbing a bowl of the culinary concoction I had made. ¡°Storme, I know my mother has told you what to expect, so I will get right to it. Read the paper and immediately destroy it¡ªI think I might also be able to show you what the value of your core was when it awakened, but it will be my first time trying to do that. So that might be on your paper as well.¡± Ennet was professional as she prepared and then did the reading. I got that uncomfortable feeling as my blood exited my hands to write the text on the paper. Ennet left immediately when she was done. There was a candle burning on the table for me to destroy the paper after I read it. I revealed the paper to my eyes, Aether Core Awakening 1,153 Current Aether Core 1,384 Maximum Aether Core 23,060 I immediately burned the sheet of paper. I was a little disappointed with a few facts. First, my maximum aether was only about 23,000, short of my estimated potential of 37,000. I know I was crying over nothing. My current aether core was already slightly larger than an archmage, according to Wynna. The second thing I was unhappy with was that my core had only expanded by 231 from all the practice I had done in the last few months. Ennet returned shortly after I burned the paper. I must have looked disappointed because she said, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Storme. My readings are not completely accurate. Well, your current aether core number is accurate, but your maximum core size could be low by as much as 10%. It depends on how dedicated you are to your training in the next decade as your core cements. Aether cores are fluid by nature during development.¡± She came up and gave me a full hug. ¡°You will be an amazing mage, Storme, just work hard at it.¡± I left, rejoining Callem, and we headed to my home for Pascal¡¯s birthday celebration. ? Copyrighted 2024, 2025 by AlwaysRollsAOne No Permission is given to translate, copy, repost or alter to an audio format of this original work of fiction. If you are reading this on a site that is not my Patreon, RoyalRoad.com, or Scribblehub.com, it has been stolen without my permission and violates DMCA. Remember, this work is the result of my creative effort and is protected by copyright law. Removal or altering of this notification is an acknowledgment you are aware you are in violation of DMCA. Chapter 32 and 33 Chapter 32: Pascal¡¯s Seventeenth Celebration As I walked with Callem, I recast my obfuscate spell and set it to show my aether core at 10% of its actual size. So someone with a reading ability would see it as 123, still extremely large for a 15-year-old but not overly frightening. I asked Callem what he had purchased at the general store to start a conversation during the walk. He said just some consumables and showed me the list. He had a long list focused on restocking the two larders on the farm. He had purchased everything I had requested for cooking and much, much more. With seven people living there, we were consuming food at a prodigious rate. I noted he had bought enough ingredients to make the spicy chili a dozen times over and ingredients to make ice cream a few times. Dessert was a new concept for everyone, and it was something that was growing on Callem. All the supplies were being shipped out to the Gaskil farm to be loaded onto Callem¡¯s new cart. Callem also mentioned that Wynna was paying a fair portion of the food bill. Apparently, his new live-in girlfriend was paying rent in food. Getting a little bolder, I asked if we could go to the city today to buy a few things. ¡°Can we go to the city today as well? I have a few things I need to get.¡± Callem, like he always did, was processing the question. Before responding, ¡°What do you need in the city Storme? I do owe you a lot of back pay.¡± Callem hadn¡¯t given me any money for working his farm in quite some time. I was ready with an answer he would like, ¡°I want to get some chocolate to make chocolate ice cream. I also wanted to go to Marigold¡¯s Mystical Emporium to get some spells. I don¡¯t have any coins, but I could use the bracelet, or I could just¡­¡± I left the rest unsaid, especially after Callem¡¯s cool gaze fell on me. Callem stopped walking, his brow creased. A few moments later, he spoke, ¡°Yes. Yes, we will go to the city, and I will accompany you. It¡¯s the only way we can be sure you¡¯re safe. Can you create coins in your pockets?¡± I nodded, slightly surprised. ¡°Well, make as much platinum as you can. I have five of your platinum with me, so there¡¯s no need to use your bracelet to withdraw funds. I will go with you and supply the coins for your purchases. That should divert all the attention to me as your benefactor.¡± Callem grinned a little evilly, ¡°We should make an effort to spend a few platinum. That way, it should reach back to the thugs who robbed you, whose coin they actually stole.¡± Callem''s look turned to me, and I was slightly scared. ¡°If you see them, point them out to me.¡± He had a grin now. ¡°How many more can you make?¡± Callem asked. ¡°I should be able to make two complete platinum coins,¡± I responded. ¡°Good. You can palm them to me at the party.¡± Callem paused again. ¡°When we get to the city do not speak out of turn. You are smart enough to know what not to say. After this trip everyone should think that your benefactors are Wynna and me,¡± I nodded. Happily, my thoughts had turned to what spells I hoped to purchase. Callem started walking again and I had to jog a little to catch up. I think he was excited. It was great to see my family¡¯s house. The noise from inside was quite loud, as everyone was singing a folk song about reaching maturity. It was around lunchtime and I actually didn¡¯t know when the party was. I guess it was now. Callem held us back until the song finished and then we entered. Everyone turned to us and everyone went as still as a statue. Oh, they hadn¡¯t expected me back and I surprised them. ¡°Hi everyone!¡± I said awkwardly and waved. My entire family was there. I could hear Monty pawing at the bedroom door of my sister¡¯s room, anxious to mingle. In addition, Pascal¡¯s five friends were there, and Brianne was as well. Brianne was standing awfully close to Pascal, too. These seven would all be going to the academy together in a few months. They were the seven from town, and there was another half dozen or so from the outlying farms, too, that would make up Pascal¡¯s first-year Academy class. ¡°Uh, happy coming-of-age brother,¡± I said as I moved into the room. Then I noticed no one''s eyes were following me. They were locked to the doorway behind me. I turned, and Callem stood there, taking up the entire doorway. I guess I was a little portentous to think they were surprised to see me. ¡°Everyone, this is Callem. I mean Captain Callem. I have been out living with him for a while now.¡± Mother and father were the first to move into action at the unexpected guest. They both went to Callem and started talking with him in soft voices so no one could overhear. I moved to the group of Pascal¡¯s friends and soon found Freya hugging me tightly. ¡°Storme, I missed you!¡± She pulled me down to whisper, ¡°The sword is in my room. Mom did the engraving on the scabbard, and Antal did the handle. Mom paid for the scabbard, and Dad got the dragon bone for the handle. It looks marvelous! Pascal is sure to love it!¡± I had actually forgotten I had made Pascal a sword for his birthday. My life was incredibly stressful, and I had been intensely focused on learning spells. ¡°We are going to eat first and then open gifts!¡± Since our parents had paid for the scabbard, I wondered what happened to the coin I gave her to purchase one. Before I could ask her what happened to all the coins, Freya had already moved off. My guess was they had been turned into candy. Callem had finished talking with Caleb and Alurha and they were all smiles. Mother motioned me to the small kitchen to help with the food. Of course, I wouldn¡¯t get away without cooking. The meal was to be chicken fajitas with honey ginger rice. There were a few bottles of wine on the table as well as it was customary for your 17th birthday to drink a glass of wine or beer. Most kids had tried alcohol long before this occasion, though. Both me and Gareth had downed a bottle or two of cheap wine ourselves. ¡°That blade is marvelous, Storme! How did you ever get Callem to part with it?¡± My mother asked in a hushed whisper as we heated up the food. My mother thought Callem gave the blade to Pascal? Of course, she did, as it was probably quite valuable. I held my tongue, not wanting to say something in error. They had just talked with Callem, and I looked over at him, and he winked. Son of a bitch, he had taken credit for the sword! I was angry for the briefest moment before thinking this was good. I didn¡¯t need the recognition. Soon, everyone was eating and happy. I listened here and there as this group was not really my friends. They were mostly discussing their upcoming entry into the academy. Freya had accidentally let Monty out, and she was chasing him to bring him back into the room. The guests'' excitement was overwhelming for him, and he dodged her at every turn. I sat in one of the few chairs and relaxed for a moment. Brianne approached me and leaned against the wall to my right. ¡°How is Gareth doing?¡± she asked attentive. ¡°He¡¯s doing pretty well,¡± I said. This crowd wasn¡¯t Brianne¡¯s usual group. She typically hung out with the younger kids in town. ¡°Do you want me to pass a message to him for you?¡± I asked, as Brianne hadn¡¯t moved. ¡°No, I was just wondering if he was ok,¡± she said. She didn¡¯t move and, a minute later, added, ¡°On second thought, just tell him I was wondering why he wasn¡¯t here as well.¡± After a brief pause, she added, ¡°And also tell him that I was happy to hear he was doing well.¡± She smiled at me and moved away. Well, Gareth still had a chance with Brianne if he was interested. Maybe she came to this party in hopes of running into him? I didn¡¯t understand women at all. Soon, the gift-giving started. Pascal¡¯s friends started. They gave him some silly gifts that I assumed had some meaning from the years they had played and practiced together. Freya went to her room and returned with the sword. It was wrapped in fine white cloth. Mother intercepted her and tried to give the sword to Callem to present to Pascal, but Callem motioned to me and mother walked over to hand the package to me. It was obvious that it was a sword, but still, all eyes were on me. Taking the sword, I approached Pascal. ¡°Brother, what we have here is a gift from your family. The blade was given by Callem...I mean Captain Callem, but mother made and engraved the scabbard, father had the work done on the hilt, and Freya was instrumental in getting it all completed, carrying it from Callem¡¯s farm to here. I...¡± What did I do then? ¡°I...I have paid Callem for his time to teach you how to use it properly. He will...¡± I didn¡¯t have a chance to finish as Pascal jumped up and actually hugged me. Chatter began as Pascal proceeded to unwrap the blade and draw it. Everyone was awed by the sword, even me. It was passed around, and when it got to Callem, he spent a good minute studying it before passing it along. I inspected the handle and sheath; both were impressive and highlighted the watered blade I had made. Everyone was clapping and congratulating Pascal on the back. I moved to stand next to Callem to talk. ¡°It is a fine blade, Storme,¡± Callem said. ¡°Definitely created by magic and should serve your brother extremely well. Do you know what such a blade is worth?¡± he asked. I didn¡¯t really care. It was just an hour or two of work on my part, but I decided to humor Callem with a guess. ¡°Fifty gold?¡± Callem huffed. ¡°No. Not even close. People would pay three hundred on a bad day for a blade like that. Twice that on a good day and if it was prepped for enchanting.¡± I was in a little shock. Maybe making coins was the wrong way to make my fortune. That blade may make your brother a target. I will make sure your parents know to let him know to temper his enthusiasm in showing it off.¡± I took this moment to stuff the two platinum coins into Callem¡¯s pocket. Callem moved away from me to make another fajita and talk with my mother. Callen and I soon made our excuses to leave. I got hugs from everyone in my family, and Callem said Pascal could come to the farm tomorrow for four weeks of training with his other students. Pascal was over the moon, and I had to smirk a little because Callem hadn¡¯t mentioned the three young women. Pascal was probably just thinking it would be me and Gareth. He was going to be in for a shock! We started on the road to the city, and Callem started talking about blades non-stop. I threw up my arms and said I got the hint. He wanted me to make him some swords. He had a giddy childish grin on his face. Then he began detailing six different blades he wanted me to make for him, two blades were for him, one for me, one for Gareth, one for Aelyn, and one for Cilia. As we approached the city, he said it was time to watch our language and keep our eyes peeled. We ended the one-sided sword discussion and passed through the gates. Chapter 33: Callem''s Shopping Spree After passing through the gates, I fell in behind Callem. He was leading this shopping expedition with a spring in his step. Our first stop was a clothing store. When he told me Gareth was outgrowing his clothes, I understood why we were there. He went through the racks and pulled a few shirts, pants, socks, belts, underclothes, and shoes. It was all good quality and cost Callem a little under three gold coins from his own purse. The man fashioned the clothes into a large makeshift backpack, and I was stuck carrying it. Soon, I was once again following Callem. Thankfully, we were headed to Sweet and Treats next, a familiar place for me. While I was getting cocoa powder, bittersweet chocolate bars, and semisweet chocolate bars in quantity, Callem was stuffing numerous items into his large basket. I noticed he was staying on the high-end shelves as he pulled things into his basket without rhyme or reason. My own package of chocolate weighed over fifteen pounds, as I just took everything they had in stock for baking and had the clerk package it. The young clerk was shocked but said my total was 2 gold and 8 silver after a small discount for quantity. He explained that chocolate imports were infrequent from the lowlands, so it was fairly high in cost. Callem, on the other hand, must have had 40 pounds of finished candy. I smirked, wondering what would happen if I gave Freya such a bundle of candy on her birthday. She would be ecstatic, but her teeth would fall out.If you come across this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it. Callem¡¯s total easily outclassed my chocolate, coming in at 6 gold, and 39 silver. Other shoppers were just gawking at us as Callem paid with a large shiny gold and received 3 gold and 61 silver in change. The clerk spent almost an hour carefully packing everything for transport and filling my pack. We walked out, and my backpack was much heavier, almost unmanageable. Callem said not to worry. Just a few more stops, and then we could go back to the Gaskil farm to unload it all into his new cart. I really wanted to ask him if he was going to carry anything, but I knew his response would be one of two things. Either he would say it was good weight training or that we were playing master and student for observers. I hadn¡¯t seen any of the ruffians that nearly killed me the last time I was in the city, but I was constantly on the lookout. Callem also kept checking with me to see if I noticed things, quizzing me like we were doing observation training. Unfortunately, our next stop was not Marigold¡¯s Mystical Emporium. It was a jewelry shop. At least I got to put my things down while Callem shopped. He got two necklaces, a brooch, two pairs of earrings, and a beautiful silver gilded jewelry box. The total was 46 gold! Callem happily paid with a shiny platinum coin. At first, I thought he might get an engagement ring for Wynna, but that was not a custom in Skyholme. He was just going to lavish her with gifts it appeared. I thought about asking him what his intentions were with Wynna, but discarded trying to tease Callem¡ªnothing good could come from it. Our next stop was a weird storefront that I didn¡¯t recognize until we entered. It was a specialty men¡¯s store. Callem was a big man, so he needed to shop here, I guess. He didn¡¯t get much: a new pair of leather boots, some underclothes, three sets of sleeping clothes, and four new shirts. The total was two gold and three silver, mostly because the boots were expensive. At least Callem was carrying his own clothes and jewelry for Wynna as my back ached from burden. Our next stop was the cooper. I had told Callem I needed a special setup to make ice cream and that was why we were here. At his urging, I talked to the barrel and bucket maker to get something that would work better than my improvised setup. It took ten minutes before I got nested buckets with room for ice and matching lids. It cost just a few silver coins, and they were of satisfactory quality. I hadn¡¯t told Callem I was planning to try my hand at enchanting yet. I was all shopped out, but Callem went to the butcher next and, thankfully, just placed a massive order. He paid in full, 7 gold, for the massive order and its delivery to his farm. The butcher in the city was much better than the one in Hen¡¯s Hollow, so I had no objections to his purchases here or the extra time it took. I made sure the order included lots of bacon. I found I missed having thick bacon and egg biscuit sandwiches in the morning. We went to a pottery shop next. Callem was planning to buy a tea set for Wynna. While he was shopping for the various sets, I found a set of dinner plates that were pretty spectacular. There were 23 plates, each with a painting of a mythical beast. Well, not mythical, as they all existed in this world. Callem had a great dining set, but these plates were too cool to pass up. The artist in the store said the plates were black iron stone, painted with glazes, and sealed with a clear glaze. They cost a steep 40 silver each. He was trying to upsell his work, ¡°It takes me two days to paint and fire each plate and two days to fire the clear glaze after. The stone is extremely strong and was shaped by a mage''s spell.¡± There were three different sets of 23 plates on display, 69 in total. Even though the creatures were the same across the three sets, the artist had them in different poses and backgrounds. Callem was done, paying 2 gold and four silver for ten aqua blue tea cups, a matching tea kettle, and three sugar, honey, and milk accessories. When I asked Callem if I could get all 69 plates he came over and looked at them before paying the 28 gold for them from his purse. He winked at me as he paid, as we were making an impression in the city. Word would definitely get back to my assailant that the coin he stole belonged to one of the most dangerous men on the island. They would send a runner to the Gaskil farm to drop off the tea set and plates, which I was thankful for. Each plate weighed over a pound and I was already burdened. Leaving the potter shop, we finally turned in the direction of Marigold¡¯s. I thought Callem would tease me and that we would take another detour, but we finally arrived at the magic shop. I had only peeked in the window a few times prior to today. I had never actually gone inside because I didn¡¯t have the coin to purchase anything, so I was thoroughly excited. Callem leaned into me briefly while adjusting his load and whispered, ¡°Your budget is five platinum here, and then we can return to the farm.¡± My eyes widened in surprise for a second before I nodded in understanding and entered. I would be advertising that I had an awakened core but was under Captain Callem¡¯s protection. The shop was arranged with three long shelves of books on the right. One shelf had textbooks, one shelf had spellbooks, and the last shelf was labeled as enchanting and alchemy. On the other side of the shop was a selection of magical ingredients and items. The proprietor was located behind a large black lacquered desk. She was an older woman, well dressed with long salt and pepper hair. Behind her was a large array of potions and crystals on the shelves. Only three other patrons were currently in the shop. Two I immediately presumed were guards by their disinterest in the goods in the shop and their sword belts. The third person was shopping for a spellbook under the watchful eyes of the guards. Callem sat down in a chair by the door and I unloaded the burden I was carrying next to him. ¡°One hour Storme,¡± was all Callem said as he started digging around in his massive candy sack for something to eat. That shouldn¡¯t be hard as he had practically bought out the candy shop. My mental list only included two items: tier 3 aether crystal dust and the tier one dimensional space spell for Aelyn. It didn¡¯t take long for me to find Aelyn¡¯s spell book. They had about 100 different tier-one spells and a dozen or so tier-two spells available. There were multiple copies of each tier-one spell by different authors. The spellbook I chose had six identical copies on the shelf. This was a far cry from the selection Gareth had described while shopping at the capital¡¯s spell shop. At least the bindings were color-coded by magic sphere, similar to Gareth¡¯s description. I wasn¡¯t going to find anything unique here, but Callem gave me a five platinum allowance. So far, I had a book that cost 12 gold. I walked the rows and didn¡¯t find anything piquing my interest other than a tier 2 healing spell for combating poison, 60 gold. I added it to my stack. I was finding that although the selection was minimal, prices were about half what Gareth had paid in the capital. There was a levitate spell but I thought to myself that I should probably just get a fly spell to imprint instead. I was about to move to the front to get my aether dust when I noticed the alarm spell. I had walked by it twice in my perusing. It was just a tier 1 spell but I opened it and studied the description and its utility. It would be super useful after a few evolutions as it could wake you from sleep if danger was close. I added the well-worn book, just four gold. I think my biggest hang-up on not getting more spells was the fact I didn¡¯t want to waste space in my spell matrix with tier one spells. I wanted at least tier two spells even though they took two slots, they were usually twice as powerful. I approached the desk with the woman, and she had a kind smile, pleasant wrinkles, and bright eyes. I placed the books on her desk. She was starting a slip for my purchases, and she started talking, ¡°Newly awakened?¡± ¡°Yes, I have a few lesson books and plan to start on spell imprinting soon,¡± I replied, glancing at the shelves behind the woman. ¡°Good choices on the alarm spell and pocket space spell. Both are easy to learn and have good utility. The cure poison spell¡ªthat is used mostly by adventurers in delving dungeons.¡± She left her question hanging, and I figured it would be ok to lie a little. ¡°Yes, my patron over there,¡± I pointed at Callem, ¡°wants me to attend the Adventurer¡¯s Academy after my first year of the academy.¡± I paused and then said, ¡°I plan to try my hand at enchanting as well. What do you recommend for a beginner?¡± She had a knowing look in her eye. ¡°Enchanting is a difficult path, and you will find yourself investing endless hours to become a competent enchanter if you travel that path,¡± she said with a warning. I already had a cheat with my metal shaping skill. She continued a little more positively, ¡°It is a financially rewarding path, though.¡± She winked at me. ¡°I would suggest a roll of thin silver wire with tier 1 aether dust already embedded. That should allow you some practice at writing out runes. You will need the stylus that the wire feeds into as well to write out the runes.¡± I nodded at her advice. ¡°Do you have any silver wire with tier 3 aether dust?¡± Her eyebrows arched in surprise at my question. ¡°Yes,¡± she said, going behind her and pulling a coil of wire. It costs 10 gold for the spool, mostly due to the cost of the aether dust.¡± I nodded, motioning to add it to my books. ¡°How much for a unit of just the tier three aether dust and a stylus for writing the runes?¡± I asked, trying to decipher the labels behind her. A unit was about the size of a golf ball from its looks. ¡°Five gold for a unit of tier three dust. That¡¯s about the amount in each spool. We have three styluses for sale. The basic one costs two gold, and the other two are priced at nine gold and twenty-four gold, respectively. The expensive one should last a few thousand hours and has a fine point. The two cheaper ones will last a few hundred hours of use, but honestly, they''re the same except that the nine gold one is made from rarer materials,¡± she added, looking at me with newfound respect. Maybe she appreciated me trying to become an artificer and was genuinely advising me, even if it meant a loss in profits. Damn, I thought. It was hard spending five platinum. I guess I could go with volume. ¡°I will take the stylus for 24 gold, 10 units of tier 3 aether dust, and two coils of wire along with the tier 3 aether dust. Do you have any spell books that aren''t on the shelves?¡± I asked, hoping there was a book I could buy to utilize my five platinum limit. The old woman was gazing at me more critically now as she added the items to my invoice slip without breaking eye contact. ¡°Yes, a few tier 3 spells and two tier 4 spells. I can also get you a copy of most spells in under a week for a price from the library in the capital.¡± I waited for her to continue. ¡°For tier 3, I have Compulsion, Hail of Ice, Fire Mantle, Illusionary Companion, Wind Step, Advanced Water Breathing, and Summon Greater Fog. For tier 4, I have Dimensional Step and Paralysis.¡± She looked at me expectantly. The tier four spells were probably both over five platinum, so there was no need to ask further about those. What sounded most interesting from the tier three list? ¡°I am not interested in ordering a spell right now,¡± I said thinking Callem wouldn¡¯t let me back into the city anytime soon. ¡°Can I see the Illusionary Companion spell?¡± The woman went under the counter, unlocked a cabinet, and brought the tome out. It was extremely thick and I went inside the cover and looked at the price, 350 gold. Excellent. I had too many spells to imprint already and this was mostly to get me to 5 platinum. I perused the spell. The spell created an illusionary and animated figure the mage could control with his mind. My hour was almost up. ¡°I will take this spell book as well.¡± The woman totaled everything to 530 gold. That was great, but before calling Callem over to pay, I asked about some of the enchanted items she had in her store. ¡°What enchanted items do you sell?¡± The woman was very attentive to me now. ¡°I have an array of aether lights from a few silver to a few golds. I have fire starters, water condensers, cold chests, heater stove tops, leather armor-enhanced bracers, shielding brooches, and communication stones. Most are high-turnover items.¡± Most of the items she had in stock were imported from the artificers in the capital. Any enchanter worth his salt established his business there. The capital was where all the trade passed through. Any dungeon harvests or dungeon imports would pass through the capital, making it the easiest place for a good enchanter to get materials. I found a better aether light stone for five gold. It had adjustable brightness and an extremely small rechargeable tier four aether crystal. I thought about getting Gareth and I communication stones but we really didn¡¯t need them. The shielding brooches were a definite possibility and started at 20 gold, but before I could explore the selection, Callem was approaching. ¡°Storme, are you finished?¡± ¡°Yes,¡± I said reluctantly, adding the improved light stone to my pile. The woman handed Callem the completed slip after adding the stone. 535 gold. Callem produced five shiny platinum coins and four large gold to pay. The woman pulled a device to check the coins and confirmed they were good, which caused me to grin at Callem. He didn¡¯t return it. The woman packed up my purchases neatly into a complimentary leather satchel. The woman handed Callem his change, five gold coins. Callem dropped the five gold coins in my pocket as I struggled to juggle all the packages into a comfortable carrying position. ¡°For working on the farm and cooking,¡± he said in a low voice. Wait, did he just pay me with my own coin for working for him? I didn¡¯t see his face, but by his gait, I knew he must be grinning. Our shopping spree finally concluded, and we headed back toward the Gaskil farm. We had attracted quite a bit of attention throughout the day. Callem was relatively silent during our walk. When we arrived at the Gaskils'', the cart was overpacked with chickens and goods, and I wondered how we were going to get the clucking mass of items back to Callem¡¯s farm. Then he stepped in front of the cart where a horse should be and started to pull the load. I quickly placed my burdens in the cart and attempted to join him in pulling, but Callem waved me off, saying, ¡°No need, Storme. I need some exercise.¡± The trip back to the farm was slow, and I talked with Callem the entire way about trivial matters. The man was inhuman, as he never breathed heavily, pulling the massive load at a steady pace. When the farm finally came into view, I was surprised that things had gone so smoothly. I cursed. Every time I thought things were going well, something bad tended to happen. ? Copyrighted 2024, 2025 by AlwaysRollsAOne No Permission is given to translate, copy, repost or alter to an audio format of this original work of fiction. If you are reading this on a site that is not my Patreon, RoyalRoad.com, or Scribblehub.com, it has been stolen without my permission and violates DMCA. Remember, this work is the result of my creative effort and is protected by copyright law. Removal or altering of this notification is an acknowledgment you are aware you are in violation of DMCA. Chapter 34, 35, and 36 Chapter 34: Skipping Enchanting 101 We got to the farm, and everyone came out to greet us. At first, I thought they were excited we had returned, but as they got closer, I saw that the three young women were beat up and bruised, with cuts on their arms and faces. Gareth had a black eye and a bandage on his arm. He spoke first. ¡°Storme, heal me first!¡± That had all of them voicing their persuasions for me to heal them. Only Aelyn stood back as the other three mobbed me. I started with Gareth and proceeded to Cilia, then Leda, and finally, the patient Aelyn, who smiled brightly as I healed her. My mend flesh spell had finally progressed thanks to this work on my training companions, and the evolution to level 7 allowed me to repair poorly healed past injuries. This evolution had required the scar removal evolution. The basic spell only identified present injuries and repaired them with aether. If an injury had already healed, the spell would not react to it. Now, I could seek out old injuries and heal them. Once things settled, Callem questioned everyone about their day and then handed out presents. Gareth got his clothes, and the girls got the massive bag of candy¡ªafter Callem pulled out a few specific sweets for himself and Wynna. Wynna got the silver jewelry box stuffed with the items Callem had selected. I handed the pocket space spell book to Aelyn as well. She was flabbergasted and unable to thank me for a good minute. Then, she gave me a short but intense hug. I didn¡¯t say anything and ignored the others pretending not to notice the extended embrace. Everyone contributed to unloading the cart and setting up the chicken coop on the far side of the tobacco field. Callem had gotten one rooster to protect the hens from the local foxes. We released the chickens one by one and watched as they explored. Bored, I brought my own haul to my loft. I had the enchanting materials, the ice cream buckets, the 69 plates, and the chocolate, which went to the bunk room larder. It didn¡¯t take long for everyone to come into the bunkhouse. Gareth climbed into our loft and began talking about what I missed. I half listened as I rearranged my shelf, setting three books on the end of the shelf along with my new aether light stone. This gave me easy access to them at night. The three books I had within easy reach were aether shield, alarm, and dimensional closet. I hadn¡¯t decided which of these spells to learn next. Ideally, I wanted to imprint the dimensional closet spell, but since it was a tier 3 spell, I worried it would take too long. To get Gareth to stop talking, I had him look at the stack of plates, and he quickly became engrossed in them. Each one was an artistic masterpiece, in my opinion. Meanwhile, I flipped through the alarm spell. I could possibly learn it in five or six days. It was fairly simple, but I felt I didn¡¯t need the spell¡¯s utility right now; however, leveling it up would make it invaluable in the future. Next was the aether shield spell, which was complex, but I thought it might take me three weeks¡ªmaybe four. The last spell I reviewed was the dimensional closet spell, which was incredibly complex as Sebastian had warned. It was the first tier 3 spell I had considered learning, and since I didn¡¯t have an affinity for space magic, it felt like a migraine to peruse the spell forms. I had no idea how long it would take me. It was like a book in a foreign language, and I needed to translate each word one at a time. Then, after completing the translation, I had to memorize the book from cover to cover. I had a few new tricks I¡¯d learned that I could apply, but this would still take a long time. Eventually, I slid the alarm and aether shield spells back on the shelf and got to work on the dimensional closet spell. Go big or go home, my dad used to say. If I got too frustrated, I would switch to aether shield. Gareth called me down for some food, and I jumped up. I had lost track of time. It was a beef stew, heavy on vegetables and needing just a little salt. I used some buttered bread to clean the bowl. I was distracted as flashes of the spell forms danced in my head. Leda asked me to make chicken parm for tomorrow¡¯s dinner, and Cilia tried to talk over her friend¡¯s request, asking for spiced ham pizza instead. Gareth bellowed over all of them, announcing I would make fried chicken. I waved them all off. Turning to Aelyn, I asked, ¡°What do you want?¡± Without hesitation, she said, ¡°Ice cream and mac and cheese.¡± The half-elf was apparently a junk food junkie. It certainly hadn¡¯t hurt her figure with all the training we¡¯d done. I agreed, though I would add some broccoli to the pasta and cheese. I planned on trying my hand at chocolate ice cream. No one seemed upset with Aelyn¡¯s choices. I allowed the group to continue talking while I climbed into my loft and put away the spell book, retrieving the buckets, stylus, and silver enchanting wire. I never intended to use the stylus; rather, I planned to use it as a cover for my metal-shaping ability. I took out the book for the cold rune primer and some parchment, then began sketching my design. It was fairly simple; I wanted the outer bucket to create an inward aura to maintain the temperature precisely at freezing. I intended to use enough silver wire to hold a charge for two days¡ªapproximately half a roll, if my quick calculations were correct. I was good at math, so I didn¡¯t double-check my calculations. It was late when I was ready to try my hand at inscribing the bucket. It was frustrating to use the stylus; just using my shaping skill would have made the process take moments. I fake-traced the runes, wasting over two hours, and Gareth¡¯s loud breathing in his sleep didn¡¯t help my focus. When I was finally satisfied, I set the bucket down and fell asleep. Morning came too soon. I was exhausted and not able to match everyone else¡¯s positivity this morning. Why was everyone so chipper today? At breakfast, we had fresh eggs, bacon, fruit, and toast. My mind wandered as I was eating my buttered toast. We didn¡¯t have jelly or peanut butter in the larder. I hadn¡¯t actually seen any peanuts in this world, so I asked Callem and Wynna, and neither of them was familiar with the treat. We did have cashews that could be made into a sort of peanut butter. For jam, all I needed was a touch of lemon juice, sugar, and a high-sugar fruit. Mash it all together and heat it all in a pan to reduce the water, then cool. It would make a good ice cream topping. Following breakfast, the banter during stretching was intense. Apparently, some feelings had been hurt yesterday with no one to monitor the group¡¯s training. Gareth had tried to be in charge, which just infuriated the others. Now the injuries made sense. Callem seemed to understand as well, and I was glad I was not part of the farm work today. My mind was focused elsewhere, though, and after stretching, I was soon in the kitchen. Prepping the macaroni was quick: three types of cheese, milk, and some spices whisked over low heat. Wynna made fresh egg noodles. I then tried out my new ice cream bucket, my first artificed item! I put water inside the big bucket and then nested the smaller bucket within. Then, I channeled my aether into my first enchanted object. The water froze almost instantly, and the runes started to glow and smoke. I stopped channeling and prayed I didn¡¯t ruin the bucket. I watched it carefully for a moment, then went to try to make cashew butter and some berry jam. I had obviously channeled too much aether into the runes I had made. Did I burn them out? I wasn¡¯t worried about the waste of silver runic wire, but lamented the possible loss of the perfect buckets for making the ice cream. I had a large pot of jam going, and Wynna joined me as I directed her in making the cashew butter. She interrupted our normal back-and-forth inconsequential banter this morning. ¡°Storme, I¡¯ve been thinking a lot about your obfuscate spell. I think instead of completely shielding your aetheric soul, you should just cover up what you don¡¯t want others to see.¡± I furrowed my brow in confusion, and she continued. ¡°Let me explain. You see, readers can read a multitude of things. They can quantify your physical, mental, and magical attributes. They can read potentials of¡­¡± She paused. ¡°Well, let¡¯s just say there¡¯s a lot there that a good reader can see. If you block everything, then a reader can tell you have access to the obfuscate spell. So don¡¯t hide everything¡ªjust the things you don¡¯t want others to see.¡± ¡°That makes sense. Thank you, Wynna.¡± I recast the spell covering the abilities, traits, and skill affinities I wanted to be hidden, with some mental effort. ¡°Wynna, can readers see status effects? Like the fact I have the obfuscate spell active?¡± I asked. ¡°I don¡¯t have that ability, but yes, some readers can. You might be able to hide that with your spell. Just focus on what you want hidden when you cast it, maybe?¡± I recast the spell again and ¡°felt¡± the active spell was now being hidden. Why hadn¡¯t this suggestion been in the spell book? I guessed it was the Triumvirate intentionally not including this possibility. I was just thankful that Wynna had figured it out for me. My spell even advanced to level 4 for this brief effort. I kept checking on the bucket, and it seemed I was cooling the entire farmhouse with it, like an overcharged air conditioner. A thick layer of frost was forming on the outside of the bucket, and the inner bucket seemed clear of ice. It just had a light fog hovering inside. The enchantment seemed to have stabilized, so I got the ingredients for the chocolate ice cream together and made the largest batch I could, three gallons. The device worked too well. I was quick with my mixing and the ice cream hardened too fast. I must have made some calculation errors, as the temperature was obviously below freezing. Maybe the over-investment of aether affected it? I had to wait until the enchantment exhausted itself¡­or could my metal shaping skill get me an image of the runic workings? I sent out my metal sense to the runes. The runes were correct¡­The silver was over-saturated with aether and slightly unstable. And the functionality¡­I saw the problem. The regulator extension of the rune that was supposed to hold the temperature at freezing was reliant on the aether content¡­so over-saturating just supercharged the rune. I also could sense I¡¯d burned up about one-third of the silver! Strangely, the over-saturated silver also resisted my metal-shaping ability when I tried to disconnect the rune. This device was supposed to last for hundreds of uses! I tried to get a sense of how much aether I put into the device, feeling out my aether core. It felt about 70% full or thereabouts. 30% of 1200 was¡­360! Oops! I should have felt fortunate I hadn¡¯t blown myself up. I had a book on how to fuel magic items properly. Guess I need to read it. To charge my light stone for days, I had just used a kiss of aether, so I should have known better. I found my fingers now had frostbite, so I quickly healed myself. It took some effort to transfer the hard ice cream to another container. I placed the finished ice cream in Callem¡¯s freezer box after a quick, satisfying taste. Not as sweet as I had hoped, but very creamy as it melted in my mouth. The chocolate content needed some adjusting, and maybe just a tiny pinch of salt should be added to the cream before mixing and freezing I looked at my ice cream bucket, the outer layer of ice slowly growing, and sighed. I surmised that the enchantment would last much longer than two days, and the bucket would be completely encased in ice and useless. Well, at least everyone would have ice cream tonight. My foray into enchanting was over for now. This morning''s conditioning was brutal as we all had to carry half our body weight through two obstacle courses. We were all filthy, sweaty, and miserable at the end, and I knew it was Callem¡¯s punishment for the group beating on each other yesterday. I wasn¡¯t sure how I got included in the punishment, but I didn¡¯t complain, especially since cleaning off took me a few seconds while everyone else needed to bathe and wash their clothes. Lunch today was cashew butter and jelly sandwiches with cold milk and some fresh fruit. Everyone except Leda liked the lunch. She didn¡¯t like cashews in general, so I couldn¡¯t blame her. During our free hour, I talked with Leda and showed her my failed ice bucket sculpture, which was now a three-foot-tall ball of ice and growing. She laughed. ¡°I only loaned you the primer runes!¡± she said. ¡°There are lots of control runes that need to be sequenced. Also, most devices like this are connected to an aether stone to regulate the aether in the runes.¡± She patted my shoulder. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Storme. For a first attempt, this is quite impressive. Most enchanters¡¯ runes fail on their first attempt. Enchanting is about finesse,¡± she stressed. ¡°You¡¯re already ten times the enchanter I ever was. If you want to study with my family in the capital, I can make it happen.¡± She pulled me into a side hug, clearly thinking I was sulking. ¡°I think I¡¯ll just dabble in artificing. How much aether should I have invested in the runes?¡± I asked. Leda considered the bucket. ¡°At most, two aetheric units.¡± Well, damn. I¡¯d used about 360. That was 180 times as much as was needed! A little nervously, I asked, ¡°What happens when you overcharge an item?¡± Her eyes had understanding in them as she studied the large ice cube. ¡°Tier 1 dust would quickly dissolve the silver if a device was overcharged. Tier 2 would hold the aether better, but the runes would glow white and burn the silver. Tier 3 aether dust wiring would act like a sponge to hold as much aether as possible, but it would bleed into the environment.¡± I had to ask the next question. ¡°Could I blow myself up if I overcharged something?¡± I had so much more aether than anyone else my age, and I had wielded it negligently. I was used to using all my aether to create silver, gold, and platinum. Leda released me and thought about the question. ¡°No. Well, not if the runes are properly drawn. If you made errors, you might create some feedback. That¡¯s why you always charge new artificed items slowly.¡± She smirked, motioning at the ball of ice. ¡°If the runes are perfect, overcharging runes will just bleed the excess aether into the environment.¡± I thanked Leda and we went to the yard for weapons practice. We got to choose our weapon today; I picked the bow, since it would be the least physical effort on my part. That only lasted half the session before Callem pulled me away to spar with staves against Leda. I was smart enough not to complain. Leda had gotten better, and we were equal now. I still won eleven of twelve bouts, but that was mostly due to Leda trying stupid things to get me in a compromising position. On the other side of the yard, Gareth was working with a broadsword, Aelyn a rapier, and Cilia a saber. I didn¡¯t follow their practice too closely. It was no surprise that dinner was a hit. The chocolate ice cream was received even better. To my shock, our group ate half of it. Gareth and Aelyn both got brain freezes from eating too fast, and when I explained what had happened to them, it just cracked me up. I then gave everyone a short lesson on portion control. Callem asked me to help him in the larder while everyone else was cleaning up and preparing for tonight¡¯s book lesson. In the basement, Callem had me pause at the bottom of the stairs. ¡°Storme, you see this brick I¡¯m pressing here?¡± I stopped to see Callem pressing on a brick with a dark gray protrusion on it. I nodded. ¡°Well, Sebastian installed it. It¡¯s an illusion charm. Anyone scrying will see an illusion within the cellar people doing menial things.¡± He then walked to the far wall and trigged another stone, which opened a secret passage. ¡°This is another new addition of Sebastian¡¯s. I doubt we will ever need it, but this passage emerges 200 yards away from the farmhouse.¡± I nodded, trying to figure out why we needed all this pretense. What was Callem worried about? Would the Sadians care about this small farm? ¡°You can show the others. I also think it would be good for you to practice your metal creation and shaping abilities for half an hour in the morning while you prepare dinner down here. Making weapons with your skill will be good practice.¡± He held up his hand, which usually meant he knew my next question. ¡°I will extend the farm work by 30 minutes so it won¡¯t interfere with your dinner preparation duties.¡± ¡°Well, that wasn¡¯t my question, actually. Can I start making more platinum coins?¡± I asked. Callem nodded slowly, considering my request. ¡°Yes, you can.¡± He motioned to an empty juice cask. ¡°Activate the illusion and put them in here, and ensure you don¡¯t leave any out in the open when you turn off the illusion. Also, put the weapons you¡¯re working on in the chest over there.¡± He pointed out a large chest that was a new addition to his larder. ¡°Inside the chest are the notes on the weapons I want you to make. I will inspect them in the evening and leave you notes to make changes to them.¡± ¡°Why all this subterfuge, Callem? Is there something else going on that I should know about?¡± I asked. ¡°Sebastian thinks the Sadians are going to attack. That is the reason for the tunnel. The reason for the illusion spell is in case the Inquisition starts sniffing around the farm.¡± My panic must have been visible, because he said, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Storme. It¡¯s very unlikely. They have bigger things to worry about right now. But the man who brought you to the healer at the carnival was an agent of the Inquisition. Sebastian¡¯s connections have said your name has been mentioned, but Arturo was smart enough not to draw too much attention to the incident in his official report.¡± I nodded, feeling somewhat relieved. I had been unconscious, but Callem had been worried the nobles would become interested in me. I was more than a little excited to reacquaint myself with making platinum coins. It made me feel powerful to create such wealth. I followed Callem upstairs, ending the illusion as we climbed the steps. That night, we discussed the twenty or so kingdoms that Aelyn had visited during her time with the carnival. It was interesting, and it was the most animated Aelyn had been in the two months I had known her. Later, as I lay in bed struggling through my dimensional closet spell, I felt things were going too well. Something bad had to be on the horizon. Chapter 35: Reconciling with Pascal The following day, as we were heading to breakfast, we found my brother already eating and talking energetically to Callem and Wynna. He was ready to get started and had brought a massive backpack full of clothes, training weapons, and his new blade. I frowned; it looked like he had used the entire block of butter on his pancakes. Who needs half a pound of butter on a stack of pancakes? As I went to the larder to get more, I gave him a lazy welcome wave. When I came up from the larder, the others were eating, and Pascal¡¯s mouth was agape, staring at the young women who had entered behind me. Yes, they¡¯re all well above average in looks, my brother, but your creepy stalker stare will not win any of them over! I laughed to myself at his misfortune, but then realized my own misfortune. All the pancakes had been consumed while I was gone! My own shocked stare at the empty plate caused Gareth to easily swipe the butter I had laboriously claimed from below so he could lather the large stack of pancakes before him. I made myself a cheesy bacon and egg scramble in the kitchen and ate some apples for breakfast. I tried to look as melancholic as possible, but didn¡¯t garner sympathy from anyone! Did these people realize who made their dinners? Stealing all the pancakes was not nice! After eating breakfast, I left the farmhouse and headed to the yard. Stretching was amusing. Pascal had terrible mobility compared to everyone else, but he couldn¡¯t stop gawking at Aelyn, Cilia, and Leda as they stretched. He hadn¡¯t even said one word to any of them yet, as far as I knew. The young women, for their part, were ignoring the newcomer, which was good because his roaming eyes were getting creepy. Gareth had been the same way when the girls first arrived but had mellowed out his own lusty, hormone-driven demeanor. After stretching, I went inside to make dinner while trying to think of a proper punishment for the others shorting me on pancakes this morning. I decided on a beef stroganoff with a spicy kick. Maybe Callem would like it, but the others would be in for a surprise. It was a short prep, and I was soon opening the large chest in the basement. I took out a folio of notes Callem had left. He requested a broadsword for Gareth, a rapier for Aelyn, a saber for Cilia, and a slightly longer saber for me. I knew Callem had mentioned two weapons for himself, but they were not included in these notes. I spent twenty minutes on the saber and ten minutes on the broadsword before putting them away. I needed coal down here to make the steel. Currently, the weapons were currently just iron. I wrote that note for Callem and then went and made twenty gold coins, storing them where he wanted. How many coins I could make if I invested all my aether now? I would still need to heal today, though, so I couldn¡¯t find out what my saturated aether core could make. I went out to join the others for conditioning. Pascal was filthy from weeding the fields but had a sloppy grin on his face¡ªprobably from watching the women work. Sweat had their thin shirts clinging to their torsos. Their pants were made of a tight-fitting but stretchable dark blue cotton that Wynna had gotten them for working fields. They were easy to clean and kept you cool during work. As we moved to the obstacle courses, I saw Callem give me a wink. If I knew Callem, he was about to put Pascal in his place for staring at the girls all morning. We were all going to run all three courses separately for personal best times on each course. Pascal would be getting his ¡°baseline¡± time for the courses. Callem stressed we were competing against ourselves, and the person with the most improved time would get out of farm work tomorrow. This made everyone perk up. I asked Callem if that meant I just wouldn¡¯t have to make dinner tomorrow, and four sets of panicked eyes turned to Callem for an answer. Callem¡¯s response was, ¡°You all better not let Storme win!¡± Sometimes, I hated the man. I improved my time by four seconds on course A and nine seconds on course B, but ran two seconds slower on course C. This wasn¡¯t really fair, as Callem had increased the difficulty on course C, and I was tired. After all was said and done, Leda won the prize by improving by 49 seconds overall. I arched an eyebrow at her when Callem announced the results, hoping she would transfer the reward to me, as Gareth almost always did. Nope. She ignored my suggestive eyes. Pascal was laying on his back, sucking wind. He had done his best but was far slower than everyone else. Leda seemed happy to no longer be at the bottom of the ladder. It was a feeling I knew all too well. When Cilia and Leda approached me for healing, I realized Pascal didn¡¯t know I had magic. As I healed them, which required contact, Pascal watched with wide eyes. He was probably shocked at first that I was touching them. Then his shock was from their bruises disappearing.The genuine version of this novel can be found on another site. Support the author by reading it there. ¡°Yeah, Pascal, I have some magic. Just healing and a personal cleaning spell.¡± I used the cleaning spell, and his eyes popped further at my fresh clothes and radiant skin. ¡°You need healing?¡± I asked. He seemed reluctant to take it at first, either from pride or reluctance. His hesitation caused me to turn and walk back to the farmhouse without healing him. It was almost lunchtime, and I was thirsty. Aelyn fell in beside me. ¡°Is your brother going to be okay sleeping in the loft next to me?¡± she asked. It took me a second to clear my thoughts. Oh, that was the only free bunk. I could imagine his discomfort! Freya said he farted so loud in his sleep so loud it shook the walls. Sounds like I should make some chili tomorrow! Lunch was pasta and vegetable soup with croutons on top. Wynna was experimenting with a recipe. It was okay, but bland. We had a free hour after lunch and Pascal decided to bother me. ¡°So, Storme, you have magic? Do Mother and Father know?¡± he asked nicely. Well, nicely for Pascal. He had bullied me growing up because he was jealous that I got so much attention. I sighed and returned the courtesy. ¡°No. Freya does know, though. You can tell them when you go back. It¡¯s just a little magic, nothing spectacular. I¡¯m trying to learn a third spell and it¡¯s fairly difficult. It would be my first strong utility spell.¡± I didn¡¯t tell him the spell, and thankfully, he didn¡¯t ask, likely still exhausted and in shock by the day¡¯s events. He moved all his gear up to the open bunk in the loft. I smirked to myself; he didn¡¯t realize the bed next to him was Aelyn¡¯s. In the afternoon, we wrestled and practiced submission holds, and Pascal was thoroughly trounced by all the women. He was only used to fighting with a sword. However, it wasn''t wasted time. Both Gareth and Callem worked with Pascal to help him improve. He was very attentive, and his infatuation with the girls was starting to fade into respect for their skill. I thought that was impressive. In just half a day, he was able to focus beyond their allure. We moved into sword practice, and I was matched with Pascal to start. I easily parried and stuck him repeatedly. He was in disbelief, frustrated that I had managed to pass him in just over three months with Callem. After six winning exchanges, I saw Callem look at me questioningly. Fine! I started to give Pascal feedback to improve on his errors. He didn¡¯t hesitate to make the corrections. Did he have a newfound respect for his younger brother? Where had this come from? We had to clean up and rest for two hours before dinner. Regretfully, Gareth explained the bathing situation to Pascal. Pascal seemed to think that if there were three men and three women, each group should get equal bathing time¡ªhow little he knew! I just cast my cleanliness spell to emphasize that they were on their own. Gareth explained that the three women would get about an hour and a half of time, while they would get about half an hour in the pool. While he waited, Pascal saw me in my loft and asked who I was sleeping next to with some jealousy in his voice. I nearly laughed. When I said, ¡°Gareth,¡± a puzzled look formed on his face and he looked at his loft. Wait¡­I was going about this all wrong. Why was I trying to punish Pascal for a life of ignoring me and looking down on me? I should have been using this as an excuse to escape Gareth¡¯s noisy sleeping and foul foot odors. I was cleaning his bedding every other day with my cleanliness spell¡¯s extended range, but I could move back to the other side with Aelyn¡­even if it was just for a month? ¡°Pascal, if you¡¯re uncomfortable sleeping next to Aelyn, I¡¯ll switch with you,¡± I said earnestly. He thought really hard before answering, so I just went back to studying and waited for a response. The women returned from bathing, and Pascal finally spoke up. ¡°Storme, didn¡¯t you say you would switch beds with me?¡± I looked down to find all the young women in their underclothes, looks of mischief on all their faces. I would bet a platinum that Aelyn had told them about my needling of my brother since his arrival, and they had just joined in; even Cilia was participating, which was a huge surprise to me. I packed my clothes into my bedding and made a large bundle to transfer my things. I made sure to give Gareth an irritated look at having to move. Gareth started helping me with my books, and Pascal helped as well. Soon, all my belongings were in the other loft. Aelyn was soon in her bed, studying her spell as well. I didn¡¯t even need to use my cleanliness spell on this side of the loft. Aelyn had a nice earthy scent. I was giddy when it came time for me to prepare dinner¡ªand my revenge for the pancake injustice. Everyone came in and sat as I placed the stroganoff on the table. Now, I must admit I felt guilty. The girls, for their part, had helped me tease Pascal today, and Wynna did nothing wrong. It was really Pascal, Gareth, and Callem who had piled way too many pancakes onto their plates this morning. Everyone was greedily spooning gravy over the noodles while I waited. Gareth was first; he didn¡¯t like spicy food and was downing a cup of fruit juice to cool his mouth. The girls were next to succumb, looking for something to soothe the burn, with Wynna following shortly after. Pascal seemed unsure of what to think. He really had poor taste buds. Callem was just shoveling the mixture into his mouth and grinning, clearly enjoying the excessive spicy taste. I threw up the white flag, admitting to my childish prank. ¡°Sorry, everyone. I got a little bit miffed about not getting pancakes this morning.¡± This just got me several death stares. ¡°I have a solution to help you through the burn¡­it¡¯s called a chocolate milkshake!¡± I went to make milkshakes, though I found a sizable portion of the chocolate ice cream missing, and when I looked up, a guilty Callem and Wynna looked away. Well, it was their house. There was still enough ice cream to make everyone a sizable milkshake. I made them a little thin so they could be drank, and it allowed everyone to finish dinner. We had no study session round table tonight. Wynna said it would allow Pascal to settle in and rest. My brother did look haggard. I was the first one back in the loft and studying, as everyone else was on clean-up duty. Aelyn came up to the loft and whispered to me, ¡°There¡¯s a plot afoot to put pepper juice in your shorts.¡± I smirked. It was a childish prank, but I deserved it. ¡°It was Wynna¡¯s idea. She has a salve that she thinks should resist your cleaning magic.¡± Now I was a little hurt. Et tu, Wynna? It was nice to listen to Aelyn¡¯s whispering. It was very pleasant, especially compared to Gareth¡¯s deep voice, which I could clearly hear from across the room as Pascal and Gareth engaged in a deep and loud conversation. They discussed which sword form was the best to counter which sword form. ¡°Your brother is okay,¡± Aelyn said. ¡°He may have been gawking, but he felt guilty about it. He has a girlfriend who he¡¯s¡ª¡± I stopped her. ¡°I don¡¯t need to know about that.¡± Aelyn was quiet for a while we both studied our magic. Then she whispered, ¡°Thank you again for how you have been treating me. I can¡¯t believe how fortunate I am to fall into this situation after¡ª¡± Before Aelyn could continue, Leda screamed. ¡°I did it! Storme! Storme!¡± She scrambled down her ladder and into my loft, straddling me on the bed. ¡°Watch, Storme!¡± The compromising position might have been intentional, knowing Leda, but we had wrestled many times over the last two months. Nothing happened that I noticed. She looked disappointed. ¡°Well, I¡¯m already clean, so you can¡¯t see, but I imprinted the cleanliness spell!¡± I nodded and said, ¡°That¡¯s fantastic, Leda. It looks like you forgot to return the book in your haste to show me.¡± She blushed. She slowly removed herself from her position above me, realizing what she had done. I was ashamed to admit my body had started to respond. ¡°Make sure you take some notes on the first few evolutions you want before returning the book. I tend to be rather indecisive on my own evolutions.¡± Leda slowly climbed down from the loft, not making eye contact with me but nodding at my advice. ¡°If I learn the pocket space spell, can I celebrate on top of you too?¡± It was a very quiet whisper from Aelyn that I wasn¡¯t sure was intended for my ears. I blushed, now distracted in my studies as I replayed her words in my head over and over, imagining Aelyn in Leda¡¯s place. If I had looked over at the other loft, I was certain I would have seen both Gareth and Pascal¡¯s mouths hanging open. Pascal acclimated well to the next week of training. Gareth and Pascal got along famously, which made me slightly jealous. Gareth worked with Pascal nonstop, and Pascal was no longer shy about asking for healing from me. According to Callem, Pascal was making good progress and would be at the top of his class in the first year of his Academy class. Callem also talked about the Annuals. It was a massive tournament for melee combatants. Usually, the pre-Academy bracket entrants came from the large cities, but he thought Pascal might be able to do well. He had been planning on having Gareth win it next year. The other two tournaments were for the Academy students and Professionals. The Professional Annuals had the highest prestige, with a sizable winner¡¯s purse from the Triumvirate. At the end of the week, the massive ice sculpture in Callem¡¯s yard was finally beginning to shrink, and the aether I had invested was finally expiring. This caused Gareth, Cilia, and Leda to chip away at the ice surrounding the bucket. I had told them there would be no more ice cream until I got my bucket back. The hot pepper juice in my underwear did occur, but I had been checking every time I changed, so I just faked being burned and ran to the stream after casting my cleanliness spell a few times, leaving a cloud of vanilla scent in my tracks. Wynna¡¯s salve did not prevent the spell from working. I thought the women deserved a win, and everyone¡¯s laughter was worth it, even if it was at my expense. I wouldn¡¯t retaliate because I didn¡¯t want it to escalate. My progress with the basement weapon crafting was going well. After Callem got the coal, I made rough stock weapons and then completed one weapon each day. Callem left notes on how he wanted the weight and lengths adjusted for each weapon, and I tried my best to do so. The best progress came when Callem was in the basement with me, directing me in person. After I had all four weapons done, Callem was going to bring them to Antal in Hen¡¯s Hollow for bone handles after getting everyone¡¯s grip impressions on clay. I was only making gold coins, and after some calculations, I guessed I could make about thirty with a full aether core now. So my efficiency with the metal creation ability and my aether pool were steadily growing. My relationship with Pascal was pretty good. He was still envious of me, but there was a strong undercurrent of respect, and he recognized how hard I was working. We even talked a little and I found out he was dating Sashan, a farmer girl who was a year older than him and was currently in the Academy. He had been interested in another girl in his immediate circle of friends, but they¡¯d found kissing too awkward and broke up. I mostly listened to him talk while I tried to study. I was glad Gareth was here to distract him. Otherwise, he might interrupt my studying nonstop with his desire to talk to his estranged little brother. I felt like I had made minimal progress on imprinting the spell, which was the only sore point the first week Pascal was here. I even turned to my reference books to help expedite the process, but I made no substantial gains. At week¡¯s end, Callem left for town with our grip impressions. He mentioned he would bring back Freya and Monty for a visit. This excited me, but it also meant I needed to get the bucket free of ice. My sister needed to try ice cream for herself; her sweet tooth would love it! Chapter 36: Magic Weapon Crafting After giving Pascal a week to acclimate to the training, Callem had us all run the three courses again for individual time. He¡¯d added a few twists here and there to ¡°improve¡± their difficulty and keep us on our toes. Gareth and Aelyn made minor improvements to all three times, Cilia improved on two courses, and Leda and I were a few seconds slower than our personal bests. Pascal had massive improvements on all the courses from the prior week, and of course, he was preening like a peacock even though all his times were slower than everyone else¡¯s by a good margin. As we finished the morning training, Callem left to go get Freya and Monty. We would have the afternoon off, and Freya would stay overnight and be brought home after breakfast. Lunch was brown rice and vegetables, topped with a thick, sweet sauce. It was another experiment by Wynna, and during lunch, I helped her refine the recipe to more of an Asian-inspired style. It needed some spiciness to offset the sweetness. After, we all lounged inside the bunk room on a break, with the exception of Aelyn and Gareth. They were chipping away the last bits of ice from the buckets. It was still functioning, just at a much lower power, close to what I had envisioned when I set the runes. I made the mistake of mentioning different types of ice cream and milkshakes: chocolate, vanilla, strawberry, maple walnut, hot honey, cookie dough, coffee, and blueberry. At least, those were the ones I could do with the ingredients at hand. The coffee flavor would be from the coconut-like nut that Wynna liked. I also made a note to try thornberry ice cream if we could get more of them. A thornberry was a kiwi-like fruit that tasted like strawberries and bananas. Our discussion of ice cream and milkshakes was cut short as an excited Monty burst through the door. The dog was now over a hundred pounds. He bowled over Leda without trouble, and then made a beeline for my chair. I braced myself. Monty¡¯s momentum took him into my lap and knocked the chair backward, sending us both sprawling. The furry beast pinned me down and licked my face, making sure I was okay. Freya entered shortly after the beast wave, and her first words were, ¡°It stinks in here.¡± Well, I couldn¡¯t disagree with her olfactory appraisal. I had taken to essentially spamming my cleanliness spell while in the bunkhouse. I even used my extended range to clean Aelyn¡¯s bedding when she was out bathing. Aelyn herself had a pleasant earthy smell, but her bedding smelled of stale sweat and acidic body odor. I was surprised that she hadn¡¯t commented on the improvement to her bedding. Maybe I wanted a little ¡°thank you¡± from her. Freya had a list of things she wanted to do. First, she wanted me to show her some real magic. Then she wanted to see her brothers square off against each other in a duel. She also wanted to try running the obstacle course herself as, apparently, Callem had told her during the walk back how much Pascal had improved. And finally, she wanted to try ice cream, which was a thought Callem must have put in her head. When Aelyn told her how many flavors there were, she wanted to try them all. It was looking like my afternoon off was not going to happen. Why couldn¡¯t Freya just want to lounge by the swimming hole and lazily throw a stick for Monty? Freya suddenly stopped her verbal onslaught and looked around the bunkhouse. ¡°Who are all these pretty girls? And why are they in here with you?¡± I wouldn¡¯t say I liked the tone of the last sentence, because it either was said with jealousy or insinuated that I was not good enough to get a pretty girl. ¡°I¡¯m Leda,¡± Leda said from up in her loft. ¡°Storme is my boyfriend,¡± she said, grinning madly. This caused everyone to freeze, and even Leda¡¯s light, playful laugh didn¡¯t break the awkwardness for a good minute. It only got worse. ¡°I¡¯m Aelyn.¡± Aelyn bowed to her. ¡°I¡¯m Storme¡¯s devoted servant. I do anything he asks of me. Anything.¡± Her tone was soft, submissive, and alluring all in one. I couldn¡¯t decide if they were teasing Freya or me. I saw Pascal¡¯s mouth fall open, and I could see Gareth covering his face in quiet laughter. Not to be outdone, Cilia leaped from the upper loft and landed softly in front of us. ¡°I¡¯m Cilia. I¡¯m your brother¡¯s faithful bodyguard. I make sure his body is clean and unmolested,¡± she said with her ice queen voice and stoic stature, though I could see a grin on the corner of her lips. She was no longer the ice queen she was when she arrived. Freya was slowly nodding at all this, taking it as the truth. I could just imagine her telling all of this to my parents and spreading gossip in Hen¡¯s Hollow. I needed to correct this. ¡°Freya, everything they¡¯re telling you is bullshit. I¡¯m their servant. I cook and clean for all of them. I tend to their wounds when they¡¯re hurt, and I serve as a training dummy when they practice swords.¡± Aelyn nodded, as everything I had said was essentially the truth. Cilia nodded as well, then winked at Freya. That must be some secret female language to play along. Freya then bowed to them. ¡°Then mistresses, may I please ask if my poor servant of a brother can have the afternoon off to play with me? And brother, you shouldn¡¯t use such language with your bosses.¡± Apparently, it was more believable to Freya that I served the pretty young women rather than vice versa. Monty was the most confused about all the interactions. He was tilting his head and looking at each person in turn, deciding if any of them would pet him. It was Gareth who broke the stalemate by bursting into laughter. This caused a chain reaction for everyone else to follow with their own laughter. Soon we were all outside at the obstacle course, cheering Freya on as she slowly and methodically made her way through the easiest course. After she was done, we all did our own run at a moderate pace. Aelyn did it with the most flourish, using her tumbling and acrobatic skills to show off. Gareth did his run with brute force. I took my sweet old time, as did Leda. There was no need to impress my little sister. Pascal put in the maximum effort, as he was the last to go. I was confused; how had we gotten ourselves in a position to do training today? I chuckled. It must have been Callem planting the ideas in Freya¡¯s head¡ªdevious old man. Next, we showed off our sword skills to Freya. She clapped and cheered everyone on equally. I let Pascal have a draw with me. He still wasn¡¯t close to my level of competency, but I didn¡¯t want to shatter the relationship I had mended with him by besting him in front of our sister. Gareth and Aelyn put on the best show, like a scripted duel. Maybe it was scripted, as I knew Aelyn had done that as one of her acts. I then healed everyone to show Freya my magic, then removed a few scars on the back of Freya¡¯s hand from when she had gotten bit by a squirrel she caught. This caused the women, who were not aware of this aspect of my ability, to ask for scar removal as well. Leda immediately pulled off her shirt. She was still wearing a chest wrap, twisting to point to some scars on her lower back. Disconcerted, I said, ¡°This is something we should do in private.¡± This made the flirtatious Leda unexpectedly blush. Aelyn quipped, ¡°Yes, in private. Can I make an appointment for tonight?¡± I threw up my hands in utter defeat and walked away. Everyone fell in behind me like I was the mother duck, and they were my ducklings. I went to Callem¡¯s house, and they all followed me in. I turned to them. ¡°I¡¯m not removing anyone¡¯s scars!¡± I probably sounded a little too heated, so I followed it up with, ¡°I¡¯m making ice cream right now! Get my buckets!¡± The comic scramble out the door could not be done justice with words. Cilia and Gareth ran into each other and bounced in the door frame, stopping their progress cold. Aelyn tried to navigate the bodies, but Gareth¡¯s quick recovery caused her to trip, creating a stack of three people in the doorway. Monty thought it was a game and jumped on top, trying to lick everyone¡¯s face in the tangle of limbs. Thankfully, shortly after, I was alone in the kitchen with just Wynna. The others were entertaining Freya and Monty. Some time later, Callem came out of his room and asked me to help him move some things in the basement. So I paused in my ice cream endeavors to head below. After initiating the illusion field, Callem spoke. ¡°Storme, I have some news from Sebastian. Well, from a friend of Sebastian, anyway. Apparently, Callem Dregalla is alive and well and delving into dungeons these days for platinum!¡± He laughed at the absurdity of it all. Callem hated dungeons. ¡°I think it¡¯s safe to say all the attention of your sudden wealth will be attributed to me and Wynna.¡± I started to speak, but stopped when he held up his hand. ¡°Storme, you need to be careful going forward, but you know that. I think Gareth¡¯s excursion into the capital has also been attributed to me. Casting my motivations for bringing Aelyn here was difficult. We had to rely on a few of Wynna¡¯s friends in the capital, and some of my old friends.¡± He sighed. ¡°What few I had left think less of me for purchasing an indentured,¡± he said, but instead of being angry, he had a half smile. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I care nothing for my reputation, and the people that know me best wouldn¡¯t believe the dragon shit being said.¡± He was chuckling now, clearly enjoying the subterfuge. Then he sighed. ¡°Well, time to work.¡± He opened the large chest and pulled out his notes, two hand axes, some throwing daggers, and some long hunting knives. ¡°You have some aether dust?¡± I nodded. ¡°Good. Storme, I want you to make these¡±¡ªhe indicated the array of weapons¡ª¡°but I want you to fold in the aether dust between the layers like a master smith. This will prep them to receive enchantments.¡± Callem moved everything to a table. ¡°I want you and Gareth to start carrying a hand axe, some knives, and throwing daggers. We will start training with them once your brother leaves. You need a permit to carry a sword in the capital and other cities, but not these.¡± He tapped the axes and short blades on the paper, then moved toward the stairs. ¡°I have a new crate of coal in the corner to turn the iron into steel.¡± I knew Callem had my best interests at heart, but it felt like I was being conscripted for my skills with metal. I focused on the papers. Each set had two hand axes, one smaller and designed for throwing and the other heavier and used for cutting. There were six different throwing daggers of various weights and lengths. For the most part, throwing knives were the thrower¡¯s preference, which was the reason for the variety. Of the six hunting knives, three were specialized for skinning and dressing a beast, and three for combat and utility. I could see Gareth becoming a walking armory, but why me? I sighed and got to work, creating a large block of iron and retrieving the coal. Since I didn¡¯t have the aether dust right now, I decided just to make a large block of steel and call it a day. I put everything back into the large crate and went upstairs to make ice cream. I felt like an arms dealer pretending to be an ice cream vendor. The bucket was functioning as originally intended, and I made batches of chocolate, vanilla, strawberry, and cookie dough ice cream. It must have been about three hours of constant work with Wynna¡¯s help and taste-testing. We now had four flavors of ice cream in the aether-powered freezer unit, each around two gallons. After the ice cream, I had to prepare dinner. That morning, I¡¯d made chicken cordon bleu with wild rice and green beans. The cheese wasn¡¯t Swiss, but it was sharp enough to serve as a substitute, and the sauce topping was rich since I used leftover heavy cream from the ice cream. Just as I was about to finish, Wynna called everyone in. The mass of bodies crowded the table, which was designed for six but now held nine settings. Callem brought out the good red juice, and everyone dug in. The dinner disappeared so fast that I was awe-struck. Everyone had rushed so they could get dessert. I got large stew bowls and spooned a decent scoop of each flavor into each one. Before serving, I announced, ¡°No seconds tonight! Eat slowly with small spoons and savor the ice cream!¡± I felt like a mother telling her children to slow down and chew their food. Freya¡¯s eyes lit up with each bite, and everyone else was making contented sounds. The chocolate had been much improved this round, and I was also happy with the other flavors. I made my escape from the dishes and laughed when Freya tried to follow me. ¡°You need to help with the dishes! Only the cook escapes cleanup!¡± And there were a lot of dishes¡­Well, that was my habit. I had never been a messy cook in my past life, but since I didn¡¯t have to clean up¡­ I had thirty minutes of privacy before the bunkhouse was rowdy again. Gareth and Cilia played with Monty. They had one of Pascal¡¯s old shirts and were in a tug-o-war with the dog. Pascal, who was trying to sleep in one of the comfy reading chairs, had gotten some of Gareth¡¯s clothes he had outgrown, so he didn¡¯t mind. Leda was up in her bunk, and Aelyn joined me in our loft. ¡°Your sister is sweet,¡± Aelyn said. I paused my studies, as I could tell she wanted to talk. ¡°Do you have any siblings, Aelyn?¡± The pause made me think perhaps they no longer lived. ¡°Two brothers. Both are older by a few decades. I met them once.¡± She paused, her voice strained. ¡°They didn¡¯t accept me. They live in Cullinbar, an elven city far from here.¡± She sounded hurt, but she continued, ¡°My human father died in a dungeon when I was young. I think my mother said he had some children earlier in his life, but I never cared to search them out.¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Aelyn.¡± I paused, waiting to see if she wanted to talk further. When she didn¡¯t, I returned to my studies. I heard her grab her own book off the shelf. Cilia made a bed up in the lower area for Freya, as all the bunks were full. I was studying late into the night when I heard Freya say loudly, ¡°Pascal, stop farting!¡± Aelyn whispered to me, ¡°He does fart a lot in his sleep.¡± Laughter ensued from all the lofts at Freya¡¯s words, and Pascal, in response, just ripped a long, loud one. After a large breakfast, Freya left, and we were back into our training routine. Wynna was tasked with escorting my sister home. My magic smithing was going fairly well. I had to be careful not to accidentally charge any of the aether dust I was layering into the metal. If I did, the metal I was mixing it with got extremely difficult to shape. I made everyone except Wynna a set of six throwing daggers based on their preferences during practice. There were three weights and sizes, and Callem decided which size and weight everyone would get and practice with. When the girls asked where the blades had come from, Callem said he had a good friend who was a weaponsmith. Everyone received a full set of hunting knives as well. The quality of the blades gave them high value, and Callem warned everyone against displaying them in public. I used my tier 3 aether dust for the axes. I crafted six throwing hand axes and six cutting hand axes. Callem packaged them away to send to an enchanter in the capital. I didn¡¯t think Callem fathomed how much control I had shaping metal, or he might have asked me to try my hand at enchanting them. But then again, my failure with the ice cream bucket was probably fresh in his mind. My other project was working on a heavier broadsword for Gareth. As he grew in stature, he would outgrow the one I had already made him. Plus, I had promised him the best magic blade I could make. I used all my remaining aether dust on the blade for him, and it was impressive. I planned to give it to him on his 16th birthday celebration, hopefully already enchanted. The weeks started to blur together, and soon Pascal was packing and getting ready to return. Three weeks had passed since Freya¡¯s visit, and I was hoping Callem would bring her back soon. Pascal was extremely content with his time on the farm. His sword skills had greatly improved, and he had learned a large array of other combat skills. I was shocked when he actually hugged me before returning home with his large pack. I¡¯d made some progress on learning the dimensional closet spell. I felt I was over halfway to imprinting it, so maybe another month or so. I was actually quite excited about the prospect of having the space. The day after Pascal left, I examined my creations in the larder. I had nothing to occupy myself with. All my tasks were done, and dinner was prepped upstairs. Maybe I should try something new. I extended my hand and concentrated. I had only touched this precious metal on Callem¡¯s prized dagger. Just the edge was made of it. It took time to recall what my metal-shaping senses had felt when I held the dagger a few weeks ago. With my eyes closed, I sensed a small weight make its presence known in my hand. It was a silvery-white mass about half the size of a regular coin. Mithril. Checking my aether core, I saw I was under 10% full, meaning this took an estimated 80% of all my current aether to create since I had already cast a fair amount of spells this morning. I placed the metal on top of everything in the large crate for Callem to discover. I hoped it would shock him, as that was hard to do! ? Copyrighted 2024, 2025 by AlwaysRollsAOne No Permission is given to translate, copy, repost or alter to an audio format of this original work of fiction. If you are reading this on a site that is not my Patreon, RoyalRoad.com, or Scribblehub.com, it has been stolen without my permission and violates DMCA. Remember, this work is the result of my creative effort and is protected by copyright law. Removal or altering of this notification is an acknowledgment you are aware you are in violation of DMCA. Chapters 37, 38, and 39 Chapter 37: Bone-Shattering Lessons I was largely disappointed the next day when Callem didn¡¯t mention the mithril at breakfast. After stretching, I went down to the larder and found the mithril gone, so he must have known. I prepped some pizza crusts and sauce for dinner. Callem liked a buffalo chicken pizza, and everyone else liked the more mundane toppings with tomato sauce. The morning practice was to be wrestling, and I couldn¡¯t read Callem¡¯s face. Did he not realize I had made mithril? My first match for wrestling was Aelyn. She was getting really good, and even though I was significantly stronger than her, she almost always won due to her agility. That made me upset¡ªI had thought myself above average in grappling, and getting beaten by a half-elven woman was irksome. She slipped behind me, locked hands around my waist, and leveraged me to the ground with a throw. She managed to keep my back to the ground and straddle my chest. I was about to bridge and rotate to escape when she put her face three inches from mine and whispered, ¡°I imprinted the spell.¡± Then she was up and off me, walking away smugly as I lay there in shock. I had lost the match and the race to imprint the dimensional spell. I pacified myself by thinking that hers was just a tier 1 version, and mine was tier 3. It seemed Aelyn had just claimed she was both a better fighter and mage than me. Aelyn had been getting more playful after Pascal left, and I remembered that she had said she would replicate Leda¡¯s actions when she learned the pocket space spell. Her preening was deserved, as imprinting a spell was hard. I watched her hips sway as she walked away, but quickly focused on my aether core burn to counter my unwanted excitement. After two more matches in which Gareth dominated over Leda and then Aelyn, I was matched against Cilia. As we met in the center of the ring, Cilia said, ¡°Aelyn rode you like a broken-down nag. I¡¯m going to do the same!¡± Well, smack talk was a new thing for our group. It was introduced by Pascal and it had quickly turned on him, as he had rarely won any contests unless Callem stacked the odds in his favor. The smack talk was all done in jest and to add some levity to the situation, but for some reason, Cilia¡¯s words irked me today. Maybe it had to do with Aelyn beating me. I had coasted for months, not going all out. This encounter would be different, as she was about to get my best effort. Cilia came at me and I easily grabbed her right wrist, pulling her sideways and stepping behind her hips. I wrapped my left arm around her upper torso and pulled her off balance to spin her to the ground. The movement was so quick and smooth that I was in awe of myself. I even spotted a surprised Gareth as I brought Cilia to the ground. I didn¡¯t let her recover. In fact, I kept giving her false hope. As she got back to her knees, I kept my hips pressed behind her and countered everything she did. It was draining on both our parts, but I just wanted her to wear herself out and concede the match without me getting an arm bar or leg lock on her. She would not yield. Instead, she only tried harder. This went on for a good five minutes, and I actually smiled at her futility. ¡°Who¡¯s riding who now?¡± I gloated. My jibe was not well received, as she only struggled harder, but I found it easy to counter her from the upper position. ¡°Storme,¡± Callem said in a warning tone. Callem usually let things play out, so I knew I had crossed some line. I could not see Cilia¡¯s face, but her grunts almost sounded like sobs. Realization struck, and I decided to break the engagement. As soon as I pushed away a little bit, Cilia took advantage and made a quick roll underneath me. She had a look of loathing on her face as her adrenaline surged. I didn¡¯t even track her knee coming up into my chin. The force shattered some of my teeth, and the end of my tongue was severed and went flying. I fell back, shocked, and my vision swam as I tried to focus on healing. I collapsed, blood flowing freely from my mouth, unable to focus and hold onto consciousness. ¡°Storme, I didn¡¯t mean to!¡± I heard Cilia shout, but Callem filled my vision. ¡°She might have fractured his neck,¡± he said, concerned. ¡°Leda! You need to heal him so he can regain his senses. He will finish the job, but you need to start! Gareth, find his tongue!¡± Nothing Callem said made me feel better. ¡°His tongue?¡± Gareth asked. ¡°Were you not paying attention?¡± Callem said forcefully. That was the last thing I heard as I passed into unconsciousness. I awoke in Callem¡¯s guest room with Wynna by my bedside. ¡°Storme, it¡¯s going to be okay, but don¡¯t move for a moment. Callem said if you¡¯re up for it, you should try to heal yourself. Leda did some minor healing to close things up and stop the internal bleeding, and we used a strong healing potion on you.¡± Wynna was holding my hand. ¡°Try to heal yourself,¡± she repeated soothingly. I focused and used my self-diagnostic spell on myself. My neck had a fracture, but the spine was intact. A half dozen teeth had been shattered, and a quarter of my tongue had been poorly reattached. I channeled aether to heal my tongue first, then accelerated the healing on my neck. I couldn¡¯t heal or regrow bone, just accelerate the process with my tier-one spell. I ran my tongue across the sharp, broken teeth. Clots had formed to stop the bleeding. ¡°My teeth?¡± I asked worriedly. ¡°Callem got most of the pieces, and Gareth went to get Antal. He should be back shortly and your teeth will be repaired,¡± she said consolingly. I channeled more aether into the spell to heal myself as much as I could. I felt exhausted as Callem entered the house, his footsteps unmistakable. ¡°When you can walk, you can apologize to Cilia.¡± ¡°What?¡± I asked incredulously. In a disappointed tone, Callem said, ¡°You know why she¡¯s here, Storme. You made her feel defenseless and probably stirred up memories she wanted to forget.¡± I didn¡¯t argue; Callem was right. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. She feels absolutely terrible and will apologize to you, too." When Antal arrived, he smelled like garlic, and I guessed he had been preparing dinner. Callem had a small bowl of my shattered teeth. I directed Adnal to my spine first before he worked on my teeth. It took him about twenty minutes before I could run my tongue across my restored teeth. Antal nodded at his work. ¡°As long as the root is intact, I can restore a tooth completely. Teeth are easier to deal with, as I can stimulate their growth and shape them if some pieces are missing.¡± I thanked him, Wynna handed him some coin, and he left to return to Hen¡¯s Hollow. I stood up, but phantom pain erupted. The memory was too fresh. Wynna supported me and I walked a little unsteadily for a moment before regaining my balance. I guessed I had a sizable concussion as well that Leda had healed. In the common room, I got to the couch and sat down. Wynna was already bringing me food to replenish me from the extensive healing. Callem sat across from me, assessing my mental and physical state with his golden eyes. ¡°I¡¯m good, Callem. Or at least I will be in a little bit.¡± ¡°Storme, no one so young should go through something like that. And this is the third time you have suffered grievous injury.¡± He was right. I had almost died three times now in six months. Callem adjusted his position. ¡°We have two options, Storme. We can do nothing and continue as we have done or¡­¡± He took a deep breath. ¡°Normally, I wouldn¡¯t suggest anything this extreme¡­especially for someone so young. We could train you to function through the pain. If we do so, you should be able to access your healing and other spells no matter how much pain you are in. It¡¯s not an easy path, and I¡¯m unsure if it¡¯s right for you.¡± I almost wanted to laugh at Callem calling me soft. Even though I wanted to avoid injury, it kept finding me. Callem waited for my response. I asked tentatively, ¡°So you would, what, injure me and I would try to cast spells?¡± When I said it aloud, it didn¡¯t sound so great. ¡°It would be a gradual process. There are exercises, focusing exercises. I will teach you how to concentrate initially and handle other stimuli. Then, yes, we would gradually increase your pain tolerance¡­¡± Callem¡¯s golden eyes had never looked so torn. ¡°Is this something you have done before?¡± I asked. ¡°Yes. I¡¯ve done it many times before to others. The Skyholme elite marines¡ªmind you, not the Wolfsguard. Each year, we selected the top twenty men and women from the sixth year of the Naval Academy who were destined to be marines. Typically, seven or eight from that group would pass, becoming the elite marines, the pride of the Skyholme navy, the shock troopers. The program was discontinued to fund an expansion of the Wolfsguard.¡± Callem sighed, taking a pained breath. ¡°The remaining elite marines I personally trained, 137 strong, were sent on a mission to seize the Sadian town of Forestdeep. It was a suicide mission, but they succeeded. When they called for reinforcements¡­ none came. They held out for eight days.¡± Callem drifted into painful memories, and I swore I saw his eyes water. He rarely told us his stories, and it was easy to see why he had retired to Hen¡¯s Hollow. ¡°Okay, Callem. I¡¯m in.¡± I didn¡¯t want to become a masochist, but I did want to increase my chances of survival. I was certain Gareth would want in as well. Hell, he would probably think it was fun. ¡°When do we start?¡± I asked hesitantly. Callem sighed. ¡°We¡¯ll start with meditation and focusing exercises.¡± He got up and grabbed a thick book on the counter. ¡°In the first chapters of this book are two important meditation exercises. One teaches you to focus on one thing, ignoring other stimuli. The second starts you down a path of becoming aware of your pain senses and turning them off. You must practice and grasp the exercises before we proceed any further.¡± ¡°Thank you, Callem,¡± I said, taking my leave. Wynna looked at me with a hint of pity as I left. Cilia was outside the door, waiting for me. I felt a phantom pain at the sight of her, reliving the experience. Cilia spoke with misery in her voice. ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡± She breathed deeply. ¡°When you¡­When I saw¡­I remembered¡­I panicked¡­I saw his face, not yours¡ª¡± I put up my hands to stop her and thought briefly before speaking. ¡°You did the right thing, Cilia. This is why you are here. I don¡¯t hold anything against you. If you are ever in that situation again, do exactly the same thing, don¡¯t hesitate.¡± I paused. ¡°I¡¯m sorry that I¡ª¡± Cilia halted my words, her hand gesturing dismissively. ¡°No, don¡¯t apologize,¡± she insisted, a guilty heaviness in her tone. ¡°Let¡¯s just drop it.¡± To break the atmosphere, she added with a small grin, ¡°Leda said you can practice with her next time. She promised not to break your neck.¡± I rolled my eyes. Then I showed her the book Callem had given me. ¡°Callem gave me some homework. I should get to it.¡± As I was walking away, Cilia said, ¡°Callem gave me the punishment to make dinner tomorrow. So you have the evening off.¡± I stopped and turned. ¡°Why is Callem punishing everyone?¡± I grinned at her, and she looked incredulous. ¡°I better help you prepare it. Let me know when you head to the kitchen.¡± Cilia nodded and smiled. I managed to make it to my loft after getting checked by everyone. Aelyn climbed up just as I opened the book Callem had given me. ¡°So, Storme, are you planning to move back to the other loft?¡± she asked conversationally. ¡°If Gareth asks, I will,¡± I replied, not looking at her reaction. I started reading. The best part of the book was it was weakly enchanted, guiding the reader through the exercises. I multi-tasked while talking with Aelyn. ¡°Good. He won¡¯t ask. I just talked to him and told him you sleep better away from his loud breathing at night.¡± She was smiling. ¡°Do you want to see my spell?¡± I nodded and gave her my full attention. She cast the spell, and a small portal appeared before her. I looked inside to see a bunch of Aelyn¡¯s clothes. ¡°You know, if you put all your clothes in there, I won¡¯t be able to clean them,¡± I said half-jokingly. I had been cleaning her bedding and clothes since I had moved back to the loft. ¡°The spell is impressive. Callem has some weapons I made for you. You should store your smaller weapons in your space in case you need them.¡± The conversation petered out, and I started in on the meditation techniques with the aid of the book. Over the next few weeks, I found my plate ridiculously full. Freya only visited for a single afternoon with Monty. She was busy running a delivery service in town, much like Gareth and I had done. She had become addicted to making her own coin, and I praised her for it. My parents knew about my magic now too. I was surprised they hadn¡¯t visited Callem¡¯s farm themselves. I spent every waking hour training or studying. The meditation techniques were not challenging to learn, but mastering them took time, even with a magical book guiding me and Callem answering questions when I encountered them. The focus was also helping in my physical training and weapons practice. I was rapidly gaining ground on Aelyn and Gareth. It took me over two weeks to learn the meditation techniques to Callem¡¯s satisfaction. I was far from being a master but had enough of the basics for him to proceed. The next phase was meditation while under duress. Noise while running the obstacle course, in sword practice, while cooking, and whenever else Callem could think of. The other great benefit was that the focus meditation helped me advance in my imprinting of the dimensional closet spell. I was shocked when, while meditating and working on my spell, it just clicked! I was certain my matrix now had the spell form imprinted on it! It had taken over two months, but finally, I had it. The new year was approaching soon, just 19 days away, so the timing was perfect. Chapter 38: The Dimensional Closet The spatial spell was finally complete. For the level 1 evolution, I allowed the entrance to be altered to any size. The space itself was a cube, ten feet to each side. The maximum size of the doorway was one side of the cube, but with evolution, I could reduce that size. The side and orientation of the doorway were fixed on the caster. When I focused inwardly on my core, I could access the doorway. The doorway was fluid and couldn¡¯t cut a person or object in half when summoned or unsummoned; that basic knowledge was included in the spellbook. I left my loft and went to prepare dinner early, ignoring Gareth¡¯s question about what I was making for dinner. He was excited because I was starting dinner an hour early; it had to be something special. Inside the farmhouse, I found Callem and Wynna on the couch sipping wine. Wynna had retrieved her entire stockpile of fine wine, some three hundred bottles, from her old residence in the capital, and they took up a corner of the cellar below. I saw the mithril chunk on the table near the half-finished wine bottle. ¡°Storme!¡± Wynna said in greeting. ¡°You¡¯re early! Are you making a dessert tonight? You didn¡¯t mention anything this morning.¡± I studied her for a second. Still nothing about the mithril¡ªit was right there! Fine, I could play this game. I hadn¡¯t made any more mithril, and had instead just been adding platinum and gold to the growing hoard in the old cask below. ¡°No, just heading to the larder for¡ªfor some juice.¡± Yeah, that sounded lame, but I was thirsty. Callem raised an eyebrow. ¡°Hold up a minute. We should talk.¡± I stopped at Callem¡¯s words. Finally, we would talk about the mithril. ¡°The end of the year celebration is coming in a few days. I thought it would be a good idea if we could do a gift exchange before everyone went home.¡± I stopped to process his words, confusion on my face. ¡°Yes, you can head to Hen¡¯s Hollow for the celebration. I will be there with Wynna at Ennet¡¯s house anyway.¡± I missed my parents and sister, so this was great news. ¡°Also, Wynna and Ennet are headed to the capital tomorrow. They need to do paperwork, as their old residence has finally been sold. We were just discussing that you may want them to pick up gifts for your friends or family.¡± I remembered Callem¡¯s last shopping spree with my coin. To his credit, he¡¯d reimbursed me for everything he had spent. ¡°Is it okay if they use my coins?¡± I asked hesitantly. I moved to sit on the couch opposite the pair, some possibilities opening before me. Wynna explained patiently, ¡°No, I will not use your coins. We¡¯re getting 64 platinum for the old building we owned in the city. I will use those coins, and you can repay me from your¡ªmagic coins.¡± She giggled demurely. ¡°The knowledge that I had sold the house in the capital will make it more feasible for you to add to your balance at the Depository as well.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± I thought briefly, getting excited about increasing spending power. But what should I get my friends? It only took me a moment to think of something, as Gareth¡¯s big mouth was always wishing he had this or that. ¡°Can you get me three¡ªno, four potion belts, each with six potion slots each? That will cover Gareth, Callem, Father, and Pascal. And get two minor stamina and two minor healing potions for each.¡± Potions were only one to three ounces and came in vials that could be slotted into the belt. ¡°Better make those potions in combat vials,¡± I added. A combat vial was a small glass vial dipped in silver. The silver was engraved with a durability rune. If the vial was properly washed, it could be reused. The stopper on the vials had the potion¡¯s name and its expiration date; the shelf life of potions was usually six months to a year, depending on the skill of the alchemist and his kit. A great alchemist could get their potions to have a shelf life of over ten years, according to Gareth¡¯s research. No such skilled alchemist resided in Skyholme to my knowledge. Gareth had mentioned the combat vials to me more than once from his studies on dungeons. He said there were preservation runes to extend the shelf life of potions as well, but vials could only take one runic inscription. Most delvers preferred the durability rune. Wynna nodded, writing down my request. She added, ¡°I think Cilia would like that as well.¡± Oh, I hadn¡¯t even thought about Cilia and Leda. I nodded. What to get Leda, then? Wynna, reading my mind, smiled as she supplied, ¡°I think Leda would like the spell book Arcane Missile. She mentioned it once when we talked.¡± ¡°Is that a tier 1 spell?¡± I asked, unfamiliar with it. ¡°Yes. It should be seven or eight gold and is fairly common. According to Leda it has great range but minimal impact on its target when it¡¯s first inscribed. After a few evolutions, it can be used well in combat on a skyship.¡± I nodded, knowing she planned to serve as Cilia¡¯s attendant when Cilia was made a captain. ¡°That sounds great. Maybe I should get a spell for Aelyn as well? I was thinking of Shadow Merge or Quick Step? She¡¯s currently working on the obfuscate spell.¡± I waited for Wynna¡¯s wisdom, as it related to a woman¡¯s wants. ¡°Quick Step would be better for her,¡± Callem interjected. ¡°It would help her in combat more. Shadow Merge requires the mage to be stationary, I think.¡± I nodded. ¡°Movement is her strength, and she should maximize it.¡± Wynna frowned, not having the chance to offer her advice. So, who did I have left on my list left? Mother, Freya, Monty, Wynna, and probably Ennet. ¡°Can you get some treats for Monty in the city? Gareth said he saw a few pet stores.¡± ¡°No problem,¡± Wynna said. For Mother¡­ ¡°Can you get a nice set of leather engraving tools for my mother? I don¡¯t know how much they cost, but get something of quality.¡± ¡°I know just the place in the city. It won¡¯t be an issue. What about your sister?¡± ¡°How about some basic textbooks? Hen¡¯s Hollow doesn¡¯t have access to material, and Callem keeps reminding me that the education in the capital is far superior to what we learn out here.¡± Wynna smiled at that, noting it on her sheet. ¡°Perfect! She may not be too happy with you, but it¡¯s a fantastic gift!¡± Her eyes were lively, probably thinking about Freya¡¯s response. ¡°Then you should probably get her some candy too. I¡¯ll give that to her after she opens the books,¡± I said, chuckling to myself. ¡°For you and Ennet, how about some wine? I don¡¯t know what to get you two, but I count you as friends and owe you a lot.¡± ¡°That would be perfect as well, Storme. There are two vintages I have wanted to try from the lowlands. My friends in the capital said a shipment just came in.¡± Wynna and Callem both looked happy that I hadn¡¯t forgotten the two master readers. I headed downstairs, disappointed that there still had been no mention of the mithril. I would not lose this battle of patience. In the basement, I opened my dimensional space for the first time, making the doorway the size of a normal door. First, I checked the edges. They were not sharp, but firm and slightly elastic. I knew the door couldn¡¯t close if an object were wedged in the archway. If there was an object stuck halfway, it would be expelled outside the doorway so it could close. Inside was¡ªdark. The interior sides of the space were all matte black. Evolutions could change that, but that would be a waste. I was still contemplating the fact that this space was essentially inside my aether core. So, the paradox of having my aether core inside me and being able to enter the space was still perplexing to me. There were two paragraphs in the spell book explaining how it was possible, but I didn¡¯t grasp the logic. There were so many evolutions that I wanted for this spell form. There was the basic expansion of the space that allowed the box to increase two feet in any direction, but right now, the space was large enough for me. One evolution that I wanted to learn was the material exchange ability. This allowed me to put things into the space by touching them. I could also remove things from the space without having to open the door. I needed a single point of reference when the evolution occurred, typically either the right or left hand. I walked out of the space. I had a semi-cheat I was eager to try. The spell cost about forty aether units to cast. This was much higher than a typical tier 3 spell. Tier 3 spells typically cost about four aether units to cast. After it was cast, the dimensional space reduced a mage¡¯s aether pool by four available aether units. If you canceled the spell you got that aether back. Items within the space would be expelled back into the world. The book clearly noted that canceling the spell and a mage dying were two different events, though. When a mage died, their aether core collapsed, meaning everything that was stored in their aether dimensional storage disappeared as well. Well, my cheat was to cancel and recast the spell until I ran out of aether to try and level it up. It was one of the suggested methods in the spell book. It took five castings to get to level 2 and about fifteen more to get to level 3. The eight hundred aether was less than 60% of my total aether. A normal mage might need a few days to accomplish this, but I was an aether juggernaut! It was a weird feeling as I canceled the spell. Some slight heartburn with a gust of wind in the basement as the air in the space was expelled. Nothing detrimental happened, so I continued. I found I needed to wait about a minute between castings, because my aetheric heartburn got super intense as the dimensional space dispersed. That had not been noted in the book! Maybe most mages who learned the spell already had their aether core fully formed, though. It took four castings, and I was able to evolve the spell to get the exchange property. I chose my left hand as the point of reference since I was left-handed. Fourteen more castings, and the spell hit level 3, so I focused on my next evolution. I chose stasis. It made items within the space age at one-tenth of their normal speed. This would allow me to store cooking ingredients. I could evolve this aspect again to slow aging to one hundredth with the next evolution. And yes, this was an excellent cheat to extend the shelf life of potions as well. Many alchemists and herbalists learned the spell just for this reason. Aelyn¡¯s pocket space spell only slowed aging by half with her first similar evolution, so this tier 3 version of the spell and its evolution was much more powerful. The one negative¡ªor maybe positive¡ªwas that the dimensional space could not be closed with a person inside it. Well, a person or being that had an aetheric core, anyway. I couldn¡¯t use the exchange ability to bypass this either, so no zapping enemies into my storage. Small insects were not an issue with no aetheric core, but a mouse sneaking in? The mouse needed to be found, expelled, or killed to close the doorway.Enjoying this book? Seek out the original to ensure the author gets credit. Since the space was essentially part of the mage, finding the living creature preventing the door from closing was fairly easy. There was a track of using evolutions for the mage to hide within his own personal space detailed in the spellbook. It would take up six spell evolutions, but I was not planning to make that investment. Other evolutions I planned to add were air recycling and temperature control. If I was going to put organic material in the space, I needed to keep the air clean. Temperature control may not be needed unless we were hiking in a desert and needed a cool place to recover, or perhaps we were on a glacier and needed somewhere warm to retreat to. There was a parade of footsteps upstairs. Everyone was here for dinner. It was usually plated and ready to eat when they arrived, but I had gotten distracted and hadn¡¯t prepared anything. Well, they would have to wait a few minutes. I looked at my space before closing the door. I definitely needed shelving like Sebastian¡¯s to organize my things. I went upstairs, and everyone was dumbfounded, clearly wondering where the food was. ¡°Hold your stomachs. I¡¯ll get dinner out soon. Wynna is going to go shopping in the capital, so if you need anything, ask her.¡± That started a flurry of activity. Everyone crowded Wynna, and the conversation was going full force as Callem revealed we would be free to go home for the festival and that our group would be exchanging gifts before everyone left. I tossed two large salads with dressing. Wynna had made the fettuccini fresh this morning, so it cooked quickly on the stove. I brought the alfredo sauce to temperature slowly, as it would burn if I heated it too quickly. Soon, I was plating piles of noodles and cheese sauce. Callem told everyone to stop their bantering, and Wynna had them go and eat. Callem went downstairs to retrieve two large pitchers of fruit juice, muttering that he was running low. The conversation at dinner was animated. Everyone wanted gifts from the city and to talk with Wynna privately to keep it a surprise. Wynna, for her part, was already taking notes, which included everything I had mentioned earlier. I wondered if I could get Wynna to get me some shelves for my dimensional space. I thought about what I would need before asking her. I would need two shelves ten feet long and fairly deep, at least two feet. With a shelf every two feet, that would be five shelves on side. They also should be heavy-duty. Oh, and I wanted some book ends. No, maybe a specialized bookshelf for the third wall. That shelf wouldn¡¯t need to be as deep, just 18 inches, to hold only books. I would have to wait, though. Wynna¡¯s appointment calendar was full after dinner, so Callem canceled class this evening. I got the last appointment after Aelyn, who, at Wynna¡¯s urging, was also meeting her. Back in the bunkhouse, I got everything packed. I planned to bring all my possessions into my storage. Aelyn returned from doing dishes, and at first, she was upset at seeing me packing my belongings. She thought I was preparing to move back to Gareth¡¯s side of the bunkhouse, but quickly calmed when I explained about my storage space. ¡°Do you want the obfuscate spell back?¡± she asked. ¡°Keep it till you learn to imprint it,¡± I told her with a reassuring smile. We spent the next hour talking about the obfuscate spell, how I had found it useful, and how to manipulate the spell evolutions once she imprinted it. She was called in to see Wynna when Leda returned from her session, so I was alone. I needed to choose my next spell. It was going to be either the alarm or the aether shield spell¡ªor maybe lightning reflexes? But lightning reflexes was a tier 4 spell, and I had struggled with a tier 3 spell. I needed more practice with simpler spells. I decided on alarm as it shouldn¡¯t take too long to imprint. It would be the only book left on the shelf after tomorrow when I moved all my possessions to my space. Twenty minutes later, I was called in to see Wynna as Aelyn returned. She was alone on the couch and had a leaflet of notes. ¡°So, Storme, have you considered other things you need from the city?¡± She smiled tiredly. ¡°Oh, don¡¯t worry about me, Storme. I will have runners in the city get most of these things. I already planned to hire a skyship to move my furnishings to Hen¡¯s Hollow, so transport is not an issue.¡± My eyes lit up at the last bit. ¡°Wynna, Callem already has a list of the rarer cooking ingredients I need, but I was hoping to get some shelving.¡± I dove into describing what I wanted and she nodded along, taking notes. ¡°There¡¯s an excellent carpenter with a large warehouse in the lower city. I should be able to find what you need there. It may not be to your exact size requirements, but it should be close. So three shelf units for your dimensional space that measures ten square feet?¡± I nodded. ¡°That will be an impressive space when you imprint it, Storme. I have seen smaller dimensional spaces, and they¡¯re incredibly convenient. Is there anything else you will need for your space? A chair? A desk?¡± I broke the news with a grin. ¡°Oh, I imprinted the spell already, I just need to furnish it.¡± Wynna looked up, and I was happy to see her disbelief. Callem came out of the bathroom, obviously having heard. ¡°Really?¡± he asked. I nodded. ¡°At your age¡ªa tier 3 spell, right?¡± I nodded again. His jaw was slack as he evaluated me. ¡°That is amazing.¡± They both congratulated the remarkable achievement. I mean, I had earned it with all my work, but it still felt good to receive the praise. We returned to my shopping list to furnish my new space. I started by detailing the three shelves I wanted for each of the walls and then continued, ¡°And large light stones, twelve in total, I think. And a comfy reading chair¡ªand a small desk, maybe two by four feet. Ten small casks of water, too. Best to have water on hand if needed. I will add food stores in time.¡± Wynna¡¯s eyes widened as I expanded my list. I thought it best to stop there and not burden her too much. I thanked her for helping and went to my loft in the bunkhouse, where Aelyn was already asleep. The next day at breakfast, everyone was lively. Wynna was leaving right after the meal, and everyone had a few additions to their lists. I added four casks of apple-pear wine myself. It had very little alcohol and was generally considered a kid¡¯s drink, but I liked it. A small cask held roughly four gallons, so that would last me a while. I told Wynna to add ten mugs to my list too, which earned me some odd stares from everyone. I had yet to reveal my space to the group yet. After stretching that morning, I moved everything from my loft to my space, with the exception of my bedding and the alarm spellbook. I would move it out in the morning and repeatedly cast the spell to raise the level as much as possible before Wynna returned, and then once I added the shelving, I would move everything inside permanently. I returned Leda¡¯s enchanting primers to her bed and noticed her sheets smelled like lilacs. She was working on her cleanliness spell. I picked up the cleanliness spell book to add to my other things. She had mentioned she was finished with it but just hadn¡¯t found the energy to walk it over to my loft. I was making pizza tonight and trying out some new toppings, with seven different pizzas being prepared. Each person had their preferred toppings. I wasn¡¯t the only one distracted as training progressed. Apparently, everyone was thinking about the gifts they had gotten for others and what everyone might get them in return. Callem started to get frustrated at the lack of focus and made us run the obstacle course. The winner would get to decide the topic for lessons tonight. Without Wynna here, Callem would most likely just turn it into a discussion. He would start us at intervals, a stupid suggestion I had made. We would start in reverse order of our best times. If we all ran our best time, then we would finish at the same time. The start model gave a lively run of the course, but I hated it when Gareth started behind me. He always gave me a little extra shove when he passed me, and yes, he always passed me. Leda started first, then Cilia, then me, then Aelyn, and finally Gareth. I decided I wanted to win today, so I took risks, jumping off twelve-foot walls and rolling down cargo netting instead of climbing. I thought I won with just a fifty-foot climb up a ladder, a fire pole descent, and a short sprint to the line. But then Aelyn was on me during the climb, and just as I was about to reach the top, she pulled even. She gave me a cheeky grin as she passed me. Gareth somehow also swung up onto the platform right after her, passing me as well. They were human squirrels. Aelyn was on the fireman¡¯s pole first, but Gareth was right on top. Somehow, his descent was faster, and he landed on her at the bottom and sprinted the twenty yards to Callem for the win. Dumbstruck, I helped Aelyn up when I got to the bottom and we hobbled to the finish together. The others stumbled in after us. Callem said, ¡°Excellent! You all improved on your best time!¡± He looked at me. ¡°Three times in this start order, and three times you all improved!¡± I didn¡¯t like the tone of his voice. It was one of excitement, like a kid with a new toy¡ªa toy I had given him. Gareth had recovered enough to speak. ¡°Dungeons!¡± he yelled hoarsely. ¡°Tonight, we will all talk about dungeons!¡± We all moaned. It was inevitable, and it was probably why everyone had pushed hard today. Gareth only wanted to talk about dungeons. After dinner, with everyone clean and healed, we settled in for the discussion. Leda sat crossed-legged in a loose shirt. Her bust was visible, and Gareth¡¯s eyes kept getting drawn back to it. She was teasing him, and the only thing I could do was ignore it. Callem started, ¡°Okay, Gareth, so what are we going to talk about regarding dungeons tonight?¡± Gareth sat up and said, ¡°Instance dungeons. They were in the new book that you got for me. They¡¯re rare and interesting. From what I read, they¡¯re mostly found in young dungeons. They allow multiple groups inside at once, each group experiencing a different dungeon. Similar but not exactly the same terrain,¡± he said in a rush. Callem looked a little aggrieved. ¡°Ah, instance dungeons.¡± Callem hesitated and then continued. ¡°Let me tell you the story of my son, Gylan.¡± He got up and got a bottle of wine, poured himself a glass, sat down, and resumed. ¡°Gylan was an energetic boy. From the time he could walk, he never stopped moving. As he grew, he made friends, many friends. They got it into their heads that they would be dungeon divers. I supported him. I trained him. He finished third or fourth in the Annuals every year, and attended the Dungeon Academy.¡± Callem sighed as his reminisced. ¡°He was the top swordsman at the Academy. But there were twin boys from the Torrent family enrolled at the Naval Academy. They were exceptional lads in their own right and had advantages in terms of abilities. But I digress. Gylan and his friends were all at the top of their class in the Dungeon Academy and, on graduating, started their own delving company. They were very successful in the dungeons on Skyholme, but soon wanted new challenges. They got a transport to the lowlands and settled in an Adventurer¡¯s Guild town.¡± Callem sipped his wine as he paused the story. ¡°An Adventure¡¯s Guild town is a town that is usually remote and outside the influence of a kingdom, but has access to multiple dungeons nearby. The town was called Hero¡¯s Rest, if I remember correctly. It was adjacent to an instance dungeon, which allowed up to 23 groups to enter at a time. Gylan¡¯s group was there for over a year, running that dungeon and others nearby, amassing fame and wealth. They did extremely well, and we talked every few days using stones.¡± Callem¡¯s eyes drifted to a communication stone on the mantle. He continued more morosely, ¡°They were getting ready to move to a big city with a more challenging dungeon. I didn¡¯t hear from Gylan for weeks, and I was getting worried, so I went to the town of Hero¡¯s Rest myself.¡± Callem finished the cup and refilled it. We all listened in rapt attention. ¡°The instance dungeon had evolved suddenly, not giving the groups time to exit. Seventeen dungeon diver teams were inside at the time; Gylan¡¯s group was one of them. Of the ninety-eight men and women, only six made it out alive, one of whom was from Gylan¡¯s team. She was shell-shocked when I found her in the tavern. She told me the horrors of being inside during the transition. The Adventurer¡¯s Guild said the turmoil was mostly due to the instance of the dungeon transitioning to a regular dungeon, with just one instance instead of 23 separate instances. The Adventurer¡¯s Guild was less concerned with those who had been lost and more focused on mapping the newly tiered-up dungeon. So, no matter how well you are prepared, dungeons are unpredictable.¡± Callem stopped, and I hoped this might dissuade Gareth from delving, as was Callem¡¯s intention. After a few minutes of awkward silence, Gareth spoke, missing the memo. ¡°Callem, dungeons are notoriously difficult but fair. When a dungeon evolves, it conflicts with other dungeons as it tries to expand its footprint within the ley lines. Perhaps some of those adventurers who didn¡¯t return were pushed into other dungeons? It¡¯s extremely rare, but you can travel between dungeons¡­¡± Callem was already shaking his head. ¡°Yes, the Adventurer¡¯s Guild thought that might be a possibility. But¡­¡± He sighed. ¡°In the decades that have passed, not one of those adventurers who perished in that dungeon has returned, not to my knowledge.¡± Gareth persisted. ¡°But Callem, he could have exited anywhere with the Sphere¡­he could have emerged millions of miles away! Or even on one of the 23 moons!¡± Callem shook his head more forcibly. ¡°Hope is a powerful thing, Gareth. I will always have it, but no diviner or magic could locate Gylan.¡± Callem looked hard at Gareth. ¡°I will not try to alter your path. But understand the dangers ahead of you on the path you wish to walk.¡± That message ended the night. We returned to the bunkhouse, and I noticed Gareth at least looked contemplative. Unfortunately, just before I climbed into my bunk, Gareth whispered to me, ¡°We should try to find Callem¡¯s son when we explore the Sphere.¡± Well, I liked that about Gareth: he was an optimist. Chapter 39: Gift Exchange Callem confirmed that we could head to Hen¡¯s Hollow for the festival the next morning. We would get to spend it with our families, which renewed everyone¡¯s excitement after last night¡¯s somber story. The New Year festival was a huge event. Leda decided to go home to spend it with her family in the capital, and Cilia was going with her. They planned to use the transports in Hen¡¯s Hollow, as Sebastian was not coming to retrieve them. The festival lasted five days across Skyholme. The first day was a family event called the Day of Remembrance. This day honored those who had passed during the year and those who had passed before. Usually, people spent time telling stories about those people who had passed. In the evening, people exchanged gifts with friends and loved ones, like Christmas. It was a substitute for not celebrating birthdays. The second day of the festival was the Day of Celebration of the past year¡¯s events. The town commons in Hen¡¯s Hollow got extremely lively on this day. It was a big social event with dances, food, alcohol, games, and plays. The third day celebrated the coming year and was a continuation of the previous day¡¯s partying. There were large groups singing together in the streets, and lots of drinking. Usually, some type of illusionary fireworks display happened in the darkest part of the evening. Well, our little town usually hired a lesser mage for illusionary fireworks every year. In the cities, there were actual fireworks to accompany large illusions in the sky. The fourth day of the festival included a morning meal, which was supposed to be spent with loved ones or someone you were courting. That was the last event of the festival. The rest of the fourth day was ¡°clean up,¡± and the fifth day was the Day of Recovery from partying so hard to get ready to return to work. I was looking forward to the festival, and to seeing Freya and my family. Training progressed slowly as we all anticipated Wynna¡¯s return. We were not disappointed as a modest-sized transport skyship landed in the practice yard. It was not a beautiful ship like the Wind Splitter; it was a clunky, boxy thing, but functional. It didn¡¯t glide gracefully and was constantly making adjustments to its approach. There was an open upper deck, and Wynna and Ennet were on it, waving to us as it landed. After the ship landed, Wynna hugged and kissed Callem and then directed the unloading of the cargo. Lots of furniture and crates came out of the hold. The shelves Wynna got me were beautiful. She said they were made of a hard white maple from a dungeon. They were molded by spell magic and had an organic look to them, with some elegant curves. There were three shelves, and they were all the same size. The wood was white with thin black growth lines, like a zebra. The size was off, though. The shelves were all nine feet long, there were six shelves on each unit, and the depth of them was about 22 inches. The top shelf was just over seven feet in height. So, unfortunately, they would not all fit if one went on each of the three sides¡­unless I expanded the space. A beautiful desk made of the same wood came off the transport next. It was large, three by six feet, and it was in an office-style with drawers and everything. Not something I¡¯d requested. Then a chair came; it was a swivel rocker made of the same wood and padded with dark brown leather. Wynna came over to me. ¡°Sorry, Storme, I couldn¡¯t break up the set. There¡¯s a large bed, armoire, two burrows, and two blanket chests too. It was made for a young Bricio¡¯s apartment but he couldn''t pay the furniture maker.¡± I watched as the men from the ship unloaded everything and brought it to the basement. ¡°Thank you, Wynna. The wood and craftsmanship are beyond extraordinary. It¡¯s perfect,¡± I said. It wasn¡¯t a lie. I went to the basement while everyone else was upstairs picking through their haul from Wynna. She had packed everyone¡¯s requests in individual crates with their names on them. I could jam all this furniture into my space. The bed, at least, was just the frame. The wood was dense, which made it incredibly heavy. I would need help getting everything into my space. Fortunately, Callem came down the stairs, anticipating that his aid would be needed. ¡°We have forty or so minutes before we need to head back up. Let¡¯s get everything into your storage space.¡± With that, I opened the space with a full ten-foot door. Callem nodded, impressed, then helped me cram everything inside. We lined up the three shelves to the right. I really only needed access to one shelf currently. We packed and stacked everything else, starting at the back of the space. The desk and chair were the last items put inside. When we finished, I had just enough room to access one shelf and utilize the desk and chair. I still needed the casks of water and wine, but I could wait to bring them in. I closed the portal and smiled. The space was like a hoarder¡¯s storage closet, but I had made progress in my plans for the spell. I went upstairs with Callem and found the skyship gone. It was headed to Hen¡¯s Hollow to unload the rest of the cargo to Ennet¡¯s house. There were stacks of things still in the practice yard, so Callem clapped his hands and started directing us. We were going to be getting a workout out of this. Gareth got the job of bringing my casks to the basement, and I had to slide crates inside the house with Cilia. One crate was labeled with my name. I checked inside to find the gifts I had gotten everyone. It took a few hours to get everything where Wynna wanted it. The guest room was now packed with furniture and crates. Wynna tried to convince Callem to expand the house to include two more bedrooms for all her things, which was our cue to leave. There was a lot of excitement in the bunkhouse as we thought about the crates with our names on them. What had everyone else gotten me? I was looking forward to finding out tomorrow after dinner. We got a short break before weapons training. Callem had us back on axes and throwing daggers today; we were supposed to wear them in town during the festival for protection. After dinner, Wynna canceled the discussion so she could unpack. This gave me time to study the alarm spell. I also went to the basement and loaded my casks onto the shelves in my storage space. I put down some old clothes to protect the shelves, worried I might damage the beautiful wood, but it was probably not necessary. Back in my loft, I reread some of the notes in the spell book for dimensional closet. One note near the end of the book said a dimensional closet cast before an aether core fully matured would expand in conjunction with the core. I had not thought too much of the note, as it said the space would only expand around 6% in volume if cast within a year of the core awakening. This was not a huge increase, but there was no mention of whether an aether core ability could affect that percentage. Would my tier 4 ability, greater aether core, affect the space? Recasting the spell over and over to increase the level might be a bad thing, as it would be resetting the space. I could now think of it as a seed in my aether space that could grow. With a tier 4 enhanced core, would the percentage be a 24% volume increase? Or if it held that each tier was three times as powerful as the last, could the multiple be 81 times? That would mean a possible expansion of the space by 486%! The spellbook note mentioned it was a volumetric expansion, not linear. So that would be 1,000 cubic feet to start, ending with 4,860 cubic feet at most. I got out a pencil and paper and did some math. That would make the new space about a 16.5-foot box. Well, I hoped that would be the case. I could check on the shelves and see if they got further from the walls as my core matured to confirm my hypothesis. I didn¡¯t study much before going to sleep. Everyone else was going through their crates in secret. I did think that I should be able to imprint the alarm spell shortly after the festival. Breakfast in the morning was lively, with everyone teasing everyone about what they might have gotten them. The big reveal would be tomorrow night. The day after, we would be heading to Hen¡¯s Hollow. The banter continued through stretching but I was quiet, anticipating practicing with my dimensional space. I prepared a simple marinade for chicken thighs, breasts, and wings. Tonight, I would grill them and cook some long-grain rice with diced vegetables to accompany them. The preparation took about thirty minutes, giving me about ninety minutes to experiment in the basement. While Wynna was getting lunch ready, I started her on some chocolate eclairs for dessert. She was a good baker but still not a great cook. Still, she was making some progress. In the basement, I opened the space and looked closely at the wall and shelf. About one finger width separated them¡­but had the shelf been flush to the wall last night when we brought it in? I muscled the shelf against the wall after taking the casks off it, then replaced the casks and closed the doorway. Then it was time to practice the exchange ability for the spell. I started with my dragon bone dice, from which I got some insights. When I had an item appear, it was oriented as it was in the space. I learned this by studying the pips on the dice as I pulled them from my space a few times. This meant I would need to ensure any weapons would have their hilts oriented toward me when I stored them in the space. Putting objects in the space was easier than I thought. I had a quick flash in my mind of the space and could place the object anywhere inside where it would fit. Apparently, gravity didn¡¯t take hold until the doorway was opened. I realized that I hadn¡¯t needed Callem¡¯s help yesterday to get everything inside, as I could have used this aspect of the spell to do so. Next, I tried removing one of the shelves from the space and found I needed to have an area available for the shelf to appear that had only air. The shelf made a small pop when it appeared. It also drew some aether from my core, which surprised me as the evolution did not say the ability required aether to use. Apparently, the dice drew so little aether I hadn¡¯t even noticed. The mass of the object exchanged influenced how much aether was required. To measure the aether, I began moving the shelf back and forth. My best estimate was that it took 17 exchanges of the shelf to consume one estimated unit of aether. The shelf unit weighed approximately three hundred pounds, by my estimate. Therefore, one aether could move five thousand pounds. I then spent time rearranging the space using the exchange ability. I felt for the leveling progress of the spell, and yes, it had progressed maybe a fifth of the way toward level 4. This was fantastic! I could level the spell by using the exchange ability and wouldn¡¯t need to recast it! I went upstairs and checked on Wynna. I helped her finish the eclairs. As I was filling the eclairs, I wondered if I could fill the dimensional space directly with the metal I created, essentially making the metal within my dimensional space. It took a lot of focus on my part, but I succeeded. I could now empty my aether core at night by making coins directly into my dimensional closet! As was typical, my mind was churning over other thoughts during the day¡¯s training. I isolated myself from everyone and focusing on making gold coins on the shelves in my space one at a time. As the day progressed, I found I had mastered the skill and could make the coins as easily into the space as outside it. At dinner, I grilled the chicken and cooked the rice and vegetables. It wasn¡¯t my best effort, but everyone enjoyed it, and the eclairs even more. The eclairs seemed to be Leda¡¯s new favorite food, and she had cream and chocolate icing covering her lips and cheeks. I got some free time while everyone washed dishes, where I checked my crate to make sure all my gifts were there. Each was wrapped in a white cloth. I rearranged everything inside the crate for ease of access for tomorrow night. Callem led tonight¡¯s discussion. The ninety-minute session revolved around recognizing people who may be watching you. It was actually pretty interesting, and we all asked questions as the session progressed. After the session, I immediately used my cleanliness spell and climbed into my loft. I was studying the alarm spell when Aelyn climbed into her bed. ¡°I don¡¯t think I want to go into town for the festivities,¡± she said. She obviously either wanted to ask me to ask ¡°why¡± or just wanted some attention. After a few minutes of thought, I asked, ¡°Aelyn, are you worried about the brand?¡± She didn¡¯t respond immediately. I returned to studying, and then she interrupted me again. ¡°Yes. It just doesn¡¯t feel right. And I only know you and Gareth. It would be awkward for me to be celebrating.¡± Okay, I figured she wanted me to push her one way or the other. I didn¡¯t wait long before saying, ¡°I¡¯m sorry to hear that. Either Gareth¡¯s family or mine would welcome you if you came. I¡¯m sure Pascal and Freya told our parents about you. If you reconsider, just let me know.¡± I waited for a while before returning to studying. She didn¡¯t say anything else before I went to sleep. The next day, Callem was particularly strict with us. Stretching involved constant corrections under his watchful gaze. I was close to achieving a full split, but Callem pushed me beyond my comfort zone by pressing firmly down on my shoulder. I wasn¡¯t the only one affected. Callem remarked that everyone¡¯s focus was drifting, and when that occurred, you would be unprepared to respond in battle. So today, whenever anyone lost focus, everyone would face the consequences. As the day progressed, Callem found people who were wandering in their focus and punished us as a group. At least he didn¡¯t pick on Leda and me exclusively. It was a painful day all around. After dinner, we had an hour before the gift exchange. The exchange would take place in the farmhouse, so we gathered our gifts and went to the couches at the appointed time. Callem started. He had a book for everyone. Gareth¡¯s was about dungeons, of course: Surviving Your First Delve. My book was about weapon runic inscriptions: Bran¡¯s Guide to Selecting and Inscribing Basic Weapon Runes. It was extremely thick, and I missed what other books were handed out as I paged through it. Wynna was next. She gave each of us an enchanted light stone. The stones were similar to the one I had recently purchased, but had a wider range of brightness and a longer life after recharging. They were made with tier 5 aether dust, according to the note in the wooden boxes they came in. Leda whispered that they were extremely expensive. We were all playing with the stones when Callem asked who was next, and Leda jumped in. Leda gave Gareth another book on dungeons. It was a guidebook to the two local dungeons near Aegis City on Titan¡¯s Shield. She gave Aelyn an enchanted bracelet, but I didn¡¯t catch what it did as she whispered it to Aelyn. She handed Cilia a pair of boots, which I assumed were also enchanted besides being ¡°stylish.¡± The benefits of having a family in the business of enchanting. My gift was a massive tome. It was was volumes I, II, and III of The Basics of Runic Enchanting bound into a single book. Leda explained that the tome included all the basics for connecting basic primer runes in enchanting. She also said I could keep her books on the primers I had borrowed. I was ecstatic about her gift. If I ever had time to practice enchanting, I would at least have the references I needed to experiment. Cilia was next, and she had stylish outfits for everyone. Her uncle was apparently a famous tailor in the capital. I pretended excitement but knew I would probably grow out of the outfit quickly, as I was in the middle of a growth spurt. Well, I could wear it to the festival at least. Callem brought out some of the red juice, the remaining eclairs, and some cookies. With three of us left, Gareth went next. Gareth got each of the girls leather armor, just the upper body. As they tried out the armor, I thought they fit the girls¡¯ curves a little too well. The leather cuirasses were made by Master Aldrich, so they were high quality, but I still wondered how Gareth relayed the girl¡¯s dimensions so accurately; maybe Wynna had helped? Callem was next, and Gareth got him a large case of spices. Every hot spice you could imagine. His gift for Wynna was a heavy blanket throw, made by a popular quilter in the Hen¡¯s Hollow. I was up next and excited to see what had my best friend gotten me. ¡­Two pairs of underwear and socks. I acted excited, and Gareth said they were the same underwear he had been bragging about for months. When I asked him if these were the ones he had worn, he flushed red and insisted they were not. He had another gift for me: a very nice dark green cloak. It matched the one he had worn when it was raining. Essentially, Gareth had used my coin to buy my gifts on his trip. I appreciated the green cloak; it was a fine gift. It was my turn next. Before I could present my gifts, Callem presented everyone with the axes and throwing daggers I had made. The throwing daggers were the size and weight that each person preferred during practice. He then brought out the other weapons I had made for everyone. Everyone knew these gifts were coming, but they were still delighted. Cilia and Leda were not aware I had made them, and thought Callem procured them. Callem reminded everyone not to flash these weapons around, as the quality was exceptional and it may attract unwanted attention. After the excitement died down, I got to give out my gifts. Yes, everyone was getting more from me. I started with Ennet and Wynna¡¯s wine, six bottles. She smiled and thanked me, as she had selected the vintages herself. Next up were the potion belts with the potions. I read the labels while passing them out, and noticed Wynna had gotten the intermediate brews inside of the minor ones. I didn¡¯t think Callem would ever wear his belt, but I planned to make him some blades early in the new year, so this would do for now. Gareth was probably the happiest of all, professing it was exactly what a delver needed. His excitement was elevated when he noticed the vials were the hardened runic vials that adventurers used. The next gift I produced was for Leda. It was the spell book for Arcane Missile, and she was thrilled. The last gift I had was for Aelyn, and it was another spell book. She turned in her seat and hugged me. This prompted Leda to get up and do the same. Gareth then jumped up and hugged me as well, laughing the entire time, but Aelyn and Leda had retreated away from me so he couldn¡¯t dog pile us together, which was what I suspected was his goal. The gift exchange was a big success, and everyone was happy as we headed off to bed. I went to the cellar and put all my gifts into my space. Tomorrow, I would get to see my family and hopefully have a few days off from the rigors of training. I planned to mentally relax and enjoy myself. No spells, stretching, obstacle courses, sword training, or enchanting. ? Copyrighted 2024, 2025 by AlwaysRollsAOne No Permission is given to translate, copy, repost or alter to an audio format of this original work of fiction. If you are reading this on a site that is not my Patreon, RoyalRoad.com, or Scribblehub.com, it has been stolen without my permission and violates DMCA. Remember, this work is the result of my creative effort and is protected by copyright law. Removal or altering of this notification is an acknowledgment you are aware you are in violation of DMCA. Chapters 40 and 41 Chapter 40: End of the Year Festival Before breakfast, we were all getting dressed in the clothes Cilia had gifted us, except for Gareth, who was trying to squeeze into the outfit he had gotten during his trip to the capital. He had already outgrown the expensive clothes. He was not happy, but all of us were laughing quietly at his vulgarities and how tight the clothes were on his frame. Eventually, he gave up and tossed the clothes down from the loft. ¡°Stormy, I¡¯ve outgrown these boys¡¯ clothes. You can have them.¡± He dressed in the clothes Cilia got him, which fit perfectly, much to his annoyance. At breakfast, Gareth¡¯s excitement returned. He planned to seek out Brianne to spend the festivities with her. He thought his new physique, a well-muscled six foot three frame, would impress her. I didn¡¯t have the heart to tell him that she might be taken already. Aelyn still didn¡¯t want to go into town, but I asked her twice at breakfast, and she said yes the second time, shocking me. I was asking to be nice, but mustered a genuine smile. I guessed she could sleep in my old room, and I would sleep on the old couch in the shed. Introducing her to my mother and father would be tricky, but hopefully Freya and Pascal had smoothed the road already. After the festival¡¯s first day, I would be alone with Aelyn. I figured I would spend the rest of my time fishing and relaxing at the swimming hole near town. Hopefully, Aelyn would be up for that. I planned to do no stretching or exercising whatsoever! I would practice my focus exercises because those required no movement. I was going to leave the alarm spellbook behind as well to give my mind a break. This was going to be a vacation for me, both physically and mentally. Callem and Wynna would be spending the holiday with Ennet in Hen¡¯s Hollow. Callem told us to find him there if we needed him. He reminded me that I was not allowed to go into the city and to just enjoy the festival in Hen¡¯s Hollow. The city would have grander celebrations, but the New Year was a family and friends affair. I knew I should just be happy to be away from Callem¡¯s endless exercises and intense supervision for a few days. I reminded myself not to go anywhere near Ennet¡¯s house. I dug out the six bottles of wine for Ennet from my pack and handed them to Callem to pass along. That way, I would save myself a trip. Breakfast was sausage, egg, and cheese sandwiches. We really had gotten too many chickens, and it seemed like every meal now included eggs. At least it was a versatile ingredient. I wanted to use my next evolution on my personal dimensional space to extend the stasis effect, and then I could store the excess eggs there. The second evolution would increase it to a hundred to one time differential, but when the entry was open, time would pass normally. We headed out for Hen¡¯s Hollow right after breakfast. It was still quite early; most likely, I would get to town before my family finished breakfast. We walked Celia and Leda to the skyship dock on the edge of town and said our goodbyes. I headed to my house with Aelyn, while Gareth went to his parent¡¯s house. I had a large backpack with my gifts. Monty was the first to greet me, running from the overgrown side yard and tackling me. He was one big puppy, easily over a hundred pounds now, and very fluffy. His fur had hundreds of seeds stuck in it. I would have to talk to Freya about grooming him more often. I wrestled with him while Aelyn watched, and I even caught her smiling. I was surprised at how strong the pup was, and he won, getting victory licks on my face. Freya came running out of the house and tackled me. ¡°Storme! Father said you might come! It¡¯s been forever since I¡¯ve seen you. I missed you! I have so much to tell you. Gwen and I are friends! Bet you can¡¯t believe that! Well, she sort of works for me. I have another five other kids in town running for me as well! My courier business has been doing really well!¡± She was already out of breath. ¡°Slow down, Freya. We¡¯ll have all day to catch up!¡± I said, glad she was doing well. ¡°Are we going to give gifts in the morning or after dinner?¡± I asked her after she broke her fierce hug. She noticed Aelyn for the first time. ¡°Aelyn!¡± She ran and hugged the stunned young woman. ¡°I told Mother and Father all about you! They¡¯ll want to meet you!¡± Freya started pulling the stunned half-elf towards the house. ¡°Gifts are tonight,¡± she yelled back at me. ¡°I hope you got me something awesome!¡± We all walked into the house while Monty circled us, his tail wagging enthusiastically. Once inside, Mother ambushed me with a hug of her own. They were cleaning up breakfast, so I moved to break the hug and snag some breakfast rolls. Father spoke first. ¡°Are you Aelyn? You¡¯re welcome at our table for the festivities! Freya told us all about Storme¡¯s little harem!¡± My mother whacked my father on the head with a dirty wooden spoon. ¡°I mean, all about his female friends,¡± he corrected himself. Slightly abashed, he asked me, ¡°When are we going to see your wizardry?¡± He was all smiles. ¡°Maybe we can spar later, and you can show me your sword skills, too?¡± Father was in a great mood, apparently. I didn¡¯t want to do any work on my short vacation, though. ¡°Father, next time I visit, I promise to engage you in some swordplay. I¡¯m under orders to get some rest.¡± His disappointment was written on his face. ¡°How about some magic? Mother, I can remove those scars on your arms.¡± This caught everyone off guard, and soon, I was removing scars from everyone. Father had the most, nearly thirty scars all over his body from a lifetime of combat practice. With the magic display finally done, we sat at the table. Mother said, ¡°Storme, I¡¯m sorry, but it will take time to prepare your room. We¡¯ve been storing things in there and never bought another mattress.¡± She gave my father a cross look. My guess was that she had suggested many times that he get another mattress, and he¡¯d declined. ¡°No matter. Aelyn and I can always stay at the pub. Don¡¯t worry, Mother. I¡¯ll spend the entire day with you here.¡± I waved off her concern as best I could. The pub wasn¡¯t an inn but had small rooms for rent upstairs. With the city so close, Hen¡¯s Hollow had no need for a real inn. ¡°Can I stay with Storme and Aelyn?¡± Freya blurted out, her pleading eyes already on our parents. ¡°No, Freya, they don¡¯t allow dogs,¡± I said before she could worm her way into staying with me. ¡°And the beds are tiny there.¡± Freya had a petulant look on her face and slunk down in her chair at the rejection. I wasn¡¯t going to give in, though. I wanted some peace and quiet when I slept. ¡°So, Storme, Pascal says you¡¯re going to the Adventurer¡¯s Academy together in the capital?¡± Mother asked. I froze, a bun halfway to my mouth. Aelyn gave me an amused look. I directed my gaze to Pascal with a cocked eyebrow. He wore a guilty expression. ¡°Sorry, Storme. Gareth told me he was going to convince you to attend the Adventurer¡¯s Academy.¡± Well, that was news to me. Gareth hadn¡¯t mentioned anything; he was probably coming up with some plot to convince me. At least Pascal¡¯s loose lips would give me time to counter him. I had no intention of risking my life for others or fame. ¡°I haven¡¯t decided where to attend just yet. The Adventurer¡¯s Academy is just a possibility,¡± I deflected. ¡°I still have two years before I enter the first-year Academy in Hen¡¯s Hollow, and then a year at that Academy before deciding which advanced Academy to attend. Callem and Wynna have already offered to sponsor Gareth and me wherever we choose to attend.¡± Well, I¡¯d planted that seed now and removed any financial burden from them. Also, with our affluent sponsors, my wealth wouldn¡¯t be as much of a shock to others. The conversation progressed to get me caught up on my family. Father had been promoted and was in charge of the other six men at the single skyship dock in town. It meant he traveled more often on the transport runs, doing four a week instead of one, but the pay raise made it worth it. Mother had failed to pass her master¡¯s test but griped that it was political, as the city leather cutters guild voted heavily for their cutters over the cutters from the surrounding towns. Freya was building a business empire. She was making over two silvers every week, and most of the kids in town worked for her. Pascal was now the best swordsman attending the first year Academy in town, which started next week. He was doing his best to teach others what he had learned at the farm. Monty was the favorite dog in town, and just as I had thought, he was getting scraps from numerous people, which was probably helping him grow at a prodigious rate. I told them about my spells. They were very impressed when I demonstrated the cleanliness spell, so I felt I didn¡¯t need to reveal my other two spells. I answered a few questions about my magic, and then my mother said, ¡°Tell me about these young women you are training with.¡± She eyed Aelyn, who had been sitting quietly. ¡°Pascal says they all look up to you even though you are much younger than them. Freya says the same.¡± What do you tell your mother when you encounter such a situation? Father had a smirk on his face, Pascal a grin, and Freya a smile. Aelyn had her eyebrow raised in curiosity at what I would say. ¡°They¡¯re fellow students. Nothing more.¡± Aelyn¡¯s face fell . ¡°They¡¯re also my friends,¡± I amended. ¡°I heal them and cook for them,¡± Mother was waiting for more information, glancing between Aelyn and me, hoping one of us would provide a more complete answer. When I didn¡¯t continue, she gave a slight nod like she knew something I didn¡¯t. ¡°Isn¡¯t it time for Remembrance?¡± I asked, trying to push the conversation off me. Remembrance was where we told stories of those who had passed in the previous year and others long before that. This meant Mother and Father told stories of relatives we¡¯d never met or didn¡¯t remember, as they passed when we were young. Father started with stories of our grandfather. He told tales of the man, Jorric, and all the things Jorric taught him. Grandfather was a city guard, and while off duty, he died trying to break up a tavern brawl in the city. Mother and Father alternated, talking about our past relatives. They told the stories as we prepared lunch and long into the afternoon. We heard the same stories every year, but they were still fascinating. Father talked mostly about achievements, while Mother talked about personalities and how they treated others. Before we knew it, dinnertime was upon us, and I was nominated to make the meal. I supervised, and everyone pitched in. A large salad, grilled chicken, and a cheesy potato casserole. Dessert would be chocolate chip cookies fresh out of the oven. The meal was fantastic, tasting much better in present company. After the cookies, Freya was the first to jump up and try to initiate the gift-giving. Since birthdays were usually only recognized up to age 17, Skyholme culture had adopted a New Year gift-giving celebration for everyone. I whispered to Aelyn not to worry about giving gifts. As my family had ignored her brands, she was slowly getting more comfortable. I gave my mother her leather carving tools, and she was ecstatic. Apparently, the smith who made them was famous. Thank you, Wynna! My mother and father also gave me goggles. They looked like aviator goggles. Apparently, they were designed for dragon riders, skyship pilots, and navigators. They were magical, sharpened your vision, and tinted in response to bright light. Pascal told me they were expensive, but Father got them in a city port for cheap. There was a lost and found that Skyholme port guards all contributed to. After a certain time, the items were available for sale to guardsmen. Father explained that he got them for me because Freya had said I planned to get my own skyship. Well, I had told her about the Wind Splitter with enthusiasm. She must have inferred too much from my words. I gave Father his potion belt next, and he was shocked. He knew the four potions were expensive, and he gave me a bear hug. Then I gave Pascal his belt, and he was ecstatic, trying it on immediately. Pascal had gotten me an elven cookbook. Just elven cuisine, as the book was thankfully not in the elvish language. I had seen this very book on the discount rack at Wigand¡¯s. It was the thought that counted. I gave Monty his treat bag next and got a lick. Then he took a bone to the corner of the room and started crunching loudly on it. Freya was beyond the limit of her patience. Being last was too much for her. I pulled out the six school textbooks for her. She looked shocked and unhappy and frosted a smile at me. I pretended that was all I had gotten her for a good minute, but before we moved on, I reached into my bag and produced two boxes of candy samplers from a famous candy shop in the Skyholme capital. Freya¡¯s smile returned, having forgotten about the expensive books in place of the cavity-inducing treats. Freya then gave me the gift she had gotten for me. It was a dark brown leather vest. It looked expensive, and she showed me the interior pockets with excitement. Apparently, it was the height of fashion, so I put it on. It was a little big, but Freya said that was so I could grow into it. The gift-giving proceeded until everyone had exchanged gifts. It was late, and I hugged everyone and headed to the pub with Aelyn. Hopefully there were rooms available. I hadn¡¯t thought about it till now, but a lot of the outlying farmers came to the town for the festivities that started tomorrow. At the pub, my worries were found to be valid. They had one room for tonight, and all rooms were reserved for tomorrow. I looked at Aelyn with a guilty expression. ¡°I can sleep on the floor.¡± Aelyn was unreadable as she considered. ¡°No, it¡¯s fine. We can share the bed. Just stay on your half.¡± We went upstairs with the key and found six doors. It was my first time up the stairs, and I didn¡¯t realize they had this many rooms. As I looked for my room in the hallway, a door opened, and I was shocked to see Meradith¡­or maybe Feradith? ¡°Storme?¡± she asked. She yelled excitedly into her room, ¡°Fera, it¡¯s Storme!¡± Almost immediately, a door across the hall opened, and their father was there, as well as their mother holding the youngest Gaskil. The stern look on the man¡¯s face at seeing me with Aelyn forced me to explain myself. ¡±Sir, I got a room here tonight¡­My family repurposed my room, and I surprised them by coming home¡­I didn¡¯t know you were staying here¡­I mean, I¡¯m not here to see your daughters¡­.¡± I was making assumptions about why he looked so cross. Ms. Gaskil whispered something in his ear, and he softened. ¡°Sorry, Storme. If you spend time talking with the twins, just keep the door open.¡± One of the girls squealed a little. Their mother eyed Aelyn with suspicion but didn¡¯t say anything before pushing her husband in and closing the door. A hand pulled me from behind into the twins¡¯ room. I oriented myself and found the twins and their younger sister sharing a room. ¡°Storme!¡± Meradith said. ¡°It¡¯s good to see you! After Captain Callem bought all those supplies and chickens from us, Father promised we would spend two nights in town for the festival! We just got in. Our brothers and grandparents are taking care of the farm! Have you seen Gareth? Can you and Gareth be our escorts for the festival? Who is your servant? She is so beautiful!¡± The younger sister was on the bed, watching us. I liked these girls; they were genuine and were always smiling. They had also cleaned up and were wearing their best clothes. They had the hard-working farmgirl vibe to them. ¡°This is my friend, Aelyn. She¡¯s training with us on Captain Callem¡¯s farm. You heard I surprised my parents, so my room had no usable bed. It¡¯s up to Aelyn, but I think it would be fantastic if you joined us for the festival!¡± Aelyn didn¡¯t look as excited at the prospect, but remained quiet and just gave a small nod of acceptance. I knew this would make Gareth happy. Either way, Mera and Fera would be fun to spend the day with. Maybe their energy and endless smiling would rub off on Aelyn. I talked with them briefly until their mother came and told them it was time for bed. If you come across this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it. We found the bed in my room small. Aelyn seemed unperturbed and lay down. ¡°Oh, just lay in front of me! There isn¡¯t much room, and neither of us is going to sleep on the floor!¡± I scooted in as the small spoon and spammed my cleanliness spell. The bed sheets and blankets definitely needed a good cleaning. Aelyn wrapped an arm around me to get comfortable, her body heat pleasant against my back. I started making coins into my dimensional space to distract myself until her breathing evened out and I knew she was asleep. I made lots of copper coins for tomorrow. If Gareth and I were to entertain the twins, the small coins would be handy. I soon fell asleep myself. In the morning, I was awoken by soft knocks on my door. The twins were raring to go, and it was early. After a short discussion under the gaze of their parents, we decided I would buy them and Aelyn breakfast at the pub and take them to the baths. While they were cleaning up, I would go get Gareth. Using the baths was the twins¡¯ idea, and their father seemed overly suspicious. Aelyn was reluctant to join the twins as they were strangers, but I didn¡¯t give her a choice. Breakfast was a buffet, since many townsfolk were passing through the inn today. I paid for all four of us and filled my plate twice. Mera challenged me to see which of us could eat more. She put up a good fight, but I won, to the amusement of her sister and Aelyn. I escorted the three lovely girls to the baths and gave Edel enough coin for them to get private tubs and have their clothes washed. The girls felt awkward that I was spending so much on them, but I waved it off, saying that Captain Callem paid us well on the farm. Aelyn whispered something to them, which made me anxious, but they still wore smiles afterward. I went to Gareth¡¯s house with the good news. Unfortunately, his mother said he was spending the day with Brianne. I was shocked, as I was certain Brianne would be occupied today¡ªif not with Edward, then with someone else. It looked like the burden of escorting the three girls would be on me. As I was returning to the bathhouse, I saw Pascal with one of his female friends with whom he had sparred. At the bathhouse, I had to wait half an hour for the twins and Aelyn to finish. They seemed to have drawn Aelyn out of her shell, as I could hear her talking and giggling with them. I was concerned about what stories Aelyn was telling them about me. When they exited the bath, they all looked fresh and happy. They were a little upset about there being no Gareth, but Mera took my arm and Fera took Aelyn¡¯s, and we hauled off to the festival. We immediately ran into Gareth and Brianne when we got to the town commons. The twins flocked to Brianne and started talking with her. Aelyn moved to listen but didn¡¯t participate. Gareth and I moved to a sidebar. Gareth was excited about Brianne but kept eyeing the twins. They were tall and prettily dressed in their best clothes. I suspected Gareth was jealous of me. ¡°Storme, where did you find the Gaskil twins?¡± ¡°They asked me to escort them. They wanted you to help, but your mother said you were with Brianne today,¡± I informed him. He seemed to deflate a little. ¡°Brianne asked me to escort her last night,¡± he said and smirked, cheering up. I didn¡¯t want to know where his mind was going. He suddenly forgot about the young women. ¡°My parents got me an adventurer¡¯s pack as a gift! It has a tent, a down feather sleeping bag, a runic firestone, a cooking set with a small box of various seasonings, a shaving kit, twelve tightly wrapped ration bars, a water skin, a heavy rain cloak, two different skinning knives, a hand axe, twenty feet of cord, two bandages, six small watertight sacks, two steel flasks, and six small bells.¡± He stopped, out of breath. The girls had finished discussing whatever young women discuss, and Brianne pulled Gareth away with a smile on her face. As my group strolled through the festival, I pampered my three dates. I was showing off my wealth a little, too. I dropped lots of coins and even demonstrated my cleanliness spell a few times, turning old coins bright and shiny. My simple magic trick greatly impressed the twins. We found Wynna and Ennet had set up a tent for readings. They were charging just five silver for a reading, though it was for townsfolk only. Expensive for the locals, but much less than the few gold they would normally charge. With their skills, five gold was a bargain. It took some cajoling, but the twins eventually allowed me to pay for a reading for them. Even though I told them not to tell me what they found out, they did anyway. They were just too excited. Mera had a tier 2 ability called fermentation. I assumed it sped up and gave some control over the wine and beer-making process. It also had some alchemy uses. Mera hadn¡¯t been aware she had the ability, so she was quite excited. Fera had two tier 1 abilities, strength of the ox and harvest. Harvest was a common ability that local farmers had. It allowed her to accelerate the growth of a plant. She already knew she had the ability, so it wasn¡¯t a surprise. Strength of the ox was a revelation for her, though, and it would give her additional strength as she grew. The day was fun. We ate, danced, played games, ate, sang songs, watched people, ate more, and were looking forward to the illusionary fireworks tonight. Aelyn started to get along with the twins, which made me happy. After sampling our seventh food cart, the town bell sounded twice, paused, and then sounded twice again. It kept repeating, and time seemed to freeze. That was the alarm for an attack by Sadians. Chapter 41: Applying What You Learned The center of town started moving again as people realized what was happening. Being on the perimeter of the second-most populous island meant we had trained for this. All able-bodied men were to head to the city to help with the defense. Everyone else was to gather as many supplies as they could carry and follow them to the city. In the event the city was unreachable, the townsfolk were to band together and defend it. In all, it was a simple plan that seemed too difficult to follow. Each person first looked for their family and then either headed home or to a friend¡¯s house. ¡°Meradith and Feradith, I have to go,¡± I said worriedly, looking around for my parents and Freya. My thoughts were churning. I had put my hand axe and throwing daggers into my storage last night. Spending the entire day with the twins, I hadn¡¯t thought to bring them out. I brought the axe with its belt to my hand and strapped it around my waist, ignoring Mera¡¯s look of disbelief. Next, I got two throwing daggers secured on my person. Aelyn also brought forth various weapons in preparation. Mera elbowed her sister, who had been searching the quickly dispersing crowd for her family. Fera saw the daggers appear as I secured them and asked, ¡°You have other magic, Storme?¡± I had also been scanning the crowds, looking for family or friends. It was Gareth who found me first and came toward me with Brianne in tow. ¡°Storme! My dad and yours have gone to the city to help with defense. They told us to hold up at Callem¡¯s farm with our families. If it¡¯s a large-scale attack, they¡¯ll focus on the city, and we would be safer there. I think Callem went with them, but I haven¡¯t seen him.¡± I nodded, breathing heavily due to the stress of the situation. I offered some optimism, ¡°We have plenty of food, and it should be well out of the path if any Sadian skyships land on this part of the island.¡± Gareth, for his part, seemed extremely calm, but he was scanning the rushing crowd for familiar faces. ¡°Fera and Mera, you can join us at the farm with your family if you want,¡± I said. ¡°Our parents went to the city with our siblings to enjoy the larger celebration there today,¡± Fera said, uncertain. ¡°Our grandparents are at our farm. Maybe we should head there?¡± I calmed my mind with my exercises and decided to take charge. ¡°No. You¡¯re coming with us. Your farm is a good two miles away, and your grandparents are smart enough to know what to do. Gareth, go get your mother and as many supplies as you can and meet me at my house. We will leave from there.¡± I jogged alongside Aelyn, with Fera and Mera following. I found my mother packing large satchels with food when we entered the house. She jumped as I slammed the door open. ¡°Sorry to scare you, Mother. This is Fera and Mera. We¡¯re all going to Callem¡¯s farm to wait out the attack.¡± I started to help her. The twins paused briefly before helping as well. Aelyn remained at the door and scanned the streets. She was smarter than me. I should have designated someone to stand watch. ¡°Where¡¯s Freya?¡± I asked. My mother looked up, noticing for the first time that she was not with us. Her brow creased in worry, then realization. ¡°Oh, no, I think she went swimming with Gwen. They were in the pie-eating contest together and were a mess!¡± Of course, nothing would be simple. ¡°Pascal¡¯s coming!¡± Aelyn said from the doorway, and Pascal entered thirty seconds later. He looked a little shocked at all the activity in the house. I noticed a hickey on his neck, so he had been busy today. Pascal regained his composure. " I came to get my sword and head to the city for defense.¡± Our mother looked at him like he was an idiot. ¡°I can fight,¡± he said, gaining confidence in front of our matriarch. Mother nodded resignedly and resumed her packing, accepting that Pascal was now old enough to make his own decisions. ¡°I¡¯m going to get Freya and Gwen,¡± I announced, moving toward the door. ¡°I¡¯m coming,¡± Aelyn said, and I just nodded. ¡°Mera, stand watch at the door. We should be back in twenty minutes with the girls.¡± I bolted out the door and down the street to Gareth¡¯s house. Gareth and his mother were still packing. ¡°Head to my house,¡± I told Gareth¡¯s tiny mother. ¡°We¡¯re headed to the swimming hole; Freya and Gwen are up there,¡± I told Gareth. He glanced at what he had been working on before grabbing his hand axe and heading toward me to go out the door, leaving his new adventurer¡¯s pack behind. As a trio, we ran toward the swimming hole, and even with my heart thudding and the noise from running, I heard something that put dread in my heart. The warning bell in the center of Hen¡¯s Hollow had switched to a constant cadence. This meant that enemies were on the island and within sight of the town. How? This made no sense to my addled brain. With all the magical scrying the Skyholme Navy employed, we should have had more warning! My thoughts parted to clarity as I heard barking¡ªMonty. Gareth had already increased his pace, but the exercises I had been doing to keep my mind clear. ¡°Gareth, don¡¯t get ahead of us! If there¡¯s a threat, then we need to meet it together!¡± Gareth slowed, though he clearly didn¡¯t want. I increased my pace to the fastest speed and got my throwing axe ready. A pained yelp from a dog echoed, and my heart lurched. This could not be happening! We broke through the clearing, and though I was shocked at what I saw, I continued sprinting. Five massive gray-skinned humanoids stood on the banks. Monty was down on the shore, and Freya and Gwen were in the middle of the shallow, wide stream. They looked helpless and unsure of what to do. I quickly came up with a plan. ¡°Gareth, center. Aelyn, left,¡± I said as I moved to engage the ogre on the right. The name came to me from the collection of monster plates I had collected. Our bestiary training with Callem had taught us they were strong, hardy, and usually simple-minded. Gareth raced ahead of us at the only ogre currently facing us, a dagger in each hand. The ogre swung a massive maul parallel to the ground. The idiot ogre had so clearly telegraphed his attack that I could have dodged it. Gareth slid between the monstrosity¡¯s legs and cut both of the ogre¡¯s femoral arteries with his daggers. Coming up behind the ogre, he threw the daggers at the back of the necks of two different ogres. The penetration wasn¡¯t much, and they turned around. I had my own ogre to worry about. It was also turning at the commotion. My goal was to hack into my ogre¡¯s neck, hopefully hitting a carotid artery. Instead, my axe swing only got the shoulder, and its turning body yanked the embedded axe from my grip. My opponent was wielding a massive sword, and it did not look happy as its bloodshot eyes narrowed in on me. Freya and Gwen were yelling, but I needed to focus, and my heart was pounding in my ears. Even if they were issuing a warning of something coming from behind me, I should have time to circle and see. My ogre flicked its wrist, and its blade raced toward me. If I hadn¡¯t seen its forearm flexing in preparation for the attack, I would have probably died right there. Of course, of the five ogres, I got the trained swordsman. Cynically, I thought it was probably the only skilled warrior in the group. Its swing came up short, and I dodged just out of reach. My opponent was wearing well-made, form-fitting leather armor. It was definitely not a grunt, even if it smelled like rotting garbage. I managed to turn off my olfactory sense enough to continue. I circled to see how my friends were doing. Gareth¡¯s first victim looked to be bleeding out, moving feebly on his knees. His other two opponents didn¡¯t look good either. One had Gareth¡¯s throwing axe embedded in its chest, and the other was dripping blood from its dominant hand, which had a few missing fingers, as it struggled to hold its maul. Aelyn, for her part, had put daggers in the kneecap and both eyes of her opponent. The blinded ogre was swinging wildly, and Aelyn¡¯s eyes flitted between it and Gareth¡¯s ogre, who now just wielded its hand axe. If I could keep my opponent occupied, they should be able to come and¡ªwait! I had magic. My ogre turned to help its brethren, and I summoned throwing daggers and peppered it with them. When it turned in irritation, I aimed for its eyes, and it easily deflected the daggers with its blade. It was much quicker than it looked. I definitely needed more weapons in my storage. My ogre¡¯s footwork suddenly changed, and fuck¡­It really was a swordsman. The steps were from Dragon¡¯s Might. One of Gareth¡¯s favorite offensive sword forms. At least I knew that even though the attack was overpowering, it had some openings. The ogre¡¯s advance was faster than I anticipated. Fuck. It had reach, speed, power, and skill. How the hell was this fair? The ogre came in heavy from my right side and I moved heavily, focusing on its body and arm movements to counter the attack. I recognized it too late and interposed my axe to force a glancing blow. Nope¡­it was a lot stronger than Gareth, and the axe flew out of my hand. The ogre¡¯s blade cut deep into my chest and threw me back. Thinking it had finished me, it turned. I used my hand to hold the gash together and worked my healing magic through my pain. I didn¡¯t panic or pass out. The cut had sliced my pectoral muscles and completely ruined the outfit Cilia had gotten me. Aelyn and Gareth only had one ogre standing when my opponent joined the fray. Gareth diverted to engage it, and Aelyn took the remaining foe. I moved to get Freya and Gwen out of the water. At the shore, I waved them toward me; Freya¡¯s eyes were wide in shock. Of course, she had probably thought I was dead. Monty was prone on the shore, and I got to him first. He was barely alive, with a shallow rise and fall of his chest. I forced my healing magic into the dog. I was very inefficient with my aether, but that didn¡¯t matter. Monty¡¯s wounds closed, but he had lost a lot of blood, and the sand was soaked with crimson. I had used a lot of his body¡¯s stores to heal him, and he thinned noticeably. My chest healing was still incomplete, but I needed to help my friends. When Gwen and Freya reached me from the river, I ordered in a hoarse voice, ¡°Run to our house as fast as you can. When we finish here, we will carry Monty there.¡± It was Gwen who spoke through their shared shock. ¡°Monty¡¯s alive!¡± she yelled, drawing the attention of the ogre swordsman. The sword-wielding ogre spun its head, and anger burned in its bloodshot eyes at seeing me alive. I could only imagine what was going through its mind. ¡°Go!¡± I yelled at the girls. They stumbled and ran away toward town. Gareth wasn¡¯t letting the ogre disengage. Even with the shorter weapon, Gareth could dodge and move easily around its attacks. At least it looked like the ogre only knew one sword form, and now that I watched its movements, I would say they looked unpolished, unlike Gareth, who looked like flowing water in comparison. I continued to heal myself as I moved toward the fight. Seeing I had no weapons, the ogre ignored me to defend itself from the pesky Gareth. Gareth had cut the ogre multiple times, but with the shorter reach of the axe, he hadn¡¯t done much damage. When I was sure the ogre wasn¡¯t looking at me, I summoned my saber and rushed to help Aelyn. The ogre didn¡¯t notice me, but the sword wielder had barked a warning. Fortunately, my opponent didn¡¯t comprehend the danger as I slid my sword into its rib cage from behind. I pivoted the sword, letting it do as much internal damage as possible before retreating. The ogre turned, frothing blood from its mouth. Now outnumbered three to one, the ogre swordsman tried to flee. Gareth didn¡¯t want to let it and kept blocking his escape route. ¡°Gareth!¡± I yelled. ¡°We don¡¯t have time!¡± Gareth didn¡¯t look happy, as he know he could win this fight, but it would be a battle of attrition. He let the ogre¡¯s next feint work so it could run away. ¡°Gather what you can quickly, and then I need you to carry Monty.¡± Gareth glanced at the large shepherd, his fur coated in blood, and nodded. We all gathered our weapons and moved towards the town with Gareth carrying a heavy Monty between me and Aelyn. ¡°Those were Calthorn mercenaries,¡± Aelyn said as we moved at a much slower pace, feeling the danger lighten. Gareth asked, ¡°Why would mercenaries be up here in Skyholme?¡± Aelyn scanned our surroundings. ¡°The Calthorn mercenaries¡¯ emblem was a white boar with black thorn on their leather armor. They¡¯re a very expansive company that draws from dozens of races. I don¡¯t know why they¡¯re here. I have seen them in many cities in the lowlands. I think they usually participate in wars, raids or serve as guards in the lowlands.¡± I supposed that made sense. If you had the gold, mercs were disposable. The combat skills of those ogres were not impressive. The leader was competent, but if Gareth had the sword I had forged him, it would have been no match. We broke into the outskirts of town. The bell had stopped, and I didn¡¯t hear anything as we entered my house. Freya went and cried in our mother¡¯s arms, and the twins held Gwen close, comforting her. ¡°Brianne went to find her family,¡± Gareth¡¯s mother said when I couldn¡¯t find her. My mother came to me worriedly and started fingering the damage from the sword and my blood-soaked clothes. She was shedding quiet tears as well, but wiped them before Freya could see. She knew she needed to be strong for us. ¡°Grab the packs,¡± I ordered. ¡°We¡¯re moving out now.¡± It took a few minutes before we left the house, loaded down with what we could carry. We borrowed a small cart from our neighbors to load Monty and some of the provisions. The twins took turns pulling while Gareth, Aelyn, and I scanned the woods. We were about a hundred yards into the woods when we heard fighting and small explosions back in town. Gareth looked like he wanted to return to help, but I shook my head. Those explosions were probably magic. Gareth didn¡¯t have good defenses against magic, and we needed him. We moved quickly, and Monty started whining as he came to awareness. I whispered to Freya that she should feed him soft food once we made it to the farmhouse so he could recover. My own healing was finally done, and I could move without pain. Before we entered the farm clearing, Aelyn went and scouted all the buildings. When we were sure that it was clear, we moved into Callem¡¯s farmhouse. It had the escape tunnel in the basement, and I showed it to everyone as we settled in. The air had an ozone smell to it and the temperature was much hotter than normal, so we stripped to our underclothes as we sweated together, waiting for word. The mood was tense, and I couldn¡¯t believe Gareth kept checking out the twins when they weren¡¯t looking. The twins¡¯ shirts were soaked with sweat, sticking to their bodies. ¡°Not the time, Gareth!¡± I hissed at him as I passed. His mother even clapped him on the side of his head. I used my cleanliness spell on myself and started giving orders to settle everyone in. We would sleep in the basement, as it was cooler. But first we needed to get blankets and beds down there, because the cold runes were active. I went and packed up our bunkhouse, shoving furniture, food, and weapons into my storage space to make transport easier. It was hours before the basement was set up for the group. Everyone was somber. I didn¡¯t find any of Callem¡¯s or Wynna¡¯s communication stones in their room, so we were effectively cut off. There wasn¡¯t much we could do now but wait. ? Copyrighted 2024, 2025 by AlwaysRollsAOne No Permission is given to translate, copy, repost or alter to an audio format of this original work of fiction. If you are reading this on a site that is not my Patreon, RoyalRoad.com, or Scribblehub.com, it has been stolen without my permission and violates DMCA. Remember, this work is the result of my creative effort and is protected by copyright law. Removal or altering of this notification is an acknowledgment you are aware you are in violation of DMCA. Chapter 42 and 43
Chapter 42: Waiting Game
The first evening on the farm, we were all tense. The heat and humidity seemed to be continuously rising, like we were in an oven. Every now and then, a distant rumble of thunder could be heard if you were outside. Powerful magic was being unleashed a few miles away. It seemed to be coming from the city, but it could also have been in the skies above.
The twins made dinner while our mothers comforted Freya and Gwen. Gareth, Aelyn, and I were on the lookout while moving more items to the farmhouse. The food wasn¡¯t bad; just simple rice with diced beef and some vegetables cooked in butter. I complimented the twins on their efforts, and they jokingly said it was their payment for losing their bet to me. Gareth¡¯s ears were sharp, as he was eavesdropping on our conversation.
I decided to needle my friend a little. ¡°I don¡¯t know, ladies. A simple dinner like this? If I had lost, I¡¯m sure you would have required something spectacular of me, and there would have been dessert.¡± They giggled, and Gareth eyed me for an explanation I would not give.
Seeing the play between me and Gareth, Mera said in good humor, ¡°Fine, Storme! You¡¯ll get our special meal and a dessert after.¡± The twins giggled, and it was a welcome break from the strain of our situation. Gareth looked at me pleadingly to explain. Sometimes, it was fun to tease your friends. Aelyn was outside on watch, but I was sure she would have appreciated Gareth being teased.
Due to her half-elf heritage, Aelyn had sharper eyesight than Gareth and me. Therefore, she volunteered to work double shifts overnight, watching for danger. While she watched, we all huddled in the cellar.
With morning, the sounds of combat lessened, and I went to relieve Aelyn. ¡°I saw a number of skyships during the night,¡± she told me. ¡°I¡¯m not familiar with the silhouettes, but there appears to be intense combat around the island.¡±
¡°Thank you for watching. I¡¯ll show you the two standard silhouettes for the Skyholme navy.¡± I made a small hand-sized model of a Harbinger out of copper and handed it to her. I then made a model of the Wasp-class ship and handed her that model.
¡°These are good,¡± she complimented. ¡°You could sell them¡­but I guess you don¡¯t have need of coin.¡± Aelyn rotated the figures in her hands. A distant explosion in the direction of the city let us know the conflict had not yet concluded.
¡°The Wasp is the navy''s scout. Not many were built, according to Admiral Sebastian, but you might see some. The Harbinger is the most common ship in our navy.¡± I switched my gaze from the different approaches to the farmhouse as Aelyn lingered. When she didn¡¯t leave, I asked, ¡°Is there something else? You really should get some sleep.¡±
Aelyn hesitated before heading below.
Gareth¡¯s mother and the twins brought up food to cook, and I resumed my watch. Mera brought me a bacon and cheese sandwich and sat next to me. ¡°So, this is where you and Gareth have been training. We heard rumors when we visited Hen¡¯s Hollow.¡± She smiled, handing me a cup of red juice. When I didn¡¯t say anything, she asked, ¡°So, are you going to the Annuals with Gareth?¡±
The Annuals. That was the big combat tournament held in Skyholme every year. There were three categories: pre-Academy, Academy, and post-Academy. I somehow doubted they would happen with a war going on. ¡°I don¡¯t think so. Fighting is Gareth¡¯s thing. I¡¯m not sure they¡¯ll be held with the Sadians stopping in for a visit either,¡± I added sardonically.
¡°Oh, Storme! That¡¯s funny! I don¡¯t think the Sadians will stay here long, though. We read our histories, and the fighting usually lasts just a few days before they retreat,¡± she said optimistically. ¡°What about Aelyn? She¡¯s really pretty, and you don¡¯t treat her like an indentured. Are you two a couple?¡±
The question threw me a little. Mera studied me, waiting for an answer.
¡°No. She¡¯s just a friend. I will help her remove the mark, and most likely, she will move on after it¡¯s removed.¡±
A bright smile formed on her face at my statement. Did this girl have designs on me? She was pretty enough, in a tomboy sort of way. And her best asset was her constant smile and optimism.
I added, ¡°I¡¯m focused on developing my magic.¡± Hopefully, that would hint that I was not interested.
She was not deterred, though. ¡°Mother says most people who get married meet in the first-year Academy,¡± she replied, still smiling. Well, that would be a very small pool, maybe 14 people. ¡°We¡¯ll be attending first-year Academy together,¡± she added, as if the thought had just come to her. I just nodded, not responding to her boldness.
Fera came over and handed me another sandwich. I nibbled on it, not really hungry. Fera gave an update on Monty. ¡°He¡¯s up and drooling at all the hanging meat. Stopping him is a full-time job for Freya and Gwen!¡± she said, amused.
¡°Tell them they can feed him triple what he normally eats. He got a lot of healing, so he¡¯s probably famished,¡± I said. Mera volunteered and went below to tell them. Fera reached out and held my arm. Was Fera going to be as forward as her sister?
¡°Can someone go and check on our grandparents at our farm? We¡¯re worried about them.¡± Her pleading blue eyes were hard to resist.
¡°I don¡¯t think it¡¯s a good idea. We encountered mercenaries by the swimming hole attacking Freya and Gwen, so I think there may be more small groups out there.¡± She released her hold on my arm, nodding sorrowfully.
Gareth approached us with a plate containing two and a half sandwiches¡ªsoon to be just two, as he was finishing the half in two bites.
¡°So Gareth, I heard you were going to the Annuals this year. Going to compete in the post-Academy group?¡± I said jokingly. He looked at Fera and tried to speak with a mouthful of food, which he then he forced down.
¡°Uh, yeah, I was going to try my hand at the pre-Academy group. The bracket is only 32, and I have to win a fight locally to get a slot in the tourney in the capital. I was going to ask you to join me in trying.¡±
I didn¡¯t think Gareth would have to try very hard. He had defeated three ogre mercenaries on his own, and had taken one down immediately.
I gave him a sidelong glance that he recognized. He persisted, ¡°Callem thinks you can make it. Solaris City has two guaranteed slots based on our population for the pre-Academy group. That means we just need to be better than the kids in the city and surrounding towns.¡± He added, ¡°You might run into one of boys that attacked you in the qualifications!¡±
I ground my teeth. Damn you, Gareth. That would be the one thing that might get me to join.
¡°I¡¯ll think about it,¡± I said, reluctantly conceding. We had more immediate problems, but it was still a nice distraction. Mera returned, and the sisters seemed excited at the prospect of convincing their dad to take them to the city to see us fight in the qualifiers.
Something in my vision flicked, and I looked up and located a skyship. It must hav been at least a mile up. I was fairly certain it was a Skyholme Harbinger. An unfamiliar, smaller, and faster ship approached from a distance, and we all watched as lines of magic spells bombarded the ships. You could see debris being blown off. Then, a third ship appeared out of nowhere. It must have had invisibility or camouflage, and it laid into the Harbinger with fire and lightning. You could be reading stolen content. Head to the original site for the genuine story.
It was fascinating to watch the dance above us. The smaller ships circled like sharks circling a whale. The battle passed right over our heads, and some debris fell in the woods a few hundred feet away. One object was clearly a body. It wasn¡¯t far away, and the sound hitting the ground was a dull thud. Whoever that was, they were most definitely dead.
¡°I think that was a Wolfsguard,¡± Aelyn said. I turned, shocked to see her behind us. She should have been getting some sleep. ¡°At least, that¡¯s what it looked like to me. I will go check it out, if you want me to.¡± It wasn¡¯t far away, just beyond our obstacle courses. It would be safe to check it out, as I was sure the victim was dead. Then again, in a world of magic, you never knew for sure.
¡°Gareth, go with her. Just check it out and come right back,¡± I said. I wondered how I had been put in charge. Aelyn and Gareth, with weapons in hand, moved to the woods and the downed Wolfsguard.
They came back a few minutes later, and Gareth said to me and the twins, ¡°Definitely dead. And not a Wolfsguard. Aelyn thinks it was a wolfkin. Don¡¯t know what business they have being up in skyships, though.¡± Gareth looked a little sick, so I guessed it was a gruesome mess. I thought about looting the body, but we didn¡¯t need to.
¡°A ship is going down,¡± Mera said, and we all looked. One of the smaller ships was breaking up, but not over the island. Whoever was on the ship had a long descent to the lowlands with no stops on the way. The other smaller ship fled and the larger Harbinger gave pursuit, but it was obvious it was not going to catch it.
Our group watched the sky and the approaches to the farm together. Gareth got his wish, as the twins were sitting close to him so he could brag about himself nonstop. Aelyn had returned to get some rest, so I was tortured with Gareth¡¯s tales of his prowess. I began spamming my cleanliness spell until Mera asked what the strangely pleasant smell was.
I revealed the spell to them, and they were completely captivated as I demonstrated it. Soon, I was using my healing spell to remove their scars as well. Gareth didn¡¯t seem too pleased about being overshadowed. I could already hear him tonight, whispering something like, ¡°Come on, Stormy, there are two of them. Do you really need to impress both?¡±
That reminded me of my alarm spell. If I could learn it, I could set alarms around the farmhouse, and we wouldn¡¯t need to be out here watching so intently. ¡°Hey, Gareth, I¡¯m going to study my spell inside. You and the twins can remain on watch.¡±
Gareth looked thrilled, even though Mera had decided to help prepare lunch so he would only be spending time with Fera. I made myself comfortable on the couch and summoned my alarm spellbook from my space. I ignored the activity around me and focused. The spell wasn¡¯t overly complex. It was basically like writing a simple ¡°if-then¡± statement with the runes when you cast the spell. When lunch was ready, I ate it blindly, not tasting the food.
Evening rolled around, and Aelyn awoke to take the evening watch. I was surprised when Mera said she would join Aelyn on watch. Monty came upstairs with Freya and Gwen, my mother following. Freya ran to me, hugged me, and cried into my shoulder, ¡°Storme, I thought you had been killed at the river when the ogre cut you with his sword!¡±
The shock of the attack had evidently worn off. I hugged her back. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. It would take at least six ogres to take me down.¡±
Chapter 43: Victory At Cost
It was two more days before Callem returned to the farmhouse. We hadn¡¯t seen many skyships over that period and thought the attack had been repelled, but I still kept everyone at the farm. Gareth made progress getting to know Mera and Fera. They talked during meals, but my focus was on studying the alarm spell. Still, Mera tried to talk to me regularly. Freya and Gwen were recovering from their trauma. Monty was back to his old self as well but eating twice as much, a reward for his heroism in defending the girls.
I rushed to Callem as he approached the farmhouse. ¡°Callem, is everything alright? Is it over?¡±
¡°Inside, Storme. I will fill everyone in, but inside.¡± He walked inside his home and looked around the room, taking everyone in, and nodded as if confirming something. There was an electricity in the air now that Callem was here. He had this presence to him that made you feel safe.
Idle chatter was deflected by Callem as we all settled in the living room to hear the news. He started, ¡°Gareth, your father is safe, as are Caleb and Pascal. Pascal was injured but is doing fine.¡± He looked at the twins. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, but your farm was attacked, and your grandparents didn¡¯t make it. The rest of your family is well, though.¡±
The girls were in shock, and Fera was next to me, so I put my arm around her. It wasn¡¯t long before she was crying, and Mera joined the therapeutic expulsion of emotion through tears as I held both of them to me.
Everyone in the house consoled the twins, and eventually, our mothers shepherded them to Callem¡¯s guest bedroom to sleep it off. With the twins resting, Callem resumed his news. ¡°It was an extensive attack. I talked with Sebastian through stones, and they attacked three of the islands. It was the Sadians, beastkin, and a slew of mercenaries. I learned it was a retributive strike for the successful assassination of the emperor¡¯s eldest son last year. That information is not to leave this room. It was a Bricio plot and they wouldn¡¯t want it known they caused the retaliation.¡±
Callem paused and looked around, focusing on the two young girls, Freya and Gwen. He waited until they returned an empathic nod, but I could already tell he regretted saying so much in front of them.
¡°Why did the mercenaries and beastkin ally with the Sadians?¡± I asked.
Callem inhaled and began heavily, ¡°For many centuries, the Skyholme people raided the lesser beastkin tribes in the lowlands. Against our powerful ships, they could do little to resist. We took what we wanted from them, including their young woman. These women were used to create the Wolfsguard. It appears the tribes have now united under a single leader and formed a pact with the Sadians. The Sadians built the tribes their own skyships in return for helping attack Skyholme, which I assume they were more than happy to do.¡± Callem paused and went and got a drink from the counter.
¡°Sebastian told me in confidence¡±¡ªhe looked at all of us one at a time¡ª¡°that we lost half our skyships in the assault.¡± We all took a deep breath. That was a lot of ships and crew. ¡°It¡¯s bad, but we took at least two of their ships for everyone we lost. Both sides had massive losses. The deadliest attack in five hundred years. Cilia and Leda will be called to return to the Naval Academy. The Triumvirate has issued a conscription order. Somehow, my own age fell out of the range!¡± He chuckled darkly. ¡°Solaris was only attacked with mercenaries, just to distract the Navy from the real heavy assaults. It worked. Many people in the other cities were killed. The only good news is Sebastian doesn¡¯t think the Sadians are in any position to push their advantage. It should be years before they have enough ships to stage another assault.¡±
Callem looked at Gareth and me.
¡°There will be a declaration shortly. They¡¯re asking those willing to enter the first year Academy early and join the city guard or navy to bolster the defense forces of Skyholme.¡±
I was almost 16 and would have entered the Academy next year or the following at the latest. I knew Gareth was going to volunteer by the eager look on his face. He was already bouncing in his seat from excitement. If I joined him, then I would be going to the Academy with my brother and his friends.
Callem looked at our mothers and informed them of his plans. ¡°I had been planning to take over the Academy in Hen¡¯s Hollow next year when your boys entered, but I think it won¡¯t be hard to push my plans a year early, especially since instructors will be sorely needed. If you allow it, I will do everything I can to prepare your sons.¡±
Gareth looked at his mother like a puppy. Technically, we needed to reach our age of maturity to enter the Academy. If we went earlier, our parents would need to approve unless the Triumvirate passed a law to change that. At this point, it wouldn¡¯t surprise me if they made it a law that 16 was the new age of maturity.
My mother was focused on me. She said, ¡°Storme will enter under your care, Master Callem. My husband has a lot of faith in you, and you have already transformed him into an exceptional person of character in the short time he has been out here.¡± This was all Gareth¡¯s mother needed to acquiesce too. It looked like we were going to the Academy, which started in just a few weeks.
The conversation devolved after that as Freya spent an hour trying to convince our mother that she should also go to the Academy with her two older brothers to keep an eye on them. Of course, my mother wasn¡¯t buying any of it, and it got a lot of good humor going around in these not-so-bright times.
My mind, however, was focused on another plan. Sometime in the next few years, before the Sadians returned, I would need my own skyship to transport my family to the lowlands and safety. I could foresee the inevitable. It would be a war of attrition, and the dysfunctional ruling Triumvirate of Skyholme would lose. ? Copyrighted 2024, 2025 by AlwaysRollsAOne No Permission is given to translate, copy, repost or alter to an audio format of this original work of fiction. If you are reading this on a site that is not my Patreon, RoyalRoad.com, or Scribblehub.com, it has been stolen without my permission and violates DMCA. Remember, this work is the result of my creative effort and is protected by copyright law. Removal or altering of this notification is an acknowledgment you are aware you are in violation of DMCA.