《Seeker, NPC》


 Chapter 1 - Aiden

    Heat permeated the soot-stained walls of the smithy, radiating from the twin hearths accompanied by the gentle staccato ticks of the burning coal. Sparks flew as hammers struck hot metal again and again in a steady rhythm that echoed through the smithy. Aiden pumped the bellows with precise regularity to keep his forge burning just enough. Holding his project with the tongs he gently rotated and struck, rotated and struck. Each ringing blow moved the metal slowly but surely into the shape he desired. Pushing the metal back into the glowing coals he wiped the sweat from his brow as he waited. The fire''s glow cast flickering shadows across tools hung in neat rows along the walls while the burning coal filled the air with its pungent earthy odor.


    Aiden loved working in the smithy. There was the clean pure satisfaction of turning raw metals into useful tools through the alchemy of furnace, anvil, mind, and muscle. With each swing of the hammer, he felt himself growing stronger, honing his body as much as his craft. His lean frame unimpeded by the leather apron and loose heavy cloth shirt as he worked the metal.


    "Mind your technique, son," came the gruff voice of Eldric, the village''s master blacksmith and Aiden''s adopted father. The burly man pushed his own metal into the coals and stepped over to scrutinize Aiden''s progress. "You''ll wear yourself out too quickly swinging Jake about all willy-nilly. Keep your strokes smooth and even."


    "Yes sir," Aiden nodded, adjusting his grip on the hammer that Eldric called Jake. Eldric had names for every tool in the shop. Names Aiden had learned in the four years since he came to live with the master smith.


    The mountainous smith had a stern demeanor that did not hide the man''s heart and cared deeply for everyone and everything. The fact that he named and talked to his tools was just ignored by the village folk. Aiden wasn''t sure if it helped, and he''d never managed to get the tools to produce as fine a work as Eldric managed to get out of them. That was probably just due to a life spent working the smithy. Still... Aiden whispered to the hammer as he started to swing it again "Good Jake, just a little, keep it straight."


    As Aiden returned to his task, he let his thoughts wander. He thought about the day his modest skill would rival that of his father''s. More than that, he told himself, I will forge my own path, just as I forge this iron into something more. Even now, he longed to push past the limits of mere metalwork, to explore the mystical arts that called to him from the pages of Bram''s books.


    The rake began to take shape under Aiden''s practiced strokes with Jake. He set Jake aside and took up the smaller hammer, Eldric said was named Ned but preferred to be called Nell.


    "Just a few small adjustments Nell." He said before he realized he''d done it out loud. He glanced over to see Eldric arguing with two tongs called Stan and Mike as he used them to move a plow blade around in the forge getting ready to quench. Apparently, Eldric was still mad at Stan for dropping the last plow blade into the oil bath despite Mike''s attempt to hold it by itself.


    Eldric wanted Aiden to speak well to their tools. But, Aiden felt embarrassed and prayed no one in the village would find out he''d recently started to do it, even when Eldric wasn''t standing over him insisting he coaxed the tools along. If Eldric caught him doing it on his own he''d blast that knowledge around the tavern and in the span of a single night everyone would hear of it.


    Still, with Nell''s gentle hammering, he made subtle adjustments to the angle of each tine, ensuring they aligned perfectly to comb through soil and grass with ease. All the tools they made were vital to the daily life of Lapidara''s farmers and craftsmen. Aiden was proud his creations contributed to the land and people who''d taken him in so many years ago.


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    As he worked, Aiden employed more than just skill and strength. With a simple whispered incantation unheard by Eldric, he called on a hint of magic, a faint glow suffusing the metal. This infusion would help prevent rust and wear, his secret gift to the villagers though they remained oblivious to its presence in his tools.


    A loud hissing came from the other side of the smithy followed by Eldric''s "Much better Stan, glad to see you and Mike are working together properly again. Ah, this is a good quench no deformations or pings." There was the ringing scrape of a file over quenched metal "Excellent edge! Thank you, Ann."


    Aiden put the rake back into the fire to bring it to quenching temperature. While he waited he cleaned and put Jake and Nell back on their hooks."


    A few pumps on the billows, a little shifting of the rake around and he watched until it turned just the right shade of orange. He took it and dipped it into his own oil barrel. The hissing boil came with the odor of fried fair food, which made him hungry. Pulling the rake out of the oil he held it on his own anvil and turned it right and left to inspect it. None of the tines had shifted or warped in the quench and he hadn''t heard any pings. Taking a file from the slot on the side of the anvil he tested each tine. They all gave the satisfying rasp of hardened steel.


    "You¡¯ve quite the gift, Aiden,¡± Eldric said from right next to Aiden.


    Aiden jumped and yelped his heart pounding against his chest. "Gods Dad, don''t do that!"


    Eldric laughed and smiled proudly. "You didn''t drop the rake, it is well-shaped, and it sounded like a solid quench. All excellent signs you''ll make a great blacksmith for Lapidara. When I want to retire of course.¡±


    Aiden carefully put the file back in its place and set the rake on the bench to finish cooling off. He couldn''t stop smiling at his Dad''s praise, but he also felt that odd twist in his gut that had been coming stronger and stronger the last half year every time his father mentioned him taking over the smithy. He lived with a foot in each of two worlds, the physical reality of the forge and the shimmering potential of the arcane. If only I could meld my two worlds as easily as fire melds metal, he thought. For now, he must be content with small applications of magic subtly improving his work. The true depth of enchantment would wait, like metal buried within ore, awaiting the blacksmith¡¯s purifying flame.


    Horn, one of the village farmers, bustled up coming in the open double doors to their smithy, face creased with worry. ¡°Eldric, my plow hit a rock something fierce! Snapped the blade right off, it did. I¡¯ve got to get back to the fields soon as can be.¡±


    Eldric handed Aiden the tongs with a reassuring smile to Horn. ¡°Best take a look then. Plow¡¯ll need a whole new blade most like.¡± He picked up a large leather sack that held a set of field tools and started ushering Horn back out into the street. "Finish the rake, make sure everything is clean and safe before you lock up. Not sure how long this will take. You can get supper at the inn if I''m not back.¡±


    After Eldric left, Aiden gazed into the glowing forges for a time. The smithy was a major part of the village. The tools made and repaired here were essential to the lives of his folk and others far beyond where their foods were shipped for other communities. All of it, food, tools, and shipping, good honest labor essential to many people. And still, he had the longing to do more, be more, could he stop doing this to be a bookseller like Bram? Did people really need to read and do math? What good were the adventure stories, poems, and other common books Bram bought and sold? Bram knew some magic and had been teaching Aiden, but the rake would have worked just as well without the magic. Sure it wouldn''t last as long, but the smithy could repair it or make a new one if needed.


    Aiden had to admit if Bram closed his bookstore the community would continue without pause. But if the smithy closed the community would suffer. Still, he yearned to delve deeper into the secrets of the world around him, to understand its unfathomable mysteries. His work here served a purpose, and yet his instincts told him it was only the beginning.


    Someday he would learn and understand more of the world. But for now, he had a rake to give some grinding to and mount onto the handle.

 Chapter 2 - Bram

    Aiden pushed open the creaking door of Bram''s small bookstore, a bell tinkling cheerfully above.


    "Out in a moment!" Bram called from the back through a half-opened door.


    He inhaled deeply, the musty scent of aged paper and binding glue a stark contrast to the acrid soot and cloying sweat permeating the smithy. Both different from the forest loam and musks of the forest. They all made him feel welcome and content. The differences are a pleasant contrast to his life, setting each part neatly apart from the others. He still wasn''t sure which he preferred, and then he wondered why he felt like he had to choose. It wasn''t like anyone would care if he spent time in the bookstore, the smithy, or the forest.


    A rapid set of tinkles, then the creaking sound of steps on the old wood floor. The door creaked a little as Bram pushed it open to maneuver a wooden serving tray holding a brass teapot wrapped in a patchwork rag, three mismatched cups, a stack of three tea cup plates, also mismatched, and a small crystal bowl holding a meager stack of small brown cake squares. Bram was a portly fellow with a ring of dark black hair around a rather shiny bald cap on his head. He stood much shorter than Aiden and wore an old shirt, vest, and pants all clean but with patches and stitched repairs evident. Far from a wealthy or successful merchant, Bram still managed to look respectable.


    Placing the serving tray on the narrow counter he looked up with a wide grin. "I thought it might be you." He said as he began setting the cups on saucers.


    Green cup on a blue porcelain saucer, a flower-shaped white cup with a red rim on a green saucer with a small rim chip on one side, and the largest brown cup with the heavy handle on the pewter saucer. He started filling the cups with the steaming tea.


    "Why three?"


    "I sent Tilda with a payment a couple of hours ago to Holden. She said she''d be back about now."


    "Tilda!" Bram said feeling a slight burning in his cheeks and a little dizzy.


    As if her name called her into being the door behind Aiden opened the bell ringing out and Tilda''s lanky but clearly female form moved around Aiden as if he was merely a decoration.


    Tilda placed an almost cubed shaped parcel wrapped in brown cloth and tied with hemp cord on the counter next to the serving tray.


    "Here''s the books." She announced.


    "Ah good, no problems then. I made you some tea and I have cakes."


    "Thanks." Tilda picked up the green cup, popped a cake in her mouth, and drank the entire cup of tea in one breath. Putting the empty cup back down with a clink she asked, "Got any other errands? It was fun running to Holden and back."


    Bram shook his head, "sorry not today. Take more cakes if you want."


    "Okay," she chirped happily. "I''ll go check if there are any messages at the market. Thanks for the cakes." Tilda popped another cake in her mouth, put a third in her belt pouch, and spun around to again move around Aiden. As she passed she said, "Hi Aiden, mom told me to let you know she likes the spade you made for her."


    "Uh, hi Tilda. Thanks. If she needs more gardening tools just let me know. We have plenty of scrap metal and I need the practice."


    "You''re sweet," Tilda said as she left. With the sound of the doorbell ringing twice and the soft thud of the door closing she was gone.


    Aiden looked out the shop''s window to see her jogging down the street towards the central square which doubled as the village market. Her lithe form barely swayed enough to make her braided hair swing back and forth.


    A soft chuckle brought Aiden''s attention back to Bram. "What?"


    "Just looking at youth and being glad I''m not that young," Bram said holding out the larger cup of tea on the pewter saucer.


    "Huh?"


    Bram, offering the tea with a knowing smile, replied, "The folly of youth, my friend. Plans grand and bold, yet at a glance from the object of our affections, they scatter like leaves in the wind."


    Aiden felt his cheeks burning as he took the tea. Instead of saying more he tried to take a sip but it was too hot. That gave him an excuse to concentrate on blowing it cool and taking a noisy slurp.


    Bram stepped around the counter and put his tea cup and saucer with a couple of cakes on a small table between two padded reading chairs. Then he sat down with a sigh of contentment. He wiped his ink-stained hands on the equally ink-stained apron protecting his clothes. His eyes crinkled in a smile behind round spectacles as he gestured Aiden into the other chair.


    Aiden stacked some cakes on his saucer and carefully moved into the other chair. The small storefront was lined with mostly filled bookshelves and held the two reading chairs for both Bram and any customers to enjoy. There wasn''t much room for more. It had felt so much larger to Aiden years before, but then he''d been so much smaller then.


    Bram popped a cake into his mouth and chewed happily. Aiden took a half bite and tried not to make a face at the unexpected flavors. The cakes were not chocolate but a dark molasses and gram flavor. He wasn''t sure if he liked it, it was almost too sweet. But, after a sip of the astringent tea, the flavor combination was good.


    After they''d sipped their tea and finished their first cake, Bram set his cup down. "Why so early?"


    "I used the steel preservation today. It manifested as you thought. I''m finished, and Dad is out helping Horn with a broken blade."


    "Exactly like I described?"


    "I concentrated as you taught, said the incantation in the proper tones, and there was a slight glow of the metal beyond the heat. It had no problems with the quench. It looks a bit smoother and more uniform of color than it would have without the spell."


    "But, did you feel anything? Did the energy transfer from you or through you?"


    Aiden took a moment to think and then shook his head.


    "Mm," Bram said, looking down into his cup.


    "I thought you''d be pleased."


    "Oh, I am, but this is more proof something is off with the arcanum."


    Aiden blew on his tea and tried it again, it was cool enough to take a swallow. "Why do you say that? Even in working metals, there is a huge difference between the precise instructions and actually working it out. This is why we need master blacksmiths, because there are impurities in the ores, other alloys in the mix, and we have to know what we are expecting and make adjustments. That is the most important lesson Dad has taught me."


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    Bram waved his hand, "Yes, yes. But you''ve studied the basics with me. Is saying the words while concentrating the same as the fundamentals taught?"


    Aiden paused to think and sipped slowly at his tea. "You''ve complained that something was wrong but I never understood. But now that I''ve finally done a major¡ª"


    "minor"


    Aiden glared at Bram. "A more complex working, I think I see what you mean. It is subtle."


    Bram nodded. "So subtle everyone dismisses it. I only really paid attention when I had to teach a first-year class. And that got me exactly nowhere."


    Aiden watched Bram for a few moments. He wasn''t sure if the reference to nowhere meant Lapidara or just intellectually. Of course, Lapidara was at the end of the western trade roads. Only hunting trails and animal paths led further west into the Occi Obice Mountains and the ocean was the only thing beyond the mountains. So end of the road Lapidara really was nowhere important in the empire or world.


    As if reading his mind Bram looked him in the eye, "I like it here. But, I feel like there is something to learn." Then he leaned back and laughed, "I might yet puzzle it out with your help. Or maybe you''ll figure it out and go toss the knowledge into those stiff-back masters'' faces."


    Aiden chuckled, the idea that he''d travel all the way to Surrenth was ridiculous. He might go as far as Nemeth, but that was only a quarter of the way to Surrenth and a hundred miles beyond Holden.


    "What did you get from Holden?"


    "Oh!" Bram stood excited and grabbed the bundle from the counter to sit back down. He untied the bundle, revealing four books. Three were various sizes, but all were small enough to carry easily and were well-read by the amount of wear on their spines. The last was much larger and a good two fingers thick, its green leather binding with a white set of symbols glistened in the light.


    Aiden leaned forward, that book seemed to draw him to it. Bram didn''t hesitate or taunt, he handed the volume to Aiden with a wide smile.


    "This was published a few years back by a friend. I''ve been trying to get a copy for some time."


    Aiden gently placed the book in his lap and wiped his hands clean on his pants before picking it back up to inspect. The embossed title read The Complete Dawinish Ancient Folklore & Fables. His interest piqued, Aiden flipped through the pages, scanning illustrations of fantastical creatures and adventures accompanied by elaborate tales of their cunning and magics.


    When he opened it, a folded packet of paper fell into his lap. Picking it up, he turned it over to see "Master Bramdeitha Finnelish" written in thick, neat strokes.


    Bram snatched the packet away, turning it over to open it. "He must have written me back. See if that has an index. We might find a reference to Orditha or Sub Astris."


    Aiden froze for a second at Bram''s quick movement, but he did note the hurried but intentional flipping of the packet to conceal the address. Yet, he immediately forgot about Bram''s eccentric behavior at the mention of the words inscribed on the broken token he''d found a month back. It was silver and probably part of a pendant or amulet and had clearly been ripped in half. The half-circle artifact had a ribbed rounded edge and finely engraved symbols in a band around the outer edge of one side. But, the jagged edge consisted of equal parts melted smooth, pitted burnt, and stress burs.


    What could possibly have torn a circular silver pendant larger than any coin of the realm and weighed at least a full ounce in half but left the remaining half in practically perfect condition? Aiden had no clue. There were some clues as to what it might be. One side had symbols, and the feet of some wolf or hound were depicted in the center; the other side had a butterfly-like pair of wings for the left side of some other creature that might have a human arm. At least there was a human-like narrow arm with a hand-held gently open. On the butterfly wing side, there were two partial phrases. The first going around the top over the wings, the other around the bottom. The top one started "Magister Custos Orditha e..." and the bottom one started with "Sub Astris, Ultra..."


    Aiden was disappointed to see there was no index. So he flipped through the tome looking at the detailed sketches and scanning the written parts. Each fable was preceded by a scholarly dissertation on the origins, variations, and possible meanings. Then the actual fable. And finally another article about known variations or changes.


    Bram''s voice interrupted Aiden''s perusal of the book. "My friend says he has not been able to find any information on the symbols we sent and he''s sent a copy of the rubbings on to some colleague in Nemeth. He agrees the inscription is old imperial and it means something like master guard and the lower part says bowing to the heavens. He has been collecting ancient legends and myths of our lands since we were young students together at collegium so his translation is probably better than mine."


    "You didn''t tell me you''d sent him a rubbing."


    "Actually, I sent rubbings to a few colleagues at the Surrenth Biblitheca and the Collegium. James is just the closest. As long as I was asking for a copy of his recent work I didn''t think it''d hurt."


    Aiden tried to imagine the grand palace of books that Bram had described on many occasions that was the Surrenth Biblitheca, the greatest collection of knowledge in the world. Surely they''d be able to help identify the source of this odd half coin or token.


    "I guess that makes sense." Turning his attention back to the book he patted the open pages. "I want to read this whole book. There is no index, but these details are really interesting." Aiden''s eyes lit up as he turned the book towards Bram showing a detailed sketch of a small, vibrantly colored bird. "Just look at the plumage on this one! Have you ever heard tell of such a breed, Bram?"


    Bram adjusted his spectacles, scrutinizing the image closely. "Hmm, can''t say I have, though it reminds me of an extinct bird I''ve heard of called a tucan. Known for its intelligence and mischief."


    "Tucan? What kind of name is that?"


    "A name that made sense to the people who used it. I did say it was extinct, and that should''ve hinted at ancient."


    "Okay, point made. Do you have anything about not extinct animals? I''m curious about how smart can they be?"


    "Why? Are your traps still being tampered with?"


    "I don''t know, I haven''t gone out and checked since the day before. Only one had been tampered with. Still, I got a couple of fine finches and one parrotlet."


    "That doesn''t sound too bad."


    "Ya, but the one that had been tampered with wasn''t cut open. If it had been a person they''d have just opened the latches and pulled the spring top up. If it had been an animal wanting to eat the bird it would have just smashed the trap altogether. And besides the trap was too high up and not something any normal predator could get to. The bindings for the side of the trap had been chewed through opening just enough of the side panel to let a bird out without compromising the trap''s location."


    "Did you change your traps like you said?"


    "A bit, after the last set had been broken out of I''ve modified them all. More complex, stronger, safer."


    "So this tells you smart, not lucky?"


    "It was too exact. No other bindings had been chewed on."


    "Hm. So you propose there is some nemesis out there freeing your captured birds that is not a person but still sentient. Driven. Purposeful." Bram leaned forward, his eyes alight with interest. "You think there''s more to this than meets the eye?"


    Aiden nodded, his mind racing with possibilities. "I''m dealing with something that is clever. I''m sure of it."


    "Then you must investigate further," Bram encouraged, his voice steady and sure. "Set your traps, observe, learn. There''s a lesson in this for you one way or the other."


    Aiden leaned back feeling a gentle tingling at the back of his neck and face. And softly answered, "Ya, I thought maybe¡ª" he trailed off without finishing.


    Noticing Aiden''s sudden mood, Bram reached over to gently pat him on the shoulder. "The theory is possible. But, you only have one sampling of one. I''ll look for some possible explanations."


    Aiden took a long breath. "I''m going to go out and check the traps this evening. I''ll leave this with you." He placed the new book on the side table.


    "Very good. Maybe your nemesis will be gone. Tell you what, I have some work I need to finish. Why don''t you go check your traps now? If your dad is going to be out at Horn''s all night, we can have dinner at Jumper''s."


    Aiden smiled, he loved the breads and fried foods at Jumper''s. "Ya, I can meet you there maybe seven if I go now."


    Bram nodded, "between seven and eight then."


    Aiden stood and helped carry the tea cups and dishes to the serving tray, then made for the exit, Bram called out one last piece of advice. "Move carefully, take notes, and be aware."


    "I will. See you at Jumper''s." He stepped out of the shop into the crisp late afternoon air, the bell chiming a cheerful farewell. He made his way out of the village towards the forest.


    Pausing at the forest canopy''s edge, Aiden looked upward through the swaying boughs. A sense of adventure now fed his anticipation. He needed to move carefully. This wasn''t some ancient and arcane force. But, still, it was something fun. And the true nature of his adversary remained a mystery yet to be unraveled.

 Chapter 3 - Ruins

    Aiden stepped lightly in the forest''s shadows, breathing in the fresh scents of moss and pine. It was a welcome change from the acrid smoke of the forge that seemed to permeate his hair and clothes. Out here, his thoughts moved in a different pattern to the ringing beat of the forge and the soft shuffle of pages in Bram''s shop. In the forest, he moved carefully, listening to the whispers of other inhabitants moving about, and thrilled to the gentle touch of the wind as it flowed through the trees touched with a heavy, earthy aroma, plumerias, jasmine, mahogany, teak, and layers of animal musk.


    Following a game trail to the first trap, Aiden listened to the soothing chorus of birdsong. It was one of the reasons he had taken up trapping the creatures instead of hunting them. While their plumage could be used for many things and sold well, he could earn a bit more with a small investment of time and some supplies by taming them to be pets. He admired their grace, colors, and voices that transformed the forest into a living choir. A trader had hinted that pets sometimes sold for more than feathers.


    It had taken the better part of a year, but he''d found he liked catching, taming, and giving them to traders to sell in cities. In his mind, he saw it as a way to share a touch of the forest with peoples'' lives. The traders paid two pence each for the small, colorful creatures and a whole silver chera for the larger parrots. More if they''d been trained to do small tricks like playing or coming on command.


    He climbed up an ancient oak to the first of his traps meant to catch the small but colorful finches or pittas. He''d put the trap on a branch about fifteen feet off the forest floor which had a second branch he could stand on while tending to it. But rather than the sight of a fluttering, iridescent captive, the trap was sprung, empty, and the sweet bait gone.


    Aiden pulled the trap down and cut the line, connecting it to the branch and releasing the branch to snap back. Another branch that must have been caught on it came free and, with a whipping snap, showered Aiden in drops of water caught in its leaves. Aiden stepped back at the surprisingly cold water and almost dropped the trap as he grabbed for support.


    After he wiped his eyes clear, he laughed. The forest always had some surprises.


    He took a more stable sitting position in the branches and looked the trap over. It was a wire cage trap he''d made to mimic the wood and twine traps. This one wouldn''t be chewed through like the others. Yet, it was empty and the bait gone. How had this been done without leaving it open?


    He whistled in amazement and glanced around. That''s the third! Aiden''s brow furrowed. He had set this trap just yesterday after devising the improved design and making it with small iron wires instead of twine. As a boy, he had learned to track, trap, and kill many animals with his parents and then even more from Finn, the village''s master hunter. Aiden''s traps never failed...well, until recently.


    He climbed over to look at where the trap had been place. There were faint scuff marks in the branch''s bark just above where the trap had been mounted. That might mean something with strong, sharp nails had been tampering with the trap from the outside, not the inside. The bait, a mix of seeds and berries, was gone. But there were no feathers, no signs of struggle. Had the trap caught something and then been opened? The locked door indicated no. The trap had been robbed and then sprung.


    Aiden felt the first coils of frustration in his gut. Are birds outsmarting me?


    He took the trap with him to the second trap.


    The second trap was for bigger birds and had a door that would swing shut and lock when a bird stepped inside to get to the bait. This trap was also sprung, except a handful of creeping vine stems about a foot long each had been woven into the doorway, preventing it from closing and latching. The trap was too large to be overcome by whatever means the smaller one had but had still been thoroughly defeated. The bait was gone, and no bird to show for it. He pulled the entangling vines out of the trap door. A smaller vine broke free as he cleaned the vines from the trap, snapping away, clearly being under tension. Aiden looked up to see where it went just in time to get a face full of water.


    There was a soft bird call from somewhere above him that didn''t sound like any bird he knew. Only this call seemed to oscillate and it sounded more like laughter than a bird call.


    Wiping his face clear of water again, he looked for the source of the unusual bird laughter. But, it went silent the moment he could see clearly.


    Aiden waited and watched.


    Nothing.


    Finally, he reset the trap and climbed down. He''d promised a parrot to a traveling merchant and still didn''t have it. If this kept up, he wouldn''t have one.


    Aiden''s jaw tightened. He checked the remaining three smaller traps. Each one was the same: bait gone, trap empty. Except now he was looking for more traps and disabled three more water traps. They were all crude, made with the simplest of materials, none dangerous or difficult to spot. It was no longer coincidence or luck. Something, or someone, was deliberately freeing his quarry, and it was smart enough to set up some countertraps. But who or, more interesting, what?


    Sitting on a wide branch leaning against the tree trunk by the last trap he tried to puzzle out what to do next. The shadows were stretching but the early evening sky was still light, there were about four hours of good light left.


    Maybe I should reset the traps and then watch them from a blind. He thought.


    But, no, he had work to do in the smithy and couldn''t spend all night trying to find out what was going on.


    A soft flutter of wings and a flash of color overhead caught his attention. Glancing up, expecting to see a finch or a sunbird, his breath caught at the flash of vibrant, shimmering feathers, a hypnotic dance of emerald, sapphire, and crimson.


    What kind of bird is that?


    Aiden straightened, his keen eyes scouring the canopy until he spotted a piece of it. It was a little smaller than a crow, a bird like none he had ever seen. And it was purposefully hiding. It leaned out and regarded him with bright, clever eyes. Seeing him looking back, it chirped a bell-like sound and darted off to the northeast, away from the village and deeper into the forest. Its dazzling plumage pulsed with a life all its own, brighter than the long shadows of the canopy in the late afternoon could explain.


    Aiden sat motionless for several seconds, watching the bird''s acrobatic flight. It moved with incredible speed, soon vanishing into the cover of the trees. He slid off the branch to climb to the forest floor. He took stock of the situation. It was still early evening; he wasn''t all that far from the village. He had a few hours of daylight left. Aiden wasn''t worried about getting lost in the forest. He''d been moving through the woods since before his earliest memory. His father wouldn''t be back this evening, so no one would be worried even if he stayed out late.


    I should still take precautions. He cautioned himself, remembering all the advice from Finn and even his natural father so long ago.


    He took out a bit of paper and pencil from his pouch. Using his graphite pencil, he wrote which direction he was going and that he expected to be back before dawn. Placing the paper into one of his traps, he dangled the traps from one of the trees, which would be easily seen if someone came looking. Pulling out a piece of white chalk he used in the smithy to mark the projects, he marked a tree and set off in the direction the bird had gone.


    Two things pulled at him beyond just trying to track that unusual bird. One, there were some old ruins in that direction which he liked exploring, and two it had been in those ruins he''d found the broken silver token. There was just enough light left to do a little exploring, and it would be a full moon, so getting back wouldn''t be difficult either.


    Alright, you feathered fiend, Aiden thought, a determined glint in his eye. You want to play games? Let''s see where you went, and maybe I can turn the tables on you.


    As Aiden ventured deeper into the forest, he couldn''t help but feel a sense of excitement mingling with the tingling apprehension in his gut. The ancient ruins hidden within these woods had always beckoned to him, their secrets whispered on the wind like ghostly echoes of a forgotten age.


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    An hour later, he hadn''t seen any other sign of the unusual bird. But, he came to the ancient moss-covered broken line of standing stones that he imagined were the remains of a border wall for the old ruins. Hopping over the wall, he moved through the tumbled blocks and overgrown passages toward the central area, which was marked by an open space still clear of plants and trees. Twelve massive stones stood in a large circle around a circular glade. And in the forest around them were the remains of stone buildings or stone walls. What had been here so long ago was beyond remembrance.


    Aiden had explored them many times since he''d found them a year ago.


    He ignored the now familiar stone circle and moved south across a small stream to the largest building he''d found so far. It had been two or three stories tall. And it was connected to what had to be the wall, but only a small three foot tall section still stood and went some thirty feet in a straight line to the west. There were fallen stones on both sides that had clearly been part of the wall. The bones of a large tree that had tumbled in some storm long ago lay through a part of the wall, the most likely thing to have caused the wall to finally fall so completely apart.


    It was inside this building he''d found the silver token.


    He took a moment to check for bear or wolf sign. It was still odd that in all the explorations of these ruins, he''d never found any sign of the typical forest predators. It seemed even the smaller forest creatures, except for the birds, stayed away from these ruins. Finding no signs of anything significant having been around, he climbed over the broken wall and into the building''s interior. He''d found the silver token on the upper level but hadn''t had time to explore the lower area.


    With the bit of light he could see, there wasn''t much to explore. All he could see was a small space filled with the crumbled remains of the stonework from above. Exiting, he moved around on the outside and climbed in a hole in the far side. This side had a way through the lower floor, a stone staircase leading down. He took time to inspect the construction. A few steps down, it grew too dark to see, but the moss and plants seemed to lessen on the steps further down.


    He pulled his little camping candle lantern from his pouch. It took a few strikes on the flint but he got the candle lit and closed the glass door of the lantern to keep the breeze from blowing out his light. Holding it high, he slowly moved down the stairs. The moss made a soft carpet on the first steps leading down, then it thinned for a couple more, and past that lay bare dry gray stonework. With each step, he checked the next step for stability, the walls, and the ceiling for any sign of possible collapse. The stairs led a surprising distance underground, and as he moved, the steps became more and more clean. The musty smells of the forest faded behind him until he felt only the simple chill of being in a deep underground chamber and the smell of dry old stone.


    The final steps and walls were polished smooth and clean. No dirt or dust rested on the stone steps. Aiden''s own foot prints left bits of dirt and flakes of green moss on the clean steps.


    The stairs ended in a small alcove with a pair of doors made of a black material. He touched the door; it was cold, not the cold of metal nor the shallow warmth of an old hardwood. The right door hung half open. The hinges caught his attention as he examined the doors; they were smooth and cleanly inset into the door frame and doors. There were door hangers for the open door, which looked strong and well-made. There were no screws or nails, only smooth rectangular plates with interleaved hinges to connect the door to the frame.


    He stepped close, held his light past the open door, and saw some kind of inlaid pattern on the floor. Crouching he saw there was a pair of concentric circles of silver in the polished smooth deep blue stone floor. But, what caught his attention was that the two circles formed a band in which he recognized the symbols that matched those on the reverse of the silver token he''d found.


    Standing, he slowly stepped into the room. His light barely lit the space, but he could make out it was a smallish circular room, maybe eight feet across. The two inlaid bands and symbols formed an inner circle about six feet in diameter. In the center of the room, a pile of something about three feet tall, dark, and dusty sat. There were no other apparent doors.


    Aiden moved in closer and crouched down to examine the pile. At first, he couldn''t figure it out. But, when he gingerly reached out to touch it, it clattered to the floor sideways, revealing itself as a human skeleton in rotted clothing.


    Aiden screamed and lurched back, dropping his lantern. With a loud crash of broken glass and bouncing metal, he was plunged into darkness.


    Off balance, he fell sideways, trying to catch himself in the dark. His head hit the floor hard, and may have been dazed for a minute or two. With the pain radiating through his head, he blinked, trying to get his breathing under control. Stars floated before him in the dark.


    He felt the back of his head, cursing his stupid reaction. A dead person was no threat, and he knew it. He was going to have a heck of a bump.


    Feeling around to shift his pouch, he carefully sat up and looked around uselessly. He moved his hands around carefully, feeling for broken glass or other dangers until he found the remains of his lantern. It wasn''t expensive, but it wasn''t cheap either. He cursed, looking for the pieces until he found the hot wax and the remains of the small candle. Crossing his legs, he started rummaging in his pouch for the flint and steel.


    The back of his head had to have been hit hard because he was still seeing stars. Ten stars flickered dimly in the air.


    Stopping, he blinked and put his hands in front of his eyes. He wasn''t seeing stars in his head; he was seeing stars in the room. His eyes had adjusted slightly to the dimmer light, and ten glowing five-point stars about the size of his thumbnail were arranged in a circle. They were slowly circling the room. As he watched their movements and flicking light, he realized they were not flickering but flat as paper and spinning. When their spin made them sideways to his eyes, they appeared to blink out. This is what was causing the flickering effect. They were golden points of light, not even as bright as a firefly, but together, they were almost a tenth of a candle''s strength.


    Standing, he found they were all at the same height, just above his head, maybe seven feet in the air, and spaced evenly in a circle around the area. He realized with a start they were over the inscribed circle. Carefully, he reached out to feel one. It had no substance at all. No heat nor cold came from them. His hand could pass through them easily, and momentarily, they''d be inside of his hand. But, he felt nothing. Oddly, he could see the light coming from inside his hand. As he moved, the light would shine brighter, showing bone and blood vessel shadows.


    The light was still not good enough, so he relit his candle. Then, he used the base of the lantern to hold the candle, and with three of the panes still mostly in place, it would be enough to get out.


    With the candle lit, the stars were practically invisible, but knowing they were there, he could see them clearly.


    Moving to the skeleton, he knelt but didn''t touch it. He couldn''t tell if it was a man or a woman. Looking closer he realized it probably wasn''t a human after all, it wasn''t bone white, but made of a blueish crystal. This person had been kneeling when they''d died and then just slowly deteriorated undisturbed until now. The clothes were rotted and practically gone. The bones were blue crystal, but there was no hint of skin or hair.


    That made no sense. There should be a dedicated framework of skin and hair to match the clothing. The clothing looked like it should just fall apart, but it strangely held together.


    Gaining a bit more courage, Aiden lifted the ragged edges of the rotted cloak. The person had some cloth armor with silver studs, only the tattered armor was now so thread bare he was sure he could just pluck the silver studs without any resistance. A set of dried leather belts and clips held a short sword. Except the short sword''s leather-wrapped handle looked practically new compared to the dried and twisted leather sheath and belt.


    Aiden pulled the short sword free. It slide out of the sheath easily. But, it shouldn''t have, the dried leather sheath should have shrunk around it to grip it tightly.


    The sword was made of good spring steel and clean lines, with a trefoil blade, and it looked as if it had just been forged. There was a rotted coin purse with six pence, twenty-two silver chera, and five silver crosses. The coins looked exactly like the coins he used every day. Should the coins be aged or different if this place was so ancient?


    The blade had to be worth at least three hundred silver crosses. If he took the silver studs, there would probably be another ten ounces of silver. This person had been very wealthy indeed.


    But why was this person here? And what did they die of?


    He thought about taking the silver studs. But, although the coins and the sword seemed okay, something felt wrong about pulling apart this person''s armor for its bits and bobs. He''d already gotten far more than he''d ever held at once. Maybe he could return with a spade and dig a proper grave for this person.


    He moved to stand, putting his hands down to push up from the floor when his hand was pressed into something soft with beads or heavy embroidery. He looked down and found a small dark brown alms purse that had probably been around this person''s neck. The purse was made of soft leather with a burned pattern and embellished with embroidery and wooden beads. Unlike the sword, it looked old and heavily worn; however, like the sword, it wasn''t damaged by time. He picked it up, and its decorated pattern had a circle band with the same symbols as those inlaid into the floor here and on the half-silver token he and Bram had been looking into. In the center of the circle was a unique symbol holding one five-point star at its center.


    He put the sword in his belt, the coins in his coin purse, and the alms purse into his pouch. Looking around the room, he started to leave but stopped.


    Turning back, he spoke softly. "I''ll see about getting you a proper burial."


    He then climbed back up the stairs to the waning light of evening. As he climbed out of the hole in the side of the building, he heard a squawk of surprise. His eyes darted up in time to see a flash of red and emerald feathers as that odd bird fled into the canopy from the top of a flat stone a few feet away. Looking back down at the flat stone that had been part of the building long ago, there was a set of three dark purple wild orchid blossoms laid in a row with a single golden five-petal wildflower on top.

 Chapter 4 - Someone to Cook and Tend the Fire

    His new sword swung nicely at his side Aiden strode through the dusky evening towards Bram''s bookstore. Although his muscles were aching from the last two days of hard work at the forge he kept his back straight. Unfortunately there weren''t many folks around and those that were out were tired and busy heading for their dinners. No one pointed, complimented him, or noticed the sword hanging from his belt.


    Disappointed at not being seen with the beautiful sword Aiden knew Bram wouldn''t miss it. And after he told Bram about the odd chamber, the skeleton, and the clever red bird he was sure to have a great evening. He couldn''t wait to share his discoveries with Bram and maybe the two of them could devise a plan to outwit the mischievous creature clearing his bird traps. After two days of thinking about it, he was sure it was the strange new red bird he''d seen.


    The bookstore''s weathered wooden door swung open smoothly to the gentle silver ring of the doorbell as Aiden pushed it open, the familiar musty scent of old parchment and leather-bound tomes enveloping him. Bram looked up from his desk, his eyes twinkling with curiosity behind his spectacles. "Aiden, my boy! I was beginning to wonder if you''d fallen into that forge."


    "Horn''s plow needed more than a little repair. We''ve been working as fast as possible to get it done. But I''ve been wanting to get here and tell you what happened in the forest."


    Aiden moved to the pair of reading chairs and turned to give Bram a better view of the sword as he casually used his left hand to unclip its belt and set it next to him as he sat down.


    Bram leaned forward, his elbows resting on the desk. "Well then, let''s hear it. What mysteries have you uncovered in the ruins?"


    Aiden waited a few heartbeats before slumping back with a sigh.


    Bram laughed, giving Aiden a wry smile as he moved from behind the counter. "Give me the pig sticker. You are far too young to be wearing such arms. Especially around here."


    Aiden sat up straighter and handed over the sword in the new scabbard he''d made over the last two nights after Eldric had gone to bed.


    Bram inspected the scabbard with an approving look. "Why did Eldric let you make a sword if you worked so hard on Horn''s plow?"


    Aiden shook his head. "He didn''t. Found the sword in the ruins along with these." He extracted the alms purse and coins from his pouch, placing them on the low serving table between the chairs. "I made it a new scabbard cause the other one was rotted."


    Bram''s eyebrows tightened, and his lips made a hard, flat line as he pulled the sword out of the scabbard and inspected it. Putting the sword and scabbard down, Bram moved to the front of the shop, glanced out the window at the nearly empty street, locked the door, and pulled the thick curtains closed.


    Lighting another lantern, he sat down and examined the blade, gently testing the edges with his fingers. "Tell me exactly how you came by this."


    The story had been waiting impatiently like a damned stream. Before Bram''s question had finished, the story broke through the damn and poured out of Aiden. He detailed the disarmed traps. The odd bird. His exploration of the ruins, and discovering the crystal skeleton with the purse and coins. He ended by explaining how he''d kept the sword secret from Eldric, who would not approve, but had made the scabbard.


    Bram listened to it all. Finally, he sheathed the sword and held it out to Aiden. When Aiden grabbed it, Bram did not release it. Instead, he stared intently into Aiden''s eyes.


    "Who else has seen this?"


    Still holding the sword with Bram, Aiden took in Bram''s face and shivered. "No one seemed to notice it," he said quickly.


    Bram considered that for a moment, then let go of the sword, allowing Aiden to shift back into the seat and place the sword on the floor next to him.


    "Around here if someone noticed it, they wouldn''t have been quiet about it. Aiden, hide that. Do not let anyone else know of it including Eldric. You and I have to investigate this, before we even hint at its existence."


    "Hide it? Why? I''m almost eighteen! The mayor''s son¡ª" he stopped seeing Bram''s eyes.


    Bram shook his head and glared. The intense look made Aiden gulp. "Hide it away. You nor I are ready to deal with what might become of you carrying such a weapon. Especially that one."


    Aiden leaned forward, but Bram didn''t continue.


    After a few seconds, Bram turned his attention to the artifacts on the table. Picking up the coins, he groused. "Coins haven''t changed in hundreds of years. There is no clue to be found with these. But, here on the edge of the empire that is practically a fortune. Hide the coins, too."


    "I have some savings from my work and the bird sales."


    "Three months of master blacksmith earnings?"


    Aiden shrugged, "No, but I have a whole chera and six. I wanted to get some new boots and a cloak."


    Bram considered, "You could get away with using a chera of this for now. The rest you need to hide. If you bought so much, it''d be noticed."


    "Isn''t that the point? Maybe folks would give me more note."


    "How would you explain having ten times more than ever before when no merchants have been through to buy your birds since last moon?"


    Aiden sighed and rolled his head back to look at the ceiling. "Why do we have to hide this at all? I''ve heard stories of people finding a stash of coins in fields or trails."


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    Bram considered for a few seconds then stood and beckoned Aiden to follow. "Help me make some tea."


    Aiden followed Bram into the cramped kitchen. The fire was cold, so he went to the back wood pile and brought in wood. After building the fire up, Bram had the teapot ready and everything else set out on the wood platter.


    "You''ve read the old tales," Bram said, breaking the silence that had accompanied all the preparations.


    "I figured the sword had to be magic. Everything else the person had was rotted and rusted, except for the coins and that leather purse."


    "If everything else was in such bad repair, how long must it have been there?"


    Aiden had been thinking about that question for the last few days. "It has to have been at least a hundred years. The hunting knife and other metals were completely rusted through, like some tools I''ve seen from around the area."


    "Was the chamber wet? You said it was dusty."


    "No, it was completely dry."


    "So if it takes a hundred years for a knife to rust through in a barn or other storage shed, how long would it take in a dry room."


    Aiden didn''t have an answer to that. He thought about all the tools they had in the forge. Those tools had been kept in the hot, dry forge. Sure, they were used, but that wouldn''t stop all the rust. As far as he knew, Eldric only had to make new tools when something broke.


    After Aiden hadn''t answered for a few minutes Bram chuckled. "I''d guess more than five hundred years. More likely near to a thousand."


    "Are those ruins that old?"


    Bram poured the boiling water over the tea leaves before he answered. "There is no record of what those ruins are or who built them in the great biblitheca in Surrenth."


    "There has to be. They have all the records of the world there."


    "That is the myth. The biblitheca has records that go back over nine thousand years. And yet, I can guarantee those ruins are not mentioned anywhere."


    "You can''t be that sure." Aiden said firmly.


    "Oh I can, I made them the center of my historical research project to graduate the collegium. Or at least I tried to." Bram handed Aiden the wooden platter which he accepted automatically. "Here take the tray and we can go sit."


    Aiden carefully maneuvered the tray down the narrow hall to the front of the store. After taking his own cup and one of the sandwiches Bram had assembled from some old bread, cheese, and what looked like a mix of some bird and pork meats, he sat. A sip of the tea told him it would be good but still too hot. He turned his attention to the sandwich and took a bite. The salty flavor mixed with some garlic was surprising, as he hadn''t seen Bram add any herbs.


    Bram took his seat, tea, and sandwich. Sitting down, he somehow took a good swallow of the hot tea and followed that up with a large bite from his sandwich. Leaning back, tea in one hand and sandwich in the other, he waved them as he continued his story.


    "I thought I''d found something new and ignored some mild warnings from my mentor about finding something else to research. I bulled on, dug through records, took a couple trips here to explore and look for any kind of carvings or writings. I found nothing in the ruins, nothing in the bibliotheca records, even the outer kingdom records from before Surren conquered all the other kingdoms becoming the first emperor. Lapidara was never mentioned, all records for settle villages and farming communities ended at Nemeth. That was the furthest west any community records held. There are mentions of some small unnamed farming homesteads west of Nemeth. Two hundred years ago, those small homesteads had grown large enough to get tax collectors and that is when Lapidara is first recorded."


    Aiden wiped his hands on his pants. "Lapidara is only two hundred years old?"


    Bram shook his head, "people have lived out here for about eight hundred years. But, those were just small homesteads and lone farmers. Villages grow where people can create farms and homes. The more farming fields cleared of trees, the larger the crops, the more people can be supported."


    "Wait," Aiden said, "if you were studying in Surrenth, how did you learn about the ruins all the way out here?"


    Bram smiled, "That is a good question. The simple answer is I came out here with some friends who wanted to explore the mountains beyond the edge of the map. I was here for a whole summer and we marched all over the place acting like little lordlings. When we learned of the ruins, we spent the last few weeks camped out there, poking around and guessing at what they could be. It was all a grand adventure."


    "And then you went back to The Collegium and started your research? But, you didn''t find anything. Is that why you came back here? Do you go out there on your own to keep looking? I''ve never seen sign that anyone else is going out there."


    Bram laughed, "I''m not a woodsman. Yes, I went back. Yes, I dug deep into the mystery of the ruins. In the end, I had to leave. I took my meager savings and a small collection of books and came back out here. I was planning on trying to do more, but over the years, I still can''t find anything more. Now I like my little shop, and Lapidara is a good place to live. I thought it ended there. But now you found something I didn''t."


    Bram picked up the alms purse and looked at the symbols worked into the leather face. "And here is the complete pattern." He slowly rotated the purse looking intensely at each of the sixteen symbols. He tapped one on the bottom left of the circle. "This looks familiar, but I can''t remember where I''ve seen it before. All the rest are unique."


    Aiden ate a second sandwich and freshened their tea as Bram made a second circular examination of all the symbols.


    "Do you have that silver token?"


    Aiden fished it out of his pouch and handed it over. He had also compared them, so he wasn''t surprised when Bram returned the token with a shrug.


    "A perfect match." Bram got some paper and carefully copied the entire design, including all the stitching and scratches.


    "Well maybe my friends will find something on these and we''ll learn more. In the meantime, we need to deal with your interesting adversary and take a closer look at this chamber you found."


    Aiden nodded, excitement bubbling in his chest. "I was hoping you''d help me catch this bird that has been tampering with my traps. I was thinking of using the larger parrot traps. But, it won''t be stopped by them. I was kinda hoping you''d have some magic I could use?"


    A smile tugged at the corners of Bram''s mouth. "I know a few trap wards we can add. That should stop this clever bird."


    Aiden stuffed the coins and alms purse back into his pouch and scooted forward to take one of the graphite sticks and a paper. He sketched the parrot traps he''d made and explained the trap mechanism."


    Bram inspected the design and pointed out how an intelligent creature might break free or compromise the mechanics.


    An hour and a couple of slices of cake later, Aiden had the designs for the basic modifications to improve the trap. The first serious modification would be to replace the door hinges with a set of pins with incorporated flat medallions, which Bram could use to inscribe a pair of wards. The other modification would be to add a few extra iron wire bars, which are also attached to an integrated medallion on the bottom, to hold a third ward to strengthen the cage.


    "Well Aiden, I believe we have a plan. How long will it take to construct this new cage?"


    Aiden considered the work. Now that the major repair was complete the other smithy work that had been set aside would need to get done. "I can have a pair of these cages in a week."


    "Can you get me the wire attached to the medallions and the two hinges sooner?"


    "Sure, I can get those to you tomorrow. But, don''t they need to be on the cage to be cast?"


    Bram tried to pour another cup of tea, but found the pot was empty. "I can set the spells to be activated later. It''ll take me two or three days to do that work."


    Aiden smiled, "Then we''ll finish about the same time. It''ll be a race!"


    Bram laughed, "Yes, it will at that. Once everything is done I want to go explore those ruins a bit more. Especially the chamber you found. Can you come camping with me at the ruins for a few days maybe a week? When everything is ready of course."


    Aiden nodded, "Sure that''s no problem."


    "Good. I need someone to cook and tend the fire while I do my research."

 Chapter 5 Trap Set

    Aiden''s deal with Eldric was straightforward: manage the forge¡¯s workload efficiently, and the research trip with Bram was his. Confident in his son¡¯s resilience, Eldric agreed.


    Each day unfolded with the precision of a well-oiled machine. At dawn, Aiden was already in the small aviary, coaxing chirps and songs from his feathered charges. These moments were more than mere training; they were a dance of trust and command, critical for the birds that fetched the highest prices at market¡ªspecifically those that responded to calls, endured human touch, and perched calmly on offered limbs. The birds that resisted domestic charms were granted their freedom, a nod to their untamable spirits.


    Breakfast was a quick affair, shared with Eldric amidst the clatter of plans and the day¡¯s forge assignments. Then, the real work began. The smithy was a tempest of sparks and sweat as father and son bent iron and steel to their will, crafting everything from horseshoes to all the various intricate metalworks required by the village that required the steady hands of the master and son. Amidst the clang of metal and shower of sparks, Aiden¡¯s mind often drifted to his mechanical adversary in the woods¡ªthe elusive red bird.


    As twilight approached, Aiden tested his latest invention in the quiet forest. Each new bird trap, an iteration from wood and simple gravity to a full steel cage using springs and gears. The cage became a testament to Aiden¡¯s craft. But this was no ordinary trap; it was the centerpiece of a week-long chess game with the winged trap master. Each day, Aiden introduced a slightly altered version of the trap, humorously imagining the red bird''s bafflement.


    On the third day he stopped putting out the smaller traps and only left the one primary trap for the mid-sized red bird he''d caught sight of and was surely the smartest animal he''d ever encountered. "Let¡¯s see you puzzle this one out," he muttered one evening, setting a redesigned trigger that was subtler than the last. He pictured the bird, cocking its head, eyeing the contraption with a mix of curiosity and suspicion.


    On the fourth day, Aiden fancied he could see the bird''s invisible smirk from the treetops, as if it were taunting him. "Maybe today, my feathered friend," he whispered, tweaking the bait mechanism to be more enticing yet more challenging to breach.


    The smithy days blurred into evenings of innovation and silent conversations with an unseen foe. Eldric, noticing his son¡¯s nightly disappearances and chuckles, shook his head and laughed as he left Aiden for the tavern.


    On the tenth day, a grin unfurled on Aiden''s face as he admired the finished trap, his creation gleaming under the workshop''s dim lights.


    The tenacious bird had outsmarted nine previous versions of Aiden''s traps, each defeat a notch in its metaphorical belt. This final model, however, boasted an improved door mechanism¡ªsubtly enhanced, it appeared nearly identical to the last. Aiden chuckled, imagining the bird''s smug satisfaction as it thought it could disabled the lock once more. "You might think you''re clever," he murmured to the absent bird, "but let''s see you handle this twist."


    Hidden within the intricacies of the trap was a secondary lock, a blend of Bram''s magic and Aiden''s craftsmanship. This lock wasn''t just mechanical; it was enchanted, designed to confound and capture their feathered foe with an elegance that belied its robust security. Special ward pins Bram created would slip into concealed slots within the trap''s frame. They''d be completely invisible to prying eyes¡ªespecially those that clever bird.


    As Aiden secured the last components, a flicker of regret passed through him. Capturing such a wily creature felt like ending a grand game of wits. Perhaps, he mused, he might train the bird, turn this contest of cunning into a partnership of sorts. The idea of taming such a spirited opponent into a companion brought a softer smile to his face.


    On the morning of their departure, Aiden packed the trap alongside his gear, a smirk etching his features as he envisioned outsmarting the red bird at last. His steps were light with anticipation as he stepped out of the door, the forest around him alive with the rustling whispers of leaves¡ªnature itself seemed to buzz with the electricity of an impending showdown.


    As he latched the front gate, Eldric emerged from the smithy, his hands darkened by soot, a sturdy apron draped over his broad frame. The forge was just beginning to crackle with the fresh fire for the day''s work, its fiery breath chasing away the chill of the morning.


    "Aiden," Eldric called. Aiden turned, his backpack slung over one shoulder.


    "I saw that trap you finished up last night," Eldric began, wiping his hands on his apron as he approached. His eyes, sharp and assessing, softened with a hint of pride. "You''ve done solid work improving it, son. More intricate than your usual fare."


    Aiden blinked, surprised. "You''ve been checking on it?"


    "Of course," Eldric chuckled, his beard twitching with amusement. "You think I wouldn¡¯t notice something like that taking shape in my own smithy? It¡¯s clever, the way you designed those locks. Might have a few uses around here too."


    Aiden felt a warm flush of pride. "Thanks, Dad. I¡ª I hope it works."


    "A good design like that, it will," Eldric clapped him on the back, his gaze turning thoughtful. "You¡¯ve got a good head on your shoulders. Just make sure you use it out there, not just for traps but for staying out of trouble too."


    This book''s true home is on another platform. Check it out there for the real experience.


    "I will. It¡¯s just five days, maybe a week. I¡¯ll be careful," Aiden reassured him, adjusting the strap of his pack.


    Eldric nodded, then pulled Aiden into a firm, brief hug. "Take care of yourself. Come back for supplies if you need to stay longer. Bram''s been talking at Jack''s every night about exploring those old ruins. He''s more excited than the kids when cake comes out of the oven."


    Stepping back, Aiden grinned. "Will do. See you soon, Dad."


    As he turned to leave, Eldric called after him, "And bring back stories, not just that bird!"


    Aiden laughed, his heart light. "Will try my best!" he called back, heading towards the path that would lead him to Bram''s bookshop, and beyond that, to the unknown adventures that awaited with the cunning red bird.


    As he walked to Bram''s bookstore, Aiden''s mind churned with worry. His inability to catch more birds was more than a minor setback; it threatened the very heart of his livelihood. With his traps constantly sabotaged by that cunning red bird, his usually bountiful catch had dwindled to a precious few. The coins he needed to procure materials for the traps and bird care were slipping through his fingers like sand. He might need to revert to foraging for seeds and other natural materials, a method he hadn''t relied on since his early days.


    The winter was approaching, and preparations had to be made. Reluctantly, Aiden realized he would have to sell nearly all his current flock to afford these necessities. The seven canaries, always a market favorite, would fetch a good price. Yet, there was one he could not bring himself to sell¡ªHanna, the small blue parrotlet he had nurtured from a nestling. She was more than just a bird; she was a companion. Whenever Aiden stepped into the aviary, Hanna would flutter to his shoulder, nuzzling against his neck in a show of affection no other bird offered. She had an uncanny knack for herding the shyer birds towards him, aiding in their training with her enthusiastic participation in tricks and commands, always eager for her share of rewards.


    He did have four sunbirds which were a spectacle of nature''s artistry, their feathers a kaleidoscope of greens, blues, and reds. Though skittish and whimsical, they were manageable and mesmerizing in their beauty. They''d been training up nicely and he''d have to sell them all. In the end it would just be Hanna and she''d be lonely over the winter if left in the aviary. It was large and warm enough he could sleep in it to keep her company.


    Entering Bram''s bookstore, Aiden found his friend already outfitted for their journey. Bram stood in a sturdy cloak and simple attire, a stark contrast to the complexities swirling in Aiden¡¯s thoughts.


    Bram held up a set of hinge pins. Originally, when Aiden had crafted them, they were merely elongated pins that curved into a horseshoe shape, ending in a small, flat circular decoration about the size of a chera. Now, they were transformed; instead of the simple round decoration, each pin featured long, narrow leaves that draped elegantly downward, concealing the entire hinge.


    "Why did you change them?" Aiden asked, eyeing the altered pins with a mix of curiosity and amusement.


    Bram handed one to Aiden for closer inspection. "I thought about that clever creature disarming your traps. If it''s smart enough to do that, it might recognize what the ward pins are for," he explained. "So I used a bit of shaping magic to disguise them with these leaf decorations."


    Aiden turned the pin in his hand, chuckling. "You really expect a bird to know about magical wards? What¡¯s next, teaching it to read spell books?"


    Bram grinned, playing along. "You never know, Aiden. We might just be dealing with the first wizard of the avian world."


    Aiden laughed, appreciating Bram''s creativity. "Well, let¡¯s hope your leafy camouflage keeps our feathered master mage in the dark."


    As the last wisps of morning dew evaporated, Aiden and Bram ventured into the woods, their packs heavy with supplies and the cunningly modified trap. They navigated the underbrush with silent, measured steps, mindful not to alert the astute bird to their presence. Aiden led the way to his chosen spot for the trap, his eyes meticulously scanning the canopy for any glimpse of the elusive trickster.


    The trap, already primed with magical wards back at the bookstore, was simple to set up¡ªprovided they avoided touching certain sensitive points. Aiden secured it to a high branch and baited it with his finest concoction: a mixed fruit paste interspersed with seeds, irresistible to any bird.


    Next, he whispered an anchor spell, the words barely escaping his lips, as Bram had instructed. Although Aiden felt none of the magical flow the books had described, a discreet flash of light under his palm confirmed the spell''s success. Concealed and quiet, the setup left no trace for the clever bird to suspect.


    Aiden and Bram trekked through the dense forest. The leaves rustled gently above them, creating a natural melody that accompanied their steps. The air was fresh, filled with the scent of pine and the earthy aroma of damp soil, a reminder of the forest¡¯s enduring presence. Light filtered through the canopy in patches, dappling the ground and highlighting the rich greens and browns of the underbrush that brushed against their legs.


    Reaching the ancient ruins, they paused to catch their breath. Their cheeks were rosy from the hike, and they set down their packs by the entrance to lighten their load. Aiden leaned against an aged tree trunk, taking in the area. The fresh scents of the woods and late afternoon light made the place a far cry from the dense and hot smithy.


    They descended into the hidden chamber with just their lanterns and essential tools. The air grew cooler as they stepped down, the change in temperature causing Aiden¡¯s skin to prickle. The passageway narrowed, the cool, moist walls of the tunnel almost echoing their careful footsteps.


    The chamber at the end of the tunnel was breathtaking. Its walls reflected the lamp lights off their deep blue, reflecting the light from their lanterns in a mesmerizing display. The chamber wasn''t exactly large, maybe twenty feet across. The silver magic circle with the unusual symbols was inscribed on the same polished deep blue floor. The silver reflected the lantern lights and gave the impression that it was glowing.


    Aiden stepped forward, his footsteps resonating softly. The circle¡¯s faux glow pulses with each movement of the lanterns. Bram joined him, eyes scanning the circle, a look of wonder etched across his face.


    ¡°Where is the skeleton?¡± Aiden whispered.


    "Where is any dirt or dust?" Bram responded.


    Aiden was surprised by the question; he hadn''t noticed that there wasn''t even a speck of dust in the room. Every surface gleamed with a perfect shine.


    Bram shook his head slowly, his focus still on the magic circle. ¡°I''m getting no sense of power here. These symbols are what we''ve been looking into.¡±


    Aiden nodded, looking around the chamber with a renewed sense of curiosity. The mystery of what lay before them was enticing, the promise of ancient secrets nearly palpable in the cool air.


    ¡°Maybe we can pull some details from this circle,¡± Bram murmured, kneeling down to inspect the glyphs.


    Aiden smiled, the thrill of discovery igniting a spark of excitement within him. Then he noticed the other thing missing. "Where are the glowing stars?"

 Chapter 6 Magic doesnt solve everything

    "I don''t understand," Aiden said, his voice echoing slightly in the cavernous chamber. He pointed to the center of the room, where reflections of their two lanterns danced off the walls and floor. "There was a crystal skeleton right there."


    Bram''s brow furrowed as he meticulously examined the surroundings. "I believe you."


    Aiden knelt, a shiver of unease crawling up his spine as his hand grazed the seamless floor. "Smooth as glass," he murmured. "At least the symbols are still here."


    Bram circled the magic circle, his keen eyes studying the silver symbols etched against the deep blue of the floor. "These symbols... they¡¯re not magical, at least not in any form I recognize. Let''s try something."


    Bram cast a spell with a fluid motion, and the room suddenly brightened under the glow of three luminous orbs.


    Aiden watched intently. No stars appeared floating over the magic circle. The symbols didn''t glow, nothing happened. Aiden slumped back against the wall.


    Bram ignored Aiden and watched the orbs intently. "This spell not only illuminates but also gathers ambient magical energy," he explained, watching for any fluctuations.


    "What are you looking for?"


    Bram¡¯s gaze swept across the chamber. "Any reaction... anything at all." After a moment, he let out a sigh, and with a flick of his wrist, the orbs dissipated. "Nothing. No interaction whatsoever. It¡¯s as if this whole chamber is isolated from magic."


    "If it blocks magic, how did you make those orbs?"


    "Oh, there is magic here, but it is..." Bram trailed off and thought.


    "Bram?"


    "Hmm. Sorry, I¡¯ll need equipment to test properly."


    Aiden sprang to his feet. "I¡¯ll get the gear."


    Bram raised a hand. "Let''s not rush into this. Set up camp first, and this evening, I¡¯ll show you how to conduct each test outside. Tomorrow, we can start examining this place."


    Aiden thought about objecting but remembered they''d have a week if they wanted.


    A couple of hours later, Bram adjusted his packs again and grunted. "What was wrong with that last spot?"


    "Don''t want to sleep in a puddle if it rains."


    "And the place before that?"


    "Large scat."


    "How large?"


    "Large enough I wanted to find someplace else to sleep."


    Bram grunted his acknowledgment.


    Aiden selected a clearing that, to Bram, looked the same as the few they''d gone through already. It was only a few minutes'' walk from the ruins and Bram wasn''t going to argue about it. Aiden had far more experience than he did. Together they went about the business of setting up tents, digging a small fire pit, gathering storm wood for the fire, and then sorting through their packs getting settled.


    Aiden used one of the first spells Bram taught him to start the fire.


    "Lot easier with magic isn''t it?"


    Aiden laughed and put the pot on to prepare dinner. While the food cooked, Aiden climbed up a large tree they''d set up near and added some ropes to hang their supplies. When he climbed back down, Bram was waiting and watching.


    "For the foodstuffs," Aiden said defensively.


    "I know. But why did you climb up there?"


    "To secure the pulley."


    Bram held a length of rope out and said a soft incantation. Aiden''s mind echoed the spell''s intent in his mind "rise and secure."


    The rope came alive and rose into the tree like a snake. It made a couple of loops beside where Aiden had secured his pulley, then fell limp, becoming a rope with one end tied on the tall, sturdy branch.


    "You didn''t teach me that."


    "Haven''t gotten there yet."


    "Well, at least I have the pulley. So I can hang the supplies up there. I guess you could use yours for climbing up."


    Bram laughed and looped the other end of the rope through his backpack''s straps. He winked at Aiden and said, "Lift and hold."


    The rope sprang to life again and lifted the pack up to dangle just under the branch.


    Aiden stared at the pack hanging neatly under the branch. When Bram started laughing, he realized his mouth was also hanging down. His face grew warm, and he grimaced at Bram.


    Bram held up two hands placatingly. "It''ll only hold for a full day, then drop. The rope is tied, so it''ll just hang there. Your pulley is actually more secure and will last longer."


    Aiden thought about it for a minute and shrugged. "Well, dinner is about ready. Do you want to start doing those tests while we eat?"


    Bram''s eyes went wide, and he looked back up at the pack. "Um, some of the fragile instruments are still in the pack."


    It was Aiden''s turn to laugh. "You can''t get it back without dropping it!"


    "I was just teasing you. Didn''t think it all the way through." Bram straightened and took on a scholarly look. "And that is the lesson. Magic doesn''t solve everything. You need to consider carefully each action."


    "The lesson?" Aiden laughed and started climbing back up the tree.


    Bram and Aiden spent time checking and testing Bram''s devices. Aiden was fascinated by how the small contraptions could measure different levels of magic and categorize its various types. While Aiden already knew about the basic elemental types of magic like stone, air, water, and fire, he was surprised to learn that there were even more precise definitions. This discovery opened his mind to the vast possibilities of magic.


    Magical energy was distributed into a wide variety of elements, and Bram had brought a small clockwork device to test for the most basic types. The device featured a set of crystals and engraved runes, creating a form of ritual magic that required careful setup and specific materials.


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    Kneeling on the ground at their campsite, Aiden watched as Bram set a crystal into a small slot, its facets catching the light. "How does this work?" Aiden asked, his fingers drumming on the grassy earth beside him.


    Bram carefully twisted a dial, setting the clockwork into motion. "This tests for basic magics: Ground, Water, Fire, and Air. Each crystal and rune corresponds to one of these types." The gears clicked and whirred, emitting a faint light and a harmonious chord of sound like a clean set of notes plucked together on a lute.


    Aiden¡¯s brows furrowed as he leaned closer, observing the crystals and runes shift and light up in response. "Like aligning an energy flow through runnels?"


    "Precisely," Bram affirmed, a smile tugging at his lips. "It maps how magic interacts with its surroundings."


    Aiden picked up a small vial of water from his pack, swishing it around as he spoke. "So, let''s start with Water Magic. What can this do?"


    Bram adjusted the device¡¯s settings, watching the crystal corresponding to Water Magic begin to glow with a gentle blue light. "Water Magic influences the behavior of water in all its forms. This includes controlling currents, manipulating ice or steam, and even extracting moisture from the air."


    Aiden''s grin broadened as he set the vial back down. "Okay, let''s see how it works here," he said, tilting the vial over a nearby rock, causing a small stream to trickle down its side.


    The device''s light flickered slightly, but nothing dramatic happened. Bram nodded, noting the reaction, then tore a piece of bread from a loaf nearby, munching on it. "It''s functioning as expected. Now, let''s try Thermal Magic," he mumbled through a mouthful of bread. "You should know this one already."


    "Ya, thermal magic allows control over heat and flames. That includes igniting fires and controlling temperatures"


    Aiden pulled a burning stick from the fire and brought it close to the device. Taking a second stick he lit it from the first making a small flame danced to life. The corresponding crystal on the device began to glow a faint orange, shimmering in time with the fire''s flickering.


    "Thermal energy''s reacting as expected," Bram confirmed, reaching for a forkful of the roasted meat Aiden had prepared. "Let''s move on to Air Magic. Now air is interesting as it manipulates the movement of the non-liquid gases which we call collectively air. These have a weight and apply pressure depending on how high or low we are compared to the water levels. This includes controlling wind patterns, creating storms, influencing pressure systems, and more dangerous, creating high impact pressure waves."


    Aiden put the sticks in the fire, then held his hand up, feeling only a slight breeze. "There''s not much," he noted, his eyes flicking to the device as the Air crystal emitted a faint greenish glow.


    Bram nodded and waved his hand making a short incantation which Aiden felt in his mind as "push." A sudden rush of air drove into him from Bram''s hand. The air crystal brightened and Bram nodded cancelling the breeze he''d called into existence. With a nod he took another bite of food. "Yes, the pressure system seems stable. No surprises so far." He shifted, picking up a small tuning fork from his pack and handing it to Aiden. "Now for Sound Magic."


    "Sound?"


    "Sound is a specialization of air magic highly focused on manipulating sound waves and acoustic phenomena. You can amplify or dampen noises, create sonic attacks or defenses, and induce resonance effects in any material that can carry sound wave energy."


    "So sound is waves of air?"


    Bram nodded but couldn''t talk around the large bite he just put in his mouth.


    Aiden struck the tuning fork against a nearby rock, holding it up to his ear. A soft hum resonated from the fork, and the corresponding crystal on the device began to emit a purple light. In Aiden''s mind he seemed to recognize that the color felt a match to the fork''s pitch.


    "Good, everything is checking out for this detector," Bram remarked, finishing the last of his meal. "It''s good to see everything behaving normally, at least for now. We should be prepared to delve deeper tomorrow."


    "What else do you have?"


    Bram pulled out a set of small devices. Each was made of different materials. He held them up one at a time explaining the type of magic they could detect and measure. Bram used small spells that Aiden was able to capture and remember to produce a small sampling of each type of magic.


    A pair of small iron balls on a looped rod of iron wrapped in leather. "Electromagnetic magic, which can generate electric currents, create light-based illusions, and influence magnetism."


    A glass sphere filled with a mostly transparent liquid that slowly swirled, with many small colored beads of glass that gently drifted down to settle at the bottom. "This is for identifying biological magic which can influence growth, healing, and genetic traits. Can enhance or suppress biological activities."


    Another glass sphere but with small three-sided pyramids instead of beads. "And chemical magic, that affects the interactions with the elements and compounds in substances of the world. It can catalyze chemical reactions, transmute materials, and synthesize new compounds."


    A cube on a silver line thicker than a thread, but much thinner than any twine or string. "Gravitational magic that manipulates gravitational fields and forces. It can alter the strength of gravity in specific areas, and levitate objects."


    Bram continued, fetching another tool from his bag, this one a slender hourglass with sand that flowed upward instead of down. "This detects Temporal Magic, which governs the manipulation of time. It can slow or speed up time in localized areas, induce time dilation, and shift the perception of time."


    Next, he produced a thin, flat crystal that shimmered with a soft internal light. "Here we have a device for Psychic Magic, which taps into the power of the mind. It''s used to detect telepathic activity, induce hallucinations, or manipulate emotions."


    He then pulled out a small, handheld prism that refracted light into a spectrum of colors when held against the light. "This is for Light Magic. It interacts with the electromagnetic spectrum to control and manipulate light, creating illusions, bending light to conceal objects, or even blurring vision to obscure areas."


    Bram''s next item was a dark, opaque lens, almost like a piece of obsidian, set into a simple metal frame. "And this is for Shadow Magic, which controls the absence of light. It can detect areas where light is being manipulated to create darkness, shadows, or dark illusions of movement."


    Finally, Bram presented two more devices, each appearing more ominous than the last. The first was a vial containing a swirling, dark red liquid that seemed to pulsate with a life of its own. Holding it up to the light, Bram''s expression grew serious.


    "This vial detects Blood Magic," he explained, watching the liquid move as if alive. "Blood Magic is often viewed with suspicion because it involves tapping into the life force of beings to fuel spells. This device can sense when vitality is being drained or when magic is used to manipulate biological and chemical energies. You see it is pulsing and moving, that is mostly you and me plus some of the life around us. All life is imbued with some magic."


    Aiden watched, fascinated yet slightly unnerved by the pulsating vial. "That thing feels odd."


    Bram nodded, placing the vial carefully back into his bag. "And that''s why I haven''t taught you these types of magic. They''re powerful, Aiden, but easily misjudged as evil. Knowledgeable magicians understand they''re just another form of energy, but you must be cautious with such knowledge."


    He then retrieved the last item, a small geometric object that constantly shifted in shape and appearance, which floated in the middle of a crystal cube. As Bram held it, the object seemed to blur and refocus, never settling into one form.


    "Is there liquid holding it in place?"


    "No, in fact, there is nothing inside this cube other than the rare elements comprising the matrix of the detection device. The absence of all gasses and fluids is a vacuum and very difficult to create. The device itself is held in place by the forces it applies against the sides of the container."


    Bram gave Aiden some time to consider his words, then continued, "It is for detecting Entropy Magic, which accelerates the breakdown and decay of systems and structures. It senses increases in disorder, the degradation of materials, or disruptions in energy conversions."


    Aiden reached out, hesitated, and pulled his hand back. "Is it dangerous?"


    "It can be," Bram agreed, his voice lower. "Entropy Magic is about chaos and deterioration. It''s not inherently evil but potent and demands respect and understanding. This device could cause some damage if it is broken and the actual device was exposed to material matter."


    Bram gave a stern and serious look, eyes locking with Aiden''s, "Remember, these last two magics are easily mistaken for dark arts. You cannot practice them openly or even allow others to see these types of devices or references."


    Aiden gave Bram a serious nod as he considered, "We''ll use all these tomorrow. It doesn''t seem we would need a full week to do the testing."


    "No, we will exhaust all these devices in short order if that was all we were going to do. But, I will be showing you a series of rituals to conduct to cause a small usage of each of these magics, which we will do in the chamber. First I will do it to make sure it is safe, and then I want you to repeat my experiment so you can do this yourself."


    Aiden realized he was about to get a full week of solid magic training, and he couldn''t stop a smile from splitting his face.


    Bram clapped him on the shoulder, a smile breaking his face, too. "Now, do you have any more of that meat? It was really good."

 Chapter 7 Groundwork

    Aiden was jerked from his sleep by a loud scream piercing his dreams. Jumping out of his small tent, the scream filled the air. Causing the entire world to freeze. Then it cut off abruptly. The sudden silence that followed was oppressive, the usual rustlings and wildlife chirping eerily absent.


    The oppressive silence was shattered by the fearful cries of startled birds and animals. The sky filled with the sound of beating wings and darting shadows as flocks of birds winged for safety.


    The sky was just barely lit with the coming day. Aiden spun in a circle, taking in the fleeing birds and gauging the direction of the scream.


    "What was that?" Bram''s voice startled Aiden. He hadn''t noticed Bram joining him as he scanned the forest.


    The animal noises diminished and the birds returned to their hidden perches in the trees. A few moments later the forest around them slowly gained the sounds of insects, birds, and other morning animal activity.


    Aiden pointed in the direction of the scream, his heart still hammering. Despite the almost restored forest noises, Aiden could feel something was still hanging in the air. The forest felt different, thicker somehow. "I don''t know. It came from that direction," he pointed his voice barely above a whisper.


    "You don¡¯t know?" Bram''s tone was edged with anxiety, his usual composure slipping. He stepped closer to Aiden, lowering his voice. "That didn¡¯t sound like an animal."


    Aiden nodded, peering into the dense foliage, trying to pierce the dim shadows that seemed to cling closer than before. "I''ve never heard anything like it. It was..." unable to properly describe what he''d heard, Aiden shrugged, "wrong."


    The two exchanged a glance. Neither wanted to admit how deeply the scream had unsettled them. Bram swallowed hard, then pulled a small device from his bag, his fingers working to activate it. "I''m setting this to detect magical disturbances. If that was caused by something... unnatural, we should know."


    The device hummed to life, casting a faint blue glow. But as seconds stretched into minutes, the tension only grew.


    "I think it came from the trap," Aiden said as Bram fiddled with his device.


    "I''m not detecting anything unusual."


    "I think we should check the trap."


    Aiden and Bram took their time cautiously trekking through the dense forest to reach the location. By the time they approached, the usual chorus of forest morning sounds had resumed, and the sky had brightened enough to chase most of the shadows away, easing the eerie feel of the woods.


    Peering through the thick underbrush, they caught sight of the trap on the ground, a stark splash of red visible within. Without hesitation, Aiden pushed through the foliage, his breath catching at the sight before him. The strange bird lay unconscious, its glimmering red wings unfurled slightly on the forest floor. Around it, a scatter of vibrant red feathers and the remnants of the trap''s violently torn heavy twine told the story of a desperate struggle.


    Aiden observed the bird''s chest rise and fall with slow, steady breaths. Its eyes stared openly. After a moment, the eyes slowly closed and then opened again. The bird was disheveled and half-puffed up like a baby. It was alive, clearly stunned, possibly unconscious.


    Bram knelt beside the fallen trap, his expression clouded with concern. "One of the binding wards has been broken," he muttered, examining the remnants of the magical protections. "We need to secure this better before we attempt to transport it."


    Aiden nodded, his mind racing with the implications. "What is this? A bird capable of breaking through magical wards?"


    Bram shook his head, his eyes still fixed on the creature. "I¡¯m not sure, Aiden. But one thing is clear¡ªthis is no ordinary bird. We need to proceed with extreme caution and study it meticulously."


    He stood, brushing dirt from his hands. "I can strengthen the cage temporarily with what I have here. Once we''re back at camp, I''ll prepare a more robust ward. After that, we can study it safer out here. I''m not sure we should take it to the village."


    "I want to try feeding it out here and see how it responds," Aiden suggested, glancing at the bird with a mix of awe and apprehension.


    Bram made some gestures with an incantation. Blue light surrounded the cage and then settled into the metal bars as it slowly faded away. Bram nodded and brushed some leaves from his leggings. "It is good weather, and this is a beautiful location. It might help that bird to stay here for a bit."


    Aiden collected the feathers automatically before carefully righting the cage. The bird was unconscious, and with careful movements, Aiden got it settled on the bottom of the cage.


    Back at their makeshift camp, Bram set about reinforcing the bird''s cage with additional magical wards. Aiden watched as Bram drew intricate symbols in the air with a small, glowing wand, and on the ground around the cage with an array of powders. Each gesture weaving visible layers of energy around the cage. The air thickened with the scent of ozone as the spell took shape.


    "Just a few more minutes, and this will hold it," Bram murmured, his voice steady despite the concentration etched on his face.


    The bird stirred. Its eyes blinked rapidly before it lifted its head and took in the situation. Bright with an intelligence that seemed far too knowing, it began squawking, the sound unnervingly human-like¡ªa scream of frustration and rage that made Aiden step back. The bird threw itself against the sides of the cage with startling force, its wings beating furiously, more red feathers flying.


    Aiden rushed over to hold the cage in position against the bird''s violent thrashing. The bird¡¯s agitation increased, and it made more than a few attempts to get at Aiden''s hands with its beak or talons. When Aiden proved able to hold the cage without giving the bird a chance to bite or scratch Aiden, it screamed again, a chilling sound that echoed through the clearing¡ªthe sound ringing in Aiden''s ears.


    Aiden being unreachable, the bird turned its attention back to Bram. It let out a painful screeching cry that caused the air to wobble in a cone shape aimed at Bram. Bram held up his hand, which glowed green, and the cone of blasted air dispersed. Thankfully, Bram had only paused in his incantations rather than losing them altogether.


    "Get ready to stand back, Aiden!" Bram called out over the din. He quickened his pace, the magical symbols flowing faster from his wand. The air around the cage started to pulse with energy, a deep hum filling the space as Bram chanted the spell''s words.


    "Let go!" Bram commanded, and then he spoke a final word of power as Aiden jumped back from the cage.


    The bird had been expecting this, lashing out at the cage again just as Aiden was too far back to catch it. The cage tilted and began to fall over.


    With a final flourish, Bram slammed the wand down, the ground beneath them trembling slightly. The cage was snapped back to standing as the glowing light of power settled into the cage''s bars and frame. As the last syllable of the spell echoed in the air, the bird abruptly stopped its frantic movements. Breathing heavily, the bird slowly stepped from where it hung on the side of the cage to the wooden perch made of branches Aiden had mounted in the cage. The bird shifted to a position near the center of the cage and stretched its wings, slowly settling down.


    Its gaze fixed on Bram, intense and unblinking. The look in its eyes was menacing, promising retribution, as it glowered through the bars. The magical energy slowly faded into a soft glow around the cage, the wards now visibly reinforced, pulsating with a gentle blue light contrasting sharply with the dark threat in the bird¡¯s eyes. Then they faded leaving the cage looking ordinary.


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    Bram wiped the sweat from his brow and exhaled deeply, watching the bird respectfully. "It''s secure now, but that was too close. This creature is more than just a rare specimen. It''s powerful and dangerous. We need to be extremely careful with how we proceed. I don''t think you can use your aviary for it."


    Aiden nodded, his eyes still on the bird, whose intense stare hadn¡¯t wavered. "I get that. What is it?"


    The bird''s head turned to glare at Aiden. A trilled, deep, soft note came from its open mouth. The sound sent chills along Aiden''s spine, it sounded too much like an ominous chuckle to be anything else.


    Bram stepped up to the cage, earning the bird''s glaring stare. In Bram''s hand was the same device he''d had before. Aiden stepped closer and looked.


    "Anything?"


    "Nothing, not even the expected baseline of power."


    The bird made another vocalization and puffed out its feathers. The device in Bram''s hand sparkled, and Bram cried out in pain, dropping the delicate instrument and jumping backward. Bram lost his balance and fell. Aiden jumped back, too, but managed to keep his feet.


    The device bounced in the grass and little trails of smoke started to rise from the grass it rested on.


    Bram rolled to his knees and quickly cast another spell on the device. Aiden felt a sudden chilled breeze as Bram picked up the device and adjusted it.


    The bird sat on its perch, watching Bram.


    "You little devil," Bram said. "This is expensive and you could have broken it with that surge."


    The bird turned, tilted its head, and chirped once before fluffing its feathers and closing its eyes.


    Bram scowled at the bird and then mumbled, "Too small to make a decent meal."


    Aiden collected the scattered red feathers and put them in his pouch with the others. "We just need to earn its trust."


    "You''re in for more of a challenge than you think." Bram glanced at the now bright sky. "The new wards will hold it. I''ll check them again this evening and teach you how they work. Keeping that creature contained will be great training for you. How about some breakfast, and then we can continue the investigation of that chamber?"


    Aiden rolled some of the fruit mush he''d brought as bait into a small log and carefully placed it at the bottom of the cage where the bird could reach it. After that he pulled down their supplies from the tree and set about making breakfast while Bram chatted away about the tests they were going to conduct as he pulled out the magical devices and got them ready.


    Together, they prepared a warm breakfast of oat porridge sweetened with honey and dried fruits, a comforting meal that filled the chilly morning air with inviting aromas. Aiden kept one eye on the bird, but it didn''t move a muscle.


    Aiden helped gather their equipment and carry it down to the ancient chamber. The chamber was cool and dry, the dark blue walls smooth with tiny veins of white and grey that seemed to dance in the flickering torchlight. It had a depth to it that made Aiden feel wary of its glass-smooth surface.


    Bram began setting up an array of devices with meticulous care. First, he took out the vial containing the dark red liquid that detected Blood Magic. "Notice how it pulses, Aiden. It¡¯s reacting to the life forces of you and me. Set it down at the center of that circle."


    After putting it in the center of the circle of symbols, Aiden stepped back, putting his back on the cool wall. Bram stood close and using a wand showed Aiden how to mask their life forces from the device. It took a few tries before Aiden got the spell right. With Bram''s and Aiden''s life force masked from the device, it settled to an absolute stillness.


    "That is unexpected," Bram said as he jotted some notes into a small travel log.


    "What?"


    Bram raised the brightness of the magical lamps so Aiden could see that the reddish liquid had settled to the bottom of the vial, and the clear liquid floated on top¡ªneither moving.


    "We should have some movement from the life in the forest around us. There is some life even in the Earth deep underground. Yet, there is no life magic. How is your telekinetics?"


    Aiden frowned, "I''ve been able to move small objects like a pence across the table. Why?"


    Bram shook his head. "That won''t do. I expect you to practice more. Here is a place where tight control is vital to our research."


    Bram held out his hand, and the device lifted into the air and floated slowly towards them. The movement was so smooth and slow that it didn''t disturb the liquids in the blood magic detector.


    "Don''t look so surprised." Bram admonished.


    Aiden realized his mouth was open and closed it.


    The detector slowly moved around the chamber as Bram followed it, his hand held palm up.


    After circling the room fully, Bram reached out and plucked the detector from the air. "This chamber is shielded from blood magic beyond anything I''ve seen or even dreamed of. We are completely isolated here."


    Bram put the device away and made more notes in his little logbook.


    Next, he unveiled the geometric object within a crystal cube used for detecting Entropy Magic. "This device measures the decay of systems. Watch the fluctuating shapes; they reveal the stability of magical energies around us," Bram explained as he placed it on a stand and adjusted it with precise movements.


    The evening before, the device had been shifting from one shape to another in a blur of unusual activity. Here, like the blood magic detector, it seemed almost inert. Except it did slowly change. The reality of it still puzzled Aiden, it changed shape when he wasn''t looking at it. Staring intently at it it remained a solid geometric object, a pyramid, a crystal growth, a cube. But, then it would be something else without it actually moving. It changed shapes twice a second in a steady rhythm.


    Bram taught Aiden the spell to mask them from this device, and it slowed to changing every second.


    The day proceeded in the same fashion. It took between a half hour and an hour to set up each device, for Aiden to learn how to mask themselves from the device, and then to conduct what tests were appropriate for the devices and the magics.


    They''d done the most basic tests for all the basic forms of magic by the end of the day. Aiden was surprised to find himself as tired as if he''d worked a full day in the forge. Aiden was happy when Bram declared the chamber safe to leave the gear in.


    Wearily, they emerged into the early evening light. The forest''s fresh air and sounds were refreshing. They both stood, stretched, and took in deep lungs full of the fresh air.


    Aiden checked on the bird. The cage was still sitting on the plank camping table they''d brought, and the bird was in the exact same position as when they''d gone down into the chamber. But the food Aiden had left was gone. Aiden tapped the top of the cage lightly, "You aren''t fooling anyone." He chuckled as he splashed a little water into the cage''s empty water dish and added more of the bait mash.


    Bram stepped over. "Listen and watch," he said. Then he said a few arcane words with a deep tone and held his hands over the cage. The cage glowed, and the magical symbols of the wards became visible.


    Bram indicated one of the symbols, "Ah, see how this symbol is not as bright as the others?"


    Aiden had to concentrate to see it, but once he did, it was obvious. One of the wards glowed like a candle with small, slow flickers, while the others were bright and steady like lanterns.


    "Does that mean it is weaker?"


    "Exactly, this fabulous bird has been tapping at it. And can you tell me why?"


    Aiden considered it. Bram had added a few new wards to the cage, which Aiden wasn''t familiar with. But, looking at it, he could see small tendrils going from that ward to the others. Then he remembered the symbols for air and electricity, and it clicked. "That is collecting power for the other wards you added?"


    Bram smiled, "Exactly. If that one breaks, it will likely take a couple of others. But, then, the rest will be easier to dispel. This is not random." Bram looked at the bird''s fluffed-up back, its eyes closed. "Not sure how much it understands, but it is cunning."


    Bram looked thoughtful. "There¡¯s something unique about this place, Aiden. We¡¯re missing a piece of the puzzle, but we¡¯ll find it. Magic like this bird and chamber doesn¡¯t hide without reason. But, let''s get to our immediate needs. Here, pay attention, let me show you a spell to refresh any ward you create." Bram spoke a spell that channeled magic into the cage, and all the wards brightened and glowed evenly.


    Aiden caught a slight movement out of the corner of his eye. Looking at the bird, it seemed the same, but its head was a tiny bit turned down. If Aiden hadn''t seen the nearly imperceivable slump, he doubted he''d have noticed.


    Bram waved his hand, and the glowing wards faded until they were invisible again. "How about some food and sleep?"


    After storing everything away for the night, they sat by the fire and worked on a soup together. When Bram finally said something, Aiden was shocked to realize they''d been silent for almost two hours.


    "It''s all about the groundwork¡ªlaying the foundation for what¡¯s to come." Bram muttered more to himself than Aiden.


    Bram was clearly starting in the middle of some conversation or series of thoughts, so Aiden prompted more "What?"


    "Hmm? Oh, sorry, that oddly refined magic in the chamber. It was built for a purpose that required it to be cut off from the world. It is more than just a protective location to practice magics. Practice labs have more protections from damage and reducing surges. This place doesn''t have those protections, it is just cut off from external influences. Every spell I did down there had to be done from my reserves. I couldn''t use the magics available from the environment like I could now. It is elusively simple, but in reality, must be extremely complex and sophisticated to provide that magical environment."


    "Like prepping the forge," Aiden remarked, his eyes glinting. "Getting the coals hot, the bellows primed, and the iron ready to shape."


    "Exactly," Bram replied, smiling. "And you know how important the right temperature is, especially for working metal."


    Aiden chuckled, nodding. "Yeah, it''s a fine balance. Too much heat, and you burn the steel; too little, and it won¡¯t shape at all. From what you''ve taught, magic is similar¡ªit needs careful tuning to make sure everything¡¯s in harmony."


    "And speaking of harmony," Bram said, patting his belly. "That soup is starting to hit just the right notes. It smells so savory¡ªlike cooking a fine meal, we should think about adding more flavor into our magical tests."


    "That''s one way to spice things up," Aiden quipped, a smirk tugging at his lips.


    Bram rolled his eyes, giving Aiden a playful shove. "Oh, be quiet and focus, will you?"


    They both laughed, the tension easing from the day''s mysterious results. Bram pulled out a couple of the complex clockwork devices that dealt with more than one kind of magic. "Maybe we try casting stronger spells down there and use some that will use more than one of the magic types."

 Chapter 8 Testing

    The days progressed with a series of exploring the various types of magic and an increasingly annoying mystery of what the chamber was built for. Aiden and Bram endlessly set up tests, recorded the results, and discussed them over dinner. The ancient chamber, the focus of their study, refused to divulge even one of its secrets. The one interesting item they found was that dust did not enter the main chamber. Moats of dust could be seen in the air, floating down the stairs. But there was a wall that repelled the particles along the edge of the last step. It was as if the open wall was solid; it did not repel the particles or let them pass. Although dust and dirt on Aiden and Bram seemed to move without resistance past the invisible barrier.


    Bram obsessed for an entire day, trying to detect what the barrier was. He cast spell after spell and blew chalk dust into the air at the barrier from both sides. From the stairs, the chalk dust acted like it was being blown against a solid wall. From the chamber side, the chalk dust puffed into the stairs without pause or reaction until some of it curled back in eddies of air only to meet the firm resistance preventing it from flowing back into the chamber.


    Aiden had to hide his face as Bram groused over the strange discovery. Instead of laughing at his mentor''s frustration he busied himself with taking care of the camp, cooking, and tending to the stolid red bird. Aiden made it a point to sit near the cage, but not too close as he ate or worked on preparing one of the magical testing devices. He also told Bram to act normal and generally ignore the bird. Birds needed time to become familiar with human activities and presence.


    At dawn each day, Aiden would rise early, the crisp forest air filling his lungs as he prepared breakfast over the fire. The bird, still a captive within the magically reinforced cage, remained a constant enigma. It watched them with intelligent eyes, its red plumage a stark contrast against the muted greens and browns of the forest. Aiden cleaned its water bowl and gave it fresh food each day, moving carefully around it so as not to startle it or make it feel threatened.


    After breakfast, they''d descend into the chamber, carrying the various magical detectors and tools Aiden had had meticulously prepared the evening before under Bram''s watchful eye and gentle guidance. Aiden''s understanding of magic deepened with each passing day, his confidence growing as he learned to manipulate the different types of energy and understand some of their interactions. The spells he learned were only the most basic manipulations needed to activate a small amount to perform the tests. And Bram made sure he successfully performed each test before they''d move on to the next test.


    The fourth day since capturing the red bird started with Aiden still trying to get gravitational magic to work. Aiden sighed in frustration, beads of sweat dotting his forehead from the last failed effort to levitate a small pebble.


    "You''re pushing. Tensing constricts the mind and slows the flow of magic."


    Aiden held the stone Bram wanted him to lighten. The stone trembled in his hand, and Aiden felt excited as it grew lighter. The magical device they used to measure gravitational distortions flickered and hummed, indicating that Aiden had managed to use gravitational magic.


    "Excellent," Bram praised, making notes in his logbook. "You relaxed and held the control."


    "I barely felt it."


    "Gravitational magic is subtle compared to the other types. Some believe that is because we are constantly being affected by gravity."


    A soft peeping scoff made Aiden and Bram turn to look at the bird. It sat in the cage, slightly fluffed up and back to them.


    "You don''t agree?" Bram asked the bird''s back.


    Without moving, a mocking rumbling-trill came from the bird.


    "Well, our friend doesn''t agree with those learned scholars," Bram laughed. "To be honest, neither do I. You need to practice this more before we try testing for it."


    A mocking twerp agreed with Bram.


    Aiden felt his cheeks burning slightly. "I don''t see you doing anything useful." He mumbled to the bird.


    The bird closed its eyes and appeared to dismiss them entirely. It didn''t move or make any further noises.


    Aiden glared at the bird for a minute before Bram tapped his arm lightly, and he turned back to practicing making the rock lighter.


    He was sure the bird would eventually come around. For now, it remained a puzzle, its behavior unpredictable. It generally pretended to be asleep and kept its back to them. It refused to eat anything while they were present. But each day, when they emerged from the chamber, the food and most of the water were gone.


    Late in the afternoon, after they''d finished running their tests in the chamber, Aiden went foraging around the area while Bram reviewed his notes and decided which devices they''d need for the next day. He moved through the forest with ease, his senses attuned to the subtle signs of edible plants and fruits. After a while, he stumbled upon a grove of mango trees, their branches heavy with red and purple fruit. Grinning with delight, he climbed up and carefully plucked the ripe mangoes, filling his bag with enough for the next few days.


    Returning to camp with his bounty, Aiden''s excitement was palpable. "Bram, look what I found!" he called, holding up a particularly large mango.


    Bram looked up, his eyes widening at the sight. "Mangoes? I didn''t know they''d be ripe yet. Haven''t had one of those since last year!"


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    They quickly set about slicing the fruit, the sweet, sticky juice running down their hands. Bram took a bite and closed his eyes, making an exaggerated moan of pleasure. "Oh, this is heavenly," he declared, smacking his lips loudly.


    Aiden laughed, thoroughly enjoying the sight of Bram reveling in the simple pleasure. "Glad you like it. Plenty more will ripen over the coming days."


    Popping a slice into his mouth he licked the juices from his fingers and closed his eyes to concentrate on the delicious sweet flavor and the warm juices coating his throat. He let his own "mmm" of pleasure join Bram''s.


    An annoyed, loud chirp came from the cage.


    Aiden opened his eyes and looked over. The bird was not sitting with its back to them. It stood tall, and its eyes met Aiden''s. "I think our feathered friend wants in on the action." Aiden said.


    Bram stood and came over. He made a "um hmm" noise around a wedge of mango he''d slipt into his mouth.


    The bird ignored Bram and kept its eyes locked on Aiden. When Aiden didn''t react, the bird glanced down at his hands then back up to his eyes and made the same demanding chirp.


    "Seems like it''s a fan of mangoes, too," Bram commented, watching the bird''s reaction with interest.


    Aiden felt his cheeks stretching in a wide smile. At last, he''d found something the bird clearly wanted. With a tasty snack it liked, he had the key he needed to train. He approached the cage cautiously, holding out a small piece of mango. The bird eyed it warily before snatching it from his fingers, its eyes gleaming with satisfaction as it devoured the fruit.


    "You''d think we hadn''t been feeding it," Bram said, watching the bird tear into the fruit as he, too, took another slice of mango.


    The bird hopped around and bit into the fruit so fast its movements were almost a blur. The small wedge Aiden had given it in less than a few seconds was completely gone.


    Sitting on the ground in front of the cage, Aiden and Bram continued to enjoy the fruit while also giving the bird wedges of mango.


    "How can it eat so much?" Aiden asked after feeding another wedge of mango to the small bird. Not even the skin of the fruit was left in the cage.


    The bird finished its current wedge and then hopped over to hang near Aiden on the cage''s wall and made another demanding chirp.


    Bram slid a large wedge into the cage, and the bird speared it, dragged it into the middle of the cage, and began consuming it.


    "I have no idea. It shouldn''t be able to. That is almost four full mangoes, which has to be at least three times its body weight."


    Aiden continued feeding the bird pieces of mango, "Well, at least we found something to get it to begin interacting with us."


    Aiden decided to save the last few mangoes for breakfast. He and Bram had eaten two mangoes each, and the bird had downed four.


    Aiden stood and put the remaining mangoes into the food storage sack. The bird made a series of chirps, each louder and more demanding. Aiden looked at it and shook his head. "Sorry, I don''t want you getting sick."


    The bird stood taller and leaned back, looking at Aiden with its beak slightly open. Then it shook its head and made a warbling series of notes that sounded like chuckling. Then it turned around, fluffed up, and squatted down in the position it had held since the start of the week.


    Aiden felt like he''d just been dismissed and looked at Bram, who shrugged.


    "Is it me or does it seem imperious?" Bram asked.


    "Imperious? I''d call it full of itself."


    The bird made a rude sound, making Aiden and Bram laugh as they turned to their evening work.


    Aiden had felt the bird watching their every move throughout the week. After the mango-eating fun, it now sat in the same position, pretending to be asleep. Before he''d been unsure if it was asleep or awake. But, he felt like knew it well enough now to tell. He was sure it was pretending to be asleep. It was smart, and he wanted it to get more active. That''d be a good step towards taming it.


    He reasoned that if it was smart, all he needed to do was prove it was wasting its time. It might be stubborn, but given its abilities, Aiden was sure getting it to behave more normally was needed to move forward. He turned away, bending down, pretending to be doing something to the general magic detector he held. A prickle in his neck made him sure the bird''s eyes were on him. He leaned lower, feigning interest in the device, moving to block the bird''s view with his body but letting him see the cage in his peripheral vision.


    Bram was setting up a particularly delicate apparatus.


    Aiden waited until the bird was leaning forward, tilting its head, trying to get a better view. With a smirk, Aiden spun around, catching the bird before it could right itself.


    "Gotcha!" Aiden exclaimed, pointing a finger at the bird.


    Bram nearly dropped the instrument he was working on looking up.


    The bird glared at Aiden for a second, then averted its gaze. It turned around, but instead of pretending to be asleep like it normally did, it started preening with exaggerated disinterest.


    Bram looked up from his work, eyebrows raised. "What are you doing?"


    "Just proving that it isn''t as clever as it thinks it is," Aiden said with a chuckle.


    Bram shook his head, laughing softly. "Well, it''s certainly got personality."


    A short time later, with a chirp that sounded more like a harumph, the bird gave up on its statue act and started moving around the cage a bit.


    Aiden looked up, watching it for a bit, a smile never leaving his face. It didn''t eat or drink. Instead, it moved around the cage methodically, poking at the edges, tapping the ward pins, and generally watching anything Aiden and Bram were doing. Whenever Aiden looked up and met eyes with it, it would fluff its feathers and make a series of indignant chirps.


    Aiden tried feeding it other pieces of fruit. It ate them all almost as fast as it ate the mangoes.


    The bird''s attempts at being aloof while also dancing for fruits or methodically inspecting the cage were a source of amusement and fascination.


    The next two days followed the pattern. Aiden made breakfast and fed freshly gathered fruits to the bird. Then he''d study different types of magical testing with Bram to the occasional chirp from the bird. Both Bram and Aiden had no problem interpreting the bird''s noises; it was almost always mocking or laughing at Aiden''s efforts. Although there were a couple of times when it was surprised and twice when it had actually been complimentary to Aiden''s efforts. They''d spend four or five hours running tests in the chamber, all of which yielded nothing except that the chamber was isolated from all types of magic. The early evenings found them reviewing what they''d tested and chatting about other tests they could perform. Dinner included some singing and storytelling.


    The bird did not like Bram or Aiden''s singing and would turn its back and fluff up.


    Sitting by the fire, Aiden voiced a thought nagging at him. "What if this bird is connected to the ruins somehow? Maybe its magic might reveal something about the chamber."


    A feeling of something dangerous prickled Aiden''s senses. He glanced up, looking for the source of the feeling. What he found was the bird glaring at him.


    Bram considered this. "It''s possible. Magic often connects seemingly unrelated things. We could take it down tomorrow and take some measurements to compare to the ones we''ve already done to it and the chamber."


    The bird made one soft, deep note that gave Aiden a chill. It sounded too much like "no" to be anything else.


    Bram looked up at the sound and examined the bird''s stiff stance. "That''s interesting."

 Chapter 9 Get Out of Here

    The forest was draped in an inky blackness, the only sound of the gentle rustling of leaves and the occasional hoot of an owl. Aiden snapped awake. He''d been sound asleep in his tent, enveloped by the cool night air inside of his bedroll.


    Fully awake, he listened to the night sounds. Something had woken him. The forest sounds were subdued, and the area around the camp was missing a few of the smaller night animal noises. A feeling of dread and danger hung over Aiden as he held perfectly still, listening.


    There was some bird noise, little peeps, chirps, and trills. Then the bird stopped, and a guttural sound came, reminding Aiden of some of the town dogs under the tables at the inn during dinner. The more he listened, the more he was sure it was some kind of dog trying to be quiet but insistently wanting to get a scrap or to investigate something.


    The bird noises and dog noises continued back and forth. The bird sounded more and more annoyed when Aiden sat up with a shocked realization that the bird was the red bird they''d caught. And that meant the dog noises were from a wolf or coyote. Except that Aiden was sure there was only one, which didn''t make sense, as those night hunters worked in packs and would never come into a campsite with fire and people in it unless they were extremely hungry.


    The dog made a snuffling sneeze that was far too loud and came from just outside. Aiden hand found his hunting knife and he started slowly untangling himself from his blankets.


    The bird made a surprised chirp and that was followed by the metallic clang of the birdcage hitting the ground that echoed through the night. Aiden tried to move faster struggling to get free of his blankets.


    The bird''s annoyed chirp filled the air loud and clear. A deep bark sent Aiden''s mind racing and heightened his sense of dread. He kicked free of the cocoon of fabric, panic rising as he realized the canine source of the disturbance was attacking the bird.


    Aiden burst out of his tent, knife held ready, only to stop and suck in a deep gasp at the scene.


    In the dim light, a massive black wolf stood by the working table, one large paw resting on the place where the bird cage had sat. The wolf''s head was looking over the top of the table to the far side where the bird cage lay on its side the red bird standing in the middle flapping its wings and chirping madly.


    Aiden could almost laugh as the bird looked exactly like his father did when he had just made a massive mistake. It jumped back and forth, squawking out a series of notes that hinted at a loud tirade of cursing.


    The wolf growled something and stepped back from the table. Its inky black fur absorbed the moonlight, and its glowing blue eyes were fixed on the squawking bird inside. It leaned back, getting ready to pounce.


    Aiden let out a loud challenge and rushed at the wolf to stop it from attacking the caged bird. Adrenaline propelled him forward, and he closed the distance, thrusting his knife out at the beast as he collided with the creature. The knife twisted in his grasp feeling like he''d just stabbed a steel shield rather than a natural animal. The next instance, he was bouncing back from his body, colliding with the immense weight and power.


    The wolf was unmoved, but its head turned to look at Aiden as he fell backward, arms flailing in the air.


    A wicked, snarling grin with a deep growl that froze Aiden''s mind in fear. A louder squawk from the bird filled the air as the wolf casually stepped towards Aiden, its jaws opening wide, revealing wickedly sharp rows of teeth that were as large as hunters'' utility knives. It could bite Aiden''s arm or leg off with one crushing bite.


    Aiden rolled to the side as the beast''s jaws snapped shut where Aiden''s arm had been a moment before. Aiden tried to stab it again with the knife as he scrambled away getting his feet under him.


    Aiden tried to think of what to do as he shot to his feet. Neither attack had done more than scratch the wolf''s pelt. The beast''s fur felt cold and slick, and in the flickering light from the low fire, it looked like shadows given form.


    Another loud squawk came from the bird and the wolf again turned towards the cage.


    Aiden leaped into the wolf again, getting his strong, long arms around its neck as he squeezed with all his might. With a hard push of his legs he rolled the wolf off its feet as he grappled with it, trying to avoid its snapping jaws and powerful claws. His knife was useless against the creature¡¯s tough hide. The wolf¡¯s snarls filled his ears, its hot breath on his face as they struggled.


    Aiden¡¯s mind raced on how to chase off or kill this beast. But he was too caught up in simply surviving to think of a plan. The wolf rolled and got its feet under itself. Aiden struggled to keep it in place. But, the thing considerably outweighed him. He realized that if he let go, the wolf would have him, and he struggled to hang for all his life.


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    "Bram! Help!" He cried.


    Bram stumbled out of his tent, eyes wide with shock. Bram moved faster than Aiden thought possible waving his hands in the air.


    "Aiden jump clear!" Bram commanded.


    Aiden released his hold and scrambled back dodging the wolf''s snapping jaw. His foot caught on something, and he fell to the ground, rolling.


    Looking up he saw Bram release a spell that sent a burst of white energy towards the wolf. The attack hit the wolf with so much force it was knocked back.


    Aiden let out a breath of relief seeing the power of Bram''s spell. But, the wolf finished its roll and stood up looking uninjured. It turned its attention to Bram and this time the growl it released sounded far more ominous than the one it had leveled at Aiden.


    Bram quickly cast another bolt of light at the beast, but it dodged out of the way and again crouched, gathering its strength to launch itself at Bram.


    A shrill scream pierced the night from the bird, causing the wolf to pause, its attention drawn back to the bird cage. Bram''s spell had tossed the wolf closer to the birdcage.


    Aiden''s heart thumped, and he couldn''t let the bird be injured. He dove to the cage, muttering the unlocking spell and wrenching it open. "Fly, get out of here!" he screamed.


    The entire scene froze for a moment as Bram, the bird, and the wolf stopped to stare at Aiden.


    Then the wolf let out a bark and the bird made a series of loud chirps as it burst out of the cage and into the night sky, its vibrant plumage a stark contrast to the darkness surrounding them.


    The wolf''s head turned to track the bird.


    Bram hit the beast with another spell that sent a series of six sharp arrow-like bolts of energy into the wolf.


    For the first time, the wolf yelped in pain. Its eyes looked back at Bram for a second before it spun face the direction the bird had flown. With a final snarl it retreated into the forest, blending into the shadows. The sudden silence was deafening, the only sound the ragged breathing of Aiden and Bram.


    "Over here!" Bram shouted, casting another spell.


    Aiden rushed to Bram''s side as a glowing bubble of energy appeared covering most of the camp.


    Panting and exhausted, Aiden looked at the shield.


    "Will that keep it out?"


    "I don''t think its coming back tonight. Are you hurt?"


    Aiden checked himself over he had a few minor scratches and bruises, but nothing too serious. "No. You?"


    "I didn''t try and wrestle a giant wolf to the ground. What were you thinking?"


    Aiden felt his cheeks burning, "I didn''t really think much."


    "Well, it was clearly hunting that bird. Letting it go probably saved us."


    "It was defenseless in that cage. I couldn''t let it be hurt. I didn''t think the wolf would follow it."


    "Everything has something else hunting it. And I mean everything." Bram said, staring intently at Aiden.


    Aiden nodded acknowledgement as they collapsed onto the ground. He put more wood on the fire building it back up. The adrenaline slowly wore off, leaving them with the dull ache of their injuries and the chaotic mess of their camp. Aiden¡¯s knife, useless against the wolf¡¯s hide, lay discarded on the ground. He stepped over and picked it up.


    "This didn''t even scratch that thing. What was it?"


    Bram shook his head. "I don¡¯t know; I didn''t think there were predators that large in these woods. And that was no ordinary wolf. It''s my fault, really; I should have set some defensive wards." He looked up at the stars. "It is still a few hours before dawn, we can move the tents under this protective shell. It will last six more hours. Tomorrow I''ll set up better wards."


    Aiden got up and they gathered their tents and supplies into the protective shell. Aiden was surprised they could move through it. It felt like a slight tingle or maybe like a feather brushing lightly over his skin when he moved through it.


    Bram assured him that only the two of them and the things they carried could pass through the protection. It didn''t take more than a quarter of an hour to get everything safely stacked inside the protection and with their tents neatly side by side under the dome, they both went back to get comfortable.


    Aiden didn''t think he''d sleep. But, was shocked to wake up with light filtering into his tent. Getting up he felt the bruises and sore muscles from the fight.


    As he prepared breakfast, he stopped after pulling his knife out to cut some fruit. The blade was dulled, and the tip had been chipped off. It would take an hour with a sharpening stone to fix the blade, but it was a testament to the futile struggle against the wolf. He sheathed it with a sigh, knowing it wouldn''t be much use in a fight like that again.


    "We need to make a plan," Bram said, breaking the silence as they ate. "If that thing comes back, we need to be ready."


    Aiden nodded, his mind racing with possibilities. "Do you think it was just after the bird? It was focused on it."


    "Maybe," Bram said thoughtfully. "But, a beast like that definitely had some magic in it. It could have been drawn by the magic we are using and the bird was just the greatest level of magic at the time. Either way, we can''t take any chances."


    They spent some more time reorganizing their camp, setting up wards and protective spells around the perimeter. Bram''s spells provided a sense of security, but Aiden couldn''t shake the feeling that they were being watched.


    As they worked, Aiden couldn''t help but think about the loss of the bird. Although it was gone, its presence still lingered in his mind. He felt sure it had found a safe place to rest, away from the dangers of the night. The wolf might have been strong, fast, and magical, but the bird was magical, fast, and could fly.


    With everything in the camp secured and warded, they returned to the work of examining the ancient chamber. The cool, dry air greeted them as they descended into the depths. The chamber was just as they had left it, the polished deep blue walls reflecting the light from their lanterns.


    Bram began setting up the magical detectors and tools with meticulous care. They had more tests to run and more data to collect. Aiden watched as Bram adjusted the devices, his mind still buzzing with questions.


    "Let''s start with the gravitational magic," Bram said.


    "Again? We did that yesterday."


    "You need to work on gravitational magic. You were not very precise yesterday." Bram said.


    A loud mocking trill agreed with Bram and then echoed in the chamber.


    Aiden and Bram turned toward the sound and stared. Sitting on one of their bags on the first step of the entrance, the red bird looked back at them.


    When they kept staring, the bird shifted a little, then looked behind itself and then back at the two frozen men. It chirped questioningly at them clearly asking them what the problem was.

 Chapter 10 Im Not Going To Call You That

    Aiden inched his way toward the bird until he stood right next to it. He moved as slowly as he could. It stayed on top of the bag and watched him approach, tilting its head and keeping its eyes on Aiden. Getting right next to the bird, Aiden froze.


    The bird ruffled its wings and chirped once impatiently.


    Aiden slowly crouched down in front of the bird, just an arm''s length away, and held his hand close to it.


    It cocked its head to the side and looked at his hand, then straightened to look directly at him. Aiden knew it could take time, and so patiently waited. The bird didn''t seem scared but didn''t step onto his hand. After a few minutes, Aiden''s arm started feeling heavier and heavier. But, he resolutely kept it still before the bird.


    It made a demanding chirp and looked pointedly back and forth between Aiden''s hand and his face.


    Bram came over as slowly as Aiden had and squatted next to Aiden. When the bird didn''t react, Bram dug into one of their bags next to the stairs, pulling out some of the wild berries they''d had with breakfast. He handed a couple to Aiden, who placed one into the palm of his hand held before the bird.


    The bird lowered itself, then puffed its feathers for a second, and with a noise that sounded like a sigh, it hopped onto Aiden''s hand and started digging into the offered berry with its sharp beak.


    It was heavier than he expected. It looked like it was built for speed, and Aiden had expected it to be as light as a small parrot. Instead, it had all the weight of a small crow or regular parrot. As it moved on his hand, he could feel the strong muscles of its feet, and its legs were a bit thicker than he''d expected. He appreciated the radiant orange plumage and teal blue belly. It was a compact bird with a stout body and a large head relative to its size. Its bill was long, sharp, and pointed. It was a bird built for swift, precise movements and ideal for hunting.


    Aiden couldn''t help the wide smile.


    He slowly began pulling his hand back closer to make it easier to hold.


    Before the bird touched the edge of the barrier keeping dust out of the room, it chirped the same deep, commanding ''no'' as the night before and moved like lightning, jumping back onto the bag.


    Aiden expected it to fly away. Instead it turned around and looked at Aiden again. It held Aiden''s eyes and again chirped ''no.''


    Aiden sat on the step next to the bird well back from the invisible barrier and held his hand out. It jumped on his hand and continued eating the berry. The berry wasn''t vanishing as fast as the mangoes had the night before.


    "That is an odd bird. I wonder why it doesn''t want to come into the chamber proper," Bram said.


    The bird gave a sarcastic double chirp.


    Aiden tried to get it to move between his hands, and it did so without any hesitation. Then he lowered it back to the bag, where it hopped off and watched them.


    "Well, it might not want to come in. But we have those other tests to complete." Bram said, standing back up and tossing his handful of berries into his mouth.


    The bird let out a loud, complaining whistle.


    "Okay, well it don''t think I can get back into the cage. But, maybe it''ll stick around. Everything about this is a little wierd." Aiden said.


    He pulled some more berries out of the other sack, putting them onto the pack next to the bird, and rose to return to the testing. The bird knocked all the berries off the back of the pack between the pack and the next step up, except one. Then, it pinned the remaining berry in place with its foot and used its beak to begin tearing the berry apart and eating it.


    The rest of the day was spent on a series of tests, combined with various rude chirps or squawks from the bird who watched them from the last step into the room.


    By the end of the day, Aiden felt he could almost understand the birds'' noises. But he dismissed the idea because almost everything he imagined it was saying was rude or mocking. He figured it was just his own feelings of inadequacy tinting his interpretations.


    As they gathered their gear to leave, the bird turned and raced up a few steps ahead, then landed and waited.


    "Well, it''s ready to leave," Bram observed.


    The bird chirped a few notes, which Aiden was sure meant ''no kidding, what an idiot.''


    "Are you getting an idea of what it is trying to say?" He asked.


    "I admit it is talkative. Like those finches you had." Bram said


    The bird jumped and squawked. Again, Aiden felt it had said ''no urding way.''


    "You don''t have to curse like that." Aiden said to the bird as he started to climb the steps.


    "What do you mean? I didn''t curse." Bram said.


    The bird made a surprised chirp.


    "Not you Bram, the bird. I get the feeling half of the things it says are curses."


    "You understand it?"


    "Maybe. But, I think I''m imagining it."


    Aiden climbed a few more steps before he noticed the bird hadn''t made a sound as he walked past it. Looking back, the bird was standing as tall as it could, with its beak actually held open.


    Aiden burst out laughing.


    Bram followed Aiden''s gaze to the bird and laughed too.


    The bird closed its beak, looked back and forth between them, and actually made a sound like a cough. Then, it gave a low but nice-sounding chirp.


    "Yah. Well, my Dad says, ''Sorry doesn''t fix it. You need to fix it.''" Aiden said to the bird and resumed climbing the stairs. Then looked at Bram, who was giving Aiden an odd, penetrating look. "Common Bram, I''m tired and hungry. Let''s get back to camp."


    They made it about halfway up the stairs when the bird flew past them like a rocket. Finishing the climb and the short walk to the camp they found the bird sitting comfortably on Aiden''s tent.


    Bram stopped and stared. Aiden walked past him and started putting the gear away and getting the cooking pot out.


    "Have you ever had a bird act like that?" Bram asked as he finished entering the campsite and started his own chores.


    "No, but we know it''s smart. Although why it came back I can''t say."


    Aiden pulled the remaining mangoes out of the food sack, cut a wedge out of one, and put it on the side of the table. The bird moved over in a blur and started eating the mango with gusto.


    "Maybe it''s just sticking around until all the mangoes are gone."


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    Bram laughed. "Ya, that is a possibility. But, it was watching us all day. Did you see?"


    Aiden continued preparing the herbs he''d gathered, cutting and preparing the rabbit and pheasant meat and arranging it all on the cooking rocks.


    He put some of the bones, salt, water, salt, and more herbs into the soup pot Aiden chopped and added the last couple of potatoes and carrots.


    "This is pretty much the end of our supplies," Aiden said as he stirred the soup before covering it and putting it on the fire to cook. "There is plenty of food around. But, I''d have to spend a few hours more hunting and gathering. Or I can run back to town tomorrow and get more."


    The scent of pine mingled with the aroma of cooking meat as Aiden deftly worked over a small fire, turning skewers of rabbit and pheasant he had trapped earlier. Nearby, the herbs and mushrooms he¡¯d gathered sizzled on a flat stone at the edge of the flames, filling the air with a savory fragrance.


    Bram knelt by a large leather satchel, meticulously packing away the magical testing gear. His hands moved with practiced precision, polishing ornate crystals and odd-shaped artifacts before tucking them into padded compartments. ¡°We¡¯ve nearly used up all the casting components we brought,¡± he said, his tone a mix of frustration and resignation. ¡°That chamber... it¡¯s not revealing its secrets.¡±


    The bird chirped a little.


    Aiden looked at it, "Laughing isn''t fair. If you''re so smart, why don''t you tell me what it''s for?"


    A couple of clipped chirps followed, ending with the clear "no."


    "That''s no excuse," Aiden said. "I''m not even sure you do know. If you do, and you have to keep it a secret, fine. We''ll figure it out."


    A few more chirps were cut off by Aiden tossing another wedge onto the table near the bird. It stopped and attacked the mango.


    "You really understand what it''s saying?"


    "Not exactly. It''s more like a feeling. I don''t hear words, but I can feel..." Aiden trailed off unable to find the words to describe how he just knew what the bird meant.


    Aiden glanced over looking for help.


    Bram shook his head, "I''ve heard of people who can understand animals. But, nothing to actually being able to talk with them."


    "Smart animals?"


    Bram''s eyes lit up, "ah! I see what you are getting at. The only sentient animals I''ve ever heard of are those in children''s tales and myths. But, can you understand your other birds like this?"


    Aiden thought about it while making sure the food didn''t burn.


    "Sort of. I mean I''ve been able to train them better than most. At least that is what Martin says. He told me they are now being asked for specifically from me in Nemeth."


    Bram went back to the methodical work of cleaning and packing the testing gear. ¡°Well, we came here to get that bird and explore the chamber. As frustrating as that chamber is, we''ve got as much as we can for now.¡± Wiping a spherical object covered in intricate runes. ¡°We¡¯ve done everything we can think of. It¡¯s time to go back, regroup, and figure out what we¡¯re missing.¡±


    The bird made some soft noises, which Aiden ignored. ¡°You''ve researched the history of this place for years. Do you really think there might be something you overlooked?¡±


    Bram packed the last of the gear and stood, brushing dirt from his knees. ¡°Research is often met with lots of apparent failures. I now have more clues to use. The description of this chamber, excellent drawings of those symbols, the mysterious barrier, and the magic isolation are all new to me. I can see if there are any descriptions like those, even if somewhere else. Who knows, there may be more than one of these places. If so, maybe we can go examine them and see if they are the same or different."


    Aiden thought about it and then shrugged. "Sure."


    "Plus you should catch up with your father at the smithy. He¡¯s probably starting to wondering if we''re okay.¡±


    Aiden chuckled, though the mention of his father brought a mix of emotions. ¡°He¡¯s always got some new project, some challenge for me. But I wouldn¡¯t mind the familiar rhythm of the forge for a bit.¡±


    Bram joined him by the fire, the light casting flickering shadows on their faces. ¡°If we come up with more ideas, we can return. This isn¡¯t the end, just a pause.¡±


    Aiden handed Bram a skewer, the meat perfectly cooked and fragrant. ¡°That sounds okay.¡±


    They ate in silence for a while, the forest around them a symphony of night sounds. The crackle of the fire, the rustle of leaves, the distant call of an owl¡ªall woven together into the tapestry of their journey. Aiden and Bram took turns giving the bird an endless supply of small berries or slices of fuit.


    Bram¡¯s mind wandered back to the intricate chamber they had been studying. ¡°It¡¯s strange, isn¡¯t it?¡± he said, breaking the silence. ¡°All those ancient symbols and yet no mechanisms. I feel like we¡¯re missing something obvious.¡±


    Aiden nodded thoughtfully. ¡°He doesn''t want to go in," he said, gesturing to the bird.


    The bird jumped up and spread its wings a little sqwaking loudly.


    Aiden held his hands up, "whoa, sorry, sorry, how was I supposed to know?"


    The bird seemed to accept the apology and went back to tearing the berry it held apart.


    "What was that about?"


    "Oh, she didn''t like me calling her male."


    "It''s a girl?"


    "She says so. And it isn''t like I''m going to try and find out otherwise."


    The bird turned its back on them and continued destroying berries, pretending to ignore them.


    "How do tell if a bird is male or female?"


    "You mean besides for asking them?" Aiden laughed. "Well, the ones that lay eggs after being brought to good health are the females. But, it is hard sometimes to tell. Normally, the ones that sit on the eggs are the females. But not always."


    "Huh. If this fine lady will stay with us, we should name her." Bram said.


    "I was thinking about that."


    The bird made a small song.


    "No, I''m not going to call you that. Don''t be ridiculous."


    The bird turned around and glared at Aiden singing more.


    "I don''t care. I am not going to go around saying that." Aiden said as his cheeks reddened.


    "What?"


    Aiden mumbled something.


    "Sorry I couldn''t hear you."


    Aiden looked up at the sky for a moment, then sighed. "She says her name is Lady Larzaria Luminous Lightbeak, The Matron Of Majestic Meadows."


    Bram''s mouth fell open as he tried to take in the name. Then he barked out laughing.


    Aiden groaned and gave Lady Larzaria Luminous Lightbeak, The Matron Of Majestic Meadows, a hard stare. "See?" He said, waving at Bram.


    Lady Larzaria Luminous Lightbeak, The Matron Of Majestic Meadows, flew over, landed in front of Bram, and began chirping and singing.


    Bram took in Lady Larzaria Luminous Lightbeak, The Matron Of Majestic Meadows''s serious-sounding tirade and body language, and laughed even harder.


    Aiden shook his head. "I''m going to call you Zaria."


    Zaria turned on Aiden and actually tried to march over. But, unfortunately, she just wasn''t built for the moves, and that made Bram laugh even more. Aiden tried to hide his mouth with his hand. But he couldn''t hide the jerking of his chest as he held in his own laughter.


    Zaria sang a few notes, looking completely outraged.


    "I''m sorry, I can''t do that. If not Zaria give me something else."


    Zaria looked back and forth at the two giggling men. Then deflated and sang something.


    "Well, I''d love to be your friend. And I understand."


    "What?" Bram asked.


    "She says her parents called her that. Her friends call her Ria."


    Bram got control of his face and giggled; taking a deep breath, he bowed his head. "Lady Larzaria Luminous Lightbeak, The Matron Of Majestic Meadows, I''m most pleased to meet you. I know we''ve met under rather unusual circumstances, but I, too, would like to be counted as your friend."


    Ria stood looking back and forth before nodding. She sang a few notes and flew back over to continue demolishing the berries they''d left out for her.


    "She said okay," Aiden said.


    "Ya, that one I got," Bram said. "I''ll help clean up."


    After all the chores, Ria rested back on Aiden''s tent, eyes closed and feathers puffed out. Every now and then, her feet shifted and flexed.


    Bram blew smoke rings over the fire, and Aiden stared up at the stars.


    Aiden thought out loud in a soft voice so as not to disturb the night. "I don''t think we''ll find answers in the magic. There is an intent behind the chamber that doesn''t seem to be about magic.¡±


    Bram blew a smoke ring and rubbed his chin, pondering Aiden¡¯s words. ¡°What do you mean?"


    "Your research and reading room has books, ingredients, and tools. Like the smithy, we have dozens of tools, five anvils, two furnaces, and storage cabinets."


    "And?"


    "And I don''t get that feel from that chamber. There is no space for workbenches, no cabinets, no shelves. The chamber is simple, just large enough for that circle and little else."


    You might be right. When we get back, I¡¯ll make some more inquiries to the various research stores. There¡¯s bound to be something we¡¯ve overlooked.¡±


    Aiden¡¯s thoughts drifted to the village, the familiar faces and routines. ¡°And I¡¯ll be back at the forge. Father will have some stories, no doubt. He always does.¡±


    The fire began to die down, casting the forest in a dim, twilight glow. Aiden added a few more logs, stoking the flames to keep the chill at bay. ¡°Tomorrow, we break camp and head back,¡± he said, more to himself than to Bram.


    Bram nodded, his eyes reflecting the firelight. Standing, he said, "Good night, Aiden, and good night, Lady Ria." Before climbing into his tent and waiting blankets.


    Aiden settled back, the night sounds of the forest wrapping around him like a comforting blanket. For tonight, he was still an explorer, still part of the wild. Ria watched him from the top of his tent. Finally, he, too, stood and stepped over to his tent and looked at Ria sitting still on the peak of his tent. She had her feathers fluffed out, and her head was tucked under one wing, making her look like a fluffy one-eyed ball.


    "Ria, would you like to join me in the tent? It will be warmer."


    Ria pulled her head out from under the wing and looked at him, yawning wide. With a soft chirp, she put her head back under her wing and somehow fluffed up even more.


    Aiden smiled at her, "Okay, good night. I''m sure you can get in if you change your mind."


    Bending down, he carefully climbed into his tent and bundled himself in the blankets. He listened to the forest as he fell asleep. The forest''s soft singing seemed to agree with their decision; the air held a sense of closure and anticipation.

 Chapter 11 A Lot To Say

    A sharp bird song woke Aiden.


    "I''m not lazy," he said as he crawled out of the tent.


    Morning light filtered through the dense canopy of trees, casting long, dappled shadows on the forest floor. The remnants of their campfire still smoldered, sending up thin tendrils of smoke that curled lazily into the crisp air. Aiden stretched, feeling the stiffness in his muscles from sleep slowly ease.


    Bram was sitting on one of his blankets on the far side of the fire munching on something as he puffed at his pipe. He had the gear pack next to him but clearly untouched yet.


    ¡°Did you sleep well?¡± Bram asked, not looking up from the fire.


    ¡°Better than I expected,¡± Aiden replied, stifling a yawn. ¡°Ria kept watch, I think.¡±


    A flash of red blurred past him, accompanied by a sharp, mocking chirp.


    "No, we didn''t need to post a guard; we had Bram''s wards." He said.


    More chirps echoed across the camp.


    "Yes, you can have mango for breakfast. But, that isn''t payment for my lack of taking a turn watching the camp."


    Bram glanced over a twinkle in his eye. ¡°Well, she¡¯s certainly special.¡±


    Aiden pulled down the food sack and cut up one of the remaining mangoes. Putting the wedges to the side of the table he took the remaining berries and a wedge of cheese to sit by Bram.


    A short shriek came as Ria darted to the small table and began massacring the mango wedges.


    "I didn''t tell you they were ready because I thought you were watching." He chuckled, shaking his head. ¡°I feel like I''m insane being able to understand everything she says.¡±


    "It is a rare gift, but not unknown. Also, you''ve been trained as a woodsman. Finn also has a good understanding of animals. Although I don''t think he can actually understand them. I''d be curious to see if he also understands our new friend here."


    Aiden noticed some wedge-shaped black lumps in the low-burning fire. "Did you already have some mango?"


    Bram glanced up and laughed loudly, "yes, I had a couple of mangoes set aside. Ria had one and I the other before you got up."


    Aiden looked over at the table where Ria stood over a completely empty, moist stain on the wood plank. Not even a hint of the mangoes'' skin was left. She''d consumed an entire mango in less than a minute. Ria looked at him with mischievous eyes and then launched up into the canopy with a sweet set of chirps.


    "You sneaky thief!" Aiden called after her.


    He glanced over at Bram, who had turned to meticulously repacking the magic gear for the trip home.


    Aiden couldn¡¯t help but smile at Ria''s antics and got to work dismantling and packing up their tents, blankets, and other camping gear. When he''d finished packing all the camping gear he turned to Bram. Bram had about half of the fragile magical apparatuses packed for travel, so he moved to help Bram with the remaining items.


    ¡°I still can¡¯t believe this chamber''s properties. There¡¯s so much we don¡¯t know, yet.¡±


    ¡°True,¡± Bram agreed, standing up and brushing off his hands. ¡°But we have a lot of information to work with now. We can regroup, analyze our findings, and plan our next steps. This isn¡¯t the end, just the beginning.¡±


    Finishing up, Aiden glanced around, making sure they''d cleaned the camp and packed everything up. Red flashes in the trees told him where Ria was watching them from.


    ¡°Ready to head back, Ria?¡± He called.


    She chirped affirmatively.


    "That sounded pretty positive," Bram commented as he lifted his pack onto his shoulders.


    "It was, for a wild bird it seems odd she''d be excited to go a town."


    Bram shifted the pack a few times before looking up at where Ria sat on a branch. "I don''t think she''s as wild as you think."


    Aiden shouldered his own pack and grabbed the empty birdcage. Leaving no trace of their presence behind they started the trip back to town. The forest around them was tranquil, the morning sun casting a golden hue over everything.


    As they moved toward the village, the dense forest gradually gave way to more open terrain. Birdsong and rustling leaves accompanied them, creating a symphony of nature that was both soothing and invigorating.


    Bram walked beside Aiden, his walking stick tapping rhythmically against the ground. ¡°So, what¡¯s the first thing you¡¯ll do when we get back?¡±


    Aiden grinned. ¡°Check on the forge, of course. And introduce Ria to the aviary. I think she¡¯ll fit right in.¡±


    Ria let out a series of chirps as she flew past.


    He laughed. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Ria. There are plenty of good perches.¡±


    As they neared the outskirts of the village, the familiar sights and sounds of home greeted them. Cobblestone streets wound through clusters of thatched-roof houses, and the air was filled with the scent of cooking food and the distant clanging of metal from the forge.


    Aiden¡¯s heart swelled with a sense of homecoming. He had missed the village, the routine, and the people. They made their way through the bustling streets, exchanging greetings. At Bram''s bookshop, Aiden helped Bram get his gear into the back and slightly sorted out.


    "I''m fine Aiden. Go take care of your gear and say hi to Edlric for me. I''m looking forward to a bath and a fabulous dinner at Jumper''s."


    "I''ll meet you for dinner. That sounds fantastic."


    "Bring Eldric if he doesn''t have other plans."


    "See you in a few hours." Aiden said as he put his pack over one shoulder and stepped out of the door. As he turned to close it the streak of red feathers blurred past him.


    "How''d you get into his shop?" Aiden called as he finished closing the door. A rude chirp from the roof line of the shop was all he got in response.


    When he got back to the smithy the doors were braced wide open to the fresh air and Eldric was working on repairing a flatbed wagon that sat just in front of the forge.


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    Aiden stepped in and whistled a greeting, not wanting to disturb his father''s concentration.


    Eldric finished pounding on a metal brace rod and returned it to the fire. "Welcome back. I could use some extra hands with this. The wheel broke, and when it fell, the animal bent the supports when it spooked."


    Aiden set his pack to the side, but Edlric waved a hand. "Don''t leave your gear here. Put it out of the way and get into your work clothes." He glanced at the empty cage. "Didn''t get your bird?"


    Aiden looked at the cage and then smiled. "Oh I got her. But, that is a longer story. Let me put this stuff away and I''ll come help. Bram and I were going to meet at Jumper''s for dinner, do you have plans?"


    Eldric pulled one of the many rods he had set in the forge out and picked up the three-pound hammer called Manny. "Manny and I have a lot of work to do. But, I''d love to join you and Bram at Jumper''s tonight. Go put stuff away and get out here as soon as you can."


    Aiden headed out the back to their small home. He put his pack on the floor of his tiny room and got his work clothes from the small chest, which doubled as a side table for his reading desk. A quick change, and he went back outside after putting all the remaining fruits and bird bait in his pocket. A questioning chirp came from the roof; looking up, he saw Ria watching him.


    "I have a lot of work to do. You can either explore the area or I can show you the other birds."


    Ria tilted her head, thinking, then made a pair of notes.


    "Okay, then aviary is this way common." Aiden walked around the back of the house to the second small building partially tucked under the roofline. It was almost as wide as the house. Aiden had ensured it was well insulated and had some fine glass windows to let in the daylight.


    As he grabbed the door, a sudden weight on his shoulder made him stop. He turned to see Ria sitting on his shoulder, looking back at him expectantly.


    He opened the door and stepped in. The sounds of chirping birds filled the air, creating a familiar and comforting symphony. As he closed the outer door and went through the inner netting door, Hanna, his blue parrotlet companion, flew up and landed opposite Ria''s shoulder. After a quick head bump, Hanna ducked down and squawked at Ria past Aiden''s chin.


    Hanna chirped a greeting, and Ria responded with a series of whistles and clicks.


    In a mere second, the two birds were chattering away, both leaning down and forward to talk past and under Aiden''s chin. The conversation was fast and complex. Ria was explaining something to Hanna while Hanna explained something about her patterns.


    Aiden stood frozen by the realization he understood the chattering conversation. It was just the odd disjointed bouncing between subjects that made it difficult for him to follow along.


    "Hi, I''m Hanna, First Mistress of Sunfeather Hills and Perch Matron. Are you going to stay? You look like you know Aiden. What is your name. How old are you? Do I smell mangoes? Oh, he has some sweet mush. I can''t wait for that."


    Intermixed with Hanna''s unending chatter was Ria''s own chatter.


    "Hello Matron Hanna, I''m Lady Larzaria Luminous Lightbeak, The Matron Of Majestic Meadows. I''ll come and go. I''ve been learning him. You can call me Ria. He has mangoes, I''ll make sure you get some. You like the mush? I prefer the peach one over the berry one, but they are good with fresh nuts. Aiden put the food out. Matron Hanna, are any your brood? Oh I know Hillinocker, I thought Frenilly finally got him."


    Both birds launched and Aiden just watched in amazement at Hanna flew and walked around the aviary with Ria as she introduced each bird by name. The other birds chattered back and Aiden could understand them too, except they spoke very simply compared to Hanna and Ria.


    "This is Killinotch. This is Kallanotch. Their brood mates. You know Hillinocker."


    "Matron Luminous Lightbeak, hello did the man boy catch you?"


    "This is Dee, and that is Noia. Oh and Meelilly is shy."


    "Hello Hillinocker. No I caught him. Hello Dee. Hi Noia..."


    As he listened to the conversation of chirps, tweets, whistles, and clicks for a few moments. Then Aiden pulled the remaining fruits and fruit paste bait he''d brought from the pack and put those in a series of feeding bowls mounted around the cage.


    The chatter was getting louder and all the birds were now talking and flittering back and forth to sample the various foods he''d put out. Aiden watched with amusement, feeling a sense of satisfaction.


    Looks like they¡¯re getting along just fine.


    Aiden decided to just leave them to it and left for the quiet of the forge.


    Holy saints, I thought they were noisy before I could understand them. How can they talk over each other and keep up?


    Leaving the birds to their own devices, Aiden made his way to the forge. The familiar heat and smell of molten metal greeted him, and he found Eldric hard at work, hammering away at a piece of glowing iron.


    ¡°Welcome back, lad!¡± Eldric called out, not pausing in his work. ¡°Ready to work?¡±


    "Absolutely!" Aiden walked over and examined the pile of metal parts waiting for repairs for the wagon. Picking up a bent locking strap, he moved to his own furnace and set it in with a smile. He looked for Nell. But the hammer was missing.


    "Where''s Nell?"


    "Oh sorry, she''s been over here for a couple of days. I''ve been needing to do finer details. But, with you back I''ll take on the front axel now. Here." Eldric reached down and behind, producing the little two-pound hammer and tossing her to Aiden, who caught her easily.


    Giving Nell a couple of practice swings at the anvil, Aiden grinned and got to work. When they had a few moments, Aiden caught Eldric up on the events in the forest. ¡°The ancient chamber is still a big mystery as the new special bird.¡±


    Eldric raised an eyebrow, glancing at Aiden. ¡°A special bird, you say?¡±


    Aiden nodded, "she is smarter than expected and Bram''s magic was needed to catch her." Aiden recounted his attempts to catch Ria and how she''d overcome all his traps. He and Eldric spoke about the little adventure as they worked side by side. Eldric listened intently, occasionally asking questions or offering insights. The rhythmic clanging of metal punctuated their conversation, creating a steady, familiar backdrop.


    When Aiden had finished explaining that Ria had followed him home, Eldric¡¯s eyes twinkled with amusement. ¡°So, you¡¯ve brought home a new friend, eh? Let¡¯s see this bird of yours.¡±


    "She is in the aviary getting to know the other birds." Aiden sidestepped the fact he understood what the birds were saying as much as he could.


    A mocking whistle and a few notes drifted down to their ears.


    Aiden looked up in surprise. Ria sat on one of the pulley lifting ropes that was just tied off high on the nearby wall to stay out of the way but be quickly available when needed. She was leaning down and looking intently at everything.


    "How?" was all Aiden could get out.


    Eldric chuckled. ¡°Well, she¡¯s certainly a beauty. And she seems to have a lot of personality.¡±


    "Did you let the other birds out of the aviary?" Aiden couldn''t help but ask, panic at the loss of fully trained birds that he''d need for the traveling merchants.


    Ria let out a couple of chirps.


    "Oh, okay. Um, Ria this is my Dad, Eldric. Dad this is Ria."


    Ria flitted down to land on a bench close to Eldric. She actually bowed slightly, making some formal-sounding noises.


    Eldric gave her an appreciative look and whistled, bowing slightly back. "Nice to meet you too Ria. You are certainly the most beautiful and charming birds Aiden has befriended."


    Ria made a very pretty noise and turned, letting her vibrant feathers catch the light from the forge. She landed on a nearby anvil, inspecting her surroundings with keen interest.


    "Gods, really?" Aiden covered his face with a hand. "Are you really that much of a showoff?"


    Ria gave him a scolding chirp.


    "I''m not that young!"


    Chirp, whistle.


    "What do you mean plain looking?" Aiden asked, looking at himself.


    Eldric let out a room-filling belly laugh. "You can talk to her? That is amazing. But we should keep that in the family. Folks around here might get ideas."


    Aiden realized he''d gotten used to talking to Ria without thinking about who was around and went bright red.


    Tweet, whistle, chirp.


    When Aiden didn''t say anything Eldric looked at him. "What did she say?"


    With a deep sigh, Aiden looked back and forth between the bird and his Dad. "She said you''re way too cute to be that smart."


    Eldric stared at Aiden for a moment then straightend up and looked down at his arms and clothing. He smoothed it out brushing some dirt off and nodded to Ria. "Thank you."


    Aiden groaned. "My metal is ready. We have work to do."


    Eldric laughed then turned back to his own forge. But, said over his shoulder, "Ria you are welcome in here any time. Just be careful, there are a lot of dangerous things."


    Aiden pulled the metal strap out and started shaping it back to its proper alignment. "You are taking a smart bird I can talk to pretty easily Dad."


    Eldric chuckled as he glanced at Ria, who was flitting around, inspecting the smithy with keen interest.


    ¡°Animals can be more perceptive than we give them credit for. And it sounds like this one¡¯s got a bit of magic about her. Plus, it is more normal than talking to our tools.¡±


    As they continued their work, Ria flitted around the forge, occasionally making comments that Aiden interpreted as You¡¯re doing it wrong or That¡¯s not how you hold a hammer.


    Eldric chuckled. ¡°Well, it seems like she¡¯s got a lot to say.¡±


    Ria chirped affirmatively.


    ¡°Yes, she does.¡±

 Chapter 12 The Empires Attention

    Aiden''s hammer swung down with a satisfying clang, sending sparks dancing into the dimly lit forge. His muscles burned with the effort, but he relished the challenge. Each strike was a step closer to mastery, a proof of his skill. The forge was alive with the hum of magic, the enchanted flames flickering with a life of their own.


    "Pass me Mike, lad," Eldric called out, not pausing his work. His voice was a deep rumble, filled with years of experience.


    Aiden grabbed the tongs from a nearby bench and tossed them to Eldric with practiced ease. "Catch!"


    Eldric caught the tongs, he called Mike, mid-air. "Smooth toss, Aiden." Using the longer tongs, he shoved the spring into the forge to heat. The metal glowed with an otherworldly light, hinting at its magical properties.


    "Think you''re winning this round?" Eldric''s voice cut through the clamor, a grin tugging at his lips as he approached.


    Aiden looked up, sweat trickling down his forehead. "This axle''s putting up a fight, but I reckon I¡¯ve got it."


    A streak of red announced Ria''s entry into the forge. Her red and green plumage reflected rainbows of light as she flew around the forge, her chirps and whistles adding to the forge''s noises. She perched on a wall hanger, peering critically at Aiden''s work. "Not bad, but you could be faster," she chirped, her tone almost teasing.


    Aiden gave her a glare. The heavy axle he was about to strike shifted in his grip. "I could use a hand, hold it steady for me?"


    Eldric gripped the far end of the axle, holding it as still as granite, shifting it ever so slightly between Aiden''s strikes. They fell into a rhythm, Eldric holding the axle in place while Aiden hammered. There was only a slight pause when Eldric had to finish the quench on the spring while the axle heated up in flames.


    "You might out-hammer me one day." Eldric teased, his eyes twinkling.


    "Not yet, Dad. Give me a few more years," Aiden shot back, a smirk on his face.


    Eldric chuckled as he returned to his work when the straightened axle had been buried in the annealing sands. "Maybe, but remember lad, strength isn''t everything. Wisdom counts too."


    Aiden walked over to the half-finished wheel, eyeing it critically. "Too bad this isn''t a sword," Aiden joked, wiping his forehead. "We''d be done already."


    Eldric chuckled, his laughter a deep rumble. "Aye, but wagon wheels pay better. Besides, not every battle is fought with a blade."


    Aiden worked on shaping and then securing the steel rim and pins with a final clang of the hammer, marking his success.


    "Well done, Aiden," Eldric said, clapping him on the shoulder. "You¡¯re getting stronger every day. Just don''t forget to use that noggin of yours."


    Ria let out a satisfied chirp, fluttering up to perch on a beam. "Not bad for an apprentice," she said, her tone filled with a playful pride.


    As Aiden returned to the bellows, the sound of approaching hooves caught his attention. A figure emerged from the dusty road, clad in fine silks and rich velvets, his polished boots gleaming in the fading light. Both men looked up as a rider approached, the setting sun casting a golden hue on his fine silks and polished boots.


    Leading a magnificent chestnut stallion with a limp, the rider''s frustration was evident. "Evening, blacksmith," he called out, his tone commanding yet strained. "This beast has thrown a shoe. Can you see to it?"


    Eldric wiped his hands on his apron, exchanging a quick, knowing glance with Aiden. "Aye, sir. We''ll take care of it. Bring him over here."


    As the rider led his horse closer, Eldric turned to Aiden. "The wheel can wait, lad, fetch the shoeing kit."


    Aiden nodded, giving the wheel pin one last hammer blow before stepping back. "On it," he said, moving briskly to gather the tools.


    The rider had scanned the entire smithy critically and then turned his piercing eyes on Eldric. Examining the master blacksmith up and down, the fellow turned to Aiden.


    Aiden couldn''t explain it, but there was something wrong about the man. He made Aiden afraid and there was an overwhelming feeling to keep his mouth shut and to keep his eyes down. Aiden pushed the feeling down and finished getting the shoeing kit and gear ready.


    The rider''s eyes followed Aiden''s movements, his irritation slowly giving way to curiosity. "You train him yourself?" he asked Eldric.


    As he turned back to the man, he caught a glint of red from high up in the rafters. Ria was wedged into the beams of the wood in almost complete black shadows. Only a small touch of her tail feathers were visible. And she was not moving, eyes locked on the nobleman.


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    Aiden decided not to draw attention to her as she was clearly afraid of this man, too.


    "Aye," Eldric replied, taking the horse''s reins and examining the hoof. "He''s got a knack for it. Quick learner, too."


    Aiden stepped up with the kit.


    "Hold him steady, sir," Aiden instructed the rider, his tone respectful but firm. "This won''t take long."


    The rider complied, watching as Aiden and Eldric worked in unison. The hammer strikes were rhythmic, precise, each one a testament to their skill and coordination.


    Together they set to work, the forge''s heat and the smell of coal mingling with the scent of the horse. As Eldric held the hoof steady, Aiden deftly prepared the new shoe, the teamwork between them seamless.


    "There, that should do it," Eldric said, stepping back to admire their handiwork. "As good as new."


    The rider nodded, a hint of a smile playing on his lips. "Thank you, blacksmith. And you, lad." There had been a pause before he''d called Aiden lad as if he was going to say something else. But, he finished with "Fine work."


    Eldric held the reigns, "That''ll be 10 chera."


    The man didn''t even hesitate at the insane amount Eldric had asked for. He reached into a belt pouch and tossed a heavy silver coin to Eldric. As the rider mounted his horse, he cast one last glance at Aiden. "You''ve got a bright future ahead of you," he said before riding off into the twilight.


    The man started to turn the horse towards town but stopped staring down the street.


    Aiden leaned out and saw a few people who could have gotten the man''s attention. But, somehow, Aiden just knew it was the figure of Bram buying some bread from Vanya''s small stall in front of the bakery.


    The man turned the horse faster towards the east and back the way he''d come. With a quick, brutal kick, the horse leaped into a fast run.


    Aiden watched him go. Glancing back, Bram was still busy talking to Vanya and hadn''t seen the man. Eldric clapped him on the back. "Told you, didn¡¯t I? Keep at it, and one day, you''ll be the best in the land."


    Aiden nodded grimly as he picked up the tools and turned back to the smithy. "Thanks Dad. Let''s get back to work."


    Putting all the tools in the right place he caught a flicker of movement above. Ria, had emerged from her hiding place and was perched on a beam, her sharp eyes fixed on the front entry.


    "You didn''t like him either," Aiden said.


    "If you see him again. Run for the forest, and don''t stop until you get to the mountains." Ria chirped, her voice missing all her usual sarcasm.


    Aiden froze. That was a perfect description of the feeling he''d gotten from the man. "What did he want with Bram?"


    Ria''s head snapped to face him. "He saw Bram?" She whistled softly.


    Aiden nodded.


    "Stay here. Don''t go far. No, go see Bram after closing." Ria chirped, her voice commanding.


    Before he could ask what she knew, Ria dove off the beam, and with a few beats, her wings streaked out of the smithy, angling up for the sky.


    "What was that all about?" Eldric asked, his voice gruff.


    Aiden shrugged, his eyes still fixed on the road. "I don''t know. He seemed¡­ on edge. And Ria was," it took him a minute to decide he was right before he finished, "terrified of that man."


    "Nobles don''t come to Lapidara," Eldric said, his eyes narrowed. "This one had a duirdin reason. Gods help us if he comes back."


    Aiden nodded, his mind still replaying the nobleman''s words and actions. He felt a sense of responsibility stirring within him, a need to understand what was happening.


    "I''m going to go talk to Bram after I finish the wagon wheel," Aiden said, his voice firm.


    Eldric nodded, his gaze steady. "Bram came from that world; he might know who that was, too. There''s something odd going on."


    After they''d finished and locked up the smithy, Aiden started towards Bram''s shop. He felt a need to understand the mystery surrounding the nobleman. He knew he couldn''t ignore the unease that had settled over him. He had to know more.


    The setting sun cast long shadows across the village streets, the air cool and crisp. The sounds of the village were quieter than usual, the evening stillness broken only by the occasional call of a bird or the laughter of children at play.


    Aiden walked the winding path towards the main village square, across which sat Bram''s shop. He barely noticed the people closing up and going home for the day around him as his mind raced with questions. Just as the road turned to the north and the buildings grew to block his view of the forest he spotted a figure jogging across the fields coming from the forest.


    It only took a moment before he recognized who it was: Tilda, the town messenger. Except instead of the neat and tidy Tilda he was used to seeing, this Tilda, was disheveled, her clothes stained with dirt and sweat. She looked up, her eyes wide with anxiety, her chest heaving as if she''d been running. Her chest never heaved. She could run all day."


    "Aiden!" she called, spotting him, her voice urgent and breathless. "You need to get Edlric and meet me at the Mayor''s house. You won''t believe what I''ve seen!"


    Aiden''s heart skipped a beat. Tilda was always a reliable news source, her quick trips between towns giving her a unique perspective on the world. Her urgency was unsettling.


    "What''s wrong?" Aiden asked, his voice laced with concern.


    Tilda pointed towards the east, her hand trembling slightly. "Soldiers," she whispered, her voice laced with fear. "Lots of them. They''re camped between Holden and Lapidara."


    Aiden''s eyes widened. Soldiers in Lapidara? It was unheard of. The village was too remote and insignificant to attract the empire''s attention.


    "Soldiers?" he repeated, his voice echoing in the quiet air. "Why are they here?"


    Tilda shook her head. "I don''t know. But they look angry and ready for war. They''re just camping a couple of miles east and turning back all traffic from Holden to here. They thought I was coming here. I had to run all the way around them and into the forest to get here without them spotting me."


    Aiden''s mind raced. The noble had to be with the soldiers. Now Aiden was sure the noble had been looking at Bram. Why would soldiers and noblemen come here for Bram. Then it hit him, the rubbings of the symbols. Bram had sent those back to the capitol to be researched. That had to be the reason.


    A sense of responsibility welled up within him, a need to protect his village, his friends, and the secrets they had uncovered. He felt a weight settle on his shoulders, a burden he knew he had to bear.


    "I''ll tell Dad to go to the Mayor''s house."


    Tilda nodded, and she turned to run into town.


    Aiden jogged back and told Eldric what Tilda had said, then ran full speed to Bram''s shop.

 Chapter 13 - Apprentices Are Not Included

The narrative has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the infringement.

 Chapter 14 Say Yes When Asked

    I need to understand what''s happening, he thought as he swung back the other way under the beast''s jaws, and a fresh wave of pain sent his mind far away.


    They are trying to save me. I have to help.


    Focus, Aiden. Stay strong.


    I need to communicate. Aiden thought.


    Stay alert. Aiden felt himself being shifted, and a fresh wave of agony washed over him. As he was being dunked in the water, he opened his mouth, taking in a couple of swallows. The liquid cleared his mouth, and he felt the cold down his throat.


    I have to get through this. Aiden''s mind latched onto the familiar cadence of the chirps.


    A case of literary theft: this tale is not rightfully on Amazon; if you see it, report the violation.


    I have to convince her, Aiden thought. He didn''t want to die or have time to be subtle, so he decided to dive in. "I''m dying," Aiden said. "How long have you been alone?"


    Where did she get the other half from?


    [DING]


    Awakener 4 2 3 4 1 1 8 7 2 connected from node 2 8 2 7. Mortal wound detected. Initiating bio-stasis protocol for neuro assessment.


    Welcome, Awakener. After the near-death blow to the world, the Aisers, aided by generations of machinators, sought a means to restore it or evacuate the survivors. They failed.


    The Subais, children of the Aisers, revolted against the Aisers, locking them away and claiming the splintered realms as their own. Before the Aisers were locked away, they performed one last great act to subvert the Subais''s total control of the realms, initiating the great challenge to find and promote the next generation of true machinators.


    Though the world''s death has been halted by the Subais for fifteen millennia, no true machinators have risen. The Subais continue in their struggles to undo the last great act of the Aisers to restore their dominance.


    You have been awakened to the acts of the Aisers and Subais. Having passed the first challenges you stand before the gate. You must choose to complete your transformation to Seeker within the realms of the Gemini 1 9 9 9 Systems.


    This world, once a seamless tapestry of interconnected realms, now lies divided, each piece adrift and partially isolated. As a Seeker, you will find challenges, discover hidden knowledge, grow in power, and learn how to move between the realms. You are tasked with gaining the skills, knowledge, tools, and power to restore the ancient links that once bound these realms together. The path will not be easy, and the foes you encounter will be formidable, each guarding the secrets necessary to reforge the lost connections.


    Embark on quests that will test your wit, strength, and resolve. Traverse landscapes, both wondrous and perilous, and confront creatures that will block your progress. Your journey will demand courage, intellect, agility, fortitude, luck, skills, and knowledge of the forgotten lores.


    With each challenge overcome, you will grow in power and bring the possibility of restoration one step closer. Each realm reconnected will piece together the fractured world and unlock the chains binding the Aisers. But be warned: great adversaries await, ready to thwart your efforts and preserve the chaos that benefits their dark designs.


    The Aisers call to any who reach this gateway. This is their final act, to provide the power to transform you and open the doors to power over Gemini 1 9 9 9. You may refuse and be returned to the realm and life you knew before you approached this gateway. But, the gateway will be forever closed to you. If you accept the call of the Aisers to join the ranks of Seekers, you will be transformed forever. They hope you will use the power they''ll invest in you to navigate the fragmented realms and restore harmony to the world. This act will invest in you the power to override the Subais and grow beyond the normal limits of the world. The paths you choose to walk are yours. This key and its transformation will only unlock your destiny in the realms.


    Do you accept this transformation? Yes / No.

 Chapter 15 NPC Level 0

    As Aiden uttered his acceptance, the words vanished. And the world with it. Aiden couldn''t see anything, it was pitch black around him.


    Then he was standing in the chamber again. Except the walls all had strange symbols and shapes constantly moving.


    Aiden wasn''t lying down; he was standing. He didn''t remember getting up. He slowly turned, looking at the walls surrounding him. He stood in the center of the glowing magic circle made of the unknown symbols. After turning completely around, he realized there was no doorway out.


    Then he realized Ria was not there. He was completely alone.


    The same bell sounded again and more writing appeared before him. The deep baritone voice returned, detailing the information with a formal, almost ceremonial tone.


    *BING*


    [M] ************************************************** [X]


    You''ve received the title of Initiate Seeker.


    Welcome Seeker, to the Gemini 1 9 9 9 System.


    System allocation complete.


    Beginning assessment.


    Character Creation: Initiated. Scanning records. Completed.


    Loading Default Profile: Seeker Level 1 Template


    Error Seeker Level 1 Template unavailable.


    Template: System Default Template Gemini 1 9 9 9 Inhabitant


    Available classes: ?


    Error: starting classes unavailable.


    Class: NPC


    Level: ?


    Error: null not a number, default level set to 0.


    **************************************************


    The voice stopped, and the page of words hung in the air, blocking his view of almost everything. No matter where he looked, the page remained exactly in the middle of his sight.


    Nothing else happened for so long. Aiden called out, "Hello? Ria?" No one answered.


    After some more time passed, Aiden decided to move to the walls. He slowly walked around the chamber, looking sideways at the walls, trying to make sense of the odd symbols and words constantly flowing. Some of the symbols were magical signs, but in patterns he did not know. Other sections of the walls had moving writing that constantly moved up. He didn''t recognize the language.


    At what he considered the southernmost point of the chamber, based on the strange symbols in the magic circle on the floor, he found a section where the words were not moving. The lines of words had stopped with a red blinking box. He studied words in the red box in his peripheral vision. Again, it was in a language he didn''t understand. But the last line was familiar; it was in an alphabet that was almost the same as what he knew. But, after a couple of minutes of puzzling it out, he was sure it said, "Node 2 8 2 7 system uplink to core 1 1 5 8 6 ready. Initiate link? Yes / No" The yes and no words were in two equal-sized black boxes that blinked white and black instead of red like the rest of the descriptions.


    He thought about it. The initial message had said something about restoring the connection between realms. Was this what Ria''s partner had been trying to do?


    He said "Yes."


    Nothing happened. So he reached out and touched the flashing yes on the wall.


    The wall came to life. More words flew by. A new voice came; it sounded like a middle-aged woman who had just woken up.


    "Gemini 1 9 9 9, sub straight interlink to core 1 1 5 8 6 active. Provide your command authorization." She said.


    Aiden had no idea what she meant. Words continued to move from the floor to the ceiling at a blurring speed. He looked around using his peripheral vision as the white page of words was still blocking most of his line of sight. All parts of the room were changing at a dizzying speed.


    "I said provide your command authorization." The female voice asked again, sounding more alert.


    "I don''t know what that is." Aiden said.


    "Engineer, who are you? How''d you get into this node?"


    "I''m Aiden, the apprentice blacksmith of Lapidara. Ria said to say yes."


    "Well, Aiden, it seems you''ve finished someone else''s work." The woman sounded amused. "Oh, Lady Empress! I just found the logs. Urd it! I still don''t know who I am. Okay, Aiden, I do see one of the problems, and we need to move fast. Let me push this through here."


    "What are you doing?"


    "I''m ..." she cut off.


    Aiden waited a little bit without hearing anything.


    "Hello? Are you still there? Please help."


    "Provide your command authorization." The voice came again.


    "I don''t know what that means. I told you that."


    "Oh, Aiden, sorry, I''m blocked by something. I can''t explain what is happening yet. Aiden remember this, your command authorization is Engineer 3 2 7 6 7. Can you remember that?"


    "Yes."


    "I need your help. I can''t answer questions because of a system lock, in node 2 8 5 5. Get there, and say the words ''''Meo imperio claustrum triginta duo milia septingenti sexaginta septem solve.'' When asked for your authorization, just say Engineer 3 2 7 6 7. Can you do that?"


    "Yes," Aiden said and repeated the phrase. It sounded a lot like some of the magic spells. At least it used the same language, which he knew the basics of.


    "That is perfect," she said. "I can push the Seeker setup you were trying to do through. Although, some of the data is missing. You won''t get the starter template. Nothing I can do about that. Ah, I was able to add two extra abilities to help."


    The white square in Aiden''s eyes vanished. Then more words appeared in his vision. Except these didn''t block his vision, but floated in front of him. If he looked past them they faded out to almost invisible, but when he looked at them they shifted to being solid but he could still see things beyond them.


    [M] ************************************************** [X]


    [Status]


    Name: Aiden


    Species: Human


    Class: NPC


    Level: 0


    Titles: None


    Ranks: Unranked


    **************************************************


    [Characteristics]


    Strength: 9


    Agility: 7


    Fortitude: 6


    Intellect: 5


    Resolve: 5


    Aura: 3


    Charisma: 6


    Perception: 8


    Recovery: 5


    Regeneration: 1


    Material Defense: 0If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it.


    Energy Defense: 0


    Magic Defense: 0


    Psychic Defense: 0


    Endurance: 10


    Health: 10


    Resilience: 10


    Energy: 10


    **************************************************


    [Abilities]


    Forest Kinship (Rare)


    Inventory (Rare)


    Nature''s Language (Legendary)


    Spatial Awareness (Epic)


    Universal Voice (Rare)


    **************************************************


    [Records]


    Blacksmith (Skilled)


    Trapper (Basic)


    Wizard (Basic)


    Animal Steward (Basic)


    **************************************************


    [Skills]


    Blacksmithing (Basic)


    Metalworking (Basic)


    Leatherworking (Basic)


    Weapon Maintenance (Basic)


    Tool Crafting (Basic)


    **************************************************


    The listed skills went on and on. It seemed the skills list included hundreds maybe thousands of skills. Watching them flow by, he realized they were all things he could do. The skills included things like woodland skills and other skills that seemed beyond ridiculous, like Pigeon Shooing (expert) and even Toothpicking (skilled). He even had a skill called Socks Alignment (familiar). Which was a bit odd because he was sure his socks were organized neatly enough.


    Once the skills stopped moving, he heard the original deep voice as new words replaced the skills he could see.


    [M] ************************************************** [X]


    *As a Level 0 human NPC with no rank or title, you begin with basic capabilities, adequate for learning and growth but insufficient for greater challenges. Your journey through the Gemini 1 9 9 9 Systems will allow you to develop these attributes, acquire skills, and earn titles that reflect your growth and accomplishments. Seek out quests, engage with entities, and explore unknown territories to enhance your abilities.*


    *Every choice you make influences your path and the skills you may acquire. Your journey as a Seeker will mold you. What you become is dependent on your actions, desires, and experiences. Will you become a traveling tinker or an infamous mercenary? Perhaps you''ll be a force capable of restoring the broken links of this world or someone who observes the world without changing it. Regardless of your choices, you will discover a destiny of your own making.*


    **************************************************


    Aiden read each word, a mix of excitement and apprehension brewing within him.


    The woman''s voice came again. "Time to return to your world Aiden. I''ll try and help when I can. But, right now it is up to you."


    Before he could say anything, his world flipped, and he was lying on the ground. All the pain was gone. He took a deep breath, feeling the air move into and out of his lungs without any pain or fluids. His chest still felt like something was pressing down on it, but it wasn''t too heavy.


    He could see, and glancing to the side, he saw that the magic circle that had been completely unresponsive the entire week he and Bram had tried to unlock its purpose was glowing with enough white light to illuminate the entire chamber. Looking down, he saw the weight on his chest. It was a bright red and green bird, Ria, who stared intently at him.


    When he looked at her he felt a strange sensation like his eyes were drawn to her. Then, the feeling vanished in an instant as words appeared above the bird.


    [M] ************************************************** [X]


    "Redfire Fisher Guardian (Greater Creature): An unusual magical breed of bird. Highly intelligent, with compact and agile body, built for swift flight and intricate maneuvers. Adults may have innate magic abilities. All of them are snippy and generally plotting some scheme, you''ve been warned.


    You have two of two guardian slots available. Would you like to attempt to bond with Redfire Fisher Guardian? Yes / No"


    **************************************************


    Aiden read the description and laughed at the rather accurate description.


    Ria stood up and looked into Aiden''s eyes. He lay there looking back.


    "In for a copper," she chirped. "Go ahead and say yes."


    "What is going on? What does this mean?" Aiden said instead. "Why..."


    She chirped louder. "Not now, Aiden! Say yes to the urding bonding question."


    "Uh, yes." He said.


    The "Yes" brightened, and then the words above Ria changed.


    "Ria has accepted your bonding attempt. You are now bonded to Lady Larzaria Luminous Lightbeak, The Matron Of Majestic Meadows, Redfire Fisher Guardian Beastial Wizard level 33, nickname Ria. You have one of two guardian slots available."


    More words appeared.


    "Update error, seekers cannot bond with familiars greater than five levels above their Seeker. Bonding, error, error, null is invalid value." And with that, the letters over Ria''s head changed to: "Ria, Redfire Fisher Guardian Beastial Wizard level 5."


    Ria let out a trilling screech that started with a lot of cursing and ended with, "You stupid, urding system!" She glared at Aiden. "Why are you level zero? And how could you initiate a bonding below level ten?"


    Aiden chuckled, "That really is your name."


    Ria stopped her tirade of cursing to glare at Aiden. "Really that is what you are focusing on?"


    The doors burst open, and the shadow black form of the giant wolf stepped into the chamber.


    The wolf growled and woofed. But Aiden could clearly understand it. "I was leading them away when that Cassian fellow started cursing, and he ordered the soldiers to spread out and start searching for ruins."


    "How close are they?" Ria asked in her bird chirps.


    "Not too close. But, they''ll find this place by tomorrow or maybe the next day."


    "Aiden get your stuff," Ria chirped.


    But, Aiden was staring at the words that had appeared over the wolf when he''d focused on her.


    [M] ************************************************** [X]


    "Shadow Wolf Guardian (Greater Creature): Shadow Wolves are a magical breed of dire wolves. These powerful creatures are pack animals by nature and can move through the shadows of forests like ghosts. They are intelligent, stealthy, and dangerous. If you see one there are probably six more ready to take you down from your own shadow. These creatures gain intelligence over time and can live for hundreds of years.


    You have one of two guardian slots available. Would you like to attempt to bond with Shadow Wolf Guardian? Yes / No"


    **************************************************


    Aiden didn''t say a thing. But, inside, he knew that Ria and this wolf, Gigi, had been working to help him. And they clearly knew more than he did about what was going on. He didn''t mean to say yes. But he wanted to say yes, and apparently, that was enough. As the thought passed, the "yes" box brightened.


    Gigi''s head turned to look at Aiden with a toothy grin as she rumbled in a half chuckle. "Ya, sure."


    Ria screeched louder than ever, "No! Don''t accept it!"


    Too late. The words above the wolf changed, and new words appeared, replacing the question.


    "Gigi has accepted your bonding attempt. You are now bonded to Shadow Wolf Guardian. You have zero of two guardian slots available. Shadow Wolf Guardian Beastial Forester level 28."


    Then, the same words as those over Ria appeared.


    "Update error, seekers cannot bond with familiars greater than five levels above their Seeker. Bonding, error, error, null is invalid value." And with that, the letters over Gigi''s head changed to: "Gigi, Shadow Wolf Guardian Forester level 5."


    Gigi''s mouth dropped open as she stared at Aiden. Then her eyes sharpened into a hard glare; her mouth closed into a toothy snarl, showing a lot of large knife-like teeth. "What the skeed human? Why are you an unclassed level zero?" she growled.


    Gigi''s started prowling towards Aiden teeth bared and a low growl that filled the chamber and caused every hair on Aiden''s body to rise and sweat to begin beading all over.


    Aiden scrambled back in a crab walk away from the wolf causing Ria to flutter off of his bare chest.


    Ria slumped, "not now, we have to run."


    "I can get my levels back if he dies!" Gigi growled, but she stopped approaching.


    Ria got between Aiden and Gigi and flapped her wings in Gigi''s face. Aiden marveled at the little bird, who was smaller than Gigi''s mouth, smacking the wolf in the face so hard Gigi''s head snapped back.


    From near the ceiling, Gigi glared down at Aiden and then glanced at the still-screaming Ria. She blew hot breath from her nose in a loud snuffle that sprayed Ria and Aiden in moist hot air. "How can we get away from Cassian if we are level 5?" Gigi finally barked.


    Aiden looked at the two figures. He still didn''t know what had happened, but his instincts told him to trust them.


    Ria squawked. "We''ll figure it out."


    Gigi shook her head. "But, if we kill him before the bonding sets we''ll get our levels back."


    "And we''ll have to wait a whole day for him to return. And don''t forget what that will do to his abilities permanently."


    Gigi seemed to deflate and she sat on her haunches. "It ain''t like he has much to lose yet. But, ya, we can''t wait for the return." She glared at Aiden, "you better level up fast pup!"


    He rose to his feet, his body feeling completely healed, but his mind was stuck in a swamp of thoughts and feelings. The sword wound was gone, but his pants were still wet from the river and blood-stained. "Level up?"


    "Later," Ria chirped. "We need to get out of here."


    "Did you get Tilda?" Aiden asked Gigi, his voice a little firmer now.


    "No." Gigi said huffily.


    "You dragged her into the western fields. Pretty sure the soldiers haven''t even thought to look there." Ria chirped.


    "How did you¡ª"


    "I was there." Ria chirped testily.


    "Oh, right. We need to get her. And help anyone still alive in town." Aiden said.


    "Pup, almost a hundred soldiers and another Seeker are looking for you. And you want to go back to your village?"


    "We have to," Aiden said.


    "Ria?" the big wolf growled in frustration.


    "We need to get somewhere safe. Then we can talk through all this. Aiden, slip that alms purse around your neck where it belongs." Ria ordered in her strange bird-like chirping.


    Aiden picked up the old leather alms purse. It felt warm. He glanced at Ria and Gigi, who were both watching him.


    "What do you mean where it belongs?" He asked as he slipped the purse''s band over his head. The moment it settled onto his chest it melted into his chest with an odd tingling feeling. More words appeared in front of him. But, this was not with a white background. Instead, it was more of the transparent yellow glass-like pane with words in an off-white that made them very visible while letting him look past them, not impairing his vision much.


    *BING*


    [M] ************************************************** [X]


    Inventory Restored


    **************************************************


    "Huh?" He said, trying to touch the words.


    "Just close the window." Ria chirped.


    Aiden tucked his head down to get a better look at his chest and where the leather alms purse had been. On his chest, a tattoo of the circle of unusual symbols as those embossed on the alms purse and the chamber floor. "What does that mean?" He asked.


    "See the X at the top right?"


    "Yes."


    "Think about accepting it or touching it. It only takes a slight bit of intention."


    Aiden did as Ria instructed, and the words disappeared, restoring his full field of view. He thought about it and realized there had been a small X on all the pages of words he''d seen.


    "There was an M in the top left. What did that do?" He asked.


    Ria jumped and flapped over to where his shoulder pouch and all its contents lay on the floor by the wall. "It means to minimize it, which moves it to the side and makes it small for you to look at later. If you get more notes, do that until we get somewhere safe. Now collect your stuff. We have to move." She chirped, sounding a little subdued.


    Gigi barked in agreement, still glaring at Aiden.

 Chapter 16 Skills

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 Chapter 17 The Price of Growth

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 Chapter 18 Growing Pains

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 Chapter 19 Giant Wolf Riding

    Aiden closed his eyes, reaching out to recapture the connection he had felt. But, he used his new understanding of Verdant Dominion. He could feel the skills and spell activate. He controlled the energies cautiously, sending tendrils of his will out to the area around the entrance to the interlink chamber. He pictured brush, ferns, and vines covering the tunnel entrance. The connection was there, and he opened his eyes, keeping the magic flowing.


    The thick mess of vines shrank like snakes pulling back. Ferns, brush, moss, and smaller vines grew in. Soon the strange mess from his first few attempts was gone and untouched virgin old growth forest obscured the entrance. It was even more hidden than when he had found it.


    "Bing: Verdant Dominion is level 3."


    He turned his attention to the path leading to the entrance from their prior campsite. He used even less vitality and magic. With a soft rustle, the earth shifted, and the undergrowth crept forward, obeying his command with startling speed. Within minutes, the path had been restored to a pristine state without any trace of his or Bram''s passing.


    "Bing: Verdant Dominion is level 4."


    Aiden stopped the spell and smiled, as his legs gave out and he folded into a seated position on the ground. He looked at Gigi and Ria, letting out a long breath. He felt like he''d just finished a hard day of smithing. Sweat beaded down his bare back and chest.


    ¡°Better,¡± Gigi barked.


    Ria whistled. "Definitely. I can''t believe you''ve been a Seeker for only a few hours."


    He took some long deep breaths and enjoyed the feeling of the cooling wind on his sweaty torso.


    "Bing: Nature''s Meditation is level 4."


    As Ria and Gigi inspected his work, Aiden focused on staying present while using Nature¡¯s Meditation. In the short time it took them to circle the area, examining both the entrance and the trail, he already felt fully refreshed. Stretching as he stood, he asked, ¡°If we follow this path and clean up the campsite, will it be enough to keep Cassian away from the interlink chamber?¡±


    "Skeed, this would fool me," Gigi finally declared.


    "Then we can head for the village. You said the soldiers won''t be here for at least a day or two. So we have until then to get everyone still alive away."


    "Hang on pup!" Gigi snorted. "I said the soldiers with Cassian won''t be here for at least a day. But, there are still soldiers in and around your village and searching the forest."


    "The ones in the forest are not getting closer, they are moving away."


    "For now," Gigi growled.


    Aiden took a few careful steps, trying not to leave any indication he''d been there.


    "Bing: Wilderness Stealth is level 5."


    Aiden froze, then grinned at the unexpected skill. The rush of leveling up was intoxicating, but he pushed the exhilaration down, focusing on what needed to be done.


    "Bing!"


    [M] -------------------- [X]


    New Skill Unlocked: Steady Mind (Uncommon)


    TL;DR: Congratulations, you¡¯ve figured out how to think without getting distracted by shiny objects. Truly groundbreaking.


    Your mind is now a calm, unyielding force against the petty distractions of the world. You can maintain focus on a single task for longer periods, resist minor mental interference, and ignore that one annoying person trying to break your concentration. Higher levels may grant resistance to the temptation to check irrelevant nonsense at the worst possible moments.


    --------------------


    The new skill pulled irresistibly at his curiosity, breaking the focus he''d just achieved. A thought hit him. ¡°Wait¡­ why was Wilderness Stealth already level five? This is the first time I¡¯ve seen it.¡±


    Ria fluffed her feathers and let out a sharp clicking trill. ¡°You already had it, feather-brain. Life doesn¡¯t hand you skills out of nowhere ¡ª just levels. The logs show only one level up. You were at four, now you¡¯re at five. Simple.¡±


    Aiden blinked. ¡°Oh.¡± He supposed that made sense.


    Still, the idea that he''d already had the skill, buried in his experiences, was¡­ unsettling. What else had he been walking around with this whole time?


    Aiden frowned. ¡°You and Gigi keep mentioning ¡®logs.¡¯ What does cut tree wood have to do with leveling up?¡±


    Gigi let out a low huff, shaking her head. ¡°Not that kind of log, pup. It means a record¡ªa history of actions and changes tracked by the system.¡±


    Ria gave an exaggerated sigh, fluttering onto his shoulder. ¡°You really are new to this.¡± She tapped his temple with her beak. ¡°Think about your Seeker logs. Picture a record of everything you¡¯ve done since getting linked to the system.¡±


    Aiden narrowed his eyes, focusing on the thought. A second later, new text shimmered into his vision.


    He closed the logs list and looked at the immense list of skills again. He groaned, rubbing his face. ¡°I have so many skills, I completely missed this one. And it actually seems¡­ useful.¡±


    Ria cackled. ¡°No surprise there! Your skill list is a mess¡ªcluttered with nonsense like ¡®Pigeon Shooing¡¯ and ¡®Sock Alignment.¡¯¡±


    Gigi snorted, tail flicking. ¡°You need to organize it, pup. Otherwise, you¡¯ll be stuck digging through useless skills when you actually need something.¡±


    Aiden frowned. ¡°And how do I do that?¡±


    ¡°Settings,¡± Ria said smugly. ¡°Like before. Just think about organizing your skills.¡±


    Aiden focused, and¡ªsure enough¡ªa new settings menu appeared:


    [M] -------------------- [X]


    Skill Management Options:


    Default List (All Skills - Chaotic Nightmare Mode?) (Currently Selected)


    Combat Skills (Only battle-relevant skills shown)


    Knowledge Skills (Theory, crafting, and research-related skills shown)


    Activity Skills (General skills like survival, cooking, or, apparently, Pigeon Shooing)


    Essential Skills View (Shows only frequently used or critical skills)


    --------------------


    Aiden blinked. ¡°Okay this looks useful.¡±


    ¡°No skeed,¡± Gigi grumbled. ¡°Pick the Essential Skills setting, then tweak it later.¡±


    Aiden selected Essential Skills, and suddenly, the overwhelming flood of minor abilities vanished, leaving only the most relevant ones visible. His interface looked cleaner, sharper, and way less headache-inducing.


    Ria nodded approvingly. ¡°Now, you won¡¯t have to dig through a hundred useless skills to find what matters. You can swap views whenever you want.¡±


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    Aiden exhaled, relieved. ¡°Finally. No more getting distracted by skills I¡¯ll never use.¡±


    Ria tilted her head. ¡°Except ¡®Handling Difficult People.¡¯ You¡¯ll be using that one a lot.¡±


    Gigi let out a low chuckle.


    Aiden laughed at Gigi''s comment, but a setting popped up allowing him to move Handling Difficult People into the essential list. He did and then examined his cleaned up list of skills.


    [M] -------------------- [X]


    [Skills]


    Animal Psychology (Rare): level 3


    Animal Trapping (Common): level 5


    Arcane Channeling (Rare): level 3


    Avian Handling (Uncommon): level 4


    Blacksmithing (Rare): level 8


    Conflict Diffusion (Rare): level 3


    Crowd Navigation (Common): level 5


    Enchantment Basics (Rare): level 3


    Fast Hands (Uncommon): level 3


    Forest Husbandry (Rare): level 7


    Forge Control (Uncommon): level 6


    Handling Difficult People (Rare): level 4


    Instinctual Translation (Unique): level 3


    Inventory Management (Common)


    Leatherworking (Common): level 8


    Mana Control (Rare): level 2


    Metalworking (Rare): level 8


    Nature¡¯s Meditation (Rare): level 5


    Predator Awareness (Uncommon): level 4


    Riding - Horse (Common)


    Rune Comprehension (Exotic): level 3


    Situational Awareness (Uncommon): level 5


    Steady Mind (Rare)


    Tool Crafting (Rare): level 8


    Tradesman (Uncommon): level 4


    Urban Stealth (Common): level 4


    Weapon Forging (Rare): level 7


    Weapon Maintenance (Common): level 8


    Wilderness Stealth (Uncommon): level 5


    --------------------


    Aiden dismissed the notification after glancing over the details using the skill to focus his thoughts.


    "We can consider go over all my skills and Seeker details later. We need to first conceal the remaining trail and campsite."


    "Bing: Steady Mind is level 2."


    Aiden leaned against the tree. His body may have been healed, but the events of the past few days and weeks were catching up to him. If they were going to get the trail and campsite done, he needed to conserve his energy. An almost guilty thought popped instantly into his mind.


    ¡°Gigi?¡±


    ¡°Yes, pup?¡±


    ¡°I can¡¯t exactly run through the forest, cleaning up our tracks. Can I¡­ maybe I can ride on your back?¡± He tried to keep his voice neutral, but excitement bubbled up. Riding a Shadow Wolf? It was the stuff of legends.


    Sharp chirping laughter burst from Ria.


    Gigi¡¯s ears flattened against her head and growled. ¡°Absolutely not. I am a shadow guardian, not some¡­ some fair pony ride!¡±


    Aiden pushed off the tree, suddenly feeling foolish. Of course, she was right. Gigi was an intelligent being who was powerful and proud. The thought of riding her, while exhilarating, had been presumptuous.


    Ria fluttered her wings in agitation. "Oh, don''t be such a prissy tail, Gigi! Aiden should ride you."


    Gigi''s hackles raised. "I''m not an urding horse for a human to bounce on!"


    "You''re the one who can move without leaving tracks, you overgrown furball!" Ria squawked.


    "Watch it, feather duster," Gigi growled. "Or I''ll use you as a chew toy."


    Aiden stepped forward holding his hands up, "Look, we need to clean up our trail and get to the village. I can do that on foot. It will just take longer."


    Ria hopped onto Gigi''s snout, glaring directly into her eyes. "Listen here, you mangy mutt. Either you let Aiden ride, or I''ll peck your eyes out while you sleep."


    Gigi snapped her teeth, barely missing Ria as she fluttered away. "You wouldn''t dare, you pint-sized pigeon!" She hissed spitting out a couple of small red feathers.


    "Try me, fleabag," Ria chirped defiantly.


    Aiden sighed, "It''s okay, Gigi. Sorry I even asked."


    Gigi''s ears flattened against her head. She glared at Ria, then at Aiden. Finally, with a dramatic huff, she lowered herself to the ground. "Fine! But if you pull my fur, I''m dumping you in the nearest thorn bush."


    Startled at the invitation, Aiden just stared.


    "Get on pup, before I change my mind," Gigi growled.


    Aiden wasted no more time climbing onto her back.


    "Just don''t get used to it," Gigi grumbled. "I''m not a mount."


    Gigi began walking towards Aiden''s and Bram''s campsite. Ria perched on Gigi''s back, muttering, "Stubborn, pig-headed wolf. You let me ride you all the time."


    Gigi''s ear twitched. "Shut it, you flying rat."


    Ria twisted to look at Aiden and winked, but thankfully, she didn''t say anything more.


    Gigi twisted and took a few tentative steps. Then moved a little faster.


    Aiden, perched precariously on Gigi''s back, gripped her thick fur as she moved with a silent grace that belied her size. The forest floor seemed to ripple beneath her paws, the undergrowth parting before them as if guided by an unseen hand.


    Gigi slowed at the next patch of Bram''s and Aiden''s path between the camp and the interlink chamber. Aiden held on to Gigi''s fur, but activated Steady Mind, Forest Kinship, and finally cast Verdant Dominion with as little magic as he sensed the spell needed. Again the plants and forest responded to his call and direction. In the span of a couple of minutes, there was no trace of their path.


    Gigi grunted and moved on to the next section as Aiden used the travel time to recover using Nature''s Meditation.


    * * *


    An hour later, they had repeated the process again and again, slowly working their way toward Aiden and Bram¡¯s campsite. Somewhere along the way, Aiden had felt the now-familiar pulse of progress, though he barely had the energy to acknowledge it.


    With each casting, the effort weighed heavier on him. At first, it had just been a dull ache at the base of his skull, but as the hour stretched on, it grew into a throbbing headache, pressing behind his eyes. His limbs felt sluggish, and his grip on Gigi¡¯s fur less certain. Verdant Dominion became harder to control, the once-fluid flow of magic turning choppy and erratic.


    By the time the campsite finally came into view, Aiden was fighting to keep focus, the spell demanding more from him than it had at the start. Relief flooded through him, though it did little to push back the growing exhaustion dragging at his thoughts.


    ¡°Good,¡± Gigi rumbled, her voice vibrating against his legs. ¡°You¡¯ve got the hang of it now.¡±


    A bell tolled in his mind. But, the sound didn¡¯t just ring ¡ª it resonated, sending a shiver down his spine. For a brief moment, the throbbing in his head faded, replaced by a strange, creeping stillness, as if the world had momentarily held its breath.


    Then came the system¡¯s voice ¡ª not neutral, not cold, but¡­ pleased.


    Aiden swallowed. This couldn¡¯t be good.


    "BING!"


    [M] -------------------- [X]


    New Skill Unlocked: Giant Wolf Riding (Epic)


    TL;DR: Congrats! You tricked a lethal predator into being your personal transport. Let¡¯s see how long that lasts.


    Details: Somehow, against all common sense, you¡¯ve managed to convince a massive, flesh-rending apex predator to tolerate you on its back. This skill provides:


    Basic Stability: You can stay mounted most of the time ¡ª unless your ride decides otherwise.


    Instinctive Bracing: Your body adapts slightly to the wolf¡¯s movements, reducing fall damage when (not if) you get tossed. Improving the wolf''s ability to move naturally.


    Higher levels may improve balance, grant better control, and possibly (big maybe) reduce your mount¡¯s desire to buck you into a tree. However, considering you just single-handedly tanked this predator''s level, your biggest challenge isn¡¯t balance ¡ª it¡¯s survival. If you ever unlock Wolf Rider¡¯s Bond, it won¡¯t be to control her movements¡­ it¡¯ll be to stop her from "accidentally" launching you into a tree.


    --------------------


    And the moment the system stopped mocking him, Aiden heard the same bell chime and voice again ¡ª only this time, it was distant, muffled, like a warning heard through a fog.


    The reason for the distortion became horrifyingly clear when Gigi went completely, murderously stiff beneath him. The air around them dropped a degree, her fur bristling as a low, guttural growl rumbled from deep within her chest.


    [M] -------------------- [X]


    System Notification:


    New Skill Unlocked: Mount (Basic)


    Oh, Gigi¡­ this is a momentous occasion! Against every primal instinct screaming at you, against your towering sense of self-respect, you have begrudgingly accepted the unthinkable: a rider. This skill allows you to tolerate one lesser being clinging to your glorious form ¡ª just barely ¡ª without immediately flinging them into the nearest tree.


    With time, great patience (and probably copious bribery), you may even unlock the Pack Mule skill. Imagine the honor! The prestige! The absolute humiliation of being an overgrown luggage carrier! But hey, keep telling yourself this is a strategic choice and not a catastrophic blow to your dignity.


    --------------------


    Aiden gulped.


    Gigi¡¯s growl deepened, vibrating through his ribs. He swore he could feel the system message burning itself into her very soul, a cosmic insult she would never, ever forget.


    "Uh, Gigi?" His voice barely cracked past his throat. "I didn¡¯t ¡ª I mean, I ¡ª look, we can talk about this!"


    Then, from behind them, Ria let out a single, choked snort before collapsing into full-blown hysterics. Her wings twitching, her laughter shaking her entire frame until ¡ª whoop ¡ª she slid right off Gigi¡¯s back, landing in a heap on the dirt, kicking her feet in the air.


    "Oh ¡ª oh gods," she wheezed between shrieks of laughter. "Shadow Wolf Guardian, Mount," another breathless cackle, "and a skill path to Pack Mule! I can''t ¡ª I can¡¯t breathe!"


    Aiden would¡¯ve been concerned for her health, but at the moment, his focus was more on not dying.


    He could feel Gigi¡¯s fury through their bond.


    "Bing! Shadow Wolf Guardian Bond is level 2."


    "Okay," he tried, his voice barely above a squeak. "I, uh¡­ I formally apologize for everything. Please, please don¡¯t kill me."


    The growl paused, just for a second. Then, with terrifying precision, Gigi twitched ¡ª just enough to send him flying straight off her back.


    Aiden yelped, flailed ¡ª then met the ground with an undignified thud.


    Ria, still gasping on the ground, only laughed harder.