ã€ŠMage Lord Isekaiã€‹


 Chapter 1 - No Good Choices

    It''s funny how you could be cruising along the highway one minute, then have a kid step out in front of you while going oh-now-I''m-screwed miles per hour.

    An oncoming truck on the left. A kid frozen up, holding a red basketball directly ahead. A thick forest of trees off to the right. Not a good choice among them.

    Was still an easy one.

    I flew off the right side and slammed into a thick oak tree, certain that that moment, that terrifying choice, was my last.

    However, I woke up. I woke up to a pair of soft brown eyes surrounded by a wrinkled face looking down at me.

    My first thought was that I''d survived the accident and that this was the grizzled face of my nurse, about to tell me how utterly ruined I was.

    "Ah, it seems the young master has deemed himself worthy of joining us this morning after all," a weathered voice rumbled forth as what I soon realized was an older gentleman took a step backwards. "Perhaps this will remind the young lord that staying out until the crimson goddess''s hour the night after his awakening was not his wisest pursuit. You may be a mage now, but that doesn''t mean you have the fortitude of a Dragon-souled, master Perth."

    Despite his resemblance to a certain caped crusader''s butler, I somehow knew this man''s name was Calbern. And he wasn''t a butler. He was Perth''s personal servant, a sort of mentor and aide.

    More importantly, flashes of memory revealed I''d died, bleeding out in the car even as the sirens drew close. But instead of staying six feet under, I''d been reborn in a new world. As a noble of all things. And one who could wield magic. A magelord.

    I''d won the isekai jackpot!

    I hadn''t even needed to struggle to adapt. All the previous host''s memories were there for me to draw on, like a half remembered wiki article.

    "Your young master might not have made the best decisions last night," I admitted, though I wasn''t referring to the copious amounts of alcohol he''d consumed with his brothers.

    No, on the evening of awakening his mana, at the prodding of two of his elder brothers, young master Perth Seleus Aranor had decided he''d take part in a dangerous and legally dubious ritual that would summon a soul from another world. A ritual that, supposedly, would allow him to feed on said soul to grant himself a rare affinity and greater potential than most wizards could dream of.

    Turns out I gave him a bit of indigestion. Even without being conscious, I fought back, his brothers laughing as he writhed on the floor. Not the best of brothers, those.

    Perth had struggled home alone, in enough pain I actually felt a degree of sympathy for him, despite his attempt to eat my soul. Poor kid really didn''t know what he was getting into. My old man may''ve been a right bastard, but he''d taught me to never give up. It seemed that had stuck even after I''d died. At some point in the night, I''d eaten Perth''s instead.

    Rough night for the young master.

    "A promising sign, that the young master can recognize his failings so readily," Calbern said, with a hint of pride in his voice. "Now, if you can gather yourself, your father has asked for you to attend him."

    "My father?" I asked as I tried to recall what I could of the man. As it turned out, it wasn''t much. Sightings at the yearly family shindigs and a single wordless visit when Perth turned thirteen had been the full extent of the unlucky bastard''s interactions with his old man.

    Considering Perth was the only child of his third wife, who had died in an accident when Perth had been young, he''d savored those memories. As a political marriage, his father had apparently had no use for little Perth. I could tell that Perth had been lucky though. His father might''ve ignored him, but Calbern had looked after him as though he''d been his own child. Better than anyone had looked after me, that was for sure.

    Not that Perth had a chance to appreciate it.

    "Yes, it seems your father has decided on your calling," Calbern replied, holding up a set of fur lined robes for inspection. "Not these, I think. Today calls for a touch less color. Can''t be broadcasting your affinity when we haven''t even had a chance to get you properly tested, can we?"

    I simply nodded, allowing Calbern to dress me as I recalled as much as I could of my situation, not bothering to fight off my smile as the green vines that served as laces on my shirt wove themselves together as Calbern pulled it into place. After all, Perth would''ve been just as excited, if for different reasons.

    Looking out the window, I could see flashes in the distance. According to Perth¡¯s memories, those were expected on occasion, as the monsters from beyond the Front tested the barriers containing the chaos at the center of the continent.

    It seemed I''d woken in the kingdom of Arcadia, on the world of Ro''an. One of the hundred kingdoms, though only one of three that bordered the infamous Front. Perth''s father was an Evearl, one of the higher ranks of the Magus Dominus, and one of the few mages to reach the coveted rank of Djinn-soul. Only kings, queens and the handful of Free Walkers ¡ª Dragon-souled mages who called no land their home ¡ª were above his father. Even as an estranged son, I''d basically won the lottery.

    No. Especially as an estranged son. Whatever ''calling'' Perth''s old man chose for me, I''d have access to his vast libraries, years to develop my core and the freedom to explore this new world.

    Glancing towards the flashing light in the distance, I shuddered. If I was an actual heir, I would''ve had duties that bound me to the castle or managing the lands under his old man. Or even being apprenticed to a mage on the Front. I had no desire to be placed somewhere the life expectancy was measured in days for all but the most talented.

    Beyond the safety of the Infinite Rift and humanity''s Barrier Pillars, all sorts of powerful beasts lived, fought and died. Genies, hydras and demons were all known to break free from beyond The Front, fleeing from whatever lay at the heart of the continent, where mana was thickest. Even dragons would sometimes emerge from within the chaos, though the great wyrms were rarely as destructive.

    Calbern tugged on my sleeve, and the fabric tightened at his touch, nature enchantments causing the material to fit me perfectly. As it would with every member of Perth¡¯s family, even the seventh in line. Perth had four brothers and two sisters ahead of him. All but one, his half-sister Nexxa, were from his father''s first wife. That meant the many expectations of their father¡¯s noble scions had long been fulfilled before Perth came into his magic. There wasn''t much between me and my desire to wield mystic forces. Especially because, in addition to his awakened mana, I''d inherited years worth of theoretical teaching about the workings of magic through Perth''s memories.

    Even if those memories were considerably less clear than I would''ve preferred.

    Perth paid less attention during his Wizard theory classes than I did when my old man had droned on about what part was what during our many engine swaps and other grease monkey work. In both our defence, teenage minds did better when we chose the subject of our attention.

    Still, I''d just been pulling wrenches. Perth was learning literal magic! Something he''d been practically guaranteed to awaken as the son of a Djinn-souled.

    "You''re looking rather handsome. I do believe I''ve outdone myself," Calbern said, stepping back so I could have a clear view of the mirror. After one final adjustment of the neck scarf, a simple but elegant strip of cloth that represented my recently awakened core, of course. Even as a ''lowly'' Mage-soul, the simple band of lightly enchanted blue cloth marked me as one in ten thousand.

    As I looked in the mirror, I was shocked at how closely Perth''s appearance matched my own. He had the same piercing blue eyes I''d gotten from my mother, as well as the straight black hair. His chin was a little sharper than I was used to and his cheeks not quite as round, with none of the scars or burns. Wasn''t as fit either. He was also twenty years younger than I''d been when I crashed, though I''d already picked up on that from his memories.

    Looked better than I had when I was twenty-one, but then I''d been drinking every night, doing my level best to obliterate every thought I could. Of my old man. Of his dreams. Of what he''d made me¡­

    Instead, I''d wasted those years of my life. Probably would''ve continued wasting the rest of them if the old man hadn''t up and keeled over from a heart attack. Best thing he''d ever done for me, other than leaving me the shop.

    Still, the old man dying shattered everything I thought I knew. Like when the Titanic sank. Impossible until it happened. It¡¯d been a bigger adjustment than waking up somewhere other than Earth, that was for sure.

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    Calbern adjusted my collar once more, drawing me out of my thoughts, the scarf having slid slightly as I inspected my new self.

    "You''re a good man, Calbern," I said, clapping a hand on his shoulder. Perth might not have appreciated him, but I already did. The man was a saint, at least in regards to how he''d cared for Perth.

    "I¡­ Thank you, master Perth," Calbern replied, blinking rapidly but otherwise not betraying any surprise at my comment. He''d always been a special sort of upright, so far as Perth could remember.

    "I don''t suppose father gave you any hints as to my calling? It must not be too reliant on my awakening if he doesn''t want to wait until I''ve tested my affinity. Monster hunting in the outer kingdoms, maybe? Or perhaps a place within the shipyards?" It was amazing how easily I could talk as though I was Perth. Then again, my old man had taught me well the value of telling others what they wanted to hear.

    "I''m afraid he didn''t see fit to inform me, master Perth. He did seem rather pleased when we spoke, however."

    Neither Perth or I knew Perth''s father well enough to know if that was a good thing. One could hope. I didn''t.

    "Suppose we''d best get on with it," I said looking once more into the mirror, rather liking who I saw staring back.

    Calbern inclined his head in agreement before escorting me to Perth''s father''s wing of the complex. As soon as we left my room, I had to fight to keep my head from swiveling. While I had access to Perth¡¯s memories, there was still something marvelous about the nature of the estate.

    And nature was the right word.

    The hallway outside Perth¡¯s room was lit not by electric lights or burning gas fires, but by glowing bulbs of florescent plant leaves. Every step was softened by the thin layer of grass that served as both carpet and perfume, the bending of the blades leaving a pleasant, yet subtle floral scent.

    Which served as security as much as a display of skill, the scent alerting the hidden guardians of every movement within the halls.

    Every part of the Aranor estate incorporated some aspect of nature in its motif or its function. And why wouldn¡¯t it, when Perth¡¯s father was the most talented nature mage the continent had seen in a century. And he had expected the same of his children.

    These wonders of magic were considered so crass by Perth¡¯s family, that even his compound had them.

    It was apparent when we entered the main compound. While the flowers in Perth¡¯s section had been well tended and natural feeling, here it was as though nature had been bent to an iron will, and that will had chosen to express itself in the form of a great mural.

    We crossed into the entrance hall, which stretched a hundred feet across, and easily thirty above us. The entire time we remained beneath the empty gaze of a mighty nature dragon. Not one of the Dragon-souled, who were said to be the continent¡¯s only equals to the great wyrms, but the hollow skull of Velor, who Perth¡¯s father had slain during his time at the Front.

    Unable to help myself, I stopped and stared at the magnificent rainbow glimmer of the otherwise obsidian-seeming skull. Material so durable, that even in death, it could resist any blow.

    Calbern moved beside me, not saying a word, but inclining his head ever so slightly further in. His point was clear. Perth¡¯s father was waiting.

    Stepping into a side corridor off of the entrance hall, the decor returned to something more humble, only having the simple lighting and anti-intruder grass.

    Leaving me to wait outside, Calber stepped inside the study. A room Perth had never been allowed inside, despite spending most his life in the complex. He''d heard his siblings complain about their lessons there, but Perth¡¯s hadn''t even been in the wing.

    Calbern returned a few seconds later, informing me we''d need to wait. Which wasn''t too much of a surprise. I couldn¡¯t allow myself to be late, but even Perth''s eldest sibling, Barreth, had to wait when their father was occupied.

    We didn''t end up waiting long, the door swinging open only ten minutes after Calbern had informed him of our arrival.

    Practically instant, where Perth''s father was concerned.

    I entered the study alone, taking in the austere yet high quality contents. A lone desk, carved from the heart of a thousand year old World tree sat in the center. Behind it sat Perth''s father, on one of four chairs carved from the same tree, his hands folded neatly on the desk while his eyes tracked my entrance.

    He looked barely older than Perth himself, the longer life of a Djinn-souled fortifying his health. Instead of Perth''s raven black hair, his father''s was a rich brown, tinged with emerald green. Eyes of swirling green, the exact shade as those highlights in his hair, took in my every movement.

    Thankfully, I was prepared for this meeting. Calbern had drilled Perth on it repeatedly, and unlike his magic lessons, Perth had paid full attention.

    "Greetings, esteemed father," I said, bowing at the hip while keeping my legs as straight as possible. Something Perth had been incapable of before the aforementioned drills. "I have come to you in the wake of my ensoulment, ready to serve our house."

    "Greetings, my child. I see your commitment, and offer you a choice," he replied, almost causing me to fall over. If Perth had been here, he likely would''ve.

    The calling wasn''t a choice. That''s why it was a calling. The head of the house called his ensouled scions to action and they answered.

    That''s how it had been for every one of Perth''s siblings. Heck, according to what Perth had been taught, that''s how it''d worked for his parents, and their parents before them.

    Despite the instructions Perth had been given to keep his eyes fixed firmly to the floor, I wasn''t able to keep my eyes from flicking upward, to see if perhaps this man was somehow messing with me. Yet all I could see were those swirling emerald eyes staring back, unwavering and resolute.

    Forcing myself to swallow as I returned my eyes to the floor, I waited for another few seconds. When nothing further was offered, I asked, "A choice?"

    "Due to the nature of your post-ensoulment celebration activities," he paused then, and I could feel his eyes burning into me. If it''d been Perth, he would''ve started pleading for forgiveness at that point. Even he would''ve understood what his father was saying. I simply remained in position, wondering how much Perth and his brothers had screwed me. "Originally, I was going to do as you desired, and assign you to the Gardeners."

    I blinked as I stared at the ground, sifting through Perth''s memories. It only took a moment to realize he had indeed wanted to become a Gardener, one of the plant mages who infused the nature crystals the farms used to encourage growth. But he''d only wanted that because it was the easiest job a Mage-souled could get. Dump mana into a repository throughout the week, drop it off at the Gardens, then sit around and relax. There were Gardeners who did more than that, of course, but that was the minimum required of a noble scion assigned to the role.

    "But now that path has been rendered¡­ untenable." Risking another glance, I caught a hint of a frown, before his face returned to his impervious poker face. "Instead, we will go on a little trip. We are going to the Front.¡±

    I was unable to suppress the shudder that went through me at that. The Front was where the ensouled went to die.

    Avoiding such a fate was part of why Perth had been convinced by his brothers that it would be worth it to go through with the ritual that had summoned me.

    I could appreciate the irony, even if Perth wouldn''t have.

    "Yes, you understand what that means. Prepare yourself."

    Despite his words, I didn¡¯t know what I could do.

    The roof of the study peeled open, much like a flower. Perth¡¯s father came around the desk and laid one solid hand on my shoulder. A second later and we started to rise. Below us, a single gargantuan leaf held us up, thin vines strapping my feet to its surface. Before I could take in our surroundings, we were rising higher, moving faster, before we were suddenly shooting across the sky.

    Everything around us was a blur, until it wasn¡¯t.

    The first thing I noticed was the giant pillar rising into the sky. It gleamed with a metallic shine, and if not for Perth¡¯s history lessons, I would¡¯ve thought it a new construction.

    It was one of the great Barrier Pillars that sat along the Front.

    Beneath us, mages cast spells at monsters, culling back the tide. There were thousands of mages, all working to hold it back.

    There were even more monsters. Most of the monsters were fighting each other. And of those that didn¡¯t, the majority of the rest would impact the intangible barrier, only to bounce off and run away.

    But among the untold masses, a handful slipped through.

    And where they did, the mages fought.

    Even as we watched, a hydra pierced the barrier. With seven heads waving in fury, its scaled leg crashed down on a group of mages. From our height, I couldn¡¯t determine their fate, though I suspected they¡¯d be doomed without help.

    ¡°It seems we chose a good moment,¡± Perth¡¯s father said, bringing us closer while raising his hand. In response, the ground below twisted, black thorned vines shooting upward to wrap around the hydra¡¯s many necks. The vines constrained the hydra, and most of the mages escaped from beneath its bulk. Not all though. As the leaf we were on drew closer, I saw a pair of mages still underneath it.

    One was cradling the other, tears running down his cheeks as he held his friend. That his friend was dead, I had no doubt. There was no way-

    The body twitched, then gasped, physically knitting itself together. Then a dozen black vines wrapped around the pair, hauling them to the safety of their colleagues.

    Perth¡¯s father didn¡¯t even glance in the direction of the men he¡¯d saved as he wrestled the still living hydra to the ground.

    ¡°Harvesters!¡± he called. Another group of mages came running at his words, and while he held it in place, started sawing at the hydra. ¡°Good. Watch closely, Perth. This is your fate. You will soon join these hard working mages.¡±

    I swallowed. While Perth¡¯s father was ordering them around like they were nothing, every ensouled present was at least a Pegasus tier. And even with their magic, a single monster had nearly killed them all.

    While they dealt with the cleanup of the hydra, I scoured Perth¡¯s memories for a solution. Some way out of this. I couldn¡¯t be sent to the Front. Perth¡¯s brother had been prepared for nearly a decade before being allowed to go to the Front, and it hadn¡¯t even been his calling.

    My gaze settled on the Pillar.

    There was something there.

    Barreth had been talking with their brother Sosa, he¡¯d mentioned that father couldn¡¯t ever be sent to the Front, because he was a Magus Dominus. That memory triggered others. A Magus Dominus didn¡¯t have to be a Djinn-souled. Any awakened mage could take the oath.

    Instead of fighting on the front, I would serve by watching over Ro¡¯an¡¯s people. I would be sent to govern a domain, linked to its beacon until my oath was deemed fulfilled. I would be expected to fight, yes, but it wouldn¡¯t be the suicide of the Front.

    The oath came to me, and I found myself uttering the words with surprising conviction. "Upon the ancient Pillars of Ro¡¯an, I bind myself in solemn oath.¡± Even as I said the words, I could feel something reach out to me, brushing against some intangible part of my being. Doing my best to ignore the alien sensation, I continued, ¡°I pledge my life and the essence of my soul to protect the people under my charge. I shall be their shield, their storm, and their watchful eye, unyielding until my final breath. My lands shall remain pure, free from the stain of corruption and the scourge of monstrous threats. So long as my Domain stands, my vow stands eternal, etched into the fabric of Ro¡¯an.¡±

    I took a deep breath, stealing a glance at Perth¡¯s father, who watched me with narrowed eyes. Yet he did not interrupt as I spoke the final words.

    ¡°With full knowledge of what lays before me, I pledge myself as a Magus Dominus.¡±

 Chapter 2 - Means of Travel

    I felt it in my soul.

    The binding of the oath. The link between me and Ro¡¯an. It sat heavy on my shoulders, like cloak. And like a cloak, that oath protected me against the storm that would¡¯ve been duty on the front.

    By the time I recovered from the new sensation, we had returned to the study.

    With the sound of shuffling of paper, Perth¡¯s father said simply, "Rise."

    Doing as instructed, I stood. He was turned away from me, and I was grateful for the momentary reprieve even as I took in what he''d laid out on the table. It was a map. A map I didn''t recognize, even as I drew on Perth''s knowledge.

    "Well, my ambitious son," Perth''s father said with a cold chuckle that sent shivers down my spine, "congratulations on joining our ranks, Magus Dominus. And thank you."

    ¡°Thank you?¡± I found myself asking in confusion. There was no way Perth should be qualified to be a Magus Dominus. He''d had a few lessons on governance growing up, but only enough to understand the basics. Under ordinary circumstances, his father shouldn¡¯t be thanking him. Or me, in this case. If Perth knew nothing about governance, I knew less than nothing. Most I¡¯d ever managed was a mechanic¡¯s shop, and I¡¯d been the only employee.

    Given the unfamiliar map, I could discern he¡¯d somehow already made plans for me. I wouldn''t be staying in my father''s domain. And I was committed to Magus Dominus, of that there was zero doubt. There was no running away from an oath sworn on the Pillars of Ro¡¯an. The energy I¡¯d felt had imprinted itself when I¡¯d finished swearing the oath. Something Perth had known about but I only recalled after I¡¯d said the words.

    Even as I contemplated my fate, Perth''s father continued talking. "Yes. It seems my old companion Althon has had a dearth of suitable Magus Dominus for the past couple decades. While not ideal, you are no fool. And this would give you a chance to prove you are worthy of the surname Aranor."

    Such words would''ve been enough for Perth to jump in gratitude immediately. Being officially recognized as his father''s son was something he''d only ever dreamed of. Not that his father had actually said he''d get that. Just that he''d be worthy of it. And while I had every intention of going along with his solution, I had questions. The first of which being, "Who is Althon? More importantly, where would my Domain be?"

    A flash of a smile crossed his face, disappearing as fast as it appeared before Perth''s father gestured at the map in front of him. "Althon rules over the Frigid Peaks, on the far side of the continent. Your domain will be there."

    No wonder Perth had never heard of him, nor recognized the map. The Frigid Peaks were on the far side of the continent. That was a journey of years for anyone below Djinn-souled. And even they''d take months flying along the Rift just to get there.

    "What can you tell me? Am I going alone? How am I getting there?" I fired off even as I inspected the map, considering my options. With a trip counted in years, I''d be traveling by ship, most likely. Which would provide me with a great deal of time to work on my magic. Even longer by enchanted carriage or horse, though practice would be harder.

    "You have much more of a backbone than your brothers said. You¡¯re more my son than I had expected," he said, his green eyes catching my own.

    "I suppose I am," I replied, doing my best to hold his gaze as a weight pressed down on me. It got heavier, and I felt my knees begin to shake, but I kept my gaze locked on his. There was a glint to his eyes, and I couldn¡¯t tell if the flash of dark green was real or imagined.

    Suddenly, the pressure eased and he rolled up the map. "Excellent. Send Calbern in after you leave. I will have him gather all you need to know. Also, you may have one boon. Think well-"

    "Calbern. I want him to come with me. As my boon, I mean."

    His eyes narrowed for a moment before he shook his head. "That is no boon. As of your awakening, he has fulfilled his contract. A week from today he shall be freed from my service. If you wish to retain his services after that, you will have to ask him yourself." He held up a hand before I could say anything else. "Wait at least a day before having Calbern ask your boon of me. You will not depart for a month."

    "I¡­ thank you, father." And I really was grateful. For the boon at least. A boon from Perth''s father was no small thing. The logical part of me was already reprimanding myself for my reckless request to bring Calbern. It was drowned out though.

    Calbern might not have raised me, but after peering through Perth¡¯s memories, and seeing all he''d done for the kid¡­ well, I knew I wanted such a man in my corner. Even if I could never tell him the truth about the ritual or who I really was.

    As I stepped outside, I found the man in question waiting, standing at attention.

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    "Father tells me you''re no longer his servant," I said, holding up a hand to forestall his words. "I''d like you to be mine but¡­"

    "I''d be honored, master Perth. What, if I may ask, was your calling?"

    ¡°Father wanted me to go to the Front,¡± I said, unable to help myself, fighting down a smile.

    ¡°The Front?¡± Calbern replied, his composure slipping for a second as his eyebrows raised a degree. Then he composed himself, his eyes narrowing. ¡°Wanted you to?¡±

    ¡°I took the oath to become a Magus Dominus.¡±

    ¡°I¡­ that is an ambitious choice, master Perth.¡±

    "It wasn''t much of a choice, but yes. Father wanted me to send you in so you could get the details for me."

    "Indeed? I suppose I should talk to him then,¡± he said, straightening his back by a fraction of an inch. Then he entered the study, leaving me to wait once more.

    When he emerged, he gave me a slight inclination of his head, ¡°Shall we discuss this in your chambers?¡±

    "Fair ''nuff," I replied, nodding at him to lead the way.

    He raised an eyebrow at me, before nodding in return and guiding us back to Perth''s corner of the complex. Specifically to Perth''s study, where he''d taken most of his classes. To my amusement, Calbern pulled a map down from the shelves, unfurling it on the desk. It hadn''t even been hidden. Perth had just never cared to look for it.

    The map lacked any of the magic I¡¯d come to expect from the world, though the detail was impressive.

    "Your father doesn''t know exactly where Alavon will send you," Calbern said as he weighed down a stubborn corner of the map with an old statue. It was of the seven faced god, the supposed god of magic. Perth had made the thing years earlier, as part of his lessons. Calbern had insisted on keeping it despite how uneven the features were. "But it won''t be along here. These regions are all governed by his own Magus Domini." He gestured along the smoother parts of the Frigid Peaks, the ''foothills'' that bordered the Front, shorter mountains that would be considered tall anywhere else on the continent. Then he gestured towards the far eastern side of the map. "Meaning you''re going to be stationed somewhere higher. And that means we need to be prepared for the cold. And Frost Wolves."

    I nodded. The Frigid Peaks weren''t actually in the north, instead lying in the far east. They weren''t far from my new world''s equator. The frigid part came from their height. They were the highest mountains in the world, and it was said the heavens touched them directly, stealing the weak¡¯s breath from their lungs.

    Poetic way to say there''s no air that high up.

    Calbern and I continued discussing the basics of my preparations which led to him reminding me we¡¯d have to restrict the amount we could bring, on account of the fact we''d be traveling by Gate.

    "Wait, we''re going to take a Gate to the far side of the continent?" I asked, unable to hide my shock. Gates were rarely used. They required incredible amounts of mana. Holding one open for a single minute took more mana than Perth''s father generated in a year.

    "So I''ve been told, master Perth," Calbern replied with a serious nod. "And your faster insisted that we bring only what we can fit within the cube."

    Perth''s memories failed me, forcing me to ask, "What cube?"

    "Ah, I suppose your tutor never had reason to discuss the mechanics of gate use with you. It is quite simple, master Perth. Maintaining an open gate is ruinously expensive..."

    I nodded when Calbern paused, indicating my desire he should continue with a roll of my hand.

    "Well, to ensure full use of a gate, a great deal of preparation is involved. Each cube is not particularly large. Suffice to say, the more possessions we bring, the more we shall have to sacrifice comfort. To the best of my recollection, we shall have to endure some amount of time in such a state, so we should choose wisely.¡±

    I simply stared at Calbern for several seconds, before pressing him for details.

    ¡°Well, if the container is of a standard configuration, I believe the cube would be just over six feet on each side. I¡¯ve heard that the minimum sent through are in the order of a hundred such cubes, all loaded days or longer before the gate is opened.¡±

    ¡°And that¡¯s why we¡¯re leaving in a month? Because we need to prepare?¡±

    ¡°Ah. I believe I should clarify. Every six months the gate is powered up. While I don¡¯t believe there is a great deal of travel, your father has taken such a trip before. Once around your tenth birthday, as I recall, when he took your siblings to the City on the Water.¡±

    I grimaced at that. His father had taken all the other children except Perth and his half-sister Nexxa with him. It had been the most blatant sign of Perth¡¯s perceived value to the man, though Perth and Nexxa had bonded somewhat over the six months the others had been gone.

    Shaking my head, I refocused on the gate. ¡°How do they get so many cubes through at once? That seems like it¡¯d cost insane amounts of mana. Isn¡¯t the cost continuous?¡±

    ¡°I¡­ am unsure, master Perth. I do know that the gate isn¡¯t open for very long,¡± Calbern said, tapping the symbol for the gate on the map. ¡°I¡¯ve never traveled through one myself.¡±

    ¡°I wonder if they¡¯re tied together¡­ Maybe they set them on tracks? Is it gravity fed?¡± I mumbled, pulling out one of the empty journals on the study shelves.

    "I must admit, master Perth, I''m somewhat surprised by your interest," Calbern said as I was jotting down my ideas on how they might handle sending things through the gate.

    His comment caused me to stop, looking down at my notes. He was right. Perth never would''ve expressed interest in the workings of the gate. There were only three things that had ever caught his interest. Pleasing his father, girls who fluttered their eyes at him, and ''hunting''. Though the latter was more of an excuse to drink and gossip with his riding buddies. They seldom caught anything themselves, leaving such ¡®base activities¡¯ for their servants.

    None of his old hobbies appealed to me. Besides, I had a perfect excuse for a change in my behavior. Two even.

    "Well, I wasn''t a Magus Dominus before, was I, Calbern? Can you believe it? And Father was already looking for one," I said, flashing him a smile as I placed my hand on the map.

    "I always knew you had it in you," Calbern replied as he placed a hand on my shoulder, making a twinge of guilt hit me. I wasn''t the Perth he knew and loved, even if I''d already accepted I¡¯d be filling Perth''s shoes. I considered then, not bringing him with me. Would I really be able to lie to such a good man?

    The affirmation I felt when he squeezed my shoulder chased those doubts away. It was greedy, but I¡­ I needed him. I was about to embark on a task neither Perth or I had truly been prepared for.

    It seemed that the answer was yes.

    Yes, I could lie to a good man. And I could do so with a smile on my face.

 Chapter 3 - Appropriately Magical

    Evening quickly overtook us as we talked.

    Calbern escorted me back to my bedroom, where we parted ways for the evening.

    As I watched the magical threads unweave, my attention returned to something I''d been putting off. Just before Perth had dragged my soul into this world, he''d awoken his magic.

    And now that power was mine. Waiting until Calbern finished closing the blinds and bade me a final goodnight was more challenging than I''d expected. But finally I was left alone, nothing but me and the burning curiosity.

    Holding out my hand, I played through Perth''s memories one more time. But there was nothing about casting without a spell, which I hadn¡¯t scribed any of yet.

    Still, there were common triggers for using spells.

    Focus my Will.

    I stared at my palm, letting the concerns of the day fall away.

    Draw the power forth.

    I searched through my body, and found the new sensation, the one hadn¡¯t felt for most of our lives. It was¡­ well, it was unlike anything I¡¯d felt before. It shared some similarities to when I hit the funny bone on my elbow, except more pleasant. Drawing it to my palm wasn¡¯t particularly hard, unless I thought about it too hard. The moment I did that, my energy returned to its normal flow.

    With the power there, all I had to do was shift my Will and¡­

    Let the Mana coalesce.

    It was different from Perth''s memory. For him, the energy had been as familiar and simple as the beating of his heart. For me¡­ I could feel it tracing down my arm, with a tingling just like when I fell asleep on my arm. That tingle continued up to the tip of my fingers even as I urged my mana to coalesce. And slowly, it did, casting off the faintest of light in the otherwise dark bedchamber.

    Magic.

    I had done it.

    Sure, it was barely the faintest glow, not even as bright as my old cell phone screen, never mind the actual flashlight function. But still¡­

    Magic.

    Unable to help myself, I started dragging my finger through the air, still channelling the pittance of mana, the movements leaving tiny motes of soft white light behind. It was a good thing I''d waited. I''d have completely missed the effects if I''d attempted it during the daylight hours. I might''ve been able to detect the glow on my finger, but it certainly wouldn''t have felt as¡­ magical.

    Even as I continued playing with the motes, my thoughts drifted to what I''d do next. Perth knew most of the basic theory for the first two layers of advancement and had studied several spells he''d intended to add to his grimoire.

    An excellent start, but if I was being flung to the far corners of the known world, I''d need more. My plans extended beyond simply stepping from Mage-soul to Astral-soul. Even the third step, Pegasus-soul, was barely enough. Then again, if I had my way, I''d blow past Pegasus and Hydra-soul straight to Djinn. And at that point, why not keep going until I was Dragon-souled.

    ¡°Keeping it humble,¡± I scoffed to myself, still watching the motes of mana drifting in the air.

    Even my father''s library wouldn''t be able to help me figure out how to reach Dragon-soul. That was the sort of knowledge Perth''s father would kill for.

    Besides I was getting ahead of myself. My first task needed to be inscribing my first spells in my grimoire. I wouldn''t be able to advance my soul without expressing my magic. Which, for the advancement to Astral-soul, meant holding spell impressions inside my soul. And doing that without having them in my grimoire was next to impossible with the tiny pool of mana I''d inherited from Perth.

    Even as I lay in bed contemplating the future, and all the magic I intended to wield, sleep snuck over me. My dreams that night were a weird mix. I was where I¡¯d spent more of my time after my old man had passed, at the garage I¡¯d been raised in. Except this time, instead of pulling apart an old Honda to scrap out, I was carving magic into the side of a scooter. It was supposed to make it shoot out cinnamon flavored bubble gum.

    Like I said, weird.

    I¡¯ve never liked cinnamon gum.

    Once more, I woke to a wrinkled face staring down at me. To my surprise, the dream stayed with me. And there hadn''t been any of my usual nightmares. Or any nightmares at all. Seemed the new world was good for me.

    I dutifully followed Calbern''s instructions once more as he dressed me for the day, once more unable to hide a smile at the way my clothes shifted to fit themselves to me perfectly.

    "Another bit of excitement awaits you, young master," Calbern said, brushing my sleeves as though even a hint of a wrinkle personally offended him. As though the clothes didn¡¯t remove the wrinkles themselves. "It is time to test your affinities."

    "It''d be rather amusing if it turned out I had a strong nature affinity at this point. Not much use for a Gardener in the Frigid Peaks," I chuckled, shifting my shoulders. For some reason the jacket he''d chosen for the day felt tight. It wasn''t nearly as forgiving as the robes he''d chosen the day before.

    "A strong nature affinity would be most appropriate, I''d say. It also has many uses in the healing arts, if you would merely apply yourself. After all, that''s what most of your family has done with their talents," Calbern replied, with considerably less humor.

    "Not Nexxa though. She always liked to be different," I noted as I followed him out the door.

    "Yes, though as I understand it, it took your sister a great deal of effort to shift her affinity to lightning."

    "Not like she could raid father''s library for impressions to build off of."

    "I suppose that''s why she accepted your father''s proposal."

    Unauthorized reproduction: this story has been taken without approval. Report sightings.

    "What proposal?"

    "Why, to change her calling, master Perth. Did I not mention that she''ll be serving as one of Althon''s new Magus Dominus?" The subtle twitch of his lips gave away that Calbern hadn''t forgot a damn thing.

    "Guess we''re not leaving all the family behind then," I grumbled. Perth hadn''t much liked Nexxa, having always felt that she''d been looking down on him. My annoyance was grounded in an entirely different concern.

    She was the only person in the family who actually cared about Perth. And other than Calbern, the most likely to see through me.

    More worryingly, she was an accomplished mage, managing to elevate herself to Astral-soul in less than a year. Something many had assured us was impossible. Especially since she¡¯d chosen to wipe away most of her nature affinity in order to boost her lightning affinity. A very complicated and painfull process.

    All told, Nexxa was a veritable prodigy.

    "Perhaps you will be neighbors. It will be good to have an ally close at hand," Calbern noted as he held open the door for the carriage.

    "Allies, huh?" He had a point. I¡­ didn''t really know anything about politics. Or governing folk, really. Hell, I''d never even made it into high school, never mind graduated.

    What I did know, was machines. The old man had beat that into my head with a wrench. Sometimes literally. And from what I could glean from Perth¡¯s memories, that¡¯d serve me well in my efforts to master magic.

    I also knew how to throw down and how to walk away. Much as I hated the old man and his methods, he¡¯d taught me how to survive too.

    And one thing that helped survive more than anything was to have someone you could go to when everything went to shit at home. Much as it might put me at risk of discovery, having someone I could run to would be good if things went pear-shaped, even if I was banking on her affection for Perth.

    Which meant Nexxa being on the same side of the continent was a good thing. Mostly.

    We remained quiet as the carriage left the estate, my attention reviewing Perth''s memories of his half-sister. Like him, she''d been the only child of her mother, their father''s second wife, though Nexxa''s mother was still alive. Perth even had some halfway fond memories of Nexxa''s mother.

    Not so much for Nexxa herself. Three years his senior, she''d taken her role as big sister rather seriously. Which had caused Perth all manner of headaches. It was rather similar to Calbern, in a way. They''d both expressed affection in ways Perth didn''t understand or appreciate. He¡¯d had good times with Nexxa, even if he hadn¡¯t seen it.

    I was drawn out of my thoughts as the carriage passed through the outer walls of the compound by the ambient mana plummeting. It was most noticeable in the way my core almost seemed to relax, as though it was no longer being constantly assaulted and compressed.

    As I looked back, it occurred to me how perfectly mundane the estate seemed from the outside. It was the height of wealth, but the trappings of magic were all functional, and hidden away inside.

    At a glance, it looked like the sort of place I could find on Earth, even if I''d never be able to afford it. The only obvious thing magical about the whole place was the library¡¯s guardains, whose gaze swept continuously across the estate.

    As we drove past the burgeoning fields into the nearby city, it was similar. I was sure there was magic, but none of it was visible. Even the city looked mundane, if a little more green than I was used to.

    At least it was clean.

    Despite the number of horses pulling carriages, when we stepped out at our destination, there was only the faintest aroma of cherry hanging in the air.

    The building we''d arrived at was, if I squinted, a wonder of magic, at least. Though one subtly done. The Ministry of the Arcane towered over the rest of the city, a single monolith of wood. And while that had impressed Perth, it wasn''t half as tall as the buildings where I''d grown up.

    It was made entirely of wood though, so that was impressive. Looking around, I realized so were all the buildings in the town. Cheap material, thanks to all the Gardeners.

    I followed Calbern into the building, which didn''t even have automatic doors. Thanks to Perth''s studies, I knew such things were possible, even easy, for an ensouled to create. But I supposed such a thing might be beneath most of them.

    There was an attendant dressed in the seven faced god¡¯s colors, the sparkling white on dark blue looking more appropriate for a traditional wizard¡¯s robe than the neat three piece suit they were wearing. I didn¡¯t have to answer any questions, since Calbern had arranged everything ahead of time.

    The attendant led me to a private room, closed off by a curtain of the same starry blue cloth.

    Behind that curtain, was my first task requiring me to use magic since I¡¯d arrived in this world.

    And it felt appropriately magical.

    Every surface of the room had faint white runes carved into it. And at the center was the skull of an Arcane-wyvern, embedded with dark gems. From that skull extended a dozen snake like tendrils, each with fangs half as long as my forearm was thick, all of them turning to point in my direction the second I stepped past the curtain. Every other second, the skull would release a pulse of white light, casting everything into stark contrast.

    "I shall be waiting for you outside, master Perth," Calbern informed me from outside the curtain, his steps leading him away.

    I simply nodded. I knew what to do. All I had to do was step forward and let them¡­ bite me. Each of the smaller heads was taken from a different mana-sensitive creature, the fangs added afterwards to make testing whatever innate affinities Perth had left me easier.

    While it was possible to increase one''s affinities with dedicated practice, folk''s starting affinities made a huge difference. Especially for those without the necessary resources or desire to improve them. Such as someone as lazy as Perth had been.

    For me, it wouldn''t matter as much what I started with. I intended to be more of an archmage than a specialist, which meant I''d be developing several additional affinities. In fact, I was hoping none of my affinities were too high. If they were, I''d need to put extra effort into the others before I advanced to Astral-soul, to ensure everything was balanced.

    Placing my hands on the central skull, I took a deep breath as the tendrils snaked around my wrist, wrapping tighter. Having secured me in place, they descended one after another, each biting into a different part of my arm. Without my direction, my mana started to move, directed by the tendrils towards their tips before sending it back towards the central skull.

    Despite expecting it, when the mana contacted the skull, I was still shocked when words projected from its empty sockets.

    Soul Path: Mage - Tier 1

    Progress: 0/5 First Order Impressions, No Foundational Structure.

    Affinities: 13 Worlds, 11 Nature, 3 Storm

    The results were better than I''d hoped. While my worlds affinity was a little high for my goal to become an archmage, it was also rare. Rare enough I was already adjusting my plans. Thirteen didn''t sound like much, but it was enough that every point of my mana would be worth roughly two and a half of a normal mage''s when casting spells like Gate. Besides, without a high enough affinity, I''d need a Catalyst to even cast the relevant order of spells. My affinities meant I¡¯d always have access to healing and dimensional magics, both very powerful, though also very complicated.

    Needing Catalysts was one of the reasons most mages carried magical staves, swords and wands, since it was an easy way to expand ones repertoire. It was also the reason they wore cluttered robes or heavily worked magical armor, other than the other practical advantages.

    As Calbern had pointed out, my nature affinity would be useful wherever I ended up. Everyone needed to eat and to be healed, even Dragon-souled, and not needing a Catalyst for first or second order healing spells would be a life saver, more often than not.

    Even though it was an uncommon affinity, I didn''t have as much use for storm. Still, throwing lightning around could have some use, not that my affinity was high enough for it yet.

    As I stared at my affinities, I realized I needed to keep quiet about my worlds affinity. Didn''t need anyone asking how I''d gained such a high affinity in something so rare when Perth had never left the city he grew up in, never mind passed through a Gate. Guess Perth''s little ritual did get him the result he was shooting for, even if I was the one reaping what he''d sown.

    Had Perth''s brothers told his father what had happened during the ritual? Was that why he¡¯d been trying to send me to the Front?

    Shaking my head, I realized it didn''t matter. The man was too powerful for me to worry about. Like a storm, all I could do was endure his passing.

    Instead, I needed to focus on my new calling, and everything I''d need to survive it.

    With my affinities revealed, it was time to peruse the family library.

 Chapter 4 - Guardians of Knowledge

    With my affinities revealed, we returned to the family complex and I made for the library after a short stop by my study. With Calbern in tow, who was loaded down with supplies he¡¯d forbidden me from carrying, I stopped outside the massive building. It was the only building in the complex made of stone. And not just any stone. The entrance was gold-threaded marble, while the walls were mana-infused granite. Even the windows were stone, made of some transparent material Perth had never learned the name of.

    Flanking the entrance were what appeared to be two massive statues, though Perth knew they were enchanted guardians. The left was a depiction of the Dragon-souled champion of war and fertility, Felor, a giant axe in one hand with a babe shielded in the other.

    Across from Felor¡¯s statue stood Valos, Dragon-souled champion of sanctuary and strife. Her statue held a great shield in both hands, the edges jagged with several great spikes running down the center.

    As I walked between them, I considered what it meant to have their likenesses guarding the library. Perth''s father had chosen them for a reason, but none of Perth''s memories were giving me hints to what those reasons might be.

    I suspected the answer lay in some of those lessons he''d lost focus during.

    Ignoring the guardians even as their eyes shifted to follow our entrance, I moved inside the library. The halls were familiar, though not because Perth had spent his time studying here. He''d discovered that if he spent his days goofing off in the library, everyone assumed he was being productive.

    He did know where the spell tomes were though, because it was the one section of the library he''d been forbidden to enter. Now that I knew my affinities that had changed. It was expected I''d spend time scribing my first spells.

    However, the stairs leading upward to the second floor were guarded by a more fleshy, but far more dangerous guardian than the twin golems outside.

    A librarian.

    As I approached, her narrowed eyes tracked my every step. Lady Guniveer was a Mage-souled on the verge of advancement to Astral. And she''d been on the verge ever since Perth had first been allowed into the library on his sixth birthday. She''d also had the same weathered skin, thin grey hair, and penchant for giving sweets to children who didn''t damage her books.

    Perth''s general lack of actually opening any books meant he''d managed to endear himself to Lady Guniveer entirely on accident. That didn''t stop me from taking advantage of her favorable disposition as I approached.

    "Librarian Guni," I said, doing my best to match Perth''s usual tone, though unable to bring myself to include his usual arrogance. "The day for me to choose my spells has finally arrived."

    "Congratulations on your awakening, master Perth. I knew you''d do it," Lady Guniveer replied, nodding her head with a small smile.

    "That makes one of us," I said, shaking my head. Despite knowing he should be guaranteed to succeed, Perth had always harbored doubts. Even after he awoke his magic.

    At her raised eyebrows, I realized that had been something Perth never would''ve admitted, not even to Calbern. He''d worn his arrogance like armor.

    "Anyway, those spellbooks," I said, pushing past my gaffe.

    "Follow me," Lady Guniveer said, waving me forward. I went to follow only for Lady Guniveer to hold up her other hand in front of Calbern. ¡°Ah ah. Only ensouled are allowed entry.¡±

    For a second, Calbern stood silently, meeting Lady Guniveer¡¯s gaze with his own. Then he nodded, passing me my new grimoire and the other materials I''d need for scribing from him.

    Grunting, I adjusted my weight under the load, then moved after Lady Guniveer. A single flight of stairs, and I found myself heaving for breath. I''d need to add daily exercise to my routine. Couldn''t have a handful of steps defeating me.

    Lady Guniveer led me upstairs. At the top, instead of shelves, each book was placed on its own podium. Even then, I immediately realized I had a problem.

    There were too many spells.

    "Well, let''s get started. What are your affinities?"

    Her question brought me out of my stupor, and I shook my head as I smiled at her. "Doesn''t matter. I''m going for a balanced ascension."

    She raised her eyebrow at me once again, but otherwise didn''t comment other than to guide me towards the books I''d need. As we talked, I discovered scribing my spells was going to be a matter of weeks instead of hours. There were just too many I wanted to bring with me.

    Detect Mana was an essential, especially if I ended up in a low saturation area. Phase Hand had all sorts of uses, though most could be handled just as easily by a servant. While time intensive, Bloom would allow me to cultivate otherwise stubborn plants.

    Those were just the utility spells. Arcane Bolt, Spark and Burning Fan were all solid offensive combat options.

    Then there was defense. Shield, Thorns and Dash all appealed to me.

    And these were only the options I came across in my first ten minutes.

    Despite having more options than a scrapper in a wrecking yard, I did choose my first spell. Then I summoned the sort of focus I¡¯d get when working on a custom job in the shop, working long into the night to scribe it into my grimoire.

    Scribing a spell was a task that took most mages weeks to accomplish, especially for their first.

    It was somewhat similar to tracing over line art. Except, instead of a pencil, I was using an enchanted scrivener to set my mana into place. This required precise handling of the scrivener to create exact copies of the runes laid out below. It was surprisingly similar to welding, and it felt as though my endless hours of joining steel to steel lent themselves well to the task.

    If you spot this story on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.

    After each rune was traced, I had to dust the work with a light coating of the appropriate essence. The Aranor family¡¯s primary source of wealth was the ability to grow most of the common essence materials for the lower order spells. Which meant even Perth had a considerable supply. The spell I was working on required a silver glitter, which carried a strong Arcane essence.

    Despite the meticulous detail required, most of my time was spent perusing spells while eating copious amounts of mana-rich sweetmeats and vegetables. All to boost my pitiful mana regeneration. Which was why my first spell was Mana Draw, a simple mana gathering utility spell. A relatively standard beginner spell for any mage, though many wanted something flasher for their very first.

    In a mana poor area, it wouldn''t even be able to make up for its maintenance cost, but within the compound walls, it would ensure mana wouldn''t hold me back from scribing more spells into my grimoire.

    After I could cast it, anyway.

    The final result took up the entire first page of my grimoire. I ran my hand over the raised runes, the silver now set permanently in my grimoire.

    Despite wanting to cast it immediately, I laid my head down to rest my eyes for just a moment.

    And promptly ended up falling asleep.

    Waking in the library was an unpleasant experience, mostly due to the manner Lady Guniveer chose to employ for waking.

    I''m pretty sure that using a spell to project the music of an entire Orchestra at full blast inside a library is against the librarian''s code, but I¡¯d never spent much time in them on Earth.

    If not, it should be.

    "Good morning, master Perth. While I appreciate your dedication, this is not your personal dreamatorium."

    "Is that even a word?" I grumbled as I rubbed down my cheek, feeling where the runes had left indents.

    "As far as you''re concerned, it is the high champion Dragon-souled of words. Now up with you. You can sleep in your room."

    Nodding, I stumbled out of the library, my grimoire held tight to my chest. It was only as I made it to my room that I realized I''d left all the scribing materials in the library. A problem for later.

    Collapsing on Perth''s bed, I tilted my head and stared at the grimoire. I managed to turn the page, smiling down at the spell scribed there, before falling asleep again.

    When I woke, I found myself curled around the grimoire.

    A subtle jerk at my grimoire made me realize I hadn''t woken on my own. As it was pulled out of my hands, I was spun, revealing the thief who''d decided to relieve me of my most vital treasure. Above me stood a young woman with black hair and eyes speckled throughout with purple. Those eyes were scanning the first page of my grimoire, as the sleeve of her purple and gold combat robes obscured her face. When she moved it, I noted the hair she kept in two tight braids that formed a sort of crown. It was floating half an inch off her head.

    It took me a second to recognize that my accoster was Perth''s sister, Nexxa.

    "Hey, give that back," I said before I could think better of it.

    "Can''t believe you actually did it. Didn''t think you''d have the discipline, Perry," Nexxa said, letting me reclaim the grimoire. "I knew you''d finish in the first week, but only two days? And you went with Mana Draw instead of something flashy. I''m proud of you."

    I didn''t respond for a moment, though not because of her comment. She''d called me Perry. My name from Before. Sure, I knew, intellectually, that she used to call Perth, Perry. But still, it struck me dumb for a moment.

    Then what she''d said caught up to me. I just gave her a small smile as I flipped the book open again. The spell was right there, staring up at me.

    "Well, what are you waiting for. Start casting," Nexxa said, plopping herself down on the bed beside me.

    "What? Now?" I asked, feeling more than a little self-conscious. I hadn''t actually cast a spell before. I didn''t even have a strong enough core to fit a basic tier 1 spell into my soul.

    "Yes, now. How often are you going to have a Pegasus-soul prodigy around to help you through your very first spell?" Nexxa said, her eyes flashing wide to match her grin when I looked up at her.

    I huffed out a laugh as I traced my hand over the runes. "Fine. You win. Any advice, great and wise prodigy of lightning?"

    "Yeah. Don''t go archmage," Nexxa replied, her eyes narrowing. "The librarian told me what you were planning."

    "I¡­ why not?" I couldn''t help but ask.

    "Because that''s not you. Being an archmage takes a lot more work, Perry. And if you don''t put in the effort, you''ll be Mage-soul forever," Nexxa said with a half-sigh at the end.

    "I''ll put in the work," I said, though I could understand her concern. Work effort hadn''t been something Perth had been known for. "It''s real now, Nexxa. Before I awoke, it was all just a fantasy. Now I know what I need to do. Besides, I¡¯m a Magus Dominus now. I¡¯ll need all the magic I can get."

    My words were honest, even if I was talking about my own feelings instead of Perth''s.

    "That''s¡­ that''s good Perry. In that case, we should get started," Nexxa said, gesturing at the grimoire in my hands.

    I nodded, running my hand over the runework.

    "So, I''m sure your tutors told you before you awoke, but you''ll need to imbue the entire spell with your mana if you want it to activate properly," Nexxa said, waving at the page. "When you''re first learning a spell, I find it helpful to picture each rune one at a time as you''re charging them. It makes it easier to form the impression later."

    "Got it," I replied, starting with the central rune. It was the most expensive part of the spell, acting as a sort of battery that would slowly discharge. Combined with another rune that acted as a sort of gate, and the mana gathering array, it would keep the spell running until I canceled it. At least, that''s how it was supposed to work.

    My first attempt at casting the spell resulted in the battery getting too full. Which caused the entire thing to fizzle out in sparks of bright light that left colorful afterimages.

    "Well done!" Nexxa said as I blinked rapidly, attempting to get the spots to go away. "Maybe there''s hope for you yet." She bumped my shoulder, before motioning for me to try again.

    "How, exactly, was that well done?"

    "You managed to manifest the spell! Sure, it went down faster than a virgin on the Front, but it still manifested. That''s the hard part. Now you just need to hold it together. Take my hand."

    "What?" I asked, staring at her hand.

    "You''re low on mana, right?"

    "Yeah," I said, wondering what that had to do with holding her hand.

    "Mana Draw isn''t the only way to boost your regeneration. Perks of studying with a prodigy," Nexxa explained, flexing her hand.

    Accepting her hand, I felt a brush against my Core.

    "Let it in. Imagine your Core has a curtain, and you''re drawing it to the side to let in the light. The light being my mana."

    Doing as she said, I was surprised at how easy it was. Then I felt her mana flow into me. It was distinctly ''sparky'' but my core quickly broke it down, converting it to my own flavor. About half the mana was lost, but I was sure Nexxa didn''t even notice.

    "Good. Now, try again."

    I nodded, leaning forward as I repeated the imbuing process, noting that it felt a little easier this time. We continued like that for several more attempts, each one resulting in another burst of bright light, though each burst did get progressively dimmer.

    A knock on the door interrupted my latest attempt. Thankfully, as long as I didn''t complete the spell, the mana would drain away safely. Another reason it was an excellent starter spell. Most spells didn''t have such a feature built in.

    Calbern entered the room shortly after knocking, bowing towards both of us. "I''m sorry to interrupt, but you wanted me to remind you when your package was ready, Lady Nexxa."

    "Thank you, Calbern," Nexxa said, pushing to her feet. "Keep at it Perry, you''ve just about got it." The last was said while ruffling my hair, which I couldn''t help but flinch away from, drawing a laugh out of her.

    Then she was gone, charging out of the room with an audible crack, leaving a faint purple afterimage behind.

    Nodding to Calbern, I turned back to the spell. Nexxa was right. I was so close, I could practically taste it.

    Also, much as it surprised me, the idea of disappointing her pushed me onward.

    I pushed that thought down, and focused on the runes. There was magic to be done!

 Chapter 5 - More Than Spells

    Despite my best efforts, I didn''t successfully cast Mana Draw until after dinner that evening. Calbern had to practically drag me away from my attempts. It was a good thing he did, because I got it instantly when we returned. I wasn''t sure if it was the frustration of repeated failure, or if I''d really been that close, but either way, having the spell functioning was like finishing a particularly challenging engine swap.

    Satisfying, but with a rather strong desire to have a shower.

    Unfortunately, they didn''t use showers in the family compound. I had no doubt someone had invented them, but the Aranor family only used stone lined bathing chambers with an overabundance of floral soaps.

    And it wasn¡¯t something Perth knew how to do himself.

    Which meant I had to request a bath be prepared for me. It stole away some of my satisfaction, knowing I had to rely on someone else to prepare my bath. Once I had my own home, I had every intention of building a shower.

    Which caused me to jot down a note to add the relevant spells to my grimoire. I¡¯d need something for heating the water, primarily. Technically, I should be able to use a gravity feed, though I¡¯d check to see if there was a spell that could be used to either pump or create water.

    I paused¡­ water creation would be incredibly useful, but Perth didn¡¯t remember anyone every using such a spell. I¡¯d check, but I also had to spend my time wisely. Now that I had the Mana, the only limit I had to adding more spells was time. While I remained in the compound, I wouldn''t need to supply my engraving supplies but that would change once we left.

    Spells were absolutely the most valuable thing I could bring with me. And I would only be able to take those bound in my grimoire, until I could build a proper library of my own. Letting an unbound spellbook decay under the chaotic mana-swells of the wider world would be far too wasteful.

    I wish I knew more about my future territory, but all we knew was that it was likely to be deep inside the Frigid Peaks.

    As I sank into the waters of the bath, I called on my magic once more, creating the simple motes of light on the tip of my finger. With Mana Draw active, I could keep the simple effect active as long as I wanted.

    Mana Draw felt surprisingly similar to Nexxa''s spell that granted me more mana, except instead of only entering through my hand, mana passed through my entire being. Mana seeped into me much like the warmth of my bath, constantly keeping my Core full.

    As I dried off, Calbern appeared. Tempted as I was to head straight to the library, I allowed Calbern to lead me to bed instead.

    However, a good night¡¯s sleep did not dull my efforts. The moment I was awake, I made to return to the library. On the way, I spotted Sosa lounging directly in our path. Deciding I had no time to waste with Perth¡¯s brothers, I convinced Calbern to help me slip past him.

    After making our way down a back garden path, I snuck under the mighty golem¡¯s mighty gaze before passing by Lady Guniveer¡¯s even sharper one.

    The next few days passed in a flurry of scribing. My second spell was another Arcane affinity spell, Detect Mana. When channeled through my eyes, it would create lights that roughly illuminated patches of mana, and their density. It would be critical to get the most out of Mana Draw once we left the mana-rich regions of the interior.

    It took me half the day to scribe the spell. While I might¡¯ve had the endurance to weld for hours straight back on Earth, the hand I¡¯d inherited from Perth wasn¡¯t as used to it. About halfway through, my hand started to cramp.

    I hadn''t removed all my limitations on scribing spell after spell.

    But that just meant that my next spell was a healing spell that allowed me to cure the sprain of overworked muscles. The official spell name was "Alzond''s Incredible Stress Reduction and Strain Removal Blessing of the Seventh Heaven," but I just recorded it in my grimoire as Minor Heal.

    Unfortunately, casting it successfully took me nearly two hours, so I only scribed the two spells my first day. But as my proficiency improved, so did my speed.

    I added every first order spell that seemed useful to my grimoire, managing to add four spells per day by the end of my first week since I''d taken Perth''s place. These included Eagle Eyes, which allowed me to zoom in my vision, much like the aforementioned Eagle. My first attempt left me blind for several minutes. It was enough for me to hold off experimenting with the rest until after I didn¡¯t have a time limit.

    While I''d intended to continue after recovering from the backlash of Eagle Eyes, Nexxa had returned, and with Calbern''s not so subtle encouragement, had taken me out to the nearby town of Belten. She''d even gone so far as to forbid me from bringing my grimoire.

    "There''s more to being a Magus Dominus than spells," Nexxa said as we got out of the carriage.

    I tugged at the surprisingly scratchy robe she''d insisted I wear. It was leagues below the quality Perth was used to. Even I wasn''t used to something so rough, despite my relative poverty before I came over. Cotton was cheap on Earth. Doing my best to distract myself from the itch, I took in our surroundings. She¡¯d pulled us to a stop in a dark alleyway. Squinting against the darkness, I responded to her earlier comment, "I know. But magic is important."

    Nexxa snorted, shaking her head. "Sure, but you''re not going to be able to solve all your problems with a few spells. Not even father can do that."

    Rolling my eyes, I waved towards the street. "I''m here, aren''t I?"

    Shooting me a giant grin before drawing her hood up, Nexxa led the way out onto the nearest street. She quietly moved into the flow of foot traffic nodding her hooded head towards the workers gossiping in front of us. I immediately recognized what we were doing. We were exploring the city in the guise of workers.

    I didn''t bother pointing out to her that anyone with eyes could tell we didn''t belong. The clothes she''d chosen were too rough for how soft our faces and hands were, not to mention the quality of our boots. We would pass for neither field workers or clerks. But I supposed it was enough for a passing glance. Most of the locals preferred combinations of vibrant greens and muted browns. Our own clothes only had a hint of green on them, which seemed to indicate a lower status. Her normal golds and purples would''ve stood out like a lightning bolt in a clear summer sky.

    Which was the point of the humble attire.

    Nexxa led me to a public bath first, babbling on about the importance of public cleanliness. For a moment, I wanted to dismiss her concerns. Then I considered Perth''s experiences. This would be something he wouldn''t have thought of.

    Unauthorized duplication: this tale has been taken without consent. Report sightings.

    So, instead of ignoring her, I took out the journal she''d handed me in place of my grimoire before we left, and started taking notes.

    And, much to my chagrin, I realized I knew a lot less about managing folk than I thought I did. I figured all my knowledge from Earth would give me an advantage. And it probably would, once I could incorporate it. But the folk here had existing solutions to problems.

    Like the Mana-reclaimation and sewage building.

    Located centrally, it was much less offensive smelling than I''d expected. The single story building was, like the library, a stone edifice in an ocean of wood. The simple unassuming building processed the entire town''s waste into Nature attuned mana stones, which were then used by the Gardeners.

    "So, what spells are they using to break waste down into fertilizer and mana?"

    "Uh¡­ I''m not sure. Probably some nature spells and whatever they use to draw everything here. Maybe something related to air? This is all Gardener magic, not storm."

    "You know, I can''t help but note that this requires magic," I said, unable to keep the smug smile off my face.

    "I¡­ that''s not the point. The point is that it''s a system set up to solve the problem. Not a spell you cast every day. Can you imagine if you had to personally oversee it?"

    At that moment a cart rolled by, its top covered by woven vines. It was escorted by several workers who guided it into a waiting dumping point. They all took several steps back before one of them called out.

    The wrapping over the cart came undone revealing a nasty mess of rotten food and other nastiness. Even from our position across the street, the smell was strong enough to make my eyes water. While we suffered, the workers had already donned green masks that tightened around their faces. The one who¡¯d been calling out orders waved another one forward. They plunged their hand into a pair of unopened flower buds.

    A second later, a massive vine slid down, wrapping around one end of the cart. Then with a slurping sound, the contents were sucked out as the vine moved about like a massive vacuum hose. Several large lumps moving slowly up along the vine were the only indication of the cart¡¯s rancid cargo. Another call from the worker in charge, and the vine retreated. In its place a set of flowers wove their way above the cart. The workers turned away as the flowers started glowing, until the cart was bathed in a brilliant red light.

    The heat went through our simple clothing, causing me to break out in a mild sweat. Then the flowers finished, the light dimming once more, only the natural light of the afternoon sun brightening the street.

    Only after the flowers had retreated back inside their pods did the workers step forward and claim the cart once more.

    Nexxa and I exchanged a glance.

    Scratching my chin, I nodded. ¡°You¡¯re right. Casting spells to deal with that every day would be¡­¡±

    "Horrid. Exactly. Now, let''s keep moving," Nexxa said, as I added a note to look up the process to my growing list.

    As our tour continued, I ended up sidetracking our progress when I spotted a merchant with writing supplies on display. I had Nexxa buy me several additional journals, since I still hadn''t so much as handled a single coin. Perth had never handled money either.

    Perth may''ve had lessons on it, but most of his economic memories were more clouded than an oil filter after fifty thousand miles without a change.

    One more thing added to my notes.

    With my stationary needs met, I was prepared to head home when a droning sound filled the air.

    Before I could ask what was happening, Nexxa had shoved me against the stall where we¡¯d been shopping, sending pencils and notebooks scattering.

    ¡°What-¡° I started only for Nexxa to interrupt me.

    ¡°There¡¯s been a breach. Monsters in the city,¡± Nexxa snapped out, her arm held in front of me. ¡°Stay here, I¡¯ll deal with it. Or distract it until someone else can.¡±

    I nodded. I could barely summon a wisp of mana to my fingertip. Doubted I¡¯d be up to facing a monster.

    Nexxa disappeared in a flash of blinding light. With no sign of said monster, I turned my attention to the stand, helping the merchant pick up his scattered supplies.

    Then a scream came from across the street. It was quickly joined by another as a full sized minotaur came around the corner, bellowing at everything in sight. It shook its bull-shaped head, then charged at a man in red. Luckily, the man tripped, and the minotaur slammed into the wall.

    While it was stunned, the man escaped behind it.

    ¡°Come on Nexxa,¡± I muttered, looking around. A boom from a few streets away, followed by several more roars told me she¡¯d probably be busy for a bit.

    What had she said? ¡°Distract it till someone who can deal with it shows up,¡± I mumbled to myself, ignoring the stall keeper¡¯s questions as I ran out into the street.

    There was only one bit of magic I had at my disposal. With a surge of will, I pushed my mana to the tip of my finger, urging it to turn red. I had no such luck.

    Even though I hadn¡¯t turned it red, either the mana or the fact I was running towards it, got its attention. The minotaur swung its head around, letting out another roar before charging blindly towards where I¡¯d been standing a second before.

    I huffed out a long breath as I rolled to the side, rubbing at my scraped knee. Distracting it wouldn¡¯t work for long. I¡¯d neglected to consider how out of shape I was when I¡¯d made the decision.

    It was when I spotted the waste cart that I had an idea.

    ¡°God, this is so stupid,¡± I grumbled as I stood up. I took one of my notebooks and threw it in the minotaur¡¯s face as it turned towards me. I didn¡¯t wait to see if that bought me any time as I darted up the street towards the mana reclamation plant.

    Thumping footsteps told me the minotaur wasn¡¯t far behind me.

    As I got close to the plant, I started yelling, repeating the phrase used by the foreman. ¡°Incoming waste, prep for extraction!¡±

    One of the nearby workers jerked their head up. Then they saw the monster chasing me, and, perhaps wisely, decided it was over their paygrade.

    Thankfully, the supervisor came out to investigate who¡¯d been calling out such outrageous lies. He stood there staring as I ran towards him. It was only as I bumped into him on my way towards the giant vine that he snapped out of it, calling out orders as he ran into position.

    I held up my hand, the blob of mana still glowing. And I confirmed that¡¯s what the minotaur was focused on, its wideset eyes shifting as it sniffed the air.

    Then it lowered its head again.

    I didn¡¯t wait, grabbing hold of the vine as the minotaur approached. Unfortunately, the mana-reclamation plant wasn¡¯t designed to suck up charging minotaurs, so the supervisor¡¯s first attempt to grab it failed. I nearly fell off the vine as it whipped back around for another attempt.

    As I was dangling there, my eyes met one of the minotaur¡¯s. That was enough to get it to scream in rage.

    And that meant it was standing still long enough for the vine to slap down on top of it, sucking it inside. When the vine blooped outward underneath me, I finally lost my grip.

    While I was thankful that supervisor broke my fall, his grumbling implied it hadn¡¯t been on purpose.

    ¡°Well, that could¡¯ve gone better,¡± I said as I offered him a hand. ¡°You okay?¡±

    He waved me off, grumbling about not being paid enough to deal with unscheduled deliveries and heading back into his office.

    I lingered by the mana reclamation plant for a few more minutes, until Nexxa reappeared in a flash of lightning.

    ¡°Perry? What are you doing here? Someone said there was a minotaur rampaging in the area.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, uh, it kinda stumbled into the mana-reclamation,¡± I said, waving towards the giant vine.

    ¡°Stumbled, huh?¡± Nexxa asked, crossing her arms as she floated closer, sparks dancing beneath her feet.

    ¡°It might have been chasing me at the time,¡± I admitted, with a shrug. ¡°Now, I think I¡¯ve had about enough of the city. What say he go home?¡±

    ¡°Sure, I got what I needed. Plus I should pick up a nice bounty too. Too bad there¡¯s no proof you disposed of the minotaur,¡± Nexxa said, staring at the still slightly bulging vine.

    ¡°Not important,¡± I said, waving it off.

    As I climbed into the carriage, thoughts of the minotaur were already fading from my mind. There was just too much to do to worry about a scrap where I didn¡¯t even get injured. Though I did make a note to check into what was required to make my own mana-reclamation plant. Just in case.

    By the time we returned to the family complex, I''d filled two journals and started on a third.

    Calbern was waiting, as distinguished as ever in his four piece ensemble. "How was your outing, master Perth?¡± he asked, his eyes going wide for a second when I climbed out.

    "Eye opening," I replied as I handed him the second journal, earning a laugh from Nexxa.

    I waved her off as I returned my attention to Calbern. "You''re going to be joining me in the library."

    "Oh?"

    "Yeah, there''s way too much to learn. So, you''re gonna help," I informed him. My old man might''ve been a miserable bustard, but he knew how to delegate the work. A lesson I''d long since learned for myself.

    "I see," Calbern said, squinting as he attempted to read my notes. Which, I''ll admit, weren''t the neatest. Neither Perth nor I had ever had particularly neat handwriting. "I shall require assistance¡­ translating this."

    "Fair ''nuff," I replied already leading the way back to the library. It was time to deal with something far scarier than a minotaur.

    Logistics.

 Chapter 6 - Satisfying Spellwork

    With so much to learn, my next priority was a spell that would help with retaining knowledge. Unfortunately, there weren''t any spells in the first order that would work. Which meant I¡¯d decided to take a risk.

    While it wasn¡¯t possible for me to cast a second order spell, scribing it was technically within my means.

    Normally, second order spells required partial embodyment of the Astral-souled mage¡¯s mana to scribe.

    However, I was hardly the first mage-soul to want to prepare for the future. There were ways around the limitation.

    Like having a helpful Pegasus-souled prodigy supply me with mana I filtered through my own soul before pouring it into my scribing efforts.

    Thus, with Nexxa sitting beside me while munching on the lunch Calbern had prepared for us, I started scribing my first spell of the second order, Memory Palace. I hadn¡¯t found anything that helped with learning directly, but on Lady Guniveer¡¯s advice, I¡¯d checked some of the less centrally placed spellbooks. Buried deep in a book of mnemonic techniques, it promised to serve as an advanced spell version of the same technique. Had the book not been located in the restricted section of the library, I likely never would have believed it could retain such an useful spell.

    Clearly I hadn''t been the only one to think that way, since it''d sat at the bottom of a pile of other books in the back corner, the only books not given pride of place. The early spells in the book had been so useless, that if not for Lady Guniveer¡¯s advice, I''d have given up on the book entirely. That, and the techniques themselves had seemed useful, so I''d started practicing them as I read further. Then I stumbled across Memory Palace, the spell.

    Even with Nexxa¡¯s assistance with the scribing, I wouldn''t be able to cast it without a powerful external mana source or a lot of time spent charging it. At least, not until I ascended to Astral-soul. But since it promised to allow me to recall anything I''d studied in the past, including my Earth knowledge, I considered it a forward thinking solution.

    However, the complexity of even a basic second order spell was ten times the simplest first order. And this wasn''t basic. In honesty, it was stretching the limits of fitting within a single second order slot. Not to the point of leaping up to the third order, but enough that I couldn''t justify working on it to the exclusion of everything else. Especially since Nexxa had more to do than sit in the library literally holding my hand. Since each page had to be complete before I started on a new one, I added one first order spell for each two pages of Memory Palace I finished.

    Another week slipped by, and at the end of it I was only adding two spells per day, between studying other subjects and working on Memory Palace. I say studying, but I was intent on abusing the properties of Memory Palace, using a supporting tier one spell. Review Scroll was meant for error checking spells bound to paper, but it had the effect of quickly scanning through words at a high speed.

    I''d found it in another of those discarded books lying to the side. There''d even been a rather colorful note on the spell.

    Do not use Review Scroll in combination with Memory Palace.

    I entered my Memory Palace after using Godfried''s damnable Review Scroll spell. It turned out that comparing all seven thousand versions of the Father''s Song against each other meant I''d also stored them in my Palace. And like a besotted idiot, I had to check they''d been copied successfully.

    And by the crimson goddess'' beard, did it give me the mother of all migraines when I did. Not that I noticed, at first. Memory Palace may be powerful, but it has the same flaw as most low order memory spells, and leaves you completely unaware of your surroundings.

    I actually consider the limitation an upside, in the right scenario. That said, I recruited Nexxa to test it first.

    Which took a great deal more convincing than I''d expected.

    "Perry, no," Nexxa said, forming a cross with her arms as sparks danced along her fingertips.

    "Why not?" I asked, leaning back from the desk where I''d spent most of the last week, pulling the spellbook away from those sparking fingers.

    "Did you even read this note? It gave a Pegasus-souled a migraine. Besides, it''d take me days to scribe it. I can''t waste that much time on a maybe. I¡¯ve already spent too long helping you with it."

    "Okay¡­ but think about how much Memory Palace will help even if Review Scroll doesn''t work. We''re going to be flung out to the middle of nowhere. We''re not going to be able to come back to father''s library whenever we want. Isn¡¯t that why you agreed to help me in the first place?"

    "I¡­" Nexxa sat down on the bench across from me, her eyes fixed on my face. "When did you go and grow up on me, Perry?"

    If you spot this story on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.

    Blinking, I looked away, uncomfortable with her scrutiny. As I tried to think of a response, she huffed out a laugh.

    "There he is. Good to know you haven''t completely changed on me," Nexxa said, bumping my shoulder as she looked down at my grimoire. "This is a good idea, Perry, really. The Memory Palace, at least. I''m not going to make any promises about Recall Scroll, though. Not until after I''ve experimented with Memory Palace on its own. Who knows, we might not even need your little work around."

    "Hmm. Fair ''nuff," I replied, looking down at my grimoire. It was a little late for me to make that choice, as I''d already scanned a dozen books with Review Scroll. Every one was a book Calbern had picked out as critical. Still, I''d hold off scanning any more until Nexxa had either tried the combination or I ran out of time to read the rest the old fashioned way.

    A temporary migraine would be a price worth paying to forever have all that knowledge at my fingertips.

    Especially since every book we had to bring physically would take up space in our transport cube. At least we didn''t have to share our cube with Nexxa. Althon had arranged for each of us to have our own.

    The limitation on storage had also made me realize what I wanted to use my boon for. Given the restrictions we¡¯d face, and how far we¡¯d have to travel with only what we could carry, I''d decided to use my boon for something a little more tangible. Something that even the scions of a djinn-souled house would treasure.

    Spatial storage.

    I''d been working through my spells, and the only first order spell for worlds in the family library was Spatial Access, which allowed the caster to access Spatial storage items. If you had the access key. There were higher order versions that existed for cracking said access keys, but the lowest was in the fourth order. And Perth¡¯s family didn''t even have a copy of it, it had just been noted down as existing.

    My only other second order spell I intended to scribe was also a worlds spell. Specifically, Dimension Step. It was the only other option in the family library, so the choice was fairly simple. One of the downsides of a rare affinity. If I wanted more spells, I was either going to have to apprentice myself to a higher-order worlds mage, find a mage who was actually willing to sell their knowledge, or, most likely, I would have to develop my own spells.

    Considering my calling as a Magus Dominus, the first wasn''t really on the table. Even if I ran away and joined another kingdom and hoped they''d offer me amnesty, the oath would weigh on my soul until I couldn¡¯t use magic anymore. Not a chance. Besides, even if the oath could be circumvented, it''d be more likely they''d lock me in a dungeon and use me as a mana conversion method for their own gate spells.

    Maybe I was just being paranoid, but Perth''s history lessons had included lots of examples of mages defecting from their home country only to be used as magic batteries.

    Wasn''t worth the risk. Especially since I was looking forward to the experimentation anyway. The most satisfying part of being a mechanic was when you built something for yourself, something no one had built before, using parts right off the shelf with a little welding to fill in the gaps. I didn''t see magic too different.

    Sure, instead of engines and gas, I was working with runes and mana, but similar principles applied. You fed in fuel, you used machines to shape the result, and you got something useful. And runes were a form of machine, of that I had no doubt. Not in the traditional sense, but much like a lever or pulley, they allowed us to do something that''d be impossible without them.

    Like lift a five ton truck out of six feet of mud.

    Which meant, between Storage Access and Dimension Step, I figured I''d have most of the important bits to cobble together my own Gate spell, eventually.

    By the end of the third week, I''d added both to my grimoire alongside the last of the tier one spells I''d deemed worthy, Assess Self. It was key to my future as an archmage for two reasons. First, it was pretty unlikely I¡¯d have an assessment orb wherever I ended up. Which would make it challenging to ensure my affinities were balanced before I ascended to Astral soul. The other was that since it replicated the process of using the assessment orb, not only could it stress all the common affinities, it was designed to select which ones were being stressed. Combined with the right essence materials, that meant that casting it would let me build up my affinities. However, it was barely a first order spell. The complexity meant that it used up all five first order spell impression slots. And that meant it''d be a long time until I could cast it.

    Nexxa had just come by to tell me of her own success with Memory Palace when Lady Guniveer let us know Calbern was waiting for us downstairs.

    When we descended, Calbern gave me his usual inclination of his head. "I''m sorry to disturb you, Lady Nexxa, Master Perth, but your father has requested your presence."

    Glancing over at Nexxa, she just offered me a shrug before walking past Calbern towards the exit. I slung my grimoire over my shoulder, setting to follow her, Calbern falling in at my side.

    "I''m glad you have been spending time together. It bodes well for your future alliance," Calbern said right as we started down the front steps, denying me a chance to respond.

    Despite my earlier commitment to exercising, I''d let it fall by the wayside as I worked to expand my grimoire. I was feeling even less fit than Perth had been when I first took over his body.

    Nexxa had no such hardships. "It''s honestly been a relief, seeing Perry working so hard. Thought he''d be needing me hovering over him like a momma dragon."

    "Yes, master Perth has truly come into his own since his Awakening," Calbern agreed, a note of pride in his voice.

    The way I was huffing down the stairs somewhat undermined the satisfaction I otherwise felt, but it was still there as we emerged from the library.

    I just hoped that Perth''s father was summoning us for our boons. There was no other reason I could see for it. At least, none that were good.

    That thought was cut off as Perth¡¯s brother Sosa stepped out of a hidden nook, a grin Perth was far too familiar with fixed on his face. That grin had accompanied many of Perth¡¯s worse memories of his brother. Behind Sosa stood several Green Goons, Perth¡¯s nickname for his father¡¯s golem-like plant guards that he¡¯d given all his first wife¡¯s children.

    ¡°Hey brother,¡± Sosa said, cracking his knuckles as he stepped closer, several more of the Green Goons shuffling into place behind us. ¡°I heard you had a boon coming your way. Let¡¯s talk about repaying that debt you owe me.¡±

 Chapter 7 - Better Than A Used Car

    Sosa stood there, the afternoon sun illuminating his cruel grin in all its glory, his goons gathering around us, and all I could think was¡­

    What a waste of time.

    As far as I was concerned, I didn¡¯t owe this clown anything. And Perth certainly hadn¡¯t. If anything, Sosa owed Perth. Perth had done everything Sosa had ever asked from him, all in a bid to get even the faintest hint of recognition from the main family.

    It did surprise me he¡¯d cornered me when I was with Nexxa and Calbern, but maybe that could be because I hadn¡¯t left him much choice in the matter. I never wandered the grounds alone, not since I¡¯d taken my oath as a Magus Dominus.

    With a heavy sigh, I went to open my mouth, but Nexxa beat me to it. ¡°Piss off Sosa. Perry doesn¡¯t owe you a single discharged remnant.¡±

    It took a moment for Sosa to register that Nexxa had spoken, then another for his gaze to shift to her, his brows furrowing. ¡°Stay out of it, Nexxa. This doesn¡¯t concern you.¡±

    ¡°Like Front it doesn¡¯t,¡± Nexxa said, crossing her arms and tapping fingers that glowed with electric sparks. ¡°You¡¯re keeping us from meeting with father. Who asked for both us, didn¡¯t he Calbern?¡±

    ¡°That is correct, Lady Nexxa,¡± Calbern said, inclining his head towards her. His hand rested lightly on his sword.

    Sosa was opening his mouth to speak once again when I beat him to it. ¡°Nexxa is right, Sosa. I owe you nothing.¡±

    Whatever he¡¯d been about to say was lost as Sosa stared at me. I ignored him, and his Green Goons, stepping past them. Sosa wouldn¡¯t dare kill me, not when their father was sending me away. And everything else could be healed, so long as I was on the family estate.

    It was only as we were leaving his sight that Sosa seemed to remember himself. However, by the time he caught up, we were climbing the stairs to their father¡¯s main hall. Arriving outside the Cante''s study once more, I took a moment to straighten my robes. Spending every waking hour in the library meant I''d neglected my appearance somewhat, despite Calbern''s best efforts.

    Nexxa also took a moment, shaking her arms as if getting ready to start fighting. Maybe she was. Perth hadn''t ever seen her interact with their father before.

    Calbern went in first, as was their way, and a moment later led us inside.

    Their father was staring out a massive window I somehow hadn''t noticed the first time I''d been in the office. A rather glaring oversight considering it took up an entire wall.

    "Ah, you''re both here. Excellent," their father said, turning from where he''d been gazing out. As he did so, a bookcase unfurled from above, as though it was merely a curtain, to cover the window.

    I was left blinking for several seconds before I realized he''d continued talking.

    "-some effort, but I was able to secure both of you tier two spatial rings."

    I was unable to help but glance over at Nexxa. Had she copied my request?

    "It was a good idea," Nexxa said, answering my unanswered question and not bothering to lower her voice.

    "Agreed. Given the remote location Althon is likely to assign you, a spatial ring will be a vital resource for each of you. However, you must use them with caution. Even tier one spatial rings are precious in the outer lands," their father said while placing a pair of black boxes with white trim on his desk.

    When he motioned us forward, I traded another glance with Nexxa, whose smile was so wide I was worried she''d gone a mite feral, before taking that step. When I opened the box, I was surprised to find the ring didn''t have the family''s personal crest on it. Instead there was a symbol carved in silver, depicting a wolf howling at the moon, atop a pair of circles, which symbolized wheels.

    Nexxa''s had an entirely different symbol, a golden bird in flight with sparks trailing behind it.

    "Your personal magecrests," their father said, his lip turned up ever so slightly.

    Staring at the emblem, I vaguely remembered when Calbern had asked me what I¡¯d wanted my magecrest design to be. I''d been focused on Memory Palace at the time, and hadn''t thought too much about it, simply re-using the same logo I''d put up at the shop after I took over.

    A smile twitched on my lips as I realized Howling Engines had followed me into the new world, even if only in such a small way.

    "Now, I''m afraid I have other matters to attend to. I will see you both on your departure," their father said, dismissing us with a nod.

    Neither of us dawdled, withdrawing from the room with our rings still tucked inside their cases. Not that I left it there for long. The moment we were outside, I slid it onto my finger, holding it up to the light, Sosa be damned.

    I''d never been much of one for jewelry before. It was dangerous for a mechanic to wear bling. Too easy to take a finger if a wrench slipped and caught it wrong.

    "Not bad. Didn''t really see you as a warg sort of guy," Nexxa said, admiring my ring.

    "It''s a wolf," I said automatically, despite not remembering if wolves were a thing in this world. I assumed so, since they had the word for them, but Perth hadn''t known what they were.

    "Like the winter blessed wolves of the Frigid Peaks? Really going local, huh?"

    I hadn''t considered that there might be wolves where we were headed. Actually, hadn¡¯t Calbern mentioned as much? Either way, I didn¡¯t feel the need to correct Nexxa. Instead, I held up the ring contemplating the storage aspect. A tier two ring was¡­ well, it wasn''t actually that much space. The standard was a little over a cubic yard. Compared to a tier one, it was gigantic, but those held nine cubic inches at most. "What''re you gonna store in yours?"

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    "On the way there? Seeds, mostly. A couple tier-3 Magits that''d decay if exposed to the raw manasphere. You?"

    Magits. Magical items. And tier-3, meaning they were sufficiently complex most skilled mages couldn''t make them, not unless they had access to the original designs. And Nexxa not only had access to some, she was bring two with her.

    "Seeds is good," I said, humming thoughtfully to myself while dismissing my questions about her Magits. "I don''t have any artifacts, so¡­ I guess it depends. Wasn''t expecting a tier-2 ring."

    Nexxa held up her ring beside mine, her fist clenched. "He really came through, didn''t he? You know, I heard that Sosa only got a tier one protection ring for his boon?"

    "No way," I said, shaking my head. Sosa was¡­ well, Sosa. Still, while he hadn''t been a prodigy like Nexxa, as one of their father¡¯s first wife''s children, Sosa actually spent time with their old man.

    Getting a tier one protection ring was like getting a used Honda for your sweet sixteen.

    A big deal if you had an old man like mine. Enough to give you a heart attack in surprise. But with a father like Perth''s, you''d be expecting a Tesla or Mercedes. Course, Perth never heard Sosa complaining, so maybe there was more to it.

    There usually was.

    "Yep. Anyway, I should get testing. Tier 2''s sometimes have stasis effects. If these do, I''m totally loading up on street food," Nexxa said before waving goodbye.

    As I followed Calbern back to my room, I found myself wanting to perform tests of my own. But unlike Nexxa, I''d have to be a little more cautious. I didn''t have the strength to hold onto such a prize, so I was glad it was disguised as our magecrest. If Sosa knew I was walking around with spatial storage, he¡¯d do his best to take it from me.

    Not that I thought he could, but it was better to be cautious.

    The next few hours were both wondrous and tedious. The storage space was exactly as glorious as Nexxa had hoped, holding a steaming cup of tea''s temperature for hours.

    But accessing it required me to channel mana for nearly an hour. Good for long term storage, but not super convenient. Not yet.

    The first time I accessed it, I discovered the rings weren¡¯t the entirety of our gifts. Inside, were five thousand golden coins with intricate thorns carved into one side, with their father¡¯s face on the other.

    "A princely gift, master Perth. And the Thorns should help us procure what we can''t bring through the gate," Calbern replied after I''d told him about the hoard I''d discovered. "Will the stasis effect work on a living creature?"

    "That¡­ is worth testing," I said, looking out into the nearby garden. There were several songbirds outside, but more importantly, Perth remembered pigeons nesting near the stables.

    No one would be upset over a sky-rat if it got hurt during my experiments, least of all, me.

    I had Calbern lead the way to the stables. Once we were there, I spread some of the crackers Calbern had brought with the tea as bait and threw a sheet overtop of it. I was rather proud of my success until I saw Calbern shaking his head at me.

    "What? I caught it, didn''t I?"

    "Did you have to use one of the good sheets, master Perth?" Calbern replied.

    I just waved him off. "You saw me take it."

    "It is not my place to stop the young master from doing something foolish." Considering the small smirk he was sporting, I knew better than to respond.

    Channeling my mana into the glyph while keeping the pigeon from escaping was a test of both mine and the pigeon''s patience. I didn''t hear Calbern chuckle, but I swore I could feel it.

    Thankfully, my struggles weren''t in vain, as the pigeon, along with its blanket-turned-net, vanished into my ring.

    While I started charging my spell to retrieve it, we returned to Perth''s room. Which wasn''t my wisest decision.

    It turned out that living creatures and my ring didn''t mix well. At all.

    "I''m afraid there''s nothing I can do, master Perth. You killed it." Calbern was standing with the sheet held in front of him, running a hand along the torn fabric, ignoring the dead bird lying at the foot of Perth''s bed. Shaking the sheet out one more time, he shook his head. "I''ll see what the tailor can salvage."

    "You do that," I replied as I picked up the pigeon by a single foot and plopped it on my used lunch tray.

    With the limits of the ring understood, Calbern and I resumed our planning, only for me to realize Nexxa hasn''t told me the results of Memory Palace.

    So, we went out to track her down. A helpful servant, a woman with a green vine growing along her forehead, informed us she''d gone into Belten.

    Nexxa hadn''t wasted any time going out to fill her ring.

    When we arrived, it only took Calbern a few minutes to find her. She''d gone straight to a short street crammed full of food stalls. The plethora of spiced and grilling food practically felt like a wall, it hit so rapidly.

    Nexxa was easy to spot, her gold and purple combat robe standing out amongst the greens and browns surrounding a stand selling meat skewers.

    "Hmm. Decided to follow my advice?" Nexxa asked while pulling free a piece of meat.

    "I suppose you could say your advice is why we came, Lady Nexxa," Calbern noted with a slight incline of his head.

    "What he means is you forgot to tell us about Memory Palace," I added while eying the stand. "Though those do look pretty tempting."

    "Right? You have to tried the fried dumplings two stands down. They have the best sweet sauce," Nexxa proclaimed while gesturing vaguely towards said stand.

    After loading up on far too many street foods, we returned to Perth¡¯s wing in the family complex. Pulling a pastry from her ring, Nexxa finally gave us a breakdown on Memory Palace.

    "It''s a lot more literal than I was expecting. It takes you into a literal mindspace. And you have to be careful when accessing memories. I ended up browsing through a couple months worth and I got a major migraine after I came out. On the plus side, the mental strain only seems to trigger once," Nexxa explained, taking a seat on the foot of Perth''s bed. Her eyes drifted towards the spots of blood left behind by the pigeon, but she didn''t comment on them, simply continuing. "Anyway, since I already inflicted a migraine on myself, figured I might as well test your Review Scroll idea. And doing one book at a time meant no migraine. When I tried doing two, I got a bit of a headache. Not sure how it''ll work for you though. I''m guessing you''re gonna want to be Astral-soul at least before you even try."

    "Thanks, Nexxa," I replied, jotting down her comments. "Anything else you noticed?"

    "It''s expensive for a second order spell. I could cast three Lightning Storms for the same amount of mana, and that''s a tier three spell," Nexxa replied with a shrug.

    "It is possible the Lady is simply used to casting spells for which she has a high affinity. Unless I''m mistaken, you do not have any Arcane affinity," Calbern said still standing next to the door.

    "Could be. Haven''t needed much utility till now," Nexxa agreed while grabbing one of my journals and cracking it open. Her eyes went wide as she started paging through it.

    I found myself strangely conflicted watching her go through my notes. On one hand, it felt like a violation of my privacy, even if most of the notes were about spells or possible issues we might encounter. On the other, it felt like such a sibling thing to do, I felt a constriction in my chest. A feeling I wasn''t particularly familiar with.

    "Huh. You think we''re gonna need to set up irrigation?" Nexxa asked, stopping near the back of the journal and holding it out towards me.

    It took me a moment to respond, and I coughed to clear my throat before checking my notes. I''d drawn a simple trench with a note to look into more advanced methods in case water was an issue. "I don''t know. We don''t know anything about what we''re going into. And I''m pretty sure irrigation is important, if we end up needing food."

    "Hmm." Nexxa didn''t offer more than that, though once she was done going through the journal, she quickly opened the next.

    Sharing a glance with Calbern, I shrugged before tapping her on the shoulder. "I''m going to head to the library. We''ve still got a week left, and there are a lot of books I want to hit with Review Scroll."

    "Good idea," Nexxa said, standing up and tossing my journal back at me, causing me to scramble to catch it. It slipped, hitting the floor, and I was bending over to pick it up when she paused at the door, looking back. "Well, are you coming or not?"

    As my eye twitched, I couldn''t help but debate whether I found myself more amused or irritated.

    Either way, I put it to the side as I marched with her towards the library.

 Chapter 8 - Petal to the Metal

    The last week before our departure passed nearly as quickly as the three before, though it was far more chaotic. The seeds and other supplies we''d arranged started to arrive, as had a pair of seven foot wooden cubes with matching dimensions to the one we''d be using to pass through the gate.

    That had been my idea. I''d had to deal with packing materials into tight spaces often enough to know that just working on the dimensions rarely worked out the way you wanted it to. It was always better to work with a model.

    Good thing I did, because fitting both of us in with everything we''d planned to include turned out to be even more of a headache than I''d expected. How does a world have the ability to send folk across thousands of miles in an instant, but not have tie-down straps?

    Seeing Nexxa work with her own box answered that question instantly. She used magic to secure her stuff in place. And while I could''ve asked her to help us with ours, I instead ordered several simple rings and used them to create a simple friction lock.

    "Very good, master Perth. Now that I''m looking at it, I believe the furniture delivery uses something similar," Calbern noted.

    "Would''ve been helpful two days ago," I muttered under my breath. But I wasn''t particularly upset. The problem had led to me adding yet another set of books to review for my Memory Palace.

    "Finally got it all locked down, huh?" Nexxa''s voice drifted over from where she was laying atop her own cube, her arm dangling down the side.

    "Yep. I think¡­ I think we''re actually ready. And with two days to spare."

    Calbern gave a slight nod of his head.

    "Nah. We just got all the boring logistics stuff done. Still need to put you through your paces," Nexxa said, somehow turning the swing of her arm into a grab, flipping into a backflip that carried her down off the box. It was the most athletic display Perth or I had ever seen out of her.

    "My paces?" I asked, frowning as she stepped forward with lightning crackling.

    "Yep. Can''t have you going out into the wide world not knowing how to fight," Nexxa said, a far too wide grin stretching across her face.

    "I know how to fight," I said, clenching my fist. I certainly knew how to take a punch. My old man had beat that into me.

    "What you and your friends used to do after drinking isn''t fighting," Nexxa said, pushing my shoulder as she walked past.

    ¡°I took down a minotaur,¡± I pointed out.

    ¡°You got a vine to eat it for you. Come on, we''re gonna get you a blasting rod."

    "It would behoove you to take the Lady''s advice on such matters, master Perth. Other than your father, none in your family have more experience with combat magic or monsters," Calbern said, nodding in Nexxa''s direction.

    Nexxa had stopped at a nearby gazebo, looking back at me.

    I just grunted as I moved over to join her, Calbern trailing close behind me.

    She took us back to her wing of the estate, the first time I''d been there since arriving in my new body. It was considerably less green than the rest of the compound, though there were still a lot of gardens. But there was also a sand pit for sparring, as well as a target range with high stone walls and a dirt packed floor.

    Inside was even more bare than Perth¡¯s, with only a few flowers to illuminate the way. Nexxa brought us to her study, where there were several monster parts scattered around. They were all carefully encased in enchanted wood and glass frames, but there was no sense of organization to them.

    "If we had more time, I''d want to work on your footwork, but for now, making sure you''re not useless when shit hits the mana-dissolver takes precedent," Nexxa said, walking along a rack holding two long flower capped wooden staves. Pulling one off the rack, she held it out to me.

    Perth had seen a few of these blasting rods, as she called them, but he''d never held one. It was heavier than I expected, and the entire length was engraved with runes. Even the flower.

    "Never point a blasting rod at something you don''t want to destroy," Nexxa said, gently swinging the end of the rod towards the floor and away from her and Calbern.

    I nodded. That made sense. I didn¡¯t point the plasma torch at anything I didn¡¯t want to burn either. Same principle, I figured.

    While I''d been inspecting my rod, Nexxa had handed one to Calbern.

    At my look, she explained, "You don''t have to be a mage to use a blasting rod. Just to charge them. That said, I don''t recommend handing them out to anyone you don''t trust. A blasting rod in the wrong hands can kill a mage as easily as anyone else. Well, unless they''ve reached Hydra-soul. Now let¡¯s get to the pit."

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    So said, we followed her back out to the pit.

    ¡°Okay, this part isn¡¯t too tricky. See that cord wrapped around the bud? That¡¯s your safety. If its there, your rod will be as useful as any other long stick with a pretty flower on the end,¡± Nexxa said, tugging at the knot on her cord. The second she did, the flower blossomed open, the green leaves revealing eight purple petals, each of them with pink runes that glowed brightly.

    Nodding, I pulled my own cord, discovering my rod only had two purple petals. That seemed low, so I sent my mana into the rod, feeling for the draw. It didn''t take long to find it, and the rod almost immediately sapped my entire mana pool, leaving me wavering unsteadily.

    In exchange, it grew a single purple petal.

    "Oops, forgot to warn you," Nexxa said as I felt her hand on my shoulder. "These''re set up to be easy to charge, but with your puny mana pool, they''ll drain you dry."

    "Got it," I replied, unconsciously using the rod to steady myself before quickly pulling it back up and pointing the flowered end down the range. Despite the rough treatment, none of the petals were damaged.

    "Good instinct there. You don''t actually have to worry about it going off yet. You won''t be able to trigger it until I key it to your mana signature," Nexxa said. ¡°I want you to both get comfortable aiming them first.¡±

    Then she proceeded to arc the rod over her head, spinning it in a short circle before bringing it down to point in the direction of our targets. On the far end of the range were glowing green statues shaped like warriors, all holding different weapons. The most basic of the Green Goons served as our targets. A single purple petal broke free of her rod, zooming downrange to smash into her chosen Goon in an explosion of pink light.

    The backdraft had me taking a step back at the unexpected pressure.

    Half the Goon was gone as she lowered her rod.

    ¡°Both of you need to do that movement ten times with the flower pointed in roughly the right direction. Then I¡¯ll attune them,¡± Nexxa informed us, before waving at us to begin.

    It took me nearly twenty tries before Nexxa was satisfied with my performance. Calbern had got it in ten. Once I was successful, Nexxa held her hand over mine where I was gripping the rod. After a second, I felt a jolt pass through me and my awareness of the rod expanded.

    I now knew I had thirteen full strength shots available, and twenty-two when the rod was fully charged. It seemed the petals were a bit of misdirection, since the leaves would be shot after the petals were used up. I also knew how to trigger the rod. All I had to do was squeeze a pair of carved flowers on either side of the rod as I was charging up my shot, then release when I was on target.

    As she was casting her spell on Calbern, I held the rod over my head, then spun it around, priming it to fire.

    I chose a Goon holding a shield, flipping the rod forward and let off a test shot. A bright pink petal burst from the end of the rod, rocketing across the range to slam into the target, exploding in the same brilliant flash of pink light. This time I was prepared for the backdraft as it swept over me.

    When I looked down the range, the target I''d been aiming at was completely intact. A Green Goon two to his left who''d been holding a bow was now weaponless, the pieces lying on the ground.

    "Quite the demonstration, master Perth," Calbern said as he stepped up beside me, leveling his own rod at the statue I''d hit. "That gentleman seems to have a rather nasty sneer. Perhaps we can fix that."

    With that, he spun his own rod. It should have looked ridiculous. It didn¡¯t.

    His movements were tight and controlled, and when he flicked the rod forward, releasing the petal, it shot across the range and smashed right into its face. As the shockwave washed over me, I kept my eyes on the target. Calbern had wiped the sneer off its face, just like he¡¯d said.

    And the face off the statue, while he was at it.

    "Great shot! If I''d known you had such good aim, I would''ve stolen you from Perry when father released your contract," Nexxa said, clapping Calbern on the shoulder. "Now, since you''ve both figured out how to shoot on your own, I''ll just show you how to lock the safety in place so you don''t blow your own foot off while you''re sleeping."

    "Is that something that happens?" I asked, suddenly a little worried about the bundle of flowers attached to the end of my blasting rod.

    "Not if you wrap the safety!" Nexxa replied with a too wide grin.

    Thankfully, locking the safety was as simple as winding the self-tying cord around the petals, and tucking the cord into the loop. Holding it upside down, I was amazed at how it refused to obey gravity¡¯s call. The little loop only moved when I touched it. Even Calbern couldn¡¯t move mine. The second the safety was ¡®wrapped¡¯, all the volatile pink writing faded away and my awareness of the rod disappeared from the edge of my mind.

    Nexxa had us go through each step, including destroying the statues, twice more before she was satisfied. Then she charged both our blasting rods to full, which brought mine to twenty-two petals with an even twenty for Calbern.

    Once they were fully charged, we took turns shooting down the range, adjusting to taking shots while dealing with the windup and blowback. The blasting rods had a rate limit of roughly one shot every three seconds, thanks to the windup.

    "There are better rods out there, but I could feed an Evant''s Domain for a year on what a tier two blasting rod costs," Nexxa said as she was recharging our rods once more. As an experiment, I''d tried filling mine again, and my full mana pool had still only granted a single charge. Nexxa didn''t even seem to notice the drain. "Okay, that''ll do. Now, make sure you keep them tucked away in your storage till we get through the Gate. I''ve heard Gates can mess up the rods. Rather you arrive on the other side as pretty as you are now, even if that''s not very."

    "Appreciate it," I said, giving her a smile as I ran my hand along the rod. "And I will."

    To my surprise, Nexxa ended up joining us for dinner after I''d stored the blasting rods.

    "You know, I''m glad you''re both going. Didn''t really think about how different it was going to be when I told father I''d be a Magus Dominus," Nexxa said after Calbern had taken the dishes away. "Thought I did, but after everything we''ve been talking about¡­"

    "Yeah. I don''t know if I''m ready either," I said, letting out a long sigh.

    "You will both prove exemplary," Calbern said, having returned without me noticing. "So long as you continue to approach the challenge with the diligence you have shown thus far, your people will be lucky to have you."

    "Thanks, Calbern," I said, giving him a weak smile.

    Despite his reassurances, or perhaps because of them, Nexxa and I continued discussing all the things that could go wrong, and what we could do about them.

    Much like before, we spent the next couple days together, revisiting the library, reviewing our manifests and practicing with our blasting rods.

    Then finally, after a month of preparation, it was time.

    Tomorrow we¡¯d be leaving for the Gate.

 Chapter 9 - Dauntless

    The gate was located a six hour ride by carriage from the family compound.

    But before we left, there was a minor obstacle in the way.

    Sosa.

    He was harassing Lady Guniveer. They stood facing each other, surrounded by Sosa¡¯s Green Goons. I could¡¯ve continued on my way, not said anything. After all, I was leaving in less than an hour. After that, I¡¯d never see either of them ever again.

    ¡°-been giving him unrestricted access,¡± Sosa¡¯s voice got louder as I stepped closer.

    I was alone. We¡¯d had one last session at the practice range. Nexxa had gone off to gather her Magits and Calbern was packing up the few clothes we¡¯d be taking with us. I¡¯d been heading to the library to say goodbye to Lady Guniveer and thank her for her help, only to discover she wasn¡¯t there.

    ¡°When lord Aranor hears about-¡°

    ¡°Father won¡¯t care. Half-casts like you are less important than mortals. At least they still have potential,¡± Sosa said, the slur causing Lady Guniveer¡¯s gaze to sharpen.

    Still, she wasn¡¯t in the library. And Sosa was right. Their father wouldn¡¯t care. Not enough to save her from a bit of rough handling.

    My grip tightened around the blasting rod, but I didn¡¯t think I¡¯d even need it as I pushed my way through his Green Goons. Not to deal with a punk like Sosa. It could prove useful if things went sideways though.

    ¡°Perth?¡± Sosa said as I stepped between him and Lady Guniveer.

    ¡°Step back Sosa,¡± I said, meeting his gaze.

    ¡°The Rift do you think you¡¯re doing?¡± Sosa asked, his eyes flicking to Lady Guniveer before coming back to me. ¡°If you think this is enough to-¡°

    ¡°Just get on with it,¡± I said, well aware that I had a carriage to catch.

    ¡°You think you¡¯re so much better than me,¡± Sosa said, shoving at my chest.

    To my embarrassment, I stumbled back a step, nearly knocking Lady Guniveer over despite bracing myself. I¡¯d really let myself grow too weak over the last month. Mentally reassessing how much I might need to rely on the rod, I addressed his statement, ¡°I don¡¯t think I¡¯m better than you.¡±

    The way his eyes flared as he clenched his fists suggested he didn¡¯t exactly believe me. Which was perfect. I¡¯d rather he took a swing at me rather than Lady Guniveer. And better that he do it himself rather than get his Goons involved. Still, it seemed he¡¯d need more.

    ¡°Why would I worry about someone who¡¯s never going to matter to me?¡± I asked him, setting my feet further apart as his nose flared out. ¡°Sosa, I don¡¯t even think about you.¡±

    It was enough. Sosa swung at my head. It was slow and sloppy, like he¡¯d never thrown a punch before. He was going to hurt his hand more than me.

    That wouldn¡¯t do.

    I tilted my head forward. As his fist struck my nose, I turned my head with it, but only enough to mitigate the damage. He needed to feel like he¡¯d won, like he¡¯d taught me the lesson I deserved.

    But only for a moment.

    Blood sprayed from my nose as I collapsed, making sure it looked far more painful than it was. I held my nose, but remained silent.

    ¡°I¡­¡± Sosa said, but the words died on his lips as I met his gaze with my own. Then I stood back up, a single groan escaping me as I placed myself between him and Lady Guniveer once more, my grip wrapped firmly around the blasting rod. That had been his only free hit.

    Just as it had with my old man, my silent glare unnerved Sosa. He left quickly, his Green Goons trailing behind him.

    With Sosa dealt with, I cleaned the blood from my nose then turned to Lady Guniveer. ¡°You okay?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m fine, Perry,¡± Lady Guniveer said, a hand reaching for my face before she stopped herself with a shake of her head. ¡°It¡¯s you that needs to be careful. Sosa has it in his head that you¡¯re stealing from the family. If he convinces your father¡­¡±

    ¡°We¡¯ll be gone in hours. And I¡¯ll let father search me, if that¡¯s what he wants. I¡¯ve nothing to hide,¡± I said, glancing at the retreating backs of Sosa¡¯s Green Goons. ¡°Are you going to be safe here?¡±

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    ¡°Despite the way it looked, I¡¯m quite capable of taking care of myself. Sosa will soon find his little green toys have lost all their strength,¡± Lady Guniveer said, shaking out her sleeves. ¡°I do appreciate you stepping in.¡±

    ¡°Well, I was coming to say goodbye anyway.¡±

    ¡°Ah, it is that time, isn¡¯t it? I bid thee farewell, master Perth. I hope when next we meet, it is under better circumstance,¡± Lady Guniveer said, bowing slightly while extending her hand.

    Drawing on Perth¡¯s memories, I responded, taking her hand and laying a single light kiss on it. ¡°I bid the farewell, Lady Guniveer. Take care.¡±

    ¡°You as well, young master. Now, if you¡¯ll excuse me, this half-cast has business to be about,¡± Lady Guniveer said, a wicked gleam in her eyes.

    I suspected the next while wasn¡¯t going to be particularly pleasant for Sosa.

    Parting ways, I made my way to the carriage. Obviously, Nexxa asked what happened. When I explained, her face darkened.

    ¡°I¡¯ll tear out his stomach and use it to make sausages,¡± Nexxa said, sparks flying along her arms as her gaze swept acrossing the drive, as though Sosa would be right there.

    I laughed, patting her arm as a warm feeling filled my belly. ¡°It¡¯s fine. Just like I told him, he¡¯s not important.¡±

    A minute later, Calbern arrived, and we climbed into the carriage. Nexxa insisted on healing my nose, and I winced at the sound of the cartilage shifting as the magic did its work.

    ¡°Sorry, not really my specialty,¡± Nexxa said with a grimace.

    ¡°That¡¯s fine,¡± I said, turning my head to look out the window. ¡°Least it¡¯s not itching anymore.¡±

    Nexxa¡¯s gaze followed mine, and as I started asking questions, she quickly forgot about my altercation with Sosa.

    Our journey would soon show me more of Ro¡¯an than I''d ever seen of Earth.

    After exiting the drive, we moved onto the Central Corridor. The road seemed mundane at first, but it was impossibly smooth, with almost no bumps in the cabin despite riding on wooden wheels at very high speeds. According to Nexxa, the road was magically crafted and maintained, running from the Front all the way to the west coast of the hundred kingdoms.

    As we left the compound behind, the scenery became less verdant forest and more bountiful farmland. Hundreds of small farmhouses passed by in a blur, the enchanted carriage moving at a rate that left my heart clenching in fear.

    The last time I''d gone even half as fast, a kid had run out into the road and I''d wrapped my car around a solid oak to avoid him.

    And then I''d at least had the illusion of control. Now I was simply a passenger as Calbern directed the carriage from up front.

    Even with the fear gnawing at me, I continued questioning Nexxa. And when we passed along the edge of the Infinite Rift, I¡­

    Well, I was stunned speechless.

    I''d never seen the Grand Canyon, despite living a day away. To go that far would¡¯ve been impossible to imagine in my old life. As I gazed out at the Rift, I found my imagination straining yet again.

    There was no way the Grand Canyon could surpass the Infinite Rift.

    The bottom of the rift was hidden in shadow, and the far side was barely visible. It was almost funny. Much like the Grand Canyon, I''d seen the Rift on maps. It formed a gap that encircled most of the Front, a natural barrier that contained most of the monsters who claimed the mana rich lands at the heart.

    But those few little lines had failed to capture the enormity, the magnificence, the pure jaw-dropping wonder of the Infinite Rift.

    Even the name felt somehow insufficient.

    "Yeah, that never gets old," Nexxa said, leaning forward to look past me.

    "It remains as breathtaking as the first time I traversed the Rim Road," Calbern agreed from the front of the carriage, a wistful note to his voice. "It is a shame this is likely the last time I''ll travel along it."

    "What are you worried about, Calbern? Really have that little faith in me?"

    "It''s not that, master Perth. It''s just, I am getting on in years, and your calling has only begun."

    "He''s got a point. Even if everything goes great, we''re gonna be in the Frigid Peaks for the next twenty years," Nexxa said. "Not gonna be easy to come home."

    "Fair ''nuff," I conceded. I hadn''t thought about the length of our calling very much. In a way, it hadn''t really mattered to me. Being a Magus Dominus wasn''t something I intended to abandon, but I supposed, after I served twenty-one years, I''d technically be a free mage. No one knew why the oath suddenly expired after twenty-one years, but that¡¯s what Calbern had discovered while doing our other research. Not that it was worth worrying about, at least for now.

    "Look, it''s the Dauntless!" Nexxa exclaimed, pointing out the window.

    My gaze followed her finger, though as I laid eyes on the massive airship, I wondered how I could''ve missed it. Despite sitting on the far side of the rift, it took up the entire length of the window. It had to be at least a mile long, all of it alive. A constant flow of soft green mist rose from its underside, drifting beneath wide fanlike wings, holding it aloft. The massive support structures between the wings had folk moving up and down them, with sections roped off where smaller vessels were landing.

    Deep in the heart of the vessel, folk wove between trees and buildings as large as my old garage.

    "To think we''d get to see the flagship of the Elves of Terra Vista. Truly, today is one of great portents," Calbern said, leaning forward and pressing two fingers against the center of his brow.

    It took me a moment to sort through Perth''s memories for the meaning behind the action. As near as I could tell, Calbern was paying respects to one of the silent gods, though I didn''t know which one.

    "Looks like they''re watching over the gate site. Think father traded in some favors?" Nexxa asked, still leaning over me to stare at the ship.

    "They may be here to ensure their own deliveries arrive without disruption. Terra Vista''s proximity to the Frigid Peaks would offset the costs of gate travel, to a degree," Calbern replied.

    Nexxa just nodded, her eyes remaining fixed on the Dauntless. Honestly, it kept my attention as well.

    It was a marvel unlike any I''d come across in any of Perth''s memories. He''d heard the name before, but to see it in person¡­

    The amount of magic involved, and the engineering, magical and mundane.

    It was inspiring.

    I caught one last glimpse of the Dauntless floating high above as the carriage took us through a copse of trees, green mist wafting out to fill the sky.

    At that moment, I knew that simply protecting my land and advancing my soul wouldn''t be enough. I''d been thinking so small, when this world was so big.

    One day, I''d have an airship of my own.

    Even if I had to build it myself.

 Chapter 10 - Final Refrain

    The remainder of our trip was spent in silence, each of us lost in our own thoughts as we drew closer to the single span of stone arching over the Infinite Rift.

    At first, the bridge looked tiny, a thin strand of stone compared to the rift''s breadth. But as we drew closer, it became obvious that the bridge was a mega-structure in its own right.

    There was an entire city built around the edge, where we would spend the night, before being loaded in our crates in the morning. We passed through most of the city in minutes. Unlike Earth, traffic on the Rim Road was highly controlled. I could see the crowded streets of the city as we went though, catching glimpses of the varied folk within.

    It was too fast to be certain, but I thought I might''ve caught a glimpse of a cadre of dwarves stumbling down one of the streets in our direction.

    I was suddenly regretting staying so close to the family estate. While the mana density was higher than even this close to the rift, there was so much I hadn''t seen. And I wouldn''t get a chance to see it again for decades. I could only hope we could see some of it during our single night in the city. And that the Frigid Peaks would offer us more.

    The hotel had a service that went to a restaurant that looked out over the Infinite Rift which Nexxa insisted we had to try when she heard of it.

    When we pulled up in the carriage, I was amused to see that we would be ridding rickety little cages down to the actual restaurant from the parking area. The cages had been grown together, and a closer inspection revealed it would take serious effort to damage them. But the aesthetic made me nervous anyway as we swung out over the side of the Rift.

    ¡°Perry, you don¡¯t have to squeeze the bars so tight!¡± Nexxa called from within her own cage.

    ¡°I¡¯m not squeezing anything,¡± I denied, unable to get my hands to release the bars. ¡°Also, I hate you! I hate you with every fiber of my being!¡±

    ¡°I was unaware you had a fear of heights, master Perth,¡± Calbern said from his cage above us.

    ¡°Not a fear of heights. Just the Rift!¡± I yelled back as my cage swung to the side, leaving me staring into the emptiness stretching away below us.

    As if that wasn¡¯t bad enough, Nexxa chose that moment to swing her cage up next to mine, bumping into me.

    ¡°Don¡¯t they have rules against smashing the cages together?¡± I asked, my voice higher than I would¡¯ve preferred.

    ¡°Not if you pay the deposit!¡± Nexxa chuckled gleefully as she shifted the cage once more.

    ¡°You know, not all of us can fly,¡± I said, letting out a grunt of amusement as I shifted the cage enough for her to swing past without hitting me.

    Nexxa swung back, cackling wildly as sparks flew from her cage. Before she could build up enough momentum for another attempt, the cages reached the landing platform.

    I stumbled out, grasping at the railing and trying not to look over the edge. I failed. Even after descending hundreds of feet, there was still no sign of the bottom. And some maniac had built a restaurant inside it.

    And then another one convinced me going there was a good idea.

    Forcefully, I dragged my gaze up to the bridge that spanned the Rift. It felt even bigger from underneath.

    With a shove against my shoulder, Nexxa moved to go inside. After the ride down, the meal was reasonably normal, though they did that usual tourist thing where everything was named after the theme.

    The Infinite Stack was really just a fancy sandwich, though the meat was all high essence. That didn¡¯t stand out much, considering everything on the menu was similar. It wasn¡¯t a restaurant for the common folk, that was certain.

    As if to prove the point, during our dinner, a troupe came in to take a place on a raised platform at the back of the room. By itself, that already would¡¯ve felt pretty high class to me, but I¡¯d never been too fancy back on Earth.

    The story has been taken without consent; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.

    That they stepped onto stage with drawn blades made me realize this was something different than I¡¯d expected. Each of the performers drew back their hoods to reveal silver hair, thin horns along the crown of their heads and long pointed ears.

    The elves of Terra Vista had deigned to visit our restaurant.

    ¡°In accordance with the Life Song, we greet the people of Aranor, subjects of Arcadia,¡± a taller elf with dark marks along his cheeks said, undoing the cords binding the blade he carried. It was a long thin blade, nearly as tall as he was, with numerous notches along its length. ¡°A bond long shared, debts long owed, shall finally be paid.¡±

    ¡°Oh wow,¡± Nexxa said, leaning forward across our meal.

    ¡°What?¡± I asked, glancing between the elves, her and Calbern.

    ¡°I believe we are about to witness a performance by the legendary Bladesingers of Terra Vista,¡± Calbern said, a note of reverence in his voice.

    True to his word, the elves on stage started moving. At first, it looked almost like sparring. Yet every motion of their swords drew out whispering notes, as though someone had found a

    Then the elves began to sing.

    It was beautiful, but I wasn¡¯t able to follow along. Whatever language they were singing hadn¡¯t been part of Perth¡¯s education.

    A hushed comment from a lady in a frilly green dress at one of the nearby tables revealed the elves were singing about the calm before the storm.

    As if on cue, the elves changed the tempo of their song. In place of the soft whispers, the sword clanged against each other, as they raised their voices into registers that reminded me a bit of what I thought an opera singer might sound like.

    The music was much more heavy metal though.

    Their performance had stepped up a notch as well. They weren¡¯t just throwing their blades into each other, but were dancing off each other, flipping into the air, thrusting outward.

    It was the most intricate dance of blades I¡¯d ever seen.

    And then one of those blades flicked out.

    It was little more than a flash of light, yet it flew true, sliding into the chest of the lady who¡¯d whispered the subject of the song so excitedly, a blue barrier around the table going up half a second too late.

    ¡°Get down,¡± Nexxa shouted, flipping the table before I¡¯d fully understood what was happening. My eyes remained fixed on the red blossoming from the woman¡¯s chest.

    ¡°The first notes have been played. May all of Ro¡¯an echo with the transcendant beauty of true music!¡± the elf with the dark marks cried out, his blade flashing against an erected mana barrier, causing it to crumble. ¡°For the Grand Choir!¡±

    Another elf stepped forward as Nexxa shot a crackling bolt of electricity towards them. I was barely able to make out the afterimage of the elf somehow deflecting the bolt even as he sang.

    It wasn¡¯t my focus though. While Calbern picked up a chair and used it to block the blade of another elf, I scurried over to the woman. She was bleeding, badly. One of her companions had pulled the blade out, before charging at one of the elves with it. I cursed the fact that the only healing magic I had at my disposal required nearly half an hour of channeling to cast.

    Still, I could apply pressure while casting it, so that¡¯s what I did.

    Even as Nexxa threw up a barrier of crackling lightning, I kept my hands pressed to the woman¡¯s chest, praying that my spell would do something. There was nothing. Still, as I was looking at the blood, my eyes fell on a nearby bottle. Sealed with resin, it had a neat little label partially obscured by blood. It was readable enough for me to realize it was a healing elixir.

    Perth¡¯s family had sold healing elixirs but they were considered inferior to even the weakest spells. Only good enough for a mortal. I¡¯d assumed I¡¯d unlock my first slot before I¡¯d need one. A failure of foresight. Taking the elixir in a shaking hand, I brought it over the woman¡¯s wound.

    Holding my breath, I unstoppered the vial, trying to steady my hand.

    Then I started pouring it on the wound, holding the flesh together with my other hand. It wasn¡¯t perfect, the flesh growing back uneven, and in clumps. But it should keep her alive long enough to-

    My thoughts were scattered as an explosion ripped through the room.

    When I recovered, I found myself against the wall, alongside the woman whose life I¡¯d been attempting to save. To my relief, her chest continued to rise, and the bleeding seemed to have abated.

    Her health confirmed, I took in the room. The once elegant decorations had been shredded, and the elves were gone. There were several bodies, though I was relieved to see neither Calbern or Nexxa were among them.

    ¡°Well, that was bracing,¡± Calbern said, somehow having emerged completely unscathed, not so much as a single drop of blood on him. He dropped the remains of the chair he¡¯d been wielding as he moved towards me, nodding as he took his place beside me.

    ¡°One word for it,¡± Nexxa grumbled, wiping at her face with a crumpled table cloth. Unlike Calbern, she was covered head to toe in blood and ash. ¡°I heard elves could be unpredictable, but the hell was that? Are they trying to start a war?¡±

    ¡°It seems that was exactly their intent,¡± Calbern said, reaching down to retrieve the blade that had been thrown at the woman from the woman¡¯s fallen companion. ¡°This is no ordinary sword. See the words?¡±

    It was pretty easy to read them. After all, they¡¯d clearly been meant as a message.

    ¡°May the people of the hundred kingdoms rejoice, for soon they shall meet their gods. The Final Refrain has begun.¡±

 Chapter 11 - Through the Gate

    In the aftermath of dinner, I discovered that there was a second way up, a simple cargo lift built into the cliffside.

    Still, I didn¡¯t take it. Despite the terror I felt, I made myself ride the cage back up. The lift had more important things to do in the wake of the attack. Such as taking the injured up. I was relieved to hear the woman I¡¯d tended would make it, though she¡¯d need extra healing to address the sloppy work I¡¯d done.

    The elves had vanished, though the Dauntless still hung near the portal. It felt a lot more threatening as I watched it through the bars of the cage as we ascended. I clutched the side just as hard, though this time Nexxa left me alone. Mostly because she¡¯d overdrawn her mana and was half-asleep.

    Despite the attack, everything at the inn was calm. There was talk of Magus Dominus Aranor arriving at the restaurant in person.

    I was glad we¡¯d missed him.

    The next morning came, and we departed the inn. The Dauntless still hung there as we left the city behind. I only lost sight of it when we moved onto the bridge. The bridge was almost as grand as the Dauntless, and that gave me some reassurance. It easily stretched wide enough for two dozen carriages to pass side by side, yet most of the bridge remained empty. The sole exception was another carriage a short ways ahead of ours.

    It almost felt like a waste, but most folk wouldn''t want to be on the inner side of the rift, even before the Terra Vistans went crazy. The true purpose of the bridge could be seen every half mile or so, with only a narrow path passing through the center of the towering walls. The entire bridge was a defensive formation, designed to allow monsters that slipped through from the Front to spend their strength on these fortifications.

    That they hadn''t been approached in a hundred years didn''t change the Hundred Kingdom¡¯s stance on maintaining them. Arcadia itself was one of the younger kingdoms, yet it had stood for over a thousand years, more than half of them with the current king ruling over it. I imagined he personally remembered a time when these walls had been needed.

    I wondered if he¡¯d been showing up to address the massacre from the night before. Or was this just a minor political incident to him?

    As we passed through the last of the walls, the staging area for the gate came into view. There were hundreds of steel boxes lined up alongside a set of four rails, leading back for almost two miles and extending past the gate just as far. Most of the boxes were secured, their contents long since packed away. There were a few folk waiting around open boxes at the front of the line, which our carriage moved towards.

    When we pulled to a stop, we were only three boxes from the front. Calbern and I would be in the third, and Nexxa was in the fourth.

    To our left, next to the second box, was a group of folk laughing and smiling, their eyes following us as we got out. It took a moment for me to notice their large ears, their dress being so similar to the residents of Belten I''d almost mistaken them for locals.

    It seemed there were several elves going along for the ride. They didn¡¯t seem affected by the events the night before, based on the laughter. But then, it wasn¡¯t like a civilian had anything to do with what their military did. And I was pretty sure the Bladesongs were part of the Terra Vistan military.

    I didn''t stare, having long learned that was a good way to draw unwanted attention. Instead, I looked to our other side, where the carriage that had been ahead of us was unloading. A single young man stepped out, his eyes blazing with the sort of intensity that spoke of a strong fire affinity. He met my gaze with a nod, which I returned, before he strode directly into the fifth box. A nearby attendant immediately moved up, sealing the open side behind him.

    "Guess this is it, isn''t it?" Nexxa asked, looking towards the Gate in the distance. It was barely visible, just a small ring that was barely larger than the boxes we''d be riding in.

    "The end of one journey, and the beginning of another," Calbern said, somehow managing to stand even straighter.

    "Yeah. It''s¡­ almost sad. But exciting too," Nexxa said, rocking back on her heels.

    ¡°Not as exciting as last night,¡± I muttered, earning a playful shove from Nexxa.

    A whistle sounded, three sharp notes echoing through the air. Immediately, the elves moved into their box.

    "That''d be our signal," Calbern noted, moving towards our box, which had been mostly loaded before our arrival. I couldn''t help but notice they''d used magical cords to secure our supplies.

    "See you on the other side," Nexxa said, holding up her hand in farewell.

    "On the other side," I replied, returning the gesture as I followed Calbern up the three steps into our box. Whoever had packed our box had even arranged our supplies so we''d have sturdy seats.

    We didn''t have to wait long after the box was sealed before it jerked over to slide into place on the track. There was another jerk as it started moving, and then we were both pressed backward against the wall.

    The acceleration was insane, eclipsing any car I¡¯d ever drove.

    Then there was a twisting sensation in my gut. For the smallest fraction of a second, we were completely weightless, all the momentum just¡­ gone.

    As suddenly as gravity disappeared, it returned. We had just enough time to brace before the pressure returned, though in reverse. Thankfully, it was much gentler, easing off our speed until we came to a complete stop.

    Less than five minutes after we''d been sealed inside, our box was popped open, a smiling young man waving us out.

    A chill breeze greeted me as I stepped out into the surrounding hub bub.

    Unlike the quiet on the other side, there were hundreds of folk waiting for us. It was organized chaos as horses and other pack beasts I didn''t recognize were brought forward, men yelling at each other while unloading boxes.

    Our attendant escorted us to a caravan master, a grizzled old man who''d been arranged to transport us and our cargo to Althon. Because of course the capital city was named after the local Dragon-souled. Nexxa and I were escorted to a carriage while Calbern discussed our cargo.

    "Getting us out of the way so they can do the real work," I said, shaking my head.

    "We all have our areas of expertise," Nexxa said with a lazy stretch while gazing out the window. Now that we were in the carriage, we could actually take in our surroundings.

    The Infinite Rift was present even here on the far side of the continent, though its width was greatly diminished, as was the bridge stretching over it. I doubted more than two carriages could fit side by side on this bridge. Nor was there an airship watching over us.

    It didn''t take the caravan master long to get our supplies unloaded from the box and into a wagon. As our carriage moved away from the gate, I said, "Amazing how different it is, isn''t it? "

    "Quite so, master Perth. It seems even the language is different," Calbern said, his brows furrowed. "I''m afraid we may need to spend some of our limited funds on translation artifacts."

    Stolen from its rightful author, this tale is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.

    "Mumble Magits here? They don''t speak Anvian? Thought old man Althon still was one of the leads when the started spreading imperial standard?" Nexxa asked.

    "In the capital and along the front, yes. But Risham indicated that most of the Peaks speak a version of Elinder."

    "They speak elf?"

    "That is what I was told," Calbern confirmed, somehow managing to maintain his posture even as we rode down the bumpy road. Seemed Althon didn¡¯t value smooth roads as much as the Hundred Kingdoms.

    "Guess that means I''m gonna need a tutor," I said, watching as the far side of the Rift came into view. Only a handful of buildings dotted the edge, all sheltered beneath a tower of gleaming metal. Atop the tower was a clear blue crystal, slowly building in radiance before dimming again. It was a stark contrast to the wooden buildings below, which were simple but sturdy construction.

    "If it''s just the one language. And we''re going to the capital first, right? We might be able to hire someone with an Imbue Language spell. Pump it right into our heads," Nexxa suggested, holding two fingers up to her head and pushing it to the side.

    "That!" I replied, pointing at her. "We''re doing that, if we can."

    "I shall endeavor to find such a mage once we arrive," Calbern agreed.

    "Glad that''s settled," I said, settling back. "Now we just need to wait."

    The passage to the capital took us three days, during which we mostly remained in our carriage. There weren''t many settlements on the road, this side of the gate, and those we passed were mostly waystations. We passed alongside tall mountains running along steep cliffs only to plunge down into thickly forested valleys before making our way up once more.

    And these were the lowest of the Frigid Peaks.

    When we reached the capital, it stood out like a glistening sapphire amidst a hoard of emeralds. It rested in a valley that stretched out of sight, a glistening river running along the center, over which much of the capital was built. From the banks stretched orchards, vineyards and fields, rising to the edges of the mountains. There were no city walls, because the mountains themselves served that function. It took our carriage six hours to descend from where we first glimpsed the valley to the valley floor.

    The abundance of greenery reminded me of Perth''s home, though I couldn''t help but notice how much weaker the nature mana was. The manasphere was as strong as I was used to, even hours out from the city, but the pervading flavor was one of water. Considering that was supposedly Althon''s dominant affinity, it made sense.

    Still it was interesting how it affected the absorption rate of Mana Draw. More accurately, the conversion rate. Since I had no affinity with water, I gained half as much from the air as I had from the equally dense manasphere at the family complex.

    I hadn''t considered the importance of affinity on absorbing mana before. In a way, it reassured me. It meant there was an additional benefit to following the path of an archmage, other than the versatility.

    Well, as long as I had a strong source of mana nearby, anyway.

    The style of dress in the city was different than we''d seen since arriving. Most of those outside the capital had worn heavy jackets over thick leather outfits.

    Now that we¡¯d descended from the peaks, even the laborers were draped in silks as they moved through the fields. That was another thing different from Perth''s home. The Gardeners handled harvests with a few simple spells and arcane constructs, and little else. None of the workers in the fields were using magic. Everything was done with steel tools.

    As we approached the edge of the city, our carriage slowed.

    Risham, the grizzled caravan master was waiting for us when we exited, his hat held in both hands as he bowed to us. Behavior he hadn''t exhibited prior to this point.

    I immediately had a bad feeling about the sort of culture we were going to encounter within the city. If even grizzled old Risham thought it prudent to show deference, what would the locals be like.

    Glad we had Calbern to navigate most of the conversations for us. Once my Domain was secure, I was gonna have to pay him more. I knew he wasn''t helping me for the money, but it was the principle of the thing.

    It didn''t take long for Calbern to arrange our transport into the city. He even convinced Risham to deliver our cargo to the east side of the city, since no matter what territory we were assigned, it would be in that direction.

    I paid more attention than I''d given such matters before we left. There wasn''t much more for me to do other than practice my magic and until I opened my first spell slot, that was mostly just keeping Mana Draw active. I was close, but I figured I wouldn''t be there for another few days.

    So, in the meantime, I listened and learned.

    Now that we were on the water ways, we moved into a boat. It reminded me of a gondola, though that might just be because those were the only kind of boats I knew of that had people standing at the front. The young woman who stood in the front of ours started singing a low song in a language I didn''t recognize while holding a small balloon in the channel. The fins on the balloon seemed to catch on something and the gondola was pulled along as the woman wove the stick back and forth.

    Despite not knowing the words, the song the young woman sang evoked feelings of loss and long winters. It was beautiful, yet felt out of place in a city with such plentiful food surrounding it in every direction.

    The gondolier continued her haunting melody the entire trip, and at times when we''d draw close to another boat, it would change ever so slightly to merge with the others. They all had their own songs, all in the unknown language. Most of the others had a higher or more upbeat rhythm, at least while we were within earshot. Somehow, their rhythms provided a harmonious counterpoint to our pilot¡¯s somber song.

    It wasn''t magic, at least, not of the sort I was learning, but it certainly felt like it.

    When we drew close to another boat with a melancholy song, the notes of our gondolier grew less despondent, as though acknowledging the other. I was pretty sure we circled a building once as both of our pilots sang their song together.

    No one complained.

    By the time we pulled up in front of the white stone steps of our guest house, Nexxa had silent tears trailing down her cheeks.

    I hadn''t thought myself moved as much, yet I still found myself unable to speak as we followed the servant who greeted us upward a set of white stone steps that disappeared below the waterline.

    Thankfully, Calbern recovered his usual poise, despite having teared up during our journey, greeting the servant and confirming we were in the right place.

    As we ascended the steps up and above, the capital was once again laid out before us. Only this time, we were much closer to its center. Our guest house sat at the apex of one of the larger bridges that arched across the river, giving us a commanding view of not only the city, but the central palace a few arches away.

    Like the rest of the city, the palace was made of white stone. And like the rest of the city, it was supported above the pristine water.

    That was where the similarities ended. Where most of the city looked as though it''d been worked by skilled craftsmen, the palace looked as though the hands of the divine themselves had shaped it.

    Which, I supposed, was accurate, seeing as it was likely the work of Althon himself. A Dragon-souled was about as close as I figured I was going to get to a god in either of my lives.

    "Gotta admit, didn''t expect it to be so beautiful," Nexxa said, leaning on the low stone wall as she gazed out over the city.

    "Yeah," I agreed as I moved up beside her. "I was picturing¡­ a lot more cold, for one thing."

    "Yep. Not¡­ this," Nexxa said, waving her arm as if to encompass the entire city. "You think our domains are going to be as grand?"

    "Doubt it. Though who can say. The more I learn about the far corners of Ro''an, the less I feel I know."

    "Ha!" Nexxa laughed, punching my shoulder. "Wisdom comes from the strangest places. Where''d you read that one?"

    I just gave her a small smile, my eyes drifting to the gondola that had brought us there.

    When Nexxa saw where I was looking, she leaned forward, her arms draped over the low wall. "That was¡­ haunting."

    "One of the lesser magics, I believe," Calbern said, stepping up behind us. "An old art, similar to the Bladesong. One I''d thought was only practiced by the Elves of Terra Vista."

    "Guess not," I replied while pulling out my latest journal. If there were other forms of magic in the world, that bore investigation. None of my research in the family library had hinted at anything like the enchanted singing of the gondoliers. It hadn¡¯t even occurred to me that the elves who ruined our dinner might¡¯ve been using a different form of magic.

    What else had I missed while focusing on the runic system the Aranor family followed?

    "The house Mastara has informed me that Althon will see you both in the morning. Shall I have dinner arranged, or would you prefer to visit one of the city''s diners?"

    "Oh, come on, Calbern. Is that even a question?" Nexxa replied, bumping his shoulder.

    Calbern maintained his posture, simply arching an eyebrow at her.

    "We''re going out. And I don''t know about you guys, but I''m feeling like fish," I said, my eyes drifting downward to the clear waters.

    "I''ll see what the House Mastara recommends," Calbern replied, giving a short bow before stepping away.

    "Fish, huh? Thought you didn''t like fish, Perry," Nexxa said after Calbern was out of sight.

    "I¡­" I stopped, calling on Perth''s memories. She was right. Perth hadn''t enjoyed fish. Not because of the taste, but because he''d always believed it was for commoners. "That was before we came here. Before father made me a Magus Dominus."

    "Hmm, if you say so," Nexxa replied. "Doubt we''ll be eating much fish once we''re out there, fending for ourselves."

    "You know, I read once that there''s a type of fish that''s born high in the mountains. They swim out to the ocean, then swim all the way around the continent before swimming back up river, only to breed and die."

    "Damn, Perry. That''s depressing."

    "I mean¡­ sure. But just think about it. Maybe fish''ll be on the menu after all."

    Nexxa just laughed until Calbern returned. We went for dinner, and I had a dish that was very close to fish and chips, just missing a touch of lemon.

    Under the rising moons, Nexxa and I enjoyed one last night of freedom before officially accepting our mantles of Magus Dominus.

 Chapter 12 - Full Glory

    The morning came with a vengeance. Swore my head had barely hit the pillow before Calbern was shaking me awake to the scent of something sweet. I was glad I''d convinced Nexxa that alcohol would''ve been a bad idea.

    Even if she had a spell that could wipe the effects away, it was much easier to rise from bed without a hangover in the way. Not to mention that I never wanted to head down that path again.

    Calbern had me half dressed by the time I remembered we were up earlier than I was used to, simply due to the sun rising earlier in this part of the world. Jet lag without the jet. Luckily the ceremony was only three hours, so I was hoping it wouldn''t be too bad. It wasn''t until Calbern had finished dressing me that I noticed the change to my outfit.

    "A cape? Really?"

    "It is the current fashion in the king''s high court, master Perth. And personally, I think you look quite dashing."

    "I don''t see you wearing a cape," I grumbled in reply while turning to inspect the green and purple flap of cloth. I had to admit, the embroidery was well done, with the wolf''s head of my magecrest in the center.

    "It would hardly do for me to dress as a Magus Dominus, master Perth," he stated, his face entirely still, yet I swore I heard a note of amusement in his voice.

    "You''re enjoying this."

    "Of course, master Perth. I find great satisfaction in caring for my duties."

    "I''ll remember this when I''m a great and mighty Dragon-souled," I warned him, shaking a finger in his direction.

    "Excellent. I''d hate to think you''d forget my service." At that, he stood back, giving me a nod. "Yes, that''ll do."

    "I guess," I conceded, tugging at the cape before following him out of the room. It was a little annoying to find Nexxa waiting without a cape of her own.

    "Oh, no fair. I want one," she said, immediately stepping forward to tug at the cape much like I¡¯d done seconds earlier. ¡°Oh, it¡¯s so soft. And these colors!¡±

    Calbern retrieved a package sitting next to her door, holding it out to her. "I knew my lady had excellent taste."

    "Hey now," I objected, though I was unable to contain my laugh.

    Calbern simply ignored me as he helped Nexxa adjust her cape. The fabric was longer than mine, and it even came with a hood. In fact, it was large enough she could draw it around herself¡­ she hadn¡¯t gotten a cape at all. "Why''d she get a cloak?" I asked, while tugging at my cape again.

    "Because that is the current fashion for a lady of the Pegasus in the City on the Water, master Perth," Calbern said, bowing slightly.

    Nexxa shot me another teasing grin as Calbern lead us down the stairs to a waiting gondola. Our gondolier chose a more upbeat song for our morning journey. By the time we arrived at the palace, I felt fully awake. Awake, but not ready.

    Althon wasn''t a known quantity, such as Perth''s father or even my old man. Obviously, he was a mage of incredible power and a friend of Perth''s father. Despite that, all I¡¯d found in the archives was that he was one of the oldest Dragon-souled royalty. Calbern had talked to his folk, and it sounded like he treated the folk of the capital well. Nexxa said that word among the monster hunters of the west was, unless it was in the Frigid Peaks, he only got involved in beating back the monsters when it got really bad. Like, kingdoms had already been overrun, levels of bad.

    And, I supposed, we now knew that he liked capes in his court.

    We drew up to the entrance ramp, which had eleven small wooden docks attached to each side. We pulled up at the second closest dock, where we bid our gondolier goodbye before climbing up the stairs to the ramp. Looking back towards the water, I noted that if someone had an amphibious vehicle, they could drive straight up.

    With a skip in her step, Nexxa tugged at my sleeve, pulling me towards the palace entrance.

    Great pillars lined the ramp, water flowing past through transparent aqueducts. From what I could tell, it was merely for display.

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    I was proven wrong when we reached the pair of rich mahogany doors. They stood tall enough I could''ve driven a bus through them. As Calbern stepped forward to greet a young attendant, the water was diverted over great wooden wheels. Those wheels pulled tight a great chain that drew the doors open, slowly revealing the hall within.

    Passing through that hall, Nexxa finally spoke. ¡°This is a little intimidating.¡±

    ¡°Think that¡¯s the point,¡± I said, staring up at the stone arches above us. Each one was carved from a single piece of stone. Or at least appeared to be. Hiring an ensouled to forge them together would be just as impressive, in my opinion.

    We were not guided to the main throne room, but one of the side halls instead, which while much smaller, was still large. That said, it was only the size of a spacious ballroom, not a football stadium as I pictured the main throne room must be.

    The room had an open floor with a single throne. Despite the fact no one was on the floor, that didn¡¯t mean the room was empty. Along the sides, raised six feet above the floor were twelve separate alcoves, each one with at least four people seated within. In the alcoves closest to the throne, I spotted several folk stuck with the same cape I now wore.

    Our presence was announced on entry, a tradition Perth was unfamiliar with and something I''d only seen on TV.

    "Magus Dominus Perth Seleus Aranor, presenting to his Majesty Althon," the young man who¡¯d met Calbern at the door bellowed out from beside me.

    Across the room, on his throne of jagged gold and shining sapphires sat a figure of indeterminate age and gender. If I hadn''t been told Althon was male, I wouldn''t have been able to guess. Nor would I have guessed he¡¯d been alive for more than half a millennium.

    There was a sort of timelessness about him, but one that sat in the uncanny valley, making everything about him feel subtly off.

    "Magus Dominus Lenexxa Asina Aranor, presenting to his Majesty Althon," the young man bellowed out, announcing Nexxa as I took my first step down.

    I tried not to chuckle at the fact that Perth had never known that Nexxa''s full name was Lenexxa. Only the presence of Althon at the far end of the room stopped me. Still, I had every intention of teasing her about it later.

    Calbern had, thankfully, passed on instructions of how we were supposed to act. Every dragon-souled had their own preferences for holding court. Some preferred a cozier atmosphere, and you wouldn¡¯t even be invited inside unless you were considered a friend. Others would put you through literal trials by fire. In comparison, Althon¡¯s requirements were rather mild. Side by side, Nexxa and I walked down the center of the hall before coming to a stop before the dragon-souled Magus Dominus of the City on the Water.

    We both inclined our heads, while never taking our eyes off of Althon. Looking away would be a sign of extreme disrespect. I hadn''t understood why when we were given the instruction, but now that we¡¯d walked his halls and met him face to face, it made a sort of sense, I supposed. He clearly put a lot of effort into the theatre of it all.

    Which also explained the next part.

    Doing my best not to display nervousness beneath the gaze of the assembled audience, I stepped forward. For all my effort, when I first attempted to speak, my voice caught.

    Public speaking had never been part of my skill set.

    Despite myself, I glanced towards Nexxa. She gave me just the slightest of nods. I swallowed, then locked my eyes back on Althon. He met my gaze, blinking languidly, as though dragging out the action to emphasize my hesitation.

    It was enough.

    "I, Perth of Aranor, ascending Mage-soul, pledge myself to Althon, High King of the City on the Water, as a Magus Dominus," I said, trying to raise my voice without actually yelling. Not something I''d had much practice with. Calbern was a master of it.

    A second later, Nexxa copied me. According to Calbern, her going second was a statement of her seniority, while us presenting ourselves together expressed our desire to be seen as allies. For something I saw as a mere stopping point, there was a lot of ceremony involved. "I, Lenexxa of Aranor, ascending Pegasus-soul, pledge myself to Althon, High King of the City on the Water, as a Magus Dominus."

    There were numerous gasps and muttering at Nexxa''s declaration. I wasn''t sure if it was because of her rank, her age, or the combination. Either way, it was clear she was of much more interest than me. I had no problem with that.

    I also didn¡¯t have much time to consider it, as that sensation I felt when I first swore my oath returned, something inside me shifting.

    "I welcome you both," Althon said, having no issues projecting his voice to fill the room, despite the sibilance in his voice. All the muttering immediately stopped as he stood from his throne, taking two steps towards us. Not something Calbern had mentioned in his briefing.

    Unsure of how to respond, I simply stood still.

    "Our friend, Aranor, has sent us a great gift. A prodigy the likes of which we have not seen since the fall of old Anvia!"

    He gestured to Nexxa, who straightened her shoulders, as if attempting to get just that little bit taller.

    "Fly," I muttered under my breath, though I was certain she''d hear me.

    Nexxa didn''t respond, and I didn¡¯t know if she thought of it herself, or if she took my advice, but she lifted off the ground several inches. As she did so, she sent sparks arcing along her arms, then above her head into a halo. There were further gasps from the audience, and for a second, I almost smiled.

    But Althon chose that moment to take another step down, bringing him to Nexxa¡¯s eye level.

    "And what do we do when we receive such a wondrous gift?" Althon asked, turning to the side and waving his arms to encompass the audience.

    "Celebrate!" came the resounding answer, shaking the ground beneath my feet.

    In that moment, Nexxa was in her full glory, one hand held upward, lightning cascading up and down in an arc over her, like a god of lighting.

    However, my eyes had never left Althon. And I couldn''t help but notice the hunger behind his eyes as his long forked tongue flicked over his lips.

    Then those eyes shifted towards me.

    And gave a slow lazy wink.

 Chapter 13 - City On The Water

    True to Althon''s word, he held a citywide celebration.

    Water was the theme of the day. There were races in the channels in our honor, followed by water dancers.

    I had to fight to keep from taking notes as we watched the dancers. At the start, I thought they might simply be mortals, but as the dancers sung to the beat, the water moved with them, lifting them ever higher, and ever faster.

    By the end of the performance, they were weaving around each other like bees on an early spring day, a perfect symphony of organized chaos.

    It was beautiful, yet the most over-the-top part of the day was the glistening figures of Nexxa and I. A trio of young women, all of them Magus Dominus, had woven water infused with floral-scented dyes into our forms, meaning that at least our representations that towered over the palace smelled nice.

    ¡°This is better than the Rift! You can probably see us from outside the city,¡± Nexxa said, spinning in place under her figure, reaching out as though she could catch the mist that fell off it.

    ¡°Undoubtedly. I¡¯d hazard to guess one might be able to see your distinguished forms from the edge of the valley,¡± Calbern said. Somehow, his voice didn¡¯t carry any trace of sarcasm, only pride.

    ¡°Wasn¡¯t there supposed to be a play?¡± I asked. Nexxa might enjoy the attention, but I couldn¡¯t help but think of how big a target Althon was painting on our backs. And unlike Nexxa, I still couldn¡¯t cast a spell without an hour of channeling.

    ¡°Yes! Theater!¡± Nexxa yelled, running off towards the gondolier who¡¯d been running us around, but not without grabbing me by the sleeve first. ¡°Come on, Perry. We can¡¯t be late.¡±

    ¡°There is no worry of that, Lady Nexxa,¡± Calbern said, following at a more sedate pace.

    I readjusted my collar after being released from Nexxa¡¯s grasp. ¡°Yeah. They¡¯re not going to start it without us. Guests of honor and all that.¡±

    ¡°Bah, they have a schedule. We can¡¯t make them wait just cause,¡± Nexxa countered, to which I simply gave her a small open-handed shrug.

    The play was situated in one of the grand theaters ensconced in the side of the palace. Before the gondolier pulled us up, I hadn¡¯t even noticed that there were grand theaters in the sides of the palace.

    It wasn¡¯t a style of play I¡¯d experienced before, as Nexxa and I actually had a part to play, though we¡¯d be playing it from the stands. Luckily, it was a non-vocal part. All we had to do was stand up and wave whenever the low fog rolled over the rest of the audience.

    There¡¯s a feeling you get when the entire audience is invested in you, in your performance, and that of the others performing with you. I mean, when they¡¯re truly invested, like five-grand on the scrappy kid with messy black hair and scars all over his back invested. That feeling isn¡¯t a pleasant one, exactly, but it was at least familiar.

    It was entirely different from what we¡¯d been asked to do, yet even that strained my desire to stand in front of a crowd.

    The play itself started innocently enough. It was about a young man from the City on the Water who had ended up in a distant land.

    That land came under attack by monsters, and he spent most of the play stumbling from one unlikely survival scenario to the next, always one step ahead of death, even as the civilization he was visiting crumbled around him.

    Finally, he was cornered, forced to choose between drowning or burning to death.

    That was when Althon had shown up to ''save the day'', despite the entire distant kingdom having already fallen. That young man was the only one who¡¯d survived out of a cast of over a hundred. Yet there was still a scene showing a parade celebrating Althon¡¯s mighty achievement.

    It felt like I was missing something, cause as I¡¯d seen it, it was like letting Godzilla stomp all over the entirety of Japan then showing up once it had moved into the ocean, only to knock it out with a single punch.

    And for whatever reason, folk ate it up.

    The main character was pretty funny, even if all they did was survive more and more impossible scenarios by the skin of their teeth.

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    Honestly, if it wasn''t for how the audience reacted to Althon¡¯s appearance, I would''ve thought it was satire.

    It was still highly entertaining. Our part in the show had actually been foreshadowing for Althon¡¯s eventual appearance.

    ¡°That¡¯s some subtle reinforcing of our roles,¡± I said as we left the theater behind.

    ¡°Uh¡­¡± Nexxa said, looking toward Calbern, who just shrugged.

    ¡°Having us act as stand-ins for Althon,¡± I said, nodding back towards the stagge. ¡°It¡¯s showing the people that we¡¯re his representatives, even in fiction.¡±

    ¡°Perry, you¡¯re taking it too seriously,¡± Nexxa said, throwing her arm over my shoulder. ¡°It¡¯s just a play.¡±

    ¡°While generally, I would encourage such critique, I do believe lady Nexxa is correct, in this instance,¡± Calbern said as we all climbed into the gondola.

    I simply hummed in response. Didn¡¯t have much more to say, and they were probably right.

    Next on our agenda was a party with the other Magus Dominus, as well as any other ensouled who happened to be in the city.

    The moment we arrived, Althon greeted us.

    ¡°Ah, young Dominus Perth and Dominus Lanexxa, welcome. I hope you have enjoyed the festivities?¡± he asked, his arms stretched wide as he drew Nexxa into a hug. He ran his hand along her hair, once more sending me a languid wink.

    ¡°It¡¯s been a blast,¡± Nexxa said, her smile stretching from ear to ear as she broke their embrace to look past him. ¡°Oh, more water dancers?¡±

    ¡°These are a newer band. More experimental. Very new Mage, or so, I¡¯m told,¡± Althon said, his grin almost as wide as Nexxa¡¯s.

    They continued chatting about the party, and as Nexxa said, she seemed to be having a blast. Considering how much attention she¡¯d avoided at the family estate, I was a little surprised at how much she was clearly enjoying being the center of attention.

    Althon handed us each a small pamphlet with several of the other Domini we might want to meet, and a short description of each. I glanced at it, but my attention was on Althon. His weird behavior had me on edge. Throughout the whole event, he rarely took his eyes off her. Whatever he had planned, I wanted to be ready.

    Not that I imagined I could foil the plans of a Dragon-souled, but if there was even a chance¡­ I''d only known Nexxa for a month, and already she was like the sister I never had. I wasn''t ready to lose her.

    Yet nothing happened. The event passed quietly, or at least without incident. There was nothing quiet about the band of water dancers and their thundering performance.

    I did overhear several Magus Domini talking about Nexxa. And about how none of the nearby domains were available, so how valuable could a prodigy really be. Some thought we might supplant existing Magus Domini. Others were certain we''d be sent upriver, just past the border, where we''d be used to shield the ''actually valuable'' Magus Domini.

    It surprised me that they all had domains close enough to return to the capital for her celebration. Then I learned that most of them lived in the City on the Water, and only traveled to their domains for a few weeks each year.

    As we sat on the gondola on our way back to the first house, Nexxa was singing along to the gondolier''s song. She was off key in the worst way, but the gondolier didn''t seem to mind.

    I stared out across the water, wondering if I''d been wrong. Maybe Althon didn''t have anything sinister in mind for Nexxa.

    "What''s eating you?" Nexxa asked, stopping down beside me to drag an arm in the water.

    "What do you mean?" I replied, not turning away from the water.

    "Come on. We''ve spent the last month gearing up for this trip. I''ve never seen you more alive, Per-per. Then they throw this big party, and you go sullen. You''re not jealous, are you?"

    "Jealous?"

    "Yeah, cause I''m getting all this attention and they''re treating you like, you know¡­"

    "I''m not sure I do," I replied, a trace of amusement making its way through my concern.

    "Crimson goddess, you''re gonna make me say it aren''t you?"

    I simply raised my eyebrows at her, a small smile tracing my lips.

    "They''re treating you like father did, before you awakened. Like the rest of our goddess cursed family still does. Like you¡¯re not worth being part of the family. Like you don''t matter," Nexxa was squeezing her hands into fists by the time she finished.

    I reached over and squeezed her shoulder. "That doesn''t matter now. We''re Magus Domini, Nexxa. And just cause I''m a little behind, doesn''t mean I''m gonna stay here."

    "So, you''re not jealous?"

    "Goddess no. Better you than me."

    "Then what''s with the whole¡­ you know, brooding."

    I was unable to hold back a laugh. "I wasn''t brooding. I was watching. There''s something off about Althon."

    "I had noticed that as well, master Perth," Calbern said, his brow furrowed as he looked back towards the palace.

    "You mean other than his whole¡­ everything?" Nexxa asked, waving a hand at me.

    "Hey now," I objected.

    "Whatever. You get what I mean. The man looks wrong."

    "Yeah, he does. But there was something else. He had this look in his eyes whenever he looked at you. Like he''d seen a burger after years of eating nothing but lettuce."

    There was a moment of silence as Nexxa and I stared at each other.

    It was finally broken by Nexxa asking, "What?"

    "I mean, he looked hungry."

    "Yeah, no, I got that part. What in the Rift is a burger?"

    "It''s¡­ uh¡­ like a sandwich made of ground up meat," I explained, looking to Calbern for support only to find him giving me a questioning raise of his eyebrow. "Come on, they had them at lunch."

    "Oh, local cuisine. And you didn''t save me one? What sort of brother are¡­ are¡­ hmm¡­" the rest of Nexxa''s question was lost forever as she slipped into sleep, her head lolling to the side.

    "I''m surprised she lasted this long," Calbern said gently pulling Nexxa back from where she¡¯d been leaning over the side of the gondola. "If I''m not mistaken, she exhausted her mana pool at least twenty times today."

    I whistled softly. "She really is a prodigy, isn''t she."

    Calbern simply nodded while draping his jacket over her shoulders. "Prodigy or not, she is family first."

    "You and her, Calbern. All the family I''ll ever need," I said, reaching over and squeezing his shoulder.

    He didn''t respond, though a small smile tugged at the corner of his lips.

 Chapter 14 - A Real Wizard

    The next morning we were summoned to a private audience with Althon.

    We arrived much like the day before, even down to the announcement.

    But this time, there was no audience. Calbern had stayed behind, and even the young man announcing us left as soon as they''d performed their duty.

    Which left Nexxa and I alone in a room with the most powerful mage on this side of the continent. Althon sat on his throne, tapping his fingers softly on the arm rest as he watched us.

    We watched him right back, neither of us moving from our place near the entrance. This wasn''t the scripted event from yesterday. This was our true first meeting.

    After nearly five minutes Althon suddenly stood, turning away while waving a hand at us to follow. "Come. Time grows short, and I must once again sacrifice my needs for the many."

    Nexxa and I exchanged a glance before marching forward to fall in behind him.

    Somehow, he managed to slither as he walked. At that point, I was starting to wonder if instead of water, maybe he had a snake affinity. Perth had never heard of such a thing, but he''d never heard of the elf-song either.

    Althon led us down a hallway lined with art of the city and its folk. As we walked, I could see how the city had grown. And how it had fallen, only to be brought back again.

    Every picture had Althon in it. In some he was smiling, others he was crying. And in a rare few, his face was painted in a rictus grin of hate.

    In none of them did Althon carry the unsettling appearance I was familiar with.

    "Look closely children, for if you follow the path I see laid before you, you will know these struggles yourselves."

    The person speaking wasn''t Althon. Or, at least, it wasn''t the one we''d been following.

    From out of a picture behind us stepped a man. A tall man, his shoulders straight and square, his beard long and gray, and his eyes as piercing as a screw driver.

    He was everything I''d first imagined Althon would be. More really.

    I could feel the mana rolling off him in waves, and I cursed myself for my foolishness. The other ''Althon'' didn''t even have as much mana pressure as Perth''s father, yet I''d believed he was the real deal.

    Speaking of the other Althon, he sidled up to us, his form slipping away. First his face melted off, then each of his limbs, one by one. Finally, beneath it all was a snake. Once free of its shed ¡®skin¡¯ it continued past us to coil around Althon''s leg before ascending up across his shoulders. It flicked its tongue out, staring at Nexxa with the same hungry gaze that had me on edge the day before.

    Seeing that look on what was clearly Althon''s familiar was still a little worrying but not nearly so much as it had been.

    "Come children, we have much to discuss," Althon said, turning back towards the painting. And I hadn¡¯t imagined him stepping out, because he stepped right back in.

    I watched for several seconds as his form moved deeper into the grass filled meadow depicted on the painting, sharing a glance with Nexxa.

    Then I followed his lead, hoping I wasn''t about to embarrass myself. To my relief and horror, I felt myself melting down as I stepped through the picture, only to reform before the process could complete.

    Some part of me told me that if I''d melted all the way, that would''ve been it. No more Perth. No more Perry. No more me.

    Just a messy puddle in a painting.

    "Well, that was the weirdest thing I''ve experienced in the last eight hours," Nexxa said before giving her whole body a shake.

    "Only the last eight hours, huh?"

    "Yep," Nexxa confirmed without explanation before marching up the trail.

    Not wanting to get left behind, I sped after her until we reached Althon.

    He''d stopped next to a clear pool of water, and was staring into it, mumbling softly. As we approached he tapped it with the end of his staff, causing ripples to spread. Yet the ripples didn¡¯t settle into calmness. Instead, they rose and shifted until they¡¯d reformed. I''d been in an airplane exactly once, back on Earth, but that was still enough for me to recognize what he was showing us.

    "This shall be your domain, Lenexxa of Althon," he said. "The mountains are yours to explore, the valleys, yours to exploit, and the monsters, yours to exterminate, and once that''s done, the borders will be yours to expand."

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    "This is a dangerous land, but one that will reward your efforts. Do not mistake your skill for experience. I have arranged for a seasoned hunter to advise you for your first two years. Listen to his advice, but make your own choices."

    Nexxa nodded, her eyes focused as she scanned every mountain, no doubt committing it to memory.

    I did the same. It may have been Nexxa''s, but if I truly intended to be her ally, there might come a time I''d need to come to her aid. Knowing the shape of her domain would be useful, if that day ever came.

    We remained silent until Nexxa nodded again. "Where will I meet this hunter?"

    "He will be waiting for you at the heart of your domain, here at the head of the Teleti river. A week''s journey as the airship flies. Two by boat, and eight by horse."

    "I don''t see any settlements," I noted as I scanned the map again, despite being certain of my statement.

    "That''s because there are none. Until Magus Dominus Lenexxa makes the land safe, it will be unclaimed land."

    "Oh," I muttered.

    "Do not worry. I do not expect the same of a Mage-souled Magus Dominus as a Pegasus," he said with a light chuckle.

    "Yeah, doofus. Sides, you''re not half the fighter I am even before we account for our spells."

    A nervous chuckle of my own escapes me. "Was I that obvious?"

    "Obvious as rain on a cloudy day with a grumpy water mage watching from the porch," Nexxa replied.

    "An oddly specific example," I replied, glancing towards Althon.

    Althon started mumbling again, cutting off any reply Nexxa might have given me. Then he wiped the pool clean with another tap.

    One more tap, and the features reshaped themselves into what would be my domain.

    I was surprised to see the eastern edge remain liquid. Also, there was a great deal more height difference between the lowest part of my domain and the highest. Near that highest point, which sat just inland from the lake or ocean, was a tiny settlement of maybe twelve buildings. Half of them looked to be ruins.

    Unlike Nexxa, there was no river in my domain. Just a few small creeks and the large body of water to the east.

    "This shall be your domain, Perth of Althon," he said, breaking me out of my thoughts. "The mountains are yours to explore, the valleys, yours to exploit, and the monsters, yours to exterminate, and once that''s done, the borders will be yours to expand."

    "What this land lacks in monsters, it makes up for in isolation. You will journey to the furthest tip of the continent, on the edge of the Great Storm that burns eternal. It is a two week trip by airship from the closest domain, your sister''s. Four months, by horse."

    "Wait, horse? Why horse? Can''t I use a pegasus or one of those drakes?"

    "In the Frigid Peaks? I''m afraid neither would handle the cold of the high road well. If you have the funds, perhaps you could arrange frost wolves, though finding three of the beasts would be a challenge anywhere outside the peaks themselves."

    "That''s¡­ unfortunate. Then how am I going to get there safely?"

    "You shall travel with your sister to her domain. Once there, she will escort you to the eastern edge of her domain. Assuming you have unlocked your first spell impression, you will be capable of taking the eastern high road. It will be cold, but the wards remain¡­ mostly functional. Those that aren''t, you will repair as you travel east. You will be as safe as any Magus Dominus can be."

    "That''s not ominous," I muttered, shaking my head as I returned to studying the map.

    "Being a Magus Dominus is not for those who seek a guarantee of safety," Althon replied, a frown on his face.

    "I mean, it beats being sent to the Front," I replied, tracing out the nearest spring''s direction from the settlement.

    "What does that have to do with¡­ Aranor! Tell me child, did your father threaten to send you to the Front if you didn''t become a Magus Dominus?"

    "Uh¡­ basically?" I said, glancing at Nexxa who was staring back at me with her mouth hanging open.

    "It seems I must apologize. I cannot change your fate at this point. You have made the pledge, and we are all bound to serve the Pillars. Had I known¡­"

    "I mean, if you want to make it up to me, you can always drop me right in my domain. Or, you know, I always enjoy adding more spells to my grimoire. So¡­ maybe I could take a peek at your library?"

    Althon huffed out a laugh. "Bold child. I''m afraid I cannot simply spirit you away. Even the Shadow would find it difficult to take another so far in a timely manner. And to charter an airship to travel so far outside the Sky Ways would be prohibitive. It would make more sense to leave the land fallow for the next ten years. However, I suppose I could allow you to peruse one of my low order grimoires."

    I blinked. I honestly hadn''t expected that to work. Getting access to his spells was worth way more to me than a quick trip.

    "Hmm. I shall also assign a guide who knows the high road for two years. Much like your sister, you should listen to them. But remember, your choices remain your own."

    I nodded as I pulled out my journal, sketching out a rough map of the pool in front of me. It wasn''t the neatest, but it would be a lot better than solely relying on my memory.

    When I got a chance to search through his grimoire, I hoped I could find a complement to Review Scroll that might allow me to take pictures to add to Memory Palace.

    Then again, didn''t Nexxa say she could relive her memories? Maybe I wouldn''t need anything extra.

    When I indicated I was done, Althon swept the map clean. Then he led us out of the painting, emerging back in the hall. I hadn''t noticed, but his snake had left at some point. Possibly as soon as he entered the painting.

    "This is where I bid you both farewell. I have made arrangements for a ship to take you upriver in three days. My grimoire will remain in the library at your guest house until you leave, delivered by your mentor. I shall contact you every year on the Fifth of Hungry Summer, at the Heart of your settlements. If I am unable to contact you five years in a row, I shall assume you have perished."

    "Ouch," I muttered. Not a lot of confidence there.

    "If you survive for ten years, then your domains are yours for life, should you wish it." He paused, turning to both of us and laying a hand on each of our shoulders. "I hope to see you both ten years from now. Be prepared, be bold, be cunning. And remember, so long as you live, there is hope."

    The intensity of his gaze made me want to take a step back, but the iron grip he kept on my shoulder locked me in place.

    It only served to reinforce his words.

    Then, as we were both still absorbing his last words, he vanished in a puff of mist.

    Now that¡­ that was a real wizard.

 Chapter 15 - Secrets of Telthen

    When Nexxa and I made our way out past the throne room, we found the snake back in the throne in its human form. I couldn''t help but chastise myself for falling for the obvious setup. Of course a thousand-year-old wizard wasn''t going to sit around on a throne all day. He had more important things to do.

    Only when his personal attention was required did he spare time for us. Even that could''ve been delegated if he''d wanted.

    It was a lesson I intended to remember. Especially for speeches.

    We were quiet all the way to our gondola. The song was bittersweet today. Love that burned bright, but faded too soon.

    "Did father really not give you a choice?" Nexxa asked when we were halfway back to the guest house, a flight of colorful songbirds skimming past us, low above the water.

    "Not much of one," I said with a shrug as my gaze followed the birds as they disappeared into one of the city¡¯s many side channels. "Could''ve been worse."

    "I¡­ a Magus Dominus isn''t supposed to be something that''s forced. You were so excited, it didn''t even occur to me that father had¡­ had been so dishonorable." Nexxa thumped her hand on the rim of the gondola hard enough to cause the gondolier to startle, proving then and there they could be interrupted.

    It only took our gondolier a moment to take up singing again, though I noted it was a more upbeat melody.

    As the birds disappeared, I turned towards Nexxa. She had her fists clenched, and she was biting her lip as she stared west. Reaching over, I took her hand, making her jump slightly, before meeting my gaze. "Look, it doesn''t matter. Are there other things I might''ve enjoyed more? Maybe. But I am looking forward to this. Besides, I made the oath, and confirmed it right beside you. Even if I could, I''m not one to back out of a promise."

    "That''s not¡­ the point is that father shouldn''t have forced you into it. Becoming a Magus Dominus is an honor. And a terrible responsibility. Especially when serving under a foreign king. We''ve revoked our family name. You understand what that means, right?"

    "I was wondering about him calling us ''of Althon''," I replied, letting go of her hand to run it alongside the boat as I considered her words. "Guess it''s a good thing we revoked his name then, since he obviously wasn''t deserving of us."

    "I¡­ you''re impossible," Nexxa said, pushing me away from her. But she was smiling.

    After that, we continued chatting about everything we¡¯d seen in the City on the Water until the gondola pulled up to the guest house. Just at the top of the stairs, Calbern was waiting for us.

    "Greetings, master Perth. A package is waiting for you in the study," Calbern said, an unusual warble in his voice as he spoke.

    "You don''t think?" I asked, looking towards Nexxa before rushing up the stairs.

    "He''s a Dragon-souled wizard who walks in and out of paintings. I''m making no assumptions," Nexxa said, shaking her head as she followed me.

    "Master Perth?" Calbern called from behind us. "Is everything okay?"

    As I reached the library and found a grimoire shaped package wrapped in glistening blue paper, I couldn''t help but smile as I replied, "Yep. Couldn''t be better."

    I stepped forward, peeling back the wrapping and staring down at the grimoire of a true wizard.

    Nexxa came up next to me, her smile nearly as wide as my own. "Well, what are you waiting for? Open it."

    I took a deep breath, my hand running along the platinum surface, inspecting the fine filigree and sapphire set in the center of the cover. Then I took it by the clasp¡­

    ¡°Ahem, I assume you are the new Magus Dominus?¡± A voice asked from behind us, causing Nexxa and I to spin around. Behind us, wearing a cloak similar to Nexxa¡¯s, though with accents of blue and green instead of her purple and gold, was a tall man with a sharp nose, his hands folded before him.

    ¡°Who¡¯re you?¡± I asked, taking a half-step in front of Nexxa before I could think about it.

    Nexxa slugged my shoulder, stepping up beside me her hands crackling with sparks. I hoped she wouldn¡¯t actually need any spells considering how much mana she¡¯d already used.

    ¡°Magus Dominus Bentel of Althon, though you shall call me Books. Our domains share borders,¡± Books said, nodding towards Nexxa.

    ¡°Wait, seriously? Books? Just Books?¡± Nexxa asked, shooting me a glance.

    I gave her a minuscule shrug. I¡¯d heard far weirder names back home.

    ¡°Yes. Is that going to be a problem?¡±

    ¡°No problems here,¡± I said, offering him a slight bow in return. ¡°My name is Perth.¡±

    ¡°Yes, so I¡¯ve been informed,¡± Books replied, pressing a single finger to the middle of his nose. Then he frowned, moving his hand to the side. ¡°Althon thought you two could use some help getting familiar with your new duties. As your time is limited, he sent the only Dominus capable of addressing your obvious inadequacies, which are many. All mist, no water, as the locals like to say.¡±

    ¡°Say that again,¡± Nexxa said, cracking her knuckles, an arc of lightning shooting over our heads. ¡°Real slow, so I can make sure I heard it right.¡±

    ¡°That is what I meant,¡± Books said, frowning as he waved his hand in the direction of Nexxa¡¯s flashing lightning. ¡°Impeccable spellwork. Excellent presence. Atrocious response to hostility. Poor situational awareness. Inability to remember instructions.¡±

    ¡°What instructions?¡± I asked, stepping between Books and Nexxa again. It occurred to me that Nexxa unleashing torrents of lightning next to Althon¡¯s grimoire might not be the wisest idea.

    ¡°At the party, you were given a list of people you were to talk to. That list included me,¡± Books said, crossing his arms. ¡°Neither of you so much as approached me, nor several of the other contacts on my list.¡±

    ¡°List?¡± I asked, glancing at Nexxa who simply shrugged in response. ¡°What list?¡±

    ¡°The¡­

    ¡°I believe this is what the Dominus is referring to, Master Perth,¡± Calbern said, holding out a folded piece of paper.

    ¡°That is precisely what I was referring to,¡± Books said, taking the book from Calbern¡¯s outstretched hand. Then he stepped forward, grabbing my wrist to press it into my hand.

    ¡°Oh, the-¡± I started, finally recognizing the little booklet Althon¡¯s familiar had given us at the party. I never got to finish as a bolt of lightning slammed into Books.

    Support the author by searching for the original publication of this novel.

    I didn¡¯t know exactly what happened, other than registering a brilliant blue flash.

    When my vision cleared, I was relieved to find the grimoire was okay. And so was Books, who was picking himself up off the far side of the room, glaring at Nexxa.

    ¡°Keep your hands off my brother,¡± Nexxa ground out, her eyes narrowed.

    ¡°Typical kingdomer,¡± Books muttered, wobbling slightly as he got to his feet.

    ¡°Althon did mention a mentor,¡± I said, pulling on Nexxa¡¯s sleeve. ¡°Maybe don¡¯t antagonize him¡­ any more.¡±

    Nexxa blinked at me. Then she glanced down at the booklet. Finally, she shifted to take in Books, who was brushing the singed edges of his cloak with a frown. The ever present sparks cut off as she offered me a small shrug alongside a mumbled, ¡°Oops?¡±

    ¡°What say we start again?¡± I suggested.

    ¡°While I am not surprised by your barbarity, I shall hardly be forgetting it,¡± Books said, stepping slightly to the side, putting Calbern between himself and Nexxa. ¡°It seems this shall be a challenge, even for one with such considerable talent as I.¡±

    ¡°Speaking of challenges,¡± I said, unable to keep myself from looking back towards Althon¡¯s grimoire. ¡°I was about to delve into whatever mysteries Althon might¡¯ve shared. Don¡¯t suppose your lessons can wait until after?¡±

    Books tapped the side of his long nose with a single finger, looking between Nexxa and I for several seconds, before finally nodding. ¡°Very well. I shall return anon, after this one has had a chance to¡­ settle.¡±

    Next to me, Nexxa¡¯s cheeks flushed brightly even as she clenched her hands into fists. But she kept her mouth shut, and gave a brief nod.

    So I escorted Books out of our guesthouse, politely reminding him to have Calbern announce him properly next time, then returned to Nexxa. She gave me another small shrug, but her eyes were locked on Althon¡¯s grimoire. I really couldn¡¯t blame her.

    I stepped up to the ornate tomb, running my hand over its surface once more. Then I set my hand on the clasp, sharing a wide grin with Nexxa.

    And cracked it wide open.

    <u>                                                                                                    </u>

    Despite wanting to do nothing but peruse Althon''s grimoire, Nexxa and I had a lot to take care of before we left. In addition to our lessons with Books, which Nexxa had managed to put off until we set out, all the supplies I''d brought with me were now basically useless.

    On the plus side, I had brought a lot of high value trade goods that would be worth a lot more on this side of the gate. Unfortunately, with a recent gate activation, many of those products weren''t as rare as they otherwise would be.

    Worth enough to pay for the essence materials I¡¯d need to scribe the spells from his grimoire to mine. Still, the cost made me wince. Thousands of gold per page.

    I''d known it was expensive, but it was only as I paid for the materials myself that I understood just how much I¡¯d spent. Scribing a single spell cost more than a citizen of Althon''s capital city spent on food in their entire life.

    Also, even with only the goods we¡¯d brought with us, I was stupid rich.

    The sort of rich that ignored things like passports and criminal prosecution back on Earth. It almost made me sick.

    Thankfully, Nexxa kept me on track, reminding me it was my duty to use that wealth to help the folk who would live beneath my protection.

    It helped.

    As did the realization that the ingredients for scribing spells could be grown. It took dedicated attention from a mage with the appropriate affinity, but it could be done. Which meant the ingredients I¡¯d used back at the family estate had been much cheaper than what was available for public purchase in the City on the Water.

    Obviously, I had Calbern procure several additional bags of seeds to keep in my ring. The ring''s importance had blown through the roof after understanding how remote my domain would be.

    More than half of the storage ended up dedicated to seeds, most of which had unique alchemical uses or provided essence for scribing. The rest were for particularly hardy or nutritious plants.

    Scurvy was still a thing, even if mages could learn a spell to cure it. Given the scarcity of mages, for the average person, it was cheaper to just grow the right fruit.

    Calbern managed to locate an elven mage who was willing to cast Tongues on us, while giving us a set of books to practice with. All for the low price of three bottles of wine from our family''s vineyard. It would''ve barely amounted to a hundred golden Thorns back home, so I considered it a great deal.

    We spent the second day picking up the language and making fun of each other''s horrible accents. Even Calbern took part.

    There were three basic spells I acquired from Althon''s grimoire. Two first order spells, Water Breathing and Water Purification, as well as a single second order spell, Create Ice.

    The prime choice, and what took up the majority of my time with the grimoire was a third order spell, Secrets of Telthen. The notes indicated that Telthen was a fallen city that Althon had visited once in his youth.

    It was only a little disappointing that most of the spells in the grimoire were water or ice based.

    Disappointing but not surprising. I could admit that I''d been hoping for a lower order worlds spell. But my desire to keep the affinity secret had outweighed my desire to outright ask for one.

    Which was why I¡¯d chosen Secrets.

    Not only was Secrets a Worlds spell, it was the first third order I¡¯d seen. Even though most of the runes were beyond my understanding, the operation was simple enough. Secrets of Telthen had two aspects. The first was the creation of small pocket realms the caster could access. It required pools of still water, no larger than ten feet across. When cast, Secrets would make the water stiffer. A bit like a thick jello, if I was reading it right.

    After a realm was formed, the caster could use a specialized version of the Access Storage spell to activate it, drawing in the caster and anything in their immediate vicinity. Including other people. Though that seemed like a not so great choice, since each one was only large enough for three people, and that, only if they were willing to snuggle very close.

    From within, the occupants could monitor what was going on outside, like looking through lightly frosted glass.

    While I could see uses for the first part, it was the second that caught my attention. After establishing at least two of these pools, a caster could move through them. The range was only a few miles, but it was another piece of the Worlds magic puzzle. If I could master Worlds magic it would certainly go a long way to make up for the remote location of my domain.

    But that was a long term goal. Very long term. And I didn¡¯t have the power or skill to keep from ending up locked away, no matter how wizardly Althon may have seemed.

    It felt a little closer when I felt the space inside my core shift. It had been shifting by small degrees every day, slowly expanding, but never enough to fit the simplest of first order spells.

    On the third day in the City on the Water, that changed.

    As soon as I felt it, I stopped scribing and spent an hour slotting in Access Storage. Then I cast the spell without having to infuse my grimoire. My blasting rod dropped into my hand after only three seconds.

    I swayed in place at the sudden emptying of my mana pool, fighting to remain conscious even as a giant grin stretched across my face.

    At some point, I must''ve lost consciousness, because the next thing I knew, Nexxa was shaking me awake. "Perry! Perry, are you okay? What happened?"

    "First spell," I muttered, the words coming out slurred due to the right half of my mouth not working properly. I wiggled my tongue for a few seconds before trying again. Thankfully I was much clearer the second time around. "First spell."

    "Oh, thank the goddess. I should''ve known not to leave you alone when you were getting so close."

    "I''m fungin," I replied, grimacing at my traitorous mouth. "Fine. I''m fine. Just a little mana exhaustion."

    "Yep, yep. Let''s top you off, just to make sure."

    I nodded and accepted her crackling mana. It felt just a little easier than the last time she charged me. I wondered if my storm affinity had increased, or if it was just the result of my mana core being a little more stable.

    "There you go. Now, give it another shot," Nexxa said, standing back with her arms crossed.

    "Now? Weren''t you just busting my balls about expending all my mana?"

    Nexxa tilted her head to the side, mouthing my words to herself. Then she shook her head. "No. I was upset you didn''t come get me. We''re going to spend the next two weeks working up your affinities. If we work all the way until the river head, we should be able to unlock at least two more impression slots."

    "I¡­ that fast?" I asked, my mouth hanging open. Everything I''d learned through Perth''s lessons said that sort of growth was impossible. If we maintained that speed, I could be Astral-souled in a little over a month. Assuming I could assemble a solid framework once I had all five spell impressions unlocked.

    "Yep. Prodigy, remember?" Nexxa said, flipping her hair while giving me an exaggerated wink and a smile. A smile that quickly faded. "It''s not going to be pleasant though."

    "As a wise man once said, we don''t do these things because they are easy. We do them because they are hard," I replied, paraphrasing the last truly great president.

    "I¡­ I like that. Totally stealing it," Nexxa said, giving me a long look.

    I glanced towards the grimoire, then back to Nexxa. "Can you give me half an hour. I''m almost done scribing Water Breathing. Then I''m all yours."

    Nexxa leaned forward, tapping her fingers together. Then she threw her head back, cackling madly.

    I was suddenly not looking forward to the next couple of weeks.

 Chapter 16 - Fair nuff

    After I finished scribing my last spell from the grimoire, Nexxa stuck to her word, having me cast Access Storage repeatedly while refilling my mana with her own.

    It was even more useful than she''d promised. After a single evening, it felt like I was ten percent of the way to having my second impression unlocked.

    We weren''t able to continue in the morning, because I needed my wits about me and non-stop casting left me groggy and confused. Even with the break, I still felt like my head was stuffed with cotton. Possibly another reason other mages didn¡¯t rush to the Astral stage.

    Leaving the manor we were staying in, we made our way to the industrial section of the city. Even there, the water remained pristine, with the ships moving near silently along the water. There were significantly less gondolas in the area as we climbed up the stone steps toward the warehouse.

    Instead of the stone block building I¡¯d been expecting, the warehouse had been reshaped to resemble a snail shell. Most of the nearby buildings shared the motif. I couldn¡¯t help but wonder if it was a point of pride, or if Althon had decreed that all the buildings had to be prettied up.

    The cargo was intact, and it would all be sent to our guest manor when we were ready to leave. Which would be that day, after one last peek at Althon¡¯s grimoire. I spent every remaining minute pouring over it, taking notes on any of the runes I didn¡¯t recognize.

    Then it was time to go.

    That we were leaving directly from our guesthouse was a quirk of the capital city I found endearing. There was something special about setting sail from your doorstep.

    Not that I''d want to make a habit of it.

    As our ship pulled up, I admired its design. It had a pair of large paddle wheels at the back, but the wheels had been worked to resemble several bird wings, with most of the wheel hidden away. It made it look as though only a single wing of each wheel was stretching out at a time. While it probably wasn¡¯t the most efficient design, I gave them credit for style.

    The rest of the ship fit the bird motif, with the figure or masthead or whatever they called it at the front being a large bird¡¯s head, and the hull being carved to match. As it drew near, the paddles sliced through the water in near silence, barely leaving ripples as it slowed to a stop.

    There was rigging on the front, with sails that stuck to the bird motif, looking more like an array of feathers than cloth, though it was bound tightly to the mast.

    And right at the loading dock, was Books, his hands folded in front of him as he studied us. He¡¯d gotten rid of the cloak, and was now wearing a sturdy set of fur clothing.

    With the ship ready for us, we quickly slipped aboard. Books kept to himself, and instead we were greeted by a young man who showed us to our private cabins, explaining our schedule to Calbern as Nexxa and I got settled. I tried to listen in, but the fogginess in my head made it hard to think.

    It was only as we were leaving the capital behind that it struck me I probably wouldn¡¯t return for years.

    ¡°It¡¯s a beautiful city,¡± Nexxa said, joining me at the engraved railing at the back of the ship.

    ¡°Very,¡± I agreed, rubbing at my head, wishing the headache away. Minor Heal refused to do more than take the edge off.

    ¡°Soul drain,¡± Nexxa said, elbowing me slightly. ¡°I¡¯ve got a spell that¡¯d fix it, but that¡¯d wipe away your progress.¡±

    ¡°That sounds bad,¡± I said, narrowing my eyes at her.

    ¡°There¡¯s a reason people don¡¯t rush, Perry. If you didn¡¯t have me looking over you, I¡¯d warn you away too,¡± Nexxa said, her gaze fixed on the distant horizon.

    ¡°But I do have you.¡±

    ¡°Yep! So, get casting, slacker,¡± Nexxa declared, demonstrating with a spark show of her own.

    So, sitting on the upper deck while the Dove¡¯s Hand made its way up the Teleti river, Nexxa and I resumed my practice. By the time the sun set on the river, sending its rays to pierce the scattered clouds, I was almost halfway to unlocking my second slot.

    I also had an immense headache, only slightly relieved by Minor Heal. Nexxa reassured me once more, and even admitted she''d made the mistake of using a healing spell on herself when she''d gone through this process and set herself back an entire week''s progress.

    Not wanting to risk losing my only slot, I did my best to power through the headache. Unfortunately, that meant taking lessons from Books was¡­ less than enjoyable.

    ¡°The very first thing you need to understand, is that the people beneath us matter. I can¡¯t tell you how many young Magus Domini neglect their people only to be cast down because of it. We swore an oath, and it binds us. If you do not uphold it, you will find your magic withering away until you¡¯re weaker than a mortal,¡± Books said, motioning with his chin towards one of the sailors nearby. ¡°That said, while the oath only requires us to keep our people healthy and hale, I have found a happy mortal is more productive. But only to a degree. If you spoil your mortals, they can get slovenly and lazy. Or worse they may start believing it is acceptable to¡­¡±

    Books lowered his voice, glancing around the deck.

    Despite my headache, I found myself leaning forward, straining to hear his next words.

    ¡°They may¡­ talk to you,¡± Books said, a shudder travelling down his back.

    Nexxa and I shared a glance, and then both started laughing. It was enough to draw the attention of most of the deck.

    The rest of the lesson was a little more what I expected, with Books focusing on the logistics of keeping our ¡®mortals¡¯ hale and hearty. A lot of what he had to say relied on trade.

    ¡°This isn¡¯t going to be much help to me,¡± I said, looking over an example of tariffs to impose, along with notes about which items our fellow Domini preferred. It wasn¡¯t just my headache that was making my head hurt by that point.

    This content has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.

    ¡°Not at first, no,¡± Books admitted with a small nod. ¡°However, you mentioned that you had a spell aid for memory. If you expect your domain to prosper, you¡¯ll need trade. And even the far corners of the Frigid Peaks has commerce. The mountain clans if no one else.¡±

    I nodded, though I struggled to follow along with the rest of the lesson, my headache only growing worse until he finally relinquished me to bed. Thankfully, by the next morning it had diminished to a barely noticeable tension in my forehead.

    That didn''t last long. As soon as we finished breakfast, Nexxa resumed our training regimen.

    Cast Access Storage. Pull my blasting rod out of inventory, spin it, take my firing stance. Have Nexxa infuse me with crackling Mana. Cast Access Storage again. Put blasting rod away. Repeat.

    Over and over.

    It was brutal.

    There were several points where I wanted to smack Nexxa with the rod, and when Books started droning on about tax laws, monster bounties, and the benefits of hunting halls, I was ready to snap.

    But as I was gazing outward into the slowly churning river, the captain calling out for the night watch to take their shift, I felt that shift in my soul once more.

    I''d unlocked my second spell impression.

    I attempted to slot in Minor Heal, but the fog and headache made it impossible. It was so bad, I spent half the night awake, only falling asleep in the early hours when the pain started to fade.

    I slept past noon, and when I came onto the deck for some fresh air, Nexxa was waiting.

    "I pushed too hard. I''m sorry," Nexxa said, pulling at a piece of the rigging with one hand.

    "It''s fine. I wanted to keep going," I said even as I swatted her hand away from the rigging. "It wasn''t your fault."

    "Still, we have time. We should pace ourselves. It''s not like we can keep going if you can''t keep your impression slots full."

    "Fair ''nuff," I agreed, massaging my still sore head.

    "You know, you never used to say it like that," Nexxa said, grabbing onto the rigging again and swaying on it.

    "Stop that," I said, swatting her hand again. "And say what like what?"

    "Fair ''nuff," Nexxa said, glancing over at Calbern and Books who were leaning on the railing at the front of the ship, their gazes fixed on the horizon as they talked. "I know Calbern thinks it''s just you affecting a ''rough'' demeanor, but that''s not it, is it?"

    "I¡­ uh¡­"

    "You¡¯ve changed. Ever since your awakening," Nexxa said, finally letting go of the rigging to move over to the railing instead. She leaned out over the water, a hand reaching towards the surface despite it being a dozen feet down. "You''re not the brother I knew."

    The words sent a jolt down my spine as I glanced at her. That hadn¡¯t been an accusation. I joined her at the railing and we both stood there in silence for over a minute. This was the moment. I knew I should just pull the plug and let the oil drain where it would.

    For several long seconds, my mouth hung open as I searched for the words that would reveal the truth without send her running.

    In the end, I said nothing.

    Instead, it was Nexxa who broke the silence. ¡°It¡¯s good. Good that you¡¯ve found this new purpose. It¡¯s like we¡¯re siblings again. I never meant us to¡­ Do you remember when we went racing in the dark? We took the horses out. Calbern was so mad."

    I thought back, and laughed as it played through my mind. "Ten years ago. You took the black one, cause black goes faster at night. Or so you said."

    "Yep. And I stand by it," Nexxa said, leaning down towards the water again. "That was the last time we¡­ it was the last time I felt like I had a brother."

    "Father got mad," I said, replaying the memories of what came after. "It was terrifying. The second horse we ¡®borrowed¡¯ for that ride? It was Sosa¡¯s. When he stormed into father¡¯s office to complain, Calbern heard all about it. At the time, it seemed like the whole thing had been a setup to cause trouble for young Perth."

    ¡°Talking about yourself in the third person now, huh?¡± Nexxa said, punching me in the shoulder.

    I flinched at the slip, though I played it off as reacting to her punch. Maybe it hadn¡¯t been a slip. Part of me wanted her to know the truth. Had I been testing her reaction? I couldn¡¯t say.

    ¡°You know now that I never meant to hurt you, yeah? If I¡¯d known¡­ I would¡¯ve stolen Berreth¡¯s instead. He never would¡¯ve told father.¡±

    I snorted at that. ¡°Berreth would¡¯ve just gone straight to a beating.¡±

    ¡°Not if I was there to stop him!¡± Nexxa declared, putting both her hands on her hips.

    ¡°You¡¯re still two heads shorter than him, and you hadn¡¯t even awoken your mana yet. What would you have done? Bit him?¡±

    ¡°You know it,¡± Nexxa said, darting forward slightly and making exagerated biting motions.

    A sailor chose that moment to come tromping past. Nexxa blushed fiercely and we both fell into silence as they worked. We watched silently as they untied a rope, then retied it, with no changes that I could see. Busywork or diligence, I couldn¡¯t be sure.

    As they finally left, we both broke into laughter, letting it fade into a shared quiet, both of us lost in our own thoughts.

    Finally, Nexxa broke the silence. "I''m glad, you know. That we¡¯re back. Siblings again. Sure, it''s crappy that you were basically forced into it by father¡­ But¡­ it feels like I''ve got you back, even if we¡¯re gonna be a thousand miles apart, we won¡¯t be¡­ You know, alone."

    "Remember when you¡¯d announced your plan to focus on Storm?" I asked, staring out across the water but not seeing anything. ¡°Sosa was talking about you after, about how foolish you were. He¡­ I was so angry. Just about punched him out.¡±

    "Really? You? Gentle, little Perry, almost hit Sosa?"

    "Yep. Curled fist, rigid back and everything. Woulda done it too, if Calbern hadn''t stepped in."

    "Good thing he did. Otherwise you never would''ve survived to become a Magus Dominus. Though I guess surviving this will be tough too,¡± Nexxa said with a heavy sigh. ¡°Did you know what you were getting into when you swore the oath?¡±

    ¡°I¡­ not really,¡± I admitted, able to share that lesser truth at least. ¡°I just knew I absolutely wouldn¡¯t survive the Front.¡±

    ¡°What was it like, facing father like that? Did he get all vinelord, with the black jagged thorns filling every corner of the room?" Nexxa laughed, turning around and dangling off the deck backwards, her feet wedged into the railing.

    ¡°Worse. On the day of my calling, I went to his study. And instead of telling me how I¡¯d serve the family, he flew me to the Front.¡±

    ¡°Wait, he flew you to the Front? Why?¡±

    ¡°It was a punishment. I¡­ shortly after my awakening, I did something. Something I came to deeply regret. Father said it forced his hand,¡± I said, looking down at my own and turning it over.

    ¡°What did you do?¡± Nexxa asked, taking my hand in her own.

    When I didn¡¯t immediately respond, Nexxa added, ¡°Just so you know, I¡¯m picturing you gathering thirteen children, all of them bound at the wrists, and-¡°

    ¡°Okay, wow. Dark much? I¡¯ll tell you,¡± I interrupted, unable to help but smile at her antics. Glancing around, making sure no one was close enough to overhear, I said in a low voice, ¡°Sosa and Velen convinced me to try a ritual that would boost my strength. It worked¡­ kind of. It¡¯s why my Worlds affinity is so high, but¡­¡±

    I almost told her. The actual truth. That it had cost Perth his life. That he¡¯d lost the battle that came after. That I¡¯d killed the brother she loved.

    But I couldn¡¯t.

    ¡°It was a soul ritual, wasn¡¯t it?¡± Nexxa asked, her voice low. ¡°It had to be. That¡¯s the only kind of ritual you could¡¯ve performed with your magic barely awoken.¡±

    ¡°Yeah. It¡­ didn¡¯t go as planned.¡±

    ¡°Messing with souls never does.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯d go back and change it if I could,¡± I admitted. And that part was true. Even if it meant I¡¯d died when I was supposed to, that would¡¯ve been better than eating her brother¡¯s soul. ¡°Think there¡¯s a spell for that?¡±

    Nexxa blinked slowly as she pulled herself closer, studying my face. There were a few long moments of silence. I heard a bird caw in the distance. Then she hiccuped. Gradually, the hiccup turned into full blown laughter.

    It was so loud, even Calbern turned to look as she shook on the deck.

    Eventually, the laughter turned to tears.

    ¡°There are so many things I¡¯d do different if I had magic like that,¡± Nexxa admitted.

    "Can''t change the past. Even the strongest time mages agree it''s impossible," I said, patting her hand once more.

    "Ha! So''s breaking through to Pegasus in less than ten years. Or so they told me three years ago," Nexxa said, a hard glint in her eyes.

    "Fair ''nuff," I said, leaning back and staring up with her.

    "Fair ''nuff," Nexxa grumbled in agreement.

 Chapter 17 - Never Kick The Monster

    The next morning, we introduced a new element to our routine. Or, more accurately, we reintroduced one. It was time to get back to practicing with our blasting rods.

    It was a great day for it, since the rain was heavy, everyone was shivering and I could barely make out my nose on my face.

    Books was standing at the exit to the lower decks, scrunching his nose up as if the sky itself had offended him, water slipping down his chin.

    Yep, absolutely perfect.

    "No matter your affinities, this is going to remain your most effective source of damage until you reach Astral-soul," Nexxa said, her pure presence seeming to push back the rain, though I was pretty sure she was just using a spell.

    The way Books was studying the gap between her and the rain, I was half-certain he¡¯d snap and demand to be shown her book. Instead, he retreated below deck the second Nexxa hefted her rod.

    Swinging it in exaggerated circles until he disappeared, she stopped with a grin on her face before aiming it over the side of the ship.

    Pretty sure the left side was port, so that meant she was pointing it off starboard? Not that it mattered, none of the sailors used the nautical terms I was used to. At least, not on the ship we were on. Still, the thought helped distract me from the cold.

    Calbern took his place beside her, his rod primed and aimed over the side, the rain seeming to slough off his perfect attire. I wasn¡¯t sure if it was the way he held himself, or some enchantment on his clothes. Either way, I was regretting not pulling out the all weather gear we¡¯d purchased for our journey along the high-road. Maybe Books had thought the same.

    "We''re going to work on your accuracy with moving targets. I''m going to create balls of lightning, and you''re going to knock them out of the sky," Nexxa said, creating half a dozen balls with a wave of her hand. "Once you can hit half your shots, I''ll have them start shooting back."

    I glanced at the little balls of electricity, crackling every time a raindrop hit them. It seemed like a stretch that such a small object would be able to hit us on the ship, but then again, Nexxa was Pegasus. If she said she could do it, I believed her.

    ¡°Perry, why are you all wet?¡± Nexxa asked as I was lining up my first shot. Before I could respond, she¡¯d already cast a spell on me. My clothes immediately poofed up as warm air blasted me. After a few seconds, my clothes settled, though the warm air continued flowing over me. ¡°Next time, say something. Don¡¯t just suffer.¡±

    ¡°Right,¡± I said, raising my rod and spinning it once more. ¡°And thanks. ¡®Preciate it.¡±

    ¡°No problem. Now get shooting, slacker,¡± Nexxa said, slapping me on the back.

    The hour of practice proved I wouldn''t be worrying about the targets shooting me back, at least not that day. None of my petals even came close. On the other hand, Calbern had been shocked once. Then he¡¯d managed to dodge the next several shots. I almost regretted not purchasing extra rods. His accuracy would¡¯ve made it worth it, and his inability to charge them himself meant an extra rod was extra ammunition. There was a thought. Could I design a blasting rod that had a replaceable flower pod?

    I''d have to study the books in my storage once I got Memory Palace. With how hard Nexxa was pushing me, it was feeling more like a matter of months instead of the years I''d originally envisioned.

    Once practice with the rods was completed, Nexxa and I went back to working my impressions, though now I was cycling between Storage Access and Minor Heal, which helped keep the headache down. We also split up our lessons with Books, so he could instruct us in the middle of the day as well as the evenings. It was enough that by the end of our third day up river, despite stopping to swap in Scroll Review instead of Storage Access so I could build up my arcane affinity, I was a little over halfway to having my third slot unlocked.

    Of course, Books chose that evening to give us a material lesson on our upcoming domains.

    ¡°Food,¡± he said, holding up the stew that¡¯d been made for dinner that evening. ¡°Most mages take it for granted. With a spell or two, even a Mage-soul has little trouble hunting down a wild animal every month. It¡¯s even easier for those of us with Nature affinity. We can turn a barren wasteland into a garden of Elinder with ease. Mortals don¡¯t have either luxury.¡±

    I fought off the urge to roll my eyes, though Nexxa didn¡¯t bother. This was something we¡¯d both gone over in detail already.

    ¡°So, why then don¡¯t we simply magic their food into existence?¡± Books asked, setting the bowl down and casting a spell I didn¡¯t recognize on it. The bowl warbled slightly, almost seeming to stretch. A second later, there were two bowls. Another second and there were four. Then eight.

    ¡°I want that spell,¡± I said, looking up at Books.

    ¡°Are you prepared to trade me three second order spells for it?¡± he asked, picking up one of the bowls he¡¯d copied.

    ¡°Done,¡± I said, not even having to think about it.

    Books stared at me for several seconds, the bowl of stew hanging loose in his hands as he narrowed his eyes. Then he shook his head. ¡°I cannot in good conscience trade spells with someone so naive. Perhaps in a few years, once you can actually cast Tremendous Feast, we can revisit the subject.¡±

    ¡°Can I at least look at it?¡± I tried.

    ¡°Look at my grimoire? I think not,¡± Books said, shaking his head. ¡°Now, as I have already hinted, this is no ordinary second order spell. It pushes the limits for what a second order may accomplish, and it does so at a tremendous mana cost. I have provided enough food for seven people to dine tonight. In exchange, I¡¯ve expended seven second order slots worth of mana.¡±

    Nexxa whistled, and even I was surprised. Though likely not how he figured. If he could do this with food, could I use it to duplicate seeds? ¡°What counts as a valid target for the spell?¡±

    ¡°Organic materials,¡± he said, tapping the rim of the bowl. ¡°Though it doesn¡¯t work with everything. It can also overcook copied dishes on occasion. Despite that, the important thing to note¡­ how much more could be done with that mana if we used it to improve our domain instead?¡±

    ¡°Depends on our spells,¡± I replied immediately. ¡°Better roads, ditches, wards. All depends on what we know.¡±

    ¡°Exactly,¡± he said, practically jabbing his finger in my face. ¡°When we aren¡¯t improving ourselves, our efforts are best spent on infrastructure. It takes us far less effort to create a bridge than it would for mortals. And Earth Catalysts are common enough, I hope you each have one.¡±

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    ¡°Course,¡± Nexxa replied, pulling a heavy bowl out of her dimensional storage and setting it in front of her. ¡°Even I know roads are important.¡±

    ¡°You have missed the point once more,¡± Books said, shaking his head. ¡°Perth?¡±

    ¡°Our folk can build roads themselves? We should concentrate on bridges?¡± I asked, glancing towards Nexxa, who was squinting.

    ¡°Precisely,¡± Books confirmed with the ghost of a smile. ¡°Now, this is a list of important infrastructure I prefer to focus on. Obviously it¡¯ll be different depending on your needs, and it¡¯s hardly comprehensive, but I hope it gets the point across.¡±

    Accepting the list, I rubbed at my head. Not only had he listed things out, he¡¯d provided illustrations beside each one. Some of his suggestions I¡¯d expected, like the aforementioned bridge or the cistern. But he also had a design for a passive water pump that I was pretty sure would¡¯ve been next to impossible to design on Earth.

    ¡°Is this a¡­ I don¡¯t even know what this is,¡± I said, pointing at a sketch of what I was pretty sure was a pineapple.

    ¡°That is a spikefruit. It grows on trees close to the capital,¡± Books explained after looking at the drawing. ¡°And the point is that you should have spells that allow you to quickly grow fruit bearing trees. A day¡¯s worth of mana is enough for even you to bring one to age.¡±

    ¡°More fruit trees,¡± Nexxa grunted, though I saw her taking notes on her own list. ¡°Feels like home.¡±

    I nodded, rubbing at my head as Books called an end to the lesson for the night.

    The fourth day our practice with the blasting rods managed to draw some unfriendly wildlife. A creature with dark gray skin, wide wings and a roar that shook me to my bones soared low across the river.

    That was as much as I got to see of it because a crack split the air as a bolt of lightning arced upwards before switching directions and smashing the creature into the river.

    It surfaced a minute later, already past us downstream. Nexxa flew out, causing the waves to toss and turn as she approached it. Then those same waves changed direction, hauling the monster back to the boat, revealing it had been a rather famous tier two monster.

    "Are wyverns common this close to the capital?" Nexxa asked the captain, a woman who looked softer than she was.

    She seemed soft and pudgy, but I¡¯d seen her scale fifty feet of rope rigging in less than five seconds. I¡¯d also seen her wrestling with one of her crew, who had two full heads on her. He¡¯d pounded the boards so hard to get her to let him free, I thought we¡¯d hit rapids. "Not too much. Times are they''ll come off the high peaks if grub''s scarce or they have a bad knock on with their neighbors."

    It took me a second to parse her sentence, and from the look on Nexxa''s face, I wasn''t alone.

    "Got it. This thing''s valuable, right?" Nexxa asked, prodding it with her foot, then dancing back when something made a very loud squishing sound.

    "Aye. Lotsa essence. Good fangs. It''ll go for a couple thousand Waves, easy as sinking," the captain replied, waving to a pair of sailors who¡¯d been standing around gawking, but hustled over at the wave.

    Nexxa looked over at Calbern, who said, "Waves are the local equivalent to a Thorn. They¡¯re about ten percent more in weight, and worth more in the local domains since they have the backing of highking Althon."

    "Give me half that upfront and it''s yours, as long as you do the harvesting," Nexxa said, turning to the captain.

    "A quarter," the captain countered, drawing herself up straight to meet Nexxa''s gaze.

    "Done," Nexxa said, waving at Calbern. "He''ll make sure it''s fair."

    Calbern arched an eyebrow, looking towards me and I shook my head. "If you''d be so kind, Calbern."

    He nodded, joining the captain as I walked over to join Nexxa, who was flicking her foot against the railing to get bits of wyvern off her boot.

    "Never kick the monster once it''s dead," Nexxa offered, kicking her foot against the railing once more.

    "Ah. Sage advice from the prodigy," I said, nodding along as I leaned against the railing. "You know, there are spells for that."

    Nexxa stopped kicking her foot for a moment, squinting at me. "That''s the dumbest thing you''ve said all week."

    I chuckled as I looked back at where the sailors were hacking into the wyvern corpse. "I can top it."

    "Oh?"

    "Yeah, let''s see if we can unlock my third slot today."

    "You''re right. That is dumb. You know we will," Nexxa said, her boot forgotten as she laid her hand on mine and brought me up to full charge.

    I grinned, even as I brought my mana to empty. My headache began to mount to the sound of sailors butchering the wyvern behind us.

    To my surprise, we didn¡¯t get my third slot that day.

    In the morning, we once again attracted an uninvited guest. The next beast to attack was a super sized bat. Instead of zapping it immediately, Nexxa had Calbern and I practice shooting a fast moving target.

    I clipped it once by the time Calbern had nailed it in the head with three separate bolts. That was enough to send it crashing into the treeline on the shore.

    Nexxa brought it back, and sold it to the captain for another two hundred and fifty golden waves, which she gave to Calbern.

    "Lady Nexxa, I can''t accept. You gave me this rod to protect master Perth. If anything, the money should go to him."

    "Hey, if you want me to hold it for you, no problem," I said, clapping him on the shoulder. "But that was your kill. I barely singed its fur. And you know the Hunter''s code when it comes to kills."

    "Ah ha, but I''m not a Hunter," Calbern replied.

    "Don''t matter none," the captain interjected. "These two got it to rights. It''s your kill. Would be dishonorable to deny your prize, it would."

    "I suppose I have no choice," Calbern said with a grimace.

    "There you go. Was that so hard?" Nexxa asked while clapping Calbern on the shoulder. The withering stare he sent her was enough for her to rapidly withdraw her hand. "I''m just gonna go polish the mast. Or something."

    I snickered as she marched away, watching as Calbern collected his golden Waves from the captain, then storing it away for him when he approached.

    "Guess I''m taking a break," I said, looking over to where Nexxa was thoroughly studying the central mast. I couldn''t help but wonder if she was going to follow through.

    "My apologies, master Perth. Next time, I shall allow you or Lady Nexxa to down the beast.¡±

    "Bugs you that much, huh?"

    "What am I going to do with that much money, master Perth? No, it would be better if you were to use it to further secure your domain," Calbern said, giving the slightest shake of his head.

    "You know, there''s nothing saying you can''t use it the same way. Not that we''ll have much to spend it on at first anyway," I said watching as Nexxa gave up her inspection of the mast before meandering to the front of the ship.

    When Calbern didn''t respond immediately, I looked over to find him leaning on the railing, his brow furrowed as he looked into the distance. Instead of prodding him, I joined in, setting my arms alongside.

    We remained like that for several minutes, Calbern''s face shifting slightly every minute or so, until he gave a decisive nod. "You are correct, master Perth."

    "Glad we had this talk," I said, squeezing his shoulder. "Now, I should probably get back to spell practice before Nexxa gets bored and blows a hole through the ship."

    "That might be for the best," Calbern agreed, the corner of his mouth tugging upwards.

    After approaching Nexxa, we quickly fell back into stress casting my spells. Only a day later than planned, we unlocked my third slot as the sun stained the water crimson with its evening rays.

    "How did you even come up with this process?" I asked as we took a break over dinner, a surprisingly robust stew with nearly enough spice to be delicious. "I can''t imagine you had someone sitting there, refilling your mana constantly."

    "It wasn''t as fast for me, for one," Nexxa said, waving her fork around. "When I started out I used a modified version of Mana Draw. It only works on nature attuned mana, and converts it directly into storm, but I got the efficiency a smidge over eighty percent."

    "That''s¡­ that''s incredible. I don''t suppose you''d let me study your work? Do you have your research notes? What can you tell me about the process? How did you narrow the Draw to a single affinity?"

    "Surprised it took you so long to ask to see my grimoire."

    The questions that had been mounting slowed at her comment. Why hadn''t I asked to see her spells?

    On reflection, I realized, I''d assumed she had the same spells I could find in the family library. Despite my plans to create my own spells, it had never occurred to me that Nexxa might''ve done the same. Or that she''d might''ve acquired spells elsewhere.

    Oh well. No use crying over spilled oil.

    "So, can I? Look through your grimoire, I mean?"

    Nexxa tapped her chin with her fork, and despite having just asked a favor of her, I reached over and snagged it.

    She laughed at me, shaking her head. "I suppose I''ll allow it, though I''m gonna be watching you."

    "No funny business. I promise," I said, holding up my hand as if swearing an oath.

    "You''re goddess damned right."

 Chapter 18 - The Grind

    Despite gaining access to Nexxa''s spellbook, that didn''t mean we slowed down on my spell cycling. In fact, with three impression slots, I was casting more spells than ever.

    It was to the point that magic felt like a chore.

    The second I realized that was when I called for a break.

    "What do you mean, the wonder is gone?" Nexxa asked, tilting her head as she plopped down on the galley table.

    "I mean, the joy of casting is¡­ well, non-stop casting feels like a chore," I explained.

    "Uh¡­ duh," Nexxa said, shoving my shoulder. "This is the boring part. You''re lucky it''s going so fast. I had to spend months doing this on my own."

    "I appreciate it. I just¡­ we still have a week, and I''m not sure this is actually the best use of our time," I said, gesturing at her grimoire, which was the reason we were in the galley and not out on the deck in the first place. "Some of the modifications you''ve made¡­ they completely ignore modern spell theory."

    "Well, duh. Modern spell theory is a trap. Least that''s the only reason I can think of for half their idiotic claims," Nexxa said as she flipped open her grimoire to near the middle. "Like, the idea that spells can''t have instructions with a time delay. They taught us that when we were what, twelve?"

    "I was ten," I replied, pulling forth the relevant memory. "And yeah, totally thought that was weird, since there were Magits that could activate with a time delay."

    "Right? It''s one of the most obvious examples. And it''s easy to work around. Here, see what I did?"

    "Hmm. You added a decay loop. That''s from the affliction branch, isn''t it?"

    "Yes. And you can change the rate of decay. Sure, it takes a little more mana, but presto, instant delayed spell."

    It was refreshing talking about spells instead of just casting them non-stop. It was exactly the sort of break I needed to get back into the grind.

    I hadn''t actually added any of Nexxa''s spells to my own grimoire, mostly because the constant motion of the ship didn''t lend itself well to inscription. That and Nexxa didn¡¯t want Books peeking at her grimoire. So far, there were two I''d tagged to add once we reached Nexxa''s domain. There were several more that interested me, but now that I had a hard limit on scribing materials, I needed to be somewhat conservative.

    Sure, I could scribe roughly fifty pages worth of spells, but that would run out quick once I started experimenting. And fifty pages would only cover five typical second order spells. Spells I''d be able to use in the foreseeable future, if our progress continued apace.

    Nexxa had also confirmed that Memory Palace didn''t allow us to copy spells we''d read before, though we could study them. She did have some ideas on how to rework Review Scroll to at least create single use copies. It would require some runes for imprinting onto paper we didn¡¯t have yet though. Books confirmed they existed, though he refused any sort of trade of knowledge, claiming it was still to early in our relationship for something so intimate.

    Our switch to discussing spell theory instead of constant casting meant I didn''t unlock my next spell slot until the ninth morning after we left the capital, but it made the trip much more pleasant. And with four slots, I was able to keep all the spells I considered ''mandatory'' slotted at all times.

    At the time, my list of mandatory spells consisted of Mana Draw, Storage Access, Minor Heal and Detect Mana. Once I hit five slots, I intended to add Bloom to the mix, mostly to keep my nature affinity from falling behind. Something I wouldn''t have to worry about once I ascended to Astral-soul and my affinities solidified. It would also mean raising them would require second order spells, but that was fine, since there were limits to how high I could raise an affinity with a first order spell.

    Detect Mana wasn''t as granular as I''d been hoping. It was basically a jacked up version of every sapient''s ability to feel nearby mana, though its range was greatly increased. And that meant I could detect mana from much further away. Thankfully, Nexxa had already come up with several modifications that would improve it, and as we talked, we discussed how it could be improved even further. We even figured out how to combine several features, reducing the complexity close to the original¡¯s. We just had to scribe the improved version before we could use it.

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    Something we were both hesitant to do until we had nice solid land beneath our feet.

    We were also considering how I might be able to modify Assess Self to stress my affinities more. If we could modify it to simply maximize mana use without the diagnostic components, we could reduce the complexity by nearly half while keeping the cost the same. It would make balancing my affinities so I could become a proper archmage much easier, since I wouldn¡¯t need to constantly be swapping out spells.

    Calbern continued to display his devastating aim, though he also seemed to know how much damage a monster could take, as he would disable them but never landed a killing blow.

    "Unnatural it is, for a mortal to be so skilled with the weapons of the ensouled," I heard the captain mutter after Calbern''s latest takedown.

    It made me think. If Calbern was this skilled as a mortal, how good would he be as a mage?

    Unfortunately, even after going through the awakening process, I didn''t understand how it worked. Perth''s had just happened when he''d been out for a ride with his brothers.

    I knew a person had to condense their mana enough to form a semi-solid core in their chest. But until a person had a core, controlling mana directly was impossible. And having someone else attempt to create a core for them ended in either a stagnant or broken core.

    Stagnant cores did have some benefits. Those with a stagnant core could channel mana into grimoires or certain Magits, much like I''d done when I was first exercising my core, but they''d never grow. Never have spell slots. They were even worse off than Lady Guniveer.

    At least, according to everything we''d read. Obviously, we were both doubting the truth, but unlike our other theories, we couldn''t test any of them without potentially ruining someone''s future forever. And that was assuming we didn''t leave them crippled with a broken core.

    I still wanted to know more, but for the moment, it was set to the side.

    There was more than enough I needed to get done.

    Like figuring out my move in the game Books was using for the day¡¯s lesson. It was a sort of board game, only it incorporated both dice and magic. Each turn we could roll the dice, infuse the board with mana, then choose one effect based on where we landed. My current options included growing my orchards, which would prevent me from infusing mana next turn, but would give me an extra dice to roll every turn after. Or I could slay monsters, which would give me another spot to place a building. I did need more room, since expanding the orchards would use up the last of my free space, and not being able to infuse mana next turn meant I wouldn¡¯t be able to fight monsters then.

    Nexxa jostled my shoulder, and I chose to expand the orchards anyway. Better the cash in hand and all that.

    After we finished the game, we dived straight back into stressing my slots. It was as we were getting close to unlocking my fifth slot that I noticed the problem. My spells were all costing me more than they should''ve. A lot more.

    As we took a break, we soon realized it wasn''t my spells that were the problem.

    Sitting in the galley once more, Nexxa and I were attempting to figure out the problem while the cook prepared the evening''s dinner. Roast monstrous bat, most likely, given how many of them were drawn to our blasting rod practice. Keeping meat on the menu was a nice side benefit.

    "Am I¡­ leaking mana?" I asked, rubbing my hands over my arms as if I''d be able to stop it.

    "Feels like it," Nexxa confirmed, holding her own hand over my arm.

    "Guess there''s a reason folk don''t jam as much mana as possible into others," I said, trying not to panic. Leaking mana was exactly what happened with a broken core. Though I''d read they also lived in excruciating pain, and I didn''t have that. At least not yet.

    "Yeah¡­" Nexxa agreed, her head thudding against the table. "This is all my fault."

    "Nope. Either one of us could''ve guessed this would happen if we thought about it. Way I see it, we have two options," I said, ruffling her hair, earning myself a static shock for my effort. "The first option is we stop entirely, and hope that my core heals itself."

    "Could work."

    "Or¡­ we could try pushing through to get all five slots unlocked¡­ and hope I can build my formation fast enough that it''ll solidify my core when I ascend to Astral. That''s part of why getting my affinities up now is important, right? Cause everything gets re-solidified?"

    "Affinities aren''t ever fully locked in. They just take higher order spells to change," Nexxa said as she raised her head to look at me. "Still¡­ it''s not the worst idea I''ve ever heard.¡± She leaned back in her chair, putting her feet up on the table as she stared off into space. Something she never would¡¯ve done back at the family compound. ¡°I think there''s room to compromise between the two. We wait for a few hours, maybe even overnight, and see if the leak slows. If it does, then the safe route is to wait for your core to heal. And if it doesn''t¡­"

    "Then I''ll need to build my Astral core while my foundations threaten to crumble beneath my feet," I finished for her.

    "Pretty much, yep."

    "Well, whichever it is, I guess I know what I''m working on tonight," I said, closing her grimoire and pulling out my journal. "So¡­ how did you set up your foundation?"

    Nexxa blinked at me a couple times before her smile slipped back into place. ¡°That¡¯s the spirit. Can¡¯t let a little thing like a few leaky spell slots slow you down.¡±

    ¡°Well. They are gonna slow me,¡± I said, returning her smile. ¡°They¡¯re just not gonna stop me.¡±

 Chapter 19 - To Be An Archmage

    Explaining I was approaching my ascension to Books, and that I wanted to spend my time preparing, Nexxa and I spent the evening working together as she explained how her own core formation had gone. For her, it''d been a slow process, since she''d been working her affinity for Storm up to fifty at the same time. An astoundingly high affinity for a mage-tier ensouled. The normal accepted limit was around twenty-five. Yet her focus let her raise it even higher with each tier after. She let slip that her current affinity with Storm was nearing two-hundred. I couldn¡¯t fathom how cheap that must make her Storm spells.

    In a way, building the foundation for Astral ascension was a lot easier than what we''d been doing with our spells over the last week. Partially, it required reinforcing the existing affinities, and making sure the core had proper channels for directing the aspected mana. The channels were easy to form, but the trick was that you couldn''t draw on your mana while working on them or they''d get disrupted.

    That meant no casting spells, no charging blasting rods or using any other magical item.

    Which made the prospect of building my foundation while my core was leaking¡­ a challenge, to say the least. Not unlike doing work on an engine while it was running. Still, I''d done enough of that to know, sometimes it was better to work on an engine while it was running. Sure, you had to be extra careful to ensure your hand didn''t get chopped off by a spinning fan blade or caught in a belt but you also had instant feedback when you made changes.

    Course, you couldn''t exactly swap a transmission while the engine was running full bore, but from what Nexxa was telling me, I suspected it wouldn''t be quite as bad as a transmission swap.

    In the morning, we confirmed that my core was still leaking just as much as it had been the day before. Which was as good as it was bad, cause at least it wasn''t getting worse.

    "Forgive me for asking, master Perth, but couldn''t you create a temporary patch?" Calbern asked after overhearing Nexxa and I discussing the problem on the front deck. "That is what the sailors do when they get a leak. They place a patch over the outer hull, then fix the inner hull before removing the patch. I believe they''ve done it twice so far while we''ve been aboard."

    "I¡­ would that work?" I asked Nexxa, stepping back from the railing so I could hear her better.

    "It might? We won''t know until you have your fifth slot unlocked and you start working on your foundation. If it does, you might be able to hold off on ascending until you get your affinities in order."

    "Thank you, Calbern. Good to have outside opinions," I said, nodding in his direction and receiving one in return.

    "So¡­ shall we resume? At a slower pace, of course," Nexxa asked, flexing her hand as if questioning whether she should extend it to me.

    "Well, it''s not getting any better," I said, accepting her hand, and grinning as the mana flowed into me at a quarter of the usual rate.

    After she was done, we examined my core again, and, not noticing any degradation, I cast Access Storage.

    To our relief, nothing changed.

    We continued through the morning, only refilling my core once an hour, down from the dozens we''d been doing. I was close enough to unlocking the fifth slot neither of us felt we needed to risk rushing at this point.

    It also left Books with a lot more time to give us lessons, which he seemed quite pleased by, even though we didn¡¯t explain why.

    It was the next morning after when I felt the change. I''d just stored my blasting rod after practice when the fifth slot unlocked.

    Despite Nexxa warning me, I was shocked at how much more connected I felt to my core. It was as though I''d spent my life feeling wind blowing against my skin, with all the control that entailed, to having a new set of hands meant specifically for shaping that wind into whatever shape I desired.

    The first thing I did was attempt to find the ''cracks'' my mana was slipping through. It was pretty easy with my new connection, as my attention was drawn straight towards the fissures. There were¡­ a lot of them. Every one of my spell slots, except the first, had a multitude of hairline fractures in them.

    And they were all leaking mana.

    Stopping the leaking wasn''t as simple as applying a single patch. I didn''t have enough free mana to coat even a single one of the slots, which meant I had to take my time applying a multitude of tiny patches.

    Only to have them fade after a few minutes if I stopped paying attention to them.

    I stopped my repair attempts to inform Nexxa and Calbern of my lack of progress. After his advice the day before, Nexxa and I decided to include him in more of our magic discussions, much to his chagrin. We¡¯d talked about including Books, but it had been Books who¡¯d pointed out that we weren¡¯t close enough to each other to reveal potential weaknesses.

    "So, yeah, that''s where I''m at," I said, after telling them the specifics.

    This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.

    "Perhaps the structures are healing on their own, and your recovery has just been too minute to notice?" Calbern suggested, looking around the end of the galley Nexxa and I had commandeered for our purposes with a frown. He grabbed one of the books, looking at its cover, then looked around the table again.

    "Worth checking, now that you''ve got all five unlocked. Assess Self might give some good feedback too, now that you can slot it," Nexxa said, reaching out and grabbing a book Calbern had started putting into a neat stack.

    "Right," I said as I removed the existing spells from my slots.

    "Wait, what''d you just do?" Nexxa asked, letting go of the book as she turned back to me.

    "I felt it too," Calbern said, taking the book and returning it to his pile.

    "I took the spell impressions out," I said before shifting my focus inward. The cracks still ran along the edges of my spell slots, but without a spell inside, they weren''t leaking mana. I also had a lot more free mana to work with. "Huh, no wonder they recommend ascending without any spell impressions slotted."

    "Of course they were creating pressure," Nexxa said, smacking her forehead. "That''s the whole point."

    "This¡­ seems like a good thing, yes?" Calbern asked, looking between the two of us as he adjusted Nexxa''s grimoire to align with the edge of the table.

    Nexxa frowned as she very deliberately pushed the book back, staring at Calbern as she did so. "Yeah. It''s great. It means Perry shouldn''t have any problems ascending. He''ll just need to be careful with grinding out his affinities."

    "Which it''s time to check," I said, pushing away from the table.

    Then I spent the next few hours slotting in Assess Self.

    "That is not a casual process," I said, looking up, only to find myself alone. "Well, no time like the present."

    Soul: Tier 1 (Mage)

    Progress: 5/5 First Order Impressions, No Foundational Structure.

    Affinities: 28 Worlds, 19 Nature, 33 Storm, 15 Arcane, 2 Water.

    "Welp, definitely went overboard on worlds and storm," I mumbled even as I noted down the changes. "Impressed nature is so high."

    Checking the notes on my spells, I remembered Minor Heal was nature affinity, and I''d been giving it a heck of a workout.

    As I looked over my affinities again, then looked at how much I''d have to raise the ones I''d been neglecting to be a proper archmage, I felt a sinking feeling in my gut.

    For a second, I had to consider whether I really wanted to be an archmage. While I''d developed an appreciation for Storm, I didn''t care about most of the base affinities, such as Air or Fire. Even water I''d only picked up because it was fundamental to life. There were storm aspected spells that could bring rain though.

    Sure, they came with thunder and lightning, but if I wanted to exclude those, I could just use extra mana.

    "I''m not sure if I should be an archmage," I finally said.

    "Nice!" Nexxa called from where she''d just slid down the steps into the galley. "Guessing you''re still not going to specialize though?"

    "Would bringing four affinities to 33 count as specialized?" I asked, circling my current levels on the page.

    Nexxa came over to inspect the page instead of answering. "Goddess take me, we got your storm affinity high. We didn''t even have you cast any spells."

    "Guess getting constantly pumped full of storm mana had an unexpected effect," I said, underlining nature and arcane. "Also¡­ do you think it''s worth keeping them? Or should I purge-"

    "You''ll want arcane for your experiments. And even I had ten in nature, just for the improved healing," Nexxa answered. "I''d say thirty-three in those we''ve already brought up, and eleven in the other basic affinities, if you''re still interested in being an archmage. You should be able to create balance with four and four."

    "Hmm. Well, I''ll talk to Calbern, ask him what he thinks. And probably sit on it for a day. Always used to do that before I made big decisions," I said, flipping my journal closed.

    Nexxa nodded as I left. Once more, I found Calbern at the front of the ship.

    "Ah, master Perth. Beautiful day, isn''t it?" Calbern asked, his hands gripping the rail, the spray of the river splashing over his legs.

    "It is," I agreed, taking a moment to enjoy the sunshine with him. If we weren''t on the open water, it might''ve been too hot to enjoy, but with the constant chill from the river, it was refreshing. All around us, the Frigid Peaks stretched, reaching high into the sky.

    "Is there something I can help you with, master Perth?" Calbern asked after we''d been standing together for a few minutes.

    "Maybe. I wanted your advice on my affinities," I said, before explaining the unexpectedly high results.

    "Ah. Well, I''m afraid I know very little about affinities," Calbern replied. "Is there one you''ve enjoyed using more than the others?"

    That was an easy answer. Worlds was the only one that had a spell that actually felt magical, even if that was as much because of the ring as Access Storage.

    Before I could formulate a response, he added, "Or perhaps, are there any where increased control and mana efficiency will prove most in line with your future plans?"

    Again, Worlds fit the bill. Arcane was useful, but a high efficiency wasn''t required for most things I used it for.

    "Then, I suppose, one must also consider if you care what magic others consider as your signature. Is there anything you''d prefer to be known for?"

    Welp, that just blew my thought process apart. "If anything, I want to be known for building things. Not for the spells I cast," I said, rubbing my cheek. Then I let out a long sigh. "Which is why I wanted to be an archmage in the first place."

    "Ah. I''m sorry that I wasn''t able to help," Calbern said, inclining his head in apology.

    "Not at all. You were very helpful," I said, clapping him on the shoulder. "Nexxa will be happy to know you convinced me she was right."

    "Always a pleasure to serve, master Perth," Calbern said, his eyes moving once more to study the horizon.

    Sliding back into the galley, I quickly informed Nexxa I''d be attempting her plan.

    "Okay, your first slot isn''t leaking, right?" Nexxa asked, pausing in the midst of jotting notes in her journal to look up at me. When I nodded, she continued, "Then we''ll use that to grind your affinities up. I was also thinking that instead of transferring mana directly, I could channel it into the air and then you can absorb it using Mana Draw. Preferably with adjusted versions of the spell. It''ll be less efficient, but it should keep from pushing your storm affinity even higher, and each version should stress your channels while drawing mana in."

    She didn¡¯t give me a chance to respond before leaning over and jotting down notes. I started taking my own notes, and we were working side by side until it was time to experiment.

    As I stretched out, casting Minor Heal while swinging my arms to restore circulation, I said, "Hey Nexxa.¡±

    "Yeah?" she asked without looking up from her writing.

    "Appreciate you," I said, slugging her lightly in the shoulder.

    "You better," Nexxa replied, shooting me a grin. "Give me a few and we can get started."

    I nodded, fully prepared for the grind that would allow me to become a proper archmage. Or so I hoped.

 Chapter 20 - Inertia

    Grinding out my affinities was a matter of tedium more than anything else we''d done. It proved to be enough of a challenge that we hadn''t finished by the time we bid farewell to Books.

    His domain lay up a separate branch of the river we¡¯d been following, and there was a boat waiting for him. It was much smaller than the one we were on, barely large enough for two people. It also lacked any sort of propulsion that I could see.

    ¡°Well, at least one of you proved you were a capable student,¡± Books said, bowing his head in my direction.

    Nexxa rolled her eyes, but didn¡¯t bother responding.

    ¡°Take care of yourself,¡± I said, feeling somewhat sad to see him go. While he¡¯d been dry at times, I felt considerably better prepared for whatever I found when I got to my domain. Still felt like I was under six feet of water, but at least I could conceive of the surface.

    ¡°That is hardly a concern,¡± Books said, though he did nod in my direction again before lifting into the air and floating over to the boat. Then he spun a hand, and the water behind their boat shot out like a jet.

    It only took seconds before he¡¯d disappeared around a bend in the river.

    ¡°Good riddance,¡± Nexxa said, waving a hand in his direction. ¡°Now, back to the grind.¡±

    I grunted, but followed her below decks, where we adjusted my spell loadout once more. Casting Flare was exciting the first time, but by the twentieth, even the fact I was making a jet of flame erupt from my hands had lost its luster. It was easy to get my affinities close to the levels I wanted, but getting four affinities to exactly 33 and the others to 11,

    If I went over with any of them, then I¡¯d have to push all of the affinities even higher to hit the next natural balance point at 36 and 12. Or bring all eight up to be equal. Either of which could take years without Nexxa around, and months, even with her help. And I needed to get to my domain sometime this year. I could feel my oath pulling at me, a subtle pressure to take up my mantle that would only grow stronger the longer I waited. So, instead of risking pushing myself out of balance, I was taking in the scenery.

    It was a rather peaceful little valley, completely untouched by civilization, other than a single trail of smoke originating beneath a stone plateau that hung over what remained of the river. This far up, the ship was at risk of running aground at every slight bend, though the river widened past the outcropping, almost to the point of being a lake.

    Which, I imagined, was why Althon chose this as the heart of Nexxa''s domain. It wouldn''t take much effort for her to widen the river enough to allow ships to pass more easily, even if her Earth affinity was zero.

    There were actually three folks waiting for us, all of which had been dropped off by airship, alongside Nexxa¡¯s Domain Beacon. The Beacon wasn¡¯t visible, but I could feel its presence, buried just past the stone. Not mana, exactly, but my oath recognized it.

    My attention shifted to the group on the shore.

    The first person I guessed was the hunter who would teach Nexxa. The second would be my guide. As to the third, I didn''t know. Maybe a specialist for the beacon. Or someone who¡¯d wanted in at the founding of her domain.

    When we drew closer, I noted that the tallest of the three had a monstrous bloodline, with thick horns and dark blue skin. Either he, or one of his ancestors, had incorporated some mystical creature into one of their Hydra-soul''s augmentation nodes. Considering I couldn¡¯t feel any pressure coming off him, I was leaning towards an ancestor.

    Most human and elven mages avoided using obvious monstrous components at Hydra-soul, taking the extra time to develop their own, specifically to avoid physical changes that passed down to their descendents. Some felt the time saved was worth it, obviously. And others actually wanted the changes, whether to set themselves apart as something else, or for¡­ other reasons.

    If Perth''s memories were serving me properly, in the Howling Wastes, it was seen as an honor to have monstrous traits. Considering how hostile the Howling Wastes were to anyone who wasn''t a Forgeborn, that made a certain amount of sense. Those traits would help folk survive, even if they weren''t an ensouled.

    And speaking of Forgeborn, the second figure was either the most heavily armored person I''d seen in either life, or they were from that very race. As the name implied, Forgeborn were made as much as born. At least, they had been. The art had been lost hundreds of years ago to all except the Forgeborn themselves after their great rebellion. A rebellion that led to the formation of the Howling Wastes.

    Forgeborn were distinct from golems, in that they had the spark of sapience within them. Even then, there were Forgeborn who saw even the least golems as their kin. Thankfully, they were a fringe group. A lot of dangerous tasks were handled by non-sentient golems.

    This book''s true home is on another platform. Check it out there for the real experience.

    The Forgeborn watched us get closer with deep yellow eyes. Their sharp angles, dark green and black color scheme and penetrating gaze reminded me of a video I''d seen of jaguars, back on Earth. Except this Forgeborn looked more aggressive than any jaguar, towering above the others on their two digitigrade legs.

    Even as we drew closer, the third figure stayed seated, their features hidden by a heavy cloak, though I could make out a long stemmed pipe slowly puffing out rings of smoke.

    The captain drew us up just downshore of the three figures.

    Only the tall one with horns moved to meet us.

    He called out a greeting in Elinder, and I regretted the lack of practice we''d put into the language. We''d used a spell to download the basics, then hadn''t put in any effort to master it. And it showed immediately as I struggled to parse his next sentence. It was like trying to understand someone who spoke English with a really thick accent.

    Thankfully, it seemed the captain was fluent. I caught her mentioning the Alvian language, and the horned man nodded, calling back, "My apologistics. Which you is Nexxa? Sworn, I have, to aid her."

    "Guessing that''s your hunter," I said, my gaze shifting to the two figures who remained on the rock.

    "Yep, yep. Bet the old man''s your guide," Nexxa said, waving towards the still seated figure in the cloak.

    "Old man, huh? You seeing something I can''t?" I teased, knowing full well she hadn''t included any binocular-type spells in her current loadout. She had them in her grimoire, as did I, but neither of us were using them.

    Yet.

    I suspected I''d have a lot of use for Eagle Eyes once Calbern and I started along the High Road. The same applied for Nexxa, once she started prowling her territory.

    "Nah. I just know these things. Prodigy, remember?" Nexxa said before jumping over the side of the ship and flying over to meet her hunter.

    ¡°Cheater,¡± I grumbled good-naturedly as I watched the hunter accept her outstretched hand, immediately pulling her into a bear hug. Which led to Nexxa lifting him straight off the ground as she flew upwards, earning a mighty laugh out of the man when she dropped him six feet.

    Once the sailors slid down the ramp, which they called a load-plank, I made my own way ashore. I almost fell over, not having realized how used to the moving deck I''d gotten.

    So it was, with my ass firmly planted not ten feet from the bottom of the load-plank that the Forgeborn and the cloaked figure approached. The cloaked figure was less than half the Forgeborn''s height, which wasn''t saying much since the Forgeborn had to be at least eight feet tall.

    "Hello," I said, doing my best to sit up straight despite the world continuing to sway beneath me.

    The Forgeborn waved to their smaller companion.

    "I am Tresla, translator. And this is your guide, Inertia," the cloaked figure said, her voice surprisingly melodic considering the pipe.

    "My name is Perth. Forgive me for not standing, but I seem to have a bad case of sea legs."

    Tresla turned to Inertia, puffing several different rings out in their direction before turning back to me. There were a few hisses of steam and a sharp whistle from Inertia in return.

    "Inertia can sympathize. She has spent many nights with similar symptoms after being deposited via airship. She hopes your symptoms pass quickly."

    "Does Inertia understand Alvian? Or maybe Elinder?"

    "She understands the language of the sky elves, though she only speaks a few words. And she understands some small parts of Alvian, but she is loath to learn the language of the enslavers."

    "Huh. Fair nuff," I replied, testing my balance and finding the swaying had reduced to a point I could at least stand. "I know some Elinder, but not enough to be fluent, it seems. Cheated with a spell, but it didn''t stick as well as we''d hoped."

    "Ah, Inertia has met many who have become addled by such attempts. She is relieved you are intact. And she didn''t say it, but she''s pretty surprised," Tresla informed me, still puffing away at her pipe.

    "Thanks, I think. Say, if you''re a translator¡­ If it''s alright with Inertia, would you be able to help me with my Elinder? Say, for an hour a day?"

    Tresla''s smoke rings stopped for a few seconds as her hood turned in my direction. I caught a glimmer of red beneath but then Inertia let out a sharp whistle, and Tresla started blowing the rings once more.

    After a minute, Inertia nodded and Tresla turned back to me. "Inertia is pleased that you will make this effort. When the frost wolves come for us, she will make sure your end is quick."

    "Yeah, I''m gonna take a hard pass on that, though I think I appreciate the sentiment."

    A light chuckle escaped Tresla''s hood before she turned and blew her smoke rings at Inertia.

    "Inertia understands and respects the desire to struggle even when all hope is lost. She will do her best to hide you from the wolves so she does not have to hear your suffering." Tresla paused for a few seconds before adding. "She must really like you. Don''t think she''s ever made an offer like that before."

    "I certainly appreciate it. Please let her know we won''t be heading out for a few days. I need to ascend to Astral-soul first."

    "Sorry, how old are you?" Tresla asked, only to be interrupted by another whistle from Inertia. "Sorry, I''m not supposed to ask new people rude questions without asking her first."

    After another round of smoke circles, Tresla turned back to me. "Inertia has no problem waiting. Time does not hold the same meaning for her as us mere mortals."

    "Good. Once he''s done helping Nexxa get things sorted, I''ll introduce both of you to Calbern. He''ll be making the journey with us," I said while pointing to where he stood directing the sailors further up the shore.

    "Inertia welcomes one who understands the order required in a proper forge. Please let him know that the earlier offer still stands."

    "Doubt he''ll take her up on it, but sure, I''ll tell him."

    We settled into silence for a while then, Tresla continuing to make her smoke signals. I was fairly sure she was using them to communicate with Inertia, though I hadn''t figured out the exact mechanisms involved. Size and shape seemed important, but didn''t carry the nuance she''d used so far.

    I was tempted to ask Tresla to teach me the smoke ring language as well, but I felt one language was enough for the time being.

    Even a Magus Dominus born of two worlds had his limits.

 Chapter 21 - Astral Ascension

    It didn''t take long for Calbern and the sailors to erect a sturdy wooden building in the shelter of the outcropping, with only a little help from Nexxa to seal it tight. I had a spell that could¡¯ve helped, but swapping them out still took me forever.

    Before night fell, there was enough space for everyone to sleep inside, though actual rooms would come later.

    I couldn''t help but feel a twinge of envy. None of this convenience would be available in my domain. And it wasn¡¯t just the ease with which they set up camp. It was her relative connection to society. Two weeks by ship was a lot, but not so much it would impede trade. The profit from monster parts alone meant the captain intended to make the trip to Nexxa''s domain twice a year, at a minimum.

    Not to say I wasn''t happy for Nexxa. I was. It just served to remind me how much more isolated my domain would be.

    And that we''d be saying goodbye soon.

    Before our trip together, that would''ve sucked, but still been tolerable.

    Now, it felt like I had to say goodbye to the only real friend I¡¯d had in two worlds.

    "Hey, Perry, you look like a warg got into your favorite custard. What''s up?" Nexxa asked, sitting down next to me with two bowls of steaming stew. It had been brewed by the hunter who would be teaching her to sort her hex nuts from her rivets, metaphorically speaking.

    "Just thinking about the future," I replied as I accepted one of the bowls from her, blowing on it.

    "Ah. Unfortunate. Don''t think too hard or your head will start to look like our dinner," Nexxa said, holding her bowl up and slowly blowing the steam away.

    "Har har¡­ I''ll try not to," I said before taking a tentative bite. It wasn''t bad. Needed a little salt though. That was one thing I''d brought lots of. Course, at the moment, I didn''t have Access Storage prepared, so I had to do without. "Speaking of the not-future, my affinities are finally balanced."

    "Seriously? We didn''t even work on them today," Nexxa grumbled, pushing a green leafy vegetable out of her bowl and flicking it into the fire.

    "Pretty sure you¡¯re supposed to eat those,¡± I said, before taking another bite of my own. I made the mistake of biting one of the leaves to prove my point, only to discover it was incredibly bitter. I ignored Nexxa¡¯s smug grin as I discreetly choked down the leaf before returning to the previous subject. ¡°I cast Access Self to check, and it must¡¯ve been the last push I needed, cause they''re balanced. I wanna make the attempt tonight, after dinner. I''d like it if you were there."

    "Is the Infinite Rift deep? Of course I''ll be there. Didn¡¯t spend the last month and a half training you up to abandon you now," Nexxa said, elbowing me hard enough to make me drop my spoon back in the bowl.

    Fishing my spoon out of my stew, I let the toppings drip down before wiping it clean. Only after I¡¯d taken another bite, did I say, "Good. Calbern will be there too."

    She nodded, eyes distant as she ate, and I let the conversation fade.

    A minute later, the hunter arrived. ¡°Ah, Ha''sh''eme''tel has biscuits. Little Nexxa is waiting, not too long enough. Hard biscuit makes soft stew perfect, see?¡± he asked, demonstrating by placing a biscuit in my bowl and gesturing for me to try.

    It¡­ transformed the bland stew. Somehow, the biscuit caused the stew to stick to it, and it became like eating a sandwich, but in reverse. There was so much flavor, all with a crispy biscuit at the center. Of course Nexxa hadn''t been patient enough to wait until the biscuits were ready.

    ¡°Thank you, Hash¡¯emetel,¡± I said, doing my best to reproduce his name yet failing horribly.

    He just laughed, patting me on the shoulder as he walked away, carrying more biscuits towards where Calbern and the captain were sitting.

    "He actually prefers people call him Hash. Guess everyone gets it wrong, even his own family," Nexxa said shortly after.

    "I can understand why. How do you even make that high pitched warble?" I said, strumming my throat as I attempted it again.

    "Like this," Nexxa said, holding her hand up and setting a disk to humming between her fingers.

    To her credit, it really did make the warble. I didn¡¯t know how she¡¯d incorporate that into her speech, but that wasn¡¯t the important part. "Okay, color me impressed. Didn''t realize we could use Storm to do that."

    "You can''t," Nexxa replied, smirking before letting it fade away. "Not yet, anyway."

    "Soon though," I said, handing my bowl to Hash before brushing off my travel clothes.

    This story originates from Royal Road. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.

    Nexxa was even more excited than I was, leading the way outside the cabin while walking backwards, her hands crossed behind her head. ¡°You¡¯re gonna do great. No worries.¡±

    Calbern was already outside, waiting for us. Or just enjoying the view of the stars. There were an awful lot of them this far from civilization. I didn''t recognize any constellations, but I wouldn''t have on Earth either.

    "Is it time, master Perth?" he asked, turning away from the stars and managing to stand just a little straighter as he did so.

    "It is," I said, taking a seat next to him and joining him in looking upward. "Long way from home."

    "Indeed. Though at least the stars remain familiar.¡±

    And I was reminded once more of the silent lies that laid between me and them. I knew I''d need to tell them, one day.

    I told myself I¡¯d do it right then, but the sound of a door creaking open caused us all to turn. Much as the cabin was convenient, it wasn¡¯t the highest quality of build. Stepping out of the door were Tresla and Inertia. Inertia stretched outward, her bulk blocking out a significant portion of the sky before she turned in our direction and began stomping over, Tresla following silently in her wake.

    Honestly, Tresla could¡¯ve been stomping too, and I¡¯m not sure I would¡¯ve heard the sound of her footsteps next to Inertia.

    "Inertia heard you would be making your attempt, and requests permission to watch. She has never witnessed a mage ascend before," Tresla said, pausing for a second before adding, "Neither have I. It sounds interesting."

    "You''re welcome to watch, though I don''t know if it''ll be very exciting. Most Astral ascensions are pretty boring, at least from the outside."

    "Least they''re not as gross as the Pegasus ascension. Do not wear clothes you want to keep when you hit Pegasus," Nexxa warned me, a shudder passing through her.

    "Inertia would like to watch anyway," Tresla said while sitting down and crossing her legs. Her four feet of height seemed even less when she sat like that, and with the dark cloak, she almost disappeared into the night.

    A moment later, the captain and Hash also joined us. The captain produced a bottle of something that smelled vaguely like whiskey.

    "An hour, I wager, he takes. Three Waves," Hash said, looking towards the captain.

    "Three Waves, aye. No longer than half the hour."

    "Two hours, and not a minute faster," Nexxa said, producing her coins and laying them down in front of me. "You can do that for me, can''t you Perry?"

    The captain offered me the liquor, but I waved it away.

    I shook my head at Nexxa. "If I have my way-"

    "Fifteen minutes," Calbern''s level tone cut through my bluster. "Master Perth is no ordinary mage." He turned to me, placing a hand on my shoulder as he added, "I know you can do this. I''m proud of you."

    Of course. Of course, he''d chosen that moment to say it.

    Now I had to make the attempt with tears in my eyes while everyone watched.

    Well, nothing for it but to do it.

    I closed my eyes, tempted to cast Access Self one last time.

    But I knew the results would come back the same. Thirty-three for Nature, Worlds, Storm and Arcane and eleven in Water, Air, Fire and Earth. Even my lower affinites would¡¯ve been enough to make most mages jealous.

    So, instead, I pushed the spell out of my slots.

    I gathered my mana and set to work. It wasn''t enough to simply create the four pointed structure I''d originally planned. With eight affinities I wanted to continue growing, it needed four auxiliary struts as well. I also needed to branch out to heal the micro fissures without closing off access to any of my spell slots. In theory, the patches could serve double duty, acting as braces for the structure.

    But only if they didn¡¯t degrade the support.

    The work felt surprisingly exhausting, considering it took place entirely within my mind. The first step required me to line up motes of mana in a cross, and getting them to sit still soon had me breathing heavily. And I hadn¡¯t even made it to the second cross for the other elements. Despite all the exercises Nexxa had me do as practice, it felt like I was already at my limit.

    Yet I knew my mana would recover with time, so instead of pressing, I simply waited. Soon enough, there was even more free mana floating around me. Instead of attempting to wrestle the new motes into place one at a time, I used the existing cross as a template, guiding them into the same shape.

    Yet that had the unfortunate effect of directing them into reinforcing my existing structure. I had a very sturdy connection to my higher affinities. In theory, it should make improving them easier in the future. Assuming I didn¡¯t fail and have to rebuild my core from nothing.

    That thought made me decide I¡¯d only make one more attempt. Having four excellent affinities was better than restarting from scratch. Especially since the others were primarily for experimentation anyway.

    This time, when my mana regenerated, I took the slow path, dragging a single mote into place, taking a deep breath, then moving on to the next.

    I don¡¯t know how long I spent like that, but it worked.

    Slow is smooth, and smooth is success. I think that¡¯s how it went.

    Didn¡¯t matter.

    Once the second cross was in place, I did my best to check everything over once more. But I was nearing my limits. It was time for the do or die moment.

    Now that I had the structures in place, I had to flood them with moving mana.

    Opening myself to the outside world, I was struck by the variety of the mana around me. It was coming from everyone watching, I realized.

    Again, didn''t matter.

    I let the mana in, converting it as it entered, fueling my construct.

    Everything shook. But that was normal. It shook for everyone, even Nexxa, the prodigy. At least, that¡¯s what she¡¯d told me.

    Yet as everything threatened to fall apart, I couldn¡¯t help but doubt. I didn''t know how long I endured the shaking for, moving my attention back and forth to continue patching as best I could until finally, the shaking stopped.

    When it stopped I knew I was done.

    Either I''d succeeded or¡­ or I''d have to disperse everything and rebuild from the bottom all over again. If I was lucky. Either was better than a broken core, and while that had been possible, I wasn¡¯t writhing in pain, so it was unlikely.

    Still, I was afraid to turn my attention inward.

    With it completed I sat in silence for several long seconds, until Nexxa''s voice shattered the silence. "Good job, Perry. Knew you could do it."

    At her words, I risked a peek.

    The structure was intact. I¡¯d managed to connect everything.

    I now had an Astral-soul, complete with one shiny second order spell slot and five first order slots whose spells would now be twice as strong. When I opened my eyes, I looked around at all those watching and asked, "So, who won?"

    Then, before anyone could answer, I added, ¡°Other than me, of course.¡±

 Chapter 22 - A Prodigy

    Nexxa had won the bet, much to my chagrin. It hadn¡¯t taken me the full two hours, but it had been close.

    The rest of the night was spent with the captain and Hash trying to one up each other with the most outlandish bar room brawls each had been part of.

    Neither of them topped mine. The night the little mermaid shanked Dumbo was one of my few sober nights in a pub. Craziest Halloween bash I''d ever been to. Little mermaid and I had ended up on the same side after one of Dumbo''s friends dragged the rest of us into it.

    Chuckling to myself, I realized I couldn''t really share the story. Perth had never been to a pub in his life. Besides, there were too many cultural references no one else would understand.

    Which was probably the first time in either life I¡¯d felt homesick.

    It was countered by the easy familiarity I shared with those around the fire.

    I didn''t get any practice in with my new and shiny Astral-soul and that was¡­ fine. More than fine. I wasn¡¯t able to stop myself from confirming the cracks were gone, the structure having fused seamlessly with the damaged slots, but that was all I allowed myself.

    Still, as we celebrated, I did find myself contemplating the near miss. The scare explained why most didn''t rush their progression. At least, not to that extreme. I felt we were missing something else though. Advancing a mage up a rank increased their mana generation by a factor of ten. That alone would be enough for some mages to risk it. Most even.

    Sure, it had required Nexxa to come up with a spell for channelling mana into someone else but¡­

    Actually¡­ could it be that simple?

    Nah. I was willing to bet other houses had figured out a similar spell. They just hadn''t shared. In fact, I was pretty sure Nexxa hadn''t shared it with our family before leaving. I¡¯d seen that sort of thing happen back home, where another shop would figure out a workaround to a manufacturer lockout, but never share it. Then they¡¯d go outta business, or the owner would nod off, and the fix was lost.

    Looking across the fire, I smiled as I saw her, the captain and Hash, all with their arms interlinked, belting out one of the captain''s off-color songs.

    At least, I assumed it was off-color. I only understood about one in ten words.

    It was a good night.

    Unfortunately, it couldn''t last.

    The next morning had a rude awakening for us, as a tier-three swarm descended on the valley.

    "Watch," Tresla said when I emerged to see what was causing the rumbling that had spread through the cabin.

    It was a veritable tide of black carapaced forms, all of them leaping forward, smashing into each other with no regard for safety. Picking out the details was impossible, but I saw what I thought were stingers and thick claws, wide enough to snap me in half. It reminded me of the Front.

    Had I been alone, I would''ve died that day.

    Hash came out of the cabin, stifling a large yawn with the back of his enormous hand. In the other, he held a still waking Nexxa, who was rubbing at her eyes while staring in the direction of the swarm.

    "Beautiful sight, that is," Hash said, as he set Nexxa on her feet beside him. "Lesson start now. Black swarm, very danger in close. No allow."

    Nexxa nodded, bringing her arm up and tracing the targeting glyphs used to control most long range combat spells.

    "Good. Yes, faster," Hash said, drawing his bow, the cord stringing itself as he nocked an arrow. "When too slow, kill brother."

    I raised an eyebrow at that, but he aimed his bow at the approaching swarm, so I chalked it up to him misspeaking.

    Nexxa simply nodded as she also stifled a yawn with one hand. The next instant the clear blue sky filled with a howling storm. She drew her hand away from her mouth, and thrust both towards the sky. And then, like she was pulling the very heavens down, lightning started crashing down on the hoard with every thrust of her hands.

    After I counted at least five different strikes, it was hard to be exact with so many bolts striking at once, Nexxa started spinning her hands around each other. The lightning I thought had been discharged, suddenly leapt up, as if granted new life. It didn¡¯t just sit there though. Instead, it spread outward, scything through the swarm as though they were wet paper as Nexxa stretched her arms wide.

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    "Oh," Hash said, his jaw hanging open as he let his bow fall slack.

    I was right there with him, emotionally.

    Nexxa just yawned again, rubbing at the drool on her chin.

    I''d known, on an intellectual level, that Nexxa was a prodigy. The sort of mage a family produced once in a generation. Or so I''d thought. This felt¡­ beyond that. Perth knew what Pegasus-soul mages were supposed to be capable of. Heck, I¡¯d seen them myself on the Front.

    And as I stared at the destruction she¡¯d caused¡­ well, their father was a Djinn-soul, and I¡¯d seen what he could do with a wave of his hand. I suspected he¡¯d be able to do the same, but only when he was putting in his full effort.

    Nexxa was still half-asleep.

    I could only hope it was because Nexxa had focused on combat, while their father was a fancy farmer and healer.

    Nothing else made sense.

    "Very good!" Hash said, slapping Nexxa on the back hard enough to send her forward two steps, startling a cough out of her. "This training maybe, take not long."

    "Don''t think you''re getting off that easy, Hash. I''ve got you for two years, and I intend to keep you around for all of them," Nexxa said as she shook out her hands, seeming to finally notice the rest of us. "Besides, that was just the warmup. We''ve got three hundred square miles to clear."

    "Ha! Quite very correct. But now for, harvest must we," Hash said, pointing in the direction of the shattered insect swarm.

    Nexxa nodded, glancing in my direction long enough to shoot me a smile. Then she turned to the captain. "Same deal as usual?"

    The captain, who had been standing at the back, and hadn''t so much as blinked at Nexxa''s display, nodded once before turning around and walking towards her ship, already yelling out.

    "Doubt she''s gonna have room for all that," I said to Tresla as everyone else moved away.

    "Most likely she will grind the carapace down to dust, then sell it to mages for a thousand times what it cost her to transport it," Tresla replied. "And they''ll pay, cause they never leave their comfy little enclaves."

    "Uh¡­ are you saying that''s one of the main ingredients used in scribing?"

    "Properly treated, it is. One of the more common sources this side of the Front," Tresla said. "Inertia told me the Forgeborn harvest the black tide twice a year in the Howling Wastes."

    It was only then that I realized I was actually talking with Tresla. There was no sign of Inertia.

    "You''ve never been?"

    "To the Howling Wastes? Me? I wouldn''t survive five minutes," Tresla replied, her laughter ringing like a clear bell.

    "Yet you''re fine with the Frigid Peaks?"

    "The Frigid Peaks are one of the safest regions on the continent."

    "Seems pretty hostile. Cold enough to freeze boiling water solid in seconds. Plus, lots of monsters and not very many folk.¡±

    "Exactly. Easy to bundle up against the cold. And monsters are stupid. It''s people that are the true danger," Tresla said, pulling her cloak tighter.

    "Sounds like you''re speaking from experience," I said, turning to watch the sailors roll out carts full of heavy equipment towards the fallen bugs. Hash and Nexxa were marching alongside them, though Nexxa¡¯s gaze kept drifting towards the cabin.

    "Might be that I am. Or maybe I just keep my eyes open."

    "Ah ha! So you do have eyes!" I said, laughing as I stepped back, expecting a swing that never came.

    Tresla''s head tilted to the side, still hidden by her cloak as she watched me. Then she shook her head, the entire cloak rippling.

    "Sorry. Too much time with Nexxa," I explained.

    Her hood dipped slightly, in what I suspected was a nod. Then she turned, her gaze moving towards the cabin.

    A second later, Inertia exited, her head sweeping back and forth before locking onto Tresla. It shifted to me a second later as she strode towards us with long strides, whistling and chirping with each step.

    "Inertia would like to know if you want to leave, or if you would prefer to stay until you have mastered Elinder?" Tresla informed me, smoke rings rising from her pipe once more.

    Hadn''t even seen her pull it out.

    "Don''t know about mastering it, but better than I am right now, yes. How about we plan to stay for a week, then decide after that? Pretty sure Nexxa wanted to stay near the valley for that long anyway."

    "Inertia agrees. She also expresses regret that she ignored the black tide and missed your sister''s display."

    "Yeah, I bet," I said, looking out towards where the sailors were only just reaching the closest of the insects. "They''re probably going to be busy with that all day. What do you say we start on that Elinder practice?"

    Tresla turned towards Inertia, then shifted her head to the side. They stood silently staring at each other, smoke rings floating upward for nearly a minute before Tresla turned back to me. "Inertia says¡­ I am at your disposal for the rest of the day. She wishes to stretch her wings."

    "Wait, wings?" I asked.

    But Inertia had already taken a step back from us. And the panels I had seen all across her chest and legs unfolded, stretching out into wings nearly as wide as the ship was long.

    What I¡¯d taken for armor was actually the intricate folding of her wings. Inertia¡¯s profile had completely transformed in that single second. She still looked like a dangerous predator, though now she resembled a falcon more than a bear.

    Crouching down, Inertia''s torso grazed the ground.

    "You might want to brace yourself," Tresla said as she took several steps back, crouching down with her arm in front of her face.

    I moved to follow her, but I was too slow.

    Inertia flung herself upward. The shockwave of her launch picked me up and launched me as well, sending me tumbling end over end.

    When I came to a stop, I took a second to figure out which way was up. Once I had, I searched the sky for Inertia. Only to find her swooping down to give us a flyby, nearly sending me tumbling once more. As I pulled my hand away, I saw her ascending as she flew north. A few seconds later and she¡¯d disappeared from sight.

    "I swear, everyone else can fly except me," I said as I pushed myself to my feet, brushing myself off.

    "You get used to it," Tresla said, brushing off her cloak with black gloved hands.

    "Inertia? Or everyone else having flight?" I asked before pulling the books I''d been given for studying Elinder out of my spatial storage.

    "Yes," Tresla replied. "Shall we get started? Why don''t we start with something easy. What is the Elinder word for stupid? I have a feeling we''re going to need it when she gets back."

    I couldn''t contain my laugh, and after a second Tresla joined in.

    It was a surprisingly productive study session, though throughout, my eyes kept drifting to the sky.

    That would be me, one day.

    Even if I had to build my wings myself.

 Chapter 23 - Memory Palace

    By the end of the day, I was surprised at how fluent I''d become. I''d been right about having the pieces, and working with Tresla had helped me sort through them. I still wasn''t a master, but when Tresla said something, I could pick out every other word.

    It was amazing how big a difference it was.

    Enough to pick out the underlying meaning most of the time. Which Tresla assured me would allow me to pick up the rest faster.

    With my rapid progress with Elinder, I finally allowed myself to indulge in my grimoire.

    And then I remembered I had access to Memory Palace. I hadn''t even asked if Nexxa had used it to improve her Elinder. It had gotten hard to ask her anything since we¡¯d arrived, she¡¯d been so busy running around with Hash.

    I wasn''t able to cast it that night. Just moving it into my second order slot was going to take most of the day.

    So instead, I restored my standard loadout, though I decided to go with Eagle Eyes instead of Bloom.

    It had been a month since I last attempted to cast it, and I was shocked at how different the experience was now that I could control it properly.

    Calbern helped me test the spell, comparing what we could see before and after I cast it on each of us. Which is how I discovered his eyesight was exemplary. Even without the spell, he was able to pick out details that I needed the spell to notice.

    Including Inertia circling around the valley, and occasionally diving for no apparent reason.

    Once I cast the spell on him¡­ well, it didn''t make nearly as big a difference for him as it did for me. The atmosphere got in the way after a certain distance. That the atmosphere was his limiting factor made me consider a redesign of the spell. But it was a first order spell, so there was a limit to what I could do with it. Even higher order spells had limitations.

    The spell had an unlisted benefit I wouldn''t have noticed without him. As long as it was running, it allowed our eyes to refocus faster. A definite advantage, and once we figured that out, I subjected us both to a brilliant Flash.

    As we stood around recovering, the spots quickly faded. As I¡¯d hoped, Eagle Eyes helped our vision recover quicker.

    Not as fast as casting Minor Heal, but Eagle Eyes was designed to be kept active for long periods of time, including when the caster wasn¡¯t prepared. It had a high up front cost with next to no maintenance unless in active use.

    I suspected the non-advertised aspects of the spell would end up outweighing the value of its magnification in everyday use. And the contingency components would prove useful in other spells.

    When Nexxa returned, I managed to steal her away long enough to talk about spells.

    ¡°Uh¡­ I hadn¡¯t thought about using Memory Palace for¡­ Elinder,¡± Nexxa admitted, her voice low as she glanced over at Hash.

    ¡°What?¡± I asked, following her gaze.

    ¡°I¡­ just don¡¯t really want him to know I have Memory Palace.¡±

    ¡°Ah. I understand. Some secrets are too important,¡± I said, nodding in agreement.

    ¡°What? No, it¡¯s nothing like that. I¡¯m just sure he¡¯d make me use it for training.¡±

    ¡°What¡¯s this, the prodigy flinching at a little training?¡± I asked, unable to contain my grin.

    ¡°Oh, shut it,¡± Nexxa said, shoving me away, though she was smiling. ¡°I¡¯m used to setting my own schedule. Having someone else give me orders is¡­ it makes me feel¡­ ugh, I don¡¯t know. I just don¡¯t like it.¡±

    ¡°You like Hash though, yeah?¡±

    ¡°Yeah. He¡¯s great,¡± Nexxa agreed, looking twoards where Hash was making our evening dinner. ¡°Even knows how to cook. Great mentor.¡±

    ¡°Then tell him about your complaints. It¡¯s not like you don¡¯t have good discipline. Tell him how you want to do it,¡± I said, pulling one of my notebooks out of my pack. ¡°After all, he¡¯s here to help you learn, not to take the reins. We¡¯re supposed to be in charge. That¡¯s part of our oath.¡±

    ¡°I¡­ hmm, I¡¯ll think about it,¡± Nexxa said, her eyes drifting towards my notebook. ¡°What¡¯re you- Hey, I¡¯ll check it in the morning!¡±

    Nexxa¡¯s objection was because I¡¯d been making a note to try Memory Palace in the morning to see if I could hasten the learning process that way. I waved Nexxa off. ¡°It¡¯s fine, I want to slot it anyway.¡±

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    ¡°I¡¯m still going to check,¡± Nexxa said, stealing my pen to write down a note to herself.

    In my notebook.

    A small smile crept across my face as she added another note to herself to slot the spell first.

    Because, of course she didn''t have it prepared either.

    Then her she noticed the notes I¡¯d made about my experiments with Calbern.

    ¡°Is this real?¡± she asked as she tore the book right out of my hands, flipping back to see the rest of my notes.

    ¡°Yep. Calbern and I-¡°

    ¡°This is gonna change¡­ so much. This is exactly what we were looking for!¡±

    ¡°Uh¡­ it is?¡± I asked, leaning forward to look at my notes again.

    ¡°Can¡¯t believe we had the answer right in front of us,¡± Nexxa said as she busted out her own notebook, jotting down her own ideas in both books.

    Sighing, I pulled another notebook out of my inventory, handing it to her.

    ¡°We can combine this with Detect Mana,¡± she said, her eyes still fixed to the page as she jotted in the new book.

    ¡°Was thinking the same,¡± I lied, grabbing my notebook from her during her moment of inattention.

    Then we started sketching out how to adjust Detect Mana.

    It was nice talking spells with her again. Nexxa clearly felt the same as we talked right through dinner, both of us thank Calbern as he brought it by. We ended up staying up long into the night, neither of us wanting to call an end until I realized we¡¯d accidentally added a dispersion glyph to the start up sequence.

    Which would basically just end the spell the second it started.

    Still, it¡¯d been good.

    The next morning came late, at least for us. The sun was already past its zenith by the time we emerged from the cabin. Neither of us regretted it though.

    After a quick lunch, I threw myself into swapping in Memory Palace while Nexxa went on patrol with Hash again. I caught her gazing at me before she left and I shot her a thumbs up. Hopefully they¡¯d have that talk.

    In the meantime, I had my own work to do.

    By the time dinner rolled around, I was finally done slotting Memory Palace. My first second order spell.

    I joined the others for dinner, though Nexxa and Hash hadn¡¯t returned yet. I was so eager to test my spell, I didn¡¯t mind their absence. Rift, I didn''t even taste the food.

    Soon as I''d handed off my dishes, I cast the spell.

    I emerged in¡­ well, it was a little disappointing. With a name like Memory Palace, I expected something a bit grander.

    Instead, I was in a mechanic''s shop. Not a generic shop though. Nope. It was the same shop I''d spent three decades of my life in. The same one I''d taken over after my old man kicked the can.

    My first instinct was to leave. To just cancel out of the spell and never use it again. There were a lot of bad memories in that shop.

    But¡­

    It wasn¡¯t that shop. Not really.

    His shop had been a mess, piles of spare parts and broken tools in every corner. The loft overhead had been rotten, stacked to the brim with old garbage and paperwork.

    And there¡¯d been the old Ford on the second hoist, that he¡¯d always sworn he¡¯d get around to fixing one day. Rusted out heap had sat there my whole life.

    None of that remained.

    Instead, it looked exactly how I left it the day I¡¯d¡­ died.

    That''s what made the difference. It wasn¡¯t his shop, it was mine.

    I walked over to the little corner office, and inside was the rebuilt bookshelf where I''d kept magazines for customers. Not that most of them ever checked them. But I had a couple oldies who did. And that zoomer kid. He''d loved reading the ''rags''. It was so ¡®retro¡¯.

    Yeah¡­ this shop, it had some good memories. I walked over to the mini-fridge, and to my surprise, it was stocked with carbonated beverages.

    Not something I''d had since I''d arrived in Ro''an. I''m sure they could make them, if anyone thought to. Heck, maybe they were out there, and they just hadn''t made it to the corners I''d been in.

    The cultures on Ro''an didn''t seem to be as monolithic as they''d felt on Earth. Guess having a bunch of demi-gods running around changed things.

    Who could''ve guessed.

    Taking a long sip of Cola, suspiciously free of any namebrand, I let out a sigh of satisfaction. Exactly as good as I remembered.

    Maybe Memory Palace was an appropriate name after all.

    Going back out into the shop, I noticed a couple subtle differences from my shop. The tool chest had several runes on it I was fairly sure hadn''t been there before. And the bathroom door was shut, which normally only ever stayed that way when someone was inside.

    Pulling open the top drawer of the tool chest first, I came across a collection of unfamiliar tools. Just inspecting them, I knew they were the books I''d scanned with Review Scroll, each one shaped in a form that I intuitively associated with their contents. The second drawer had more tools, these ones representing all the spells I''d studied.

    The third drawer had memories of videos and articles I only half remembered from Earth.

    As I slid the third drawer shut, I took a moment and sat down on the rolling chair I kept next to the tool chest. I''d hoped¡­ I''d seriously hoped, that Memory Palace would give me exactly what was in the third drawer. And I''d been prepared to suffer through a lot to gain access to them.

    But the spell had laid them out neatly. There might still be some stuff to work through, but I wouldn''t have to wade through it totally at random.

    With the mystery of the tool chest solved, my eyes moved towards the bathroom.

    Did I dare set foot in there?

    Instinctively, I knew the answer was no. I wouldn''t like anything I found behind that door. There was one thing I did in a bathroom. I got rid of the waste I didn''t need anymore, then cleaned myself off to get on with my life.

    This was my Memory Palace, and it worked on my rules.

    Standing up, I opened the top drawer, opening the first book on Elinder. Then I recalled¡­ everything. Every word I''d never read.

    Nexxa had said there was no indication of how much stress reading a book this way would put on us. But my Memory Palace clearly wasn''t playing by the same rules, because as soon as I was done with the first book, the thick red fluid in the old thermometer hanging on the wall slid up several degrees.

    Again, I instinctively knew that each and every degree would result in a greater and greater headache. Still, I''d only moved the fluid a bare smidge.

    So I took the second book, and ''remembered'' it too.

    This time the fluid slid up by another dozen degrees. Guess it wasn''t an exact science.

    Deciding I''d learned enough, I sat down on my rolling chair once more and looked at the closed rolling shop door. Unlike the bathroom, thermometer or tool chest, I didn''t feel anything specific when I looked at it.

    It almost felt like it was¡­ waiting. Waiting for me to figure out a use for it, maybe. Or maybe¡­ just waiting for me to open it.

    Whatever it was waiting for, it''d have to wait a little longer. Taking one last pull off the Cola, I ended the spell and returned to the waking world.

 Chapter 24 - Its just... Mana

    There''s a special sort of nostalgia I''ve only ever felt when returning to a place I once knew intimately that has changed while I¡¯ve been gone. It elicits a sense of comfort and loss at the same time. That''s how it felt when I first stepped into my Memory Palace.

    Stepping out of it was, somehow, the inverse.

    It was a stark reminder of how much my life had changed in two short months. How very unfamiliar it all was.

    Across from me sat a Forgeborn, a machine intelligence created through magical artifice. To my right sat Hash, a man who looked like a blue skinned version of the Christian devil, returned while I¡¯d been busy.

    On my left were the two most normal looking folk here, though Nexxa''s ability to call forth a literal thunderstorm, and Calbern''s degree of excellence were both more than a little superhuman.

    And then there was me.

    The grind of it had worn away some of the wonder, but seeing my old shop again had reminded me of where I''d come from.

    And it reminded me of what I could now do.

    Holding open my palm, I brought forth a tiny ball of unformed mana. The blob of mana spat off tiny motes of light as it danced over my hand. It had absolutely no use, other than as the world¡¯s weakest nightlite or minotaur bait, and would dissipate the moment I stopped focusing on it.

    But it was still a thing of wonder.

    "It''s so beautiful," Tresla said, startling me.

    I''d missed her sitting in the shadow of Inertia. Even knowing she was there, I could barely make her out until she leaned forward. "What spell is that? I don''t think I''ve seen anything like it before."

    "It''s not a spell. It''s just¡­"

    "Mana," A deep rumbling voice said. It took me three long seconds to realize it had been Inertia. She''d lowered her head next to Tresla, and was staring intensely at my hand.

    "I didn''t know you could just¡­ manifest mana without a spell," Nexxa said as she moved closer, holding up her own hand.

    To my surprise, she didn''t immediately figure it out. It took almost a minute before her glow joined my own, several over exagerated motions making it look like she was practicing air guitar as she experimented.

    It was only as she calmed down, sitting beside me and gazing intently at her hand that she figured it out.

    The difference between our blobs was immediately apparent. While mine was a swirl of mixed colors, hers was almost entirely purple, with just a hint of gold. Realizing they were probably our affinities, I looked closer at mine, able to pick out the purple of Storm and what must''ve been the gold of Nature. There was as much pink as purple, which was likely Arcane.

    And then there was the blue with little flecks of white in it. If I hadn''t known it was Worlds, I might''ve thought it was Water affinity. The green of Wind, Red of Fire and Brown of Earth were practically lost amidst the stronger affinities, though Water was the worst, only slightly darker than, and barely noticeable, next to my Worlds affinity.

    "More than sight with, do I see," Hash said, rubbing his chest.

    A short series of whistles from Inertia caused Tresla to jump to the side, before she smoothed out her cloak and drew her pipe. "Inertia says your display of trust is appreciated, but wishes to remind you that such open gestures of your inner being should be reserved for those you consider¡­" Tresla paused drawing on her pipe and creating more smoke rings. "The closest translation would be a close and trusted friend. Loses some of the nuance though. Think the sort of friend who¡¯d help you burn the bodies."

    "Noted," I grunted, though I didn''t stop channeling. It wasn''t for them that I''d done it. Despite Inertia''s statement, the swirling blob wasn''t something worth hiding. Not if it meant I couldn''t draw it forth to appreciate myself.

    Stolen story; please report.

    Sure enough, there''d be folk who could learn my affinities through it. But there were spells for that anyway. Or simple observation.

    I did finally let the blob dissipate once the others started moving about.

    It seemed the day was going to be a busy one.

    The captain was ready to head back down river, her sailors having processed the remains of the black tide. I imagined she''d have a much smoother ride without us along to draw in the monsters with our constant explosions.

    Plus, the route was through claimed domains, which I supposed included Nexxa''s now, so there should be a degree of safety from that too. Assuming the Magus Domini responsible were doing their duty. The captain didn''t seem worried, so I put it out of mind.

    While they were making their preparations, I acquired a small keg of the refined dust for my own experiments.

    It wasn''t as potent as the finer silver powder I was used to, and the entire keg would only provide ten pages worth of spells. But that was still worth the twenty Waves I''d given Nexxa for it, which''d been the same cost she''d paid to have them refine it for her.

    Since Nexxa had to escort them to the edge of her territory, I spent the day under the watchful gaze of Hash. There was no chance Nexxa would leave her grimoire behind, even for me to study, so I once more spent the day practicing my Elinder with Tresla. The difference absorbing the books inside Memory Palace had made was immediately noticeable. My ability to keep up went from one in two words to nine in ten.

    Inertia wasn''t feeling the need to fly today, so she sat in on my practice, often interrupting our pracitce with questions.

    Which led to me asking her questions of my own. Now that I was speaking Elinder, Tresla didn''t have to translate my questions to Inertia, though for anything longer than a one word answer, she''d still have to inform me of Inertia''s response.

    "Wait, so you''re her slave?" I asked, looking at Tresla after asking how they''d started working together.

    "Bonded servant," Tresla corrected, shaking her head. "We have both made pledges bound in stone using the Slave-song. I give her a voice, and she gives me wings. It is a fair price to travel the world."

    "Wait, I thought you couldn''t fly," I said, pointing at her.

    "It was a metaphor. Though we have traveled by airship more than once."

    "She''s not strong enough to carry you?"

    A rumble from Inertia sounded out, along with the word, "Strong."

    "Inertia says she is more than strong enough. But keeping me safe while flying is a challenging endeavor. She has only carried me twice, and both times were so we could escape immediate danger. It isn''t safe to fly in strange skies."

    Another series of whistles from Inertia followed.

    "Inertia wants to know if you have taken any stone pledges."

    "I don''t think so. What''s a stone pledge?"

    Inertia and Tresla turned to each other, and for the first time in over an hour, Tresla drew forth her pipe to blow smoke rings.

    They spent five minutes like that before Tresla turned back to me. I hadn¡¯t spent the time idle, looking through some of the first order spells I¡¯d scribed and forgotten about. I barely even remembered scribing Tie Rope, and was wondering why I¡¯d thought it was worth the effort.

    After clearing her throat to get my attention, Tresla said, "A stone pledge, in simple terms, is a pledge that is strong as stone, imprinted in your soul. It''s a great deal more complicated than that, and with most advanced workings of magic, it''s a convenient lie. But to explain the truth would take months, perhaps years, of instruction in advanced Forge Theory."

    "Kinda sounds like the Magus Dominus oath. And correct me if I''m wrong, but isn''t Inertia going to be my guide for the next two years? Lots of time to explain."

    Tresla tapped her pipe against her sleeve, then shifted towards Inertia before resuming the ring blowing. It only lasted for a few seconds before Tresla said, "Inertia wants to know¡­ are you interested in learning Forge Theory? There are things she can''t teach you, not without swearing on the stone, but there''s a lot she''s willing to share. If you teach us about your magic in turn."

    "Definitely interested. As for teaching you¡­ well, I''m not sure how useful it''d be, but yeah, fair''s fair."

    The Forgeborn stood then, both shoulders rolling back for a second before shaking loose her wings.

    This time I backed up and braced myself properly, as did Tresla. However, Inertia didn''t immediately launch into the sky. Instead she let out another string of whistles, along with the Elinder word for, "Time."

    "Inertia says she needs-" Tresla started before Inertia crouched down.

    She stopped talking, both of us raising our arms to shield our faces as Inertia flung herself upward.

    With a casual brush of her cloak, Tresla continued, "She needs time to prepare a proper lesson plan. Which apparently involves abandoning us in the middle of a conversation."

    "Does she do that alot? Cause if she''s supposed to be guiding me safely to my domain¡­"

    "She is a guide, not a guardian. Still, she will not abandon you when danger nears. Well, unless she must flee to save my life."

    "Lovely," I replied, shaking my head. "Time we get back to it. What was the Elinder word for disaster again?"

    Tresla''s musical laughter rolled out into the valley before she covered her mouth and we turned back to our practice, an overpowered and over-engineered bird brain flying overhead.