Chapter 1: The Failed Human Resources Liaison (Prologue)
The sun’s glare made the day’s heat much more intense. As I walked along the mountain ridge, sweat beaded on my brow and stung my eyes. I was out for a ten-day hike, a 100-mile trek through the Rocky Mountains in Colorado. It was a reprieve from my endless hours working as a vagabond sous-chef. The terrain was very manageable, and the trail was well-marked. That was why I was shocked when the entire trail gave way beneath me, and I slid down the mountain in a rockslide. Fortunately, the pain didn’t last long as large boulders quickly crushed me to death.
I was now in a minimalist beige room with no doors or windows, basically a box. A large onyx desk with multiple screens facing away from me dominated the desktop. Behind the desk sat a middle-aged Asian man in a fashionable dark blue suit with a gray tie.
He presented himself as the Next Life Specialist for my reincarnation. He explained I had accumulated enough positive karma that I would be able to have some input in my reincarnation. My emotions were flat, but I was still stunned. My agent seemed extremely bored with the process and kept glancing at the screen on the left like he was checking emails, watching a video, or something else that kept distracting him.
He explained I could go to another universe in his sphere of influence or stay in this one. After my shock subsided, I inquired about a universe with magic. He tapped away and then replied that there were two options with high aetheric content; that was what magic was evidently called: aether. I was immediately all in. He began tapping away and asked if I wanted to remain human, to which I replied in the affirmative. I didn’t want to be an animal, or maybe he was referring to elves, dwarves, and such? He was already past the screen and ignored my question when I inquired about my other choices.
With a few more taps on the keyboard, he checked his screen on the left again. Then, before we could continue, he swore and slammed his fist down on the table, rattling the screens and desk. The box room echoed from the strike. He quickly stood up and walked through the wall to his left.
I sat there puzzled and then walked cautiously around the desk. The screen had an open email saying the man had been fired, indicating that this was his last shift. The language was not English, but I could still read it without difficulty. I muttered to myself that I thought he left a little early as I was still in limbo for my reincarnation. I looked at the other screens with my information and was surprised I could also read it. The language was definitely not English. Was there some universal comprehension in this room? I felt my emotional state had been greatly muted as well, and I had no anxiety about my death or reincarnation.
I walked to the wall where the man had disappeared and found it solid after running my hands along it. Other than being slightly warm, I didn’t find any access. After a few minutes, I got bolder and took his chair to examine the screens in detail. I began delving into my file displayed on the monitor. It took a few minutes to figure out the navigation, but it was all very intuitive.
My reincarnation status was clearly displayed before me, indicating that my race was human. As I explored the interface, I realized I had the ability to edit my physical appearance on the screen. It seemed harmless to tweak a few details while I awaited a new agent, right?
With a sense of purpose, I began crafting my new body. I envisioned a tall physique, solid and muscular like that of a linebacker, exuding strength and vitality. My new body boasted striking green eyes, standing out against a backdrop of deep, jet-black silky hair. The image reflected a version of myself that I remembered well, yet it was undeniably more athletic, embodying an idealized form that transcended my previous appearance of light brown eyes and a less defined build.
I slid the aging ‘expectation’ to the max for a human, giving me about 150 years of prospective life, according to the translator. Then, I got to the interesting parts with abilities, traits, and affinities for skills. The screen read like a game to me.
There were seven tiers of power of for abilities, with tier one being the lowest. If I selected random, I would be assigned two to eight points worth of abilities based on my karmic accumulator. The random generator clearly showed my chance of getting each value when I hovered over it.
<table>
<tbody>
<tr>
<td width="84">
70%
</td>
<td width="78">
2 points
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td width="84">
25%
</td>
<td width="78">
3 points
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td width="84">
4%
</td>
<td width="78">
4 points
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td width="84">
0.9%
</td>
<td width="78">
5 points
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td width="84">
0.09%
</td>
<td width="78">
6 points
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td width="84">
0.009%
</td>
<td width="78">
7 points
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td width="84">
0.001%
</td>
<td width="78">
8 points
</td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>
With these points, you could purchase abilities. The cost for the abilities was reflective of the tier.
<table>
<tbody>
<tr>
<td width="60">
Tier
</td>
<td width="96">
Point Cost
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td width="60">
1
</td>
<td width="96">
1
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td width="60">
2
</td>
<td width="96">
2
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td width="60">
3
</td>
<td width="96">
3
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td width="60">
4
</td>
<td width="96">
5
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td width="60">
5
</td>
<td width="96">
7
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td width="60">
6
</td>
<td width="96">
11
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td width="60">
7
</td>
<td width="96">
13
</td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>
I looked at the random generator for points and tried to enter a larger number in the output manually.
After some attempts, I found the largest number accepted was 23. That was much better than my chance of getting eight points, so I entered 23 and was prompted to confirm entry—yes. Next, I found I could select my abilities rather than use the random generator.
I was getting worried someone would show up soon, so I selected things that popped out to me from the massive lists. I didn’t delve too much into the full descriptions as I felt time-constrained. I was doing something I should not be doing and figured someone would come by and change my work anyway. My selections...
13 points, Tier 7…create metal using aether
5 points, Tier 4…major aether core
5 points, Tier 4…metal shaping
Having finalized my selections, I felt a surge of confidence; I was now convinced that I could conjure silver and gold from aether like a genie. While some might consider it a questionable path, I had no desire to don the mantle of a hero, slaying fearsome monsters or rescuing fair maidens. Instead, my dreams were painted with visions of immense wealth.
The next screen was for traits, similar to abilities but apparently non-magical in nature. It seemed the number of points was typically between two and seven for a human, but I could not enter anything manually, and the value was set at zero. After a quick search, I found I maybe had maxed out my possible points on magical abilities, or maybe it was because I was human, the text was confusing legal jargon about equity and I didn’t have time to delve further. There was no override, at least none that I could find. I skipped to the next screen.
The last selection section was for skill affinities. It gave bonuses related to learning and using skills based on knowledge. There was a very long list of skills, and I skimmed them. I found 23 schools of magic on the list, which drew my attention immediately. Skill affinities ranged from 1 to 7. At tier 1 affinity, there was a 25% increase in the learning speed of a related skill. It doubled at tier 2 to 50%, at tier 3, it was 100% improvement, and at tier 4, it was 200%. Tier 5 was 250% but also gave a 25% increase in the effectiveness of the skill as well. Tier 6 was 300% to learning speed and 50% to skill effectiveness. Tier 7 was 300% and 100% more effective. Once again, I was locked out of editing the available points, but my default was 5 points based on my karmic accumulator. If I selected randomize, it would be 0 to 0, so I stuck with the 5 points. The costs mirrored the costs I noted for abilities.
I decided to choose the following skill affinity, using all my points:
5 points, tier 4, healing magic skill
I felt great about my decision in terms of setting myself up for a great, easy life. Learning healing magic three times faster than normal should be a good backup plan if my fantasies of swimming in a vault of gold coins failed. I also figured healing magic could help me extend my life span.
The screen progressed to the next phase of my reincarnation. I was now looking at the default world in the universe where I would be reincarnated. On the display was not a planet but, in fact, a Dyson sphere. The world’s magic stabilized the titanic shell and gave billions of square miles on the inner Sphere to live on.
The shell was thousands of miles thick with its own ecosystem as well, and if I understood everything properly, the shell hosted millions of dungeons within the magic aether ley lines, which were essentially the skeleton of the Dyson sphere. The outer surface of the shell, or Dark World, had its own civilizations, and it appeared some of them were space-faring.
Crap, the magnitude of everything. I was not so sure anymore. Hundreds of billions, probably trillions of people, species, monsters, and threats, quickly passed in front of me as I promptly paged through a wiki. I thought to go back and change my race but feared I wouldn’t have enough time to redo everything.
I quickly refined my search, seeking specific information. Technology did not work well on the inside of the Sphere…well it needed specialized magi-tech to balance the technology in the aether-rich environment. I was uncertain how much time I had left, and the butterflies in my stomach were growing. Did I have some sixth sense? I risked having my selections reset if someone showed up to replace my liaison.
I tried to get as much information as possible. The Dyson sphere was called a World Sphere, or Sphere for short, by the inhabitants. These spheres were the origins of all magic in the universe, generating aether. The further from a World Sphere, the less dense the ambient aether was in the universe.
Taking aether from the World Spheres as aether crystals into the rest of the universe was a massive industry. Aether crystals could hold aether, like magic batteries. The easiest way to mine the crystals was through dungeons. Dungeon entrances were located across the Sphere, and adventurers were portaled to secure dungeon instances embedded inside the massive ley lines running through the shell. It all sounded like a complex video game.
The brightness of the room started dimming. Was my liaison’s shift over? Was someone coming? Were they coming for me? My mind was racing with numerous possibilities as the lights faded. I didn’t want to push my luck anymore even though I wanted to learn more. The monitors were fading slowly—like they were powering down.
I went quickly to the screen, which indicated where I would spawn in the Sphere. As I liked sunlight, I needed a stable civilization on the Sphere’s inner surface. I promptly filtered the search criteria and found a place called Skyholme.
According to the brief notes, these humans lived on massive floating islands for almost 2,300 years. Without reading further, I selected the location and hit the complete button, finishing my reincarnation. A few errors popped up, but I dismissed them because the text on the screen was so dark I couldn’t read it anyway. My body slowly faded with my consciousness.
I awoke and found my mind and vision fuzzy. It took me a while to figure out I was a baby in a womb. I guessed I made a slight error as I had thought I would be reincarnated as a full-grown man, but this might be better as I could learn the idiosyncrasies of this fantastical new world as I grew up.
Chapter 2: Growing up in Skyholme
After I was born, I was frustrated. My thoughts were slow and cloudy, and my past knowledge was hard to grasp and form coherent thoughts. It was like remembering the plot of a book you read years ago but did not like very much. I also had to work hard at acting as baby-like as possible. Let me say I was not a fan of soiling my diaper and crying when I was hungry.
When my eyes developed enough, I was able to see my family. My father, Caleb, was a solid man of above-average height and musculature, and I figured out he was a town or city guard by his dark gray uniform. He wore his black hair in a short ponytail, and his blue eyes seemed hard to me. I did not see the lively, loving nature I saw in my mother’s eyes.
My mother, Alurha, looked average but had amazing blue-green eyes that sparkled. Her dark blonde hair was worn as a long braid, and her brilliant white smile was always there when she looked at me. She worked as a leather engraver, specializing in cutting images into leather pieces. I also had an older brother, Pascal, who was about three years my senior.
I quickly grasped the language as my older brother was building his vocabulary. I listened to his inquiries with intensity. I grew up soaking in everything I could. I quickly gained movement, crawling, then walking. I learned to speak early. I started talking around six months, and by six years old, I had a good handle on my new existence, and everyone commented what a bright boy I was.
I was named Storme. I was born during a lightning storm while a flight of lightning drakes attacked the island. I heard the story of my birth every time my mother introduced me. I learned many things in my early years. Skyholme was comprised mainly of eight large floating islands. The largest was the Capital Island, where most of the wealthy and ruling families lived. The other seven islands each had their regional specialty as well.
Our island, Titan’s Shield, trained soldiers, supplied armor and arms, and had a minor agricultural development focused on grains that produced bread and beer. Large, magnificent airships and skyships transported people and goods between the islands.
Our small town was named Hen’s Hollow. It was about three miles outside one of the cities and had a single skyship dock where my father worked. My father was a guard for skyship transports but usually spent his day at our platform dock checking passengers and goods—not that we saw many skyships.
The history of the Skyholme empire was mostly told through stories. About 3000 years ago, the floating islands were once a single large island ruled by an arrogant avian race called the Haikarum. The large island moved in a massive circular orbit over the lowlands, tracing a prominent aether ley line buried deep within the Sphere. Support the creativity of authors by visiting the original site for this novel and more.
An archmage from the Haikarum tried to draw the power of the ley line into the island, which caused the catastrophic shattering of the massive island. The remains of the Haikarum civilization were rocked into disarray, and a group of adventuring humans in an old airship conquered the islands. They killed the Haikarum without mercy. Of course, the songs we sang about their deeds made their genocide sound heroic.
The various islands still follow the same path today, but no magic could pull them back together. They were locked in their new orbits. The conquering adventurers soon started a settlement that grew into the nation of Skyholme over a few hundred years. Nowadays, Skyholme controls the eight largest islands and a few smaller, fractured ones.
The Triumvirate, the heads of the three prominent noble families, ruled Skyholme. Each family had dozens of members, but a maximum of 23 was recognized in each actual line of succession. Based on the adults’ conversations in my presence, the internal politics were supposedly brutal.
Each family of the Triumvirate was in charge of one aspect of life in Skyholme: commerce, military, and citizenship. The commerce faction was involved in all aspects of harvesting, dungeon delving, manufacturing, and trade. But it was the citizenship faction that had the true power. They controlled the people through laws, education, and immigration. The military faction was focused on training the city guard, navy, and battle mages. They were responsible for raiding the lowlands, defending, and guarding Skyholme.
Even though the Skyholme Empire was apparently human-centric, they still had an interesting military unit that was surrounded by mystique. They were a wolfkin half-breed that looked more human than wolfkin.
The academies were where every child went in their 17th year. You first completed a local one-year Academy and then entered a four or seven-year specialized Academy. You could also forgo entering the Academy and enter an apprenticeship with a master in a trade, as my mother had done. After you complete your academy training, you would have completed various internships and gotten an education to contribute to society.
I began playing regularly with children in my neighborhood at the age of six. My best friend lived two houses down and was named Gareth. He was a few months younger than me but looked two years older. It was easy to tell he would be a huge man. I took advantage of my time with Gareth, forging a lifelong friendship.
Gareth and I delivered food, messages, and items in town to earn a few coins. We made good money for kids and quickly became known in town for our speed and reliability. I also learned the currency. Steel, copper, silver, gold, platinum, mithril, and adamantine coins existed. Each coin was the size of a penny, and 10 steel equaled 1 copper, 100 copper to 1 silver, 100 silver to 1 gold, 100 gold to 1 platinum, 100 platinum to 1 mithril, and 10 mithril to 1 adamantine.
Copper, silver, gold, and platinum also had a large ten-piece coin. A ten-piece was also called a ‘large coin’ for short. Also, steel was only used in small towns outside cities. No one in the city accepted them.
For our delivery work, we started making 4 to 5 steel coins per delivery and, on good days, could pull in a few coppers each. When Gareth and I reached our 10th birthday, we had more freedom, and we sometimes even had a delivery to the city, which was just a thirty-minute walk away. We earned a few coppers for the extra effort on those treks.
We usually would spend half our income on food and drink to replenish our energy. Our one luxury item was a pair of fishing poles. The wide stream that was outside of town had a fair number of small fish, and on a good afternoon, we could catch enough for our family with extra to sell at the local pub in Hen’s Hollow.
Gareth became a loyal companion, following my lead. We spent our mornings studying with a few local kids under Gareth’s mother’s care, who was a scribe. We learned letters and numbers to help prepare us for entering the Academy. Then, we spent most of our day running errands.
It was a happy time for me, a second childhood—not that I could recall much of my first. My older brother had his own crew, and they played at being soldiers, getting ready for the Academy. I also had a younger sister now, Freya. She was five years my junior and tried to tag along with Gareth and me. We allowed her to follow along on our deliveries and adventures as long as we were not going to the city.
The Sphere was very different from what I remembered about Earth. The first odd thing was the day-night cycle. Every day was identical; days, as close as I could tell, were just over 24 hours long. We had 13 hours of daylight, 9 hours of twilight split between morning and dusk, and two hours of semi-darkness. The central sun had some dark zones, accounting for the lighting changes based on its rotation.
There were also 23 planets that rotated around the sun within the Sphere. When a planet eclipsed the sun, it usually marked a special event. There were 12 months, each with 30 days and a five-day holiday ‘week’ not included in the months to celebrate the past year and the coming year. So, one year in the Sphere was slightly longer than a year on Earth.
Another thing about the World Sphere was the sky itself. It looked like a pastel painting of greens, blues, whites, browns, and yellows. It was definitely pretty amazing to gaze on, and I never got sick of looking at it, wondering about all the civilizations, dungeons and happenings in that marvelous prismatic sky stretching infinitely.
The only respite I had from my childhood was the city’s bookstore. Every sixth or seventh day, I would make it to the city on delivery with Gareth and borrow a book on magic theory for a week for a few hard-earned coppers. Developing a trusting relationship with the bookstore owner, Wigand, took me a while.
Without access to aether, I just read the theory and tried to puzzle out basic spell forms. Magic itself was fairly rare. Only one in nine people had enough aptitude and a large enough aether core to imprint and cast spells. I knew I would have a large aether reservoir in the future, so I was not wasting my time. Magic-like abilities were much more common.
In my readings, I found abilities were documented up to tier 3. Tier 4 abilities were considered rare, and tier 5 was considered a generational talent in Skyholme. Well, tier 6 had no recorded instances in the Skyholme Empire that I could find. Personally, I planned to keep all my abilities secret.
One problem I faced was that spell books were very expensive, and I had my sights set on three tier 1 spells after I awakened my aether core.
Cleanliness, remove all dirt from clothes, skin, and hair
Mend Flesh, repair damaged tissue
Obfuscate Abilities, shield abilities from inspection abilities and spells
The first spell, cleanliness, was cheap at seven gold and was considered a tier 1 spell, but it was extremely complicated. It was a channeled spell, meaning the amount of dirt removed and cleaning determined the total aether cost.
The second spell, mend flesh, was also a tier 1, but the spell book was an astonishing 30 gold. I only found references to the final spell, obfuscate abilities, in my readings, and I figured I would have to obtain it on the capital island. It was a passive spell that required a constant minor expense of aether. There was no cost listed for the spell, but I guessed it would be over 100 gold. I assumed this was because of Triumvirate control rather than the spell being rare.
A few days after my 15th birthday, my aether core manifested, arriving slightly later than it typically does for most. It coincided with the conclusion of a growth spurt. I awoke in a haze, drenched in sweat and trembling with fever. A wave of nausea washed over me, and I doubled over, emptying my stomach of its contents, which felt like the remnants of a whole week’s worth of meals.
I longed to keep this transformation a secret, so I isolated myself in my cramped room, enduring the ordeal alone for hours. Inside me, the core pulsed quietly, and as my body adjusted, I began to perceive it like a second heart. Instead of pumping blood, it circulated aether—the very essence of magic. With this awakening, I felt as though I was on the brink of unlocking incredible powers.
Chapter 3: Abilities and Secrets
I was excited to try out magic for the first time. In the morning, I raced out of the house to the only public bathhouse in Hen’s Hollow. I paid the old woman, who was the attendant and owner, three copper coins. This got me a hot bath, a cold shower rinse, and my clothes were washed with scented soap. It was a splurge on my part, but I knew that creating unlimited wealth was in my future. Typically, our family would spend two coppers for just a cold shower for all five of us once or twice a week.
I was the only person in the bathhouse this early, as most people showered in the evening before bed. I soaked in the large heated copper-lined tub as I tried to draw my aether to form copper. My aether core was still a bit tender, like constant heartburn. From my readings, I knew it would take many years to form completely and for the pain to subside. I think my pain was more intense than the books suggested. Or maybe I was just a wimp. I decided it would be worth it in the end. After all—I would have magic.
I eventually gave up trying to make a copper coin and scrubbed myself in the tub with a grainy soap and a soft bristle brush and asked the woman. “Edel, how long have you lived in Hen’s Hollow?” She stopped scrubbing my clothes to answer.
“Storme, I grew up in Haven’s Fjord but moved here with my husband some 30 years ago.” She paused, “If you have time later today, could you and Gareth make a run to the soaper in the city for me? I will give each of you a free cube and eight steel each.” She waited patiently for my reply. We had made runs to the city for her before and usually received about that amount, and we got a free cold rinse shower for our effort. I thought since I was going to the city later today, I should try to line up some other jobs and bring Gareth.
“Sounds good. How many blocks?” I replied, distracted by my thoughts.
Edel replied with a sly smile, “Eight blocks, two hard soap, and six scented soap.” Damn, that was twice the normal haul. Each block weighed about five pounds and was cut into 64 cubes. Typically, I would have negotiated for more money before agreeing, but the idea of developing my magic clouded my mind.
I exited the tub and headed to the shower stalls for my rinse. There wasn’t a huge taboo on nudity, so I wasn’t surprised when Edel stood and walked around the screen to hand me a towel since there were none on the shelf this early. She returned to cleaning my clothes, smiling. My last growth spurt had me nearing six feet. If my foggy memory was correct, I would reach 6’3” when I finished growing.
I took my cold rinse in the shower and went to get my clothes from Edel. Edel had an ability that allowed her to evaporate water quickly. It gave her a career drying plants for the herbalist and drying laundry in the bathhouse. Not a world-breaking skill, but she did well; her husband was a wood carver, but I rarely saw him around Hen’s Hollow.
“Storme, my lovely niece in the city, is turning 16 in two weeks. Would you be available to escort her to her coming-of-age party?” She asked sweetly.
I felt my face flush reflexively, and I responded quickly, “Miss Edel, I must apologize, but I believe I will be engaged in other activities.” I rapidly took my clothes from her, dressed quickly, and left. I had too many things on my mind to be escorting a young woman to her coming-of-age party.
I went to the town commons, where there was a large water fountain with a lion, and sat on a stone bench. This square was where most town celebrations were held and it was currently empty. It was still early in the morning, and I sat and thought.
My first thought was how good my clothes smelled. Edel had used the vanilla soap on them as she must have remembered it was my favorite scent. Focus Storme. I needed to master my metal creation ability. I needed to purchase some spells. And lastly, I should go to the apothecary to see if they had something for my aether core heartburn. Or maybe not the last, as it would reveal I had awakened.
I pulled out a copper coin and tried to mentally duplicate it. No luck, but my metal-shaping ability cut the coin in half when I applied my will, creating two sharp-edged half coins. Well, I guess that counted as my first use of magic. Ok, maybe I should try without a coin in my hand. I focused on the idea of copper, its color, smell, and taste. I got a brief sense of vertigo and felt a lightweight enter my palm. I looked at a lump of copper metal in my hand.
Success? I turned the shiny orange-red lump in my hand…maybe an ounce? Now, I needed to make it into coins. I looked and didn’t see anyone nearby. I took a newer copper coin out of my pouch and studied it. One side had a triangle with images at each corner, a sword and shield, scales, and two men holding hands. The opposite side had the silhouette of the Skyholme palace, Skyhold, where the Triumvirate resided, and it had the date the coin was minted below.
I studied the coin for twenty minutes before forcing my will and attention on the copper lump I had created. The lump flowed like water into ten identical coins in just a few seconds to match my mental image. I breathed heavily in excitement and a tiny bit of mental fatigue.
I was startled when the baker passed me with a sack of bread meant for the pub. I was sure he hadn’t seen my efforts, but I scolded myself for doing this in the open like an idiot, even though I hadn’t expected success so soon. My excitement was overcoming my common sense. My stomach was also roiling with hunger, so I followed the baker and the scent of fresh bread to the pub.
The pub had a few customers already. They usually served a worker’s breakfast of heavy white gravy with bread, a small bowl of boiled oats with heavy cream, and a weak ale for a copper coin in the morning. I ordered two servings and used two of my new copper coins to pay. The gravy didn’t agree with me, but the two bowls of oats and cream filled me. I didn’t like the weak ale either, as it tasted slightly sour. I left the pub to head to Gareth’s house.
This morning, I was to attend lessons with Gareth and six other children from our town, including my sister Freya. As I made my way to his house, I spotted Gareth outside, chopping firewood. Despite being younger than me, Gareth towered over me by four inches, his broad shoulders giving him a robust appearance. Gareth devoured three times what other kids ate, fueling his body, which was quickly transforming into a strong, muscular frame. In stark contrast, I looked down at my own lean physique, feeling a pang of envy at the sight of his growing muscles.
“Stormy!” He called when he noticed me walking toward him. Yeah, I hated that nickname. My mother had added the ‘e’ to my name to make it unique, and when Gareth and I were first learning letters, he pronounced the ‘e.’ He knew I didn’t like being called Stormy, but he continued to do so. However, if another kid called me Stormy, he made them stop by word, threat, or force. “Ready for numbers and transcription this morning?” he asked when I was within easy talking distance.
I was good at numbers. It was mostly basic arithmetic with some light word problems thrown in. Transcription was kind of boring. Each student spent time copying a book word for word. Gareth’s mother was a scribe and thought it a good way to learn the common language of the Sphere.
Well, at least the books were always stories of heroes, monsters, and faraway lands. The stories were usually parables teaching some ethical principles or moral lessons. “I bet I can finish the numbers before you today,” I replied with a smirk. Gareth knew he could not finish before me unless he wanted to get most of the answers wrong.
“Yeah, not a chance. How about we let Freya judge our script from the transcription?” His typical grin appeared on his face. My younger sister usually tagged along with us and was frequently called to choose a winner in our spur-of-the-moment competitions. She was mostly fair, but sometimes she got mad at me, which tilted the scales toward Gareth.
I shrugged in consent, and we went to the ad-hoc classroom inside his house. My sister Freya was there, and she gave me a cross-look. Oh shit! I forgot I had promised to take her to the baker for a breakfast cake this morning. I had promised her before bed last night but forgot after my core awakened.
Even though my script was neat and was at least equal to Gareth’s careful hand, I knew I had no chance of winning now. I had been played. Gareth’s grin only got bigger as we sat down.
The tiny woman who had somehow birthed the monster of Gareth entered, and the other kids took their seats. I raced through the numbers problems certain I hadn’t made any errors. We had twenty pages to transcribe today.
The story was part of the tale of Farrod the Warrior. He was a solo dungeon delver, and the tale focused on how his greed and lust for coin led him to an early grave. I put effort into my copying as the texts were eventually sold by Gareth’s mother for a small amount of coin to pay for her time.
She walked around the room and asked questions about the tale depending on where each student was in their transcription. It was to make sure we were reading and understanding the words and not just copying letters. Soon, she announced time was up, and the six of us got ready to sprint out of the room. Gareth hadn’t forgotten the bet and was whispering with Freya.
I walked to Freya to interrupt their conspiracy, “Freya, sorry about this morning. Here is a steel so you can get some honey suckers.” Gareth immediately looked betrayed, his grin fading, thinking I would now win.
Freya grabbed the coin from my hand and yelled, “Gareth’s letters were prettier.” She ran out the door. Gareth’s grin returned immediately. Shit, so much for bribery.
We turned and started to walk out together. Gareth put his hand on my shoulder as we walked. “What is on the list for today? Mother was hoping we could get some spiced sausages in the city that she likes for her today. She gave me a copper for four.” Gareth always had suggestions on things to do but always followed my lead.
“Well, I made a deal with the bathhouse lady to get soap in the city. But we will need our packs as it is eight blocks. I also wanted to show you something in private. Let’s go to the barn.” My parents’ house had a stable with two stalls, but we had no horses or farm animals. The space was more for storage now and a hangout for Gareth, me, and sometimes Freya. My older brother, Pascal, had his own group of friends that played with wooden swords all day, so the space was secure from intrusion.
Once we were secure in the building, I turned to Gareth, “It happened last night. My awakening.” It took a brief second for him to process before his eyes bulged.
Excitedly, he asked, “Can you do anything? Did any abilities manifest? Are you stronger? Faster? Can you throw lightning bolts? Fireballs?” Magic was rare, and abilities that utilized aether were a means to gain entrance to a better Academy.
“I can do a few things. But this will be the biggest secret I have ever shared with you. You cannot let anyone know, not even my parents. Agreed? Blood-bonded brothers?” I said it in an even and serious tone. Blood-bonded brothers was our oath to each other to never betray each other and come to each other’s aid if needed, no matter the circumstances.
“Blood bonded.” He said in all seriousness. He was rarely serious, so I nodded, accepting the oath.
“I can shape metal.” His left eyebrow cocked up, skepticism clearly etched on his face. I pulled a copper coin from my pouch and proceeded to shape it into a tiny cat figure, an ugly cat figure, but you could see it was a cat.
“Wow, a dog!” Gareth rasped out before collapsing in laughter when I announced it was a cat. It was a cat, damn it. He thought my failure at sculpting was more humorous than the enormity of the ability or the implications of my shape-metal ability. I quickly changed the CAT back to a coin and handed it to him.
“Angelic saviors, Storme,” he muttered. Well, at least I knew he was serious, as he used my proper name when he was no longer joking. “You are not going to tell your parents?”
I shook my head no, “Not for a while. Father would probably force me to be a battle mage. Maybe I will tell them after I learn a few spells and get used to using my aether.” Gareth looked incredulous but accepted my decision with a nod.
A few moments later, Gareth said, “You have hundreds of paths ahead of you, my brother.” He was still examining the coin when I held up my empty palm, closed it, and opened it to reveal a lump of copper. Gareth partially collapsed to the ground. “Did you just? Is that real? You teleported it, right? Sleight of hand?” I just slowly shook my head. “You can create copper,” he paused, “Real copper? Is it temporary?” his voice was weak in disbelief.
I finally spoke, “It is real and permanent. And I think I might also be able to create other metals.” He was still in shock, so I gave him a few moments to recover before speaking again, “So now we need to start making plans.” He looked up at me, and our eyes met. We both had huge grins and started laughing in unison.
? Copyrighted 2024 by AlwaysRollsAOne
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