Chapter 16: Fluff Monster


    “Talk about what?” I knew Gareth was shocked at my list, but I was stalling for time. I was shocked a bit myself.


    “What! A demon screwing an angel tier seven ability, Storme!” Gareth said a little too loud for my liking. I gave him a hand signal to bring down the volume. “Storme, tier seven abilities don’t exist! They are a myth, legend, things of gods…wait, are you a god in disguise?” Gareth was studying every inch of me as if he had never seen me before, and I was still formulating a response when he stepped back, “Are you a reincarnated demon or god?”.


    I started speaking slowly, “What? No, I am just a normal boy.” I tried to look as innocent as possible. He snatched the sheet and reread it, shaking his head as he did so, and then looked at me again, focusing on my eyes with his brown eyes.


    “Healing magic? Lightning magic? Past Life Memories? What do you remember then if you were not a god or demon? Wait, were you a woman? Is that why you never told me? Maybe an elf woman in your past life? Now that would be cool!” Gareth’s sudden grin had turned fiendish, but at least it was there. His initial shock was wearing off.


    “No.” I needed to play this well. I was surprised I had remained so calm, at least outwardly, “I was a cook, and I went for a walk one day and fell off a cliff and died.” Yeah, that should work, and Gareth could draw the proper conclusions. “I don’t remember much.” That was at least true. “Most of what I remember are recipes and what things tasted like. Of people and places—most are just hazy images to me.” Again, that was mostly the truth.


    Gareth sat heavily in the chair, thinking momentarily, “That makes sense. That is why you are such an awesome cook and keep coming out with new meals. Where in the Sphere did you grow up? Were you a human man?” Gareth was leaning forward in the chair, focused on me. I could tell this was exciting to him, and it looked like our friendship was still secure. I personally didn’t like being under the microscope of someone I counted my best friend over two lives. I didn’t want to lie to him, so I must be general.


    “I don’t have great recall about it. But I worked in a restaurant, and I was a man and human.” I stressed the last, “I don’t recall much about my family, city, or country. Most of what comes to me from my past life is my time in the kitchen and cooking at the restaurant.” He was nodding and gobbling it up. I could reserve the truth for another day when we were much older—that I was from another planet, possibly in another galaxy.


    “Ok, when you remember more, just tell me about it?” He said eagerly in anticipation, and I nodded. “So, angelic freaking lightning! When will I see you zap birds from the sky with red bolts of fury?!” He was way more excited about this than I was. How did I get the lightning magic affinity anyway? I was positive I didn’t select it. Oh, a thought occurred. My mother had told the tale a thousand times about why I was named Storme. I was born under auspicious circumstances of a lightning drake attack and severe thunderstorms. Mother had said multiple lightning strikes were close by. Maybe this triggered the affinity somehow? Well, I had this bonus and could now figure out how to get the most out of it.


    Over the next three hours, Gareth relentlessly asked questions about my abilities, affinities, and past life. Whenever I tried to steer the conversation back to him, he cut me off, “Stormy, you are our ride out of Skyholme! Let’s make sure we maximize your potential!” Maximizing potential was something I always preached when we ran around the town and city doing jobs for the people. It felt like he was throwing it back at me.


    Eventually, I climbed to my loft and told him I needed sleep for tomorrow’s punishing regimen. I only managed to do seven aether core exercises and make some gold coins before passing out from Gareth’s stressful inquisition.


    The morning brought a small surprise. Wynna and Ennet had stayed in Callem’s house in his guest room. That they stayed was not such a surprise, but he had a guest room! Why had he made us sleep on the floor? Callem had also gone all out for breakfast. The spread of fruit was amazing. Many of the fruits I was unfamiliar with but enjoyed trying. My favorite fruit was something similar to kiwi in size, seeding, and texture but had a yellow-orange flesh and tasted closer to banana strawberry to my taste buds. It was called Bramble Fruit because it grew in a dungeon on a heavy vine with large thorns. The thorns were also poisonous, according to Wynna. Wynna had brought the fruit with her. There was also something similar to coffee-flavored milk to drink. It was called Dark Milk. It came from something similar to a coconut from the way Callem described it. It was found in the tropical area of the lowlands and was a normal breakfast drink down there. It was another contribution by Wynna and Ennet. Soon after everyone finished eating their fill, conversation broke out.


    “So, boys, were you pleased with what your papers told you?” Callem initiated with his face impassive. I was hesitating, unsure what to say, and Gareth saved me.


    “Yes, Callem. I have the tier 3 ability giant’s constitution.” Ennet gasped while everyone else held their poise. Callem slowly nodded and then spoke.


    “That is an exceptional ability. You will have increased size, fitness, and recovery. But maybe you shouldn’t reveal your abilities in front of our guests. I had just asked if you were pleased with the paper''s contents. A tier 3 ability with such advantages to combat—it will attract a noble house. They would sacrifice quite a bit to get you under their thumb or manipulate the circumstances to do so.” Gareth turned bright red at his error and at being rebuffed by Callem.


    To their credit, Wynna took her daughter’s hand, “I wish to see the fields and this training course Callem talks so fondly about. Let us go for a long walk.” The pair smiled at us but were soon out the door.


    Callem chuckled lightly as he intoned, “Don’t worry, boys, they won’t reveal anything. After spending the last day with them, I know they are honorable women.”


    “So, Gareth, it’s a formidable ability. As you finish growing through adolescence, it will become stronger. The only downside is that you can expect to be somewhere between 6’6” and 7’ tall, which will make you a clear target on any battlefield. It’s quite rare to have a natural ability at Tier 3 as a human; there may only be a dozen men in all of Skyholme with similar abilities, and most possess it at Tier 2.” A teacher''s pride illuminated his face. Gareth continued, “I also have a tier 2 ability, vestibular movement sense.” Callem slapped the table so hard it cracked. He was torn between being upset about the table and happy hearing what was apparently excellent news.


    “I knew it!” Callem exclaimed. “Big and dexterous. You are going to the greatest weapon master of your generation!” Callem was beaming. “Anything else you wish to share with me?”


    Gareth paused momentarily before saying, “The adaptive trait at tier 1 and skill affinity for melee weapons at tier 4.” Gareth intoned in finality. It was apparent this was all he would reveal, but Callem’s mind was already churning a mile a minute. Gareth had revealed everything that would help Callem plan his training in his mind.


    “All melee weapons? No specific branch?” Callem asked, clearly astonished and happy. Gareth nodded. “Damn boy, that is pretty amazing. Adaptive is useful but pretty generic among humans and other races. But all melee weapons. We need to start expanding your repertoire in training to expand your arsenal. We definitely shouldn’t limit you to just swords.” Callem started pacing while shoving food into his mouth, planning in his mind. He was probably thinking of ways to torture us to bring out Gareth’s potential.


    I snatched all the remaining bramble fruit before Callem could get to them, and as a consolation prize for the months of pain, I foresaw ahead of me. Gareth was just waiting with a somewhat eager look on his face.


    “Ok, we have quite a bit to work with. No aether core awakening?” Gareth shook his head no in response to Callem’s question. “Okay. We need to get you as many masteries as possible in melee weapons for the next eight years. We also need to be on the lookout for a defensive ability to add to your skill set. It is best if it comes from a dungeon. The best we could afford is a tier 1 ability. It should cost between 8 and 10 platinum coins if we can get it at a reasonable price. I can make that in a few years.” The shock of his statement was plastered on both our faces. Callem was committing a vast sum to Gareth’s future growth.


    Callem smiled at Gareth, “Don’t look surprised, boy. You are my legacy, and I have maybe 15 to 20 good years left. My daughters are well taken care of, but I have been searching for meaning out here, and you have given me something to grasp onto.” He paused. “Is this what you want?” Gareth didn’t hesitate at all before nodding energetically with a sloppy grin. “Just don’t get cocky, boy. Up here in Skyholme, you will be the big fish in the small pond. Down in the lowlands of the Sphere, there will be hundreds of thousands stronger than you.” Gareth seemed to take that advice to heart and was nodding at the wisdom.


    I had been a bystander so far, and I probably would have made the same faux pas of revealing my abilities in front of the women. Maybe because I didn’t want to be upstaged by Gareth, I butted in with my qualifications, “Callem, I have one ability and two skill affinities. I have enhanced aether core at tier 2, affinities for healing magic at tier 3, and lightning magic at tier 2.” That should be enough revealed to get some praise.


    “For all the Hellspawn from the Red Moon!” Callem exclaimed. His face creased in worry, and then he thought. “The damn magi academies in the capital would fight over you if they knew that! Tier 2 aether core! You are practically an archmage already!” Ok, maybe I messed up revealing what little I did but I had downplayed my core from tier 4 to tier 2. “Anyone found with just a tier 1 core ability is married immediately into one of the Triumvirate families.” He sat and started thinking.


    He then started talking to himself, “Sebastian, no, he would just try and use you toward his own goals, and being around him is dangerous. Isaias is dead... Reid went to the lowlands, Bennett…no, he is an asshole.” He refocused on me. “Sorry, Storme, I just can’t think of any mages at the moment I trust to train you in your magic without pulling you into a viper’s nest in the capital.”


    I waved my hands, “No, I am good with self-learning. I am doing fine. I think I just need time to learn spells on my own and maybe some help getting some spell books.” Callem slowly nodded, acknowledging his inability to help. Even though I was not his primary disciple, he still looked pained.


    “What about another reading Storme? Wynna can read the potential size of your aether matrix. That should at least let you plan which and how many spells to imprint.” He looked hopeful I would accept his offer, so I just nodded. He went to the door and bellowed nicely for the women. Then went to his room and retrieved two large golds. Soon, I was sitting with just Wynna in the private guest room. The room was very nice. It had a full-sized bed and fresh flowers laid out in vases, their aroma lingering in the air. A small table with two chairs is where we took up residence for the reading.


    Much like last time, it was going to be a secret blood reading. “Well, Storme, here we are again.” She smiled at me. “I hope you didn’t reveal too much to Callem. He is a good man, but secrets never remain secrets forever.”


    I was starting to get uncomfortable under her friendly gaze, my secrets were bigger than she could possibly guess. “Can we get this completed so I can begin practice today?” I said as nicely as I could, not wanting to be rude.


    “Yes, Storme,” she began without any further delay, and the next unpleasant reading began. It was like spiders going throughout my body, and my aether heartburn seemed to flare up in response. “Ok, it is finished. You will find a lower and upper range for the number of spells you can learn on the sheet. Your aether matrix is like a muscle. The more you work on it, the bigger it can become. I will leave you to look. My readings are fairly accurate. Both marks should be within two of their actual. So plus or minus two points for both numbers” She winked and left the room.


    Tentatively in anticipation, I looked at the paper.


    Aether Matrix Size 22, Aether Matrix Maximum Size 103


    Damn, that was huge from what I knew. Each tier of an imprinted spell took up one count on my aether matrix. So, I had 22 points right now, which was essentially the amount of a fully trained high mage! And that could still grow. Perhaps I should be looking at tier 2 and tier 3 spells. Slow your horses, Storme, I chided myself. Let’s get the two tier 1 spells imprinted before proceeding with any big planning.


    Wait, a stored bit of knowledge popped to the forefront of my thoughts. I read something about magic affinities and spell imprinting. It was something that the space required to imprint higher-tier spells was reduced if you had a certain tier of skill affinity. I would need to find that reference again. I did remember in which book the reference was in Wigand’s shop.


    I exited the guest room while still in a daze, and everyone stared at me expectantly. “It is good news,” was all I said with a slight smile. Gareth looked relieved, and Callem looked happy.


    “Well, boys, the ladies are staying here for the week, so be on your best behavior. They plan to attend the carnival in the city.” Callem looked happily at his guests. Was he interested in one of the women? Ennet looked to be in her 20s, but Wynna was probably 50 or older, still much younger than Callem. “We have burned too much of the day already! To the yard!” Callem ordered his troops.


    The women spent the day watching us train. My body was adapting fairly well to the training, and I knew I wouldn’t be as sore this evening, still I would welcome the cold waters of the stream. Callem decided Gareth would forgo practicing the bow even though he was pretty damn good at it. He would let me continue, though. Gareth had pulled out staves, maces, axes, polearms, and shields from storage during the day. They didn’t match the quality of the swords Callem had, but there were now another 38 melee weapons for Gareth to learn.


    During a short break, Gareth asked me if it was alright if he got Freya a puppy for her birthday. Freya had always wanted a puppy, but there was a tax on dogs and any large animal in Skyholme, five large coppers every month. I wasn’t sure if this was because resources were limited or if they wanted to limit large pets to rich people, as there was no tax on cats or birds. So, he was asking if I would pay the tax. I agreed.


    Callem was also a little more intense when we finally got to sword practice. It was a pecking order for sparring after training sword forms for a few hours. I would get beat senseless by Gareth, and then Callem would beat Gareth senseless. I think Callem was also trying to impress our observers today. I could see our fast progress as Callem was a great teacher. I was thankful when the long day finally ended, and we were released.


    Gareth asked me that evening in the cold pool, “Storme, you did a smart thing holding back. I thought Callem needed to know the extent of my abilities.” He sighed, “You will be the greatest mage Skyholme has ever known, and I will be its greatest swordsman. You can rest assured I will be there protecting your back. And thank you. I know that this training is not your favorite thing, but I recognize you are here to support me.” We shared a look, our friendship growing stronger.


    Dinner that night was just slow-cooked barbeque chicken and coleslaw. It was very quick to get going for me in the morning, giving me bonus free time to study my spell. The conversation with the women at dinner was slightly muted to start but slowly warmed up. Nothing of importance was said other than learning the women were, in fact, hiding out. They were also enjoying their vacation from endless readings in the capital. After dinner, I excused myself first.


    That night, I did some aether core exercises, made some gold coins, and then went to the spell books. I started with the cleanliness spell since it should be a little simpler than the mend flesh spell. Unfortunately, it was the same as the first time. The spell forms just gave me a headache. Frustrated, I opened the mend flesh spell book for the first time.


    My eyes seemed to be able to focus on the first page, and it sort of made sense…the second page…I could see the connections to the first set…the third page…yes! Finally, the fourth and final page… I could see how they all connected, and they even made some sense. The healing spell was like reading Shakespeare in 8^th grade compared to the cleanliness spell, which was like trying to figure out how to speak Russian from an original Tolstoy work. With my healing affinity, I could really do this! It was extremely late when I finally went to sleep.


    The next four days were groundhog day to me. Breakfast, stretch, set dinner on, obstacle course work, farm work, lunch, sword practice, dinner, and finally, studying. Callem tried to vary things from day to day, but I truly looked forward to making some coins and then delving into my mend flesh spell book. The notes of the previous owner were very helpful as well. I had also been writing out the four-layered spell form on paper and could feel myself getting close.


    We got to know Wynna and Ennet fairly well at breakfast, lunch, and dinner as we became more comfortable in their presence. I also noted that Callem was possibly growing sweet on Wynna. I was happy for him. They were good people, and their disposition had improved from being very friendly to being friends. It didn’t hurt that they both loved my cooking. Wynna liked the pork fried rice the best, and Ennet liked the pizza. I was still a burger guy and even made some passable French fries even though I didn’t have good ketchup yet.


    We learned Ennet had been married twice previously with no children from either marriage. Both marriages did not end amicably. Wynna’s husband, Ennet’s father, had died in a shadow cloud encounter. A shadow cloud was a massive dark cloud full of shadow monsters that the island floated into during their orbits. It happened every seven years to the capital island, but the populace was usually prepared or evacuated to the other islands. They didn’t offer how he died with forewarning, and we didn’t pry further.


    Well, by the end of the training week, we were all excited about the carnival. Callem was going to escort the women. Gareth and I would need to collect Freya. Her birthday was on the 7^th day of the week, so we had the 6^th day to plan. Gareth also had to get one of the puppies on the Gaskil farm for Freya’s birthday present. I needed to talk with my parents and get them some coins to cover the puppy tax.


    We left as a large group after breakfast on the morning of the 6^th day. Gareth and I each pocketed five large silvers from Callem before leaving. I had fused my gold into large coins, and my pouch was extremely heavy. I should have given it to Gareth to carry, but traveling with the adults, I didn’t want to pass it off in case Callem noticed.


    Freya was waiting on the edge of town and rushed to me, hugging me. “Storme, is this Callem and his wife?” It was the first time I had seen Callem embarrassed. The flush in his cheeks evaporated just as quickly as it had come. “I can’t wait till tomorrow, Storme! Can we go today? The carnival has been going on since yesterday. The other kids in town have already gone at least once already! I already know what I want to do, too! You get ten tickets for a silver coin, and shows only cost a few tickets. Can we go today, Storme!? I can get my dress on, and today can be my birthday instead of tomorrow!”


    She was finally out of breath. Wynna spoke first, “Freya can you give me and my daughter a tour of your wonderful town? We just passed quickly through a week ago and didn’t have time to investigate all the attractions.” I nodded a ‘yes’ to Freya.


    “If you do a good job Freya, they might tip you!” I voiced loudly as they walked away, Callem reluctantly in tow.


    I went home to find my parents and get permission for the puppy. I also needed to find the book on the History of the Skyholme Navy, which I had borrowed from Wigand and never read. I think Pascal had taken it. Pascal was home and, like a petulant boy, retrieved the book from his room and then left in heated anger. He would eventually cool off from his jealousy of me.


    I found my mother at work, and she was surprisingly very open to the idea of the puppy for Freya. I guess she had been depressed when Gareth and I started our training. I gave her two large silver, telling her it was my pay from Callem. It was to pay for the dog’s taxes and food for the next year. She didn’t want to take it but reluctantly did since a dog would be a large financial burden for the family.


    Mother also asked me about the butter churn in the barn. Freya had told our mother that I had purchased it and had tried to make butter, but it didn’t taste right because she forgot to add salt. Freya was worried she had done something wrong and thought I might be mad at her for leaving the ‘bad’ butter in the churn.


    Freya had cleaned it since we hadn’t done a very good job after dirtying our coins, but she didn’t need to know that. Mother wanted to know if I planned to take it to Callem’s farm, but I said she could keep it as it was a failed enterprise on my part. I would need to find another way to age my coins or just risk spending them as is, as there didn’t seem to be any consequences for using the shiny coins in the city. Once I mastered the cleanliness spell, it would completely hide the coins’ origins as I could demonstrate my ability to clean them.


    My next stop was lunch in the pub. Gareth was there with a puppy. It reminded me of a Bernese Mountain dog pup but mostly white with some brown and light spots of black. Gareth was excited, saying it would get up to 180 pounds like his father. Oh yes, that was right, these big fluffy monsters were sheep-herding dogs. He would be Freya’s fantastic friend and protector, and I told Gareth so. But I probably should get a few more coins to our mother to pay for the food. No, I decided Freya should have to earn money for the pup’s food. Who was I kidding, though? All she needed to do was bring the dog by the pub and butcher for free scraps in town.


    Gareth and I took the puppy to the river for the rest of the day and played with him. I returned home to our mom cooking chicken fajitas for dinner. I showed her how to cook them and make the cornmeal tortillas. Freya was proud and vocal about getting a silver coin tip today from giving the tour to Callem, Wynna and Ennet. The dinner was good, and Pascal had mellowed from our earlier encounter. The dinner had a bunch of innuendo about Freya’s presents, and she eventually went to her room in a huff, missing the constant queues about the puppy. The entire family will be going to the carnival tomorrow. Gareth and I would have to supervise Freya.


    In the morning, Gareth brought the puppy in and used it to wake Freya up, who screamed in joy, scaring the pup so much it peed in her bed. We laughed about it, and Freya didn’t care. She wanted to call him Fluff Monster but eventually was talked into something more reasonable, Monty. Finally, the dog fell asleep and was locked in her room with a water bowl as we headed off to the carnival.


    Chapter 17: The Carnival


    Freya wore her new blue dress with blue ribbons and looked adorable. I had secreted coins into the bottom of my new backpack with some drinks. My belt pouch contained four gold, a few silver, and large coppers. I also had Wigand’s book and planned to return it to him. I hoped to be able to sneak away during the carnival to finish my business with Wigand today then, I wouldn’t have a reason to return to Solaris in the future.


    On the road to the city, Freya said she first wanted to see the play Ashton’s Valor. It was a common ballad about a woman who became a knight and rescued her true love. It was two hours long, but the other kids in town told Freya it was awesome. After that, she wanted to play some of the games for prizes or, more precisely, have Gareth or me win her some prizes.


    Then she wanted to go to the beast menagerie with various monsters and beasts from the lands throughout the Sphere. Then she wanted to see one of the magicians perform real magic. To top off her birthday, she wanted to get a ride on the unicorn, which Gwen had not been able to do. Also, if time permits, she wanted to see the baby dragon. I doubted it was a real dragon. Probably just a drake hatchling or common lizard.


    As we got to the city, there was a massive airship sitting in the fields just outside the far side of the city. The massive vessel made me think of Noah’s ark from its prodigious size. Painted on the side in the sizeable familiar script was The Wonders of the Sphere, Traveling Carnival.


    Surrounding the airship was a tent city. Around the tent city was a short wooden fence. It was a fantastic sight covering maybe a half-mile square. In addition to the carnival airship, several visible airships and skyships were docked inside the city limits, with more coming and going. Freya answered the question before I asked, “They are only performing here. The Triumvirate is just allowing them one week to put on their shows for some stupid security reason. But it has brought thousands of people from all over Skyholme, even nobles from the capital!”


    I looked at the people milling about around the tents. Even from here, I could see half a dozen Wolfsguard escorting important-looking people in finery and a large array of clothing from low to high born. Freya pointed, “Look, the Blackguard!” I turned to see a Wolfsguard in a trim black leather uniform outside the fenced area. Freya continued, “There are supposedly three hundred Blackguards in the city to keep the peace and watch the performers. At least, that is the rumor. Gwen said she counted no less than fifty when she was here two days ago, but that is probably a lie.” Well, anything Gwen said was a lie or exaggeration, according to Freya.


    We reached the fence gate where people were entering. We saw hawkers for food and souvenirs from around the Sphere as we approached the crowd. Others were walking advertisements for the various large tents that housed specific shows.


    The paths were getting crowded, but Freya led us straight to a ticket vendor, and I gave him a shiny gold. Freya missed the exchange as her eyes were focused elsewhere. The man licked the coin before returning me 30 tickets, nine large silver, and seven silver coins. Freya then dragged us to one of the larger tents with a big advertisement on it for the performance of Ashton’s Valor. It cost us three tickets each to enter.


    Inside, there was a large stage set up and seating for maybe five hundred people. Two elves directed people to seats. Elves were a curiosity for us as different races from the lowlands were not generally welcome in Skyholme, and our remote town rarely saw them. A quick inquiry informed us the next show was starting in 40 minutes. We were early and learned the front row, where we first tried to sit, was considered ‘principal’ seating by the young elf male who was acting as an usher.


    Those seats were larger, padded, and right in front of the stage but cost ten tickets each. Freya gave me her puppy dog eyes, and I gave the elf usher three silver coins for the center front-row seats. Soon after we had sat down, the stands behind us started to fill quickly, and you could hear the hawker outside yelling the countdown to the start of the show to draw more people in.Unlawfully taken from Royal Road, this story should be reported if seen on Amazon.


    A young woman in finery sat next to me and looked me over before holding her nose up and trying to avoid acknowledging my presence. A man I assumed was her father sat next to her, also looking disdainfully at my appearance. Freya was between me and Gareth, and I decided to make the best of the situation by ignoring the young woman and enjoying myself.


    I ordered us drinks and a snack. The drink ended up being a ginger beer, nonalcoholic, that was chilled and quite good after you got past the bite. The snack was salted caramelized nuts, but I couldn’t place what kind of nuts through the salt and sweetness. Gareth ordered some meat on a stick for all of us which I ended up paying for as well. The meat reminded me of sweet teriyaki chicken but chewier.


    It wasn’t long before the play started, and I turned briefly and looked to the stands behind us to find every seat had been filled. I counted fifty luxury seats and estimated another 500 other seats. So that would be around two gold per show they netted, plus more for the food and drinks. I had spent one silver and six large copper alone on snacks and drinks. They did four shows a day, so maybe this troupe netted ten gold a day? My merchant musings ended as the show got underway.


    The show was put on entirely by elves. They had many varying body types, like humans. These elves were mostly slender, at least the ones that were in the cast. They also had a unique charisma to them. The lead actor was a gorgeous elven woman with dark hair and aquamarine eyes. She was very good at her part and drew you in when she spoke. Actually, all the actors were excellent, and I found myself enjoying the play more than I thought I would.


    The play was similar to a modern performance of Shakespeare, except they had the added benefit of illusion magic for special effects. I could see the two elven mages casting spells far off-stage. In all, there were maybe 20 elves in the troupe. I scolded myself for putting effort into sorting the behind-the-scenes work and returned to focus on just enjoying the performance.


    The play was two hours, but definitely worth it. It had a lot of romance, comedy, action, and magical special effects to entertain the audience. The cast got a standing ovation when it ended. As we were leaving, Gareth was clearly smitten by the lead elf woman. He kept staring back at her as we were getting ready to leave. Well, his teenage hormones were starting to kick in.


    Being in the front row, we got the unexpected extra benefit of meeting the five leads in the cast as we were leaving. This made Freya ecstatic, and I was sure she would be bragging to Gwen non-stop about it. The young woman who sat next to me handed one of the male actors a large silver and complimented him on his performance, and she had that same infatuation look Gareth had for the lead actress.


    I guess it was normal to tip actors? I pulled out a shiny gold coin and handed it to the lead woman with a slight flourish so the snobby girl who sat next to me could see, “Your performance was marvelous. My friend, Gareth, and sister, Freya, greatly enjoyed the show.” I said with respect, giving a partial bow. “Please accept this coin on behalf of your entire troupe.” Yes, I was trying to be spiteful to the young woman who had looked down on me; she gave just a large silver in appreciation! Well, here is a gold coin worth ten times that amount!


    The elf locked eyes with me and smiled brightly. Damn, she was more beautiful this close. She then clasped her hands over mine and said, “I, Niserie Imiduis, thank you for your generosity on behalf of my troupe, young man. Perhaps you will see a second showing.” Her touch sent pleasant tingles to every extremity of my body. And her intoxicating smile fogged my brain. Maybe my hormones were ragging, too! They were even trying to get past my aether core heartburn.


    I stammered a response, “Uh…sorry Niser..ie…we only have…come…have time for the one.” Freya’s face was laughing at me, while Gareth had a shadow of jealousy on his. Well, next time, Gareth, you can give the damn coin! We were pushed along and out of the tent by the remaining people in the front row waiting to thank the actors. Outside, I was sweating a bit, even in the cool air.


    Gareth seemed to catch his breath, “Whoa. That was great, but I think one or two of those elves had some type of charisma ability!” Yes, that was it! I wouldn’t have been flummoxed so easily. I nodded heartily at Gareth’s intuition.


    Freya spoke impatiently, “Guys, come on! We don’t have much time before they close down for the day.” She started dragging us, and we could clearly see the countdown showing the carnival was open for another eight hours! What did Freya think, that we would stay for eight more hours?


    She dragged us to the rows of small tents with games. “Gareth and Storme, win me a prize!” It was kind of a demand, not a request, by her tone. The tents were crowded with people trying the games. I found something to try. It looked like a mini laser rifle shooting game. You had six shots to hit six targets. I paid for my chance with a ticket and picked up the metallic rifle with Gareth and Freya looking on.


    It was somewhat heavy, and I extended my metal shaping sense into the rifle. There was a spell form inside! Pulling the trigger activated it, casting the small flashy bolt out the end. The sights seemed like a normal rifle, but…there something was wrong at the barrel’s end. Oh, this was interesting. The end of the spell form had a metal gyroscope inset at the nozzle. Each time you fired, it ‘wiggled’ the bolt a little. So even with the targets being just 10 feet away, hitting them would make it hard. I used my metal shaping skill to steady the gyroscope and quickly went six for six on the targets before handing the rifle back to the stunned Carnie. Freya chose a pair of red silk ribbons for her prize. I didn’t tell Gareth; he tried the rifle game thrice before giving up.


    A short walk later, Gareth took on the challenge of catching and putting balls into large cans. You stood at one end, and six young ball tossers threw 60 softballs at you. You needed to catch and dunk 10 of the same color before they hit the ground. The balls were different sizes, weights, and three different colors. The better you did, the faster the balls came from the tossers. Gareth did it on his first attempt. Freya got a small jar of hard candy for her prize this time.


    The last game we played was against other carnival goers. It was like skee ball. The first competitor to get 12 balls into the single hole down the ramp won. Of course, there were 12 stations. Gareth got a little too pumped up, wanting to win. All three of us played the first game, and we lost. Gareth played three more times before giving up. A smug kid with a Wolfsguard behind him kept beating Gareth by a single ball. We had to pull him away from the game rather than make the noble brat angry.


    Our next stop was the beast menagerie. It was the biggest tent of all. The tent was sectioned off with wooden walls to separate the exhibits. Each stop had a showman explaining the beast, where it came from within the Sphere, and how dangerous it was. It had cost each of us two tickets to enter, and we moved with a group of 20 or so from exhibit to exhibit. The first exhibit was a panther the size of a horse. Its eyes were coal black; if the lighting hadn’t highlighted the beast in the large cage, it would have been hard to find it in the shadowy enclosure. The announcer said the beast hunted the Jungles of Terminalia and was the apex predator there.


    The next exhibit was a large water tank with three mermen in it. Gareth commented it would have been better with a female of the species. We were told the mermen lived in massive underwater cities across the Sphere. These three were ‘rescued’ from a leviathan by the carnival. It was interesting to watch them swim, but soon we moved on. The next monster gave us a scare, a nine-foot-tall snow-white yeti. It was chained. It was clearly unhappy with its fate, and red-brown eyes burned with hate. We moved quickly to the next exhibit as the beast had an intimidating aura.


    The next exhibit was a small ice elemental the size of a cat. It was snowing in its enclosure, and the walking ice statue was not overly interesting otherwise. Soon we were moving from exhibit to exhibit. A troglodyte, a bullywug, a giant forest python, a stegosaurus, an imp, three kobolds, a trap door spider, an owlbear, and their piece de resistance in the final exhibit was an adult griffon who was actually tamed. There was a quick sketch artist at the griffon, and he would sketch you riding the griffon for two silver. We passed on it as you did not actually get to sit on the griffon. The walk-through took two hours, and it was exciting seeing the beasts up close that we had read about in stories.


    Next on Freya’s list was a magician. There were multiple acts to choose from, and as we were looking, Gareth talked her into seeing the acrobat troupe instead. So, we spent an hour watching ten acrobats do amazing feats that would make an Olympic gymnast go pale in fright. We were all enthralled as every display they did seemed to defy common sense with their athleticism. I thought these tickets were well spent and hoped Callem didn’t see this show and get some ideas to add to the obstacle course.


    The last two items on Freya’s list, the dragon tent, and unicorn, had extremely long lines. I didn’t want to wait, so I talked Gareth into waiting with her while I went to the city to visit Wigand’s bookstore. We agreed where we would meet up later. The meeting location was one of the fence gates monitored by ticket sellers near the city side of the enclosure. Since the city was crowded and there were Wolfsguard around, I didn’t fear the locals.


    Getting out of the tent city took a little while as the population density had grown. I heard someone saying more adult acts were performed later in the evening. I was slightly curious, but I had things to do. There was also some pyrotechnic display just before they closed for the day, so the crowd was growing to see that since it was essentially free. Also, I could smell dozens of food vendors sending aromas into the air, which slowed me. I had not eaten since the play, and my growing body was complaining. I was checking the food on display as I passed, trying to decide what to get when I returned.


    The other large tent in the complex maze was the trader’s tent. I wish we had gone there as I am sure there would have been many items of interest to purchase. I planned to run to Wigand’s and get back here to convince Freya to go shopping in the tent.


    I noticed a large number of city guards wearing uniforms from across the Skyholme islands. It was not surprising that the influx of people into Solaris City that they needed the help. The streets were crowded, and I heard several people say what a dumpy little city this was. I am sure it was compared to the capital. I pushed on toward my goal. Thankfully, Wigand’s shop was open. I entered to find six customers browsing his shelves, and he was hawkishly watching them. “Wigand?” He jumped at my voice.


    “Oh, Storme! Good to see you!” His facial expression did not match his greeting, as the volume of customers probably stressed him. “I have your book…give me one second while I go grab it.” He went into the back room, and I took the opportunity to pull out the Skyholme Naval text. When he returned with the large book in a fresh leather binding, he said, “Very good! I had forgotten I had loaned you this book.” I took the large tome I had purchased and placed it into my pack while he returned his book to the shelf behind him.


    He turned to face me, asking hopefully, “So Storme, what else can I help you and your patron with?”


    I just shook my head, “Nothing currently. I want to return to the festivities, but I wanted to browse your shelves for a bit.” His face creased in thought.


    He leaned in and whispered low to me, “I have some new spells you might be interested in…just got them. Forty gold each,” he winked at me. “Rare spells. Condense ice and Ice Shield.” Those spells were more uncommon than rare, and neither interested me currently.


    “Not today, Wigand. I just don’t have the coins and still have a lot of debt to work off,” I walked into the aisle where his magical references were located. He followed my movements and the other six patrons in the store. It took a few minutes for me to find the book I was looking for, Introduction to Your Magic Skill Affinity. I read the text over a year ago. It mostly described the 23 magic affinity skills and how having a tier one or tier two affinity affected your practice of spells within that sphere. I found the passage I was looking for near the end.


    If you are fortunate enough to be bestowed with a tier-two magic skill affinity you will most likely be able to imprint spells for a lower cost on your aether core matrix. It is generally accepted that a tier 2 spell can be imprinted for the cost of a tier 1 spell. Tier 3 spells can be imprinted for the cost of a tier 2 spell. It should also be noted that even with a skill affinity of two, mages are not always successful in reducing imprinting costs. Spellbooks sourced from dungeon rewards are highly suggested as they always ensure a reduced spell cost.


    I read the passage twice before returning it to the shelf. My cleanliness spell was in the aether sphere, while my mend flesh spell was in the healing sphere. This reduced cost would not work on either of my current spells. I slipped out the front door while Wigand was busy with another customer who was paying for two books. I was not planning to return to Wigand’s store anytime soon.


    I made my way down the street, and my focus was split on thinking and avoiding the press of traffic. I was suddenly shoved strongly into an alley. I swore in disbelief. I hadn’t been paying enough attention and was going to give the idiot a piece of my mind. There were five boys my age blocking the exit to the street concourse. I recognized all of them. I crawled deeper into the alley before scrambling to my feet. This was not good. I reached down, yes, my knife was on my hip, drew it, and took a defensive stance.


    A larger shadow filled the mouth of the alley, and I felt relief as he wore a city guard uniform. A smug grin came on my face as I said, “Don’t look behind you boys, but you all are done for.” The red-haired boy laughed. Soon, I could see why. The guard was also red-haired and shared features of the gang leader. Fuck.


    Ok, Storme. Pull your shit together. I positioned my body and feet with the blade. All the boys produced clubs except the red-haired boy who had that stupid short iron blade I had made in our first encounter. Not to worry, I told myself. They had range, but I had the skill and better movement speed. Three of them could come at me at most, and I would just have to injure one quickly. The guard turned his back to the alley, probably making sure no one disturbed his brother’s mugging.


    The red-haired leader spoke, “Just give us your backpack and the pretty dagger, and you can go.” I growled as I had stashed a small fortune of coins in the bottom of my pack in case I needed them today. I shook my head no and appeared confident.


    I mean, I thought I looked pretty confident. Callem had taught me well with a sword; a dagger was just a really shorter sword. Two of the boys smirked but were obviously nervous. No one wanted to get stabbed if they didn’t have to.


    I heard a scraping of a hard shoe on a stone behind me. I turned in time to see a girl swing a club at my back. My quick feet sidestepped, and the club barely touched my shoulder. My dagger slashed her arm as I moved behind her, putting her between me and the advancing boys. The girl was tough; she dropped the club but didn’t cry out. She moved to the side and let the boys pass as she cradled her arm. I backpedaled and kept my ears on alert for more ambushers behind.


    I realized my mistake too late. The alley started to widen quickly, which allowed the boys to surround me. I turned to run, but my heart fell. The alley was dead, and I was now 50 feet into it. Even if I screamed, I was sure no one would come with the city guardsman at the entrance. “Since you hurt Gundrun, we are going to have to hurt you now.” The red-haired boy said menacingly. “You should have just given us your pack.”


    I supposed it didn’t make any difference that she had tried to hurt me first. I got the wall at my back and waited for them to make their move. The black-haired girl was out of it, as I was sure I had cut the tendon in the forearm of her dominant hand. So, it was just five-on-one. Great odds, right? The red-haired boy who had claimed the short sword I had dropped started ordering his thugs to attack at once and overwhelm me. Not a bad plan. Since it was going to be an all-out assault, meaning I would have to take the initiative before them.


    Just before they attacked, I moved quickly to the right and got a weak club strike on my back as I moved too close for the boy to hit me with full strength. My dagger cut through his quad muscle and to the side of his thigh. As he dropped to the ground in a choked cry, I rolled away, planning to run back to the mouth of the alley and tackle the guard out into the pedestrian traffic, screaming bloody murder.


    I came out of my roll too slow, though, and the red-haired boy got me in the temple with the hilt of the sword. It was a lucky swing on his part as he had been planning to strike me in the side with the blade, but I was too fast…well, not fast enough. I stumbled from the blow, slightly dazed, but lost my sense of direction and ran into the alley wall. I knocked my head as I had not quite braced myself.


    I was groggy when I came to and heard voices. “….what the…” “….so much….” “….how many gold…” “…is that a platinum…” My head was clearing up, except I didn’t like what I was now puzzling from the voices.


    “He isn’t a lord, and he probably stole all these coins,” the red-haired boy was trying to convince his friends. They had emptied my pack on the ground, and my new book was soaking up gutter water. My coin purse on my hip was gone, and they found the wrapped-up coins at the bottom of my bag. God damn it. I tried to rise.


    “He is up. Beat him to unconsciousness.” It was the red-haired guard who had given the command. Greed was heavy in his eyes as our eyes met. I was too woozy to defend myself effectively other than back up as the clubs started raining down. My dagger was nowhere near me. They were not overly strong but kept targeting my head and ribs, and my wrists and fingers were soon broken as I covered my head.


    Darkness was coming, and I felt a blade push through my chest, the fucking blade I had made in haste in our first encounter. One of the kids swore, “What the demon-cursed shit, Leon! You killed him! Why?” The irony of being killed by my own creation was not lost on me. I couldn’t see anymore, just a blurry red haze. Blood was in my lungs as I struggled to take a breath.


    A few greedy street toughs ruined all my big plans. I was dead, and I knew it. My ears heard them stream out of the alley clearly scared at what their leader had done, leaving me to bleed out. I reached within myself, trying to find the spell I had been trying to learn for five days. I had been close if I could just…seconds felt like hours while I struggled to overlay the spell forms…damn it! Imprint ALREADY! I felt something click in my mind and pushed my aether through the spell form a few times, directing the flows to my organs before passing out.


    <<<<<<<<<<>>>>>>>>>>


    Arturo of the Skyholme secret police watched as the city guardsman and local kids streamed from the alley. They were excited about something. The boy had probably just been mugged. It wasn’t his concern. He was in the city due to the carnival, tracking the carnival workers entering the city. Minutes passed, and the boy didn’t emerge. After nearly an hour, Arturo dropped his chameleon ring effect, stepped away from the wall, and headed toward the alley.


    He was cautious entering but, noticing the broken body on the ground, started walking purposely forward. Damn, lots of blood and the boy’s head and hands were a complete mess. Maybe if he hadn’t waited so long to enter the alley, the boy might have lived? Probably not.


    The boy’s chest rose slightly and fell. Arturo squatted down in the blood pool and looked more closely at the boy. He was breathing very shallowly and strained. He moved the shirt where a blade had obviously punctured the boy’s chest garment. The wound was closed… This young boy suddenly got a lot more interesting.


    Chapter 18: Arturo vs Callem


    <u>Arturo</u>


    Arturo studied the scene. He was looking for a vial from a potion. He noted nothing in the mess of the alleyway. This boy probably had a healing ability. Or maybe he had already imprinted the mend flesh or a similar spell. No, that was unlikely, as that would have taken months for someone so young. He had common clothes on and no noble signet ring on his hand, so he had no mage tutor. It was probably a healing ability, as regeneration would not have saved him.


    The boy had numerous facial lacerations and fractures, and his hands and forearms had bone sticking up at angles under the flesh. His dagger sheath was empty, and his backpack was gone. There was one large tome in a puddle of blood. He picked it up and read the title, The Complexities of Aether Creationism, A Qualitative Comparison of Dungeon and Mortal Spellcraft. Interesting reading for someone so young, and the pages smelled fresh, like it was recently copied. Maybe he was an apprentice to some obscure mage out here in the lower cities?


    The boy would likely live. Arturo leaned against the wall, deciding on a course of action. He had two subordinates who could take over and bring the boy to a healer. The carnival workers were much more interesting after all. His office had confirmed three spies from the Sadians within their number already. On top of that, there were four others that were divined as having malicious intent. Not a large number when considering their massive airship had just over 600 people on arrival. He selected the communication stone in his vest for his agent, Jurmaer.


    After some thought he activated the stone and waited for the return activation signal then spoke, “A boy in the city has been accosted.” Before he could continue, Jurmaer spoke.


    “Someone from the troupes?” Jurmaer asked hopeful for some action.


    “No, just a city kid, but he may have a high-tier healing ability,” Arturo responded calmly. “I plan to bring him to the medical clinic in the city. You will need to change positions to watch my street as well.” He heard Jurmaer’s frustrated sigh on the other end before acknowledging in the affirmative.


    Arturo put the book on the boy’s chest before lifting him. Ugh, he would have to pay for magical cleaning to get the blood out. He wished he had his anti-gravity medallion with him, but he only wore it when he was serving aboard a skyship. Oh well, he walked the four blocks to the healer’s clinic and brought the boy in and let them do their work as he faded into the background and, when he wasn’t observed, activated his chameleon ring again, blending with the wall.


    <u>Callem</u>


    Callem was working on another prize for Wynna, to the distressed dismay of the carnie behind the counter. He noticed Gareth and Freya were running toward the city between the tents in the distance. He could see the panic on their faces even from this distance with his enhanced sight.


    It had been a wonderful day so far. Ennet had let Wynna spend time alone with him and there was definitely something there. Something that hadn’t stirred within him for years was coming to the fore. She was a remarkable woman. Well-read, kind, funny, and attractive for her age. He could help her with her fitness since it was lagging but he figured to let the relationship progress before pressing that. Right now, his concern was on Gareth. Where was Storme? He excused himself from Wynna’s company, saying one his students appeared to be in trouble. He followed Gareth and Freya from a modest distance in case this was nothing, and he could slip back to enjoying the day.


    Callem was able to follow at a brisk jog; his movement didn’t portray that he was following the kids, though. He just seemed in a rush to get somewhere, blending with the other people of the city. The couple picked up their running speed when they could, Gareth didn’t let Freya fall too far behind, keeping an eye on her as he ran. The girl was giving it her all, and there was an obvious emergency. When they entered the merchant’s ward of the city, they started frantically searching the buildings until they found the healer’s clinic and went inside. Callem guessed Storme was inside and walked through the door shortly after them.


    Callem found Freya crying over her unconscious brother in a room at the back. Gareth''s face was a mix of anger and concern as he listened to the healer. Relief washed over Gareth when he noticed Callem standing in the doorway. The healer paused, glancing at the impressive figure filling the entrance, but then continued when Callem nodded for him to proceed.


    “…as I was saying, he has multiple fractures in his face, hands, and arms, along with two broken ribs and a shattered kneecap. We were able to repair the two skull fractures, as they were placing pressure on his brain. Surprisingly, he has no internal organ damage, except for a lung laceration likely caused by one of the broken ribs during transport here. He should recover, but the cost of additional healing…” The healer trailed off, leaving the implications hanging in the air. “I will pay the cost,” Callem said to the healer.


    The middle-aged healer looked relieved. He seemed indecisive on whether to ask for payment first. Callem passed him a large gold coin, to which his eyes widened, “Yes, this should cover most of the costs, if not all. I will need to complete the bone repair over two days unless you want to purchase an aether restorative potion for me…?” He left the question hanging. Callem gave the greedy healer a hard look that got the man to start casting his spells.


    Callem then turned and looked at the far corner of the room, speaking in ironclad words, “I hope for your sake, inquisitor, this was not of your doing or scheming.”


    <u>Arturo</u>


    Arturo had watched as the boy, Gareth, had arrived with the boy''s sister. Someone in the city recognized the boy as he carried him and let his friend know. It was all a very touching reunion but not very interesting. Then, a large square man entered the doorway and Arturo suddenly felt constipated with worry.


    Arturo recognized the man, although he thought Callem Dregalla had been exiled to retirement and should have died by now. Callem had been the arms instructor at the Naval Academy when Arturo attended many years ago. He remembered him as a focused teacher who remained neutral in almost all political matters.


    Arturo had chosen a far corner of the room, which had no windows and only one door. He was reflecting on his choices of escape when Callem turned to him and spoke in the coldest tone Arturo had ever heard: “I hope for your sake, inquisitor, that this was not your doing or scheme.”


    Arturo knew that Callem’s eyes could see through most minor illusions but had hoped to remain unnoticed. There was no point now, so he dropped his chameleon ring effect and startled the healer, large boy and sobbing girl. They all seemed on the defensive so he remained calm. “No, Commander. I found the boy in an alley and brought him here.” He addressed Callem with the highest title he had had in the Navy to show respect.


    His thoughts were also reordering, trying to puzzle things out. Was Callem related to this boy somehow? It would make complete sense. Maybe Callem had remarried and had children in his time away from the capital.


    Callem’s voice was still hard as he retorted, “And I assume the attackers were left to go free? Inquisitors don’t take action; they just report what they see.” Arturo fumed internally but calmed before his anger showed. His job was information gathering and interrogation. Anything beyond that without approval from the chain of command…


    “I did not catch the culprits in the act.” Arturo responded evenly. Well, that was the truth. He knew what was likely happening in the alley but he didn’t actually see it. He needed to watch his words because he knew Callem had a sort of truth-sense about him. During his time at the Naval Academy, nothing got past the man. He decided to reach for information, “Are you this boy’s benefactor?” Well, that was obvious as he had just paid for the healing, but perhaps he would volunteer more.


    Callem responded with some moderation in his tone now, coming down from his initial anger. “These two boys,” he smoothly gestured to Gareth and Storme, “are my students and farm hands. They are under my protection and employment.” The words had some bite and warning to them.


    Arturo leaned against the wall comfortably for the first time in this encounter. Well, at least he had something to report today; the great Commander Callem had taken on students. A number of people in the city would be interested to hear this news.


    Maybe he could gain some goodwill from Callem and play both sides? Even with his advanced age, he was probably one of the most powerful fighters on the islands. “I am glad I was able to get him to a healer for you then. I will look into the assault and see if I can bring them to some justice.”


    He pushed himself off the wall, walked calmly past Callem, and was planning to exit the room.


    <u>Callem</u>


    Callem was fuming on the inside. Inquisitors were the spies of the Skyholme elite and cared nothing for the common folk. It was obvious from his words he could have prevented the assault. He had just used the plural, ‘them’, to describe the attackers. Inquisitors never lifted a finger unless it was beneficial for them or their masters.


    His shock at seeing Callem showed that he hadn''t realized the boy was connected to him initially. He decided the best course of action was to get the inquisitor as far away from the boys as possible and to warn this one off. Before leaving the room, Callem said, “No. I think it’s best if the boy handles his own problems. That way, in the future, he will learn not to start things he cannot finish. I want you to leave this room as well, and I hope I will not find you or any of your associates near me or my people in the future. I gave my oath to never take sides, and in return, I was promised to be left to my own devices. You will honor that.” His last sentence was delivered in a steady, commanding tone.


    Arturo responded after having a slight look of disappointment on his face, “As you wish, Master Callem.” He took measured steps to the doorway, and Callem allowed him to leave. “If you need anything from us in the future…”


    “I will not, Arturo,” Callem said in a voice going hard. He had finally remembered the man. He had taught him as a boy at the Naval Academy. His face had changed quite a lot, but the familiarity was there. He recalled that Arturo was a ladder climber. A boot-linking kid who did whatever the most powerful person in the room wanted. He had modest skill with the blade if he remembered correctly. Gareth would easily outstrip his blade skills within the year.


    “As you will.” Arturo said slightly surprised Callem remembered him. He made his exit and left the building.


    Callem returned his attention to the healer’s progress. Storme was gaunt already from the healing. Low-tier healing spells used the body''s energy to heal, and a lot of healing had been done. “How does he fare, healer?” He asked softly now that the encounter with Arturo was over. Gareth looked worried from the encounter, but the distraught Freya was focused on Storme.


    “I have just finished with the facial bones and his hands. There was a lot of damage there. He still has the knee cap, ribs, and one forearm bone needing to be healed. There is still a large amount of swelling as well. I am pretty spent, as is the boy.” The healer did look tired.


    “Good enough, Gareth, get a cart and horse to bring us back to Hen’s Hollow. There is a bone healer there that can finish the work there. Then, we will be headed to my farm for the boy to recover. Freya will accompany us till Hen’s Hollow, and I will talk with Storme''s parents there.” Callem just stated what he wanted, and people reacted to his orders.


    Two hours later Storme was being serviced by the bone shaper in town, Antal, fixing his remaining bone injuries. Bone shaping didn''t require the bodies stores to work so the unconscious Storme wasn''t being drained by the healing.


    Callem had a conversation with Storme’s parents, Alurha and Caleb, about the attack. Alurha was frustrated and wanted to report the incident. However, it had already been observed by an Inquisitor, and he had done nothing. He reassured them that the best course of action was to let Storme stay with him at his farm and train. Alurha reluctantly agreed at the urging of her husband. Callem’s plan was to keep Storme there until he entered the Academy at seventeen, out of the eyes of the Inquisitors and power-hungry families.


    Callem wasn’t sure why the inquisitor had helped Storme, but whatever it was, it couldn’t be good. Callem wasn’t sure why he felt the need to protect and train Storme. Perhaps he was trying to fill the void left by his lost son with these two talented boys. He believed Storme had the potential to be a unique talent in Skyholme—a powerful mage and a competent warrior. Whatever his ulterior motive, it was obvious that Storme couldn’t protect himself yet. First, the giant eagle and now the boys in the city almost killed him.


    The only dissenter was Freya, the boy’s vibrant younger sister. Freya was upset at this plan as she would barely see her brother anymore. Callem consoled her by saying she could come out for two days a month and stay at the farm and watch Storme and Gareth train. It would be good for Storme to be reminded he was loved. Gareth could escort Freya to and from the town for her safety.


    He was also going to have to do a better job preparing them for the harsh challenge of the elite Academies and cutthroat nature of the ruling families. He was reworking his training plans for the boys in his head…


    ? Copyrighted 2024 by AlwaysRollsAOne


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