ã€ŠA Fractal Divideã€‹


 Prologue

    As Malia paced the grounds of the Hesling Estate in the early morning light, one thought repeated itself endlessly in her mind: This has to be the most boring job in the city. The gardens that Lady Hesling cultivated were lovely, but it hardly seemed worth the effort to station two guards on the grounds specifically to preserve what amounted to a vanity project. Who in their right mind would try to steal¡­

    A shout echoed from around the hedges, breaking her train of thought. For a moment, guilt made her hesitate, as if her silent litany brought a calamity down upon her fellow guard. Her training reasserted itself, however, and her feet began to carry her towards the source of the commotion. She found herself flying through a patch of flowers in her haste, flinching slightly as she left a trail of flattened flowers in her wake. I just know those are coming out of my pay.

    It took her a few seconds to reach the area she heard the shout from, and in that time she could already see a figure agiley climbing the nearby fence, his feet seeming to find purchase in the air as often as not. That spoke to wind or force attunement, she¡¯d have to keep an eye on them to gauge which. As the figure reached the street on the other side, her attention snapped to the pursuing guard scrambling to keep up. Demaric, you idiot. Why would you wear chainmail in the garden. She could practically hear the rattling of the links as he heaved himself over the fence, landing roughly on the cobblestones before continuing pursuit.

    She began focusing on a spot just before the gate, quickly judging angles and timing. Her runic fractal formed in her mind, tracing down paths earth external lift up and a section of the ground lifted just as her weight came to rest on it. She found herself flying through the air, as the fractal shifted paths in her mind earth internal strengthen against to reinforce herself as her feet hit the street. She stumbled slightly, but managed to keep most of her forward momentum in the process.

    The cloaked figure turned back, taking in the two pursuing guards. She caught a flash of a face in the darkened hood, but his head whipped forward again before she could note more than vague masculine features. She caught up to Demaric just as the cloaked figure picked up speed, cloak billowing behind him.

    With the early morning, the streets were still relatively clear, mostly working-class folk with work to be about. This was a minor blessing, as it meant that they could pursue without worrying about being slowed by the crowds. Several passersby stopped what they were doing to gawk at the scene, apparently not so engrossed in work as to miss a free show.

    Ahead, the road opened up into a plaza, and beyond that was a bridge over the Stelen River leading away from the Noble District. Already, she could feel her legs beginning to burn, and her breathing was beginning to flag. If she could avoid the warren of streets and alleys that made up the Merchant¡¯s District ahead, it would save this from becoming a true nightmare. Perhaps she had been slacking on her endurance training just a bit.

    ¡°Demaric,¡± she huffed out, trying to keep her legs pumping, ¡°stop him from crossing. No way I¡¯m going to risk damaging that bridge.¡±

    Demaric glanced at her and nodded, his steps slowing slightly as he stared ahead at the fleeing figure. Amateur, keep yourself moving. Smoke began to billow from his cloak, starting slowly before a flame burst near the center. Malia felt her eyes bulge slightly as she turned to her companion.

    ¡°You idiot, are you trying to kill him? I meant you should put up a wall to block his path, or do a burst to distract him. What the hell is wrong with you?¡±

    Demaric seemed to shrink into himself under the verbal lashing, slowing his pace to match hers. He glanced her way, a defiant look in his eyes. His shoulders rolled back, and he spoke with more than a hint of defensiveness.

    ¡°If you wanted something specific, you should have said something, or done it yourself. Besides, when a person runs that hard, they¡¯re up to more than trespassing.¡±

    She shook her head, determined to revisit this somewhere other than the middle of a steadily filling plaza. This was no way to behave as a professional. The cloaked figure had dropped to the ground just a few steps onto the bridge, rolling wildly to try to put out the flames. As they approached within a few feet, he seemed to finally get the last of them out, settling on the ground with a sigh. Somehow, his hood had remained up through the process, still hiding his features.

    Demaric reached the man first, stooping down to grab the man by the arm. Suddenly, the cloaked figure rolled past Demaric, drawing closer to her. He spun his head, reaching one arm out towards Demaric as the other braced on the ground. A burst of wind erupted from his palm, heaving Demaric off his feet and over the railing.

    Oh, I guess it¡¯s wind after all.

    She stared bemusedly at the tableau, her brain struggling to catch up to what had just happened. The splash coming from the river finally jarred her startled brain awake, but by then the cloaked figure was already on the move again. She dashed to the rail, relieved to see that somehow Demaric was making his way to the shore despite that damn chainmail. Maybe this will convince him to wear something more practical.

    She continued the chase, somehow managing to keep pace with the fleeing figure. The man seemed to have slowed down, so maybe Demaric¡¯s fire had done something to help after all. Not that she was willing to let it slide. The figure man gave one more glance behind him, and turned suddenly into an alley ahead.

    Malia pivoted down the alley, feet slamming against the uneven cobblestone. The cool morning air seemed to drag her back, warring with her gambeson for biggest hindrance in this chase. Ahead of her, the cloaked figure seemed to glide across the ground, feet barely touching the ground.

    Damn wind attunements. I¡¯m never going to catch him playing fair.

    Looking further down the alley, she saw her chance as the alley turned sharply to the right a small distance ahead. With an effort of will, pushed away thoughts of her labored breathing and burning legs, instead focusing on the corner of the building ahead Her runic fractal solidified in her mind, power tracing from the earthen core, to external lift across in a chain she had long since mastered. The stone seemed to resist slightly, as the chain didn¡¯t quite fit the action, but her will managed to bring the concept to bear.

    As the man rounded the corner, a chunk of the building extended, catching the fleeing stranger across the shins and sending him stumbling to the ground with a cry of pain. It took her barely a second to catch up, but already she could see the wind gathering beneath him to push him forward once more.

    Can¡¯t have that she thought, a burst of adrenaline pushing her forward as she finally closed with her quarry. Once again, her fractal formed in her mind, tracing down a different path. Earth external grab down towards the stone the man¡¯s hand rested on, dragging his arm into the street. With his arm now acting as a fulcrum, his chin slammed down with enough force to stun him, and she took the opportunity to grab his other arm.

    ¡°Was that really worth all the effort,¡± Malia gasped, glad to finally get a chance to catch her breath. ¡°You could have just stopped on the manor grounds, I would still be in a good mood, and you wouldn¡¯t be covered in bruises.¡±If you encounter this story on Amazon, note that it''s taken without permission from the author. Report it.

    A small laugh behind her spiked her adrenaline once again, and she spun with her hands raisedand ready to deflect a blow, but her thoughts were too scattered and racing to properly form a fractal. Shit, how could I have been so careless as to let someone lead me down a blind alley alone. Damn Demaric for letting himself be blown into a river.

    Her mind froze as she finally registered who was behind her. A middle aged man with decidedly average features leaned casually against a wall, hands in his pockets and a smile playing at the corners of his mouth and crinkling the edges of his dark eyes. If she hadn¡¯t known better, she would have assumed he had been standing there this entire time watching the scene play out for his amusement. Her eyes darted past him to the alley¡¯s entrance, and then to her left to the alley¡¯s exit. No one around, thank the gods.

    ¡°Calimir, what in the hells do you think you¡¯re playing at? Is he one of your men?¡±

    The man slowly pushed himself off the walls, lightly brushing his coat before turning his attention back to her. Behind her, she could hear the cloaked figure stirring and begin trying to free his arms.

    ¡°After that poor display on Caspien¡¯s part, I¡¯m almost reluctant to claim him. But yes, he¡¯s one of mine. I was hoping we could have a brief chat.¡±

    She let out a huff of frustration, her body shaking as it attempted to adapt to the sudden lack of immediate threat. Physical threat anyways.

    ¡°We have a system damn it. You leave a message, we meet on my off time, and we don¡¯t do anything risky. That was what I agreed to when we came to this arrangement. I¡¯m no good to the cause if I¡¯m dead.¡±

    ¡°An arrangement that has been sufficient so far, but has a few flaws...¡± He paused as he noticed her attention drifting to twin entrances to the alley. ¡°Please, do you think I would be having this conversation if we weren¡¯t secure? But I suppose I do see your point. If you could release Caspien and fix the wall, the door behind you leads into one of our properties.¡±

    She looked towards the door to which he gestured, just now noticing that it was slightly ajar. A frown formed on her face, but she began the work of smoothing the stone.

    ¡°So what, he was always supposed to lead me to this alley? What if I had caught him first? What if Demaric had still been with me? I¡¯m telling you, I did not sign on for this kind of sloppy crap.¡±

    Caspien stood with a groan, hobbling slightly and rubbing at his chin. She caught her first solid glance of him as he pulled his hood back, rough features at odds with the delicate way he checked himself over. He shot her a sour look before opening the door and stepping inside, gesturing for the remaining two to enter the building.

    Calamir held his silence as they walked in. A small torch engraved with a fractal pattern rested in a sconce right inside the wall. She watched as he lifted it up, focusing on the fractal for the moment it took to fix in his mind, and suddenly the ball on the end began emitting a steady light. The sudden glow revealed a short hallway leading to another door, which they made their way down without further ado.

    The chipping paint and faint musty odor spoke to a place seldom used and rarely cared for, but the construction appeared solid and the door opened without a sound as they entered an undecorated room dominated by a table with 3 plush chairs. She looked around for some signs that someone had lived here, but the room lacked any kind of furnishings beyond the seating, and she couldn¡¯t spot any signs that decorations ever adorned the walls.

    Calamir made his way to another sconce, taking a moment to refresh the torch to full strength before placing it. He made his way to the chair at the head of the table, dropping into it with a soft sigh of air from the cushions. Caspien made his way to another, sitting much more gingerly, and Malia gingerly approached the third. Despite her misgivings, the chair appeared to be well cared for, and the musty odor seemed to be absent from the fabric. She carefully sat on the edge, not letting herself get too comfortable.

    With a sigh, Calamir turned his attention back to her, continuing to lounge in the chair.

    ¡°Now that we can afford to take our time with this conversation, please let me assuage your worries. I promise despite appearances, the situation was well in hand. If Caspien had been caught on the grounds, he had a letter from a potential suitor begging him for flowers from Lord Hesling¡¯s gardens. He may have had a slap on the wrist, but he would have been free within the day and I would call this experiment a loss. If Caspien had been unable to¡­ distract Demaric, he would never have gone near the alley, and instead would have taken to the roofs. Again, we¡¯d call this a wash.¡±

    Calamir turned to Caspien, a look of disapproval on his face.

    ¡°Really though Caspien, the river? Couldn¡¯t you have done something a little less drastic? Malia does have to work with the man, and I doubt he¡¯s going to let it go as easily after that.¡±

    Caspien smiled, the first time she had seen him as anything but sour or stunned.

    ¡°Honestly, the river seemed like the fastest way to shake him. Also, he tried to set my cloak on fire. Who does that?¡±

    Malia flinched slightly at that, a little ashamed that Demaric had taken to that extreme. The man could be a little overzealous at times.

    Calamir shrugged, before turning his attention back to her.

    ¡°Well, anyways, as I was saying. This wasn¡¯t nearly as risky as it looked, and it gave us an opportunity to probe the defenses under controlled circumstances, have a conversation with you, and demonstrate a glaring flaw in our current operations.¡±

    He paused expectantly, and she stared at him a moment before rolling her eyes at his inflated sense of drama.

    ¡°What flaw is that?¡±

    He smiled slightly, satisfied with the interplay.

    ¡°Having someone working alone is dangerous. You¡¯re the only person we have at Lord Hesling¡¯s, and that needs to change. It¡¯s a risk for you, a risk for us, limits what we can get done, and slows down the cause. I don¡¯t suppose you could get Caspien a job as a guard or a gardener or some such?¡±

    Her brow furrowed as she looked between Calamir and Caspien, unsure of how to react. Caspien had an affronted look at the mention of gardening, and began spluttering about his dignity while Malia tried to organize her thoughts.

    Someone to work with wasn¡¯t a bad call, and would allow her more freedom to act in the manor. Currently, she was limited in scope as she had to act in complete solitude, and with utmost care so nothing could be traced back to her. So far, that meant being limited to sneaking out limited information on political intrigue, and tracings from a few books. Considering the months she¡¯d had to work with, it was a dismal showing though. Caspien though¡­

    ¡°I think Caspien would be a mistake. He¡¯s too old, and they¡¯d want an employment background on anyone they brought into the manor. I¡¯m assuming he wouldn¡¯t pass any aimed scrutiny towards his history as a guard or gardener?¡±

    Calamir looked to Caspien, who was shaking his head with barely concealed relief. She was glad she didn¡¯t have to bring up her next point. The kind of person willing to throw a person off a bridge to distract him wasn¡¯t really the type of person she was ready to trust with subtle work. His attitude so far had also left something to desire, although she might be partially to blame given the head trauma.

    ¡°If you could send someone younger to apply, and have them send me a sign, I might be able to work with that. I¡¯m not opposed to the idea, but we need to be smart and safe, and we¡¯re not in a rush here. Societal change takes time, and a careful hand to keep clean.¡±

    Calamir nodded slightly, a thoughtful look on his face. He seemed to unconsciously straighten up as he thought, losing the affectation of levity.

    ¡°Yes, that could work. Some young blood in a position to grow into the job, with the right ideals, could go a long way. You¡¯re wrong though, time may not be on our side. I¡¯m not sure what it is, but something is going on behind the scenes. Too many whispers, too many players making strange moves. We may need to act sooner than you think.¡±

    She watched him, waiting for him to go on, but he continued to stare at the table, seemingly lost in thought.

    ¡°Well, if there¡¯s nothing else, I need to get back to my shift. It¡¯s already going to look bad enough that I didn¡¯t manage to catch the intruder.¡±

    Calamir looked up, his face slipping into a more jovial expression.

    ¡°Well, we can help with that at least. Caspien, go ahead and give her your cloak, that should at least give her something to show for her troubles. Please do mention to Lord Hesling where the scorch marks came from, that level of aggression simply won¡¯t do in a civilized society. Let¡¯s say follow our normal protocols, and I¡¯ll speak to you in a couple of weeks? Hopefully by then, we¡¯ll have a more solid plan going forward.¡±

    She reached forward, taking the cloak from Caspien. The scorch marks were evident on the bottom, even against the dark fabric. She felt something in an inner pocket, and was surprised to find a bundle of flowers and the previously mentioned note. Maybe this won¡¯t be such a hard sell.

    Calamir and Caspien remained seated as she stood and made her way back down the hallway to the alley. She slowly made her way back towards the Healing Manor, her thoughts tumbled with her emotions, unsure of what the future held.

    A new partner, huh. I wonder what this ¡°young blood¡± will do to my life.

 Chapter 1 - Adrift

    Deilin sat hunched over his desk, squinting at the slate in front of him. The light orb hanging from the ceiling had gone almost completely dim, leaving the room mostly in shadows. In his focus, he barely noticed the change. His entire being was focused on his pen, the pattern in his head, and the matching pattern on the slate slowly being traced out for what felt like the thousandth time. A book lay open beside him, no longer necessary as he had long since cemented the new rune in his mind.

    This is it, I can feel it. I¡¯ve finally got everything locked in. He felt a spike of anticipation, quickly smothered to avoid ruining the work. Once he was sure he had traced every connector, linked the new rune to every part of his fractal, he let his will trace along the new patterns, focusing on a spot just under the pen.

    Force external flow under.

    A small swirl of nearly invisible force formed beneath his hand, forming a flat revolving disc. He dropped the pen, and watched it land squarely in the center of the disc, slowly rotating along with the plane of force.

    Yes! Joy flooded him as his proof of concept panned out. His mother had insisted that the action rune was intended for a water attunement, poorly suited for the more rigid tendencies of force. He knew that if he connected it correctly, however, it would be a perfect addition to his pattern. Flowing force was just too versatile of a concept to give up on, and with this proof of concept, so many other avenues opened up. What other ¡®focused¡¯ actions could be converted to other attunements? The possibilities were staggering!

    As his focus drifted, the disc began spinning faster and faster, until it flung the pen past his head and into the wall behind him. The near miss startled him out of his ruminations, and he gave the pen a look of chagrin. At least no one was here to see that.

    He stood from his desk, feeling his shoulder muscles groan in agony as he straightened out. When did it get so dark in here? Is the orb dying already? He turned toward the focal rune by the door, preparing to refresh the light, when the door burst open. His younger sister blinked into the room, looking first to him and then to the ceiling where the light finally gave out.

    ¡°Okay, you can¡¯t seriously be sitting in your room in the dark all day. Didn¡¯t you promise mom you¡¯d try to get outside?¡± She stepped into the room enough to focus on the focal rune, bringing the light back up to full brightness. Deilin held a hand over his eyes, taking a few moments to reacclimate to an actual lightsource.

    ¡°I told her I¡¯d try to get out, Kylie, and I still will. I finally finished my new rune, so I can spend the rest of the day outside. I just got a little distracted.¡±

    She rolled her eyes, stepping around him and towards the shutters. She gave the pen in the wall a pointed look before throwing the shutters open, revealing the golden light of sunset streaming through the windows.

    ¡°I feel like this is the right time to mention that mom sent me to get you for dinner. Maybe wash up a bit? Your hands are covered in charcoal.¡±

    He glanced at his hands, a little miffed that he had let another day slip by him and even more so to be lectured by his little sister. He really had intended to get out for a bit, maybe spend some time with Bertral and Flinn, but he had gotten caught up again. At least he had something to show for it this time.

    ¡°Did you want to see the new rune in action? It¡¯s actually pretty cool!¡±

    She glanced at the pen in the wall again, a dubious look on her face.

    ¡°I think I¡¯ll pass for now. Besides, is it going to help you find a job? You¡¯re getting too old to live here. Everyone says so.¡±

    He flinched at the reminder of his current lack of job prospects. At 20, he really should have had a job already, preferably learning a trade. For a brief shining moment, he had thought he had found one. Jonal had offered him a job crafting runic items, due to his fascination with the form, and he had taken to it straight away. In his first week, he had managed to inscribe a set of doors with the opening runes perfectly. Jonal had been quick with praise, and offered a small bonus with the sale. The success might have gone to his head, as he began to work on a new project that he was sure would revolutionize the craft. He¡¯d make a name for himself in his first month of crafting!

    He maintained that the lights should have been able to activate in series, with the focus rune triggering multiple lights around the shop. In a way, it had worked. It had really been quite a small explosion, and the shop was mostly fine afterwards. Jonal hadn¡¯t been willing to see it that way, and word had spread to the other shops in the city. No one would even let him in to shop for inscribed items anymore.

    ¡°I¡¯m sure I¡¯ll find something any day now. Didn¡¯t you say dinner was ready? Why are you still in my room?¡±

    She let out a small huff, rolling her eyes as she turned around and stomped out of the room. He gave the room one more look, mentally making a note to spend some time cleaning after dinner, and walked towards the bathroom. His sister had done him one favor, as his mother was likely to go off on a tirade if he showed up to the table covered in charcoal.This story has been stolen from Royal Road. If you read it on Amazon, please report it

    He turned on the light in the bathroom with barely a flick of the eye to the wall. From there, he directed his attention to the faucet, first activating the flow focal rune, and then the heat focal rune. I swear, there¡¯ has to be some way to combine those two runes. Then again, it might also just pour out flames. Maybe I shouldn¡¯t mess with it. He ran his hands under the water for a moment, before deciding to wait for the heat to take.

    As the water warmed, he took a moment to study his appearance in the mirror. His dark hair could probably use a trim, and probably a good brushing. The paleness of his complexion was counterpointed by the dark circles under his eyes. His beard seemed to finally be coming in, despite his mother calling it ¡°wispy¡±. He was sure with just a bit more time, the patches would fill in.

    He reached up and rubbed at his eyes, hoping to rub the circles out a bit and make himself look more presentable. A few seconds of rubbing quickly revealed his mistake, as the charcoal smeared across his face, leaving a dark mask dripping down his face. Shaking his head, he began scrubbing at his hands and face, trying his best not to drip the black muck onto his shirt. Once he was sure he had managed to get the mess under control, he ran a few handfuls of water through his hair in an attempt to straighten it out.

    Feeling much more presentable, he made his way down the hall towards the dining room, a spring in his step. As he drew close to the dining room, the smell of dinner began to permeate the air, finally drawing his attention to his rumbling stomach. He stepped in, smiling as he watched his father take a pan off the stove to hand to his sister. His mother glanced up at him from setting the table, practically radiating disapproval.

    ¡°Please tell me you didn¡¯t get charcoal all over that shirt. It takes me ages to scrub it out, and the last time I had you do it, you almost destroyed my wash bin.¡±

    He glanced down as he pulled out his collar, noticing the few drops that he had missed in his hasty inspection.

    ¡°I can get them out, they¡¯re watered down so it shouldn¡¯t be too bad. And the wash bin wasn¡¯t my fault. I had just been analyzing the flow rune on the tub when I got the idea for my fractal. I managed to repair the changes, and the tub scrubs better now!¡±

    He stepped into the kitchen to grab the plates, taking the chance to glance in the pan. It looked like some kind of poultry in a red glaze sauce, with pan-fried vegetables and small whole peppers. His father loved to experiment with cooking, and his restaurant was pretty popular in certain circles. The family tended to be the test bed for anything that struck his fancy, with mixed results. If the smell was anything to go by, though, tonight was a hit. He tried to sneak a quick bite, but his sister managed to quickly angle the pan away.

    ¡°Speaking of the flow rune, I finally managed to integrate it into my fractal! I told you it would work!¡± He practically danced around the table as he set each plate down, excited to share his discovery with the family.

    ¡°That¡¯s wonderful Deil,¡± his father said, beaming at him from behind the counter. ¡°I¡¯m glad it worked for you. I¡¯m not sure I would have been willing to risk it. One bad rune, as they say.¡±

    He rolled his eyes, but smiled at the praise. He knew it was going to work, and the chance of ruining his fractal was so small. Definitely worth the risk.

    ¡°Yes, we¡¯re both very happy for you dear,¡± his mother chimed in, a small smile on her face, ¡°and very proud. Have you put any thought into what you¡¯re going to do with it?¡±

    ¡°Do with it?¡± He was taken a bit off guard, but began mentally organizing a presentation in his mind of all the applications.

    ¡°Yes, do with it. I¡¯m not sure what profession you might use a force flow rune for, but I¡¯m guessing you have big plans for it? I knew you¡¯d put the whole Jonal incident behind you. Everyone makes mistakes when they¡¯re young, you can¡¯t let it keep you down.¡±

    ¡°Oh, uh, I honestly hadn¡¯t thought about it. I guess it could be used for¡­ moving things?¡± He shrugged helplessly, feeling a bit dejected at not having gone down this particular mental avenue.

    She sighed, settling down into her seat at the table. His father and sister followed shortly after, carrying the bowl of food and basket of rolls out. After they all settled down at their seats and dished out food, his mother turned to address him once more.

    ¡°Please promise me you¡¯ll put some thought into it. I¡¯m worried about you. You had a setback, for sure, but you need to see yourself through it. You¡¯re bright and love to learn, you need to turn that towards something practical. A solid fractal is wonderful, and gives you options, but you need to capitalize on those options.¡±

    His father nodded along, taking slow appreciative bites of the meal. ¡°It¡¯s true. These days, between inscribed objects and more specialized fields, there¡¯s less and less need to use your personal fractal. I mean, these days I¡¯m more likely to use the focal rune on my cookware than I am to actually use my fractal. It¡¯s better tuned to keep the temperatures constant, and takes less of my attention to use. If you have a field in mind, it¡¯s great to build towards it, but don¡¯t let your fractal be your only goal.¡±

    Deilan could feel his frustration growing, but knew it was a pointless argument. He could see the merit in what they had to say, but he just couldn¡¯t give up on the idea that he could build something truly amazing inside himself, and a path would emerge from there. He wasn¡¯t opposed to inscriptions, and enjoyed building them, but it just couldn¡¯t match the versatility of working with your own mind. Instead, he shrugged and nodded to their words.

    ¡°I promise I¡¯ll go out tomorrow and look for something. Maybe one of the noble houses is recruiting.¡± That was an idea. Noble houses had access to all sorts of restricted runes. If he could get a position there, he¡¯d be able to take a look at the runes on the grounds. The guards even had access to combat runes, something he was sure he could repurpose towards useful ends.

    His mother didn¡¯t seem to notice the direction of his thoughts, despite the pensive look on his face. ¡°I think that¡¯s a wonderful idea. Good structure and pay, good prestige. It¡¯ll be a great opportunity. Just please promise me you won¡¯t try to experiment on any of the nobles¡¯ grounds.¡±

    ¡°I promise,¡± he said, taking a bite of one of the peppers. The heat caught him off guard, and he had to stuff a roll in his mouth to soothe the burning, effectively ending that line of conversation. His parents turned to his sister from there, and the topic veered off on a tangent about some misadventure she was having with a friend. His mind turned back to the idea of working on a noble estate, and the opportunities it presented.

    He was sure he¡¯d be able to keep the promise to his parents. Mostly.

 Chapter 2 - Prospects

    Morning came much too soon for Deilan¡¯s taste. He had found himself practicing with the flow rune until late into the night, experimenting with various modifiers. So far, he had had the most luck directing it in a single direction, as it tended to be the most stable pattern. Eventually, he had been forced to stop practicing when an attempt to deposit his slate on his desk from his bed had resulted in the slate crashing into the wall at a startling velocity. He¡¯d probably need to replace the slate.

    Despite his best intentions, he did not manage to get an early start before his father started in on breakfast. Instead, light streaming from his suddenly opened shutters forcefully dragged him from sleep. While he attempted to gather his thoughts, a small laugh brought his attention to his sister once again holding the shutters open. I knew I closed those last night, although maybe I shouldn¡¯t have.

    ¡°You know, you¡¯re going to have to patch that wall.¡±

    He blinked, taken aback at the sudden start to a conversation. He looked to where the pen had embedded itself last night, noticing that it had left a decent divot.

    ¡°Yeah, I can pick up the supplies when I¡¯m out today. I didn¡¯t even think the pen was that sturdy.¡±

    She laughed again, shaking her head, before gesturing to the wall above the desk. A small chunk had been gouged out of the wall, with small cracks radiating from the point of impact.

    ¡°I wasn¡¯t talking about the spot from the pen. You could probably get away with hanging some art there. Did you throw your slate at the wall? That¡¯s probably going to take an inscription patch to get fixed up. Good thing you¡¯ll be getting a job¡±

    He found himself cursing under his breath, wishing he had just waited to practice outside. Those patches were expensive, as they had to balance the material with the original rune-sculpted clay¡¯s consistency. He¡¯d have to do what he could to hide it until he could afford the patch. Maybe hanging a blanket and calling it wall art.

    Sighing, he stood and shooed his sister from the room. It took him a few minutes to wake up enough to put together a decent outfit for job hunting, and a bit longer to get washed up for the day. He entered the dining room, ready for a few encouraging words before heading out to start his new life. His mother looked up from her chair in the den, and immediately shook her head.

    ¡°I know you think it¡¯s working, but please go shave that thing off. First impressions are important.¡±

    He groaned, and trudged back towards the bathroom.

    <hr>

    A short time later, he found himself on the streets of his neighborhood. The yards and buildings were well-maintained, and the streets were decently kept. The area was a newer development, a result of the boom of specialized workers and the support of inscribed items. His father had managed to turn a small kitchen into a thriving restaurant by reducing the workload with specialized equipment for prep work and cooking. His mother had a successful business specializing in water flow runes for indoor plumbing. The novelty of it had kept demand high.

    All this was to say he had particularly benefited from the changes taking place in the city over the last few years. He understood that this left him with the unique opportunity, and perhaps he had a responsibility to use those opportunities to continue to add to the growth his society was experiencing. Serving a noble house, in that regard, seemed a bit regressive. The nobility stood as a monument to the old underpinnings of their society, and they often fought to restrain the rapid spread of new innovation.

    On the other hand, they were the stewards of many secrets and restricted runes. Their argument, which history seemed to support, was that the unrestrained spread of destructive fractals would result in widespread destruction and death. For the most part, the nobles had kept these secrets well, only bringing trained forces to bear when an external threat presented itself. If it was a little heavy-handed, at least it worked.

    For their part, the nobles seemed to be taking the shift in society with reluctant equanimity, from what his parents had to say. They monitored new inscriptions, and held a guarding force, but didn¡¯t try to stop the advances.

    Deilan was far less interested in the policing than the secrets. He could just imagine the runes he could learn working for the nobility. From there, when he was ready to move on, he could use it to do something truly unique and really demonstrate that any rune could be repurposed into something useful.

    He walked along the boulevard, only vaguely making sure that he was heading towards the nobles¡¯ district, when the smell of pastries hit his nose. He had insisted on getting going after his shave, partially in a fit of pique but mostly out of excitement. After getting moving though, he found the smells finally waking up his stomach.

    There was a small cart selling the pastries. As he got closer, he noticed that most of the cart seemed to be an inscribed oven, slowly baking away. He was a bit taken aback at the concept, as it seemed much too expensive a thing to put on a cart, but further reflection made him reconsider. Being able to bring your kitchen to multiple locations in a day would give more opportunities for impulse sales, as he himself could attest. New ideas every day.This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.

    He pulled out a few coins and waited behind a small line, eventually reaching the young woman selling the pastries. He bought a small fruit-stuffed pastry, smiling as she passed the still steaming treat to him. He had to bounce it hand to hand for a moment before she gestured to a small stack of paper wraps to the side. He picked one up and quickly wrapped his breakfast, before continuing on his way.

    He gave it another minute or so before taking a careful bite, savoring the warmth and flavor. He absentmindedly began to eat the rest as he looked at the passing shops for anything interesting. A new shop caught his eye, as it was selling what appeared to be various sizes of inscribed tubes. Curious, he stepped closer to examine the runes. It took him a minute to decipher, but it appeared as if when activated, it would blow air down the tube towards the user. But why?

    ¡°Hi there son, I see you¡¯re interested in our cooling tubes? Perfect for keeping the house cool in the summer, or get a smaller one for your desk! Nothing keeps a room fresh like moving air!¡±

    Ah, so that was it. Not a terrible idea, except it didn¡¯t have anything to keep the wind blowing when you stopped focusing on the focal rune. Not a terribly efficient system if you had to sit staring at the tube the entire time. His mind began working on a way to keep the wind blowing after activation, until the man coughed and looked at him expectantly. He gave a chagrined look and a shrug before leaving the shop, the owner seeming slightly disgruntled.

    He continued on his way, brimming with optimism. But this time tomorrow, he¡¯d have his new job and be starting his new life!

    <hr>

    He left the Ferthing Estate in a particularly foul mood. It was his third noble house for the day, and he¡¯d had almost the exact same result. What the heck in an introduction? Wasn¡¯t that what I was doing, was introducing myself? At each gate, he had spoken to the guards, and they had requested his introduction to proceed to the manor itself to inquire about the job. At the Ferthing Estate, he had gone as far as to say that he was introducing himself. They had given him a strange at that, before requesting his seal. At his confused look, they had gestured for him to move along and continued guarding the gate.

    Unwilling to be deterred, he made his way to the next manor on the row, the Hesling Estate. As he walked up, another man was leaving the grounds with a dejected look on his face. Deilan waited for the man to get a short distance away from the guards before hurrying up to him.

    ¡°Pardon me, but I don¡¯t suppose you could tell me where you got your introduction to get in?¡±

    The man seemed startled to find someone talking to him, and quickly drew to a stop.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, what?¡±

    ¡°Your introduction. I¡¯ve been trying to apply for jobs at the noble houses, but no one will let me in without an introduction. I was hoping you could tell me where you got yours.¡±

    The man gave him a baffled look, drawing him out of his funk.

    ¡°An introduction isn¡¯t something you can pick up, it¡¯s a recommendation from a trusted source to make sure you¡¯re actually supposed to be there. Are you really just walking up to noble houses asking for a job? I¡¯ve got to admit, that takes guts kid. Not a lot of sense, but guts.¡±

    Deilan blushed slightly, realizing that he probably should have done a bit more research or at least asked a few more questions before brazenly making his way down here. Of course there was some sort of process. If the nobles were keepers of secrets, there¡¯s no way they¡¯d let someone random off the streets just walk into their homes.

    ¡°Uh, thanks for the tip. I don¡¯t suppose you know someone I could talk to to get a recommendation?¡±

    The man gave him an appraising look, his gaze seeming to take in everything about Deilan at once. Abruptly, he seemed to come to a decision.

    ¡°I suppose I could vouch for you. You seem like a decent enough kid, and I know Hesling is actively looking to bring on more guards. That intruder really has the house ruffled.¡±

    Deilan started to ask about the intruder, but the man had already turned and begun heading back towards the gate. The guards nodded as he approach, but looked askance towards Deilan as he trailed behind.

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, he¡¯s with me. He¡¯s applying for a position in the guard, so maybe he¡¯ll be standing out here with you soon.¡±

    The guards traded dubious looks, but let the two make their way onto the grounds. Somehow, it seemed larger now that he was actually inside the gate. Trees lined the path, which took a meandering route seemingly designed to take in as much of the scenery as possible. Spread amongst the grounds were various topiary, trimmed into various geometric shapes vaguely reminiscent of runes. The weight of history seemed an almost palpable force as they drew close to the manor doors.

    Just before they reached the manor doors, the man led him on a side path that followed along the wall of the building. After a moderate walk, they reached a much more humble door, and the man opened it without hesitation, gesturing for Deilan to follow him. Inside was a moderately large room with several people bustling about. If he had to guess, this was where the workers in the manor had their headquarters. A couple of people glanced at him and the man before continuing along with whatever their tasks were.

    The man led him a short distance down a hallway before reaching a side door. He opened it and gestured for Deilan to enter. Inside was what appeared to be a small waiting room with a few chairs and a squat table. On one wall hung a painting of some sort of hunting scene, although he couldn¡¯t quite figure out what they were hunting. The man patted him on the shoulder, and gestured towards the chairs.

    ¡°Someone should be by in a bit to interview you, so go ahead and wait in here for now. I think there might be three or four others being interviewed as well, so expect a bit of competition.¡±

    Deilan smiled at the man, grateful for all he had done.

    ¡°Thank you so much for your help, I was in way over my head here. I didn¡¯t even think to ask your name. I¡¯m Deilan¡±

    The man reached forward to shake his hand, smiling back.

    ¡°The name is Demaric. Good luck to you kid.¡±

 Chapter 3 - Interviews

    Deilan found himself awkwardly lingering by the door, not sure if he should sit, or remain standing until whoever he was waiting for arrived. Thankfully, the issue was solved for him in short order as the door opened less than a minute later, admitting four more people.Three of them seemed to be around his own age, while the fourth was an older man, dressed in a similar uniform to the ones he saw on the guards outside. He was wearing some sort of quilted armor covered by a tabard in the estate¡¯s colors. Unlike the guards outside, he had a small patch over his right breast. From context, Deilan assumed that it was some symbol of rank. He really should have done more research on noble houses before coming here.

    He was relieved to see that the other three, to varying degrees, looked as uneasy as he did. The young man was shifting slightly, adjusting his clothes as he looked around the room. The cut was an older fashion, and seemed to be a bit worn down. Slight fraying could be seen around his cuffs. The outfit also appeared to be slightly too small on him, although considering the amount of muscle he had, most clothes would probably be a bit too small on him. Deilan felt acutely aware of the fact that he spent more time sitting in his room than anything else. He and his friends did spend a fair amount of time running around the city, but that hadn¡¯t done much for his physique.

    The two young women were both in decent physical shape as well, although neither was quite as physically imposing. The first woman had cropped her light hair short, and already wore a set of armor, consisting of some kind of small leather chunks threaded together. Based on the scuffing on the leather, and the well-worn nature of the cords holding it together, he assumed it was a hand-me-down. While she looked uncomfortable, she held herself straight and kept her eyes on the older guard. Great, someone who actually knows what they¡¯re doing. I hope they¡¯re hiring more than one person.

    The last woman wore something that was a bit closer to the style he himself was wearing. Her clothing looked new and fashionable, and her long hair was braided down her back. She shifted slightly from foot to foot, and her eyes kept darting between the woman in the armor and the rather muscular man, a small frown plastered on her face. Probably thinking the same thing I am. We¡¯re not beating those two for limited postings.

    The guard cleared his throat, drawing Deilan¡¯s attention. When he made eye contact, the guard raised an eyebrow questioningly.

    ¡°What are you doing in this room? I was told I had it for interviews all afternoon. You can clean it when we¡¯re done.¡±

    Deilan found himself smiling nervously, feeling well out of his depth.

    ¡°Demaric sent me in here. I was hoping to apply for the guard position? I didn¡¯t know I was supposed to meet you somewhere else first.¡±

    The man grunted, giving him a dubious look. Why do people keep doing that?

    ¡°Fine, if Demaric thinks you¡¯ll be a good fit we¡¯ll give you a try. My name is Lethel, but if you want this job you will call me sir. I¡¯m the sergeant who has been assigned to these interviews, and if you¡¯re hired you will be training with me. To that end, I need to figure out if you¡¯re worth the trouble. Everyone go ahead and take a seat, we¡¯ll start this off by everyone telling me about themselves, and why they want this job. Why don¡¯t we start with you,¡± he said, gesturing at the large man.

    The man hesitated, torn between answering the question and taking a seat. With a groan, Lethel gestured at the chairs, and they all sat.

    ¡°My name is Tomen. I¡¯m 22, and I¡¯ve been working in construction with my parents for the last few years. The business isn¡¯t doing too well, so my parents petitioned Lord Hesling for my sake for this position. I¡¯m hoping that the hard work I put in there will translate well here. My attunement is earth, with a focus on internal strengthening and external shaping. I currently have 5 action and 4 modifier runes¡±

    Lethel nodded, turning to the woman already wearing armor.

    ¡°My name is Eleth, sir, 19, and my father and mother are guards with Lord Ferthing. I wanted to continue in their footsteps, but the captain of the guard wanted to avoid any potential nepotism issues. On his recommendation, I applied here. I¡¯ve been training with my parents for years now, and I¡¯m ready for whatever you throw at me. My attunement is air, with an internal focus on speed and a spread of external maneuvers that emphasize maneuverability. I currently have 3 action and 6 modifier runes.¡±

    This earned her an approving nod from Lethel, before he turned his attention to the other woman.

    ¡°I¡¯m Arelia, sir, and I¡¯ll be 21 next week. My parents are merchants, and I¡¯ve been working with them for a few years now. Unfortunately, it hasn¡¯t been a great fit as I¡¯d much rather be out doing something more¡­ productive. We¡¯ve traded with Hesling Estate in the past, so I requested a chance to interview for this position. I¡¯m in good shape and ready to take on any tasks you throw my way. My attunement is water with a focus on internal agility and external force. The original intent was moving goods along the river, but I¡¯m willing to work to adapt it to the job. I currently have 5 action and 4 modifier runes.¡±Royal Road is the home of this novel. Visit there to read the original and support the author.

    The guard gave a much more perfunctory nod at that before turning his attention to Deilan.

    ¡°I¡¯m Deilan, uh, sir. I¡¯m 20, and I¡¯m not currently working. I was previously working as an inscription apprentice, but it didn¡¯t work out. On reflection, I¡¯d love the opportunity to work with the nobility, and a guard seemed like a good place to start. The Hesling Estate seems like it would be a good fit, and I¡¯m willing to give it my all! My attunement is force, with a focus on internal and external versatility. I currently have 8 action and 6 modifier runes.¡±

    Lethel hesitated before giving another small nod. He seemed slightly surprised when Deilan mentioned his rune count, but quickly covered it up.

    ¡°Very well, now that I know a bit about all of you, move on. I don¡¯t have to tell you that being a guard requires excellent physical fitness, so I¡¯d like to get a feel for what kind of shape you¡¯re all in. Let¡¯s start with pushups.¡±

    <hr>

    Deilan finished his round of squats last, red faced and slightly queasy. The last hour had proven his fears justified, as he was nowhere near in as good of shape as his peers. He had attempted to supplement with his fractal, but as the tasks had continued the exhaustion had made it impossible to concentrate enough to reinforce his body. He honestly wasn¡¯t even sure how he had completed that last round, beyond sheer willpower. As he caught his breath, Lethel once again began to speak.

    ¡°Okay, our next test will be about stamina. To that end, let¡¯s head out to the ground and run some laps.¡± He paused as Deilan groaned, then seemed to come to a decision. ¡°You three, go ahead and head left from the door until you get outside. I¡¯ll be along in a moment.¡±

    Deilan felt a sense of dread as the others shuffled out, Arelia with a pitying look, and Tomen with a sad shake. Eleth didn¡¯t spare him a second glance. As they stood alone in the room, Lethel stared at him with a mix of concern and resolve.

    ¡°Listen kid, I just don¡¯t think this position is for you, I¡¯m sorry. I admire your spirit, but you seem like the type who would do better with a little less¡­ strenuous conditions. If you¡¯d like, I could put in a word for you with the head gardener?¡±

    Deilan considered it a moment before shaking his head. The whole point was to get enough responsibility to be trusted with knowledge. He just didn¡¯t see gardening as a viable path to that. He¡¯d just have to try another house when he was better prepared. Lethel nodded, seemingly expecting this answer.

    ¡°I understand, good luck to you out there. If you go out to the right, and take a right at the second branch, you¡¯ll find yourself outside. From there, follow the path East to get to the gates. No need to cause you any embarrassment in front of the others.¡±

    He left the room, giving Deilan a few minutes to gather his thoughts. He was definitely disappointed, and more than a little frustrated, but he couldn¡¯t say it was unfair. Today at the very least showed him that he had quite a bit of work to do if he wanted to pursue this career path. He was going to be in a much better position for the next house he tried. Deilan left the room, turning right and making his way down the corridor. His mind focused on his plans to get in better shape, he turned right again at the first intersection.

    Shortly, he found himself at a large ornate door. Opening it expecting daylight, he instead found himself in a small library. While it wasn¡¯t nearly as impressive as the library at the academy he had attended, it had it¡¯s own unique impact for being in a private residence. He began to close the door, intending to retrace his steps and try again for the exit. His hand paused halfway through the motion, temptation calling to him.

    I¡¯m sure I could just take a peak, maybe find a couple of runes mixed in here. No one will ever know. If it¡¯s not in the first book I find, I¡¯ll give up and leave.

    He stepped into the room, closing the door behind him as quietly as he could. He looked to the shelves, comparing it mentally to the academy library. If this is anything like their layout, the history section should be there. Considering the various academies used the same filing system, it wasn¡¯t an unreasonable assumption that that practice had carried over to or from these private libraries. Sure enough, he recognized a book on the history of conflict with Reston. The book was particularly thick, not surprising considering how often Reston had tried, and failed, to conquer their kingdom. They just didn¡¯t have the infrastructure to effectively field a fractal-wielding force.

    WIth a start, he cursed himself for getting caught up in his thoughts. Mentally mapping layout, his eyes flicked between the shelves. Lets see, if that¡¯s history, that will be geography, that will be maths and science, and that means¡­ yes, that¡¯s it. Turning, he moved towards the section that should contain runic patterns and linking structures. The section was fairly extensive, with some works he recognized and many he didn¡¯t. He reached up and picked a book he didn¡¯t recognize, turning it to read the cover.

    ¡®Striking Runes and the Effects of Attunements¡¯ was embossed on the cover, bringing a smile to his face. This is perfect!

    He flipped the book open, engrossed in the new symbols and diagrams splashed across the pages. In addition to the expected action runes, he saw at least one or two modifying runes that weren¡¯t familiar to him.

    Smiling, he turned to find somewhere to sit and begin reading the book, and maybe a pen and paper, only to find someone already standing behind him. She appeared to be in her late 20¡¯s, with short chestnut hair that emphasized the severe expression she had locked on him. She was wearing the same guard uniform he had become familiar with on the grounds, arms crossed over the front. Her hazel eyes bore into him, flickering between his guilty face and the book in his hands.

    ¡°I think you better explain what you¡¯re doing in here. Now.¡±

 Chapter 4 - Caught

    Malia stood before the library door, a tired slump to her shoulders. She knew that the assignment wasn¡¯t technically a punishment, but she couldn¡¯t help but feel the sting as she stood alone in a seldom-used corridor, watching for a threat that would never come.

    Lord Hesling had been unassuaged by the cloak and letter, finding the explanation of someone stealing flowers in some ways worse than if it had been an actual attempt at espionage. The fact that ¡°some commoner¡± had managed to sneak into his walls and ¡°fling his guards around like ragdolls¡± had left the man fuming, until his wife had managed to calm him down. Malia would have been more grateful if she hadn¡¯t been informed that the cost of the flowers would, in fact, be coming from her pay.

    Demaric had gotten the worst of the fallout, as he had managed to be incapacitated in the course of the chase. She had originally worried that he would attempt to redirect blame back to her, but she had been pleasantly surprised that he had taken full responsibility for his tumble, as well as the excessive force that may have escalated the chase. Her respect for him had grown quite a bit after that.

    Unfortunately for him, he was now to serve as a second to Lethel for the training of a new batch of recruits. Considering Lethel¡¯s training methods, she expected Demaric would be getting run as ragged as the newbies. She tried to muster some sympathy for the man, but his moping for the last couple of days really was getting quite excessive. She hoped for his sake that this batch was fast learners, and not another group of favors being repaid with a guard appointment.

    The one upside to the posting was that it gave her unfettered access to the library, as long as she was sparing in her visits and wasn¡¯t away from her post when a patrol rotation walked by her posting. She had a knack for keeping time in her head, a trick she was sure many had picked up when forced to wait for someone to relieve them, but she wasn¡¯t willing to trust it to the point of extended time in the library. She also had to contend with the off-chance that part of the extended Hesling family would decide to spend a few hours reading. She hadn¡¯t seen it happen in the last couple of days, but why else would you keep a library.

    Despite her confidence in her internal timekeeping, she had begun to worry that she had missed the latest patrol. She eyed the door warily, contemplating slipping back in, when she heard the soft clomping of boots making their way down the corridor. A lanky figure rounded the corner, his gait a touch too unhurried and his posture a little too lax for the job he was currently supposed to be performing.

    Oh. It''s Mekial, no wonder the patrol is late. Mekial was the son of a chef that Lord Hesling¡¯s cousin had become particularly fond of, and had somehow made it through training. She was fairly certain that Lethel¡¯s current harsh training regimen had come as a result of that lapse.

    Mekial gave her a brief nod, then stopped to catch his helm before it slipped from his head. I¡¯d call him an idiot for wearing the thing, but at least it makes him look somewhat authoritative. The lad has a head like a cabbage with ears.

    ¡°Everything quiet on your end Malia?¡± He tried for a deep, authoritative tone, but a timbre of nervousness spoiled the attempt.

    ¡°Of course it¡¯s quiet, Mekial, it¡¯s a library. That¡¯s the entire point of a library.¡± She felt a bit of guilt as he turned red and began stammering, but she couldn¡¯t think of a good way to salvage the exchange.

    ¡°Umm, very good Malia, carry on then. Hopefully it all stays quiet.¡±

    He turned and began walking back the way he came, a great deal stiffer. Damn it, I really could have handled that better. I¡¯m supposed to be keeping a low profile, not making enemies of other guards. Even if those guards should probably be wearing an apron rather than armor.

    She sighed as he rounded the corner, and promised herself that she would make some effort to bond with him at a later date. As the sounds of boots quieted, she slowly eased the door open, and slipped inside. She gently closed the door again, and made her way to the shelves. Her current goal was the histories, specifically the unofficial ones.

    She wasn¡¯t quite certain what Calamir was looking for, her current instructions had just requested that she look for ¡°discrepancies with commonly held knowledge¡± and let her act on her own initiative from there. She had expected interest to be more directed to the restricted runes, and a few had been smuggled out where she was able, but he had insisted that this was much more important to the movement.

    So far, she felt her results were pretty disappointing. There had been a battle that was listed as having been won to her recollection, but the book she found listed it as a stalemate, and another battle within the kingdom that she couldn¡¯t remember ever having heard of. She attempted to dig into it more, but couldn¡¯t find who the battle was supposed to have been against. It probably spoke to her personality that battles were the only things she had noticed so far. She had told Calamir that history wasn¡¯t her best subject, but he had simply insisted that she would do fine, and that whatever she found would help.

    The book that she had been reading on her last pass was still sticking out on the shelf slightly, an embarrassing oversight. She picked another at random, making a mental to straighten the shelves on her way out. A small reading nook was positioned slightly out of sight of the door on the opposite side of the room, and she made her way over to begin reading. There was a small journal and pen tucked into her inner pocket already, waiting for any notes she might need.If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it.

    This particular book was an unexciting history of agriculture in the region. It was doubtful that it would contain anything useful, but she was determined to prove to herself that warfare wasn¡¯t the only thing she could focus on for research. Besides, how can I doubt what will be useful if I have no idea what I¡¯m supposed to be looking for?

    It had only been a few minutes since she had sat down, struggling her way through a particularly dry section on the effects of water-attuned farmers and the implementation of irrigation, when the door to the library opened. Panic hit her before she could think, thrusting the book under the chair. Considering the material, it wasn¡¯t particularly incriminating, her first instinct was to not be caught with a book.

    After her brain reasserted control over her body, she snuck a peek around the shelf concealing the doorway. Standing just inside the door was a ruffled young man wearing fashionable clothes that appeared to have been recently soaked through with sweat. He was staring at the shelves with a slightly distant look, as if unsure of where he was. Is this one of the house guests? His clothes seem fairly expensive, but why would he be sweating so much?

    The man seemed to start, quickly flipping his head to scan the shelves. She pulled back slightly so as not to be caught in his gaze, but he didn¡¯t appear to be looking for a person. He quickly oriented, and made his way towards the runic texts in the back.

    Well, this is interesting. Definitely not a guest, but a man on a mission. Did he really manage to sneak through the entire house just to get to the library? If so, it¡¯s fairly impressive. She got up and made her way behind him, trying to catch a glance at what he was reading. It appeared to be a book on striking runes, about what she¡¯d expect from someone who had made their way into a noble¡¯s library.

    He turned around suddenly, startling her. Thankfully, he seemed to be just as startled, and she managed to adopt a suitably stern expression before he could catch his bearing.

    ¡°I think you better explain what you¡¯re doing in here. Now.¡±

    The man flinched back, surprising her with how rattled he was. Maybe he isn¡¯t the criminal mastermind I thought he was. He¡¯s practically shaking. She took a closer look at him, realizing that he was even younger than she thought him to be. Gods, I can see where he knicked himself shaving this morning.

    ¡°I¡¯m so sorry! I got lost on my way out, and suddenly I found myself in the library. There were all these books, and I wanted to see if it was laid out like the academy library. I realized I had never read this book, and I knew I¡¯d never get another chance to see new runes after I failed the interview for the guards. I¡¯m so sorry, please don¡¯t arrest me!¡±

    The young man¡¯s panicked rambling shocked her at first, but she quickly found herself relaxing. So the kid was trying to join the guard to gain access to the runic library. I¡¯d be more upset if I wasn¡¯t doing the exact same thing. Still, who just blurts it out like that?

    ¡°Breath kid, why don¡¯t you start over. What''s your name? Why did you want to read new runes?¡±

    He hesitated, seemingly unsure of what to say. At a quick hand wave from her, however, he began speaking again, heat quickly entering his voice.

    ¡°My name is Deilan. As for the runes, I just know if I can find the right rune combinations, I can do something amazing with them. We¡¯re discovering so many new ways to use old runes, but there¡¯s so many more being locked away. I know these are supposed to be dangerous, but it¡¯s so unfair that something that could be doing so much good is in this library, and others like it, gathering dust.¡±

    He quickly cut off, a look of horror spreading over his face.

    ¡°That is to say, that¡¯s a completely selfish and wrong thought I have. I can see now that it¡¯s wrong, and nothing good can come of it.¡±

    She managed to suppress a chuckle at his spluttering walk back, sweat beading on his forehead. What a weird mix of passion and self-preservation. He could go a long way if someone helped him learn to temper the former and emphasize the latter. She paused at the thought, an idea beginning to coalesce. Calamir did say he wanted young blood in the mix.

    ¡°Let¡¯s suppose you had the opportunity to help make a change in that regard. What would you do?¡±

    He hesitated once again, before shaking his head. The resolute look on his face told her that she probably wasn¡¯t going to get any further with him here.

    ¡°Am I under arrest?¡±

    She shook her head lightly, and the tension left his shoulders. He really is too easy to read, this may be more effort than it¡¯s worth.

    ¡°No, you¡¯re not under arrest. You¡¯re going to leave this library, and we¡¯re both going to pretend this never happened. If you¡¯re interested in learning more about the restricted runes, and want to do something about them being restricted, come to this address tomorrow after sundown.¡±

    She pulled out her journal and jotted down the address for a restaurant she knew had private rooms. This was a risk, but Calamir had made it clear that it had become time to take some risks. Besides, she¡¯d rather trust her gut on this painfully earnest idealist than whomever Calamir drummed up. He hesitantly reached for the sheet of paper, confusion writ plain on his face.

    ¡°Why?¡±

    ¡°Because I like the passion I see in you, and I think you could make a difference. But I need you to understand that what you did here was dangerous, for more reasons than you know. So come talk to me somewhere a bit more private. I think I can help you, and depending on the choices you make, maybe you could help me.¡±

    He nodded thoughtfully before turning towards the door.

    ¡°Leave the book.¡±

    He started, before turning back to her and handing her the book. He walked back towards the door a bit quicker than before, opening it slightly and slipping out. She shook her head slightly, walking to retrieve the book she had hidden beneath the chair and returning them both to the shelves.

    I think that¡¯s enough library time for the day. That was either just the person I needed, or the dumbest thing I have ever done.

    Only time would tell.

 Chapter 5 - Introspection

    Deilan drifted out of the manor in a mental fog. He kept expecting a call from behind him, followed shortly by a set of manacles and a stay in a cell. How could I have been so stupid to just spew that all out! I just admitted to not only committing a crime, but intent to commit more. He shook his head, hurrying his step on his way out. The guards at the gate appeared to recognize him, as they let him by with a pair of sad smiles as he trudged by. At the sound of whispers, he turned around to see coins exchanging hands between the guards.

    The sight fell like a blow on his already frayed nerves. He felt tears begin to form at his eyes, and quickly turned to head towards a side street. It took a few minutes, but he managed to gather himself enough that he felt like he wasn¡¯t going to break.

    Stress was supposed to bring out the true nature of a person, and he wasn¡¯t liking what he was discovering about himself. He had always seen himself as clever and brave, with perhaps a streak of absentmindedness that kept him from really achieving anything. He¡¯d always assumed that if he found the right task, he¡¯d be able to focus and do something great. Today had really hammered home how far his self image was from the truth.

    He reached his hand in his pocket, feeling the piece of paper he was handed. What was her deal? I don¡¯t understand what she was going for there. He had never felt as completely out of his depth as he had during that conversation. The more he incriminated himself, the calmer she had looked. He had thought she was making up her mind about what to do with him, and he supposed in a way she had. But letting him go? It made no sense. Offering to talk more about restricted runes? He might have assumed it was a trap, but she had already had such a good reason to arrest him that he couldn¡¯t imagine her expecting any more incriminating evidence.

    Maybe she thinks like me, that the runes shouldn¡¯t be so restricted. But that idea didn¡¯t quite fit either. If she wanted to spread the runes, and was in charge of guarding them, why wouldn¡¯t they already be out there? Too much of this situation didn¡¯t make sense, and he there was only one way of finding out more.

    The paper crinkled slightly under his hands, but he couldn''t quite bring himself to take it out and read it. Today had revealed how little he knew, about the nobles, about the rules, and about himself. He needed some time to think, to let his mind chew on what he had learned, before making his decision. He pulled his hand out of his pocket, and began making his way home.

    <hr>

    Deilan tensed as he walked through his front door, expecting the stares of his family and questions about his interview. Instead, an empty house greeted him. Of course, Kylie is at the academy, and mother and father are working. He decided that that was probably for the best, as he wasn¡¯t quite ready to talk about his day. Instead, he made his way to his room to change into something more comfortable, and made himself a sandwich with what was in the cold box.

    He made sure to activate the focal rune on the door of the cold box when he was done, as he didn¡¯t want to start the conversation with his parents tonight with talk of spoiled food. Very little could set his father on edge like losing an entire box load of food.

    After some thought, he decided to go out and see if he could catch Bertral or Flinn for something distracting. Flinn was supposed to be working on one of his father¡¯s fishing vessels, but if he was lucky this was one of his off days. Bertral had managed to get a job landscaping, and was just beginning to make a name for himself. Deilan felt some pride on that front, as he had helped Bertral plan out the rune fractal that he used for it. They had all been friends for years, although they had begun drifting apart slightly now that work was taking the other two away so often.

    Deilan decided to head towards Bertral¡¯s first, as he lived closer and was more likely to be home. Bertral had rented a small apartment in a nicer district a couple of months ago, and it only took Deilan about ten minutes to make his way there. He smiled as he approached the door and sawa a familiar pair of muddy boots resting on the doorstep. A quick knock later, and he was invited into the apartment. Unfortunately, the smell that greeted him upon entering was a familiar one. His friend had never been the best at keeping his room tidy, and the move to his own apartment had not done him any favors.

    Bertral was a rather small man, a contrast to the stereotype of those who chose earth attunement. His stubborn nature, however, was right in line with what people expected. His youth combined with his small stature tended to make people assume he was younger than he was, and the result led to a rather pugnacious demeanor. Temper aside, he was always quick with a smile and a joke, and ready to help a friend.

    ¡°Deilan, how¡¯s it going? I thought we were supposed to hang out yesterday, but I never ended up hearing from you. Get caught up in another project? Set your mattress on fire again?¡±

    Maybe a little too quick with a joke.

    ¡°I¡¯ve never set my mattress on fire, thank you very much. I accidentally shredded it that one time, but after that I figured out how to use the beneath rune correctly. Speaking of which, I got that flow rune working. Oh, and I don¡¯t suppose you have the materials to patch a wall?¡±

    Bertral began laughing at that, leaning against him while he tried to catch his breath. ¡°Never change, man, never change. I can probably get that wall fixed, sure, if you can pick up the clay. I¡¯ll even do it without telling your mother, since I¡¯m guessing she doesn¡¯t know yet. What did you do, hang up some drawings there?¡±

    Deilan shifted his shoulders uncomfortably, refusing to meet his friend¡¯s eyes. ¡°It¡¯s a blanket actually. Anyways, did you want to see the new rune? Do you know if Flinn is off today?¡±

    Bertral burst into a fresh peal of laughter, doubling over completely. Definitely too quick with a laugh. Shouldn¡¯t he be growing up a little by now?The genuine version of this novel can be found on another site. Support the author by reading it there.

    Finally, Bertral caught his breath, wiping tears from his eyes. ¡°No, Flinn is off working with his father today. I think he¡¯ll probably be back in a couple hours, but we¡¯ll probably lose daylight by then. Want to head to the usual spot, and you can show me the new trick?¡±

    Deilan smiled, happy feeling a swell of pride to finally be showing off to someone who would appreciate it. For the first time in an hour, he felt a weight begin lifting from his shoulders.

    ¡°Sure, let¡¯s head over. I have a feeling you¡¯re going to love this.¡±

    <hr>

    The old quarry had been a favorite of theirs since the moment they had discovered it. At first, they had been worried that it was only temporarily out of commission, perhaps from a change of ownership or some kind of seasonal quarry rotation. With a little bit of asking around, they had discovered that the type of stone had fallen out of favor when inscribed clay had become popular. The more malleable material was easier to work with and inscribe, as well as being easier to patch. The small demand for this kind of stone had mostly been provided by the scraps remaining from new construction projects.

    This had left an amazing area for young boys learning to utilize their fractals to experiment and play at mock fights. Bertral in particular had enjoyed the area, as working with the tougher stone and gravel had made it much easier to approach his landscaping business with a variety of approaches. Nowadays, they mostly used it as a place to get together and spend some time together away from the bustle of the city. Life had been getting more complicated, and the chance to slip away to remember simpler times was alluring.

    They reached their normal meeting point, standing just on the border of the small lake that had formed as the quarry had emptied. They had joked that it was the meeting point between Flinn and Bertral¡¯s affinities, with Deilan representing the divide. Really, it just let them all show off the new things they were practicing without having to drift too far. Bertral had even made benches years ago at the spot that still stood.

    Bertral had been happily chatting away on their way here about his business, and the interesting people he had met. One young woman came up repeatedly, and Deilan had tried hard to hide the knowing grin from his face. Let Bertral have his crush, he wouldn¡¯t mock him. At least not until Flinn was there to appreciate it. As they reached the benches, Bertral slumped across his normal bench and gave him an expectant look.

    ¡°Okay, show me this new rune. I¡¯m not saying that I have money riding on it, but Flinn was pretty confident that you¡¯d never make this work.¡±

    He wasn¡¯t too surprised. With his water attunement, Flinn had a pretty set idea on how the flow rune was meant to function. The connectors and modifiers for it were well defined in the academy library, and it was firmly established as a fluid rune. There was some application in air, but the more rigid force and earth attunements were considered a poor fit for the action.

    ¡°Okay, you¡¯re really going to enjoy this. I think this setup can be adapted to earth as well, so you¡¯re going to win more than a bit of money from that skeptic.¡±

    Bertral sat up straighter, and it was easy to understand why. Flowing earth would be a huge boon to his business, and would sharply increase demand for his services. Even if he didn¡¯t have Deilan¡¯s imagination, he could still apply new ideas to his own thinking very quickly. It had made it very easy to bounce ideas off of each other since they met.

    Okay, I haven¡¯t had a chance to try this one with any kind of distance, but the concept is solid. I¡¯ll angle this towards the water just to be on the safe side. He let his fractal form in his mind, taking the time to solidify the image as much as possible. It wasn¡¯t strictly necessary, but the stronger the image in his mind, the less draining it was to keep the runic pattern active. He let his eyes rest on the ground leading in front of him, tracing the intended physical path with another part of his mind. That part required far less focus, but without the direction the runes were prone to activate in strange ways.

    Slowly, he felt his mind fill his force attunement, letting his mind trace along the path to external, following the newly formed branch to flow and following the link established to his existing along rune. A thin, barely discernible sheet of force formed along the ground, traveling a few feet before fading from view. Bertral took a look at it, and his shoulders slumped in disappointment.

    ¡°Aww man, you really had me going. It¡¯s just another platform. You¡¯ve shown me these before.¡±

    Deilan waved a hand in his direction, motioning for him to wait. He took a step forward, and hopped onto the platform, holding the pattern in his mind as lightly as possible. He felt the platform slowly carrying him forward, the flowing force creating movement along the plane. He turned to Bertral, and pumped his hand in the air in triumph.

    ¡°Hah! I told you it worked, this is¡­¡± Unfortunately as he celebrated, his control over the pattern in his mind slipped and the platform suddenly shot him forward at a terrifying speed. He had just a brief moment to see Bertral¡¯s eyes widen before he was flying into the lake.

    <hr>

    Deilan found himself shivering on his bench, glaring daggers at Bertral as he tried to suppress chuckles that hadn¡¯t truly ceased since Deilan¡¯s head had breached the water of the lake. I really wish we had put some kind of cushioning on these benches at some point. Or stashed some kind of firewood down here. He made a mental note to do just that, as the weather was beginning to turn. Soon, they¡¯d see snow, and a warm fire here would be wonderful. No, don¡¯t think of snow. Think of warm cider, hot stones, a steaming bath.

    ¡°Are you sure you don¡¯t want to head back and change? We don¡¯t have that much sun left, it would probably be faster than trying to dry out in the sun, and a little more pleasant.¡±

    Deilan shook his head, unwilling to head back in just yet. ¡°My mother would kill me if I came into the house soaking wet again. Do you remember the time Flinn tried to show that he could make us all walk on water? We all walked back to my place and you guys hung out in the den while I changed clothes. She was livid about the mud all over her floors, and I ended up having to clean the entire house to make up for it. No, better to be cold for a while.¡±

    Bertral gave him a pensive look, an oddity that caught Deilan¡¯s attention. ¡°Does this have anything to do with what¡¯s been on your mind all day? I don¡¯t think I¡¯ve ever seen you so tense. I¡¯m here to listen, if you want to talk about it.¡±

    Deilan looked to the ground, feeling the weight pressing down on his shoulders again. Do I want to talk to Bertal about this? Not everything, some of it seems genuinely dangerous. But at least sharing some of it with a friend has to be helpful. He gathered his thoughts for a moment, sorting what he needed to share with what he couldn¡¯t. Better to just leave the bit at the library out entirely. Mind made up, he turned to Bertral.

    ¡°It started this morning when I decided to apply for a position as a noble¡¯s guard¡­¡±

 Chapter 6 - Planning

    ¡°... and as I was getting ready to leave, another guard approached me about another position. She warned me that it could be dangerous, but she said that with my passion I had a lot of potential there. I¡¯m not sure if I should go for it, or try for something safer. I think I might be able to make a difference, but it could also get me into some serious trouble.¡±

    Bertral nodded slowly, deep in thought. After a moment, he locked eyes with Deilan with a serious expression. ¡°Did you really not know what an introduction was?¡±

    Deilan leaned forward to punch the man, but he dodged back nimbly, trying to speak through the laughter. ¡°Come one Deilan, it¡¯s right there in the name, take some context clues.¡±

    Deilan settled back in his seat, letting out a disgruntled huff. ¡°Okay, fine, in retrospect it¡¯s really obvious. I just got so flustered that I didn¡¯t stop to think. If they had asked for a reference I would have gotten it. What about the other part?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m not surprised you didn¡¯t do well at a physical aptitude test, you never really enjoyed physical activity. I¡¯m guessing that¡¯s why you¡¯re putting so much thought into platforms that walk for you.¡±

    Deilan picked up a small stone and threw it in Bertral¡¯s general direction. He easily caught the stone without breaking from his chuckles. ¡°Fine, fine. You should take the job. She was right, you do have a lot of passion, and you could do a lot of good with it. Maybe working with someone who can impress upon you the importance of being cautious is a good thing. You¡¯ve always been more willing to take a risk than you should be, as evidenced by the ignoble end of your last job.¡±

    ¡°Hey, that fire wasn¡¯t really my fault. If the original runes had been made correctly, they would have never caught fire like that.¡±

    ¡°So you keep telling everyone. What I¡¯m trying to say is that you¡¯ve always been willing to take risks, and this is the first time I¡¯ve seen you hesitate at one. If this guard can make you slow down and think about the consequences of what you¡¯re thinking of doing, I think this would be a great opportunity for you.¡±

    Deilan frowned at the idea, feeling that the omission of the library incident was leading Bertral to a false conclusion about how much the guard had helped. Come to think of it, I don¡¯t think I caught her name. I was so panicked I didn¡¯t think to ask. Still, Bertral was right that this was the first time he had ever had this much caution towards a project. Maybe it would be a good thing to learn to approach things with the same mindset, and this would offer the opportunity to learn that skill.

    As well, how could he turn down the opportunity to learn so much, and make a real difference? Is that a contradiction? Can I really both be cautious and walk head first into this dangerous situation? His dreams were dangerous though. He had always known that. Now he had the opportunity for an ally in a position to help him.

    ¡°I think you¡¯re right. I think I need to at least go to this interview.¡±

    Bertral smiled, and walked over to pat him on the back. ¡°Of course I¡¯m right, I always am. Now you¡¯re dry enough, let¡¯s pick up that clay you need and head back to your place. I don¡¯t know what your dad¡¯s cooking tonight, but I want in.¡±

    <hr>

    Deilan lay in bed that night, trying to plan his next course of action. Strangely enough, his parents had been a huge help here, despite operating under the false assumption that he was interviewing tomorrow for a ¡°related position¡± at the estate. When his father had asked him why he had chosen the Hesling Estate to apply for the position, he had made an offhand comment about it being the first one to allow him through the gate. His father had seemed shocked at this revelation, and the rebuke rang fresh in his mind.

    ¡°If you want to take a job somewhere, you should know what they stand for. I had thought that when you said that you were going to look into who was hiring, you were going to do some research. Hesling has a decent reputation, but some of the houses are known for actively pushing to restrict inscribed items. What if you had taken the job, only to learn that your new employer was pushing for the council to shut down all the growth our city is seeing?¡±

    He hadn¡¯t had a good answer to that, but his parents had given him a startled look when he had nodded thoughtfully and promised to do better. The heat had left his father¡¯s voice at that, and Bertral had chimed in about some fancy bit of landscaping he had done on a particular lord¡¯s manor, distracting everyone from the topic.

    After dinner, he had asked his mother about the noble houses, and she had shaken her head, making a comment about the academy ¡°being so focused on the future that it neglected the past and present.¡± He had understood that the nobles had a council formed of the heads of households for each of the 27 houses. What he didn¡¯t know was that there were several factions within the council, pushing for various ends.

    On one end was the Sandis Estate and their allies, pushing for strict regulations of inscriptions, with training of new inscribers and oversight of production by a council-appointed body. According to his mother, this faction was mostly concerned with preserving the power of the nobility and breaking down the faction of the newly wealthy in the city. From her vitriol on the topic, he sensed that she might not be unbiased on the matter.

    On the other end of the spectrum was the Delthanar Estate and their allies, pushing for nothing more than a tax on sales, with a rumor that there was a push to release some of the restricted runes for use in crafting. Whether the rumor had any merit his mother wasn¡¯t sure, but she seemed to have mixed feelings on the matter. It seems that even among the more progressive commoners, there is some trepidation about the dangers the restricted runes represent.

    In between the extremes were several small factions wanting to meet somewhere in the middle. She hadn¡¯t known much about Hesling¡¯s exact views, but she knew they at least didn¡¯t want to halt the production of inscriptions. With those factions, she kept an ear to the ground in case there were any major changes that would affect her business.

    It turned out that there was also a faction of crafters and merchants pushing to be added to the council, to give the common man a vote. There hadn¡¯t been much traction there, but she was convinced that Delthanar was working behind the scenes to raise support for the idea.If you discover this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation.

    It had been a lot to take in. He had excused himself shortly after, saying goodnight to Bertral so he could head to his bedroom to think. Bertral had asked to see his new wall art, and taking the hint, he had led him back to the room to quickly patch the crack in secret. With a quick hug, he had wished Bertral a good night, and closed the door behind him.

    He had pictured the nobles as a united front, discussing issues to come to a mutual decision that benefited all. Apparently I really do keep my head in my runes too much. All it had taken was a few minutes to ask the question, and his mother had been happy to help him.

    Making up his mind to not go in blind, he opened his blinds enough to let in light to the room. Focusing to activate the focal rune on the lights, he moved to his desk, took a seat, and pulled out a small notebook. Over the next couple of hours, he began to make an outline of the questions he¡¯d ask tomorrow.

    <hr>

    Deilan stood outside the restaurant, trying to steady his nerves. The day had seemed to drag out, and he had attempted several projects to keep his mind occupied. Unfortunately, he had been so distracted that he couldn¡¯t even trace his fractal correctly. He had finally been forced to just wander the streets to burn some energy.

    The restaurant looked pretty unassuming. It was sculpted clay in the newer style, with a tasteful mural of a sunset over the river painted on the side. Light spilled from the glass windows on the door,  As he watched, several people in nice merchant garb wandered out, laughing amongst themselves. That spoke to a higher-end clientele, although not so fancy as to require him to dress up to enter. Just as well, as he was wearing something well-made but fairly drab to avoid drawing attention to himself. He wasn¡¯t quite sure why the guard had chosen this place, as it didn¡¯t exactly scream working-class eatery.

    He had begun making his way towards the door when a voice spoke behind him, making him jump.

    ¡°I appreciate you being punctual, that¡¯s a good sign. Walking right by me, not so much.¡±

    He turned and saw the woman leaning idly against the wall of a nearby building, staring at him with a small smirk. He had idly noticed her standing there when he walked up, but hadn¡¯t associated the woman in loose fitting pants and baggy shirt with the guard in bulky padded armor who had been glaring at him the day before. I really am an idiot, is a change of clothes and a different hairstyle enough for me to lose someone in a crowd?

    ¡°I¡¯m so sorry, I should have recognized you.¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it kid, we¡¯ll work on that. Follow me. We can talk more inside.¡±

    She strolled by him at a leisurely pace, not turning to see if he was following. Something about her walk unsettled his mind, speaking of a danger that he couldn¡¯t consciously recognize. Okay, just because I didn¡¯t notice her earlier doesn¡¯t mean I need to be paranoid about a walk. I need to calm down.

    She headed straight to the door and walked in, while he trailed behind. The sudden bright light in the restaurant forced him to blink for a moment, and she paused in the entryway to give him a moment to let his eyes adjust. The smells of the restaurant hit him, and he was suddenly hoping that this meeting would include a meal. From what he could smell, the cooking style differed from his father¡¯s, but didn¡¯t wasn¡¯t any less appealing.

    Once he was able to see, he nodded to her, and she stepped forward to gesture to one of the waiters bustling across the room. He came over and gave a small bow, smiling at the sight of her.

    ¡°Hello ma¡¯am, we have your room set, I can show you the way.¡±

    She smiled at him, and with a quick ¡°Thank you Janis,¡± began following him to one of the doors along the wall.

    As they walked through the room, he saw that the initial group of merchants weren¡¯t outliers, although the general atmosphere of the restaurant was rather quaint. The tables had actual candles set, and the food was brought out to various groups as a single pot which was shared amongst the occupants of the table. A quick glance showed that the pot was uninscribed, likely cooked over direct heat. I don¡¯t get it, why make it that much harder to prepare? This place can obviously afford more modern cookware.

    He hustled slightly to catch up, reaching the door just behind Janis and the woman. Janis opened the door with another bow, gesturing them inside. He could see a small square table already set with place settings and glasses, a small pitcher, and a stone disc inlaid in the center to hold one of the pots he saw earlier. A small chandelier hung overhead, actual candles set in there as well. The woman entered first, taking the seat to the right of the door. He shrugged, and walked over to the seat on the left.

    ¡°The food will be along in just a moment,¡± Janis remarked, before closing the door behind him.

    Deilan turned to the woman, and asked the first question on his list, the one that should have been asked yesterday. ¡°So, what was your name? You never said yesterday.¡±

    The woman blinked at him, then barked out a laugh. ¡°Crap, I didn¡¯t, did I. Sorry about that. The name¡¯s Malia. You doing any better? Yesterday I was worried you¡¯d drop dead of nerves on your way out.¡±

    ¡°Oh, umm, yeah.¡± He found himself flushing again, a habit he really needed to get out of. ¡°I¡¯m really sorry about yesterday. I don¡¯t know what came over me, and I started panicking. I just want you to know I¡¯m not normally like that. That whole thing really made me stop and reevaluate myself yesterday.¡±

    She smiled at him, genuine warmth on her face. ¡°Don¡¯t sweat it kid. I¡¯ll admit, not the best showing on your part, but we¡¯ll see how it goes. But we can hold off on getting to that until after dinner.¡±

    He nodded at that, appreciating the opportunity to gather himself before starting into the rest of his list of questions. A couple of minutes of light chatter passed, mainly her asking about his family and his life and him explaining his homelife. She seemed to be genuinely interested, and he found himself opening up to her and relaxing as they went on. Eventually, Janis entered with a steaming pot and ladle, and set it on the table. Deilan gestured to him, unable to restrain his curiosity.

    ¡°Pardon me, but I was wondering about the lack of inscriptions in here?¡±

    Janis smiled, and the swiftness of his answer spoke to a question he had answered frequently. ¡°The owner is a bit of a traditionalist, and insists that a meal just isn¡¯t the same without proper lighting, and without proper fire heating the meal. Considering how much people seem to enjoy it, I¡¯m not prepared to argue the point. Please enjoy the meal, and let me know if there is anything else you need.¡±

    He turned his attention back to the table, only to see that Malia had already served herself. Taking the ladle and spooning a portion onto his plate. It appeared to be some kind of creamy yellow sauce mixed with long-grained rice and chunks of white meat. He helped himself to a forkful, and had to pause as the sweet and spicy flavors washed over him. He gave a quick glance to Malia, but she appeared to be engrossed in her meal. Thank the gods, I didn¡¯t moan out loud.

    From there, the rest of the meal went by in silence. Despite the size of the pot, the two of them polished off the entire serving. That finished, they both leaned forward slightly to begin their conversation.

    ¡°So,¡± Malia said, ¡°I¡¯m guessing you have some questions. Let¡¯s start there.¡±

 Chapter 7 - Questions

    Malia smiled in amusement as the kid pulled a literal list of questions from his pocket. I guess I can¡¯t give him too much guff for it, after seeing him trying to improvise. Thorough and thoughtful is always better. He paused for a moment, eyes scanning the list, before his face set in determination.

    ¡°Who do you work for?¡±

    She snorted, and gave him a half a smirk. ¡°The Hesling Estate. I¡¯m a guard there. You may remember the uniform?¡±

    He gave her a scowl, and she could see his fingers crumple the edge of the stack of papers. Okay, not in the mood for jokes, got it.

    ¡°I don¡¯t work for anyone, kid. I work with a group of like minded individuals, but it¡¯s not any kind of employment. Think of it more as a group of people with similar goals, who coordinate so that they can help meet those goals.¡±

    He relaxed slightly, his frown replaced by a look of determination. ¡°Okay, but what goal is that?¡±

    She steepled her fingers on the table, contemplating her answer for a moment. ¡°That seems like a simple question, but it isn¡¯t. The general goal is to make the situation in the city for the common people both more stable, in a way that is beneficial for everyone. In practice, there are a lot of ideologies at play, and it can get murky on what the best way to accomplish that is. As a general rule, we¡¯d like to see a loosening of restrictions on runes and inscriptions, as well as a voice for the people helping to guide the city.¡±

    His look of confusion seemed to grow as she went on, and he started furiously taking notes. ¡°Okay, wait, so there isn¡¯t any kind of structure to your group, just individual members?¡±

    ¡°Sort of. There is an internal group that takes in the needs of all of the members, commune, and help coordinate an action plan spread across the group to accomplish overarching goals. It¡¯s very complicated and relies heavily on mutual trust. Usually that involves a compromise that works best for everyone.¡±

    ¡°How many members do you have? That seems hard to pull off with any kind of large group of individuals.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m not exactly sure. Dozens at least, from some of the operations I¡¯ve seen, but we try not to interact as a group too much to avoid notice.¡±

    ¡°That sounds very¡­ messy.¡±

    ¡°It is, and it¡¯s been my experience that occasionally wires get crossed, or someone decides to act without consulting with others. Unfortunately, it¡¯s the only option I¡¯ve found that doesn¡¯t depend on the good will of a group of people with no incentive to give up power.¡±

    He paused in his notes to look at her. ¡°What is it that you want from them?¡±

    The question caught her off guard, although it shouldn¡¯t have. Of course he wants to know what¡¯s in it for me. How else will he determine if our goals align? How much to tell him? ¡°I¡¯m trying to make sure that the changes the city is seeing stick, and that they spread to everyone. Even now, there are those who aren¡¯t seeing the benefits, and those who have had them taken away.¡±

    He seemed ready to ask more, but he met her eyes and suddenly looked away. She made an effort to relax, attempting to adopt a more jovial visage. ¡°Go on, I doubt we¡¯re through your list yet.¡±

    He coughed slightly, then turned back to his list. ¡°Isn¡¯t what you¡¯re doing dangerous?¡±

    ¡°Of course it is. We might live in a peaceful city, but power isn¡¯t held through peace. Change isn¡¯t accomplished without risk. Aren¡¯t you willing to take risks to accomplish your goals? I¡¯m assuming that¡¯s why you were in that library.¡±

    He shifted uncomfortably, and she gave him a hard look. Crap, I really hope I didn¡¯t badly misread this one. ¡°Before we go on with these questions, I have to ask, kid. No, I have to ask Deilan. Are your goals worth risk? Are you willing to face danger to accomplish what you believe in?¡±

    He shrank into himself, looking unsure. She continued to watch him, giving him time to process. Finally, he straightened and gave her a nod. She stared into his eyes, and was relieved to see a resolute light staring back. ¡°Good, then we understand each other. Next question?¡±

    He shuddered slightly before continuing. ¡°Why me?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t understand the question?¡±

    ¡°Why did you decide to take this risk on me, instead of arresting me? Aren¡¯t I dangerous to you right now?¡±

    She laughed slightly, leaning back in her chair. ¡°Oh, that one is easy. You weren¡¯t much of a risk when I sent you on your way. What were you going to do, say you broke into the library and found me already in there? No, you weren¡¯t a risk, and if you hadn¡¯t shown up tonight I would¡¯ve been in the clear. If you did come, it meant you were interested enough that I could work with that.

    ¡°I asked Lethel about you after you left, you know. Said I saw a dejected kid leaving the interview room and asked what it was about. He said you had a lot of passion, and a surprisingly robust fractal rune, but not a lot of tempering. I see you the same way. You showed a lot of passion, and a willingness to take risks for what you believe in, but not enough tempering to use it yet. I can respect that. We all have to start somewhere, and this is a good place for you.¡±

    He stood at that, and began to pace. She gave him a moment, knowing that he was taking in a lot. I can vaguely remember my introduction to this. I wish I had had a nice dinner as a preface, rather than a cold cell. Kids these days don¡¯t know how easy they have it.

    Eventually he settled back down into his chair and picked up his list. He began to read through his notes, and she let him pretend he wasn¡¯t trying to settle his nerves.¡±What would you want me to do?¡±

    ¡°How do you feel about breaking into noble houses and stealing their secrets? Maybe fighting your way through their guards and kidnapping young ladies as hostages?¡±This tale has been unlawfully obtained from Royal Road. If you discover it on Amazon, kindly report it.

    He froze at that, knuckles going white. The chair he was on began making a creaking noise, and she realized that he was shaking. Gods, right, no jokes.

    ¡°Relax kid, I¡¯m joking. I was going to bring you in as a house courier. You¡¯d be running messages around the city, and picking up tidbits. Occasionally I¡¯d have you run messages for me or someone else, or copy a message you¡¯re carrying. That¡¯s down the road though, you¡¯d start just doing the normal courier job, and training you.¡±

    He perked up at that, regaining his earlier curiosity. ¡°Training me in what?¡±

    ¡°Well, for one thing not giving away everything you¡¯re thinking with your body language. You¡¯ve never been good at cards, have you?¡±

    He turned red at that, shaking his head. and she gave a small chuckle before continuing. ¡°I¡¯d also help you with your fractal, and utilizing it to meet your ends. Part of that will be learning restricted runes, and when you can safely use restricted runes. Getting caught using them will not end well, I can promise you that.¡±

    He nodded at her, his attention focusing to an almost disturbing degree at the mention of restricted runes. ¡°So you know them? Well enough to teach them?¡±

    She sighed, sensing that this would be a problem. ¡°Yes, I know some, both legally as a guard and what I¡¯ve picked up along the way. I also have an idea of why they¡¯re restricted. Trust me, some of the reasons are pretty good.¡±

    His excitement dimmed slightly at that, she was relieved to see. Good to knock some caution into him early on. I¡¯d rather not find out he was caught experimenting with something new in the middle of the city, or worse that he hurt himself or someone else in the process.

    ¡°I¡¯ll teach you, but you have to trust that I¡¯ll teach you at an appropriate pace. Take risks, but don¡¯t take stupid risks. Any other questions?¡±

    He nodded at her, slipping back into a thoughtful look. He glanced down at his paper before meeting her eyes again. ¡°When will I meet the people you work with?¡±

    She opened her mouth, but he cut her off with an exasperated sigh. ¡°And not the people at the manor.¡±

    She chuffed out a breath at that, too shocked to laugh. Okay, maybe he does have a sense of humor. ¡°Eventually, when you have learned more about how to comport yourself, and I¡¯m comfortable with your ability to contribute to the cause with wisdom and aplomb.¡±

    He gave a strange look at that, but she met his gaze without flinching. He shrugged, deciding to move on. ¡°This one is bugging me. Why the Hesling Estate? From what I understand, they¡¯re fairly middle of the road, part of a block that isn¡¯t particularly swayed one way or the other on the council in regards to the new developments in the city.¡±

    She smiled wide at the question, pleased that he brought it up. I knew he had a good mind under all those blushes. ¡°That is a good question, and one that almost answers itself. They aren¡¯t currently swayed one way or the other on this topic. If someone could change minds here and in a few other key houses, even a little, it would shift the entire council. Easier to move the middle than push the extremes.¡±

    He seemed to consider that answer for a while before finally nodding to her. ¡°I think that¡¯s all I have currently, although I¡¯m sure once I go over my notes I¡¯ll have a dozen more.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s fair, do you mind if I take a look at them, see if I can catch anything you missed.¡±

    ¡°Yes please,¡± he said, passing over his notes. She began flipping through, giving the notes careful thought. Not bad. Neatly organized, easy to understand the thought process behind it, and clearly labeled where ideas connect. He has the right kind of mindset for this.

    She abruptly stood, holding the notes up to a candle on the chandelier. Deilan gave a wordless shout arm raised to stop her, but she waved him off as she dropped the stack into the pot on the table.

    ¡°One thing I think you missed is that this is a secret organization. Rule number one is that you don¡¯t keep notes that anyone can find.¡±

    He slowly lowered his arm, mumbling something that may have been assent. She nodded at him, heading for the door.

    ¡°Come by the Hesling Estate tomorrow morning. I managed to convince Lethel to advocate for your hiring as a courier, and you start tomorrow. If anyone asks, I tracked you to your house through your name and academy records.¡±

    She opened the door and stepped through, turning back as Janis hurried over. ¡°One last thing Deilan,¡± She said, fixing him with a serious look. He glanced uncertainly between her and Janis, who was currently gathering dishes from the table.

    ¡°What¡¯s that?¡±

    ¡°New guy always buys dinner.¡±

    With that, she turned and left the restaurant, leaving him spluttering.

    <hr>

    The alleyway had been harder to find at night, even with the relatively recent street lights scattered throughout the district. She had gone down three wrong alleys before she finally spotted the stone that she had pulled Caspien¡¯s arm down into, still marked with a slight ripple where she had failed to return it to its original shape. She made her way to the familiar door, and walked in without a knock. The same musty odor greeted her in the hallway, somehow enhanced at this late hour. Would it kill him to hire someone to clean the place? I bet he keeps it that way for the ambiance.

    Calamir sat on the same chair as before, giving the illusion that he had never left. He smiled as she entered, giving a small bow of his head. ¡°So, Malia, how did your dinner go with your potential prot¨¦g¨¦? Is he ready to join the cause? Fight the good fight?¡±

    She nodded slightly, taking the seat across from him. ¡°He¡¯s ready to join, but I¡¯m going to ease him into it. He¡¯s still painfully young and idealistic, ready to change the world with his ideas. I can¡¯t remember ever being that innocent, and I think I envy him for it.¡±

    Calamir tittered at that, lifting a hand to his mouth. ¡°Sure you do. How much did you actually tell him? Enough that someone should keep an eye on him?¡±

    She shook her head slowly, considering her words. ¡°No, he¡¯ll be fine. I told him enough to interest him, but not so much as to scare him. Broad strokes about our good intentions and desire for change. I¡¯d like him to see the city for what it really is before we really get into specifics. Once he¡¯s seen the real Lesivar, he¡¯ll be ready to understand where we¡¯re coming from and be able to make an informed decision. Even if he decides not to join us from there, I think he¡¯ll ¡®fight the good fight¡¯ in his own way.¡±

    Calamir leaned back languidly, his normal smile fading to a thoughtful expression. ¡°If you¡¯re sure, I¡¯ll trust your judgement on this one, as will the committee, I¡¯m sure. Take him under your wing and teach him how to fly. Maybe how to walk too, from what you said about his physical interview. Just don¡¯t lose sight of your goals in the process.¡±

    ¡°Of course not, although it would make it easier to plan for those goals if you would stop being so damn cryptic. Do you have any word on time constraints?¡±

    His smile returned at that, a merry glint in his eyes. ¡°What¡¯s the point of joining a secret society if I can¡¯t be cryptic? Just be glad I didn¡¯t make you memorize a secret knock to get in. Although I have been considering counter-phrases. But no, no deadlines that I¡¯m sure of. Just vague whispers and a feeling in the air. It feels like the game will be shifting soon. Please be mindful.¡±

    She sat in silence for a few minutes, letting that sink in. She wished she had more information to work with, but Calamir would have given it to her if he had it. I think. All she could do was continue as she had been, with the new wrinkle of a trainee. It would be a pain at first, but she could already see the huge boon he could be as a partner in the long term. With him, she might actually be able to pull off her plans.

    Hopefully it¡¯s enough to make a difference. I don¡¯t want to lose our city.

 Chapter 8 - Orientation

    Deilan made his way to the gates of the manor, pulling slightly at his uncomfortable shirt. His mother had been overjoyed at the news that he had been offered a job at the estate, and had insisted on him wearing his best outfit to his first day on the job. Unfortunately, his best outfit wasn¡¯t one he had had a chance to break in just yet, and wasn¡¯t really made for long walks through the city. Despite the chill in the air, he could already feel himself sweating. His head felt slightly itchy as well, his father having given him a clean cut and a ¡®proper shave¡¯ to help him prepare.

    Standing just outside the gates was a familiar figure, chatting amiably with the guards on duty. Unfortunately, it wasn¡¯t the familiar figure he was expecting.

    ¡°Damn, I was hoping you¡¯d be late. As long as I¡¯m out here waiting for you, Lethel isn¡¯t making me run with the other new recruits to keep them motivated.¡± Demaric gave him a crooked smile, reaching forward to shake his hand. Now that he was a little less slumped, Deilan could see that he was a tall man, clearing him by almost a full head. His dark hair had been shorn short, and it was obvious that the chain mail he wore covered a rather imposing frame. I¡¯m not the tallest guy in the world, sure, but this place is going to make me feel small really quickly.

    Demaric patted him on the shoulder before guiding him inside the grounds. ¡°I was sorry to hear that the guard interview didn¡¯t go well for you. Lethel is pretty big on the physical fitness aspect of the job, which is why most candidates spend a few months getting in shape beforehand. If I had realized you hadn¡¯t been prepared for it, I would¡¯ve warned you off. Speaking of being unprepared,¡± he gave Deilan¡¯s outfit a once over, ¡°are you sure that¡¯s what you want to wear for the first day on the job?¡±

    Deilan glanced down, looking for something out of place on his outfit. Malia did mention darker colors would be preferred. ¡°Should I go home and change?¡±

    ¡°Nah, too late for that. Maybe Lethel will go easy on you since you¡¯re just a courier. You must have had something special, for both he and Malia to go out of their way for you like this. I knew something about you was interesting.¡±

    Shifting uncomfortably at all of the attention directed his way, Deilan attempted to change the subject. ¡°So, what exactly will I be doing as a courier? I mean, I know I¡¯ll be delivering messages to people, but anything beyond that?¡±

    ¡°Beats me. Way outside my wheelhouse there, I just guard things. I do know you¡¯ll be going through some training with Lethel and myself, as well as working with Trentis. He¡¯s in charge of managing the affairs of the house, which will include your services. His official title is Seneschal, so I¡¯d be sure to pick that one up quickly. He¡¯s going to be handling bringing you up to speed on your daily duties, so most of your questions will probably be answered there.¡±

    He led them along a path along the side of the manor until they reached a small courtyard. He could recognize the form of Lethel standing over the three recruits, as they performed some kind of jumping exercise. His barking voice cut through the morning air as he instructed them on proper form. I guess I was the only one cut. Well, good for them, I¡¯m glad they all made it.

    Demaric led him up behind the group, continuing to chat amicably. ¡°I¡¯ll be working with you as well, along with Malia, in training you to defend yourself. I¡¯m guessing she decided it was better to sweat a little than to be stuck on door duty, so she¡¯s sharing these shifts with me. It will help split it up, as you¡¯ll be much less focused on weapons, and more to hand-to hand combat.¡±

    Deilan paused in his walking, a spike of panic halting his steps just shy of the group. ¡°Wait, why do I have to learn how to fight? I thought I was just running messages?¡±

    ¡°Because if you¡¯re going to be carrying messages, you need to make sure they can actually reach their destination even if someone is trying to stop you, son.¡± Lethel had stopped his instructions to approach them. The three recruits began to settle, but with a quick glare Lethel had them back on pace.

    ¡°You have a good mind and a decently developed fractal for your age, but what I saw of your endurance and strength is abysmal. I doubt I could get you to the level of handling a weapon, but there¡¯s no way I¡¯m turning you loose as you are now. Go ahead and join the others.¡±

    Deilan felt the panic of a moment before shift to dread at the idea of more of Lethel¡¯s exercises. The feeling only intensified as he looked down at the clothing he was wearing. Oh no, this must be what Demaric meant. How am I supposed to do any kind of exercise in this? Looking at the other three, he noticed that they were all wearing matching clothes.

    ¡°Is there a uniform I could change into first?I don¡¯t think I wore appropriate clothing for today¡¯s activity.¡±

    Lethel eyed him, but there was a twinkle there that made Deilan think he was being messed with. ¡°I suppose we have something that could fit you. Just be sure to wear appropriate clothing going forward. Did you think you were going to a dance today? Probably not, I¡¯m not sure you could dance in those either. Demaric, show him to the laundry so he can get an outfit.¡±

    Deilan sighed in relief, allowing Demaric to lead him towards the manor. Maybe this won¡¯t be as bad when I¡¯m dressed for it.

    <hr>

    Deilan collapsed on a bench in the courtyard, barely mustering the energy to bring the waterskin to his lips. Okay, the clothes don''t make any difference. That was the worst experience of my life. He was grateful that the others seemed to be worn out as well, if not quite as much as he was.

    The woman with the short hair turned to him with hands on her knees, panting lightly. Eleth, I think. ¡°I¡¯m surprised to see you back, glad they found a job that fit you better though. Sorry for not reaching out to you before, you just seemed a little too soft for a guard in my experience. No offence.¡±

    He managed to sit up slightly, groaning as his muscles protested. ¡°None taken, I guess. I¡¯m glad too, and happy to see you all got the job.¡±

    Tomen and Arelia sat on the ground stretching, but both smiled up at him at the comment. Arelia stood up, and walked over gingerly to shake his hand. ¡°Thanks, I wasn¡¯t really expecting it. Between these two, I was feeling a tiny bit outclassed. Maybe we should all hit a tavern after this to grab drinks to celebrate.¡±

    Lethel seemed to notice the group beginning to stir, as he chose that moment to walk back up. ¡°Glad to see you all catching your second wind so quickly, that makes this next part easier.¡± At seeing their groans, a huge grin split his face. ¡°Come now, you¡¯ll be fine. This next part is all about external fractals. Let¡¯s keep exercising your minds while your bodies recover.¡±

    Deilan perked up at this, as he hadn¡¯t expected to do any runework at all today. Maybe I can show them I¡¯m not so useless after all. My ego could certainly use it, I¡¯ve never felt so outclassed in my life.

    ¡°Out next exercise,¡± Lethel continued, ¡°will be using your fractal fo self-defense. Don¡¯t worry too much about technique, I just want to see how your instincts are, and we can go from there.¡± He seemed to mistake the crestfallen look on Deilan¡¯s face, because he appended the statement with ¡°Yes, Deilan, I mean you too. Trust me, this will help you too.¡±

    Eleth was directed to go first, with a gesture from Lethel to stand in the center of a circle of bare dirt, several paces across. Once she was positioned, he began to speak. ¡°What¡¯s going to happen is that Demaric is going to try to tackle you. He¡¯ll use only internal patterns to get close, while you will use only external patterns to try to stop him. Stop him, not injure him. If you manage to knock him out of the circle, or immobilize him, you pass. If he pins you to the ground or you leave the circle, you fail. I suggest not failing, as it means I need to exercise you harder to help clear your mind of distractions.¡±You could be reading stolen content. Head to Royal Road for the genuine story.

    Eleth shuddered at that, to surprisingly reassured him. At least I¡¯m not the only one who hates the drills.

    Demaric took his place outside the circle, locking eyes with Eleth. He had removed his chainmail and tabard, leaving him in only his undershirt, pants, and a heavy set of boots.. For one tense moment, the intensity built, before Lethel shouted ¡°Begin!¡±

    Demaric flew across the ground, almost too fast to follow. Deilan watched his movements, noticing they lacked the finesse of air-attuned movement. Instead, it seemed to be all explosive action, indicative of a fire attunement. A lot of power there, but no maneuverability. He¡¯s going to be all straight lines. Eleth reacted immediately, sending a gust of wind shooting at him, strong enough to blow him out of the circle.

    Unfortunately for her, he kept low, and the combination of momentum and low profile greatly reduced the effect of the gust, and his speed was barely reduced. Before she had a chance to readjust, he was on her, taking her to the ground. He was back up in moments, helping her to her feet.

    ¡°Damn,¡± she said, brushing dirt off of her clothes, ¡°that would have never happened if I could¡¯ve used an internal pattern instead. You would¡¯ve never caught me.¡±

    Demaric chuckled a little bit at that, walking back to the edge of the circle. ¡°I¡¯m sure we¡¯ll get a chance to try that at some point. For now, it¡¯s good practice to try with things you aren¡¯t as comfortable with.¡±

    She nodded consideringly at that, taking her seat. Tomen stood next without prompting, entering the circle. He set himself on the ground, legs spread wide and bracing for Demaric. Once he was settled, Lethel gave the signal again. Demaric was once again flying across the ground, building momentum to take down the large youth.

    As he drew close, however, a chunk of earth lifted just as he committed his weight to it. With a lift, Demaric found himself being catapulted through the air. He somehow managed to twist himself as he flew, bleeding a large chunk of his forward momentum, but the damage was done. As he came to rest, it was outside the dirt circle.

    Lethel clapped heartily, a smile on his face. ¡°Very good Tomen. Defy your opponents expectations, and take advantage of it when they overcommit to a feint.¡±

    Tomen seemed to preen under the praise before heading back to the others. Deilan eyed him consideringly as he settled, and Arelia stood. I don¡¯t know why I assumed he would be straightforward just because he was big. A good lesson, I guess. Arelia spoke to Lethel briefly, who gestured to a nearby shed. She walked inside, and emerged a few moments later struggling with a barrel of what he assumed was water. Water is a tough one if you¡¯re forced to use nothing but external patterns. I know mother said she only chose the attunement originally because they lived so close to the river.

    Once she was in position inside of the circle with her barrel, and she had caught her breath, Lethel gave the signal. Demaric was once more charging across the ground towards his intended victim, with a careful eye on the barrel. He suddenly began cartwheeling his arms as he lost his balance, and his body hit the ground with a splash of mud. He began dragging himself to the edge of the mudpit that had formed beneath him, but he appeared to be struggling. A wave of water burst from the improvised pit he was treading, locking him in place. The water splashed harmlessly outside of the circle, and Arelia dropped to her knees.

    What in the hells just happened there? From context, he could see that Arelia had exhausted herself pulling water out of the mud to harden it. It was extremely taxing to remove water from anything, and was essentially impossible on anything as complex as a living organism. It was impressive enough that she got it out of the mud, but where did the mudpit come from.

    Lethel walked up to Arelia, stopping to tip over her barrel. From the angle it landed, Deilan could see that the bottom had been knocked out. ¡°Very well done drawing his attention to the barrel and then setting a trap with the water. I wouldn¡¯t recommend doing that in a live environment until you¡¯re a lot more experienced, however. It doesn¡¯t do much good to incapacitate your foe if you¡¯re incapacitated yourself. If he has even one friend, you¡¯re done for. Tomen, give me a hand extracting poor Demaric here.¡±

    Tomen walked up to Demaric, grabbing one of his hands and pulling while focusing on the ground. Demaric slid out easily and quickly scrambled to his feet. Tomen gave Arelia a hand back to hear seat while Demaric attempted to dust himself off. After a few swipes, he seemed to realize the futility of the action and simply glared at Arelia¡¯s back. He then gathered the pieces of the barrel and moved them out of the circle.

    ¡°Deilan, you¡¯re up.¡±

    He started at the call, having been caught up in the small drama playing out before him. He scrambled to his feet, making his way to the center of the circle while his mind raced. Oh crap, I have no idea how to even approach this. Make a wall of force? No, he¡¯ll go around it. Try to fling him in the air? No, he¡¯ll be expecting it after Tomen, and even he barely managed to get him out of the ring. Wait, what about the new rune?

    He locked eyes with Demaric as time seemed to slow down. He prepared the pattern in his mind of force external flow across and prepared to shift his focus on a spot just a couple of steps in front of the man. As soon as he heard the shout from Lethel, let the pattern flare through his fractal, making no attempt to restrain it. Demaric  flew across the ground towards him, legs pumping powerfully across the ground. Please let this work.

    Demaric shifted his gaze down as soon as eye contact was broken, eyes locking on the slight shimmer in the air. As soon as his foot touched down on the plane of force, he tucked into a roll as if to avoid a sudden lifting force. Wrong move. Deilan couldn¡¯t help but smile as he watched Demaric¡¯s back roll across the flowing plane. He was immediately flung across the ground as the surface area of his back gave full traction for the flowing force to grab onto.

    Deilan¡¯s triumph was short lived, however, as Demaric shot toward the other seated recruits. Thankfully, Eleth reacted fast enough to throw up a cushion of air, slowing his tumbling considerably. Tomen managed to push partially to his feet and catch the man, preventing any serious injury.

    All eyes turned to Deilan, who had completely locked up at his starting point. The tableau held for several seconds until the sound of a clearing throat brought eyes to Lethel.

    ¡°Can¡¯t say as I¡¯ve seen that one before, but good job. You managed to turn his expectations against him, with whatever it was you just did, and used his own force against him. That kind of thinking will serve you well in unarmed combat as well. Don¡¯t look at where you plan on striking though, it telegraphs your intent. A little less force while training would be appropriate as well, we¡¯re not trying to cause any injuries here.¡±

    Deilan found himself flushing slightly, and left the circle. The group was eyeing him warily, all except Demaric who was giving him a wry grin.

    ¡°I deserved that one, you¡¯ll have to show me how you did that.¡±

    Deilan returned his smile, feeling the tension in his shoulders relax slightly. Well, I did want to make an impression.

    ¡°Okay everyone,¡± Lethel exclaimed, ¡°Next up we¡¯ll be pairing off and trying that exercise with each other. Once Eleth gets back from her five laps, of course. Trade off between attacker and defender, then trade off between partners. Demaric and I will be giving feedback and tips as you go.¡±

    Eleth gave a quiet sigh as she pushed herself to her feet, but began her laps without complaint. The other three continued sitting, enjoying the brief reprieve before they had to get back to training. Arelia abruptly turned his way, curiosity blatant in her expression.

    ¡°Was that a flow rune? I didn¡¯t think that worked with a force attunement?¡±

    He smiled, face coming alive with the chance to share his work. ¡°Yeah, it is! I found a way to integrate it into more rigid fractal attunements by focusing on the connector patterns, creating a more stable manifestation structure.¡±

    Tomen had begun to pay more attention as he began his description, but their faces made it clear that they didn¡¯t quite understand what he was talking about. Not surprising, so few people really dig into the theory, preferring to stick to established patterns. Neither of the two guard trainees seemed put off by this though, and they sat with rapt attention as he began rattling off the process that led to his discovery.

    It¡¯s nice to know I¡¯m already making friends at work.

 Chapter 9 - Backgrounds

    Malia made her way down the dimly lit hall, fighting against the trepidation building in her chest. This part of the manor was close to the original core, and the wood had darkened with age. Despite the care that had gone into the maintenance, the boards creaked under each step, adding an air of foreboding to her journey.

    This was not the first time she had been called to meet with Lord Hesling, but she couldn¡¯t think of any reason for this particular meeting. She had snuck away from her shift at the library briefly to sneak a peek at the new recruits training through the window, but she was sure that no one had seen her. Could someone have followed me or Deilan to the restaurant that night? Caspien was trailing us, and he swore no one was watching us as we entered or left.

    Her mind was no clearer as she reached the large wooden door that led to Fileus Hesling¡¯s private study. The door had a strange sheen, the result of some process used to harden the wood. She knew that many other, more subtle methods had gone into reinforcing this room. In many ways, it was the heart of the estate and therefore the most protected. I wish I could have just an hour alone in there.

    Pelis and Welmer, the guards at the door, nodded their heads to her as she approached. She was familiar with them, but as members of Hesling¡¯s elite forces she hadn¡¯t had the opportunity to interact with them. They lived on the grounds, and rarely left unless it was to escort their lord or a member of his family. They creep me out a little too. I don¡¯t think I¡¯ve ever seen either one smile. Come to think of it, I¡¯m not sure I¡¯ve seen either of them blink either.

    She was tempted to stop to chat and attempt to build some rapport, but Pelis had already knocked upon recognizing her. After a short pause, a muffled basso voice could be heard from within the room.

    ¡°Send her in.¡±

    Pelis swung the door open, allowing to walk through. As always, the study was an impressive sight. A fireplace burned merrily along one wall, casting the room in flickering light. Along the walls to either side of the door,a pair of bookshelves dominated the walls. One shelf was dominated by positively ancient looking tomes, the leather covers cracked and the text illegible. The other was filled with what appeared to be journals, organized by age. The highest shelf rivaled some of the older volumes in decrepit appearance.

    On one side, I¡¯m almost positive that the books are the banned texts that the Hesling family has managed to hide away over the years. Anything considered too dangerous for the main library would be here. On the other, I¡¯m sure they¡¯re The Hesling accounts dating back generations. I¡¯ve seen him writing in his own journal before returning it to that shelf, and it¡¯s easy to assume that his predecessors did the same. I¡¯m not sure which I¡¯d want to read more.

    In the center of the room, where it could be framed by the fireplace, sat Hesling¡¯s desk, its hardwood surface had long since been polished into an almost mirror like sheen, from the few times she had seen a clear spot on the surface. Lord Hesling frequently had one project or another strewn across its surface, in an order only he could discern.

    He sat on his high-backed chair, idly flipping through pages of some sort. She took the opportunity of his distraction to walk closer to his desk. From behind her, a heavy thump indicated the door closing behind her, causing her to jump slightly. This appeared to be enough to drag his attention away from his reading, as his eyes snapped to her.

    He was a fairly daunting man, even without the titles. He was taller than most, and he had enough muscle that it could be hard to distinguish between himself and those guarding him. His dark hair had only recently begun to show signs of greying, and his dark eyes had a sharpness to them, even when he was being congenial. Altogether, he was the quintessential noble, something he had leveraged well in his time on the council.

    ¡°Malia, thank you for coming so quickly. I hope the library duty isn¡¯t proving to be too onerous.¡±

    She felt herself begin to shift under his attention, but managed to stop herself before it was noticeable. Be calm, stay smart, stay safe. ¡°No sir, I¡¯m happy to perform my duties wherever you need me.¡±

    He laughed at that, a hearty chuckle that brought lines to the corner of his eyes. ¡°Please, be at ease. I realize that the assignment was an unwelcome one, and perhaps somewhat undeserved. I was understandably upset that someone had managed to break into the estate and steal something, even if it was just some flowers. That being said, you and Demaric performed your duties, even retrieving the stolen item. I would have preferred the thief as well, but I understand that your talents lie more in defense than pursuit. It¡¯s what makes you a fine guard.¡±

    She let the compliment wash over her, knowing that it was leading to something more. It was doubtful that she was being called in for a mere apology, and she wanted to be ready for the other shoe to drop. Despite her concern, she did feel some relief at his words. At least that particular stain won¡¯t stick, it seems. She gave a slight nod and waited for him to continue.

    ¡°That being said, it seems that the assignment resulted in one interesting encounter for you. What can you tell me of this Deilan Trensk, and your interactions with him?¡±

    A spike of panic rushed through her, and she focused on her fractal pattern earth internal fortify against to give her time to shore up her resolve. The pattern was intended for physical reinforcement, but it had the positive side effect of inhibiting physical reactions. She used the time to trace back the story she had concocted, making sure to change to wording slightly.

    ¡°As you remember from the last time we spoke, I met him as he wandered down the hallway to the library. I stopped him to ask him where he was going, and he stated that he had gotten lost looking for the exit. He seemed upset, so I asked him if he was okay. He spoke of failing the interview and moving on to find his next opportunity. His resolve impressed me, so I went to ask Lethel why he had failed. As it was for fitness reasons rather than any character issues, I felt that it might be worth discussing with you if he would be a good fit in another position. With your approval, I retrieved his academy records, which were exemplary. Using their records, I tracked him down to offer him the job, which he was excited to accept. May I ask if there was something more specific that you were looking for?¡±

    He stroked his chin thoughtfully, eyeing the papers in front of him. ¡°Exemplary performance in the academy, that might explain it. Did you know he managed to fling Demaric hard enough that Lethel commented on it? Lethel said it was a rune combination that he hadn¡¯t seen before.¡±

    Malia raised her eyebrows, genuinely surprised. Wow kid, great job. It takes a lot to make Lethel take notice. Hopefully Demaric doesn¡¯t hold a grudge over it. ¡°No, I hadn¡¯t heard. What was the rune combination?¡±

    ¡°He had integrated a flow rune into his fractal, apparently. I¡¯m sure it¡¯s been done before, but it runs so contrary to conventional wisdom that I¡¯m surprised someone his age tried it. Lethel said he freely described the process he used, and none of it was restricted, only esoteric. He also mentioned it being easily modifiable for an earth attunement.¡±

    She perked up at that mention, and he smiled at her reaction. ¡°I thought that might interest you. To that end, I wanted to offer you the opportunity to have a closer hand in training him. I know that you¡¯re currently trading shifts with Demaric to assist with the training of the recruits, but I¡¯d like to see you integrated full time with their routine. Your skillset and Demaric¡¯s compliment each other, so it makes sense for you to act as counterpoints to one another. Do you have any issues with this?¡±This tale has been pilfered from Royal Road. If found on Amazon, kindly file a report.

    She shook her head, feeling dumbfounded at this fortuitous turn. That was easier than it should have been. I thought I was going to have to work at having a bigger hand in his training. What¡¯s going to go wrong here.

    As if on cue, he began to speak again. ¡°That being said. I¡¯d like you to look into his background. A skilled young man walking in off the street and convincing three of my employees to hire him worries me. He seems earnest, but this may be a plot from another house to get a man on the inside. If he is, and it¡¯s from an acceptable house, we¡¯ll just need to keep an eye on him and plan his jobs accordingly. Heavens knows Ferthing was above board sending that young lady to us. I appreciate the frankness. The wrong house though, and he needs to go. If he truly has no affiliation¡­¡±

    Hesling trailed off at that, and Malia found herself worrying. Have I placed the kid in danger? No, his background is going to come back as squeaky clean, I¡¯ll make sure of it.

    <hr>

    Malia found herself walking the streets of Deilan¡¯s home district in her plain clothes, feeling somewhat disgruntled. That kid has had it way too easy growing up. I mean I knew that, but this is ridiculous.

    The district she walked through was in some ways nicer than the noble¡¯s own district. Oh, it lacked the grandeur of the sweeping manors, and the carefully planned boulevards meant to offer sweeping views and scenic walks. What it did have, however, was modern convenience.

    As a newer district, it had the advantage of integrating inscription innovations as they had arisen. The roads were smooth sections of sand mixed with clay, barely a blemish upon them. Every few feet was a small cover which she knew hid a focal inscription, allowing for self-repair of the individual blocks. The initial cost must have been staggering, but the maintenance was minimal. Compared to the cobblestone that still dominated the rest of the city, each step was a pleasure.

    Lights were not only installed into the streets, but also the front of every house she could see. Even at night, the streets would be navigable without any issue. The street lights had gone up in other districts, but none with the innate planning she saw here. Even devices she knew were slowly being integrated into the Hesling Estate were being used by street vendors to craft their wares. Simply ridiculous.

    She made her way to the Deilan¡¯s house, keeping an eye on the street as she walked. She was attempting to keep a low profile with her plain clothes, to avoid any questions as to why a house guard would be walking through this neighborhood. His parent¡¯s place really. We¡¯re going to have to change that. I wonder if I could afford one of those wind-blowing devices for my room.

    She was about a block away from his home when her vigilance paid off. A shadowed figure stood in an alleyway on the approach from the noble¡¯s district to the house, barely discernible in the evening light. It was tucked into the recess between two buildings, offering a perfect line of sight to this road. By the time Deilan returned home in the light of the street lamps, the figure would have been all but invisible. This could be a coincidence. Sure. I believe that.

    Careful to continue on her slow meander, Malia, turned down a separate street and made her way to the opposite alley entrance. Unfortunately, it was a straight path from one end of the alley to the other, unlike the meandering alleys she had become used to. Stupid efficient city planning. Worse, the recessed area was at a terrible angle for her, requiring her to walk almost the entire length of the alley to get a line of sight.

    Seeing no choice, she continued her meandering, keeping her pace slow and steady. After a nerve wracking minute, she had almost reached the buildings that she knew the figure was concealed between. With a sudden dash, she rounded the building, fractal prepared in her mind.

    An empty stretch of dirt greeted her, leaving her stunned. Did I just imagine someone? A sudden rustling above her was her only warning, and she barely managed to throw herself forward. Despite her quick reaction, something clipped her shoulder with enough force to leave her arm tingling.

    Spinning around, she saw a cloaked figure standing from the ground, having obviously leaped from a roof above. I need to start looking up, Caspien mentioned taking to the roofs too. She could see a woman¡¯s face beneath the cloak, hard edged and glaring. Her posture was tense, and she seemed ready to spring forth in a moment''s notice. Despite that, her voice was calm, almost bored, as she spoke.

    ¡°It was your shoes that gave you away. Nobody wears hard-soled boots in this neighborhood. Who are you with?¡±

    Malia shook her arm, letting the feeling return to it. She took her own defensive stance, shaking her head as if clearing it to buy herself time to analyze what had just happened. No weapon I can see, so she didn¡¯t hit me with anything. Not earth, or I would see some kind of debris. Air would have been more diffuse. Must have been force. With that in mind, she steadied her head and addressed her attacker.

    ¡°Considering you started this off by attacking me, I think I get to turn that question to you first.¡±

    The woman shook her head, a look of amusement crossing her face. ¡°Since you¡¯re the one stuck down a dead end corridor, your leverage isn¡¯t that great. But in the spirit of compromise, why don¡¯t we admit that we¡¯re both after Hesling¡¯s new courier, by whatever means it takes.¡±

    Malia frowned, unsure of how that news had spread so quickly. ¡°Okay, let¡¯s say that we both are. What¡¯s the importance to you?¡±

    It was hard to tell beneath the cloak, but the woman appeared to roll her eyes. ¡°With the recent developments on the council, you really need to ask that? An unaffiliated carrier that could be flipped is the perfect edge. Why else would you be here? Unless you work for¡­¡±

    Suddenly, the woman burst into motion. She began sprinting forward, and a wave of force swept across the ground at shin length. Luckily, Malia was expecting it, and leapt over towards the woman, while at the same time flooding her fractal with the pattern earth external grab down to catch the woman¡¯s foot as she moved.

    The dirt in the alley was a poor medium to hold an object in motion, however, and she quickly pulled her leg free. By that point, Malia had closed in, attempting a strike to the woman¡¯s temple. The woman managed to interpose her arm, rotating her body to deliver a fist to Malia¡¯s ribs.

    Malia let out a short huff of air, but refused to let the pain distract her. Using her other arm, she grabbed the woman¡¯s elbow and pulled her off balance. With the same motion, she hefted her leg and sent it crashing into the woman¡¯s knee, eliciting a cry of pain as she dropped to the ground. That¡¯s why you wear hard-soled boots.

    Taking advantage of the pause in the combat, Malia once again activated her pattern, dragging the woman down into the dirt to her chest. The woman¡¯s eyes opened wide, and she immediately began scrambling to dig herself out.

    Malia rubbed at her ribs, wincing slightly as the contact elicited a sharp pain. That¡¯s going to be at least a bruise. ¡°Okay, you¡¯re going to answer my questions now, starting with who you work for, and why this courier is so¡­¡± her eyes widened as the woman ceased trying to dig and turned her entire focus on her. A lance of force shimmered in the air, flying directly for her chest.

    She managed to dodge out of the way, barely, the leading edge clipping her shoulder and spinning her to the ground. Why the same shoulder!? At the same time, she flared her fractal again in the same pattern. The woman gave a soft yell as she was dragged beneath the dirt at a horrifying pace.

    Malia eyed the spot warily, realizing that she may have overdone it. I think she may be beyond questioning now. She stood, rolling her shoulder and wincing at the crackling she felt. She then turned to the dirt and made a careful effort to smooth it out, trying not to think too hard about what was underneath. From there, she cleared the dirt from her outfit with an effort of will.

    She made her way from the alley and towards Deilan¡¯s house, mind racing. She knew she was still going to have to have the conversation with his parents, if for nothing else to leave a trail and create an alibi. From there, life would get much more complicated. I¡¯m not going to have the time I thought I would, that¡¯s for sure. She thought back to her conversation with Calamir and frowned. She couldn¡¯t help but draw the conclusion that he was actively lying to her. There was no way anything as important as a council matter was happening without him hearing about it.

    I don¡¯t know what the hell is going on, but if I have to beat it out of Calamir I¡¯m going to find out.

 Chapter 10 - Drinks

    Deilan sat at a table with his new coworkers, struggling to hear over the roar of the tavern around him. In retrospect, maybe a tavern wasn¡¯t the best place to get to know new people. He had originally suggested that they go to one he knew near his home, one that had a damn fine stew and a mead he quite enjoyed. The entire group, except Arelia, had scoffed at the idea, however. Eleth had gone so far as to suggest that such a ¡®stuffy place put on airs¡¯ ruining the ability to get to know people. Arelia had seemed to hesitate at that, but with Tomen¡¯s nod, hadn¡¯t spoken up to defend his choice.

    That was how they had ended up down at this riverside establishment. The place was a ramshackle affair, the boards of the building were already a strange throwback, and they were swollen with the damp in the air. In contrast, the furniture appeared to be very durable and was suspiciously dented. Torches burned around the room, a choice that had surprised him considering the ready availability of runelight. I wonder if it¡¯s for ambiance here as well? When he had asked for a menu, he was given a strange look and offered the choice of dinner with his drinks or just the drinks. Overall, he was feeling very out of his element.

    In contrast, Eleth looked relaxed for the first time since he had met her. She had quickly ordered a round of drinks for the table and was chatting with the bartender amicably while waiting for the drinks. At the table, Tomen was talking about their day, struggling to be heard over the noise.

    ¡°No, the whole fighting thing is new to me. It may be hard to believe, but I¡¯ve never really had to defend myself.¡± Arelia scoffed at that, eyeing him up and down.

    ¡°Well, you could have fooled me. Do you do anything but exercise? You do know you don¡¯t have to do all of your construction by hand, right?¡±

    Tomen laughed goodnaturedly, his genuine smile helping Deilan relax. ¡°No, not all of it, but there is a fair amount you need to manually. Fractals are great for the heavy lifting, but they drain your concentration quick. A lot of what we do just requires tedious labor. Plus, I¡¯ve always been big, I¡¯m not sure I can blame this all on my work.¡±

    Yeah yeah, rub it in. Deilan rubbed self-consciously on his still sore muscles. He looked around and saw Eleth returning to the table with their drinks. That¡¯s odd, why does she have 8 of them?

    Eleth sat the tray down and disbursed the mugs around the table, one large and one small. The larger one was what he expected, a dark ale with a nice head of foam. The smell was a touch more bitter than he had expected, but he could deal with it. The smaller mug was some amber liquid, without any of the bubbles he had expected. Eleth raised the smaller mug, and the rest followed along. Deilan recognized a toast coming, and quickly raised his glass.

    ¡°A toast to our first day on the job,¡± Eleth started, beaming at them each in turn. He was happy to see that she didn¡¯t hesitate to include him in the motion. ¡°May the shifts be short and the tales tall!¡±

    ¡°Cheers!¡± They all called in unison, before tilting the mugs back, downing them, and slamming them on the table. Deilan managed to drink it all down just before the coughing began. Gods that burns! What was in that? He quickly took a pull of his ale to clear his throat, disgruntled to find that it was much more watery than he was expecting. They all turned to look at him, laughing uproariously. He gave Arelia a side-eye, as her eyes were still watering and the stuttering laughs gave away the small coughs she was attempting to hide. Not as worldly as she¡¯d like the others to believe. He wasn¡¯t willing to call her out on it, as the bonding of the group seemed to be going well.

    Tomen reached over and patted him on the back. ¡°I remember the first time I had whiskey, I did the same thing. It was with my parents and their friends though, so I got to be the little kid who couldn¡¯t hold their drink.¡±

    Eleth punched him on the side, giving him a wink. ¡°I doubt anyone called you the little kid anywhere you went. For me, it was after training. The other trainees I went out drinking with insisted we only drink whiskey all night. I don¡¯t think I¡¯ve ever been that sick before or again. The whiskey as a celebration stuck though, even if I¡¯m not cruel enough to do more than one. Unless someone else wants to buy the next round of it?¡±

    Deilan quickly shook his head, and Tomen followed suit. Arelia seemed to consider it for a moment, but after a terrifying pause shook her head as well. With that issue settled, they all dropped to their seats. Arelia tilted her head to him, a look of curiosity on her face.

    ¡°So Deilan, what did you get up to after you left? You missed a wonderful weapons practice, they showed us which end of a sword is the pointy one. The answer might surprise you. Probably not though.¡±

    Deilan shuddered at the reminder of the second half of the day. ¡°It was portraits. Trentis had me memorizing portraits and names all day. He said the first duty of a courier was to be able to recognize the proper recipient of a letter, so I had to know every single noble in the district. Not just the heads of houses, but every minor member as well. Do you know how many branches the families have? I still don¡¯t even after trying to untangle those trees for hours today.¡±

    The group winced in sympathy, raising their mugs to his suffering. Arelia gave him a small knowing smile as she lowered her mug.

    ¡°I think I can offer some company for that misery, I had to go through something similar. My family makes it a point that I know not only our customers, but their families and interests. They have a saying. ¡®People will pay more to a friend than a stranger.¡¯ I¡¯ll be honest, I prefer being hit with a practice sword to asking a woman how her nephews are doing. At least the swordblow is over quickly.¡±

    Another round of chuckles went around the table at that, as well as another round of raised glasses. Deilan felt himself loosening more at the friendly banter, and the cacophony around him seemed more muted as well. This is a fun change. I don¡¯t think I¡¯ve made new friends since I left the academy, and definitely not as many from such different backgrounds. He cleared his throat slightly before changing the subject.

    ¡°So, what academies did all of you go to?¡±

    The strange glances he got from Tomen and Eleth at that immediately made him regret the question. Arelia answered first, seemingly unaware of the reactions of the other two.

    ¡°I went to Pyrivel Academy myself, which my parents might regret. They had all of the normal coursework of course. Runes and math, reading and history. I think my parents were hoping that I¡¯d focus on the basics there, and make connections that would help grow the business. Instead, I got caught up in extracurriculars. There was a sailing club that I had a blast with, and a survival group that really called to me. We spent an entire week one break in the foothills to the west, living only on what we caught. The one that really won my heart though was¡­¡±

    She stopped at that, turning bright red. During the story, Tomen and especially Eleth had become enthralled by the story and expressed their displeasure with the cessation immediately.

    ¡°You can¡¯t cut off at the good part,¡± Eleth exclaimed, ¡°this is a bonding ritual. You have to tell us.¡±The tale has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation.

    Arelia shook her head at the prodding, but finally relented. ¡°Okay, it was dance. I loved the feeling of moving and acting in time to the pattern of the music. It¡¯s what made me realize I couldn¡¯t sit still and quietly sell things in a shop. I need to be out there moving and doing things. Anything else feels like I¡¯m wasting away.¡±

    Deilan nodded along with the story, although he couldn¡¯t quite relate. From the look Eleth was giving her though, she had found a kindred spirit. Eleth raised her mug for another quick round, and then began telling her own tale.

    ¡°The academies weren¡¯t really an option for me. Most of the basics are covered by being brought up as part of a noble¡¯s household, even if your parents are guards. With my wanting to follow in their footsteps, they mostly had me training in the manor. The other staff was always happy to answer my questions and show me something new. I may not have all of your fancy runic theorycrafting,¡± She laughed and gave him a smile to reinforce the good-natured ribbing, ¡°but I bet I could run circles around you with the practical stuff. As well as running actual circles.¡±

    He shook his head, getting into the groove of friendly jabs going around. She was a bit coarser than he was used to, but it seemed to be coming from a good place. She¡¯d probably get on well with Bertral, although I wouldn¡¯t want to be there when the snarking started.

    The rest of the group turned to Tomen, who seemed reluctant to respond. Deilan wracked his brain, trying to think of a way to change the subject when he heard a mug clack against the table to his left. Surprised, he turned his head to find Malia smiling down at the lot of them.

    ¡°Lethel told me the lot of you were heading down here, I thought I¡¯d come and congratulate you on the successful first day. Interesting choice of taverns. A little more rowdy than I would¡¯ve chosen, but a good atmosphere. Good choice to sit near the door, in case a fight breaks out. Makes it easier to slide out without getting dragged in. Wouldn¡¯t do to have a house guard mixed in with that kind of business. Anyways, I¡¯ll grab the next round.¡±

    As she walked away, Deilan glanced around the room with a look of horror. Bar fights? What kind of place is this? He looked to the group, and was surprised to see that they mostly had looks of confusion; they all turned to him, but Tomen asked the question on their minds.

    ¡°Who was that?¡±

    Deilan thought he heard a note of relief mixed with the confusion in Tomen¡¯s voice. Thank you Malia for inadvertently fixing my social blunder there. ¡°That¡¯s Malia, I guess you guys haven¡¯t met her yet? She¡¯s a guard at the manor, and pretty nice. Demaric mentioned that she¡¯d be taking shifts with our training.¡±

    Eleth nodded at this, but Tomen and Arelia still seemed confused.

    ¡°But why did she track us down?¡± Tomen continued, a baffled look on his face. ¡°Did we screw up?¡±

    Eleth opened her mouth to respond, but was interrupted by the sound of a tray hitting the table. Malia smiled down at them while passing out a fresh set of mugs around the table. That done, she took a seat to his left and answered Tomen¡¯s question.

    ¡°Nope, relax there big guy. You¡¯re not doing anything wrong, I just wanted to get a chance to meet the people I¡¯ll be working with, and nothing says welcome like a drink. We might get stuck guarding the same door at some point in the future, and wouldn¡¯t it be nicer if we actually liked each other when that happened?¡±

    Eleth nodded to that as if it were natural. The others, Deilan included, nodded thoughtfully at that. I suppose it makes sense. I¡¯m thinking of her as an authority figure, but ultimately we¡¯ll all be working together. He raised his new mug to take a swig, and sputtered slightly at the taste. Water? Did I get the wrong mug? He looked to her and began to open his mouth, but she shot him a quick warning glare. Okay, maybe she is an authority figure. My mistake. The others drank from their mugs, but none of them seemed to react. Why am I being singled out here?

    ¡°So,¡± Malia started, ¡°why don¡¯t you guys tell me about yourselves, and what brought you to our happy little manor?¡±

    <hr>

    The night ran on and the drinks flowed freely from there, Malia¡¯s questions turning to anecdotes that put the group at ease. By the time they left, the tavern was half empty and their group drunkenly congregated outside of the door. All but Deilan, who had long since sobered up, feeling slightly disgruntled at being left out of the process.

    Malia smiled at the group, swaying slightly. ¡°Everyone okay to get home? I don¡¯t need to carry any of you do I?¡±

    A round of chuckles followed that, Eleth and Arelia propping each other up and Tomen leaning against the wall.

    ¡°We¡¯ll be fine,¡± Eleth slurred. ¡°I¡¯m walking Arelia home, then heading back to the manor. I¡¯ve already moved my stuff into the barracks.¡±

    Tomen nodded to that, a glazed look in his eyes. ¡°My house isn¡¯t too far from here, I can make it back okay.¡±

    Malia turned to him, and while she still swayed slightly her gaze was steady. She raised an eyebrow at him, as if expecting something.

    ¡°I should be fine to get home, even if it¡¯ll be a bit of a walk.¡±

    Malia frowned at him, shaking her head in exasperation. ¡°I think I better show you the way. From what I¡¯ve seen, you¡¯re prone to getting lost and this isn¡¯t exactly your area of town.¡± The rest laughed at that, and he felt himself heat at the reminder of their meeting. What is she doing?

    With another round of goodbyes, the others set off on their ways while she began walking him towards his home. As soon as the others were out of sight, she straightened up and her swaying walk ceased.

    ¡°Gods kid, you need to learn to take a hint. I was hoping you got it with the water, but I guess not. I wanted you sober so we could talk.¡±

    Oh, damn it. How was I supposed to guess that? Although I guess it makes sense in retrospect. ¡°In my defense, this is all new to me. What¡¯s up? I didn¡¯t expect to see you until we actually started training together.¡±

    She shook her head at that, muttering under her breath. He thought he caught the words ¡®amateur¡¯ and ¡®oblivious¡¯, but he wasn¡¯t sure. After her small tirade, she turned again to look him in the eye.

    ¡°Situation has changed slightly, and you¡¯re going to need to move into the barracks early. Tomorrow would be best.¡±

    He froze at that, and she stopped as well. She waited patiently as he gathered his thoughts, trying to process that request. Finally, he managed to put together a simple question.

    ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡±

    She waved a hand dismissively in the air, before answering casually. ¡°Nothing really, it¡¯s just going to be easier going forward if you¡¯re close at hand.¡±

    He shook his head, a feeling of frustration welling up in his chest. ¡°I get that I¡¯m way out of my depth here, but I¡¯m trying. If I¡¯m going to do this, I need to know what I¡¯m getting into. You wouldn¡¯t have done all this if everything was okay, so I¡¯ll ask again. What¡¯s going on?¡±

    She gave him an inscrutable look, before nodding once to herself. ¡°Not so oblivious after all. Good. Listen, the situation is complicated, and I still don¡¯t know all of it. Trying to fill you in before I understand isn¡¯t going to help, and will just scare you. Please just trust me when I say that the situation is complex, and minimizing the time you¡¯re on the streets alone will make everything a lot safer going forward. I promise you, I¡¯m only asking you to do this because I believe it¡¯s the best way to keep you safe.¡±

    The frustration he was feeling died down at her non-explanation, replaced by a kernel of fear. She¡¯s holding something back, but do I push it? I think I believe that she¡¯s just trying to keep me safe. After a long moment of indecision, he finally looked her in the eye and gave her a nod of agreement. ¡°Okay, I trust you.¡±

    She sighed in relief, and they began walking again. ¡°Good, I¡¯ll walk you home tonight and send Demaric over tomorrow morning to help you pick what you¡¯ll need to move in. He seems to like you, despite the bruises you gave him, so I think he¡¯ll be happy to help.¡±

    Deilan listened absently, trying to adjust mentally to the sudden shift in his life. He wasn¡¯t sure he was ready to leave his family behind, but it didn¡¯t sound like he had a choice. He could feel the weight of the decision bearing down on him, threatening to make him crack. He did his best to put on a brave face, and convince himself that it would be alright. Well, I knew I was starting a new path. I guess I just have to accept that there will be a few changes along the way.