《The Magic of Logistics》


 1 - Falling from the skies

    It had been a few hours now since I fell from the sky into the ocean.


    Drenched in saltwater, weighed down by my clothes, I had slowly swum towards the harbour I saw in the distance. I had made my way around the great wooden ships and climbed up with the help of a sailor who had taken pity on me. He spoke English, bizarrely, but it was good since it was the foreign language I knew the best. I say bizarrely because the hand that reached down to pull me up was covered in scales and the sailor was really more some kind of reptile than a man.


    Still, he spoke English. And was nice enough not to get too offended when I swore in terror as soon as I saw his face. But he had work to do, crates to move, and he could not hold my hand any longer ¨C which I admit was a relief, so he left me there.


    It had been a few hours now. I had started by exploring the harbour, making my way through the crowds of sailors and merchants and fisherpeople. The ships I saw had reminded me of some Renaissance paintings, though some were of alien design. The rest of it had simply been too strange to wrap my head around. The scenes around could have been of any normal port I knew. People worked. Some sold and some bought, others cooked or carried sacks of merchandise. There were even a few wooden cranes around, loading and unloading the ships. It was all weirdly familiar. Except that the people doing all of this were of no species I ever knew about.


    There were a few humans like me, walking around as if everything was as it should be. There were the reptiles like the one who had helped me, standing on two feet with claws poking out of their shoes. There were human-sized birds with meagre wings that looked more like feathered arms, others that flew around and could not have been much bigger than a cat. I saw a cohort of giant otters strutting along on four webbed feet. I watched as some kind of giant armadillo rolled in front of me and unfolded before a merchant to buy some food.Taken from Royal Road, this narrative should be reported if found on Amazon.


    After that, I had left the harbour. It was all much too unnerving. I had walked deeper into the city, along sinuous streets overflowing with activity. The sun ¨C there was only one of them, thank whatever gods ruled this world ¨C had been high in the sky and the city had been busy.


    It had been a few hours now. My clothes had dried somewhat and I had managed to beg some leftover food at a Human-led stall. I had slowly started accepting my new situation and it was time to take stock of what I had learned so far:


    1/ This was DEFINITELY NOT EARTH. In fact, I didn¡¯t think it was any world I had ever heard about.


    2/ Apparently, magic was real? As I was watching a ship depart, a lizardwoman (I think?) in a white tunic waved her hands around looking like she was possessed and suddenly, a gentle wind started blowing the ship¡¯s sails and leading it out of the harbour. As if that was not enough, a human had gotten bored with waiting for workers to carry merchandises into his ship and simply started levitating them off the docks.


    3/ I had not changed at all. I was still the same human accountant I had been this morning when I walked into my office and fell into the sea. I counted this as a good thing.


    4/ I had absolutely no beginning of an idea of how I had come to be here.


    5/ Margaux was due in a little less than three months. I needed to get back home.

 2 - Inraks bookshop

    I wandered the streets, looking for anything that might help me get back home.


    If I could have forgotten all the bizarre-looking people, it seemed like I had simply gone back in time to the middle ages. Most of the buildings had a shop or a workshop at street level and one or two stories where people lived. Clothes were drying on lines stretched between the buildings on both sides. The streets were cobbled and bordered by a gutter that led to metal gratings spread throughout. The city was loud, with all the people working and talking and bartering. Chariots were coming and going, pulled by animals that were clearly not horses and making noises that resembled nothing I knew. But the odours were the worst of it all. I could not describe it. All the people and the animals, the sewers and the food, all had powerful smells. All of it mixed together and became so overwhelming that I had to escape into a back alley just to breathe and calm myself.


    I had to think. I could not simply walk around and expect to find a way home.


    Clearly, only magic could have transported me into this world. I knew of no technology capable of this feat, and I hadn¡¯t seen any noteworthy technology here anyway. So I had to find a mage. Preferably one who could teleport people between worlds, but any mage would do, to begin with.


    A band of young reptiles were sitting in the corner of the street, playing some game and eyeing me with curiosity. I approached them and cleared my throat:


    ¡°Hello! Could any of you help me, please? I am looking for a mage that can transport people to long distances.¡±


    They all stared at me.


    ¡°What¡¯s this weird accent?¡±


    ¡°How much will you pay?¡±


    ¡°He looks drunk!¡±


    I looked down at myself. It was true that my unintended dive into the ocean had not been good for my clothes, but I did not think I looked that bad. Undaunted, I tried my best smile:


    ¡°Unfortunately, I have no money to pay. But I don¡¯t need much, just a general direction.¡±


    One of them turned to his friend and exclaimed, ¡°Humans are all stingy, my mother told me so!¡±


    ¡°Hey, that¡¯s not true!¡± I replied, offended on behalf of my species.


    ¡°Where¡¯s the money then?¡± asked another.


    ¡°I told you, I don¡¯t have any. If I had, I would, of course, pay you for the information.¡±


    ¡°Well, there you go. No money no answer.¡±


    And they all got back to their game as if I did not exist.


    A bit stunned and starting to lose my patience at this world I had been brought in, I walked back into the main street. Luckily, a small, greenish, shopkeeper that had heard my plea took pity on me.


    ¡°You won¡¯t find Portal Mages here mister, maybe at the castle but I would doubt it. Your best bet would be at the University in Winory, but that¡¯s a long way away and without any money, I don¡¯t think any carriage would take you.¡±


    I looked at the helpful Goblin. Was it a Goblin? I hoped I was not being racist.


    ¡°Thank you, sir. How far away is this University exactly, do you know? Perhaps I can walk there.¡±


    The reptile children suddenly laughed at that. Those scamps had come closer and were listening in.


    ¡°You¡¯re too weak to get out of the city!¡± One teased.


    They all promptly ran away though when the shopkeeper slipped out of his stall and started chasing them, brandishing a heavy stick. He yelled at them in a language I did not know. Though I did not need to, to understand essentially what he said. When he came back, his cheeks had taken a brownish hue.


    ¡°I apologize for my behaviour, mister. It was unseemly. But those glarik trerk bera have been hanging outside my shop for two days and I know they were waiting for an opportunity to steal.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s fine,¡± I replied. ¡°They were not very nice to me either.¡±


    ¡°Yes, it is always the same with these Schalass, you know. They hatch and then their parents never keep an eye on them. They always roam in bands and cause mischief until they are old enough to be put to work.¡±


    I did not, in fact, know that. Neither did I know if it was entirely true or just slightly racist. And it did not matter anyway. I had no intention of staying in this world long enough to learn all the social issues that arose with all these different species living together. I could imagine the mess.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I understand,¡± I reassured him. ¡°But you were saying about this University?¡±


    ¡°Oh yes! The Winory University. Sadly, I am sorry to say that the children were not completely wrong. The University is not that far, perhaps two full days by carriage. But this area is rich in ambient mana and the monsters abound outside of the city walls. I sincerely mean no offence, but you do not look like you would be strong enough to make the journey alone.¡±


    I pondered what the shopkeeper had told me. I should obviously not be surprised that mana was a thing. This world seemed to adhere to all the fantasy staples, and where there was magic, mana often followed. The monsters were more of a problem. I was an accountant, and though I tried to jog as often as I could, I had never practised any martial arts outside of a year of judo in middle school.


    ¡°So, how strong would I need to be?¡± I asked.


    The goblin pinched his chin and inspected me.


    ¡°I am not sure, in truth,¡± he finally said. ¡°I have never done it myself, but I have heard talk of it. There are some inns and a rest area about midway, but you still have to spend to arrive there. Do you happen to have a Warrior or Mage Class? Well, not a mage one I suppose, if you did not know about the University. But a Warrior or some kind of Runner could perhaps do it alone. Or if you have healing Skills, I am sure you would have no trouble finding a caravan that would take you without making you pay a fare.¡±


    Ah. Yes. A Class. Skills. Obviously. I closed my eyes. Breathe in. Breathe out. The smells were still awful. Breathe in. Breathe out. I would need to meditate later I believed. I was starting to develop some serious anxiety. Finally, I opened my eyes and looked at the shopkeeper.


    ¡°I have no Class,¡± I replied honestly.


    He seemed taken aback.


    ¡°What do you mean, no Class?¡± He asked. ¡°Everybody has a Class.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t. I just arrived here. How can I get a Class?¡±


    ¡°Everybody has a Class,¡± he repeated. ¡°At least one. You get the first when you¡¯re coming out of childhood and then you level it or get another one.¡±


    ¡°Well, I don¡¯t have one. I¡¯m not from here. So how would I get one?¡±


    ¡°Classes aren¡¯t just here! Everybody has one, everywhere!¡± He started to get agitated. ¡°How do you not have a Class? Are you cursed? You are, aren¡¯t you?!¡±


    ¡°What? No! What do you mean? I¡¯m not cursed!¡±


    At least I didn¡¯t think so, though anything could be possible at this point. It would certainly explain a few things.


    ¡°You are! You are cursed!¡± He cried. ¡°Get away from me!¡±


    He shook his stick in front of my face and I figured it was time to leave.


    ¡°I¡¯m not cursed,¡± I said, raising my hands and walking backwards.


    ¡°Go away!¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m leaving, I¡¯m leaving!¡±


    I quickly escaped from the angry goblin and made my way further into the city. I barely registered the sights. What the shopkeeper said stayed with me and made me cogitate.


    I had obviously landed in some kind of game or at least a game-like world. First the fantasy city and the weird species, and now Classes and Skills! This was a nightmare. How the hell was I going to get back home? I couldn¡¯t leave Margaux alone and miss the birth of my child!


    I wandered through the streets for some time. I kept looking for one of those portal mages the goblin shopkeeper mentioned, but nothing seemed close to it. The various shops and workshops I passed all seemed rather mundane, considering. I saw blacksmiths and carpenters, weavers and potters and more food stalls than I could count. One place got my hopes up, a shop with a bright magical glow above its door. But the reptile woman inside declared she was only a light mage and simply laughed when I asked if she knew any portal mages.


    I even tried to go to the great castle dominating the city on top of its hill. The Goblin mentioned there might be mages there. But the guards looked hostile in their shining armour and holding great glaives that had to be more than 2.5 meters long. I did not want to risk the earlier scene happening again, this time with armed superstitious folks.Enjoying the story? Show your support by reading it on the official site.


    I was starting to get desperate. The sun was setting and my stomach was groaning. I had to find a place to spend the night and where I could ask more questions about this strange world.


    I decided to retrace my steps and go look for the human farrier I had seen earlier. He had kids hanging in his stables and they did not look miserable. I thought it was my best shot.


    The only trouble was, it had been some time since I had passed by them. It turned out it was not easy to find a specific place in a big and strange city when one did not pay much attention to where one went.


    The workers were beginning to leave their shops to go home. The street was packed and the people were not patient. I received my fair share of bumps and nudges.


    A chariot came behind, its driver yelling. I could not get out its path in time and the beast pulling it hit me with its muscled shoulder and shoved me to the ground.


    Nobody cared. I scrambled out of the way quickly. I sat against the wall and took my head in my hands. The noise did not stop. People kept walking and yelling and my heart kept beating faster and faster. And the odours were crushing me, overwhelming by their intensity. I was on the brink of a nervous breakdown.


    I could not lose it now. I had to be strong. I had to get back home.


    Slowly I forced myself to breathe, to ignore the sounds and the smells. I could do it.


    I finally opened my eyes. The flow of people had dimmed somewhat. Across from me was a small glass window display. I had not seen many of those, mainly on expensive-looking clothing shops. But this one did not sell clothes. It had books inside. A few books were exposed, their cover facing the street. And behind them, I could see shelves full of tightly packed books.


    The store seemed empty. It seemed like a lifeboat had appeared before me as I was drowning. I quickly got up, wiped the dirt of the road on my pants and crossed the street. There was a sign above the door. It wrote ¡°Inrak¡¯s bookshop¡±. The wooden door was engraved with an open book, seeming to fly with its pages.


    I turned the knob and entered.


    It was a bookshop. A normal bookshop, with its endless rows of books, with this old and comforting smell that they all have. It was a sight from Earth. I sighed in relief. It felt like home.


    I looked up and saw dimmed lights floating just below the ceiling. A voice, high and soft, like a child¡¯s, came from the corner:


    ¡°Hmm yes? Can I help you?¡±


    Turning, I saw that it was not a child. It was not human either. It was a bird. It came up to my chest, with glasses upon its beak and a flowing red and yellow dress. Rose feathers streaked with grey adorned its head and it held a book between four talons.


    Right. I was not home.


    ¡°Hello, I¡¯m sorry, there was just too much happening outside in the street and I saw the books and I sought to escape.¡±


    They put down their book and walked out from behind the counter. I had never seen anything like them, but I definitely recognized that suspicious look. I quickly continued:


    ¡°I won¡¯t disturb you, I¡¯m sorry! Can I just look at your books for a while? It¡¯s been a long day.¡±


    ¡°Hmm¡­ Can you even read? You look like a homeless person.¡±


    Oh come on! I knew that I wasn¡¯t showing my best, but still!


    ¡°I can read, yes,¡± I said, a bit miffed. ¡°If it¡¯s in the language everyone here speaks at least. And I am not homeless, thank you. My home is just very far away from here and I don¡¯t know how to get back.¡±


    ¡°Hmm¡­ Well. Be careful with the books¡±. They frowned at me before going back behind the counter and picking up their book.


    ¡°Thank you.¡±


    I came closer to a shelf, seeing from the corner of my eye that the owner was following my movements. The books in front of me all had a brownish tone. Small series of three to five black letters were written on their spines. I recognized the letters, they were the same as the Latin alphabet, but no word made any sense to me. I started to panic. Seeing these books had been a great respite to me. If I could not even read them, I was truly lost. I pulled one at random with shaky hands. On the cover was written The life and works of Jard Parson, greatest Gardener of Sturron. I laughed. It was in English! I still wasn¡¯t saved by any means, but this was a beginning and truly my only victory of the day, so I took it joyfully.


    I had seen the word Sturron on some shops and buildings so I assumed that it was the name of this city or this region. I opened the book and started reading. This Gardener, with a capital letter because apparently it was not only his job, but his Class, had lived some forty years before the writer, his daughter, and distinguished himself by being a high-level Gardener with no magic at all. She described how he deployed great ingenuity to accomplish the tasks the Duke of Sturron gave him and how he managed what was thought impossible without some magical control over the plants. His daughter truly seemed to admire him. A lot. The parts detailing his genius were numerous.


    ¡°So you can read,¡± said a voice just behind my shoulder.


    I jumped. I had not heard the bookseller approach.


    ¡°Yes, as I told you.¡±


    ¡°Hmm¡­ Prove it.¡± One talon came and pointed at the beginning of a paragraph. ¡°Read this.¡±


    I obliged, eager to stay in their good graces and not be expelled from the shop. Some words I did not know but I could understand their meaning from the context. I did not think they were particular to this world but more specific to gardening, which was not a field I had had many reasons to read about in English.


    The shopkeeper stopped me after two pages. They were still frowning at me, but with more curiosity and less suspicion.


    ¡°I apologize. I did not believe you. Though to my defence, you do not look like an educated man. I am Inrak, owner of this shop and Collector of books.¡±


    They bowed their head to me. I tried to bow in return but it was far less graceful.


    ¡°It¡¯s fine,¡± I said. ¡°I got that and worse all day.¡±


    ¡°Hmm¡­ You said you were far from your home. How did you come to be here in Sturron?¡±


    I hesitated. The goblin¡¯s reaction was still fresh in my mind. If the fact that I had no Class troubled him so, I did not want to imagine what he would have done had he known that I came from another world. However, I wasn¡¯t sure I had the luxury of keeping my cards close to my chest. I needed to find a way home. So I took a chance. I told them everything. How I opened the door to my office on Earth and landed in the ocean. How a reptileperson had fished me out and how magic existed and I didn¡¯t know which one was more dumbfounding to me. I told them about the children and the goblin that somehow spoke English and thought I was cursed, about my roaming in the streets of Sturron in search of a portal mage. At one point I started losing it. I told them about Earth, about my job as an accountant and the invoices I was supposed to check this morning. I told them about Margaux and our coming child, the names we were thinking of giving it, the room we had decorated in our house. I kept blabbering for ages until I could calm down enough to stop. I looked at this birdperson in front of me, more than a bit ashamed and waiting for their reaction. I was already thinking of where I could run and hide if they called the guard on me. I had to seem like a crazy person. I expected the worst. I certainly did not expect the small cooing that escaped from their mouth.


    ¡°Hmm¡­ How peculiar,¡± they said, pushing back their glasses on their beak. ¡°Well, let¡¯s start with the beginning then.¡±


    They indicated a stool next to a shelf.


    ¡°Sit there. This is going to take a while. And put that book back, you¡¯re gripping it like it¡¯s a nut you want to crack.¡±


    I obeyed without a word. I was a bit shocked. The shopkeeper, Inrak, grabbed their own stool and sat down in front of me.


    ¡°So. First of all, my name is Inrak and this is my shop. I collect and sell books about everything. I am a Collector of books. And yes, this is my Class. Everybody has at least one, but we¡¯ll come back to that.¡±


    They took a long breath.


    ¡°You say there are only humans where you come from. It seems rather sad to me but it¡¯s not really your fault is it? I don¡¯t know what the gods of your world were thinking about. Anyway. I am a female Pterar. I would warn you not to call one of my species a bird anywhere near where they could hear. And absolutely do not call a Schalass a reptile, or really any type of reptile they would remind you of. They are far more susceptible than us and far too prone to anger if you want my opinion.¡±


    I took this to heart. Those claws looked nasty.


    ¡°But there are humans like me too,¡± I said. ¡°I mean no offence, but how come those species look like a mix of a human and an animal?¡±


    I knew I had made a mistake as soon as I said that. Inrak¡¯s feathers straightened and her cheeks inflated rapidly. Then she exhaled everything.


    ¡°Amazing,¡± she said and chuckled. ¡°It¡¯s been a while since I¡¯ve felt so insulted. I cannot stress enough how much you must not repeat what you just said to anybody, anywhere, ever. It would most likely be your death. Though I suppose some humans would find it funny. It would likely be their death too. It is amusing though. There is a common joke among some circles that when the Gods made all the species, clearly the most boring one made Humans, because they are just like elves, but less. It is not a particularly good joke.¡±


    ¡°I have so many questions,¡± I said. ¡°Are your Gods real? Did they really just create all species? Can you see and talk to them?¡±


    ¡°Well, yes. And yes, or so they say, and I am not one to contradict the Gods. You seem surprised. Are there Gods in your world that you cannot talk to?¡±


    ¡°You can talk to Gods, or the one God more often than not,¡± I shrugged. ¡°But outside of prophets that existed hundreds of years before us, they don¡¯t answer.¡±


    Inrak leaned closer to me. Her beak hanged open.


    ¡°But why are they your Gods then?¡± She asked. ¡°What¡¯s the point?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not the best person to ask, but I think some people just have faith that the stories they were told are true. I think a lot of people need to believe that there is more to life and that we are not alone.¡±


    ¡°Hmm¡­ Yes, I can see that. A world without Gods and only full of humans would be rather tedious otherwise. Ha!¡±


    She snickered but quickly became serious again.


    ¡°As long as we¡¯re on the subject,¡± she said, ¡°you will need to go to a temple tomorrow. I have never heard of a portal mage capable of teleporting someone to another world. If that is possible, it will take a God, I think. You can eat and sleep here on the floor tonight. I will find you a pallet.¡±


    I thanked her profusely, which seemed to embarrass her.


    True to her word, she served me some bread with morsels of grilled meat. I did not ask what animal it came from. It was good. After the day I had had, it was ambrosia. I left it at that.


    Inrak ate with me and answered patiently any questions I had. Apparently English was the trader¡¯s tongue and she had no idea why it was the same as on Earth. Sturron was a Duchy, ruled by a Duchess ¨C which was a Class as well as a title. It was the largest port town around. It served as a hub of trade between the inland, most notably the Winory University and the city surrounding it, and the southern territories. She could not say why I had no Class, but assured me it was not a problem and that the God I was supposed to meet would tell me more. She told me that I could ask for many Gods but that it was better to choose the one most closely related to my situation. His name was Pamasteron, and he was God of the lost, the orphans and the wanderers. It seemed appropriate.


    In return, I answered some questions about Earth and my life there. She was fascinated. She even took notes.


    Afterwards, I laid on the pallet Inrak had given me. She had dimmed the lights with a click of her talons and gone upstairs, where she lived alone. I did not think I could sleep, but exhaustion soon took over.


    I dreamed I was holding Margaux in my arms. I could not let her go. I held so tight and squeezed so firmly that she burst open and transformed into a nut.


    I slept very poorly after that.

 3 - Meeting a God

    I woke up to bright lights and a strident whistling.


    ¡°Luc! Wake up!¡± Inrak yelled. ¡°You will want to go early otherwise the wait will be long.¡±


    My host had turned on the magical lights inside the shop. She was tidying up the books and the furniture, humming something far too cheerful so early in the morning.


    ¡°You seem to have slept well,¡± I said, folding my pallet and leaving it behind the counter. She gave me a big smile.


    ¡°Yes I have! Your story has given me much to think about and I am eager to hear what Pamasteron will say. You will come back to tell me, I hope! Do you remember the way?¡±


    ¡°I do, thank you.¡± I had made her repeat it three times yesterday to be sure. ¡°I will come back if I am able.¡±


    ¡°Good! Then go! Go! You get to meet your first God! How exciting!¡±


    Outside, the sun was beginning to rise. The sky was a nice blending of red and orange. I stayed there a moment, watching. We had the same on Earth, but it was no less beautiful.


    This was going to be a good day! I had a spring in my step as I began to walk towards the centre of Sturron, where the temples were located. I felt hope. If anybody could help me, it would be a God, whatever that word meant here. And I would meet a God! An actual, talking, one. It was indeed exciting.


    The streets were beginning to fill with bleary-eyed workers. Some shops were opening and I could smell a sweet scent that reminded me of a bakery. I did not stop to look for it though. I had no money and a deity waiting for me.


    Soon enough, I found myself in the temple district. It was impossible to miss. Every building was different. There was one all white, with marble columns, like an Ancient Greek temple. Another was just a tall tower with small slits placed at regular intervals. Next to the tower were cypresses surrounding a fountain garden. It all looked like the projects of architectural students, waiting there to be graded by their professor. Some temples had people of all species waiting in front. Others were empty.


    Inrak had described the temple I was supposed to find, but I thought it surer to ask the first human I saw. The lady pointed me in the right direction, two streets away, tucked between a standard church made of grey stone and a series of thin columns that were all perhaps 3 meters high and set up in a random pattern. The temple itself just looked like a house. There was a small courtyard, with flowers and a gravel path from the street to the door. Nobody was waiting outside, but I could see three shapes lying close to the front wall. One of them hard horns peeking from under the woollen sheets.


    Hesitantly, I walked up to the house and, after smoothing my clothes flattening my hair, I knocked.


    An armadillo child opened. I needed to learn their name too. He looked me up and down and then promptly ran away. I hoped he wasn¡¯t a priest because that was not a great start. The door opened on a long corridor painted with strokes and patterns of many colours. It was so filled with people sleeping that the child had to jump a few times before disappearing in a side room. Nobody paid any attention to me. This was definitely the weirdest temple I had ever seen. Even churches that welcomed refugees at least tried to give them beds. Still. I entered. I needed to see this Pamasteron. And anyway, it did kind of fit the House of the God of the lost, the orphans and the wanderers. If I had known he existed yesterday, I probably would have come to see if there was a place for me here. Finding Inrak¡¯s bookshop had been extremely lucky.


    Avoiding the sleepers, I advanced. I stuck my head in each room I passed, but they were mostly full of sleeping people. Some were waking up, others were packing bags. I softly called to one Schalass, asking where I could find the God. She (I think) pointed somewhere further inside and went back to her task. At the end of the hallway was a small alcove with a clear fountain. I was trying to decide whether to go left or right when the armadillo child came back, pulling a man by his sleeve. When they saw me, the man patted the child on his armoured head and approached me.


    ¡°Welcome to the House of Pamasteron. How may we help you?¡±


    ¡°Hello, I would like to speak to the God if it is at all possible. I was told he was the only one who could help me.¡±


    ¡°Yes, that is often the case with our God,¡± the priest said, smiling. ¡°He is one of lost causes. Come with me then, I will take you to his altar. You may have to wait a while though.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s fine. I don¡¯t have anything else to do really.¡±


    And, hopefully, he would send me back home and that would be the end of this unintended trip. I hoped it would not take too long. To Margaux, I would have just disappeared on my way to work. She was probably worried sick. It would do her no good in her condition.


    The priest led me to what must have been the main room of the temple but looked like any living room. There was a table and some chairs were placed around it and around the hearth. It was not particularly big, though at least nobody was sleeping here at the present. The man showed me a seat and told me to watch the fireplace. ¡°You are the first petitioner,¡± he said, ¡°so as soon as you see a light above it, you can come closer and ask the God your questions.¡± I thanked him and settled down to wait.


    A few people were cleaning the room. One Pterar, who looked younger than Inrak, was showing something to some kids gathered around him. Finally, after maybe twenty minutes ¡ª and wasn¡¯t I glad that my watch had stopped working after my initial fall, a white light materialized above the mantel.


    As I got up, the light seemed to grow bigger and bigger, until it engulfed the whole room. Then, in a flash, another room appeared. It was a cozy study, with shelves of books against the wall that went up to the ceiling. The floor was covered by a green carpet. An old man was sitting in an armchair. He had white hair, wrinkles on his forehead and a bunch of pockmarks on his cheeks. He motioned me to the seat in front of him.


    ¡°Hello, Luc,¡± he said in a deep voice. ¡°Welcome to my House.¡±


    ¡°You know who I am?¡± I asked, startled. That was a stupid question. He was a God. Obviously he knew who I was. But the God just smiled.


    ¡°You came into my home to ask for my help, and so I know a few things about you. But please, tell me, why are you here today?¡±


    I took a breath and tried not to look to tense. I had to think of this as a job interview. Shoulders down, don¡¯t play with your hands. Look him in the eyes and be articulate.


    ¡°Well, sir, I am not from this world, and I would like to go home. It happened yesterday. One moment I was walking into my office and the next I was falling in the harbour of Sturron. I don¡¯t know how or why. To be honest, I don¡¯t really care at this point. I just want to go home. My life is there. My wife is pregnant. I was told that you were the one to turn to. Can you help me, sir?¡±


    The God Pamasteron watched me. I could not read any expression on his face. Then he shook his head slowly and my heart fell.


    ¡°I am sorry, Luc,¡± he said. ¡°I cannot send you back. I felt your arrival here, we all did. But if any of my brethren caused it, I do not know whom. Nobody claimed it. We even had a meeting about it, if you must know.¡±


    ¡°So what, you can¡¯t do anything at all?¡± I asked, despair creeping into my voice.


    ¡°In terms of sending you to your world, no, I cannot. And I would bet that no other God can either. This does not smell like one of their machinations. I am sorry, Luc. Truly.¡±Enjoying the story? Show your support by reading it on the official site.


    I felt like the sky had crashed on my head. If no God could help me, then who could?


    ¡°The Portal Mages!¡± I shouted. ¡°Can they do it, maybe? A Goblin told me they can teleport people great distances.¡±


    Pamasteron pondered my question, seemingly unbothered by my yelling.


    ¡°Aether Mages, you mean. I wonder. In theory, if both our worlds were connected to the Aether, it could be possible. But your Earth has no magic at all so it seems doubtful to me. And I know of no mage capable of such a feat. Still, it would probably be your best bet. It is the only magic that deals with the Aether.¡±


    I sat back, frowning. How did he know the name of Earth and that it had no magic? I had only spoken to Inrak about it. When I asked him just that, he only chuckled.


    ¡°You come from another world, Luc. This is not something that happens. About a third of us had an ear in that bookshop yesterday, myself included. It was most interesting.¡±


    This left me slightly unsettled, but it was far from the priority at the moment.


    ¡°So what do I do?¡± I asked. ¡°How do I get back home?¡±


    The God looked at me with pity in his eyes.


    ¡°I do not know. I am sorry. If you are absolutely determined, you could try to learn Aether magic. But truthfully, I do not believe you will ever succeed in travelling to another world. You may not want to hear this now, but I think you will have to come to terms with the fact that you are stuck here and make the best of it. You are a man of finance, coming from a magic-less world that likely was far more advanced than this world is in many ways. You could become a man of power and riches. I would help you if that is the path you so chose. In accordance with our Laws, I would grant you levels in the Accountant class equals to your knowledge of the field. You would instantly become one of the highest leveled of the Finances and Bookkeeping classes in the city. You could have a great life.¡±


    For half a second, I entertained the idea. To become powerful in this world would certainly mean having access to magic I could not even guess at. But a great life here would not bring me back to Margaux and our future child.


    ¡°I want to go back home,¡± I told the God. ¡°I will do anything.¡±


    The smile he gave me was so sad it terrified me. It was the smile of a man that had seen many hearts broken and lives lost and who could do nothing but pick up the pieces afterwards. It was the smile of a God who knew I would fail.


    ¡°So be it,¡± he declared. He seemed to sit straighter and an aura of power emerged out of him. ¡°This is the path you have chosen. It will not be an easy one and you will not achieve it alone. I will do my part today. I am restricted by our Laws, but nobody will gainsay my right to do this.¡±


    Suddenly, a voice sounded in my head. Tears filled my eyes. It was a voice I knew perfectly. The voice of my wife.


    *You have gained the Class Aether Mage.*


    She continued.


    *You have gained the Class Student. You have reached the level 1 of the Class Student. You have gained the Skill Fast Learner.*


    It took me a moment to gather myself. I had not expected to hear Margaux¡¯s voice. It was such a beautiful voice too. It carried every emotion she had like ripples on a lake. She could not lie, my love, though she often tried at cards. But you just had to look at her and shake your head and she would start laughing and admit everything. She was so bad at it. It was adorable. I missed her so much.


    Pamasteron cleared his throat and I got out of my own head.


    ¡°A mage normally starts with the generalist Mage Class before specializing between level 10 and 20,¡± he said. ¡°This will aid you to begin your quest. You will still have to learn the basics though, and the other magics will be harder for you to grasp. The Fast Learner Skill is very useful to acquire and retain new information. It will help you greatly.¡±


    ¡°Thank you, Pamasteron,¡± I said, sincerely. Even if he had not sent me back, at least he had put me on the first steps.


    ¡°You are welcome, Luc. I will keep an eye on you. Do not hesitate to come back and see me. There are some limitations on the advice I can give, but they are far less stringent than the Laws concerning direct intervention.¡±


    As he finished his sentence, the room around us became light again. Suddenly, I was back in the temple. More people were present now, and one stood up and looked at me. Oh right. It was their turn now.


    In a daze, I traversed the now empty corridor and left the building. But as I looked out at the sky, I stopped and sat next to the door, my back against the wall. I stayed there for a while. I did not meditate. I could not manage the concentration. I just breathed and watched the street. People of various species were coming and going. My head was empty. I could not even think.


    After a while, I got up. Nothing had settled yet and my mind was still full of fog, but I had to move. I found my way back to Inrak¡¯s bookshop. She was entertaining a customer so I browsed the books without really looking at them. How was I going to learn to do something that baffled even the Gods of this world? I had to get to that University, surely they could help me. But would they? I didn¡¯t have the years and the money it probably took to enroll and study there. Perhaps I could tell them who I was and where I came from, but I would just become a curiosity wouldn¡¯t I? If they even believed me. I had no illusions about it. They would just squeeze me for all the information I could give them about Earth and technology. And if they bothered teaching me anything at all about Aether magic, what could I truly learn there if no present portal mage could travel to another world? Should have I taken Pamasteron¡¯s offer to set me up with a high level in an Accountant Class? Should I just give up? Forget my old life, my wife, my family, my friends, and just accept this new, strange one?


    ¡°You came back!¡±


    Inrak¡¯s yell pushed me out of my contemplation. She was standing behind me, the customer having left without my realizing.


    ¡°Well? What happened?¡±


    ¡°Pamasteron can¡¯t send me back. He said he doesn¡¯t know how I arrived and that no God has the power to reverse it.¡± I told her the rest, about his proposal and the Classes he ended up gifting me. I also told her of my doubts about going to the University to beg for their help.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know what to do, Inrak. I don¡¯t know how I am going to get back home,¡± I finished.


    ¡°I am sorry, Luc.¡± she said. ¡°I had hoped that the Gods could help you. As for your new Classes...¡±


    She paced up and down, humming. ¡°You are correct that the University is not so easy an answer to your problems. Some students and mages are regular customers here. I talk with them. I believe that the instant they discovered your origins, you would become a pawn in their power plays. It is one of the best centre of knowledge on this continent, but I do not believe you are ready yet. But I may be able to help after all.¡±


    ¡°What do you mean?¡±


    ¡°Well, even if you don¡¯t have the Class, you are a bookkeeper. A great one according to the Gods.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m just a normal accountant. That was just his way of helping me.¡±


    ¡°Nevertheless,¡± she replied. ¡°It may surprise you to learn this, but I am not particularly fond of the managerial side of this shop. I just like collecting and well, I need to sell some of them to buy new ones. Besides, I am getting older and I was thinking of getting an assistant to do some menial chores. So you could stay and work here in this shop. I would share my food and even provide you with a small stipend if you are as good as the God thought. You can¡¯t be worse than I am anyway.¡±


    I was touched by her offer. I don¡¯t know where I would be if I had not found her shop yesterday. But there was a problem.


    ¡°Thank you, Inrak. It is kind of you. But I need to learn Aether magic to go home. How will I do that?¡±


    ¡°Hmm¡­ It is not that kind,¡± she laughed. ¡°You have not seen my accounts yet. And you did not listen well. As I said, I have many books about magic in store for some students and professors at Winory, and even a few mages here in Sturron. If you worked here, you could read everything to your heart¡¯s content. It will probably not be enough, but it is a start, no?¡±


    I thought about it. In a way, I did not have much of a choice. It was that or finding enough money to pay to join a convoy to the University and putting myself at the mercy of the mages there. Here a least I would have some time to learn more about this world and the magic. Could I do it in two months though? I doubted it. Still. This appeared to be the only way I could do it at all.


    I bowed to Inrak like she had shown me yesterday.


    ¡°It is a start. Thank you, Inrak. I accept your proposal.¡±


    She cooed gleefully.


    ¡°Excellent! I will show you where everything is today. Most of the magic books are upstairs. We will select a few of the basic ones and I will see if I have anything about Aether magic. It is not the most common one, but I should at least find something. And you will manage my money! This will be great!¡±


    I thanked her again, though I could not match her enthusiasm. How long would it take me to find a way home? Months? Years? A lifetime?

 4 - Settling in

    ¡°You did not lie,¡± I said, glancing at Inrak over the sheet of papers she had given me. ¡°Your bookkeeping is atrocious.¡±


    ¡°Hmm¡­ I know,¡± she replied, ¡°The numbers have never liked me.¡±


    I shook my head and looked at the papers again. There was no order to it. Names and figures were scribbled everywhere, without any connection that I could see.


    ¡°This one, for example,¡± I pointed at a book¡¯s title. ¡°The weapons of the Arulean Tribes. Is this a book you bought or sold? And can you tell me for how much?¡±


    Frowning, she took her accounts from my hands and rifled through them.


    ¡°There!¡± She finally exclaimed, holding a different page than the one where I had found the book. ¡°I bought it from Trade Master Louprak for 1 silver and 8 bronze Kiestan coins.¡±


    ¡°But why isn¡¯t it written down in front of the title?¡±


    She looked embarrassed.


    ¡°Well¡­ I wrote the title when I first heard of the book and asked Louprak if he could find it in his travels. And I wrote the price when he brought it to me here and I paid for it.¡±


    ¡°So your records are chronological then?¡± I asked, hopeful that I had cracked the code.


    ¡°Hmm¡­ Sometimes, I guess?¡±


    I took a deep breath. I had had difficult clients from time to time, but this was a whole other beast.


    ¡°How do you even know this price you found is the correct one for this book?¡± I wondered. ¡°I see no link between the two.¡±


    ¡°Oh, that¡¯s easy!¡± She looked relieved to be able to answer a question. ¡°I have a Skill. Written Records. I can remember everything about every book I collect, from what it is about to the weather the day I bought it. So I knew the price, I just had to find where I had written it.¡±


    ¡°That seems like a great Skill.¡± And it did. Without computers, and even with them sometimes, having such a boon to your memory could be very helpful. No wonder she didn¡¯t need to be rigorous in her bookkeeping.


    ¡°It is!¡± The Pterar preened at the compliment. ¡°My Class is not a popular one, but it gives me specialized and useful tools in the context of collecting books. It was my level 20 Skill. Unfortunately, I forget most of it when I sell them and it only lets me remember things about the books and not the words within. Maybe it will improve if I reach a higher level.¡±


    ¡°That¡­ would be extremely powerful.¡±


    ¡°Yes, it would!¡± She laughed and cooed.


    I was getting used to the various sounds the made to express herself. I had to admit it was cute. And the thought of getting such Skills only furthered my motivation to learn my Class. Inrak had given me a few books. I could not wait to start reading them and level myself. And perhaps I would hear Margaux¡¯s voice again.


    But it would wait. I had a job to do first. I took back the pages she still held.


    ¡°All right, Inrak. Here is my suggestion. I don¡¯t think I can do much with this. However, since you know every title you possess, their price and who you bought them from, we will create a written inventory over the next few weeks. It will help you remember things even after you sell your books and it will be easier to know exactly what you currently possess. Alongside this, I believe we need to establish a day to day record-keeping system from now on. I have several suggestions for the details. We can order it chronologically, by supplier, by topic¡­ This is dependent upon how you order your thoughts and how your Class helps you.¡±


    We took the next hour or so to design the way we would proceed. Inrak¡¯s focus impressed me. She understood the necessity of what we were doing and gave me her undivided attention. Would that all my clients had been as supportive. She even lent me her magical pen when she saw how much trouble I had writing with a quill. It was a cylindrical piece of wood with a metal piece attached at the end. Runes were inscribed on its body and its head so that it would flow on the paper and never need a refill. It reminded me of a dip pen. Inrak said it had cost her more than a few gold coins. I could believe it. I took another hour to set up the system we had agreed upon. I was thorough. Inrak¡¯s kindness had been invaluable to me and I wanted to repay her as much as I could.


    We ate afterwards. Inrak sent me to her favourite food stall to buy two plates of very spicy soup. A nice young Schalass lady served me and let me try a few of the drinks they had to find out which one I liked. I settled for a soft pale ale called Ipio. I could not bring myself to drink the water from the well. I feared dysentery and other diseases far too much and had not had the time to ask Inrak about the sanitation of Sturron.


    ¡°Stop fidgeting!¡± Inrak called.


    I had brought back the plates to the food stall and I was going through her records. I had not realized it, but my heel was going up and down as if following a fast beat.


    ¡°Oh, sorry.¡±


    ¡°Hmm¡­ Just go upstairs already. Your books are on the table. I will yell if I need you.¡±


    I carefully put back the documents and then raced to the back of the store. I could hear her laughter as I climbed the stairs two at a time.


    Four books laid on the table. Three of them were popular textbooks about the basics of magic, the different forms it could take and the Classes associated with them. The last one was thinner than the rest. It was titled Understanding the Aether, a treatise. I should probably have started with the fundamentals, but I did not have that kind of patience. I took a seat and opened the book. On the first page, under the title, was written the name of its author: Archmage Mors Breigz, University of Winory.The genuine version of this novel can be found on another site. Support the author by reading it there.


    It began so:


    ¡°Alone of all their peers, and at the cost of a far lesser breadth of potentialities, Aether mages have the capacity to sense, touch and, eventually, manipulate, the Aether. One needn¡¯t become one of those regrettably specialized practitioners however in order to find some purpose in learning of the unique characteristics of this other dimension overlapping the one most of us live in.¡±


    I read on for a while, sometimes going back to read a part multiples times just to understand the convoluted way of writing this Archmage had. It seemed to me that someone ought to teach him that sentences weren¡¯t supposed to cover entire pages. But it was the only text about an essential part of my Class at my disposition, so I kept reading. I only paused to get the magical pen and some paper from Inrak. I quickly filled three with various quotes from the treatise, accompanied by my own thoughts and conjecture.


    What I gathered was this. The Aether existed all around this world ¨C and maybe around Earth too? The author did not write of other worlds. By all around, I did not mean like the air we breathe. It existed both inside matter and outside of it, like another dimension. The defining feature of this dimension was that it was far, far bigger than ours yet occupying the same volume. I thanked my high school physics lessons for having taught me the concept of density. I was not sure that it was exactly the same underlying principle, but it made grasping what the Aether was far easier. Theoretically, as an Aether mage, I could sense the Aether and manipulate it, like making a bag bigger on the inside than the outside or creating a portal for long-distance travel. It seemed exceptionally useful. The one downside was that, contrary to other mage Classes, Aether magic couldn¡¯t use the other elements of this world, which was why mages like me often took a second mage Class. Fortunately, I did not care at all to cast fireballs.


    I set down the book. It did not describe how one would sense this Aether, but surely I could figure it out. I was an Aether mage now. It was the one thing I was supposed to be able to do.


    Leaving the chair to sit on the wooden floor, I closed my eyes and started meditating. I had picked it up about a year ago, at Margaux¡¯s suggestion. It had been a great help in dealing with a troubled family and a tendency to worry about the slightest things. It was easy too. Mostly, you just had to breathe. I did just that, focusing on my senses. I heard chatter downstairs, Inrak with a customer. Outside, the street flowed like a river, with a constant muffled noise. I smelled smoke and cooking meat. My jeans stretched against my legs and a soft breeze caressed my skin. I took it all in and let it go, breathing in and out. Time passed. I could feel some of my anxiety leaving me as a soft warmth spread through me. And through it all, I did not sense the barest hint of another dimension.


    I stopped when the frustration got to me. Why was this so hard? I already had the Class! Sure it was at level 0, but you had to start somewhere, right? I decided that further knowledge was needed. I went downstairs to ask Inrak if she had any insight. She nodded when I explained my problem and gave me a pitying look I was getting too used to.


    ¡°You are level 0, Luc. It is a good start and you have gained a lot of time by not having to unlock the Class, but you cannot expect to level instantly.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t understand. If I already have the Class, why can¡¯t I just do things with it and improve?¡±


    ¡°Level 0 is a bit different. Children have been known to acquire Classes like Knight at a young age because their desire to become one was so powerful, but they still had to wait years to start leveling in it.¡±


    I backed up, shaking my head.


    ¡°I don¡¯t have years.¡±


    I ran back upstairs. I was smart. I knew how to learn. I would figure this out.


    I took my notes and read them from front to back. I went back to the book when the notes were confusing. I kept reading even when the light outside faded and I had to turn on the magical glows like Inrak had shown me.


    I only stopped when Inrak came with some food. She had bought me a sweet pastry with a taste of cinnamon. Feeling a bit guilty, I helped her with some cleaning and talked with her about her afternoon. She had sold three books and showed me proudly how she had recorded their sales in her new records. I learned that she had two daughters but only one lived in Sturron. I felt even more guilty. She had been helping me a great deal these last two days and I had not even thought to ask about her family. So I talked with her and asked questions until she went to her bedroom, wishing me a good night and telling me not to work too late.


    When she left, I got back to my books. My approach was not working so I changed it. I took one of the general books about magic and skimmed that one for any mention of Aether or dimensions. I fell asleep at the table, a book for a pillow.


    This pattern reproduced for the next few days. I would help Inrak in the morning and when she called for me, but otherwise staying upstairs and trying to unravel the mysteries of Aether magic. Inrak had given me two other, more advanced, books about the other types of magics and I read those too. One day, I met her daughter Miska who was a lovely Pterar with green and sky blues feathers. I answered her questions about Earth for a time, but both of them could see that my heart was not in it and they released me to continue my studies.


    In the end, I don¡¯t know exactly what did it. Perhaps reading more books gave me a better idea of exactly what I was hoping to sense. Perhaps it simply took time to go from a concept understood on a theoretical level to knowledge truly assimilated. The sky was grey and raindrops fell sporadically. We had eaten well, Inrak and I. I had gotten back to my studies with confidence and a feeling of contentment. Perhaps the secret was that simple. A good meal. The voice of Margaux came with a gust of wind outside.


    *You have reached the level 1 of the Class Aether Mage. You have gained the Skill Sensing the Aether.*


    I tried to keep her voice echoing in my mind for as long as I could. I savoured it. It was all I had of her. It went away, of course, but I found I did not mind too much. I knew how to hear her again. I would just level more. And one day, I would get back to her.


    I took a moment to gather my thoughts then I immediately tested my new Skill. I did it just like the first time. Sitting on the floor. Closing my eyes. Listening to the wind and smelling the rain. There it was, faint. A hazy feeling all around me, as if I was immersed in water. I could not manage it long before a headache forced me to stop. But I had done it. I could sense the Aether, vaguely still, but I would work on it every day and improve. Then I would learn to manipulate it.


    Smiling, I joined Inrak downstairs to tell her the good news. She took my hands in her talons and we danced to a joyful tune she whistled. At the end of the day, we went to celebrate at an inn she knew the owner of. He served us ipio and stronger alcohols ¨C this at least did not differ between our worlds, and I was introduced to many people whose name I quickly forgot. I had a great time and told Inrak as much on our way back to the shop.


    ¡°I am glad of it, Luc. You always looked so sad and I thought your burden so heavy. But you did it! You reached your first level in barely a week with just a few books! I am proud of you.¡±


    ¡°I could not have done it without you,¡± I said honestly and was glad of the night and the clouds because my eyes had gotten wet. ¡°You took me in when I had nothing. I don¡¯t know where I would be otherwise.¡±


    ¡°It was the right thing to do. And you have helped more than you realize. You will grow, I know it. I will get you more books about your magic. You will become a great mage.¡±


    ¡°Thank you so much, Inrak.¡±


    We made our way to her apartment, though she had to lean on me to climb the stairs drunk as she was. I put her to bed and wished her good night. Soft snoring came almost as soon as I closed the door. I unfolded my pallet in the living room and laid on it. The Aether was all around me. With renewed fervour, I tried to sense it more clearly through the fog, to attune myself to its peculiar embrace.


    I don¡¯t know which of the alcohol or of my late night toiling were the most responsible for the solid headache I nursed the next morning, but I found that I did not regret either.

 5 - The Trade Master

    *You have reached the level 3 of the Class Aether Mage.*


    *You have reached the level 2 of the Class Student.*


    A week had passed since my breakthrough. I was now level 3 in my magic Class. Each level up came with the voice of Margaux. I had asked Inrak about it and it was apparently common to hear the voice of a loved one. I wasn¡¯t sure how the Gods had managed to make me hear my wife, seeing as she wasn¡¯t from their world. The only possibility I saw was that they had taken it from my memories of her. It was a bit unsettling, but I did not care much. Hearing her every time gave me strength I sorely needed.


    My level-ups did not come with new Skills, but I had an easier time sensing the Aether. I could almost feel it reacting to my awareness of it. I knew I was close to being able to begin manipulating it.


    It had not stopped raining for five days, but this morning some sunbeams pierced the clouds. I took this opportunity to run an errand for Inrak. Leaving the shop after an early breakfast, I made my way towards the harbour. I was wearing new clothes that I had bought with my first salary. Miska, Inrak¡¯s daughter, had taken me to a tailor she knew and had helped me choose a few simple outfits. I now did not stick out as much among the locals. And I had gotten to know some of them.


    One of them was Morange. I still trained intensely every night before bed and woke up with a furious headache. Discovering Morange¡¯s apothecary had been a lifesaver.


    Little bells on the door rang when I opened. Morange was cleaning up the room. He was a tall man with copper skin and bright, blonde hair. He welcomed me with a smile.


    ¡°Luc! You¡¯re early!¡±


    ¡°Good morning, Morange. Yes I know, I¡¯m meeting someone at the docks. Did you see, the sun finally decided to show up.¡±


    He laid his broom against a wall and went into the backroom. He yelled to answer.


    ¡°Yes, I saw this morning! I don¡¯t believe it will keep but it one can hope!¡±


    He came back with a small vial. A brownish liquid sat inside.


    ¡°Here you go,¡± he said, holding it to me. ¡°I tried to make it less awful, but it is hard to hide the bitterness of the trapper¡¯s root.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s fine, thank you. It is so effective, I don¡¯t mind the taste.¡±


    I swallowed it in one gulp. The potion truly was disgusting, as if someone had mixed the boiled water left behind when cooking rice with some dirt and a touch of grapefruit because why not. However, I could already feel my mind clearing up. This was better than paracetamol.


    Morange laughed at the face I made.


    ¡°I still have some work to do I see.¡±


    I paid him in local Sturronian coins, different from the Goddess-backed, Kiestan coins used mostly for interregional trade, and took my leave.


    Inrak had explained to me the monetary system as she understood it. Since the Gods were barred from directly intervening in mortal affairs ¨C save for rare exceptions I had not asked about, the priests of Kiest, Goddess of trade, had ¡°took it upon themselves¡± to set up their own monetary system. Each of their temples served as a kind of currency market where traders could convert their Kiestan coins into local ones. This encroachment into their sovereignty had obviously not gone well with regional authorities, but the stability and the utility of this currency had been such that few cities and kingdoms had completely forbidden it. Attacks upon it took more subtle forms. Some forty years ago, for example, a Winory mage had successfully forged Kiestan coins disappeared with a fortune. The Goddess had not appreciated it. It had apparently been a big scandal and the University had been embargoed for a time, which caused a lot of damage to Sturron¡¯s economy.


    In most regions, Sturron¡¯s included, local coinage complemented Kiestan money. Here, the lower-valued local currency was used for most day-to-day commerce while Kiestan coins and ingots allowed Traders and City officials to manage their finances without having to carry around entire coffers full of change.


    I had volunteered for today¡¯s errand both because I wanted to do more for Inrak and because I needed to go out more. Confining myself to my studies in her apartment was not healthy. I had to remind myself that this was a marathon. I would not discover how to create a portal between worlds in a day. I could not afford a burn-out. Besides, I would meet one of Inrak¡¯s main supplier of books, a Pterar Trade Master name Louprak. I was eager to learn more about the logistics of travel and trade in this world. I was fairly certain that becoming a high-level Aether mage would require a lot of money, and logistics was one of the fields where I thought I could apply both my professional knowledge from Earth and the magic I was learning.


    As always, the harbour was full of activity. People of all species were coming and going around the ships and the stalls installed on the docks. I only had Louprak¡¯s name and a vague description, so I first went to the harbourmaster¡¯s office. A young clerk pointed me in the right direction and gave me the name of the ship I was looking for, the Siren¡¯s flight. I found it easily enough.


    Louprak was a Trade Master who often brought back books and journals for Inrak from his travels. Otherwise, Inrak told me he mainly traded agricultural goods, as evidenced by the barrels full of produce that were being rolled off the ship I was standing beside. Siren¡¯s flight was a Pterar ship. It had two masts with great triangular sails that looked like wings. Its round hull measured about 15 meters in length, with a slightly lower level near the prow.


    I recognized Louprak from the description Inrak had given me, mainly his long coat of the same red as his head feathers. He was currently talking to a female Schalass ¨C I had gotten better at differentiating the genders, so I waited and watched the ship being unloaded. I was surprised to see that the containers were not identical. I could see mostly wooden barrels, but also a few crates, wicker baskets, and even some burlap sacks. A few Pterars were up on the deck of the ship and carried the cargo to a heavy plank connecting the ship to the docks. Ropes were reeled around each container. Workers received them and slowly went down the plank, with the crew holding the ropes to help. The work seemed hard and tiring and there was a lot of yelling.


    ¡°Can I help you, mister?¡± asked a voice close to me.


    While I had watched the scene, Louprak had obviously finished his previous business because he was standing before me.


    ¡°Hello, are you Trade Master Louprak?¡± I asked to be sure.


    ¡°I am indeed, who¡¯s asking?¡±


    ¡°My name is Luc. I am Inrak¡¯s new assistant. I came about the books. Here, I have a letter from her to prove it.¡±


    I gave him the letter she had written yesterday evening. I had not read it but she seemed to believe Louprak would not trust me enough to let me buy her books without it.


    The Pterar frowned and took it. He made little whistling noises while reading.


    ¡°Hmm¡­ It seems you are telling the truth,¡± he said finally. ¡°I never would have thought Inrak had taken an apprentice, much less a human. No offence.¡±


    ¡°None taken. And I¡¯m not really her apprentice, I am studying to be an Aether mage. I¡¯m just helping her around the shop and with her accounts. It¡¯s a long story.¡±


    ¡°It certainly seems to be.¡±


    He still seemed suspicious.


    ¡°I actually have some time before meeting my contacts, and I thought to take them myself to Inrak¡¯s bookshop. Wait a few while I finish here and we¡¯ll go together.¡±


    He turned his back, not waiting for an answer. I did not mind the rebuke, it gave me more time to observe the logistics of unloading a ship and the organization of the harbour. I decided that I would come here more often. This was fascinating. And, to be honest, I understood the Trade Master. A man starts living with an old lady and handles her affairs? It should send warning bells in her friends'' minds. I was lucky that I had not faced more hostility from her neighbours. Though now that I thought about it, I spent so much of my time alone upstairs that I may have missed many conversations about me.Enjoying the story? Show your support by reading it on the official site.


    A young Pterar crept surreptitiously close to me and made a show of unknotting a rope. I had no doubt that he was sent by Louprak to make sure I did not run away. In a way, I was a little proud of the fact that he was so suspicious of me. It must have been my new clothes. Everybody who saw me in my dirty, Earth ones just pitied me. I had now gone from beggar to potential crook. It surely was a step up.


    I must have waited more than an hour. The Trade Master came back after a while, carrying a middle-sized wooden chest under one arm. He held it to me. I nearly fell when I took it. I was not expecting it to be so heavy. He had carried it so easily!


    I strained with the effort and looked back at him grinning. He slipped a few coins to the young boy and we departed. I was determined to make a good impression on this man. I had plans and it would be easier to work with a friend of Inrak than a complete stranger.


    ¡°Do you mind if I ask you a few questions about your trade?¡±


    He grunted, which I took as encouragement to keep going.


    ¡°I noticed that your ship carried many types of containers, are there no difficulties that arise from not having only one standard type?¡±


    ¡°Why do you ask?¡±


    ¡°Well as I said, I am training to become an Aether mage. I figured that it could have practical applications in logistics, like making bags or crates that can contain more than their normal volume. Since the only book I have about the Aether is a theoretical one, I figured I would ask a professional.¡±


    We walked in silence for a moment before he decided there could be no harm in answering me.


    ¡°As to your first question,¡± he said, ¡°every merchant or farmer has their own way of packing their products. It does make things a little harder for us, but as long as the containers are suited to the journey, it does not really matter. We sometimes have to repack everything into our own barrels, but we only do that when we buy in hopes to sell elsewhere, not when we act as courier. As to your second question, holding bags exist. The permanent ones are expensive, even for small bags. I do not know how much it would cost to enchant even one barrel, but it would certainly take a long time to recuperate the costs. Perhaps smaller, faster ships or long-distance traders would have more interest. Besides, barrels deteriorate over time, they get banged up when the sea is angry and we have to repair them as we can. If a barrel enchanted to hold twice its volume broke at sea for example, what would happen? Would everything inside explode out of it? That would be most inconvenient.¡±


    ¡°I had not thought of it like that,¡± I admitted. I had not thought of it much, really, to miss so obvious complications. I just imagined a truck carrying twice its volume. Any company on Earth would pay dearly for that kind of technology.


    Perhaps he heard the disappointment in my voice because his next words were not as harsh.


    ¡°I don¡¯t actually know what would happen. Space enchantments are rare enough that I have not encountered one personally. Perhaps it would work well, and it would not cost as much as I think. But these are some of the considerations every potential client will ask about before buying anything.¡±


    ¡°Thank you for your help.¡±


    I pondered what the Pterar had said the rest of the way while lamenting the fact that I had not gone more often to the gym. I was certain that my arms and my back would be sore tomorrow.


    One thing he said stayed with me. I knew that I could resolve most issues he mentioned. The cost, for example, certainly resulted from the monopoly and the rarity of Aether mages. But the Trade Master talked about enchanted barrels. My plan was not dead, but I would need to learn about enchanting.


    Our arrival at the bookshop caused a flurry of cooing and whistling from both Pterars. Inrak came out from behind the counter and hugged the Trade Master. I understood a little more his protectiveness earlier. It seemed that they were very good friends. I put the chest in a corner and wandered the shelves, looking for books about enchanting, while they were reuniting with each other. I found a few that could be interesting. Enchanting was a more common subject than Aether magic. I would wait to ask Inrak if I could take them upstairs to study for a time.


    ¡°Luc, come here!¡± called Inrak.


    I put the book I was browsing back and obliged.


    ¡°This is Trade Master Louprak, he brings me books!¡± She said. Her smile was contagious.


    ¡°Yes I know, Inrak, we met at the docks.¡±


    ¡°So, Inrak,¡± Louprak said. ¡°Are you too tired to come and see an old friend at his ship that you had to send your new apprentice?¡±


    ¡°Oh not at all. But I wanted you two to meet. And I knew you would be suspicious and come here yourself. I was right!¡±. She laughed at her own cleverness. Louprak did too. He did not seem upset.


    ¡°You are too crafty to spend your days in this shop, my friend. You should come and see the world with me.¡±


    ¡°Hmm¡­ You know I could not. Books don¡¯t much like the sea.¡±


    Their conversation continued along what I guessed where old, well-trodden paths. I sensed that my presence kept them from talking about the subjects they wanted to broach, the main one probably being myself. I suggested that I go and bring back some food. It was a bit early but at least I would beat the rush. Inrak readily agreed and Louprak said he would eat with us.


    I had gotten acquainted with the closest food stalls. It wasn¡¯t much different from Earth actually, where I knew every pizza and kebab place in a small radius around our apartment. Still, my favourite was the first one I had gone to a week ago, Sirmy¡¯s. Sirmy was the owner, a female Schalass of around 30 years old. She lived alone with her daughter, Ripsile, who was the most adorable little Schalass girl. Ripsile was the one holding the stall when I arrived. She waved at me.


    ¡°Luc! Luc! Are you eating with us today?¡±


    I took on the stool in front of her. She was standing on her own stool to be able to reach the counter and serve the customers. Pleasant smells were coming from the kitchen behind, where no doubt her mother was busy cooking.


    ¡°Hello, Ripsile. I can¡¯t, I¡¯ll eat with Inrak and her guest. But I can stay here and chat a bit. How are you today?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m good, thank you. It stopped raining! Mum said I could go and play later after I¡¯ve helped clean up.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s great, Ripsile. What kind of game will you play?¡±


    ¡°Tag!¡± She yelled. ¡°And also skoga if we have time but I don¡¯t have a set so I must ask my friend Porter. She¡¯s a Human like you.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know what skoga is,¡± I said. ¡°Can you explain it to me? And could you serve me some ipio while we wait for your mother, please? I¡¯m very thirsty.¡±


    I put a few coins on the counter that she grabbed with a practised movement. Then she explained in great detail this game she liked while I sipped my ale and asked questions. I resolved to buy her a set as soon as I made money with my Class. It could not cost too much and she deserved it. Spending time with her and her mother always gladdened my heart.


    Sirmy came soon after, struggling with a big pot.


    ¡°Good day, Luc,¡± she said. Her daughter helped her set the pot down.


    ¡°Hello Sirmy,¡± I replied.


    ¡°I could hear Ripsile talk and talk, I hope she has not been bothering you.¡± She winked at me.


    ¡°No I haven¡¯t! Luc asked!¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s true,¡± I laughed. ¡°I did ask. And now I know everything about skoga.¡±


    ¡°You can play with us if you want! I¡¯m sure the others will like you.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s very nice of you, Ripsile. I have to work today but maybe another day, yes?¡±


    ¡°Sure! We always play skoga.¡±


    I stayed talking with the two of them until the first hungry customers arrived.


    Coming back to the bookshop with the food, I could see that Louprak had settled and now looked at me with a lot more curiosity than suspicion. I was actually surprised that more people had not come and asked me about Earth. Perhaps the Gods had kept quiet and that information had not spread yet.


    The discussion at lunch was cordial. I asked a lot of questions about enchanted containers and they both answered as best they could. Inrak promised me she would let me study a few books about enchanting and only sell them if clients specifically asked for them. Afterwards, I recorded the books Louprak had brought into the new system, writing their title and the price Inrak paid for them. It seemed low to me, but I supposed that was the old friend¡¯s discount.


    Before leaving, Louprak took me aside.


    ¡°Luc, I apologize for the way I treated you earlier. It was not justified.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s fine, I understand you were worried about your friend. And you gave me a lot to think about with my magic.¡±


    ¡°Yes, about that.¡± He paused, perhaps wondering how to phrase what he wanted to say. ¡°This choice you have made for yourself is not an easy one. Aether mages are rare for a reason. They have little in the way of defence compared to other Mage Classes and can be very valuable. Especially if powerful people find out about your origins. You are fine now because you are low level and you are hiding here in her nest, but you must be careful. For your sake, and Inrak¡¯s.¡±


    ¡°I will. I won¡¯t let anything happen to her. If I am ever in danger, I will leave.¡±


    ¡°Good. Thank you.¡± He looked relieved. ¡°And if you do figure out your enchanted containers, I would not mind trying them out and possibly buy some.¡±


    ¡°Thank you, Louprak. I will let you know.¡±


    After he left, I went upstairs with a few more books and a lot more ideas. I was still convinced that making holding bags or crates was the way to go to earn myself a starting capital. Transporting people or travelling myself as a courier seemed more difficult in terms of Aether magic, and more dangerous, more exposing.


    I became certain of it when this same evening, after studying the whole afternoon, I heard Margaux¡¯s voice telling me that I was on the right path.


    *You have gained the Class Enchanter. You have reached the level 1 of the Class Enchanter. You have gained the Skill Knowledge of Basic Runes.*


    *You have reached the level 4 of the Class Aether Mage.*


    *You have reached the level 3 of the Class Student.*

 6 - Guide to enchanting

    I dived into enchanting with a passion. Inrak¡¯s living room was soon flooded with slashed leathers, broken potteries and any other imperfect items I could buy at little cost. They all fuelled my study of the new runes I had been granted by my Skill, Knowledge of Basic Runes.


    Those runes, true to their name, were very simple. Inrak even had a book that detailed most of them and a few more besides. But the Skill gave me a deeper understanding of the meaning of each of their lines. I was able to envision, as if by intuition, where and how they should best be imbued on an object.


    They were not the most useful however. I saw one in the book that wasn¡¯t included in my Skill, the magic imprinting rune. It was quite a common rune to get, though perhaps level 1 was too low yet. It did nothing in itself but allowed a Mage to join his magic to an item. It was how fire swords were made, for example. The Enchanter inscribed the weapon with runes like Hardening, Sharpening and this Magic Imprinting one. Then soldiers or adventurers would pay a Mage to feed the rune with their element of choice. I had no need of fire swords, but it was my assumption that holding bags would work similarly.


    Despite not having the same understanding of this rune, it was the one I first tried my hand at. Mastering it would take me one step closer to my goal.


    I began by copying the rune over and over on my notes until I felt confident enough that I had the shape down. It wasn¡¯t enchanting yet. The book said enchanting required a focused intent on the rune, the item it was to be imbued on, and the conjoining of the two. One rune was supposed to be easy. The difficulty resided in enchanting with multiple runes. Since an item could only be imbued once, all the runes had to be thought of separately, then with each other, then with the item. So one rune was a three-point process, but two runes was a nine-point one. Needless to say, enchanted items became exponentially more expensive the more useful runes they held.


    I tried for the first time on a cracked ceramic cup Inrak had lent me. I was sitting at the table in Inrak¡¯s living room. I spent so much time there that she had started calling it my desk. I took the cup in both my hands and closed my eyes. I envisioned the rune, a circle spiralling inward and forming a square. I focused on the cup, its shape and texture, the tiny fissure on its side. I thought of what it could become with the rune: a cup always keeping the liquid inside hot or cold, or containing twice as much of it. And finally, with a push of will, I imbued the rune onto it.


    The cup exploded.


    ¡°Putain de merde!¡± I yelled.


    Blood covered my hands. Fragments of ceramic had been projected onto the table and the room. I could feel a stinging on my forehead.


    Inrak came running upstairs.


    ¡°Luc! Are you okay? Gods of the sky! What happened?¡±


    ¡°I tried to enchant your cup. I don¡¯t know what went wrong. It wasn¡¯t supposed to do that, even if I failed.¡± I inspected the mess I had caused. ¡°I¡¯m sorry about your cup...¡±


    ¡°Who cares about the cup?! Let me see your hands!¡±


    She shook her hands and whistled in annoyance.


    I needed her help to pluck all the shards from my hands and bandage them, but overall it looked worse than it felt. When I said as much, she hit me on the back of the head.


    ¡°Idiot! You scared the crap out of me!¡±


    When we were done cleaning up, I apologized for the thousandth time.


    ¡°I¡¯m truly sorry, Inrak. I don¡¯t know what I did wrong, but I¡¯ll figure it out. It won¡¯t happen again.¡±


    ¡°Hmm¡­ It certainly won¡¯t happen again today. You¡¯re banned from studying! Go outside, visit the city. You¡¯ve been cooped up in your nest since you came here. It won¡¯t do you any good in the long run. So pffit! Go away!¡±


    My protests were in vain. She practically shooed me downstairs and out of her shop. She wasn¡¯t very strong, but I owed her far too much to act like a rebelling teenager.


    It was a bit chilly, but no rain thankfully. I walked to Sirmy¡¯s shop to drink a cup of ipio. She had to help me hold it with her claws at first. It was a bit humiliating, though the feeling was starting to become habitual. She laughed when I told her how I had injured myself.


    ¡°I¡¯ve never heard of an enchantment exploding. I thought failing just made the item useless. You should talk with Gygg, he¡¯s a Pix Tailor I know. He enchants some of his clothes himself. Tell him I sent you.¡±


    I thanked her and followed her directions to this Tailor. I had seen a few Pix before. They were the little fae-like people flitting around and making Pterar jealous. I had never talked to one though.


    Gygg¡¯s shop was located a few streets away, closer to the castle dominating the city. It had a window display, like Inrak¡¯s, with clothes exposed inside. It was bigger than the bookshop though, and it gave an expensive impression. Above the door, a small metal hatch displayed the owner¡¯s species. All Pix establishments and those that catered to them had those windows to ease their passage.


    Seeing no doorbell, I entered the shop. A young man standing to the side gave me a polite smile.


    ¡°Can we help you, Sir?¡±


    ¡°Hi, I¡¯ve come to see Gygg. Sirmy sent me.¡±


    He cast a dubious look at my hands. He clearly did not think some dirty peasant had anything to do with his boss, but he stayed professional.


    ¡°The Master is with a customer. Would you like a beverage while you wait?¡±


    I declined and sat in the armchair he pointed to me.


    I did not have to wait long. Loud voices came from the back of the shop and a male Schalass barged in the room. A Pix was following at his shoulder.


    ¡°I will not accept such a treatment!¡± said the Schalass.


    ¡°No offence was meant, my Lord. Autumn is ending, everybody wants new clothes. We simply did not have the time to make all the adjustments you asked for yesterday in your letter.¡±


    ¡°Then perhaps you are not deserving of my business. Good day Tailor.¡± And with that, he left and slammed the door.


    The Pix released a deep sigh.


    ¡°Jars, go in the back and see to Lord Crasm¡¯s coat,¡± he said to the other man. ¡°It only needs a few tweaks but I am liable to tear something out of spite if I have to do it. And one should never work angry.¡±This tale has been unlawfully lifted without the author''s consent. Report any appearances on Amazon.


    ¡°Yes, Master.¡±


    I rose from my seat and the Tailor turned to me. He examined me from head to toe.


    ¡°And who are you?¡±


    ¡°Hello, Mister Gygg? My name is Luc. Sirmy told me to come and see you.¡±


    ¡°Sirmy did? What is this about?¡±


    ¡°Well, I told her I injured my hands while I was trying to enchant a cup and it exploded and she sent me here¡­ She said you might be able to help.¡±


    His stunned look only reinforced how much of a fool I felt.


    ¡°You did what? Wait! You¡¯re that human Ripsile keeps going on about. She did say you were clumsy.¡±


    What? The little scamp! I felt betrayed, though right now I couldn¡¯t really refute it. But still!


    ¡°I don¡¯t know what happened,¡± I explained. ¡°I got the Class yesterday and was trying to enchant the cup with the Magic Imprinting rune. Everything felt right until I pushed my intent into it exploded. I thought failures were only supposed to weaken the item, not make it explode.¡±


    I sounded like I was whining, it was embarrassing. The Pix was shaking with laughter.


    ¡°Did you get the Skill Knowledge of Magic Imprinting with your Class?¡± He finally asked.


    ¡°No, I got Knowledge of Basic Runes.¡±


    ¡°Well, there you go. Long study and the help of mid-level Skills are needed to use runes you don¡¯t have the Skill for. At level 1? You¡¯re lucky you were starting with a cup.¡±


    ¡°Shit. That wasn¡¯t in the books...¡±


    Though perhaps it was. I had been so excited when I found the rune in one of the books that I had just skimmed through the rest of them before trying my hand at it. It was possible that I had missed the warning.


    The bastard was laughing again.


    ¡°Why did you start with that rune anyway? It isn¡¯t that useful at the beginning.¡±


    ¡°I wanted to make holding bags,¡± I said, dejectedly.


    Louprak had told me to be careful who I told about my Class, but I figured this was a friend of Sirmy. And I didn¡¯t want to spend my life in this world completely paranoid. I would need all the help I could get to find a way home. A bonus to telling the truth was that the Pix had stopped laughing.


    ¡°You¡¯re a Portal Mage, then?¡±


    I nodded. Everybody but scholars called it that instead of its name.


    ¡°Interesting,¡± he said. ¡°Permanent holding bags are rare. Even temporary ones can have value, especially to some species like mine. But you should still level-up with runes you have the Skill for and wait to get the Magic Impriting one. You¡¯re just asking for trouble otherwise. I would recommend the Hardening rune personally, or perhaps the Lightening one. They are always useful and could both be good combinations for a holding bag.¡±


    ¡°Thank you, that is very useful to know.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s nothing. Friends of Sirmy and Ripsile are friends of mine.¡±


    We chatted for a bit. When I asked about the rude Schalass earlier, he shook his head.


    ¡°The Duchess is old and rumoured to be in frail health. Vultures are circling.¡±


    He would say no more than that. He gave me a few tips for training enchanting, but then he had to go back to work.


    ¡°Thank you for your help, Gygg. I will think and study more before rushing into it.¡±


    Just as I said that, I heard Margaux¡¯s voice. Perhaps I imagined the slight amusement in it, but I could just see her gently mocking me for my idiocy.


    *You have reached level 2 in the Class Enchanter.*


    When I told Gygg, he laughed and congratulated me.


    ¡°There you go! Failure is the best path to success, I always say. Now that I think about it, you will need material to train on. Wait here a moment, I¡¯ll have an apprentice bring you our pile of discarded garments and wasted cloth. And remember me if you do manage your holding bags. I know some people that might be interested.¡±


    I thanked him again and watched him fly away. Soon later, a Pterar came and dumped a lot of clothes in my arms. It wasn¡¯t easy with my injured hands, but I managed to not lose too many of them during the journey back to Inrak¡¯s.


    She was still adamant that I take a break for the day, so I went back outside and walked around the city. I had not taken the time before to really appreciate this opportunity I had. I was in a medieval city. It was like a living, breathing, museum. And it had magic and fantasy species. I knew some people would have killed to be where I was. I was an accountant. Not even a particularly great one. I knew Excel spreadsheets and a few ERP systems. None of those were at all useful here. So why me? Any chemist or physicist would have lived like a king here. Was it just bad luck? Happenstance?


    The next day, after having bought my usual potion from Morange, I decided to follow Gygg¡¯s advice. I chose the Hardening rune. I remembered my discussion with Trade Master Louprak. Any container would be subject to shocks during travel, at sea or on the cobbled or dirt roads of this world. The Hardening rune would certainly be a great choice for a second rune for my holding bags.


    I was heartened by my first failure. The shirt I had tried the rune on did not explode ¨Cnot that it would have done much damage, I had chosen the softest fabric I could find. Instead, nothing happened. The shirt did not move, there was no sort of light or warmth. No magic at all. And when I tried again, I could not even feel the shirt in my mind. I could not focus on it. My failure had barred it from ever being enchanted.


    Still, this was progress. I took a dress this time.


    I leveled up the next day.


    *You have reached level 3 in this Class Enchanter.*


    Whenever I had enough of trying to harden clothes, I closed my eyes and focused on the Aether. It had become familiar to me. I knew that was normal because the Archmage¡¯s treatise vaguely broached the subject, but I still marvelled at this other sense I had acquired.


    The Aether differed subtly depending on where you sensed it from. In Inrak¡¯s living room, where I had spent so much time practising, it now held a somewhat distinctive taste. Unsurprisingly, it felt like being enveloped in an old book. More importantly, I knew that if I were to navigate the Aether, I could recognize it. This, I realized, was how Aether Mages made portals between two places, though I was a far cry from being able to do that.


    It took me weeks of constant practice. I neglected my duties towards Inrak, yet every time I apologized she waved me off and told me to keep going. Though she did insist on me taking a day off once a week. Those were both a relief from exhausting mental work and a dreaded time of reflection. I could not hide behind magic. Margaux would be due soon and I was nowhere near having found a way home. Perhaps she thought that I had abandoned her, given up everything just to get away from my responsibilities. The anguish gnawed at me from inside. I was restless. I even went back to Pamasteron¡¯s temple one morning, thinking that maybe the God had found a way to help me. He had not. His praise for my efforts meant nothing to me. I was thinking of going to seek another God¡¯s opinion. Surely Illirya, Goddess of magic, would know more, would be able to do something. But what if she could not? Where would that leave me? I was too afraid of losing all motivation. I buried myself in my studies instead.


    *You have reached the level 5 of the Class Enchanter. You have gained the Skill Knowledge of Magic Imprinting.*


    *You have reached the level 4 of the Class Student.*


    *You have reached the level 6 of the Class Aether Mage. You have gained the Skill Influencing the Aether.*


    Yes! Finally! Holding bags here I came.

 7 - The Great Tycoon

    Influencing the Aether was a great Skill. It did exactly what it said. It gave me a new understanding of this strange dimension. It wasn¡¯t alive per se, but nor was it immutable. It acted like the tectonic plates of Earth, slowly flowing across aeons, unconcerned with what happened on their surface. From simple observer, I became an active participant. I could induce subtle shifts in those currents. The Skill only had one drawback. The headaches it inflicted upon me came even quicker. Morange was always happy to see me, though he warned me that the potions would lose their efficiency over time as my body grew used to their effects.


    Inrak shared her concerns over dinner one evening. My failed attempts at the Imprinting Magic rune covered the living room. I had asked twice for money to buy Morange¡¯s potions because I had blown through my meagre salary.


    ¡°I worry that you¡¯re killing yourself, Luc,¡± she told me. ¡°This cannot be healthy.¡±


    I denied it. I was fine. I could not stop so close to my first step towards home. She need not worry, I would be able to pay for myself soon, I just needed to crack these fucking runes.


    The next day, after another rune failure followed by an intense session of trying to manipulate the Aether, I felt a liquid on my upper lips. My nose was bleeding. My first reaction wasn¡¯t that something was wrong, but that surely Morange would have a potion for that also. Then it hit me. I was a damned addict. I had been so obsessed with making these runes, leveling-up my Classes, that I had forgotten how to be alive. I was a fool. I hated myself for it and I hated myself even more for not being able to improve. I tried meditating. It did not help. I could not focus. My mind was unravelling.


    What would Margaux do if she were here? I closed my eyes. I wanted to see her, to hear her voice again. Her real one, not the fake trophy the Gods or whoever ruled this Class system had devised for me. What would Margaux say? I watched her. She knelt before me, put her hand under my chin and raised it gently. She would say ¡°Je t¡¯aime.¡± She would kiss my brow and lay her forehead against mine. ¡°Je t¡¯aime, Luc.¡± She would tell me. ¡°You are not alone. You will never be alone. I am here.¡±


    I cried then because she was here with me. I smelled her scent. I felt her skin against mine.


    I wept like a child, curled up against a wall, in the arms of my dreams.


    I went downstairs afterwards, having cleaned up a little. I think Inrak had heard me because she acted like everything was normal. She was a terrible liar. I apologized to her. It seemed hollow, to just keep apologizing for mistakes I should have been smart enough not to make. But she said nothing. She hugged me in her soft, feathered arms. She cried too, but I feigned not to notice. It was the least I could do.


    It was chilly outside, but the sun still shone with warmth. My mother always said the sun was the best remedy.


    I did not study for the next three days. I worked with Inrak until she could no longer conceive of any errands she could send me to. Then I went to Sirmy¡¯s stall and I helped her and Ripsile with cooking and cleaning. I was not the best companion, but they did not mind. They made enough conversation for the three of us and it was enough. I avoided Morange¡¯s apothecary like the plague. I swore to myself that I would only go there again if I had no other choice. I would care for my health and learn to pace myself. What would be the point of finding a way home if my family could not recognize me when they saw me?


    It will always surprise me how going back can sometimes make you move forward. When I sat down at the table again, with my enchanting books next to me, a ripped up shirt in my hands and dozens more waiting on the chair, I failed the rune. I failed the next one, and the one after that. And then I got it. It was so simple. How could I have missed it?


    I never failed a Magic Imprinting rune again.


    *You have reached the level 6 of the Class Enchanter.*


    Putting Aether magic into it, well, that was the easy part. The Aether was special, but it was still magic. And this rune was designed to absorb it.


    My first holding bag was, indeed, a holding shirt. It was a bit useless, though Inrak and I found it really funny when the both of us fit inside together. We laughed even more when the magic went out and we were suddenly compressed in a shirt far too small. I had been expecting that. Gyggs had warned me that my first runes would let out the magic quite quickly. Inrak had not been aware of that particular fact. It was hilarious.


    That shirt did not survive the experience, sadly, but I knew how to make the rune now, so I imprinted the smallest one I had. Then Inrak and I, giggling like maniacs, ran to Sirmy¡¯s shop and forced them to join us in this new cage of cloth. Their face when the magic ran out made my entire week.


    I kept training for the rest of the day. I wanted to learn how exactly the magic escaped what I thought was a well-made rune. Turned out it wasn¡¯t that well-made, but I could see why and, more importantly, how I could improve. I would just need more practice.


    I rose up early on the morrow. It was time to earn some money, and I had a plan.


    One of Gygg¡¯s assistant let me in his workshop. They knew me by now. I came here quite often when I exhausted my stock of discarded clothes.


    The Master Tailor was flying around a red and gold dress scintillating with the reflection of the light on tiny crystals scattered in a diagonal band. He was so engrossed in his work that I did not dare disturb him. He had a small needle in his hand and painted the dress with it. It was an amazing sight.


    He looked exhausted when he stopped. His wings ceased their beating and the Pix sat on the ground. He shook his head.


    ¡°It is not perfect yet,¡± he said without looking at me. ¡°Something is missing.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sure you¡¯ll find it.¡±


    He chuckled at that.


    ¡°So am I, but it is annoying, waiting for inspiration to deign to show up.¡±


    ¡°This seems like an extremely expensive dress,¡± I said, considering it.


    ¡°You have no idea. It will shine like a new sun in the night when she enters the ballroom wearing it.¡±


    ¡°Who is it for?¡±


    ¡°I can¡¯t tell you that. This is a game for some of them, and what you¡¯re looking at is a centrepiece.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t understand, but I¡¯m not sure I want to,¡± I said.


    ¡°Then you¡¯re a wiser man than you look.¡± He turned to me then, bearing a teasing smile. ¡°What can I do for you, Luc?¡±


    ¡°Look!¡± I handed him a pair of pants that had been sewed wrong. It was my best rune yet.


    ¡°Ah! You did it! Well done! Though I don¡¯t see what use those will be.¡± He said, jumping into one of the legs.


    ¡°They don¡¯t hold the magic long yet, but I¡¯ll get there. That¡¯s actually what I wanted to talk to you about.¡± I took a deep breath. If he declined, I would have to wait a while before actually selling anything.


    ¡°I haven¡¯t figured out how to make them permanent yet. Each time I hold the magic before forming the rune, I lose one of them. But I¡¯ll get there. In the meantime, I¡¯d like to gain some coins to repay all the people I¡¯ve been depending upon. When we first met, you said some Pix might be interested in holding bags. My Magic Imprinting rune won¡¯t keep the Aether more than a few hours, but I¡¯m betting yours might last way longer than that. Do you think it would be possible for you to enchant a few bags or purses or whatever Pixes use and I would fill them with Aether magic? I have no idea how valuable they could actually be, but I don¡¯t need much. I just want to earn something, you know?¡±This content has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.


    He looked at me without saying anything. I started having doubts. Had I been too presumptuous? Me, the level 6 Aether Mage asking this obviously highly recognized professional to basically enchant stuff for me.


    Abruptly, he flew away into another room. Shit. I had screwed it up somehow. Well, I would just train more. I had waited this long, what was a few weeks more. There was the matter of the clientele, but I would figure that out. Surely everybody would love having a greatly improved bag, even for a few hours. Perhaps I could test the rune on bigger stuff like crates and spend my days at the docks.


    ¡°I can¡¯t give you an answer right now!¡± Gygg yelled from behind a door. He came back holding a kind of mini-backpack, with a harness and straps for legs and arms.


    ¡°This is a Pix carrier bag,¡± he said. ¡°It can carry small items, a few letters, a bag of coins. Speed is the only advantage of being small flyers. I will enchant it for you. I want you to put all the Portal magic you can in there and measure how long it lasts. You¡¯re still living with that bookseller?¡±


    ¡°Inrak, yes, I am.¡±


    ¡°Good. I will visit you in a few days with your answer. Please only fuel it once. We need to know for certain. A fast flyer taken unaware by a sudden weight on his back would be in serious danger.¡±


    ¡°I won¡¯t cheat,¡± I said. ¡°I need this to work too.¡±


    ¡°Good. Let me concentrate for a moment. I haven¡¯t done that one in a while.¡±


    Watching Gygg imprint the bag was kind of a wake-up call in how far I had to go. There was fluidity in the way he drew from the magic. Every movement seemed well thought out. There was no pause, no small struggle. It was as if the rune had always belonged to the bag and the Tailor only acted as Nature¡¯s instrument.


    I had to remember to close my mouth.


    ¡°Fuck. How high is your Enchanter Class?¡± I asked when he finished.


    ¡°That¡¯s a rude question to ask,¡± he said, looking a bit smug.


    I took the bag and closed my eyes. The magic slowly poured in, linking the space within to the Aether.


    ¡°Uh.¡± I frowned. ¡°I thought it would take longer. Your rune is better, but it felt quicker than with the clothes I imprinted.¡±


    ¡°I used the same basic rune you did. Its quality doesn¡¯t account much for an item¡¯s capacity to absorb magic. The most important factor for that is the Mage¡¯s talent. An item¡¯s size also improves its capacity. But a rune¡¯s quality only acts on its characteristics. A perfect Hardening rune on a hammer will make it as resistant as diamond. Imprinting Magic runes are only supposed to be containers. There are probably more advanced runes specialized for each magic and each use, but I am no Mage so I can¡¯t help you there.¡±


    ¡°Right¡­ I won¡¯t be able to avoid the University, will I?¡± I had asked people about Winory. The more I learned, the less I wanted to go there. It seemed like a den of ambitious and power-hungry people. Like a dinner between politicians and lobbyists, except that they were all Masters of magic. No way at all this could go wrong.


    ¡°If you don¡¯t find a Mage to take you on as an apprentice, there¡¯s no better place to study magic in this part of the world. And from the rumours I heard, the other Academies aren¡¯t much different.¡±


    He shook his head and looked back at the dress, still waiting on its stand.


    ¡°Go on, Luc,¡± he said. ¡°I¡¯ll catch up with you in a few days. Don¡¯t forget to measure the magic in the bag frequently.¡±


    ¡°I will. Thank you Gygg.¡±


    True to his words, he came by Inrak¡¯s bookshop five days later. He wasn¡¯t alone though. Another Pix accompanied him, a female one with black hair, a leather vest and piercing eyes.


    Inrak led them upstairs. I expected her to back down immediately, but she served them drinks and took a stool at the table I had hastily cleaned off all my work. The Pixes sat cross-legged directly next to their cups.


    ¡°Thank you for your hospitality,¡± Gygg told her. ¡°I would like to introduce my niece, Xylubesd. She is a Messenger, a young member of the Guild of Sturron.¡±


    ¡°Call me Xyl. I am interested in this enchanted bag my uncle mentioned¡±, she said, straight to the point. ¡°Do you know how long they last?¡±


    I nodded. ¡°It held the magic for a little more than three full days. I fuelled it again right after and it hasn¡¯t gone out yet.¡±


    They both looked at each other. Gygg shrugged and sipped his drink, which I guessed meant he left it to her to decide.


    ¡°How much can it hold?¡± She asked, turning back to me.


    ¡°I filled it with water when the magic ran out and again right after and every few hours since then.¡± I had been exhaustive. I needed this to pay back Inrak.


    ¡°So that¡¯s why it¡¯s wet.¡±


    ¡°Uh¡­ Yeah. Sorry. Anyway, enchanted, it holds about half again as much. That doesn¡¯t seem to change even with less magic. I don¡¯t know if it will lose capacity every time I charge it again though.¡±


    Gygg answered that one.


    ¡°Everything wears and tears. Not even the Gods are immovable. You can augment an object¡¯s sturdiness with another rune like Hardening, but in the end, it will deteriorate, and the runes with it. It depends on how it is used. A better result could be attained by directly weaving the rune into the bag¡¯s material. I find the silver thread they make in Ozriles to be particularly dependable. Obviously it is far more complex. However, if, for example, I should craft a rune that way onto this bag by and it was put on a shelf and left alone, I am confident that that rune would be able to hold magic for at least a decade.¡±


    ¡°I did not know they could last this long!¡± exclaimed Inrak. ¡°You must be very talented.¡±


    ¡°I dabble, but I am far from the best Enchanter.¡± said Gygg. I thought I detected a faint reddening of his cheeks, but he was so small it was hard to see.


    ¡°Oh, you are too modest, I am sure!¡± Inrak replied. ¡°I am curious. Luc told me you were a Tailor. What kind of enchantments do you use with your craft? It has to be more than simply making the material stronger for you to be this good.¡±


    ¡°You are very astute. People focus on weapons, armours and walls, but there is much to the Art of Enchanting Clothes...¡±


    Gygg started lecturing on the intricacies of his job and his Classes. Inrak listened with rapt attention.


    I smiled at Xyl, but she was intent on examining the backpack. She had put her whole arm in it wiggled it around with concentration.


    I leaned closer to her to not disturb the ongoing conversation next to us.


    ¡°Does it suit your needs?¡±


    She stopped her exploration.


    ¡°Three days puts a limit on how far I can do deliveries with it. Especially if I have to take on another parcel on the way back.¡±


    ¡°How far do you usually go? You can still use the extra space, even if it¡¯s just for one way. And the weight doesn¡¯t increase at all, even when it¡¯s full. That¡¯s good, right?¡±


    ¡°It could be useful,¡± she admitted. ¡°How much would you ask to refuel it every time?¡±


    I had thought about that beforehand. I had asked the people I knew and even went to the Messenger¡¯s Guild to look at their range of prices. I did not want to ask too much. I was hoping to build a good relationship with Xyl.


    ¡°1 silver and 5 bronze Sturronian coins.¡±


    ¡°1 silver and 2,¡± she replied instantly.


    ¡°Deal.¡±


    That was more than fair, considering her uncle had provided the enchantment that made it possible. By reflex, I held out my hand to shake on it. She looked at it with a dubious look and, with a shrug, she high-fived me. Well. Good enough.


    ¡°I know a few people that might be interested too,¡± she said. ¡°Not only Pixes.¡±


    ¡°They would need to come with their own bag enchanted with a Magic Imprinting rune. My own runes don¡¯t hold the magic for long, it would not be worth it. And I¡¯d prefer not to attract too much attention yet, so if you could not shout it on the rooftops, I would appreciate it.¡±


    ¡°Only trusted friends, then. Got it. They should come here?¡±


    I glanced at Inrak. She and Gygg had ceased their discussion to follow ours. She smiled at me and nodded.


    ¡°Maybe they¡¯ll buy some books too,¡± she said. Then seemed to realize she had a potential customer in front of her. ¡°Would you like to buy some books?¡±


    ¡°Perhaps¡­¡± replied Gygg. ¡°What do you would have?¡±


    ¡°A better question is what I don¡¯t have! Come! Tell me what you like to read.¡±


    While they went downstairs, Xyl and I finished our transaction. I charged the backpack in full and she paid me. 1 silver and 2 bronze local coins. I would need much more to accomplish everything I wanted to, but it was a good first step. A reward for all the work I had put in.


    The Pixes left aftewards. My first holding bag was put to good use to carry the 3 books Inrak had managed to sell to the Master Tailor. We decided to celebrate that evening at Sirmy and Ripsile¡¯s stall.


    The little Schalass girl jumped up and down with excitement when I arrived with the skoga set I had bought for her.

 8 - Expanding the Customer Base

    The last weeks of autumn brought with them a cold biting wind. I bought myself a woollen cloak. Not being a beggar any more was pretty sweet.


    Every day, I trained my magic for as long as my mind could endure. When I couldn¡¯t any more, I ate, or napped, or meandered in the streets of Sturron. Then I reread the few books on my Classes that Inrak possessed. I thought about going to a different bookseller to see what they had in their stocks, but books in this world were far above my means. Especially those containing enough knowledge to help advance one¡¯s Classes. I had to ramp up my business activity. I needed better runes, greater magic. If I could just crack how to make a permanent Aether enchantment, even if the resulting storage capacity was weaker than with the current process, I would start to build a capital. One that I would need to progress further.


    And so I trained and I studied.


    *You have reached the level 8 of the Class Enchanter.*


    *You have reached the level 5 of the Class Student. You have gained the Skill Efficient Note Taking.*


    Oh, Margaux¡­ Surely our child was born already. It killed me that I was absent for it. How did it go? Were they both healthy? Were they both happy?


    Forgive me, my love, for taking so long to come back to you.


    *You have reached the level 8 of the Class Aether Mage.*


    I heard the door downstairs slammed close by a gust of air. This would be Xyl, I thought. She came in with remarkable consistency. Every three days. She would pause to chat with Inrak, but quickly she would fly up and hand me both her backpack and the coins to refuel its magic.


    We spoke often. She was a bit younger than me. A restless Pix, driven to grow, to become someone, like her uncle the Master Tailor. I empathized with her struggles.


    As predicted, Xyl came upstairs. Footsteps accompanied her. She had asked me if she could bring friends here. She trusted them and they might be interested in my magic.


    ¡°Hey, Luc,¡± she said, flying to me and giving me a high five. She was convinced that this was some ancestral greeting of my people.


    ¡°Hey Xyl. Are these the friends you mentioned?¡±


    Two people had followed her. The first one was a big male armadillo, or Bourok, as they were called. He only had pants on, held up by a belt with many pouches attached. The muscled skin on his torso was the colour of sand, with his plates a bit greyer. His tail was smaller than those of the Schalass. Hiding behind him was a young, blonde, white woman in nondescript clothes.


    ¡°This is Tork,¡± she said, pointing at the Bourok. He bowed. ¡°And that¡¯s Ana.¡± She waved at me.


    ¡°They¡¯re both Messengers like me. And friends. I told them you had helped me, though I didn¡¯t say how exactly. They wanted to meet you.¡±


    ¡°We have watched Xyl¡¯s recent success with pride and some envy, and we were curious as to the person behind it,¡± said the Bourok. He had a surprisingly high voice. I had talked to some of his species before, though briefly. They were not as common in Sturron as Schalasses or Pterars. The way they rolled around was impossible to miss however. Sonic would have been proud.


    ¡°Well, I just stay here all day so I can¡¯t take credit for all Xyl does, but I am happy to meet her friends. Please, have a seat. We don¡¯t have much to drink. Is ipio okay?¡±


    Only the woman declined. After they had settled down and I has served them their drinks, I turned to the Pix.


    ¡°So, what kind of success have you been having? You don¡¯t talk much about your work.¡±


    ¡°It occupies all of my days,¡± she sighed. ¡°I try to avoid it when I¡¯m not at the Guild or with other Messengers. But anyway. Since we¡¯re small and fast and we fly, Pixes are generally limited to letters, messages, invitations... Small things. One or two by trip maximum so customers don¡¯t have to wait too long. It doesn¡¯t pay as much, but it is reliable and there is always work. Few of us go too far outside the walls. Mail to and from the University, for example, is carried along with caravans of other goods. Less risk of losing it. I haven¡¯t gone as far yet obviously, but I¡¯ve started bringing small packages to towns close to Sturron. And for the last two weeks, I¡¯ve been hired by the Guard for outpost work.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s our work!¡± exclaimed the woman, Ana. Then she looked down. ¡°Sorry. But it usually is. Guard outposts need arrows, food sometimes. A Messenger is sent every three days or so. Xyl doesn¡¯t carry as much, but she goes every day. Pixes aren¡¯t supposed to do that.¡±


    The Pix in question chuckled.


    ¡°To be honest, it¡¯s still exhausting. Even with your help, Luc. But I¡¯m hoping that they¡¯ll start handing me better requests once they realize I can be trusted.¡±


    ¡°That seems like a good plan. And what do you two do?¡± I asked the others.


    Tork answered first.


    ¡°I pull a two-wheeled closed cart, specially made for Bourok Messengers. It allows me to do large volume deliveries. Mostly food, metals, raw materials. I have a regular contract with the mines and some farms. The drawback is that I have to use the roads. My cart doesn¡¯t handle forest ground well.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve seen a few of those carts in the city,¡± I said. ¡°They seem really well-crafted, though I imagine they require a lot of maintenance on these cobbled streets.¡±


    He nodded with a smile at the compliment.


    ¡°Thank you. They are the pride of our crafters. Our weapons garner a lot of attention, but Bourok Artisans are judged by the quality of their carts. The best of them are true masterpieces, enchanted to withstand tremendous damage and weather any terrain. Mine is outside, if you¡¯d like to take a look later.¡±


    ¡°Thank you, I would love to!¡± I exclaimed.


    Out of all the species of this world, the Bouroks were the most fascinating to me. I knew little about them but that they were few and considered to be honest workers. Inrak had once alluded to a tragic history though I did not look into it. I resolved to correct that.


    The last Messenger cleared her throat.


    ¡°I started recently. I do any work that I can find. Sometimes Guard deliveries like Xyl has been doing, sometimes joining caravans to Winory or other places. I¡¯m trying to get some regular customers, but it¡¯s hard. I¡¯m not specialized or anything,¡± she said a bit dejectedly.


    The Pix floated to her to give her a tap on the shoulder.


    ¡°You¡¯ll get there, Ana. It took time for us too¡±


    ¡°Indeed,¡± added Tork. ¡°My first year, I waited near the orchards west of here every day during the harvest so that I would not miss a contract. Sturron is on the brink of change. Opportunities are bound to arise.¡±


    Ana shrugged, not looking particularly convinced. She turned to me.


    ¡°So what do you do anyway, Luc? Ever since working with you, Xyl has been thriving. I¡¯m a bit envious, to be honest.¡±


    I thought about whether I should tell them. I wanted to keep a low profile. The warnings the Trade Master had given me still rang in my head. I needed to significantly develop my magic and level-up my Classes before I would be ready to face whatever waited for me out there. Yet it would take ages without money and actual practice. These were Xyl¡¯s friends. She had proved trustworthy so far. More than that, I liked talking with her when she came by. And her uncle had helped me greatly without asking for anything, just because I knew Sirmy. If I hid from those two Messengers now, I might as well find a deep cave and live in it. Nothing else would satisfy my paranoia.


    ¡°I¡¯m a beginner Aether Mage,¡± I said. ¡°Xyl¡¯s backpack has a Magic Imprinting rune on it, and I fuel it every few days. The rune allows it to carry about half again as much stuff.¡±


    ¡°The extra space has been growing actually,¡± added Xyl. she seemed happy that I had chosen to tell her friends. ¡°Slowly but steadily. Along with your improvements, I guess.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, I think so. The more I understand the Aether and get used to my Skills, the more I can pour into the rune. It lasts a little more than three days, less if the container gets dinged. That depends on the quality of the rune though. I¡¯ve been training my Enchanter Class too, but my runes barely last a day.¡±


    Tork looked thoughtful, pondering this new information. Ana had crossed her arms. She was frowning.


    ¡°So that¡¯s how you¡¯re able to make the Guard delivery every day,¡± she said, turning to Xyl.


    The Pix grinned.


    ¡°Yep! I have just enough space for an outpost¡¯s ration, plus a letter sometimes. It was a game-changer to me.¡±A case of content theft: this narrative is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation.


    ¡°That¡¯s so unfair,¡± mumbled the woman.


    ¡°How much would this cost?¡± Tork asked.


    ¡°One silver and two bronze for Xyl, because she was my first client and her uncle Gygg is a friend. Sturronian coins obviously. But the amount of magic depends on the size of the container, so I can¡¯t tell you exactly how much it would cost. I¡¯m open to discussion. And whether you are interested or not, I would appreciate you not telling anybody about this. I¡¯m not ready to go public yet. I have my reasons.¡±


    ¡°Of course, I understand,¡± he said. ¡°I am interested. With that much additional capacity, I could change my route to be more efficient. I will think about it. May I come back in a few days?¡±


    ¡°Sure, no problem. I¡¯m usually here or around. What about you?¡± I asked Ana.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know. I can spend days just looking for good work. And the tasks I do get are rarely dependent upon how much I can carry. Not to mention the cost of a good enchantment. I don¡¯t think it would be profitable for me, at least at the moment.¡±


    I thought about it. Another frequent customer would have been great. An idea came to me.


    ¡°What if I enchant your bag?¡± I asked. ¡°Free of charge, though I warn you I¡¯m still low level. But at least you would have a rune, and if you ever needed more space for a short delivery, you could come here and only pay at the time.¡±


    Xyl smiled at that, but the other two just looked startled.


    ¡°You¡¯d do that?¡± asked Ana.


    ¡°Well, yeah. A basic rune doesn¡¯t cost me anything but time and you would become a potential customer. Besides, you¡¯re a friend of Xyl.¡±


    ¡°It is generous of you¡±, said Tork.


    ¡°I¡¯ve depended upon the generosity of other people ever since I came to Sturron. It is only natural that I do my part in turn.¡±


    We talked a little more after that. I showed them how a recharge worked with Xyl¡¯s backpack and they told me more about the life of a Messenger. I asked Tork to expound on the city being on the brink of change like he had mentioned earlier. That had been on my mind ever since seeing the Schalass Lord at Gygg¡¯s shop. I had asked Inrak, but despite having more than a few nobles as customers, she did not pay much attention to the gossip surrounding them.


    ¡°It is about the rumours of the Duchess¡¯ failing health, you see?¡± the Bourok said.


    ¡°I heard about that. She has no heirs?¡±


    They all laughed like I had made a good joke. Xyl was the one to explain.


    ¡°A Schalass succession is always messy, and the Duchess has been ruling for a long time. She had three clutches. There are four first-born still alive, seven second-born and six third-born. Most of them have come back to the city. Alliances form and are broken almost daily.¡±


    ¡°Five third-born,¡± said Ana. ¡°I heard a body turned up at the docks. She was a Merchant. Not one of the favourites.¡±


    Tork was reassuring.


    ¡°It doesn¡¯t involve common people such as ourselves unless they specifically go looking for trouble. Everyone just needs to roll up and wait for the storm to pass.¡±


    ¡°Wise talk from someone who has armour on his back,¡± retorted Ana.


    ¡°You know that my plates are made of bone. I told you this before. And I obviously didn¡¯t mean it literally.¡±


    They all stayed to watch me enchant Ana¡¯s bag. Its size made it more difficult than the cups and clothes I was training on. To form a rune correctly, you had to envision the entirety of the item it would be enchanted upon. That was why the walls of the city were separated in smaller sections, each with their own runes. Nobody could enchant the whole perimeter in one shot. And besides, even if it were possible, such a rune would be greatly susceptible to sabotage, as damaging it would weaken the entire structure.


    I put some magic into the rune, so that she would know how much more it could hold. Then I escorted them out, with Tork promising he would be back soon with an answer.


    Inrak was beaming with a smile when I got back.


    ¡°New customers then?¡±


    ¡°Not yet. The Bourok at least, I think. I¡¯m not sure about the woman. But I¡¯m hopeful. If they become clients, I¡¯ll be able to pay you back much more rapidly.¡±


    ¡°Hmm¡­ what do you mean pay me back?¡± She shook her head like I had disappointed her. ¡°Nonsense. I don¡¯t want your money.¡±


    ¡°Inrak, you¡¯ve been accommodating me and feeding me ever since I got here. I can¡¯t even begin to repay you in kind yet, but with their business I will at least be able to participate more.¡±


    ¡°Well I refuse. You keep your money. You¡¯ll need it.¡±


    ¡°I will make more, that¡¯s not a problem. I¡¯m confident that I can crack the permanent space enchantment. I just need more training. So I will pay you back when I can. And you can¡¯t refuse. My only job here is to manage your money. I¡¯ll just cook the books so that you¡¯ll gain more. You won¡¯t see a thing.¡±


    All kinds of threats followed that declaration. I eluded them by proposing to go grab some food and not waiting for an answer. This was not something I was willing to compromise on. I would never be able to repay the kindness she had shown me. I would have probably died of hunger in a back alley, or become a thief to survive, without her help. Giving her some part of my earnings was the least I could do. It would not set me back much. And Margaux would have understood. I was sure of it.


    Just as I thought that, her voice came to support me.


    *You have reached the level 6 of the Class Student.*


    I didn¡¯t understand the leveling system at all. At moments it seemed logical, following a breakthrough in my studies. At others, like right now, it made no sense at all. How did my decision to reimburse Inrak granted me another level of the Student Class? The Gods had to be fucking with me, if they were even responsible for it. Perhaps it was time to pay Pamasteron another visit. Or maybe I would try to meet Illirya, the Goddess of Magic, this time. I had a lot of questions for her too.


    Tork came back two days later. I was downstairs, working on the bookshop¡¯s account, when he barged in.


    ¡°Luc! I¡¯m ready!¡± Then, seeing the look Inrak was giving him. ¡°Oh. My apologies, Miss Inrak. May I borrow Luc for a moment?¡±


    I followed the Bourok outside, grinning at her grumbling. He pointed at his cart with glee.


    ¡°Look! I¡¯ve had it enchanted. Hardening and Magic Imprinting.¡± He opened the trunk to show me. Just under it were the two runes. I whistled. Double runes required a good Enchanter, and Enchanters did not work for free. Well, I did, but I was not a very good one.


    ¡°This must¡¯ve cost you a lot, no?¡±


    ¡°No!¡± he laughed. He seemed pretty proud of himself. ¡°That¡¯s the beauty of it. I talked to my kin about your offer, though I didn¡¯t mention who you were of course. But they were extremely interested. If every Bourok Messenger can improve their cart¡¯s capacity by more than half, it will benefit all of us greatly. So they convinced one of our Enchanters to work on my cart. I will be experimenting your magic for them. If they judge it worth their investment, you might be looking at a bunch of new customers. Isn¡¯t it great?!¡±


    I was stunned.


    ¡°Tork¡­ that¡¯s amazing...¡±


    ¡°I know!¡± he said, and clapped in his hand like an excited schoolboy. I couldn¡¯t help but laugh and that set him off too.


    After we settled down, we discussed the cost. Since I had an opportunity for further business with his family, I was willing to lower it some. However, the amount of magic it would take to charge his cart was considerably larger than for Xyl, so the price had to reflect that. In the end, we agreed upon a cost of six silver and five bronze local coins, to be potentially renegotiated if the magic acted differently with an object this size. I deemed it fair.


    Then I realized there was a slight problem. The cart was much bigger than Xyl¡¯s backpack. I didn¡¯t know how long it would take me to charge it. And I couldn¡¯t do it right there in the street. The bookshop¡¯s door wasn¡¯t large enough, and it would have made for a conspicuous sight anyway.


    So we went to Sirmy¡¯s stall. It wasn¡¯t far and she had enough space inside to fit the cart. I was a bit embarrassed to ask, but she just laughed and directed us while Tork and I carried the thing inside. Tork did most of the work, to be honest.


    ¡°I wanna watch you do magic!¡± said Ripsile.


    Her mother shushed her.


    ¡°Magic is difficult, honey,¡± she said. ¡°You can¡¯t disturb Luc.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s fine, Sirmy. Least I can do for using your stall like that. I¡¯ll find another solution for next time, I¡¯m sorry. I just didn¡¯t think it through.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t mind. It makes for an interesting animation.¡±


    I turned to Ripsile. She was on her back and looking at the cart¡¯s underside while Tork named the various parts she was pointing at.


    ¡°All right, Ripsile!¡± I yelled as she scrambled out from underneath. ¡°You can watch, but you have to be silent the whole time, okay?¡±


    ¡°Yes, sir!¡±


    ¡°Good. Stand back a little.¡±


    I sat down next to the cart and put my hands on it. Closing my eyes, I felt the cart in its entirety. The rune was well-made, at least as good as Gygg¡¯s one. The Aether started pouring inside. The flow was more intense than with Xyl¡¯s backpack, but it still took much longer. At the end of it, I felt drained, but without any headache. The rune had done most of the work, I just served as the link between it and the Aether. Still, I would probably have to wait an hour or two to do this again.


    ¡°It¡¯s done,¡± I said.


    Tork bowed to me. He had lost some of his excitement and now looked at me with something like a deeper consideration.


    ¡°Thank you, Luc. This will be of great help.¡±


    ¡°I hope so,¡± I said. ¡°And be careful for this first time, I don¡¯t know how long it will last with those runes.


    ¡°I will. Thank you again.¡±


    We took the cart out of the stall again. I stayed afterwards to buy a few drinks and chat with the Schalass ladies.


    I was satisfied. My progress was slow, but it was progress. I would need to figure out a few things soon. I could not keep occupying Inrak¡¯s bookshop to work. I would need my own space. It was fine now with only Xyl coming in every three days, but I felt it would soon become too much.


    But still. A good day¡¯s work.


    The system seemed to agree because I heard the pleasant voice of my wife on the way back.


    *You have reached the level 9 of the Class Aether Mage.*

 9 - Bookshopping

    Having lots of money had never been a goal of mine. I was fortunate not to grow up in need and it just never seemed to matter that much, as long as I had enough. Money doesn¡¯t make you happy. It does help a lot though.


    I had a decent, regular income now. I could leverage it. And I needed a new book. Understanding the Aether, a treatise, was way too advanced for me. I lacked the basics. Most of my level-ups had been due to constant practical training instead of a better comprehension of what I was doing. I could get a good feel for it and I started to recognize the Aether features of some places I visited often, like Sirmy¡¯s stall, but I felt a mental block hindering my progress. The Aether was still too much of a mystery to me. I had to look for another manual.


    Luckily, I was living with an actual Collector of Books, whose whole career revolved around finding and acquiring books. She immediately went on the hunt like a hound tracking its prey. She wrote about twenty letters, though I was pretty sure there weren¡¯t that many bookshops in the entire city. I brought them myself to Ana at the Messenger¡¯s Guild. Her face scrunched-up.


    ¡°I appreciate the business, Luc, but if you want those done today, I¡¯ll have to share.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s fine. Just take what you can do yourself,¡± I told her. ¡°How are you anyway? Have you had time to think about my proposal?¡±


    ¡°I have, yeah. There might be an opportunity soon, and with the money you just gave me, I might pass by the shop soon.¡±


    ¡°Great! I¡¯m trying to find a new place actually. Tork¡¯s cart is too big and I¡¯ll have to at some point if I want to expand, so I figure I may as well look now. But I¡¯ll warn you guys once it¡¯s done.¡±


    ¡°You do that. I¡¯ll make sure your letters are delivered quickly.¡±


    I went to the harbour afterwards. Louprak was my best bet for finding a place of my own. As a Trade Master, he was sure to know a lot of people. I also had an idea that may prove extremely profitable. I has to run it by him first, there were too many unknowns for me. But if I was right, it would both solve any money trouble I had and fill my time for the foreseeable future. It could be a good way to level-up too.


    Unfortunately, the dock master I asked told me Siren¡¯s flight wasn¡¯t moored at the moment. They expected her back in a week or two. Just as well. It would give me time to refine my project.


    I had never seen Inrak on a book hunt before. Ever since coming here, I had been too focused on my studies, too self-centred to worry about the parts of her job that did not involve bookkeeping. Now that I paid attention, it was kind of scary. She reminded me of my gamer sister, cackling as she threatened her AI Civilization opponents of all the things she would do to their cities. I did not play against her myself. She had cured me of that folly a long time ago.


    Inrak was similar in that she actually talked while reading what her correspondents had sent back and then while writing her replies. I hoped her tone was much nicer on paper because I didn¡¯t think anybody hearing that would agree to any kind of deal with her.


    After so many weeks cooped up inside, I found myself going out on walks more often. I wandered through the streets, hands in my pockets and my head in the clouds. I breathed in every scent amidst the crispy cold of nascent winter. I followed no particular path. Sturron was a safe city. Its Guard patrolled often, in their navy blue uniforms. They had batons and levels and their arrival on the scene of a growing quarrel was often enough to cool tempers down. I avoided only the God¡¯s district and the Castle grounds. I was not ready for the first, and much too prudent for the second.


    While mainly a Schalass city, Sturron¡¯s harbour and its significance as a trading hub had made it a true melting pot. Pterars and Humans were second in terms of numbers. Lompres next ¨C that river otters-like species. They mostly stayed in their own parts of the city so I had little contact with them. Pixes came fifth I believed. They weren¡¯t always easy to spot however, so I may have been wrong there. There were some Goblins, scattered around the city, like the shopkeeper I had met my first day here. Bouroks were the least numerous. They made it up by being impossible to miss, rolling around like ambulance drivers on a mission.


    I met a few of them. Tork¡¯s kin, or perhaps his friends, he had not been specific. We needed space for me to enchant his cart while I waited for Louprak to come back. They happily provided, eager to watch for themselves and consider the possibilities.


    Inrak came through a few days later. She beamed with pride. I was entering the shop when she brandished a letter in front of my face.


    ¡°I found it!¡± she said, cackling.


    ¡°The book?¡± I asked, taking the paper. ¡°What is it?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s perfect! Exactly what you need! A thesis by a young Goblin Mage at Winory, supposed to be a genius.¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s the thesis about?¡±


    ¡°Read the letter! It has all the details.¡±


    I began to do just that. I was barely three sentences in, in the middle of a series of honorifics, when she interrupted me.


    ¡°So? What do you think?¡± Her talons were frenetically bumping each other, producing little clicks.


    ¡°I¡¯m still at the part where they say how great you are.¡±


    ¡°Hmm... Well he is very polite. Carry on.¡±


    The writer described the thesis he had bought not long ago, after a trip to the University. He had been very impressed with this Goblin. She was apparently greatly thought of, with innovative ideas on old concepts. This study was her second since she had graduated. In it, she explored each of the specific properties of the Aether, how it caused Aether magic to be so different from other types of magic and what it could teach us about the way the world worked. The thesis sounded like a speculative thought exercise based up an exhaustive description of what exactly was the Aether and what had been observed about it. The letter¡¯s writer boasted that it had granted him such a new perspective about the world that he had gained a level in his Philosopher Class.


    ¡°Inrak, this is perfect.¡± I was dumbstruck.


    ¡°Yes!¡± she yelled and clapped. ¡°Do you see? It¡¯s both about the basics of your magic and its effect on the world! You could maybe learn things about how to go home!¡±


    ¡°How did you even find this? It seems too good to be true.¡±


    ¡°Ah! I am a Collector of Books. An excellent one! Did you not read all the things he said about me?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, that was a bit weird. Is it a thing here to begin every letter like that? Not that everything wasn¡¯t true, of course.¡± I teased. She tapped me lightly on the arm.


    ¡°It¡¯s not usually as¡­ gushing. He probably wants to be in my good graces in case he ever needs a book. For the kind of Classes he has, sometimes the perfect book at the perfect time can be a tremendous leveling help.¡±If you spot this tale on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.


    That was new information. I had never asked her why people paid so much for her books that most of them were priced in Kiestan coins. I had just assumed it was a scarcity thing. I had not heard of a printing press after all, though Skills probably existed to help Scribes copy faster. So, once again, she had given me far more than I understood.


    ¡°Thank you, Inrak.¡± I said. ¡°I feel like every time I think I am starting to repay you, you do me a huge favour and I am back to square one.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s nothing,¡± she replied, blushing a little. ¡°You¡¯ll still have to go get it and pay for it though.¡±


    ¡°Of course! How much is it? I should have enough with all the work I¡¯ve been doing lately.¡±


    ¡°2 Kiestan silver.¡±


    I winced. That was most of what I had put aside.


    ¡°Sorry,¡± she apologized. ¡°It¡¯s kind of new. I couldn¡¯t barter much.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s fine. I¡¯ll make it back, and this will help a lot. I don¡¯t have Kiestan coins though, I¡¯ve always traded in Sturron ones. Where can I change it? Kiest¡¯s temple?¡±


    ¡°Ah! She wishes. The rest of the Gods already let Her get away with her acolyte minting their own currency, so they are all forbidden some Classes like Banker and so on. Rumour has it, Usurers have even lost their Class after just discussing some affairs with Kiestan priests. No, you¡¯ll need to find an Exchanger or something of the sort. Probably at the harbour.¡±


    ¡°Wait, you can lose your Class?¡± I asked.


    That was a scary thought. I had worked so hard and it could all be erased just like that?


    ¡°Hmm¡­ Well more often than not, Classes can get removed when multiple ones combine together so you don¡¯t lose the Skills you possess. But yes, actually losing a Class and its Skills has been known to happen. It¡¯s extremely rare though. It has to involve great, world-ruining matters. I have a book on it, I¡¯ll lend it to you if you want.¡±


    ¡°Absolutely. I need to know every subject I have to avoid.¡±


    As it turned out, money changing was most often done in the Bourse of Sturron, just two buildings down from the Harbourmaster¡¯s office. Entering, I found myself in a grand hall full of people loudly talking and haggling. It reminded me of those pictures of traders in suits that illustrated news articles about a stock market crash.


    There was a sign with multiple coins in one corner so I made my way through the room. I heard scraps of conversation, mentions of loans, companies and partnerships, maritime ventures. I had not realized the business side of this world was so advanced. My prejudices showed though it made little sense. I was aware that Italian and Dutch merchants had already developed complex trading practices as early as the 13<sup>th</sup> century. I had been so engrossed in my studies that I had missed a lot. I resolved to come back to the Bourse later. I would need to learn as much as I could to have the most chances of success in my plans.


    The exchange fee was a two bronze coins. Not a high percentage, but I was probably standing in the most competitive place for it in the city. A dozen Exchangers were holding a stand in this corner of the hall and rivalled with each other.


    Inrak¡¯s contact lived near the castle. From what I understood, he worked there as a sort of counsel to the Duchess. His name was Harras Toular and, like most of the ruling elite of Sturron, he was a Schalass. I met him at his home. A Human servant opened the door when I knocked and ushered me into an antechamber where she told me to wait for the Master. It seemed obvious to me that this room was meant to impress Toular¡¯s visitor. A beautiful red and gold rug took most of the floor while two nature paintings adorned the walls. An elegant leather divan and a low-slung coffee table occupied the middle of the room. It creaked when I sat on it. I expected to wait long enough that I would have all the time necessary to admire the taste of the person who owned this room and consider my own lack of importance in regards to him, but not too long that I would feel insulted. This Philosopher probably had Skills to measure that exact timing for each of his guests. It turned out that it was a little less than an hour for me. I had gotten quite decent at estimating the time based on the sun¡¯s movement. While I used some of this time to sense the Aether in this room, I did not wish to have a headache when I met Toular, so watching by the window had been my main occupation. I had a clear view of the castle¡¯s entrance. I was surprised by the flurry of activity that went through it. Carts, wagons, people of all species constantly walked by the two armoured Guards, only rarely being stopped and questioned. I did not know much about the social hierarchy in Sturron. It did not seem important at first, and I had gotten busy with more practical stuff. But the looming succession conflict meant I would probably have to acquire more information. Especially if Louprak consented to my business proposal. It would be risky to start a growing trade, especially an Aether magic one, without at least making oneself known to the powers that be.


    My host came in while I was chewing my plans over.


    ¡°Apprentice Luc, I presume?¡± said a deep voice behind me.


    I turned and nodded at the Schalass. He was tall and wore a green robe that seemed to be silk. It definitely looked expensive.


    ¡°Councillor Toular.¡± Inrak had coached me on the proper way to address someone of his station.


    ¡°Your Master mentioned you were a Human, but I thought you would be younger,¡± He motioned me to the divan and sat next to me. ¡°I haven¡¯t met many Apprentices of your age.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not actually an Apprentice in that I don¡¯t have that Class, nor Inrak¡¯s. I mostly help her around the shop and do her bookkeeping.¡±


    While I was talking, the same servant that guided me here came in carrying a tray with two glasses and a jug on it.


    ¡°Interesting,¡± said Toular. ¡°Will you take wine? It¡¯s a red from the hills of Izale. I have grown quite fond of it.¡±


    ¡°I will, thank you.¡±


    I had tried a few wines at Sirmy¡¯s, but they were a bit disappointing. I hoped this guy had the good stuff. The woman poured both glasses and took her leave with a bow.


    ¡°Here you go,¡± he said. ¡°To your health.¡±


    ¡°And yours.¡±


    I couldn¡¯t look at the robe because the glass was opaque. It had an intense aroma, likely a young wine, though I wasn¡¯t good at discerning the various smells. I knew what I liked though, and the taste as I took a sip left me grimacing.


    ¡°Ha!¡± laughed Toular. ¡°My apologies, you perhaps are not used to wine of this calibre.¡±


    ¡°I actually am,¡± I replied. ¡°This one is a bit too astringent for me.¡±


    I drank another mouthful.


    ¡°Mineral notes,¡± I said. ¡°Too short. It probably would have benefited from a year or two in a cave before opening it. I don¡¯t think it has quite reached its full flavour yet.¡±


    Toular looked like he had swallowed a lemon. The wine wasn¡¯t quite that bad certainly. To be honest, I knew I was being rude, but I had not appreciated him making me wait just to sell a book. And I did not lie. The wine was too young.


    ¡°I was not aware you were a connoisseur,¡± he said.


    Well, I am French, I wanted to say. But that would have raised up a lot of questions I could not answer. And besides, it was a bit of a clich¨¦. Not every French person knew about wine. Most of us only consumed a lot of it. It was actually Margaux that had insisted we take oenology classes, simply to know more about what we drank at first, but we quickly grew to like it. The group we had found was full of old, retired people that met up every other Saturday to discourse more and more incoherently about the wine they tasted as the evening wore on. It was great. We never missed a session, up until Margaux got pregnant, and we swore ourselves we would go back afterwards.


    ¡°Oh, I am nothing of the sort,¡± I said. ¡°But I do love wine. Please forgive me, I did not mean to be rude. It is far better than the cheap ones I can usually afford.¡±


    ¡°Well, we all have our penchants, there is nothing to forgive,¡± he replied with a tone that contradicted his words. ¡°But you came here about a book. I assume Inrak gave you the money?¡±


    I sensed that he had originally meant to mine me for information about Inrak and her business and how I fit in, but my effrontery had soured his mood. All in all, I found it preferable. I let him think I was only acting as Inrak¡¯s agent. The transaction went quickly and I was politely ejected out of his house just as quickly. I hoped it would not come back to bite me though.


    I held my new book, the first one that truly belonged to me, close to my chest. I could not wait to dive into it. I wasn¡¯t close to finding a way home yet, but I made progress, step by step. As long as I did not stop, I would succeed. I had to.

 10 - Encounters

    A detailed look at the Aether and what it can teach us about Magic began with a foreword by its author, Skra Rokel:


    ¡°Readers of my previous works will know that I aim, always, towards a determined goal.


    I care little for the form, my only requirement that it serves as an adequate container of the substance. I will therefore refuse to weave the convoluted fog of sentences that some of my peers shield their ideas behind. Critics will not find me hiding behind their supposed lack of understanding of what I expose here ¨C unless of course they show demonstrable bad faith.


    This study concerns itself with the Aether. I will expose with meticulousness its peculiar properties and attempt to explore their significance in relation to Magic in the fundamental sense of the word, as well as its associated Classes and Skills. While this last part is, by definition, subjective and prone to debate, the first one is not. The Aether is a known entity. It has been often dismissed as too different from the rest of magical studies to be of any theoretical use. My goal in this treatise is to offer a contradictory opinion.¡±


    As I read on, it became clear that Skra Rokel was as good as her word. Her writing was deliciously simple, axioms served as a base and logic was used as a cement to expand upon them. I did not have to read the same page five times to try to understand her reasoning. It was refreshing. I did, however, take frequent breaks to wrap my head around some ideas. The book was dense, but it soon proved fruitful.


    *You have reached the level 8 of the Class Student.*


    It took me some time to get used to the communal baths of Sturron, but I had to admit they were a decent alternative to a world without running water. Hydromancers paid by the city worked in shifts as a kind of public service. Few citizens ¨C mages excluded, could afford a personal set-up. Even Inrak, who I estimated to be among the upper-middle class, did not bother. The baths were a tradition in Sturron. Everybody was welcome, regardless of gender, species or wealth. The entry was free, some wise ruler of old having realized that the expense was well worth the health and sanitary benefits it brought.


    I went every day. I was too used to taking a shower in the morning. I felt dirty if I could not clean myself before starting my day. Ripsile made fun of me when I told her. Sirmy was more polite. She hid her laugh behind her claws. I took it in stride. It was a bit weird to be honest since the smells didn¡¯t bother me as much any more. But the baths provided me with a break, a time to lose myself in the water¡¯s warmth, to ponder this life, where I was, how far I had to go. It was a time of peace and reflection. All of this to say that I had become well-acquainted with the complete anatomy of every species in Sturron, so I barely felt any embarrassment when Ana came up to me with a male Schalass while I took my morning soak. They were both completely naked.


    ¡°Hey, Luc,¡± she said before high-fiving me. Xyl¡¯s bad influence.


    ¡°Good morning, Ana. It¡¯s been a while. How are you?¡±


    ¡°Fine, fine. I¡¯ve been working on something to do with your proposal.¡± She sat down next to me and introduced her associate. ¡°This is Piras, he works at the castle.¡±


    ¡°Nice to meet you,¡± the Schalass said, sitting next to Ana.


    ¡°Likewise,¡± I replied, decidedly not looking down. ¡°So, what can I do for you?¡±


    Ana glanced around. It was early morning. The few people present did not dawdle. Most quickly scrubbed themselves and hurried out to go to work. Nobody was close to us.


    ¡°We had a few questions about your Skills as a Portal Mage.¡±


    I was not pleased by that. I remembered very clearly asking the three Messengers for discretion. I did not know this Piras and this all seemed a bit fishy to me.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know what you mean,¡± I said, hoping she would take the hint.


    She frowned and opened her mouth, but the Schalass laid a hand on her arm. His voice had a slight accent, stretching some of his vowels a little bit too long.


    ¡°Our apologies, Mister. We are aware that this approach might seem abrupt to you, but there is no better place than the baths to have a quiet conversation. Some of the capabilities of an Aether Mage are of interest to us, but your Class is not. If you are not able or interested, we will leave and your secret will be kept. I give you my word.¡±


    His tone was gentle, but I did not trust him. I didn¡¯t need this. I had a plan and it did not involve plotting in the nude. Still, I did not want a scene. Might as well hear them out and get this over with.


    ¡°What do you want to know then?¡± I asked Piras.


    ¡°Just a few things. Have you reached level 10 in your Aether magic yet? I only ask because the Skill we require is usually gained at that point.¡±


    ¡°Do you mean Reaching the Aether? I read about it, but I don¡¯t have it yet. I can¡¯t do much apart from enchanting bags with extra space.¡±


    ¡°That is already a valuable skill, but not what we are in need of,¡± the Schalass said. He bowed his head like Tork occasionally did. ¡°Thank you for your time, Mister Luc. And again, please accept our apologies for any nuisance we may have caused you.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s okay,¡± I said while he rose. ¡°Have a good day.¡±


    ¡°You as well.¡±


    Ana looked torn between following Piras and staying, but in the end, she quickly ran after him.


    ¡°Sorry, Luc!¡± she said hurriedly. ¡°I¡¯ll make it up to you!¡±


    My mood was somewhat spoiled after that. I knew I should have been more careful. Louprak told me as much before he left. But I thought I was doing so well. And between Inrak, Sirmy, Ripsile, Gygg, Xyl even, I was surrounded by genuinely nice people I had learned to trust. It was hard to stay wary. Was I even correct to be so paranoid? Aether magic couldn¡¯t that valuable, otherwise everybody would learn it. After all, it had only taken me a few months of constant practice. Surely there would be some Aether Mages around. At least in rich people households. They could afford the resources it took to gain the Class and bring it to a useful level.


    I did not think I would be followed going back to the bookshop, but I could not keep myself from glancing over my shoulder a few times. It was definitely time to find a new place to work in. Inrak had done so much for me, I could not involve her in my troubles, real or imagined.


    When word came that Louprak¡¯s ship had entered the harbour two days later, I practically ran down there.


    I blew on my hands, trying to warm them while I waited for the two tugboats to pull the Siren¡¯s Flight in its assigned place. It was still really cold in Sturron, probably around 5¡ãC mid-morning. Inrak assured me that winter would not last much longer. I hoped she was right. I was deeply missing my mountain clothes. Also, a central heating system. Hot chocolate too. I hadn¡¯t found anything resembling its comforting taste yet, though not for lack of trying.


    I was not the only one waiting for Louprak. Three merchants were standing next to me, gossiping about a fourth that was absent. There was a Pterar, a Goblin, and a Schalass, but their talk would not have been out of place at any coffee machine back on Earth. It was reassuring in a way. People were people, and gossip was a fact of life.


    When the ship finally finished docking, the merchants hurried down the ramp that was being set. I followed leisurely. I did not want to appear desperate. Louprak came over the railing, wearing a heavy coat and a brown hat. Seeing me, he shouted:


    ¡°Luc! I¡¯ll come by the store later today.¡±


    I nodded and he focused on the three gossipers, his jaw set. I did not stay to listen to their conversation. It would probably have been instructing, but I could not wait to get out of this cold. I wasn¡¯t too disappointed that the Trade Master could not see me now. It would give me time to refine my pitch.The tale has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.


    Xyl was waiting inside the bookshop when I came back, sitting quietly on a stool too big for her while Inrak dealt with a customer. She floated over to me.


    ¡°Hey Xyl, how are you?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m fine, thanks,¡± she said. Then she frowned. ¡°You always ask that question, even if we see each other many days in a row, why is it?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know.¡± I shrugged. ¡°It¡¯s a habit where I¡¯m from. We always say ¡®Hey how are you? Good and you? Good, thanks¡¯ every time, even if it¡¯s not true. In a way, it does have its uses, because when your co-worker answers ¡®I¡¯m not fine¡¯, you know they¡¯re close to suicide.¡±


    The Pix looked at me like I had grown horns. Which, I was pretty sure, were a thing on some sentient species¡¯ head here.


    ¡°Where are you from, anyway?¡± she asked. ¡°You never told me how you came to be in Sturron.¡±


    ¡°I haven¡¯t? How weird. Hmm¡­ So, did you come for a recharge?¡±


    She snarled. ¡°Fine, keep your secrets. Yes, I did. Should we go upstairs?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, come on.¡±


    She landed on my shoulder and flicked my ear.


    ¡°Hey! What was that for?¡±


    ¡°What was?¡± she said innocently.


    ¡°You hit me!¡±


    ¡°I did? How weird. Hmm...¡±


    I burst out laughing. They were small, but the few Pixes I knew definitely compensated by lacking subtlety.


    ¡°So anyway, what¡¯s up with Ana?¡± I asked as I climbed the stairs. ¡°She came to me with a strange Schalass two days ago and they asked about my Class. Then they left when I told them I wasn¡¯t level 10 yet.¡±


    ¡°She did? Crap! I¡¯m so sorry! She hasn¡¯t been herself for some weeks. I thought by introducing her to you, she¡¯d get a boost in her job. And you¡¯re both Humans and young and single, so it seemed like a great idea. I didn¡¯t think she¡¯d try to use you.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s okay. They were polite at least and they didn¡¯t insist. But it didn¡¯t seem above board, you know?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, I can guess. I don¡¯t know what they wanted you for, but it can¡¯t be too good. I¡¯m worried about her.¡±


    I acquiesced with a sound.


    ¡°By the way, I¡¯m not single,¡± I said, sitting at my work desk ¨C Inrak¡¯s dining table. ¡°See this ring? It means I am married in my country.¡±


    ¡°Really?¡± Xyl looked skeptic. ¡°What are you doing here then? And where¡¯s your partner?¡±


    ¡°She¡¯s home,¡± I sighed. ¡°Why do you think I¡¯m learning Aether magic?¡±


    Xyl left quickly after I had refuelled her backpack, apologizing profusely multiple times. If I had to bet, I would have put money on Ana getting an earful soon.


    I tried to get back to my book, but I could not focus. This encounter had left me nostalgic. I missed Margaux. I missed home. I missed only having to worry about what movie we were going to watch this weekend. I dearly wanted to get mind-numbingly drunk for a while and forget everything, but this was not productive. It would probably end up with me feeling even worse. I owed it to Margaux, to myself. I had to be strong, to keep working. So I slapped my face a couple of times and opened Skra Rokel¡¯s book where I had left it.


    Louprak came by the store in the middle of the afternoon. I was upstairs, engrossed in a chapter detailing the uses of Reaching the Aether, the level 10 Skill that Ana¡¯s shifty friend had asked about. It was the third fundamental Skill of the Class, before it could specialize. I already had the two others, Sensing and Influencing the Aether. The combination of the three was what allowed Aether Mages to create portals out of thin air and teleport far away. In the most basic form of a portal, a Mage had to Sense where he was situated in the Aether and recognize the place where he wanted to go. Then he would Influence the Aether to contract in a thin line between those two places and, Reaching through, he would teleport. I could not wait to try it out. I was getting better with my two Skills, though I still had far to go. I felt that Sensing, or Reading, as it would apparently upgrade at some point, was the most important for me. I would need to develop an insane range if I wanted to find Earth somewhere in the Aether.


    Hearing footsteps got me out of my thoughts. Louprak entered the room, holding his hat in front of him.


    ¡°Hey there, Luc,¡± he said and shook my hand. ¡°Sorry for blowing you off earlier, I had to deal with those crooks. You¡¯re working hard I see,¡± he added with a glance at my desk.


    ¡°Yes sorry, let me make some room,¡± I replied and started gathering all of my notes dispersed around the table. ¡°And it¡¯s no problem, I understand. Do you want anything?¡±


    ¡°No, thank you. I won¡¯t be long, I have to get back to my crew. But I was curious to know why you were waiting for me at the docks.¡±


    ¡°Oh, you¡¯re already going back out to sea?¡± I asked. This was not good. I felt little chance of my plans working without the Trade Master¡¯s help. He clearly saw my alarm because he laughed.


    ¡°No, I¡¯ll be here a few more days. I still have some cargo space to fill with contracts. But the crew and I have a kind of tradition before I release them for their first night in port. So why did you want to see me?¡±


    ¡°All right.¡± I took a deep breath. I had prepared for this.


    ¡°You know that I¡¯m an Aether Mage and an Enchanter. We talked about it last time. Currently, I¡¯m able to enchant an item with a Magic Imprinting Rune able to hold Aether for about a day, with a space gain of about 60 percent at the moment. It grows to about 3 to 4 days if the rune is made by a good Enchanter. And that¡¯s without actually crafting the runes in the item during its making. I¡¯ve been working with some Messengers and it¡¯s been great for them. Now, with your help, I want to expand to the harbour. The goal is to find a workspace other than Inrak¡¯s apartment, preferably in the backroom of another business so I won¡¯t be too exposed, and start proposing my services to you and other Trade Masters.¡±


    ¡°I remember our discussion,¡± he said. ¡°A day isn¡¯t enough for most sea voyages and there¡¯ll still be problems when a barrel loses its enchantment mid-travel because the waves tossed it around too much. How do you plan do deal with that?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s the thing! I don¡¯t!¡± Louprak leaned back at my outburst. I had been a little loud. But I was really proud of my idea. I settled down and continued. ¡°Sorry. I don¡¯t, because my enchantments won¡¯t go on ships. You¡¯re right, it¡¯s too risky. You would need a Hardening rune on top, but that¡¯s expensive because each barrel will need to be examined by the Enchanter after every trip. So I don¡¯t enchant ship-barrels. I enchant basic crates and barrels, or even sacks, that never leave the docks.¡±


    I looked at him with exhilaration. He just stared at me.


    ¡°Please explain, I¡¯m not sure where you¡¯re going with this.¡±


    ¡°Right. Well, these enchanted containers would be wider, but smaller than the ones ships use. And not adapted to sea travel, but to be easily moved and carried. And they would never leave the docks. Their only use would be to load and unload ships. You put a crate in its enchanted holder ¨C I need a better name for them, and poof! It lost about 40 percent of its weight! It would speed up the process so much!¡±


    Louprak was frowning, the feathers on his head pointing menacingly at me.


    ¡°I¡¯ve never heard of this,¡± he said finally. ¡°I didn¡¯t know Aether worked like that. It seems strange. How sure of yourself are you?¡±


    ¡°Pretty sure. The books I¡¯ve read all agree on the Aether properties, and I¡¯ve even tested my idea. I still have to improve my designs for the holders to make them as easy to move as possible, but the theory is sound.¡±


    The Pterar stood up abruptly.


    ¡°Good,¡± he said. ¡°Then come to the Siren¡¯s Flight tomorrow, just after noon. Prepare a pitch and a demonstration if you can. I¡¯ll need you to explain it in details to some people. Then we will see what we can do.¡±


    ¡°Really? Excellent! I¡¯ll be there! Thank you, Louprak.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t thank me,¡± he said, patting me on the shoulder. ¡°It¡¯s not done yet. But if it works as you say it does, we may have something. You¡¯ve done good work, Luc. Inrak has nothing but good things to say about you. I think it¡¯s been nice for her, having you around.¡±


    ¡°I would have never done anything without her,¡± I replied truthfully. ¡°If this works, I¡¯ll be able to give her back some of her space and try to repay all that I owe her.¡±


    ¡°Perfect. Don¡¯t forget. Tomorrow, just after noon.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll be there.¡±


    As soon as Louprak left, I jumped up and silently yelled. I was in. I just needed to nail my presentation tomorrow and I could start my business.


    I took a blank page and started scribbling. I had to buy two jugs.

 11 - The Pitch

    I looked up at the Siren¡¯s flight. Just after noon, Louprak had said. I could not know for myself since the sun had decided to hide behind milky clouds, but the harbour had a Timekeeper close to the Bourse and she had assured me that it was noon. I had not eaten much. My stomach had tightened up. I had just grabbed a few clementines to eat on the way.


    I tapped the bag on my shoulder. My notes were there, along with a few items I planned to use in my presentation, blank paper and a quill in case I needed to write more. This was it. I was ready.


    ¡°Hello?¡± I yelled at the Pterar leaning against the railing and looking bored.


    ¡°What do you want?¡± he called back.


    ¡°I¡¯m Luc, I¡¯m supposed to meet Louprak.¡±


    He stood up with sudden energy. ¡°Oh, you¡¯re the Human? Come up then. The Trade Master¡¯s not back yet, but you can wait for him here.¡±


    The sailor bent down and grabbed a plank that he laid on the railing. I grabbed the end of it and put it down. It was thinner than the planks I had seen when the ship was being unloaded, but it made sense. Those were likely heavy, not practical for simply boarding the ship. Seeing my hesitating advance, the Pterar gave me his hand and helped me up for the last few steps.


    ¡°Thanks,¡± I said.


    ¡°No worries, I¡¯m Rolik.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m Luc.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, you said. First time on a ship, Luc?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not actually. But the ones I¡¯ve been on before were either smaller or far, far bigger. Easier to get on.¡±


    ¡°What do you mean bigger?¡± he said, frowning at me. He had brown feathers and a youthful, eager look. ¡°Siren¡¯s flight¡¯s a great ship! You won¡¯t find many merchant vessels larger. Maybe some military galleys, with all their rowers, but that¡¯s it.¡±


    I held up my hands, smiling. If only I could show him pictures of those giant ocean liners from Earth, but my phone had disappeared before or during my fall in the harbour and besides, I doubted that magic could somehow link to the internet.


    ¡°I meant no offence, friend. This is indeed a beautiful ship. Would it be possible to get a tour while waiting for Louprak?¡±


    He perked up at that and became full of enthusiasm.


    ¡°Sure! Help me pull the plank and I¡¯ll show you around!¡±


    ¡°This is the main hold,¡± Rolik said, opening his arms. We had followed a wide, slightly descending, ramp close to the deck where we were. We had come into a large, dimmed space that smelled of wood and a mix of earthy scents.


    ¡°It¡¯s empty right now ¡®cause we just unloaded, but it can carry about 80 barrels. We usually put the rest in the lower hold. That makes about 100 barrels total, though you need a good wind to push her around when she¡¯s heavy like that, ah!¡± He slapped the wood of the wall like it was a mate¡¯s shoulder.


    ¡°So you just roll the barrels on this ramp, onto the deck, and then down to the pier?¡± I asked. I had a vague idea about how it worked, but I would need more details if I wanted to offer the best services.


    ¡°That¡¯s right! Hard work. Those things are heavy. Specially when they¡¯re full of wine or oil. Still, better than crates. Or grain sacks. One time, we had to carry some sort of gravel in big sacks. That was bad.¡± He shivered at the memory. Then smiled again. ¡°Gave me a level though. A strength Skill. I needed it, all the others have one like it.¡±


    ¡°Yes, I imagine it makes things easier.¡±


    Though I hoped it didn¡¯t make them too easy, otherwise my ideas would fall flat on their face.


    ¡°It does! Come, I¡¯ll show you the upper deck! You can look at all the ships from there!¡±


    Before we had gone back to the light though, a terrible voice issued from the pier.


    ¡°Rolik! You lazy, wingless, fledgeling! Where are you?!¡±


    The fledgeling in question visibly blanched.


    ¡°Oh shit,¡± he said, ¡°They¡¯re back!¡±


    He hurried back to his post and I followed.


    A male Pterar was standing on the deck, his arms crossed and cold anger in his eyes.


    ¡°Rolik!¡± he yelled. ¡°What were your orders?¡±


    The young sailor was hopping from foot to foot and making low gargles.


    ¡°To stand watch, sir.¡±


    ¡°To stand watch! And what were you doing just now?¡±


    ¡°Showing the Human around, sir...¡±


    ¡°Showing the Human around! Unbelievable! And who was standing watch while you were gallivanting around the ship?¡±


    ¡°Nobody, sir.¡±


    ¡°Nobody! Now, Rolik, do you think I would have ORDERED you to stand watch if I wanted nobody to actually be watching?¡±


    ¡°Hum.. No? Sir?¡±


    ¡°Damn right!¡± he yelled.


    At this point I felt so bad for the poor sailor that I stepped up.


    ¡°Sorry, sir,¡± I said. ¡°It was my fault. I asked Rolik here to give me a tour. I¡¯m Luc.¡±


    The Pterar turned to me with an appraising look. He extended a hand.


    ¡°I¡¯m Koltrak. The Siren¡¯s First Mate. The Trade Master will be here shortly. Will you need anything?¡±


    ¡°I brought two jugs, yeah. I was going to fill them with water for a demonstration.¡±


    ¡°Rolik!¡± he yelled abruptly, making the both of us jump. ¡°Grab Mister¡¯s Luc jugs and go fill them! At once!¡±


    The sailor almost ripped my bag trying to execute his orders. I gave him the jugs that I had bought earlier from a cheap potter. They had a handle of the side. He took them in one hand, ran to the railing, saw that the plank was still on the deck, looked at his superior with round eyes, tried to manage with one hand, finally realized he had to put the jugs down, lowered the plank, delicately took back the jugs and practically jumped out of the ship.


    Koltrak and I looked at each other. He shook his head.


    ¡°Fledgelings.¡±


    I was standing in Louprak¡¯s cabin. My two jugs, filled with seawater, had been set down on the desk in front of me. Louprak was sitting on a stool on the other side, with Koltrak hovering over his shoulder. Next to them, a Schalass was watching me intently. Her name was Flyssa. She was wearing a nice light brown tunic with a woolen cape clasped around her neck. Her scales were of a slightly deeper green than other Schalasses, and she was the key to my plans.


    ¡°Go ahead, Luc,¡± Louprak told me with an encouraging smile.Love this story? Find the genuine version on the author''s preferred platform and support their work!


    ¡°Thank you, Louprak,¡± I began. ¡°And thank you, Miss Flyssa and Koltrak for attending. I realize that you do not know me at all and that I will both make claims that you cannot easily verify and present you with ideas that are no more than that at the moment. I will try to be as forthcoming as possible. Please do not hesitate to interrupt me with any questions you might have.¡±


    I stopped and looked the three of them in the eyes, one by one. That was important. You had to address your audience. I went on:


    ¡°I am both an Aether Mage and an Enchanter. Still at the lower levels of both of those Classes. However, I have been practising and experimenting on combining their effects. For a few weeks now, I have been working with two Messengers, one of them a Pix who has since found great success in running jobs for the Guard. They have not regretted it...¡± I paused there. I wanted to add ¡°so far¡± to make a joke, but, looking around, none of them seemed in a joking mood.


    ¡°The gist of it is this: combining a Magic Imprinting rune and Aether manipulation, I can significantly augment a container¡¯s capacity, for a limited period of time. The time depends on the quality of the rune. Mine, tested on small to medium containers, hold magic for about a day before needing to be recharged. The capacity¡¯s improvement seems to depend entirely on my Skill with Aether. It currently adds about 60% in volume at a constant weight. I brought these two jugs to demonstrate what I am talking about.¡±


    ¡°Please do,¡± said Flyssa. She was leaning forward, which I took as a good sign.


    ¡°All right,¡± I said. ¡°I bought both of these earlier today and a sailor here filled them with sea water.¡±


    I thought I detected the corner of a smile on Koltrak¡¯s face on the edge of my vision.


    ¡°Nothing else has been done to them. Would you please inspect them to verify?¡±


    Both Louprak and Flyssa got up. The Pterar simply looked them over with distant curiosity, but the Schalass carefully examined them.


    ¡°Please compare both of their weight too,¡± I added. She did so, taking one in each claw.


    ¡°They seem mostly similar,¡± she said. ¡°This one has a small defect but I don¡¯t think that was intended.¡±


    ¡°It was not,¡± I said apologetically. ¡°They were not particularly expensive.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s fine,¡± she waved and they both sat down. ¡°Go on.¡±


    ¡°Thank you.¡±


    I approached the desk.


    ¡°As I said, this enchantment acts both on the inner volume of the container and the weight of what is contained within. I won¡¯t claim to fully understand it, but I believe the rune acts as a conduit between the item and the Aether. I will now enchant one of the jugs to show you the effects I am talking about.¡±


    I took the left jug in both hands and focused on it. By now, the rune came easily to me, though I did not want to make them wait too long so I was somewhat sloppy. I then poured Aether magic into it. I looked at it as pouring in the magic or fuelling the rune, but I wasn¡¯t sure that was the best way of thinking about it. Still. Now wasn¡¯t the time for a deep reflection on the link between Aether and this world. Done, I placed the jug back on the desk.


    ¡°You saw me enchant this jug with a Magic Imprinting rune and then charge it with Aether magic. If you could please inspect both of them again.¡±


    They stood up. This time, Louprak checked the jugs with more consideration. Even Koltrak took an interest. Having compared the weight of the two jugs and put her claw in the enchanted one, Flyssa studied me.


    ¡°60 per cent, you said?¡± she asked finally.


    ¡°Well, there are two ways of looking at it. If there were ten parts of water in the jug, you could now put another 6 parts, indeed. And with 16 parts, it would weigh exactly ¨C I think, I could not do more precise tests, the same as it did before with 10 parts. Or, you could say that, once enchanted, the jug with 10 parts of water now weighs 62.5 per cent of what it weighted before. That¡¯s the basis of my proposal. Putting more into an enchanted container, like, for example, pouring three barrels of wine into two enchanted ones before rolling them out, wouldn¡¯t speed up the process much and would be a source of accidents. What I want to do is create holders for the containers. I have many designs for these holders that I want to experiment with. Once we have them, my idea was that we would rent them to ships during the day for loading and unloading and I would charge them all in the morning. What do you think?¡±


    I looked at them expectantly. I thought I had made a decent speech. Perhaps I had been too honest about how much I didn¡¯t know, but I didn¡¯t want to make them believe I was some kind of great Wizard only to be disappointed later on. I had plans and they did not involve cheating my business partners.


    Louprak was still holding both jugs and comparing their weight, a frown on his face. Koltrak was watching and whispering with him. Flyssa just stared at me.


    ¡°How often can you do that?¡± she asked.


    ¡°Once they¡¯re enchanted, I can charge around ten holders in a day depending on their size.¡±


    ¡°You spoke of trying out designs. What do you have in mind?¡±


    ¡°Well actually, I was hoping to confer with Louprak and Koltrak about that. I have a few that may work, but I don¡¯t have the practical experience necessary to know whether I¡¯m right or wrong.¡±


    Hearing their name, the two Pterars glanced up and put down the jugs.


    ¡°We¡¯ll be docked here for at least a week,¡± said Louprak. ¡°I can lend you a few of my sailors to figure out the best way to use your magic.¡± He turned to the Schalass. ¡°If, that is, you believe this proposal holds merit, Miss Flyssa?¡±


    ¡°It does,¡± she replied. ¡°You know it does. But I must ask before going further: why did you come to me and not one of the more established Banker or Merchant?¡±


    The Trade Master made a low chuckling sound. He pointed at me with his beak.


    ¡°Luc here is a friend of a friend. He is new at this. I would be unkind to throw him to those monsters. Besides, I believe that you two would make a good match. There is potential for growth here, and you are well-suited to bring it to light.¡±


    She thought silently for a while. The look Louprak gave me told me to be patient. Finally, she nodded.


    ¡°I¡¯m in.¡±


    ¡°Great!¡± I exclaimed. I applauded. I had made the first step!


    Flyssa smiled at my enthusiasm, then addressed Louprak.


    ¡°What part do you wish for in this enterprise, Trade Master?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll take a tenth. For putting it together and for the funds I will contribute. I¡¯ll help when needed. I only require that the Siren¡¯s flight be given priority to Luc¡¯s services when we¡¯re in port.¡±


    ¡°Acceptable,¡± Flyssa said. ¡°Mage Luc. I will provide you with funds to get started, a workshop close to the harbour and my contacts for whatever you will need. You will do the actual work. I propose that we split the rest equally. Nine twentieth each. Are we in agreement?¡±


    I made a show of mulling it over, but in truth, this was more than I had hoped. This would allow me to start this business soon while not having to worry too much about the non-magic part of it.


    ¡°We are,¡± I said. ¡°But I want to stay out of the spotlight. I already had one person asking intrusive questions. I don¡¯t want people to know me as the Aether mage.¡±


    ¡°I will do what I can,¡± Flyssa replied. ¡°Though you won¡¯t be able to escape it forever. If this works well, and I think it will, you will gain attention. Both good and bad.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, I figure. But I¡¯d like to delay that moment as much as possible.¡±


    ¡°Perfect. Then I¡¯ll handle the administrative side of it and get back to you once I¡¯ve found a place. How can I get in touch with you?¡±


    I glanced at Louprak and he nodded at my unspoken question.


    ¡°Inrak¡¯s bookshop,¡± I said. ¡°Do you know it?¡±


    ¡°Vaguely. You will be staying there?¡±


    ¡°For the foreseeable future, yes.¡±


    ¡°Excellent. Then I¡¯ll stay in touch. Trade Master, I¡¯ll give you an answer tomorrow for that other business.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s fine,¡± he said. ¡°Thank you for coming, Financier.¡±


    When she had left, Louprak gave me a strong clap on the back.


    ¡°I knew you had it in you, Luc! We must celebrate! Let me get glasses. Wait, how long will the enchantment hold on this jug before the water spills all over my desk?¡±


    ¡°Uh¡­ I wasn¡¯t very thorough¡­ We should probably empty it.¡±


    I was a little drunk when I got back to Inrak¡¯s. Obviously I had shared the good news ¨C not the details, but that I had found backing for my project, with Sirmy and she had insisted that we drink to my success. So it was with somewhat more fervour than usual that I shouted as I entered the store.


    ¡°Inraaak! I did it! I got money!¡±


    Inrak and the Schalass customer she was talking to whirled around. I winced. I probably should have looked inside before yelling. But my best friend in this whole wide world yelled back and ran at me with open arms.


    ¡°I knew it! I knew you could do it!¡±


    We hugged and jumped and laughed under the puzzled eyes of the Schalass who quickly took his leave and said he¡¯d be back later. I told her how the meeting went and what would come next. We talked for a long while. She assured that even when I had a place to work in, I would be welcome to stay here whenever I wanted. I thanked her again and again for everything she did for me. We might have shed a few tears at that point.


    Afterwards, I rediscovered the great benefits of a good nap. My pallet wasn¡¯t the most comfortable, but I was too cheerful to care. As soon as I woke, I opened A detailed look at the Aether and threw myself in my studies. I could not rest on my laurels. I was still far from home.

 12 - A Rainy Day

    Through the Aether, I was aware of everything around me. I sat on my pallet, in Inrak¡¯s apartment, upstairs from her bookshop. I was surrounded by its distinct tone, the comfort its familiarity brought to me. Far, far away, I could sense a vague shape moving through the Aether, gently disturbing its currents. My ability at Sensing had improved. The shape I felt was Inrak, rearranging her shelves, so close in the real world and yet so distant in the Aether. My other Skill, Influencing, could only be used in a limited area around me. Yet I felt something there, next to Inrak. Something that beckoned to me, calling me with subtle signals I could barely perceive. It only waited for me to understand. I tried. Gathering myself, I projected my consciousness over there. The Aether quickly became a fog, its flows clouding. But I had a goal. I knew where I had begun and where I wanted to go. I did not need to see. If only I could rea¡­


    ¡°Ah!¡± I exclaimed. ¡°Damn it!¡±


    I had lost my connection to the Aether. My head hurt terribly, though I hadn¡¯t been practising for long. I sighed in exasperation. I was so close to a breakthrough, yet it still escaped me. It had been three days since my meeting with Louprak and Flyssa. The only news had been a quick note from the Schalass Financier, asking me to think of a name for our new enterprise. I had spent those days studying, but I hadn¡¯t gained any level. I was starting to grow frustrated. And the only names I had come up with were lame. Also, it was raining outside. Not even a great pour, just a constant, drizzle that had no other purpose but to be annoying.


    This was not a good day for me.


    I got up and gave myself a few slaps.


    ¡°Allez Luc ! On se motive !¡±


    Since I had no success with Aether magic, I would focus on my other project, enchanting. I had stashed my materials in a corner of the apartment to limit the mess. Inrak hadn¡¯t complained, but I felt bad about taking up so much space.


    I had gotten tired of simply grinding the same rune over and over on new discarded garments from Gygg¡¯s store. I needed to challenge myself more if I wanted to actually make progress. To that end, I had bought a few things.


    I set down my new sewing accessories on the dining table. I was going to try to weave a rune instead of simply magicking it. I had talked a bit with Gygg about it, though the Pix didn¡¯t have have a lot of spare time at the moment. I at least understood the basic steps to the process. I would start with a soft linen shirt. What I wanted to make were holding bags, but the leather would be far more difficult to work with.


    This was not the first time I had tried my hand at sewing. My mother had taught me and my sister together, so that we would know how to repair the smaller tears on our clothes. I regretted not having paid more attention. I took up a needle a some of that silver thread my Tailor friend had been talking about. It was expensive, so I had only bought a single small roll. I wanted to see if it worked first.


    The lighting wasn¡¯t the best in Inrak¡¯s living room. That was obviously the only reason it took me so long to actually get the thread into the needle. I tied a quick knot and sucked on my thumb. At least that was done. How hard could the rest be?


    Inrak came upstairs to check on me at lunchtime and found me sitting at the table, with my eyes closed and holding my head in his hands. A shiny thread was tangled around my arms. The tabletop was an absolute mess of cloths and sewing tools.


    ¡°Luc? Is everything all right?¡± she asked gently.


    The sound I made resembled the grunt of a monster.


    ¡°Perhaps you should go out, get some air?¡±


    ¡°¡­ raining outside...¡± I groaned.


    ¡°Only a little. And it can¡¯t be worse than this.¡±


    I slowly raised my head. I looked outside. The drizzle continued, just like it had all morning.


    ¡°Maybe you¡¯re right,¡± I said.


    ¡°Of course I am. Why don¡¯t you pass by Sirmy¡¯s? They always seem to cheer you up.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s true,¡± I said, now more alert. ¡°I haven¡¯t seen them recently. I¡¯ll go say hi. Do you want something?¡±


    ¡°No, I¡¯m good. I¡¯ll eat yesterday¡¯s leftovers in the pot.¡±


    ¡°All right. Let me clean up a bit and I¡¯ll go. Thanks, Inrak.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re welcome, Luc.¡±


    As soon as I left the room, I heard suppressed giggling. I sighed.


    I came back to the bookshop with renewed vigour. I had eaten well and played some skoga with Ripsile. And I had new ideas about my magic that I wanted to try out. I was also drenched.


    ¡°There¡¯s someone upstairs waiting for you,¡± Inrak told me. ¡°A Schalass lady, Flyssa. She was very nice.¡±


    ¡°She¡¯s here? Yes! Finally. I hope she has some news for me.¡±


    All thoughts of Aether magic disappeared as I climbed the stairs two by two. I found her at the table, my book opened in front of her. She turned her head as I entered.


    ¡°Ah, Mage Luc. You are here,¡± she said.


    ¡°Hello Miss Flyssa. I hope you haven¡¯t been waiting too long.¡±


    ¡°No, it¡¯s fine.¡± She closed the book and held it up. ¡°This is very interesting. I don¡¯t know much about the Aether. Aether Mages are somewhat rare. They are mostly employed as aides to leaders or as a second or third utility Class for Mages. I know that some of them sometimes take care of ferrying goods from Sturron to Winory, but I think that¡¯s just to get their materials faster. I¡¯m not sure a venture like ours, such a casual and practical use of Aether magic, has ever been attempted here.¡±


    ¡°Honestly, that¡¯s what worries me a little,¡± I admitted. ¡°You don¡¯t think there¡¯s a good reason for that that we just aren¡¯t aware of?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t think so,¡± Flyssa said. ¡°I knew about Aether Mages and their abilities for example, but it never occurred to me to make use of them like that. Magic seems too noble. And I think any Mage would balk at doing what you are proposing to do. It would seem demeaning, in a way. I am actually surprised that you are considering it.¡±


    I shrugged. I had no reputation whatsoever. I had only one goal and it wasn¡¯t becoming famous.


    ¡°I need money. It¡¯s a good plan, I think.¡±


    ¡°So do I.¡±, she said. ¡°To that end, I¡¯ve made a few inquiries. We¡¯ll need to get together with Trade Master Louprak soon to register our company, but we have to settle a few things beforehand.¡±


    I nodded and took a seat facing her. She continued.Support the creativity of authors by visiting Royal Road for this novel and more.


    ¡°The most important things for the moment are a name and a location. The Trade Master has waived his right to participate in both decisions. He said it didn¡¯t matter much to him and that he trusted us. So it is up to you and I. Have you thought of a name you would like?¡±


    ¡°I have,¡± I said. ¡°But I don¡¯t like any of them. They just feel weird. Do you have any idea?¡±


    ¡°Well, as you are the craftsman, we would normally put your name on your workshop so as to be recognizable, but I understand you would prefer to stay discreet.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right. I¡¯d prefer it. I don¡¯t know how realistic it is though.¡±


    ¡°You will have to deal with your suppliers and customers at some point. I don¡¯t think that can be avoided, though I will try to help when I can. But not publicizing your name will at least afford you some measure of privacy.¡±


    I thought about it. All the ideas I had had for a name were either bland or terrible puns. But perhaps bland was the way to go.


    ¡°What about something simple like ¡®Sturron Logistics¡¯?¡± I asked. ¡°Does it already exist?¡±


    ¡°Not to my knowledge,¡± she replied. ¡°But calling it ¡®Sturron Logistics¡¯ implies that it is backed by the city and the Duchess. We may encounter some pushback from them.¡±


    ¡°Another one then. ¡®Bordeaux Logistics¡¯¡±, I said. It was the first name that had come to me.


    The Schalass frowned.


    ¡°B?rd-oh? I do not know it. Is it a place?¡±


    ¡°Not exactly,¡± I said, not wanting her to start searching for it. ¡°But it should be distinct enough that the company will be easily recognized once we begin.¡±


    She considered it for a while, but finally agreed. I had to spell it for her.


    ¡°Why is there an ¡®x¡¯ at the end?¡± she asked.


    ¡°I¡¯m not sure actually. It¡¯s just the name.¡±


    ¡°Can we remove it? It is confusing.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯d rather we keep it that way,¡± I said. ¡°It has a meaning to me.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t personally mind, but you understand that everybody will ask you the same question?¡±


    ¡°Well that¡¯s good, no? At least they¡¯ll think about it and it will stay in their mind.¡±


    ¡°I didn¡¯t think of it that way¡­ Perhaps you are correct. I will verify that it does not exist elsewhere and if it does not, we will name it ¡®Bordeaux Logistics¡¯ then.¡±


    ¡°Excellent! What¡¯s next?¡±


    Flyssa finished scribbling on the papers she had brought with her. She had the same magic pen that Inrak used and that I often stole.


    ¡°A location for your workshop,¡± she said when she was done. ¡°Have you thought about where you would like to be?¡±


    ¡°Well near the harbour, obviously. Close to crafters also. Smiths, coopers, weavers, leather workers. I don¡¯t need much space, but we will probably rent out tools on a daily or hourly basis, so we¡¯ll need some storage room. Apart from that, I don¡¯t know. What do you think?¡±


    I could see her gathering herself. She had been so self-assured before, but now she seemed almost embarrassed. I worried. I hoped I hadn¡¯t said something stupid.


    ¡°I agree with the criterias you listed,¡± she said, her eyes looking downward. ¡°I have actually found a place that fills all of them, but there¡¯s a complication.¡±


    ¡°Is it too expensive?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not. The owner did not want to charge us anything at first, I had to insist. But the thing is, the owner is my father. You must understand, I do not usually mix business and family. My father is a good, respected Carpenter and I owe him much, but I try to stand on my own. However, this is an excellent opportunity. He doesn¡¯t work as much any more, so his workshop is full of empty space and he is there most days. And his place is perfectly situated for our needs. But obviously, I would understand if you would rather choose another place. I have found a few that may be suitable, we can go take a look at them if you wish.¡±


    Having finished a speech that had probably been running in her head for a while, she finally looked up at me. I hesitated. Had she not mentioned anything, I would have had no trouble working in her father¡¯s place. This world seemed determined to make a squatter out of me anyway. But her obvious reluctance made me second guess myself. I didn¡¯t want family drama to put a damper on my plans. I needed more information.


    ¡°I have no problem with your father¡¯s workshop,¡± I said. ¡°I¡¯d like to meet him first though. If we¡¯re going to share a workshop, we¡¯ll have to at least get along. And if it doesn¡¯t work out, we can visit the other places. Is that all right with you?¡±


    ¡°Yes of course,¡± she said, nodding. ¡°Are you certain that it does not bother you? I can assure you that my personal relationship with him won¡¯t interfere with our new company.¡±


    ¡°To be honest, I wasn¡¯t worried initially, but now you¡¯re making me. It¡¯s none of my business, but is everything all right with you and your father?¡±


    She drew back, regaining some of her composure.


    ¡°It¡¯s fine,¡± she said. ¡°It won¡¯t cause problems. Should we go now?¡±


    ¡°Sure.¡±


    She got up promptly, collecting her papers and leading me downstairs. I wondered in what mess I had jumped into.


    The conversation during our walk there was terse. I felt a tension in Flyssa that was at odds with the confidence she usually projected. I started asking her a few questions about how we would register the company, but I ended up settling for an awkward silence under the unending rain. It was worrying. I didn¡¯t know what to expect. I prepared a dozen excuses in my head, about why I couldn¡¯t work there and had to find another place. By the time we arrived at the harbour, I was ready for a quick visit of her father¡¯s atelier and an even quicker goodbye.


    We were not that far from the Harbourmaster''s office when Flyssa made a right turn away from the sea. The street was paved and wide enough that two carts would easily fit side by side. We passed by a large smithy. Three adults and four children, mainly Schalasses, were working around two forges.


    ¡°This is Nolary¡¯s foundry,¡± Flyssa told me. ¡°She¡¯s a very successful Master Smith.¡±


    I nodded. There certainly seemed to be a lot of activity.


    A few steps later, we came by an open hangar with a huge door. It was far quieter than the smithy, with Schalasses, Pterars, and a few Goblins and Pixes working in subdued silence on a huge white cloth.


    ¡°That¡¯s Pomer¡¯s Sails. The Duchess employed him for the mainsail of her last warship.¡±


    This continued for a while. We passed by five or six workshops and Flyssa boasted about their accomplishments. I was waiting for the other shoe to drop when she led me into a side street. But, to my surprise, the door she stopped in front of didn¡¯t appear too shabby. Perhaps it could have used a bit of cleaning, but it at least seemed sturdy.


    Flyssa paused a second, her claw on the handle, before she pushed the door open. I followed her in.


    ¡°There you are!¡± bellowed a voice inside. ¡°You stormed out without saying goodbye! How impolite! I don¡¯t know who raised you! Who¡¯s that with you? Is that the Mage you were talking about then? He looks Human.¡±


    The voice belonged to a huge Schalass wearing a dirty leather apron. He set down the tool in his hand on a wooden plank and approached us. The magical lights were sparser in the entryway, but I saw Flyssa forcefully control herself. Her voice came out like ice.


    ¡°Dad, this is Luc, the Aether Mage I was telling you about. We came to take a look at your workshop, as we agreed.¡±


    ¡°Hey, I gotta meet the guy first.¡± He towered over me and held out his claw. ¡°Hi, Human Luc.¡±


    ¡°Hello, Schalass Dad,¡± I replied, shaking it. My hand looked like a child¡¯s in his claw.


    ¡°Ah! Name¡¯s Faros. She¡¯s the only one that gets to call me Dad still, unless I am forgetting a wild night in my youth? I hope not. I think I would have remembered a Human girl. I wasn¡¯t that drunk that often.¡±


    ¡°I hope not too,¡± I said, chuckling. ¡°Or there¡¯s a tail I¡¯ve been missing my entire life.¡±


    He let out a roaring laugher.


    ¡°You¡¯re a funny one,¡± he said. ¡°So you want to use my workshop eh? Let¡¯s talk, Luc. Say, do you like ipio? I¡¯ve got a pitcher lying around, I think.¡±


    ¡°I do, thank you,¡± I said.


    I threw a glance at Flyssa, but she had closed her eyes and was taking deep breaths, her closed fist laying against her forehead. I decided it best not to disturb her.


    Flyssa joined us after our first drink and downed in one swallow the one he held up to her. In the end, the negotiation was quick. The rent Faros asked for was far cheaper than the alternatives, especially so close to the pier. Besides, he looked interested when I briefly talked about the designs I had in mind. Having a skilled Carpenter with me would help greatly.


    I returned home with a promise to Flyssa to meet up on the morrow at Louprak¡¯s ship to go register our company together. Bordeaux Logistics was coming to Sturron. I could not wait to get started.


    It was almost as a habit that I went upstairs to study after I told Inrak everything that had happened. Closing my eyes felt natural, like the beginning of a meditation session. My mind was half with me and half thinking of all the possibilities that awaited me. I felt Inrak¡¯s shape in the distant Aether. Free of worries, carried by a hope for the future, I did not concentrate very hard on her. I saw the store through the Aether, its shelves filled with books that had called to me on my first day in this world. They had been a refuge then and they had become a home. Why had I focused so hard earlier? I was home ¨C not my real home on Earth, with Margaux, but as much as any place could be home so far from it. I did not need to stress so much over this. Upstairs at my desk or downstairs with Inrak, amidst the books, I was home. And so I moved.


    I landed on my ass. Inrak stared at me with wide eyes. Then we laughed and danced and sang together. It was still raining outside.


    What a beautiful day.


    *You have reached the level 10 of the Class Aether Mage. You have gained the Skill Reaching the Aether.*

 13 - The Registry of the Arts and Trades

    No matter how many times I tried, I could not replicate my feat. I had teleported from Inrak¡¯s loft to the store downstairs exactly once, and that was it. Still, I was overjoyed.


    My new Skill felt like the other two, a grand thing that I vaguely understood. Sensing, Influencing and Reaching the Aether. The books I had read called them the foundational Skills of Aether magic, the pillars that held everything that came after. I was slowly becoming an actual Aether Mage, not just a guy with a God-given Class. It felt good, to be rewarded for my hard work. I knew that I was still far from my goal, that I had just started a marathon. But it felt good. Besides, as we say in French, ¡°who wants to travel far, preserves his mount¡±. Of course, I was my own mount in this analogy, but it still held.


    It had stopped raining during the night but the cobblestones were still somewhat slippy. Luckily, I was not overloaded. In fact, moving my stuff from Inrak¡¯s table to Faros¡¯ workshop only took one trip. I had barely any possession of my own. I carried some papers, both blank and with my notes on them, two quills ¨C sadly, Inrak needed her magic pen, and the scraps of cloths from Gygg¡¯s store that I had left. The books I studied stayed at Inrak¡¯s for two reasons. The first was that I wasn¡¯t sure how secure the workshop was and I didn¡¯t want to risk losing them. The second was that I only owned one book. The rest of them I had borrowed for an indeterminate amount of time from the shop downstairs.


    I had benefited greatly from this access to some basic knowledge about magic. I would have had no idea where to start without Inrak¡¯s books. It emphasized how much resources one needed to learn magic in this world. It had taken me around 3 months of quasi-constant study, without having to worry about food or lodgings, with access to books costing each between 1 and 2 Kiestan silvers and the most I had to show for it was a level 10 in a marginal magic Class. For all that I knew about the Aether, I was still very limited in what I could do with it. And I was useless with any other magic but enchanting, which, all the Mages I had read insisted, was not real magic. I had been privileged ¨C or luckier than any man deserved, to find Inrak. The people I had met, the friends I had made had almost all been through her. Even now, I was moving into the workshop of the father of her friend¡¯s business partner. I had worked for it, sure. But no amount of work would have replaced meeting Inrak. It almost made me wonder if, somehow, the Gods were involved. Pamasteron had mentioned that they were all aware when I fell into their world. Could they have done something to make me pause in front of that bookshop when I was at my most desperate? Everyone said that they couldn¡¯t directly intervene, but in truth, I had no idea what they were able to do. It was a scary thought.


    Flyssa was leaning on the front of her father¡¯s workshop when I arrived. She was holding a small leather file-holder under one arm and reading a paper with the other. She carefully put it back inside when she saw me.


    ¡°Luc, there you are. Ready to settle in then?¡±


    ¡°I am,¡± I said, patting my bag. ¡°Everything¡¯s in there.¡±


    ¡°Excellent. I told my father to clean up all his mess yesterday, but I¡¯m not sure that he did. You might have to move planks and half-finished cabinets out of the way first. Louprak and I will come by sometime after noon to go register Bordeaux Logistics. Does that suit you?¡±


    ¡°It does, thank you Miss Flyssa.¡±


    ¡°Then I wish you good luck, Mage Luc. I will see you soon.¡±


    She nodded at me and left without looking back. I wasn¡¯t sure what was up between her and her father. I trusted her to be professional enough that any quarrel between them would not affect our business, but I hoped I would not be subjected to any more awkward family meetings. Yesterday had been plenty already.


    Entering the workshop, I saw Faros hard at work. Sitting in a big chair with a hole in the middle for his tail, his feet on a second chair, the Carpenter was quietly sleeping.


    ¡°Hello? Master Faros?¡± I said.


    He opened his eyes so fast that I wasn¡¯t sure he had really been asleep.


    ¡°Luc, there you are. Ready to settle in?¡±


    ¡°I am. I¡¯ve brought the few things I own.¡±


    The Schalass eyed my bag but didn¡¯t comment. Grunting, he put his feet down and stood up, his chair creaking loudly.


    ¡°Come on then,¡± he said. ¡°We¡¯ll make you some space in the storage room. Unless you¡¯d rather set up in here with me?¡±


    ¡°The storage room should be fine, as long as it has light.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, I bought a few more yesterday. Had them put up around your desk.¡±


    ¡°I have a desk?¡± I asked, surprised. I obviously needed one, but we hadn¡¯t talked about it.


    ¡°Of course. I made it yesterday. It¡¯s basic, just a plank with supports, but it should be good enough for a start.¡±


    ¡°That was nice of you. Thank you, Faros.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t mention it. I want you to do well. My kid¡¯s been doing decent with what her mother left her, but she hasn¡¯t had a big break, you know? She really believes in this project. And you guys are paying me anyway, for some reason.¡±


    ¡°Well, I¡¯m obviously biased,¡± I said, ¡°but I really believe in it too. I think we can carve ourselves a niche, starting with loading services but expanding as business grows. I think Aether magic can have many uses if it is made more accessible. I¡¯d love to pick your mind about a few things in fact. I don¡¯t know as much as I should about the economic life of Sturron.¡±


    ¡°Sure thing,¡± he answered. ¡°I have some of that ipio left. Now come on.¡±


    The room we were in was where the Schalass worked. Planks and tools were lying against the walls. In the middle, two carpenter¡¯s benches faced each other. He led me around them to an arched opening in the back wall, about two meters tall and at least three meters wide. A curtain greyed by age hung on one side of it. Beyond was an absolute jumble of wood. Planks of all sizes were stacked neatly on top of one another along the left wall. A bunch of other wooden things, carts, drawers, cabinets, were stacked much less neatly in the rest of the room. I whistled.


    ¡°Yeah, I know,¡± Faros said.


    He made his way inside, following a path among the mess. It was narrow, but it should be enough. Most of the designs I had in mind weren¡¯t that large. And for the enchantments that were, like Tork¡¯s cart, I could just use the workshop.


    Towards the end of the storage room, a space had been cleared up around a simple desk and a chair. The height of the mounds of stuff on both sides of the desk implied that the cleaning up had been more of a picking things up and throwing them on top of another pile.


    ¡°Here you go,¡± Faras told me. ¡°What do you think?¡±


    ¡°I like it,¡± I said, putting my bag onto the desk and looking around. ¡°You said you had lights?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right. Had them installed yesterday.¡±


    He snapped his fingers. Four lights instantly illuminated the room. They glowed a pale yellow and provided sufficient lighting around the desk. I nodded at his questioning look.


    The Schalass watched over me while I took out my possessions. I put the papers and the quills in a drawer. The scraps of clothing went in a corner.


    ¡°That¡¯s it?¡± asked Faros with a frown.


    ¡°For now, yes,¡± I answered. ¡°Now, I heard something about ipio?¡±


    At first, we discussed my designs. He couldn¡¯t help much because most of them did not use wood, but he did have a few remarks on things I had overlooked and he promised to introduce me to some of his crafter friends. After that, we talked about random things. The work he did, the weather, the city, the Duchess. I did not ask about Flyssa, or his late wife. He asked once about my origins, but quickly changed subjects when I evaded the question. I liked him. We understood each other on some level. We were both sad and lonely. He missed his wife and didn¡¯t seem to be able to reach his daughter. I also missed my wife, though I didn¡¯t know if I had a daughter or a son. We ate together at a stall not far from the workshop. The food wasn¡¯t as good as Sirmy¡¯s, I thought, but hers was a bit too far away sadly.


    Faros took a nap in his chair after lunch while I went to my new desk. I worked a bit on my notes and designs, but mostly I looked around and tried to get acquainted to this new place.


    I sat there in a reverie when Flyssa tiptoed in the storage room. She scanned my working area. I could see that she wasn¡¯t convinced, but I was ready to defend it. The only thing it lacked was space, but I knew that if I asked Faros, he would help me clear up some. The Financier didn¡¯t mention it though. I stood up and joined her.Taken from Royal Road, this narrative should be reported if found on Amazon.


    ¡°Louprak is waiting outside,¡± she whispered. ¡°It is time to register our company.¡±


    ¡°Great! Let¡¯s go.¡±


    We walked as silently as we could passing through the workshop, but we still made some noise. I doubted Faros could have missed hearing us. I glanced at him as I passed and I was proven right when an eye opened briefly, saw that I had seen him, winked at me and closed again. I hid my smile. I didn¡¯t know why he wanted to avoid his daughter, but it wasn¡¯t my place to say anything.


    Louprak shook my hand as soon as I closed the door behind me. His feathers stood up on his head and he was brimming with excitement.


    ¡°Luc! The day has finally arrived, eh? How do you feel?¡±


    ¡°Great!¡± I said. ¡°I can¡¯t wait to get started. By the way, will your First Mate be available later? I¡¯d like to pick his mind about a few things.¡±


    ¡°Absolutely, I warned Koltrak that you might need him. I¡¯ll send him here after we¡¯re done at the Bourse.¡±


    ¡°Thanks! So, we¡¯re going to the Bourse?¡±


    ¡°We are,¡± answered Flyssa. ¡°Let¡¯s talk while walking. There are a few things that we should review beforehand.¡±


    She led the way. The street was wide enough for us to walk abreast but there was a lot of activity, carts coming and going pulled by various beasts of burden ¨C mostly oxen and a few mules, along with animals I had no name for.


    ¡°Have you ever been to the Bourse, Luc?¡± asked Flyssa while we waited against a wall for two drivers to decide who should let the other one go first.


    ¡°I have actually. Once, to change some Sturronian coins into Kiestan ones.¡±


    ¡°Good, so you know what to expect. We¡¯re going to see a Notary to register our company. It¡¯s a person appointed by ruling Duke or Duchess to witness all important acts of commerce.¡±


    ¡°I am familiar with the concept. Will there be a fee?¡±


    ¡°There will, but you don¡¯t need to worry about that,¡± she said. ¡°The Trade Master and I will pay it and fund the company.¡±


    The left driver, a Human, had finally had enough of being yelled at by everyone and led his mule to the side, allowing all the pedestrians to pass ¨C much to the dismay of the other driver.


    ¡°What will be our starting capital?¡± I asked. I wanted to know how much I could spend on my experimental designs.


    ¡°Twenty-five Kiestan silvers. Five of which were provided by Louprak.¡±


    ¡°Twenty-five!¡± I spluttered. I could buy a dozen books with that much!


    Louprak laughed at my shocked face.


    ¡°You¡¯ve got a good idea, Luc,¡± he said. ¡°We both believe in it. And there could be a lot of demand too. The Dockworkers¡¯ Guild keeps upping their rates and Captains and Merchants are pissed about it.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right,¡± added Flyssa. ¡°If you create a successful prototype and we can show them with a few demonstrations, they will flock to us.¡±


    ¡°Won¡¯t it get political?¡± I asked, frowning. ¡°This Dockworkers¡¯ Guild won¡¯t like it if we undermine them. How much power do they have?¡±


    ¡°A lot on the harbour, but not much outside of it,¡± said Louprak. ¡°They¡¯re packed with Lompres and those guys aren¡¯t the most social of species.¡±


    Lompres were the otter-like species, I remembered. I knew they lived in their own part of the city and rarely left it, though I had seen them multiple times on the piers. It made sense if a lot of them were dockers. I hoped they were not too violent.


    ¡°The Guild won¡¯t be a problem,¡± declared Flyssa. ¡°The Merchant Association and, by extension, the Duchess, tolerates them because they have no alternative. But if we can show them one exists, they¡¯ll support us. I¡¯m more worried about them, in fact. As soon as we introduce Aether-assisted loading and unloading, they will smell the profits and rush to try to find their own Aether Mages willing to do it.¡±


    I considered her remarks for the rest of the way. I doubted I could compete with other Aether Mages. I was surely not the only one who could also enchant, and anyway if they had money they could simply ask an actual, accomplished Enchanter. I had two advantages. The first was my knowledge of Earth tools and techniques, that I could just copy and claim as my own, though once I did they would have little trouble copying me in turn. The second was that I had no preconceived notion about the nobility and dignity of magic. I had only one goal: to go home. In order to achieve it, I needed to progress in Aether magic. And for that, I needed money. If I had to ¡°debase¡± myself by spending hours every day fuelling objects with Aether magic, I would do it gladly.


    The Bourse was as loud as I remembered it. Merchants of all species yelled at each other and ran around on the wooden floor as if pursued by demons. A funny thing happened to Flyssa. As soon as we entered the hall, I saw her shoulders loosen and the hint of a smile appeared on her face. It was the grin of a strategist about to go to battle and ready to outsmart her opponent.


    ¡°This way,¡± she said with aplomb.


    Louprak and I followed her with a glance at each other. He looked more relaxed than I felt, likely coming here when he is docked in Sturron.


    Flyssa deftly led us, often stopping for a few words here and there with her colleagues and competitors. She glided around the various groups and currents of moving people like a fish in water. Our destination was a set of stairs situated at the side. Climbing, we found ourselves on a walkway overlooking the ground floor. Doors, most of them closed, were lined up on the other side, with people waiting outside some of them. We joined a queue of a Human and a Pterar whispering to each other. The last one nodded politely to Louprak, but the first one just stared at us suspiciously.


    Flyssa turned to us with a smile.


    ¡°We are outside the door of Notary Eline Lymint¡° she whispered, mostly for my benefit. ¡°She¡¯s one of the only Humans to have been named to the position by the Duchess. I¡¯ve done some business with her witnessing. She¡¯s very good. Very efficient.¡±


    The door to the Notary¡¯s office opened, letting out three Schalasses in colourful clothing. One of them knew Louprak so they exchanged greetings. Meanwhile the Human and the Pterar in front of us took their place inside. Once we were alone, Flyssa turned to us.


    ¡°I will present our affair to the Notary, if you both agree.¡±


    I nodded. I had no idea what was supposed to happen, so if anybody but me could talk that would be perfect. Louprak just shrugged.


    ¡°Good, thank you,¡± continued Flyssa. ¡°Are we still agreed on the initial dividing? A tenth for Trade Master Louprak and nine twentieth for Mage Luc and I?¡±


    ¡°Yes, we are.¡±


    ¡°Fine by me.¡±


    ¡°Excellent. Last item then. I would like to be the legal representative of the new company. I believe I am the most able to negotiate with both the Duchy and the other Merchants and Traders.¡±


    ¡°I have no problem with that,¡± said Louprak. ¡°I won¡¯t be here often enough to do that sort of thing, though I¡¯ll help out when I can. Besides, my role will be more marginal than both of yours.¡±


    They both turned to me. I wondered if this was a test they had concocted to see if I would claim power. I doubted it though. They both didn¡¯t strike me as that convoluted. Louprak especially had shown me frank honesty more often than not. And I had absolutely no intention of bothering with sneaky merchants trying to swindle me anyway.


    ¡°I think it is wise,¡± I said, looking her in the eyes. ¡°I have little experience with the subtleties of trade here in Sturron and that way I¡¯ll be able to focus more on my magic. I trust you.¡±


    She was quiet for a second but then smiled with a delight she had not shown before.


    ¡°Thank you, Mage Luc,¡± she said and bowed her head at me. ¡°I will not disappoint you. We are almost ready then! We¡¯ll just need to hire a Bookkeeper and we¡¯ll be good to go¡±


    ¡°Actually, I can probably do that,¡± I said.


    ¡°You can? Do you have a bookkeeping Class I did not know about?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t, but I used to be an accountant. I believe I am qualified enough for our needs. I¡¯ve been reading up on legal requirements and it doesn¡¯t seem too difficult.¡±


    ¡°I can vouch for him,¡± added Louprak. ¡°He¡¯s been doing Inrak¡¯s accounts for a while. I looked them over once and they seemed good to me.¡±


    ¡°Well¡­ good then,¡± said Flyssa, looking at me with curiosity. ¡°At least we won¡¯t have to hire from the Guild. They¡¯re expensive.¡±


    The registering of our company was more of a formality than anything else. Notary Lymint welcomed us in her office and offered us comfortable seats. Two assistants were writing in a corner. She asked about our business and seemed satisfied that we had a prepared answer for each of her questions. She did a double-take when I spelled ¡°Bordeaux Logistics¡±, but was too much of a professional to comment on it. She informed us about the many taxes we might be subject to depending on how our company developed. And then she bade us good luck.


    We each left the Bourse with a copy of The Act of the Inscribing of the Company of the Name Bordeaux Logistics in the Registry of the Arts and Trades of the Duchy of Sturron. I clutched mine against my chest and could not stop smiling.

 14 - First Day

    ¡°So¡­ What do you think?¡± I asked nervously.


    Koltrak, the Siren¡¯s flight First Mate, was sitting in my new chair, in the storage room of Faros¡¯ carpentry. My notes and designs were spread out on the desk in front of him. Flyssa was standing behind him and looking over his shoulder. She had not said a word for a solid ten minutes.


    The Pterar sailor looked up at my question with a frustrating lack of expression.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go over each of them one by one,¡± he said. ¡°Tell me how they are supposed to work.¡±


    ¡°Very well,¡± I said. ¡°There are basically two types of designs. The first is to transport the cargo from ship to quay and the second is to simply lessen the cargo¡¯s weight.¡±


    I pointed to the design I was the less confident about.


    ¡°This is basically a smaller, narrower cart that can carry one barrel or crate. You roll it onto the ship, load the cargo, roll it out and unload.¡±


    Koltrak shook his head.


    ¡°It¡¯s not practical. The wheels are too far apart for most planks. And even if you removed the ship¡¯s railing and got a wide plank, it wouldn¡¯t be easier than just rolling the barrels.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, I figured it was too unwieldy. So I thought of this,¡± I said and pointed to a second drawing I had made. I was not a very good drawer, but it seemed to at least convey my idea.


    ¡°This is a hand truck. It¡¯s a narrow and robust frame, with a small ledge or platform close to the ground. You have two wheels just behind the ledge. You roll the barrel, still upright, onto the ledge, and pull on the handles to tilt the hand truck backward. With the lever effect, the weight is already lessened without any use of Aether magic. With it, it becomes even easier.¡±


    The Pterar examined my drawing. He made a small whistling sound.


    ¡°It¡¯s better,¡± he said. ¡°But you have to realize that a packed barrel weighs a lot. You¡¯re putting a lot of stress on the axle and the wheels. Especially with wheels small enough to work. What materials are those made up of anyway? Metal?¡±


    I had asked myself that question a lot. I had not seen any evidence of rubber since coming to Sturron, so that was probably out. But I had seen something that had picked my curiosity.


    ¡°The wheels should be made of something resilient and the tyres should have a good adhesion to the ground and maybe some property that soften the shocks. I¡¯m not familiar with all the materials available to us, but the best wheels I have seen were on a Bourok¡¯s cart. I think we should ask one of their Crafter.¡±


    Koltrat chuckled at that. Flyssa frowned and finally spoke.


    ¡°Bourok Crafters are expensive and secretive about their work. Are you sure there is no better way?¡±


    ¡°As I said, I don¡¯t know which materials are available for that,¡± I shrugged. ¡°But I know a Bourok. He¡¯s actually one of my two customers. I think I mentioned him during our first meeting. Anyway, when I told him what I could do, he went to his family and they had one of their Crafter enchant his cart. So we could ask them through him. Not much to lose anyway. Oh! I forgot to mention this to you haven¡¯t I? From what I¡¯ve seen, they¡¯re interested in Aether magic for their cart. We could probably do regular business with them, if we manage to show them what they have to gain.¡±


    The Financier tried to glare at me, but she could not restrain the smile that crept on her face.


    ¡°Yes, Luc,¡± she sighed. ¡°You did forget to mention that. But it is good to hear. I would like to talk to this Bourok customer you have and see if I can enter a negotiation with his kin.¡±


    ¡°No problem, I¡¯ll arrange something next time I see him. So anyway, what do you guys think of the hand truck?¡±


    ¡°Perhaps it could work,¡± said Koltrak. ¡°With Bourok wheels and a strong metal frame it should hold. Have to try it out to say for sure. It would be expensive though. High level work.¡±


    ¡°I agree,¡± added Flyssa. ¡°But it is a good idea. We should create a few designs and test them out. It would indeed be expensive, but even two of those hand trucks could considerably hasten the work of loading and unloading. I¡¯ll talk to some decent Smiths for the frames and perhaps a Wheelmaker while we wait to see if the Bourok lead pans out.¡±


    I felt relieved that Flyssa would assist me with the crafters. Truth be told, I was winging it. I was not an engineer of any sort. The drawings I had made would have made an actual engineer cringe. My plan was to vaguely tell them what I wanted the final result to look like and let them worry about the details.


    ¡°Now, onto the weight lesseners,¡± I said with enthusiasm. ¡°I have two. One is fun and probably much too impractical. The other is boring and dependable and likely the best idea. Let me start with the first! How to lessen the weight of a barrel, you ask? Slap a bigger, enchanted barrel on top of it!¡±


    I gave them my best smile. I knew this was stupid, but the idea of using larger barrels to lessen the weight of a smaller one just cracked me up. It clearly did not have the same effect on them.


    ¡°What¡¯s the second one?¡± asked Koltrak, ending the awkward silence.


    ¡°It¡¯s boring,¡± I said. ¡°But basically just a sheet you put around the container, like clothes for barrels. Oh that¡¯s a great name! We can even sew handles on it for the crates and sacks that you can¡¯t roll. We¡¯d have to test the most durable materials to make the sheet out of and also figure out if it needs to be closed like a bag or not, but I think it is the easiest and cheapest solution. We could have a bunch of them and quickly replace any sheet whose enchantment breaks.¡±


    ¡°This would work?¡± asked Flyssa, leaning towards me with interest. ¡°You are confident that simply putting the cloth around a container would instantly lessen their weight by four tenth?¡±


    ¡°Fairly certain, yes. We can experiment to make sure.¡±


    The Financier turned to Koltrak. She had a glint in her eyes.


    ¡°What do you think, First Mate? Would this be practicable?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯d have to try, but if does work like Luc says it does, then, with some experience, the time spent wrapping up the cargo would be more than made up. Even if it isn¡¯t, I think any of my sailors would prefer a slower but easier loading process. Less workforce needed too.¡±


    ¡°Excellent!¡± Flyssa said and clapped. ¡°In that case, we will order a few standard sheets made of different materials to test them out. We will improve on the design once we have the basis.¡±


    ¡°One advantage of the cloth option,¡± I added, ¡°is that it can very simply develop a range of similar products. For example, we could make bags for farmers to use during harvest, or anybody that has to carry anything heavy, really. Even wilder, but this will also need testing, we could make something like a vest. I¡¯m not sure about the effects on a person¡¯s bodyweight, my books weren¡¯t clear, but imagine if Messengers had the weight of their torso lessened. If would considerably improve their endurance, I think. Or people that jump regularly. Do they exist? Well, if they do, it would let them jump higher. Maybe it would help Pixes fly around more easily too, though I think their flight is already part magical. Their wings don¡¯t seem big enough otherwise. Anyway. I¡¯m sure there are possibilities I¡¯m not even thinking of.¡±


    The stunned silence that followed was extremely satisfying. I had spent a while pondering the uses of Aether magic. It seemed crazy to me that it was not used everywhere. The introduction of a similar technology on Earth would literally revolutionize the transportation and logistics industry and, by extension, nearly every other industry. It would be taught in schools and used daily by everyone. I guessed that the high barrier to entry of magic in this world had probably contributed to its noble image, above the mundane. Perhaps there was something with the Class system too. I hadn¡¯t studied it enough to say.The narrative has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.


    This time, it was Flyssa that broke the silence.


    ¡°What?!¡± she cried. ¡°You can do all of that? Why in the name of all the Gods was this not a part of your initial pitch?!¡±


    I shrugged.


    ¡°I would have probably mentioned it had you not been interested in my presentation. But, as I told you, I want to be discreet. I want to take this slow, step by step. If we start going around and using Aether magic everywhere, we¡¯re going to get way too much attention, attention from powerful people. I don¡¯t know this city. I don¡¯t know who the players are and what they¡¯re capable of. I want to see how people react to our products first before expanding. We need to be careful.¡±


    ¡°Wiser, I think,¡± added Koltrak, nodding. ¡°No sense in going too fast and making mistakes.¡±


    ¡°Very well,¡± said Flyssa. ¡°Your argument makes sense. But we should plan to discuss the possible uses of your magic once we have a more concrete idea of how your designs fare.¡±


    ¡°I agree. And thank you for hearing me on this.¡±


    ¡°Of course. This is a partnership and your concerns are sensible. Now, I will be visiting a few crafters to ask about materials and prices. Koltrak, how soon would your sailors be ready to try loading your ship with the help of a few enchanted sheets?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll ask Louprak, but we¡¯ll likely have some cargo soon. We¡¯ll arrange something.¡±


    ¡°Excellent! Thank you, Mage Luc. I am excited for the future of our enterprise.¡±


    They both left after a few courtesies. I sat on one of Faros¡¯ chairs and sighed loudly. The Schalass Carpenter was measuring a plank with a knotted rope. He looked up at me.


    ¡°Why are you looking like that?¡± he asked. ¡°From what I heard, it seemed to be going well.¡±


    ¡°It did. We¡¯re making progress. Might start making some sales soon. But I feel like I¡¯m paranoid, wanting to stay hidden so much. And at the same time, I feel like I¡¯m not paranoid enough. I don¡¯t know how to act or what place to take. It¡¯s like I¡¯m swimming in the middle of the ocean, with no land in sight and no fucking idea of whether sharks even exist in these waters.¡±


    Faros put down his rope and faced me. He had a quizzical frown.


    ¡°What are sharks?¡±


    ¡°Uhh¡­ Sea monsters with big teeth? You don¡¯t have those?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know. I¡¯ve never been on the sea myself. Never left Sturron. Don¡¯t see the point really, the city¡¯s big enough as it is. Now Amely, she was the explorer. Couldn''t stay put for a week without looking for another quest. I had to raise Flyssa all by myself. I mean, I had help. But still. Damned woman hated it here. I think she would have left, if it weren¡¯t for the girl. And maybe for me too. A bit. Anyway. I don¡¯t know if she knew about those sharks of yours.¡±


    ¡°...What?¡±


    I didn¡¯t know what else to say. He continued without seeming to care.


    ¡°She must have known about them though. She knew every damned monster there was. Used to have nightmares about the ones she faced. She¡¯d wake up, drenched in sweat and screaming, and I would hold her until her heart stopped racing and her breathing quieted. Perhaps that¡¯s why she always came back. Couldn¡¯t fight the monsters without a stable base to rest in. But every time she came back, she soon grew restless. She would meet with her Adventurer friends and at some point, one would talk about a new plant to harvest deep in the forest or a new monster guarding a shiny gem. And then she¡¯d leave again. And that¡¯s my point.¡± He held a clawed-finger in front of me. ¡°Amely was terrified but she kept going back out there. Maybe she had a problem, maybe she wasn¡¯t all right in her head. Who is, truly? She wanted it. She needed it to feel alive and so she would kick herself and face her fears. You have a choice, Luc. Nobody¡¯s forcing you to do this. You can go back to your bookshop and study your magic in peace, maybe do some small jobs here and there. It¡¯ll take longer to get what you want, but you won¡¯t trouble anybody. Nobody will come looking for you. You can take your time. Is that what you want, Luc?¡±


    I didn¡¯t need to think about it. It wasn¡¯t. Maybe a few years wouldn¡¯t change much in the scheme of things. It would already take me years, decades perhaps, to reach my goal of going home. But it was the only thing that kept me from going insane. I couldn¡¯t be lazy, or so prudent that I stagnated. I would not forgive myself.


    ¡°No, it¡¯s not,¡± I answered with conviction.


    ¡°Good. Then get your ass out of my chair and go make my daughter some money.¡±


    ¡°Fuck yeah!¡± I yelled, standing up and brandishing a fist. ¡°I mean, not right now. I need to wait for Flyssa to come back with some materials. But I¡¯ll go work on my enchanting.¡±


    The Schalass snorted. He took his knotted rope and turned back to his workbench.


    I walked a few steps before stopping and glancing over my shoulder.


    ¡°Amely sounds like a great woman,¡± I said.


    I thought he wouldn¡¯t answer and started walking again. Then I heard his voice, quiet and sombre.


    ¡°She was.¡±


    I piled a bunch of scraps on my desk and got to work. Trying to weave a rune had been a failure, and I probably wasn¡¯t nearly good enough to manage it, but I had not said my last word. Weaving wasn¡¯t the only way of leveling my Enchanter Class. Until now, I had mostly just enchanted runes over and over without much reflection. That was going to change.


    I began by separating my scraps into piles of similar materials. I mostly did that by the feel of the texture. I was hoping that there weren¡¯t too many types of wool. Then I arranged them by size, from small to large. I had to cut a few seams with a knife I borrowed from Faros to end up with mostly flat pieces with the least folds I could.


    First, I was going to verify that any cloth of a similar size, no matter what it was made of, would have the same capacity once Aether enchanted. Second, I would measure an approximate ratio of added capacity and test whether it stayed the same if the size of the cloth varied or if there were diminishing or growing returns. Those were my main concerns. I would also need to experiment with the duration of the Aether link at some point and try to enchant non-cloth related things. I was surrounded by old and half-finished wooden projects. Perhaps I could try convincing Faros to let me use them. I could bribe him with ipio. But that was for later.


    Since I had no measuring cup, I brought onto my desk the two jugs I had used for my first demonstration and a bunch of cups from Faros¡¯ drawers. He made me promise twice that I would wash them.


    As for what I would actually use to measure the capacity of each cloth once folded up, I didn¡¯t have to look far. I couldn¡¯t use water for obvious reasons, but I was in a Carpenter¡¯s workshop. And there¡¯s one thing that Carpenters have no lack of. Sawdust.


    This time, Faros did not complain when I borrowed a bunch of it.


    When I was finally done setting up, I began to science this magic.


    *You have reached the level 8 of the Class Student.*


    Coming back to Inrak¡¯s at dusk felt a little like coming home after the first day of school.


    ¡°Luc!¡± she exclaimed as soon as I pushed open the door of her bookshop. She rushed out of behind her counter to greet me. ¡°There you are! Did you have a nice day? Have you settled in nicely?¡±


    Behind her, her daughter Miska boomed with laughter.


    ¡°Hey Inrak, I¡¯m fine, thank you. All is going well. I¡¯ll tell you everything at dinner. Hey Miska, it¡¯s been a while. How are you?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m good. I leveled up a few days ago! I meant to come sooner, but I¡¯ve been busy with the kids.¡±


    ¡°Congratulations! That¡¯s great! And how are the kids?¡±


    Miska ate with us that evening. Apart from Inrak, she was the only one I had told about Earth, back when I hadn¡¯t yet developed a healthy amount of secrecy. It was nice to be able to talk openly with those two. Despite their feathers and the cooing and whistling sounds they made, it felt almost normal.

 15 - Company

    The Aether in the storage room of Faros¡¯ workshop, the new offices of Bordeaux Logistics, held a sense of loneliness. It was a vague feeling amidst others: love, a tall tree on a hill, family, the robustness of a wooden pillar, weariness. But the loneliness kept coming back. It was hard to maintain my concentration. The feeling of the place resonated with my own. I had to struggle not to lose myself in it, not to wallow in this familiar sensation. At times, the distinction between the workshop and myself became blurred. I felt like an old man, leaning his elbows on the counter of a bar, alone with his glass and watching the liquid swirl as he moves his hand. There was noise before but the bar is empty now. There is just me and my drink and the smell of sweat that has infiltrated the walls and the counter.


    It happened twice and each time I had to escape the Aether. I could not stand it.


    It was this aspect of the Aether that was the least understood by the Mages I had read. The way it seemed to take on the characteristics of the life occupying that space, the thoughts and feelings of the people in the cities but it also captured the sensations, for lack of a better word, of the animals and the plants living there if they were more prevalent. The first book I had read, the only one that Inrak had possessed about the Aether at first, Understanding the Aether, was an attempt by a Winory Archmage at enumerating and classifying the rules of this phenomenon: for example, how much time was needed before the Aether inside a house took on the characteristics of a family that had moved in?


    The study was made more complex by the fact that everybody did not perceive the Aether in the same way. It was tinted by each person¡¯s outlook and experience.


    Experiments had been made. Mages had catalogued the feel of the Aether in multiple spots of the same forest and then they had burned or destroyed a few of them in various ways to study how the Aether would evolve. The main conclusion had been that further testing was needed.


    It seemed clear to me that the sense I had of the Aether in Faros¡¯ workshop came from the Carpenter¡¯s life and feelings and was exacerbated by my own. I was however uncertain of what I should do about it, or whether I should even do anything. It wasn¡¯t the most pleasant place to practise Aether Sensing but that difficulty would perhaps help me improve my Class faster. As for Faros, perhaps I didn¡¯t need to do anything. Actively trying to involve myself in his personal life didn¡¯t seem wise. If he wanted to talk, I would gladly hear him out and offer what advice or company I could.


    I opened my eyes and let the Aether go after a while. Lying on the desk in front of me were my experiments of the day before. There was sawdust everywhere. I had enchanted my scraps until I was mentally drained before measuring everything I could think of. The results weren¡¯t particularly convincing. I hadn¡¯t found any major differences between the various materials that could not potentially be explained by small size or shape differences. I had made a quick detour this morning to see Gygg the Tailor and ask him about it, which I probably should have done sooner. His answer had been disappointing to hear. At my level, with the basic enchanting technique I used, I could not expect the specificities of each material¡¯s relation to the Magic Imprinting rune to have a significant impact on my end product. My best bet was to find a type of cloth sturdy, reliable and cheap enough that it could be used for a few weeks before needing to be replaced. Flyssa was supposed to come back some time today to share the results of her search.


    Before she did though, my very first customers showed up.


    ¡°Luc!¡± yelled Faros from behind the walls. ¡°People for you!¡±


    I got up and joined him in the workshop. Waiting there were Xyl and Tork, my two Messengers friends. The Bourok had dragged his cart inside and was holding a cloth-covered package.


    ¡°Hey guys,¡± I greeted them. ¡°You got my message?¡±


    ¡°We did! Nice place!¡± exclaimed Xyl while flying to me to give me a high five.


    ¡°Hello Luc,¡± said Tork. ¡°This is indeed a good location for a business. You are surrounded by renowned crafters.¡±


    He approached and held out the package to me. ¡°We thought this occasion deserved a gift.¡±


    ¡°Thank you! That¡¯s very nice of you.¡±


    Under the cloth was a closed jug. I looked up at them with a silent question.


    ¡°It¡¯s ipio!¡± said Xyl. ¡°We know you love it and we didn¡¯t know what else to offer you.¡±


    ¡°I do like it,¡± I said, laughing. ¡°Thank you very much. We should open it! Hey Faros, I¡¯m borrowing your glasses.¡±


    ¡°¡¯Course you are. Pour me one too while you¡¯re at it.¡±


    The Carpenter stopped what he was doing and joined us. They all introduced themselves while I struggled with the cork and served the drinks.


    We shared a nice moment together. I had found these people mostly by chance and a combination of circumstances, and each one of them was of a different species with peculiarities that I was barely aware of. Yet they were all profoundly human. I felt lucky to have met them.


    While Xyl and I caught up and talked about Bordeaux Logistics and our plans for the future, Faros assailed Tork with questions, mainly about his cart and how it had been made. I mentioned to the Bourok that Flyssa and I were interested in speaking with his kin to see if we might find an arrangement. He promised he would convey our message.


    Afterwards, I renewed the Aether charge on Xyl¡¯s backpack and Tork¡¯s cart.


    ¡°We should celebrate properly your new company, Luc!¡± said Xyl before they left. ¡°You¡¯ve never been to a tavern with us. There are drinks and Bards and plenty of people. It¡¯ll be great! This evening?¡±


    ¡°Well, why not? It¡¯s been a while since I¡¯ve had a night out.¡±


    ¡°Yes! We¡¯ll come by the bookshop to get you around dusk!¡±


    Flyssa arrived maybe half an hour after they had left and cursed herself for missing an opportunity to meet and talk to a Bourok. I reassured her that I had asked Tork. I felt confident that we would have an answer soon. Collaboration was in both our interest and the Bouroks¡¯.


    Then we each reported the results of our research. My part went quickly: my experiments had mainly ended up teaching me that I was too low level for the materials to matter. Flyssa had been more successful. She had found two suppliers for half a dozen types of cloth that we could try out and she was in talks with a Blacksmith to produce a hand truck prototype, though it would be some time before that one was ready. She had also figured out a schedule with Louprak. Our first testing was to be done early in the morning three days from now.


    The first sheets arrived in the afternoon. They were shaped like a simple square of about 3 meters a side. No handles or ways to close the sheet and make a sort of bag had been added but we could think about that once we chose a material.


    Enchanting with the Magic Imprinting rune took more out of me than I had expected. Clearly, the size of the sheets was a factor. I had laid them on the ground in the workshop to make sure that they were flat while I enchanted them. I did not know if it made any difference, but at least they would all be done under the same conditions. I even levelled up while doing the fourth one.


    *You have reached the level 9 of the Class Enchanter.*


    As always, hearing Margaux¡¯s voice made me pause for a moment. It was a reminder of the journey I still had to take. I never forgot of course. But when I was occupied like I had been today, sharing a drink with friends and then working on an important project, it was easy to lose myself in the present. It was easier at least, to look down at the ground instead of the mountain still so far away.This tale has been pilfered from Royal Road. If found on Amazon, kindly file a report.


    ¡°You okay there?¡± asked Faros, tearing me out of my reverie.


    ¡°I am yeah. Thanks.¡±


    I could feel his gaze on me as I got back to work, but he did not speak further and I was glad for the silence.


    I finished the last sheet late in the afternoon. I refrained from charging any of them with Aether. It would not last long enough until the trial and it would just tire me out. I called it charging, or fuelling, because it was easier to visualize but the process was closer to forming a link between the object and the Aether. The rune allowed the linking to take place but those two magical actions were too divided, both in time and intent, to last together. What I needed to figure out was how to join the Aether to the rune while I was enchanting the object. This was the key to create a permanent link. I also needed to find out if too many Aether-linked objects in the same place would disrupt each other and if so, exactly how. The books I had read talked about some obvious conflicts, like putting a holding bag into another would just remove the enchantment from both, but I needed to know more before I started charging all the sheets. I would have to find the best way of storing them without undoing all my work.


    But all of that would wait. I was tired and I had plans to visit a tavern, have a few drinks and maybe dance a little.


    ¡°I¡¯m leaving, Faros. See you tomorrow.¡±


    ¡°Good night, Luc. If you get too drunk tonight, I have some recipes that should help.¡±


    ¡°Oh thanks! Wait¡­ Are they disgusting?¡±


    ¡°Oh yeah, absolutely.¡±


    ¡°Figures. I¡¯ll keep it in mind. Good night Faros.¡±


    Xyl and Tork were talking with Inrak when I got back. Ana was with them. The Human Messenger stood on the side, looking embarrassed.


    Inrak told us not to have too much fun with a grin that said that she would find it very amusing tomorrow if we did. Then we left for this tavern they wanted to show me. On the way, Ana¡¯s body language made me stay back with her, a few steps behind the other two.


    ¡°Hey, Luc,¡± she said. ¡°So¡­ Sorry about the bath thing. I wanted to get my big break, you know? I made a mistake. I¡¯m sorry.¡±


    ¡°I understand trying to make opportunities happen for yourself. But why did it have to involve me?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know¡­ I saw Xyl and the Guard deliveries she got thanks to your magic and I thought maybe it could be me too, you know?¡±


    I shook my head. I had seen this so many times back on Earth, it almost annoyed me more than the fact that she had revealed my Class to an unknown Schalass.


    ¡°The reason Xyl got those deliveries was because she worked hard for it. Sure, my magic helped some. But come on. Half again the size of her backpack is basically nothing. She ran herself ragged going to the outposts every day for weeks. She proved that she was dependable, that she could be trusted with more than the basic runs. That¡¯s why she¡¯s found good success. My magic was just the foot in the door. And even then, I think most of it was the confidence it gave her.¡±


    Ana glanced at the back of her Pix friend in front of us. Then she looked down at the ground, seeming even more ashamed than before. We walked in silence for a while. I didn¡¯t berate her. I saw no point in it. She was young, she had made a mistake. I sure had made my share of them when I was younger. That she had come to apologize at least showed decency and some courage.


    ¡°...Sorry,¡± she finally said.


    ¡°Who was that guy anyway? What was his name? Pias or something.¡±


    ¡°Piras. He¡¯s an aide to one of the Duchess¡¯ daughters. She¡¯s an Adventurer.¡±


    ¡°Do you know what he wanted with me?¡±


    ¡°No¡­ I mean, I¡¯m not sure. Something to do with the palace I think, because he said something about the wards there, but I don¡¯t know exactly.¡±


    ¡°Do you think he¡¯ll come back?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know¡­ I¡¯m sorry. I don¡¯t think so? He didn¡¯t say much after we left. Thanked me and said he might be in touch, but I haven¡¯t heard a word since.¡±


    ¡°Well, let¡¯s hope he stays away. I want nothing to do with the Duchess¡¯ succession. I appreciate your apology, Ana, but I hope you realize I can¡¯t just forgive you like that. This could have ended very differently.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, I know¡­ I¡¯m really sorry, Luc. I just thought it was my big opportunity, you know¡­ I shouldn¡¯t have brought you into it.¡±


    ¡°No, you shouldn¡¯t have.¡± I paused for a moment, thinking. Did I want anything to do with her any more? She was Xyl¡¯s friend. And she did apologize. Perhaps I could put her willingness to reconcile to good use.


    ¡°Though I might have something for you if you¡¯re looking to make amends.¡±


    She raised her head suddenly.


    ¡°What? What are you talking about?¡±


    ¡°There are a few magical experiments I want to do and I need a volunteer. And what do you know, maybe it¡¯ll work and I¡¯ll find something you can use in your job.¡±


    ¡°Wait, are you serious? You¡¯d really work with me again?¡±


    I shugged.


    ¡°Everybody makes mistakes. What matters is what you do after. Apologizing is a good first step. Come by Faros¡¯ workshop in a few days if you want to take another one. It¡¯s near the harbour. Xyl and Tork can show you. Think about it, yes?¡±


    ¡°I will, yes. Thank you, Luc.¡±


    ¡°Sure. Just don¡¯t push me into the lion¡¯s den again, please.¡±


    We joined up with the others after. They pointedly did not say anything about our talk. Instead, Xyl took it upon herself to put everybody into a partying mood. She started singing alone in the middle of the street. It was awful, almost like a cat hissing and crying, but you couldn¡¯t deny her energy. It certainly made us laugh and eased the tension a little. Still, I was glad that she stopped when we arrived at the tavern. Xyl may have many qualities, but the ability to carry a tune was not one of them.


    The tavern was called The Wriggling Worm. A sign above the door depicted about what you would expect with a name like that, though with the setting sun, I could only distinguish the shape of the worm in question. You could hear the noise from the street. The door opened onto a scene that would not have looked out of place into any bar of Earth in a student city on a Thursday night. Weird species excluded, of course. But above the hubbub, the people talking and yelling over each other, I heard a sound that made me stop. There, standing in an alcove against the far wall, was a Bard playing a sort of big lute. He was a male Schalass wearing a big smile and a patchwork of colours and making music.


    My companions noticed my turmoil.


    ¡°You okay, Luc?¡± asked Xyl, flittering in front of me and making me snap out of it.


    ¡°Yeah, sorry,¡± I said and looked back at the musician. ¡°It¡¯s just that I haven¡¯t heard music for a long time. I had forgotten.¡±


    ¡°Is that it? Say no more! Tork! Do your thing!¡±


    ¡°On it!¡± rumbled the large Bourok. ¡°Follow me.¡±


    He carved a path through the crowd, making heavy use of his plated shoulders. We found a table right next to the Bard that suddenly emptied when Tork neared it. I felt a little bad about kicking out the people that were there, but it was hard to care. I was captivated by the music. Had I really missed it that much? I had not realized. Back home, I listened to it every day, hours on end. At the firm when I needed to focus on my work, at home when I cleaned or washed the dishes. When I ran or when I felt melancholic. Music had accompanied me everywhere and I had been brutally cut off. It was a small thing amidst all the others, but it did matter to me.


    The musician played a simple folk tune, tapping with his foot and laughing with his voice while his fingers gently touched the strings. The song spoke of a farmer whose cattle kept escaping to go play with the monsters in the woods. Each morning he would lament his fate, thinking he had lost his livelihood and every evening the cattle would come back, all happy and alive and in great health. One day, drawn by the many questions that assailed him, he woke up early and followed his beasts in the forest. I did not hear what he found there because the entire tavern yelled the ending with the Bard and that made for very confusing lyrics but Tork explained to me later that the beasts were in fact the monsters and transformed with the sun. They ate the poor farmer, who had forgotten that curiosity was a normal flaw that one should make sure to temper.


    I wasn¡¯t sure I understood the moral of the story but at that point, I was too drunk to care. I had discovered a sort of vodka-like beverage and I was teaching my friends the many drinking games that college had instilled in me. We danced and partied for most of the night and I stumbled home in a gleeful daze. Inrak cackled like a happy witch when she saw me in the morning.

 16 - Up and Down

    We waited on the pier under the rose of the day¡¯s first light as the Siren¡¯s Flight¡¯s sailors got ready. Flyssa, Louprak, and Faros stood close to me. While not directly concerned by today¡¯s test, the Carpenter had been subject to our preparations for the last few days and had insisted on accompanying us. Flyssa¡¯s proud posture bespoke the words she did not say about her satisfaction at her father¡¯s presence.


    Our six enchanted sheets were laying on the ground. I had woken up in the middle of the night to fuel them all with Aether. Now came the very first trial of Bordeaux Logistics, the one that would determine whether we were right or wrong about the potential of Aether.


    I yawned loudly. I hadn¡¯t found any coffee or beverage with similar effects and I did not dare try another one of Morange¡¯s potions in fear of becoming addicted again.


    ¡°I can throw you into the water if you want,¡± said Faros helpfully. ¡°It¡¯ll wake you right up.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s very kind of you, but I think I¡¯ll pass.¡±


    ¡°Sure?¡± He shrugged when I shook my head. ¡°Your call.¡±


    Seeing that most of his sailors were now waiting around the barrels and crates gathered on the wharf for the occasion. Louprak sounded the beginning with a sharp whistle.


    ¡°All right, Koltrak. Are we ready?¡±


    ¡°We are, Trade Master,¡± replied his First Mate.


    ¡°Then let¡¯s get to it!¡±


    We had planned this so early to avoid most of the crowd that usually filled the harbour. We could not go completely unnoticed obviously. Already some Fishers were joining their ship and a few Sailors were slowly waking up. But we hoped to be quick enough that we would not attract too much attention.


    The Pterars got busy as soon as Louprak said the word. Two of them grabbed the first sheet, made of white and heavy wool that, Flyssa had assured me, resisted quite well to rough handling, though it was the second most expensive of our materials.


    The two Sailors wrapped the sheet around the first barrel, pulling and rolling it on its edge to completely surround it. They startled when it instantly seemed to become smaller but I had warned them of what would happen beforehand.


    That barrel and a few others were full of a vegetable oil cultivated around Sturron. I estimated each of them to be between 120 and 180kg, though that was a very crude estimation based on not much but my gut and a crash course on weight measurement in Sturron that Faros had given me yesterday.


    ¡°Try lifting it together!¡± I said.


    Both Sailors looked at me like I had gone mad, but shrugged and complied when Koltrak yelled at them. They tipped the barrel over on its side and each grabbed a handful of wool. They lifted it without much effort.


    ¡°Holy shit!¡± exclaimed one of them.


    They tried walking with it, but it clearly wasn¡¯t as efficient as just rolling it. Without handles, the sheet made for an uneasy grip and, even with only two-third of its weight, the barrel was still a big container full of liquid.


    We had prepared some thin ropes to tie the sheet to the barrel and keep it from escaping while it was rolled on the ship. That extra step slowed down the process somehow but we could easily remove it in the future by adding some kind of closing system to each end of the sheet.


    The testing got easier as it went on. Every Sailor took a turn, working in pairs to load and unload the cargo. They tried every sheet with every type of container, which took some time. The harbour had woken up around us, a few ships departing, Merchants arriving to set up their stalls. We had attracted a bunch of onlookers ¨C including two Lompres and a Human who were probably from the Dockworkers¡¯ Guild. Louprak and Flyssa went on to talk to a few people they knew, telling them of our new company, how we were still in the early stages but that we would solicit them once we had a service we could guarantee. The Dockworkers did not talk and made themselves scarce after a while. I doubted that that was the last we had seen of them though.


    I stayed with Faros to overlook the Sailors¡¯ efforts. They had reached the fifth sheet, made out of a monster¡¯s hide. The leather created was a very thin fabric that was easier to fold and manipulate but a bit more expensive. It was supposed to be able to withstand the kind of treatment it would receive, but I had my doubts. It seemed really thin.


    ¡°What do you think?¡± I asked Faros. He had been quiet for some time while I could not stop fidgetting. Koltrak had forbidden me from following his Sailors around as they worked after a near incident and I was now stuck here, on the sidelines.


    The Schalass nodded, not taking his eyes off the scene.


    ¡°It¡¯s good.¡±


    ¡°What? That¡¯s it?¡±


    ¡°Well yeah,¡± he said, turning to me and frowning. ¡°What did you want me to say?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know, I wanted you to expand on your thoughts.¡±


    ¡°You wanted to hear me calling you a genius or something?¡±


    ¡°Pffrt! No, that¡¯s not what I meant.¡±


    ¡°¡®Cause you¡¯ve still got work to do before this goes anywhere.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, I know.¡±


    ¡°But it¡¯s good.¡±


    ¡°Right. Thank you, Faros.¡±


    ¡°No problem.¡±


    When the Sailors were done, they loaded all the cargo one last time and I gathered the sheets. I would carefully examine them back at the workshop to see how they had fared.


    We met up on the deck, Louprak, Flyssa, Koltrak and I with all the Sailors that had participated in the trial to get their feedback. Faros went home. He said he was hungry.


    The Sailors were all sitting down on the deck and looking up at the four of us. It felt like teaching a class full of kids, except these children had spent a full hour moving heavy objects up and down a plank.


    Louprak addressed them first:


    ¡°Thank you all for taking time out of your busy schedule to actually work a little,¡± he said. They all whistled him and laughed. A Pterar meeting was a noisy affair. He continued after they settled down. ¡°The point of today¡¯s exercise was to figure out the best way to use the magic provided by our friend Luc here. What we want now is for all of you to tell us your thoughts after using the sheets. How did it compare to the usual way of loading and unloading?¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t keep anything back, even if it¡¯s negative,¡± I added. ¡°This is the first trial we¡¯ve done so we¡¯re expecting that things weren¡¯t perfect.¡±


    I wasn¡¯t surprised that the first hand to raise was Rolik¡¯s, the young Sailor who had tried to give me a tour of the ship the day I presented my ideas to Flyssa and Louprak. He had been very excited all morning, volunteering multiple times, and he looked exhausted.


    ¡°The sheets are too big,¡± he said. ¡°Even when we fastened them to the barrels, it was all kind of loose. It made it harder to push them because we kept slipping. Also, it takes some time to set up and to undo for each barrel.¡±


    His mates all voiced their agreement.If you encounter this story on Amazon, note that it''s taken without permission from the author. Report it.


    I sighed. ¡°Yeah, I saw that. Maybe we could make the sheets the same size of a barrel and you¡¯d just have to put them on, like a sleeve. But all the barrels didn¡¯t seem the same to me. How many types are there exactly?¡± I asked, turning to Louprak who chuckled.


    ¡°Dozens. Every city has one and some have more than one when the Guilds disagree. In Sturron though, we use perhaps four different types for the most part. What would you say, Koltrak?¡±


    ¡°I agree, Sir. Depending on our cargo, perhaps up to 9 out of 10 barrels are either Sturronian, Izalean oak, Izalean rowan or Hyuwian. And the rest are close enough in size. Having four sizes of sheets would mostly fulfil our needs.¡±


    ¡°Perfect,¡± said Flyssa, taking notes with her magical pen. ¡°I¡¯ll find out the dimensions of these barrels and I¡¯ll have our suppliers make our sheets in four sizes. We¡¯ll figure out with them if this sleeve idea is doable. What else?¡±


    Another Pterar, older with grey in his feathers, raised his hand.


    ¡°The barrels become smaller once they¡¯re wrapped with the sheets. That¡¯s weird by the way. We tried removing the sheet and putting it back quickly and it was like half of the barrel disappeared and came back. It hurts my brain to think about.¡±


    ¡°Orpak, get to the point,¡± interrupted Koltrak, shaking his head.


    ¡°Right, sorry. Anyway what I wanted to say is when the barrels get smaller it¡¯s actually harder to roll them. Well, maybe not harder but definitely less convenient. You have to bend down lower. That¡¯s not good for your back, you know?¡±


    ¡°But carrying them is no good,¡± added a Pterar next to him. ¡°The weight is fine, depending on the barrel, but we have to walk like crabs and we can¡¯t grip it too hard or our talons will damage the sheet.¡±


    Louprak and Flyssa turned to me and looked at me expectantly. I looked back with a blank face.


    ¡°Mage Luc?¡± asked Flyssa.


    I frowned. ¡°How do you know I may have a solution?¡±


    ¡°You just have that look, like you¡¯re very proud of yourself and are just waiting for the right time to show everyone,¡± she replied, the corner of her mouth creasing with the hint of a smile.


    I laughed. It was rare, but sometimes her father¡¯s influence showed very clearly.


    ¡°You all have a Strength Skill or something of the sort, right?¡± I asked the Sailors. They nodded and whistled.


    ¡°Would you be strong enough to bear a barrel, weighted and sized down in a sheet, if it was on your shoulders?¡±


    As expected, they all loudly agreed.


    ¡°I could carry two!¡± screamed one of them, standing up. He was mercilessly mocked and hooted by his mates and sat down. I actually saw Koltrak facepalm. Louprak just laughed and teased the louder boasters.


    ¡°All right, all right!¡± Koltrak yelled after a while. ¡°Quiet down you loud beaks!¡±


    I had trouble keeping a serious face but I managed not to laugh.


    ¡°Thank you Koltrak. Well if it¡¯s possible, we could make straps that could be tied at both ends of a barrel with a loop. Then you lift the barrel onto your shoulders and carry it.¡±


    ¡°Trade Master Louprak?¡± asked Flyssa.


    ¡°It could work.¡±


    ¡°I agree,¡± said Koltrak. ¡°Though the straps will have to be robust.¡±


    ¡°We can enchant them with a Hardening rune since they won¡¯t need the Magic Imprinting one,¡± I added.


    ¡°Good. I will ask a Ropemaker,¡± Flyssa said, scribbling down on her notebook. ¡°Next I would like to discuss the materials the sheets were made of. Could you all tell me which one you liked and why?¡±


    The meeting lasted for about an hour, though we had started so early that it wasn¡¯t noon yet. There would be no more trials, the Siren¡¯s Flight was supposed depart on the morrow. We promised the Sailors that we would have everything ready for when they came back.


    Louprak accompanied us to the end of the pier.


    ¡°Luc, I don¡¯t know if I¡¯ll have time before we leave,¡± he said. ¡°Can you give my best to Inrak?¡±


    ¡°Of course. Do you know when you¡¯ll be back?¡±


    ¡°I go where the winds of commerce take me. It could be a few weeks, maybe more, maybe less. So I don¡¯t know. But you¡¯ll be fine without me. I have faith in both of you.¡±


    ¡°Thank you, Trade Master. It is appreciated.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, thanks for everything Louprak.¡±


    ¡°So, what now?¡± I asked Flyssa once we returned to the workshop. ¡°Do you want my help with the suppliers?¡±


    ¡°You can come if you wish, but it is not necessary. I will get the dimensions of the most common barrels from a Cooper and see with the Tanner if those sleeves of yours can be made or if it easier to add a closing system to our sheets. Are we agreed on the two materials we will use for now?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, it seemed clear to me what they preferred. Sharra¡¯s leather for the barrels, Hemp for the crates and sacks.¡±


    The sharra was a monster commonly found in the wild outside of the city. It wasn¡¯t supposed to be too dangerous, mainly surviving thanks to its agility and speed and the toughness of its hide. The Sailors had liked it for its thinness and the fact that it somewhat stuck to the wood instead of slipping when pushed against it. It made it easier to roll the barrels.


    ¡°Good. I will require your help should your Bourok friend get us a meeting with his kin, but for now I think you should focus on improving your magic. It is the most important part of this enterprise after all. The more you can do, the more we can offer our clients.¡±


    ¡°Then I¡¯ll try to reach level 10 in Enchanter. I feel like I¡¯m close but I¡¯m missing something.¡±


    ¡°Level thresholds typically require more than just effort. Perhaps some of Inrak¡¯s books might help?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve already read all she had on enchanting like four times. I don¡¯t know what I¡¯m missing.¡±


    ¡°Well, good luck, Mage Luc. I will pass by in the afternoon with an update.¡±


    ¡°All right. See you later, Flyssa.¡±


    She left closing the door behind her. I grabbed a drink of ipio before going to my desk. It was still morning and this was technically alcohol, but there wasn¡¯t much of it and I still didn¡¯t fully trust well-water not to give me the runs. Faros was working on his latest project, a small cabinet for a Pix customer. He looked up at me.


    ¡°You know, not everybody¡¯s path is the same.¡±


    I paused. Then I grabbed another glass, but he stopped me, chuckling.


    ¡°What do you mean?¡± I asked.


    ¡°The path to leveling a Class. Books and Tutors will tell you that if you follow a certain set of teachings in a certain way, you¡¯ll follow in known footsteps, level when your predecessors leveled, get the Skills they got. And mostly, it¡¯s true. There are constants. But everybody is different and what works for someone won¡¯t for someone else.¡±


    ¡°So what am I supposed to do?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know, I¡¯m not an Enchanter. But you¡¯re also an Aether mage. Maybe your path in one Class can guide the other. And what do you know, maybe they¡¯ll even combine.¡±


    I thought about it. I didn¡¯t want my Classes to combine. Enchanting was only a means to make money for me until I could level my Aether magic enough to create reliable portals and find my way home. But perhaps there was something to what Faros said. Why did I keep both Classes separated? Every time I used both it was first enchanting then Aether magic. But my knowledge of the Aether had grown considerably. Sometimes the sense of it felt more like intuition. I should be able to use it to guide my enchanting.


    ¡°You¡¯re a deceptively wise old Schalass,¡± I declared.


    ¡°It¡¯s nice to be recognized.¡±


    I worked on it all day. I even went and purchased a potion from Morange to lighten the headache I was starting to get. A less potent one than the one I had gotten addicted to but still, I tergiversated for a while before finally deciding. I felt on the verge of a breakthrough and I was worried that giving it time would only make me lose it.


    The core of my struggling was when trying to use Aether magic while enchanting an object. I tried various ways of linking the Aether to the rune while I created it but I failed each time. And yet there was something there.


    I tried meditating on it. I hadn¡¯t kept up with my daily practise so now was as good a time as any. I started with the basics. The Aether was a dimension overlaying ours. The Magic Imprinting rune usually allowed a Mage to store his magic into an object but it worked somewhat differently with Aether magic. With it, it wasn¡¯t storing as much as linking, allowing some of the Aether¡¯s properties to be shared with the enchanted item. What I was trying to do was create the link slowly around the rune that I was imbuing the object with. But I kept failing. The link didn¡¯t take and it messed with my concentration so that even my rune failed. I don¡¯t know what the stimulus was but I finally got it. The Aether link wasn¡¯t taking because it needed something whole and the rune was literally being built. So I tried linking the Aether to the object ¨C a discarded wooden box I had found on one of the piles around my desk. It didn¡¯t do anything at first, but I kept linking while I enchanted the box. Even when the rune started building, I kept linking the Aether to the box. It was hard, far harder than normal enchanting. I felt my grasp on the Aether wavering. I only held it by the most tenuous of thought when the rune finally finished.


    This time, Margaux¡¯s voice was full of joy.


    *You have reached the level 11 of the Class Aether Mage.*


    *You have reached the level 10 of the Class Enchanter. You have gained the Skill Easy Enchanting.*

 17 - The Right Balance

    ¡°Holy shit! Faros!¡±


    The Schalass came running into the storage room, grazed the wall with his shoulder and fanned his arms with the grace of an elephant to avoid falling into a pile of wood.


    ¡°What?! What is it?¡±


    ¡°Look!¡± I yelled, presenting the box I had just enchanted. ¡°I did it!¡±


    ¡°...What?¡±


    ¡°I did it! I created a permanent Aether link!¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s a permanent Aether link?¡± he asked, frowning. Then he realized there was no emergency and his voice got a lot louder. ¡°And why in the name of all the Gods did you yell like that?!¡±


    ¡°Oh¡­ Sorry. I didn¡¯t mean to scare you. But I¡¯ve reached level 10 in Enchanter and I¡¯m fairly certain I finally created a permanent Aether link, one I won¡¯t have to refuel every few days.¡±


    ¡°Well done, Luc! This deserves a celebration! Let¡¯s get the ipio! But first, can we please agree to save the ¡®Holy shit Faros!¡¯ for really dire situations?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, of course;¡± I said, walking towards him with my box under the arm. ¡°Sorry, I just got excited you know.¡±


    ¡°As you should!¡± He accentuated his words by giving me a strong slap on the back. ¡°Reaching level 10 is an accomplishment. It means you¡¯re not completely hopeless any more.¡±


    ¡°Damn right!¡±


    Obviously I had to bring my shiny new box to Inrak after that. There was a long queue in front of Sirmy¡¯s stall so I limited myself to a distant wave. I would tell them later.


    Inrak welcomed the news with the joy I had expected but was still happy to see. Her constant support meant the world to me. She was like the feathery mother I never had and definitely needed. I let her hang the box on a wall upstairs. It clashed with just about everything else in the room though, so it would probably be taken down soon. I appreciated her enthusiasm at least.


    I got up early the next day. I could not wait to try out my new abilities and the new Skill I had gotten. Easy Enchanting. The name seemed rather self-explanatory but I would have to figure out exactly what it did.


    I let myself in the workshop with the key Faros had given me. He had not arrived yet.


    The first thing I did was to scour the piles of garbage in the storage room to find more boxes and potential containers I could use for my experiments. They were all too disparate though. It made any kind of comparison difficult. So, as soon as Faros arrived, I badgered him until he made me four simple boxes of similar sizes. Then I had to enchant them all.


    My new Skill did exactly what it said. The mental effort of imbuing an item with a rune had lessened considerably. It did take me longer, but the trade-off was more than worth it. I encountered barely any difficulty for the first two boxes that I enchanted with my previous technique, only giving them the Magic Imprinting rune. For the other two, I used what I had discovered the day before, Manipulating the Aether while enchanting them at the same time, making the link permanent.


    I had to take a break after all of that. Even with Easy Enchanting, it was tiring work. The kind that made you lie on the couch in front of the TV like a shapeless, lifeless blob. Since I had no couch and no TV, I went for a short walk around the harbour.


    Flyssa found me an hour or so later, sitting cross-legged on the ground in front of my boxes, lost in deep reflection.


    ¡°Good morning Dad, Luc¡­ Luc? Why are you covered in sawdust?¡±


    ¡°Hey Flyssa,¡± I said, looking up. ¡°I¡¯m measuring.¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s got a new Skill,¡± added Faros.


    ¡°Really? That is good. What does it do?¡±


    ¡°Makes him think and swear a lot.¡±


    I snorted. That was a somewhat accurate description of me this morning.


    ¡°I leveled up yesterday,¡± I said. ¡°I can create a permanent link to the Aether now and I¡¯ve been testing it with these.¡± I pointed to the four boxes. ¡°But it¡¯s not as good as I thought it would be¡­ I can only manage a weaker link and the volume gained is about 10 percent. Almost 6 times lower than when I use the normal technique: enchanting first and linking after.¡±


    Flyssa sat down next to me and took one of the boxes in her hands.


    ¡°You said the link was permanent. Is that an exaggeration?¡±


    ¡°Yes and no. I mean, it¡¯s not actually permanent because no enchantment is, or at least none that I can make. But the Aether link will last as long as the Magic Imprinting rune works. It depends on how much use it gets. I¡¯d say months at the very least.¡±


    She put the box down again and stared at me.


    ¡°Luc,¡± she said with disbelief in her voice. ¡°You realize how valuable that is?¡±


    I shook my head. She was missing the point.


    ¡°A ten percent gain isn¡¯t enough for our current business plan. We¡¯re better off continuing with the sleeves and the sheets we ordered. And what else do you want to do? Sell enchanted handbags and backpacks as fast as I can make them? We could, obviously. From what I researched before, we could easily make a fifty percent margin even without a bulk price from a supplier. But what will that accomplish? I¡¯ll exhaust myself enchanting a few of them in addition to fuelling the sheets every day. We¡¯ll quickly flood the market since nobody bothers with such a small enchantment value and it¡¯ll be even harder to hide. I know that¡¯s basically a dream at this point, but at least now I have the excuse that nothing I do is actually difficult or requires any level. Mages just find it boring and demeaning. But creating a permanent Aether link is not that easy. Once that cat is out of the bag, I won¡¯t be able to put it back in.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s a worst-case scenario!¡± she exclaimed, jumping to her feet. Her excitement surprised me. She was usually so calm and collected. ¡°There is a risk, certainly, but not one we can¡¯t prevent! We could work with one or multiple intermediaries, or only with carefully selected groups, like Messengers. It would diminish the risks of revealing your abilities while barely lowering the potential profits!¡±


    I rose too, though with far less energy.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Flyssa, but I don¡¯t think you get it. I have spent a lot of time thinking about this. Aether magic isn¡¯t necessarily rare, though from what I understand it is one of the least popular school of magic. But every Aether Mage I¡¯ve ever heard about is either studying or teaching at Winory or working for one of the powerful families in Sturron. The Duchess has two in her employ. I don¡¯t know about her children. The Merchant Association have one. What do you think will happen when an unaffiliated Aether Mage pops up and starts to sell competitive products and services? Maybe I¡¯ll get a few job offers here and there. Maybe they¡¯ll just think it easier to get rid of the problem? We¡¯re already about to take on the Dockworkers¡¯ Guild. I¡¯m actually counting on the Merchant Association and the Ducal family appreciating us undercutting the Guild¡¯s power and providing an alternative. Let¡¯s not make enemies out of them too. Please.¡±


    Flyssa crossed her arms and looked at me. I could see her pondering what I had said. The air was tense in the workshop. We had been mostly in synch until now, each of us doing their work with the same goal in sight. But I was suddenly very aware that I did not know her that much. If she decided to sell me out to whomever could have use of me, that was it. My teleporting skills were almost non-existent as of yet. I could not escape.


    Perhaps sensing that his intervention was needed, Faros spoke up.


    ¡°There¡¯s also an Adventurer. Human. Used to be a friend of your mother¡¯s, Flyssa. You met him once or twice though I doubt you remember. Junn he was called. I don¡¯t know if he still hangs around in Sturron, but he had quite the interesting Class. He always wore a short sword and a bunch of knives on him with dark clothing. He looked like a damned assassin. Maybe that was his actual Class, now that I think about it. Anyway. He barely did any magic, but he could teleport at will in a wide area around himself. He used to scare everyone by appearing behind them and not saying a word until they noticed. He laughed about it, but it made you think, right? What if one day he didn¡¯t want to laugh?¡±


    ¡°You never mentioned him,¡± I said.This story has been taken without authorization. Report any sightings.


    ¡°It¡¯s been a while since I saw him. And I wasn¡¯t the biggest fan, to be honest.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t recall him at all. Why are you telling us now, Dad?¡±


    ¡°Because, daughter of mine, the one Aether mage I know about that was neither a University Mage nor working for a powerful group was basically the scariest fucker I¡¯ve ever met. Maybe Luc¡¯s fears aren¡¯t completely unfounded.¡±


    Flyssa looked a bit shocked at her father¡¯s actual helpfulness. I was personally becoming used to his peculiar wisdom, but I could understand her surprise. Their relationship wasn¡¯t in the best condition and she had been perhaps more familiar with his drunken snores in recent times.


    ¡°You¡¯re right,¡± she replied to her father before turning to me. ¡°My apologies, Luc. I only saw the opportunity and did not think of what it would mean for you.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s okay,¡± I said. ¡°I¡¯m frustrated too. I can do all these amazing, magical things, but I always have to look over my shoulder. I keep switching between being annoyed that I¡¯m not doing more to acquire money for my plans and being afraid of doing too much and attracting too much attention. It¡¯s pissing me off. I have half a mind to go see the God again and ask Him what he thinks about all this.¡±


    ¡°Which God are you talking about?¡± she asked.


    ¡°Pamasteron. I met him twice, though briefly the second time. He was nice.¡±


    ¡°The God of the lost? That¡¯s¡­ an interesting choice. Wouldn¡¯t the Goddess of magic be a more appropriate one for your situation?¡±


    I shrugged.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know Her. And I don¡¯t really understand these laws They have. I know They can see us all the time if they wish to, but I¡¯m afraid me going to see Her will break an obscure rule and other Mages will be able to ask Her about me or something.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not sure, actually,¡± she said, frowning. ¡°But why would other Mages ask Illirya about you?¡±


    ¡°Hmm¡­ No reason. I¡¯m a bit paranoid you know.¡± I faked a laugh that could not have been very convincing. I could not tell them that Aether magic was probably the least interesting about me in this world.


    ¡°About what you said for the permanent Aether links,¡± I said, quickly changing subjects. ¡°I don¡¯t want to publicize it too much, but we could perhaps sell them to very selective groups. People we would be certain we could trust.¡±


    ¡°You have someone in mind?¡±


    ¡°Maybe¡­ I¡¯ve been reading up on the Bouroks¡¯ history. They have no reason to associate with anybody currently in power and working with us could be mutually beneficial. I even have a proposal for them when we meet. Oh, by the way, Tork sent a message yesterday evening. His kin has agreed to meet with us in four days. He¡¯ll come by the bookshop to get us.¡±


    ¡°Already?¡± she exclaimed. ¡°That was fast! It¡¯s usually a hassle to get a meeting with them. You must have made a good impression. I have to prepare! And we should discuss our plan and rehearse. Tomorrow afternoon?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, sure. I¡¯ll be here.¡±


    ¡°Excellent! Then I¡¯ll see you tomorrow. Good day, Luc. Dad.¡±


    We watched her leave with a spring in her steps. I raised my eyebrows in a silent question. Faros snorted.


    ¡°Bouroks are a secretive people. Access to their Crafters would be a big deal for her.¡±


    Then he gave me a curios look.


    ¡°So¡­ Pamasteron eh?¡±


    ¡°Yeah,¡± I nodded. ¡°Nice guy. Who¡¯s yours?¡±


    ¡°Depends on my mood. I like Mychial. He always humours me. Or Sparrow. Her priests brew a very good stout.¡±


    ¡°Well, that¡¯s always a good criteria to choose your God,¡± I agreed.


    My conversation with Flyssa stayed with me. Despite the confidence I had demonstrated while talking with her, I felt less than certain about my decisions. On my path back to Earth, I had one main constraint. I had to find the right balance between the need to stay under the radar and the unavoidable publicity that came with doing anything that would earn me enough money to acquire the resources I needed for my goals. Well that and actually mastering the Aether. I had thought often about how to best go about this. No answer had felt truly perfect. The one I had settled for was problematic in its own way. Ana had been proof of that. Even collaborating with the Bouroks felt risky and yet necessary. I couldn¡¯t hide myself in a hole and wait for everything to blow over. I needed to buy more books, to learn more about the Aether. Maybe enrolling at Winory would be my best bet at some point, and how much would that cost? No, I could not hide. But I needed more information, that was clear.


    The house of Pamasteron had not changed one bit since my last bit. The flowers were blooming despite spring still being weeks away and the gravel under my feet looked as if it had been carefully raked that morning. The sun was still up in the sky so the temple was mostly empty of its usual crowd of vagrants and wanderers.


    Two Schalass and a Pterar sat at the table, talking and waiting for their turn. One of them was wearing a patchwork of clothes that had as many colours as holes in them while the other was draped in a cape that had likely seen far more winters than it should have. As the priest showed me to my seat, they introduced themselves and spontaneously brought me into their discussion. I did not mind the wait. The talk was nothing heavy or deep, but it was nice all the same. It slowly eased the tension in my shoulders. It felt like talking to people on a train that has accumulated hours of delay, when the frustration and restrained anger leaves its place to the camaraderie of people sharing their misfortune.


    When came my turn, I sat down in front of the God¡¯s hearth. The light soon appeared, shining bright and filling the room until I was standing in His study. The room was just as I remembered it and looked like like a therapist¡¯s office with its carpet and the shelves of books against the walls. Pamasteron was sitting in his armchair, a gentle smile on his lips. He motioned me to the seat in front of Him.


    ¡°Welcome back, Luc. You have grown much since last you came.¡±


    ¡°Have I?¡± I asked with a shake of the head. ¡°I¡¯ve been here for about three months now and I¡¯m only level 11.¡±


    ¡°I understand that it is hard for you to realize, but gaining a combined twenty-nine levels in such a short time is an achievement. You should be proud of yourself.¡±


    ¡°Thank you, Sir,¡± I said though his praise felt hollow to me. I was no closer to getting home. Still, He was a God. You have to be polite to Them. ¡°I have a few questions that I would like to ask you if you please.¡±


    ¡°Go ahead,¡± he said with a gesture of his hand.


    I took a breath. I had thought on the way about how I could ask this.


    ¡°I have been worried for some time about my safety,¡± I said. ¡°First because, coming from another world, I hold knowledge that could interest many entities. And more recently because my Class can have fantastic value for some powerful parties here in Sturron. I have already been approached by someone linked to one of the Duchess¡¯ children. I don¡¯t expect you to do anything about this, I know the Gods have rules about interfering. This is just for context. What I want to ask is about what the Gods can reveal to their petitioners. I would like to ask Illirya a few questions about magic, but I¡¯m afraid of what that would open. I have been dreading a visit from powerful Mages ever since I arrived here. To be honest, I¡¯m a bit surprised it hasn¡¯t happened yet. Do you know what I¡¯ll expose myself to if I go and see her?¡±


    He stared at me in silence for a moment. I was afraid I had offended Him, until he finally spoke:


    ¡°Here is what I can tell you. The Rules forbid Us from revealing any information to a person that could be detrimental to another. As you can imagine, there is a lot of leeway around this rule, otherwise We would do nothing at all. After all, a case could be made that even answering someone would lift their morale and give them an advantage over their adversaries. So this rule is subject to interpretation and is quite frequently a source of heated debate between Us. Your situation, however, is a bit different.¡±


    ¡°It¡­ it is?¡±


    ¡°You come from another world. Any one of Us that could get their followers to benefit from that fact would gain a tremendous leverage. Therefore any information about you is strictly regulated, which, in concrete terms, means that we are right now being observed by a few of My peers and that should Illirya ever mention your origin to any of her followers, She would receive great backlash.¡±


    I let out a deep breath that I didn¡¯t know I had been keeping.


    ¡°So¡­ no guarantee, but I should be fine on that front?¡±


    ¡°That is accurate indeed,¡± chuckled Pamasteron.


    ¡°Thank you! That¡¯s a relief to hear.¡±


    ¡°Of course. Was there anything else you wished to ask?¡±


    ¡°Actually, yes,¡± I said. I had been hesitating, debating with myself if I really wanted to know. But I had to ask. ¡°Did you discover any lead about how I arrived here and how I can go back?¡±


    ¡°I found nothing,¡± he stated bluntly, his brow creasing. ¡°And if any of My peers have, They did not share it with Me. But that is something in and of itself. I am the God of the lost. If I cannot find something I am searching for, then it is either out of this world or an extremely well-kept secret.¡±


    I was stunned. He seemed truly frustrated and that was more than worrying. How could I find a path to Earth if even a God had no idea?


    ¡°What does that mean?¡± I asked. ¡°I¡¯ve already been here for almost four months. My child has surely been born by now and I¡¯ve missed it! What can I do? Will I ever see my family again?¡±


    His eyes filled with compassion and He gave me a light and gentle smile. I could clearly see that He cared deeply. It did not lessen the pain I felt in my heart when I heard His answer.


    ¡°I do not know. I am sorry, Luc.¡±


    I clenched my teeth, fought the pressure that was pushing on my lungs. I would not cry. I had expected this. If the Gods had no answer for me, then I would find my own.

 18 - Ramping Up

    My encounter with Pamasteron left me in a foul mood. After leaving the temple, I did not feel like going back to the workshop or the apartment. I walked in silence towards the ocean, lost in my thoughts. The harbour occupied most of the shore with its quays and hangars, but I found a quiet place to the side, not far from the wall, where a bunch of rocks separated the land from the sea. I sat on one of them, my knees between my arms, the wind blowing against my face.


    It had been a while since I had felt such hopelessness. I had busied myself with the new company and my studies and I had almost forgotten to take stock of where I was. Still so far from home, barely closer to finding a way back. I knew, on an intellectual level, that it would take me years, maybe decades. This was not news. Yet I had somehow allowed myself to forget it, to let myself enjoy the sweetness of progress and pleasant company. It was almost as if I had built a ship so that I would not drown in my sorrow and talking with the God had capsized it.


    I focused on my breathing. Smelled the salt in the air, listened to the cries of the seagulls and the city behind.


    I was already aware of the situation. I could not let it disturb me. I had set a good pace and I needed to keep it, to increase it even. And I had learned something today. That even the God, after having searched for an answer, did not know how I had come to this world. Either something from outside the world or a very well-kept secret, he had said. I had to exclude the first option, simply because there was nothing I could do about it should it be the truth. But a secret, that I could figure out. Surely there was a reason for it. Whomever had brought me here had to be looking for me, if they weren¡¯t already monitoring my life. A person or a group powerful enough that they could evade the scrutiny of the Gods. Maybe it was another God. I knew too little about their rules and how they enforced them to dismiss that option entirely. In any case, a secret was something that I could uncover. I had no idea where to start though, so Aether magic was still my first priority. But I would keep an eye out. If someone had indeed managed to bring me here voluntarily, then they had to know how to send me back.


    The next few days passed in a blur. I threw myself into practise, mostly trying to repeat the short teleportation I managed when I reached level 10 in Aether magic. I sat on the ground in the workshop, my back against my desk, and, my eyes closed and my mind navigating the Aether, I tried to project myself a few feet away. I struggled a lot with the depressing feel of the Aether in the workshop. It made every effort a little bit harder, a little more draining on my mind. But I persisted. If motivation came and went like waves on a beach, my discussion with Pamasteron had put me on top of a tsunami. By the end, I managed to teleport a few feet around myself more than half of the time, even through a wall, though it took everything out of me and forced me to rest for at least an hour afterwards.


    It was progress though, and I got to hear my wife¡¯s voice again.


    *You have reached the level 12 of the Class Aether Mage.*


    It was during those days that Bordeaux Logistics made its first sale. I had very little to do with it. Flyssa came to the workshop one morning wearing a great smile that exposed her teeth.


    ¡°Luc!¡± she yelled, barging in my storage room. ¡°We have a meeting! A Captain came to me, asking about our services!¡±


    I opened my eyes. I was sitting on the ground in what had become my usual Aether training position, cross-legged, my back against the desk and facing the narrow path amidst Faros¡¯ rejected projects. The hardness of the floor made it uncomfortable, but the first and last time I had tried teleporting while standing, I ended up falling face-first into a pile of wooden things. So the floor it was. I was planning on buying at least two cushions very soon.


    ¡°That¡¯s great, Flyssa!¡± I said, rising to my feet. ¡°Who is it?¡±


    ¡°Spaly. She¡¯s a young Schalass Captain. We have friends in common and she reached out to me. She wanted me to bring a few of our products to her ship to demonstrate. Would it be possible for you to come with me? Is it too dangerous? I can present our sheets and sleeves, but if she has specific questions you would be more able to answer them. What do you think?¡±


    I could not keep myself from smiling. Flyssa had been vehement in her desire to expand what the company sold, yet once Faros and I had explained to her the risks involved, she had instantly started taking them into account. Her concern touched me. I had expected her to grow frustrated, to keep trying to convince me to make bags of holdings to sell. She had proven me wrong. This meeting that she was proposing was certainly a risk. Going out was a risk at this point. But I felt I owed her at least that much. I could not isolate myself in this storage room forever. Besides, it would be interesting to talk with another Captain, get her opinion on some things.


    ¡°I think it¡¯s fine, Flyssa,¡± I said. ¡°I¡¯ll come with you to see this Spaly. Thank you for asking.¡±


    We did not tarry and set out immediately. Spaly¡¯s ship was near the western extremity of the harbour. It seemed to be shorter but wider than Louprak¡¯s. To be honest, it looked like it was carrying a baby ship inside of its hold. I could not imagine that such a ship navigated the seas with great speed, though it could likely carry more cargo. It was high on the water at present.


    As we approached, Flyssa hailed a Human sailor on the deck. He disappeared for a moment, then a small Schalass came out to meet us. She must have barely reached 1m50, which was minuscule for a Schalass. Her scales had a reddish hue, highlighted by the light grey of her loose shirt. She walked down the plank barefoot to meet us.


    ¡°Oy, Flyssa! That was quick!¡±


    ¡°Spaly. May I introduce my associate, Luc?¡±


    ¡°Nice to meet ya.¡± She shook my hand with a strong grip. ¡°So this is it then?¡± she said, eyeing the bag I was carrying on my shoulder.


    ¡°It is,¡± I said. ¡°You wanted a demonstration?¡±


    ¡°Right, yeah. Not sure I understood what you guys do, but if you can help me load cheaper than those fucking thieves, I¡¯ll be glad of it.¡±


    ¡°Do you have some cargo inside?¡± asked Flyssa. ¡°We would prefer not showing everything in the open.¡±


    ¡°Sure thing. Thieves and spies too, eh? Come on up!¡±


    Flyssa and I shared an amused glance before following the Captain.


    We gathered in the main hold along with a few sailors. There were only two barrels there.


    ¡°That¡¯s my own merchandise,¡± Spaly explained. ¡°I don¡¯t own this ship or what I¡¯m transporting. I¡¯m just paid to sail, y¡¯know. But I try to make a few deals of my own. Get some money and levels. And the loading fees are taken out of my pay, which is fucking bird crap, but there you go. So if you¡¯re cheaper and I can still make my time, I¡¯ll praise your name to Mighty Crokos.¡±


    ¡°I believe you will be satisfied,¡± said Flyssa with a confident tone.


    I laid down my bag on the deck and got a barrel sleeve out of it. They had been delivered just the day before and we had been able to test them on an empty barrel Faros had gotten from a friend. I had brought only two sizes but it would do for the demonstration.


    I had expected the oohs and aahs when I put the sleeve onto the barrel and it instantly shrank, but hearing the astonishment of the sailors was still extremely satisfying. I never ceased to be amazed by Aether magic, even though I had grown accustomed to it. The fantastical aspects of this world were one of the things I would miss if, no, when I got home.This story originates from Royal Road. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.


    The rest of the demonstration went well. I showed them the straps for the barrels to avoid having to roll them and the bags for their other containers. Obviously one sailor wanted to try putting the sleeve on, so then everybody else had to try also. Meanwhile Flyssa and Spaly were discussing prices. From the look on both of their faces, an agreement would soon be reached. Flyssa and I had debated at length about prices and margins. I initially argued for low prices to have an easier time of entering the market, but she had made a very good point: we had no idea how long we would last. We didn¡¯t know if the powers that be were going to start offering their own Aether products or if the pressure, be it physical or political, would force to shut down at some point. Might as well start making good profits now.


    Spaly insisted on sharing a drink in her cabin to celebrate our new partnership. She talked a lot about new friendships. I think she was just really happy to save about a third of what she would have paid with the Dockworkers¡¯ Guild and we gladly stayed a bit. The drink had an almost sugary smell to it and she filled the cups she served us. I took a sip at first. It was tasty, like a fruit cocktail. I took a bigger swallow. Then the first one hit my throat with an after-effect that I had never experienced and my eyes started to water. It was like drinking home-made moonshine from your uncle¡¯s friend, but without the pungent smell. It was highly treacherous, that¡¯s what it was. I tried to hide my discomfort, but Spaly saw right through it.


    ¡°First time drinking tokagasy, eh?¡± she asked, hitting her desk between fits of laughter.


    ¡°Ugh,¡± I groaned. ¡°What is this stuff?¡±


    ¡°The finest Schalass drink there is!¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s a common drink from Schalass communities inland,¡± added Flyssa. I could see her trying to restrain a smile.


    ¡°You could have warned me,¡± I said, laughing. ¡°Shit! Why does the alcohol hit so late?¡±


    ¡°Secret ingredient!¡± yelled Spaly. She was rubbing around her eyes to remove the tears my suffering had provoked.


    I looked at Flyssa. She shook her head.


    ¡°I don¡¯t think you want to know,¡± she said.


    I stared at the greyish liquid in my cup as if I could discover its mysteries.


    ¡°Maybe I don¡¯t.¡± I shrugged and took another swig. Smaller this time. ¡°At least it¡¯s pretty good.¡±


    We returned to the workshop after assuring Spaly that we would bring the sleeves and the sheets in two days, when she expected her cargo to be delivered to her ship. Flyssa and I could not keep the smile from our faces. It felt like a weight had been lifted. This was our first sale, proof that we had not worked in vain. I could finally begin registering sales into the accounts of Bordeaux Logistics.


    We were walking along the pier, already discussing the future, our meeting with the Bouroks planned for the morrow, when we heard a loud bang not far from us. I stood dumbfounded. Was that a gunshot? My mind blanked.


    ¡°Luc! Luc, come on!¡± I realized that Flyssa was pulling me by the arm and had been yelling at me.


    ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°Come on! We have to go!¡±


    I let her lead me away from the noise into a side street. The noise behind us ramped up. I heard screams and explosions. We ran while my mind slowly started working again.


    ¡°What the fuck is happening?!¡± I yelled, panting.


    Flyssa glanced back briefly but she did not stop fleeing.


    ¡°Mages fighting! Come on! Let¡¯s get to my Dad¡¯s and hole up there!¡±


    Those were mages? What kind of power did they have for their attacks to produce sounds that loud? Was that why everyone talked about the University with awe?


    We were not the only ones running away from the harbour. Houses and shops were closing down, people knocking at some doors, begging to be let in. It was chaos. I felt like I was living a war scene in a movie. But this was real. It had come out of nowhere. In the months I had been living here, I had never even heard of something like this happening.


    It took us maybe ten minutes to reach Faros¡¯ workshop. He was outside, holding his door open with an arm. He kept looking up and down the streets. He yelled when he saw us.


    ¡°Flyssa! Luc! Come! Quick!¡±


    We dove into the workshop and Faros closed behind us. I collapsed against the floor, breathless, almost ready to pass out. I had never been much of a runner and though the adrenaline had carried me through our flight, it all came crashing down on me. The cold ground on my cheek felt like the only thing in the world. I focused on it and tried to take deep breath as we had been taught in school. I heard Faros leaning over me and asking if I was all right, but I could not manage a verbal answer. I simply nodded with the barest of movement. He gave me a tap on the shoulder and stood up.


    It took me a while to gather myself. I sat up and took stock of my surroundings. I could hear nothing from outside. Perhaps the fighting had quieted down, or perhaps the walls were too thick or we were too far from the action. Flyssa was sitting on a chair, drinking from a cup. Faros was hovering over her, talking quietly. He noticed me first and brought me a cup.


    ¡°Here you go, Luc,¡± he said. ¡°Water.¡±


    I had no thought to spare towards sanitary concerns at that moment. I grabbed the cup and poured the water down my throat.


    ¡°Easy!¡±


    I held the empty cup to him. ¡°Can I have some more, please?¡± My throat trouble working properly and the words sounded more like grunts, but he understood.


    ¡°Sure.¡±


    I drank the second cup, more slowly this time, before I could trust myself to talk.


    ¡°What the hell was that?¡± I finally said.


    ¡°Mages, sounds like,¡± he answered.


    ¡°What kind of Mage can do something like that? It felt like thunder!¡±


    ¡°How should I know? You¡¯re the Mage! But probably an Aeromancer or a Weather Mage, from what Flyssa told me.¡±


    I looked at my associate in her chair. She gave me a small smile.


    ¡°Hey, Flyssa. You ok?¡±


    She nodded. ¡°Thank you. How about you?¡±


    ¡°Yeah,¡± I said. ¡°Maybe I should take up jogging again. That was a violent reminder that I am not in shape.¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s jogging?¡± asked Faros, giving me a curious look.


    ¡°Uhh.. Running around to get your body used to running and not crumble at the slightest exertion. Like I did just now.¡±


    ¡°Interesting idea. Guess it can¡¯t hurt for you scholars, always cooped up and sitting.¡±


    ¡°So, do any of you have an idea of what happened? Why were those Mages throwing spells around in the streets?¡±


    Faros crossed his arms and shook his tail in annoyance.


    ¡°This fucking succession!¡± he exclaimed. ¡°Maybe the Duchess¡¯ health took a turn for the worse. They only start openly fighting once the mother is too frail or lost too much power to do anything about it. It¡¯s not a good sign. I hope she dies quickly so that it doesn¡¯t drag out too much.¡±


    ¡°Dad! Don¡¯t talk like that about the Duchess?¡±


    ¡°What? It¡¯s true,¡± he said, turning to his daughter. ¡°You weren¡¯t born the last time, when she gained her father¡¯s title. It was a bloodbath. You couldn¡¯t stay in the streets too long for fear of getting embroiled in a spontaneous fight between partisans of the heirs. There were dozens of them. It took weeks for most of them to die or exile themselves.¡±


    ¡°Weeks!¡± I blurted out. That was a long time to live in fear. And what would happen after that? What kind of leader would the new Duke or Duchess be? Would they start their reign by clamping down on the opposition, real or imagined, or by enforcing new rules on the people of the city to mark their arrival? What would happen to us, Inrak, Faros and Flyssa, Sirmy and Ripsile, Gyggs, the Messengers, the Bouroks? What would it mean for our burgeoning business?


    I took a deep breath. There was no need to panic for now. We would be careful, take precautions. Hide for a while, if necessary. Not much had happened yet, and if it did, it would just be another hill to climb. It would not deter me from my goals. Nothing could.

 19 - Cooling Down

    I left the workshop soon after having calmed myself. The whole ordeal had been much too troubling to keep working for that day. I walked quickly through the streets, glancing left and right and preparing myself so that I would not freeze this time. That had been embarrassing. I don¡¯t know what would have happened if Flyssa had not been there to pull me out of it. But I was an accountant, damn it! The most combat I had ever seen was those judo classes they made us take in middle school. I had shot a few times before with my grandfather¡¯s hunting rifle, but the sound was nowhere near as loud as the one the spells made. Those had been more like explosions. Still. It would not do. I was no longer in a peaceful country, only having to worry about mundane things. I had to get that into my mind.


    I had planned on going back to the bookshop, but I found Inrak on my way there, talking nervously with Sirmy at her stall. They both shouted with relief when they saw me.


    ¡°Luc! There you are!¡±


    ¡°We were worried! It sounded like it came from the harbour.¡±


    ¡°It did,¡± I replied. ¡°We heard a very loud bang so we shuttered ourselves in the workshop until it passed.¡± I didn¡¯t tell them Flyssa and I had been so close to it. I saw no point in scaring them even more.


    ¡°Did you see what it was?¡± asked Sirmy. She was holding her daughter against her. Ripsile, for once, was quiet and subdued.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t, but Faros said they were probably Mages fighting. Something about the Duchess¡¯ succession.¡±


    ¡°Damned Schalass and their bloody successions!¡± exclaimed Inrak, making a bunch of whistling noises. She immediately calmed down upon realizing who was in front of her. ¡°Sorry, Sirmy. I¡¯m sorry, Ripsile. That was rude of me.¡±


    Sirmy waved her down.


    ¡°You don¡¯t have to apologize. We know. And I agree. This tradition of having as many children as you can afford and let them fight for their inheritance is outdated and barbaric. Do you know, it caused a huge scandal in my family when I told them I would not have any more children after Ripsile. They almost banished me! I was lucky that my brother put a stop to it, but it still left us somewhat apart from the rest of the family. We don¡¯t see them often. Especially now that my brother is no longer with us.¡±


    The little girl in her arms spoke up, perhaps sensing her mother¡¯s distress.


    ¡°But it¡¯s okay, ¡®cause we made our own family. Right, Mama?¡±


    ¡°Yes, my love, you¡¯re right,¡± answered Sirmy with a smile.


    I watched them with a smile, my heart torn with envy. I wanted what they had. I needed my family.


    Perhaps Inrak felt my distress.


    ¡°Luc, we should get home,¡± she said. ¡°I would like to talk with you about the incident.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, sure. Goodbye guys.¡±


    ¡°Goodbye, Luc, Inrak. Stay safe,¡± said Sirmy. Ripsile waved at us with a laugh, any trace of her earlier anxiety having vanished.


    We did not talk during the walk back to the bookshop. Inrak hummed quietly and I had a lot on my mind. The fighting between the Duchess¡¯ heirs threatened everything I had worked for. There must be something that I could do.


    Inrak stopped her humming as we arrived.


    ¡°Would you prepare us some tea?¡± she asked me. ¡°I will close down here and then we will talk.¡±


    ¡°Uh. All right.¡± The tone she used triggered bells in my head. I could swear my mother had used the very same on numerous occasions. Was I in trouble? Wait, why was I worried about being in trouble? I was an adult! Still, I climbed the stairs and put the pan on the small wood stove that served both as heater and kitchen appliance. I had spent some studying the enchantments on it and felt reasonably certain that I could create one. There was no profit in it though. A Winory Archmage had developed a cheap and efficient prototype and had released it to the people living near the University after a particularly rough winter. It had spread from there. Basically every household in Sturron possessed one now.


    Inrak joined me a moment later. She had resumed her humming. It may have been me, but the sound felt ominous.


    She cleaned up some while waiting for the water to boil, still not saying anything. When it did, she put some leaves in the teapot, poured the water in and took two cups. Then she sat down at the table and looked at me. The humming stopped.


    ¡°So, Luc,¡± she said. ¡°Will you tell me what really happened?¡±


    I sighed. Had I been that transparent? I knew I had never made a very good liar, but still. That was embarrassing.


    ¡°All right. First of all, I¡¯m fine. I didn¡¯t want to worry you. I don¡¯t know exactly what happened. I saw very little. We were walking back from a meeting on a ship with Flyssa when we heard the explosion, or whatever it was. Aeromancers, Faros said. I don¡¯t know how close we were from it, but I don¡¯t think we were in any real danger. Flyssa and I fled through the streets until we reached the workshop and then we barricaded ourselves there. But I¡¯m fine, I tell you. A little running can¡¯t hurt me that much. It was just unexpected, you know. Everybody seems certain that it was about the succession. Do you have any idea why it got so violent all of a sudden?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve talked a bit with my customers here. There was a rumour that the Duchess took a turn for the worse, that¡¯s probably what got them all excited.¡± She made a series of frustrated whistles. ¡°It¡¯s always like this. Every time. They flood the world with their babies and drop them into the world and let fate decide. It¡¯s supposed to be a winnowing, a way for the best to rise to the top. As you can guess, it fosters a certain kind of culture. Sometimes I think that without the other species, Sturron would become a shithole.¡±


    She truly must have been annoyed to use that kind of language.


    ¡°But the Schalass Dukes and Duchess have held power for a long time, no?¡±, I said. ¡°Surely if it was that bad, the city would see much more violence in general. It¡¯s been mostly quiet since I¡¯ve been here, and there are a lot of public services that you wouldn¡¯t expect in a cut-throat society like you describe. The baths for example.¡±


    ¡°That proves my point. It¡¯s not a widely known fact, but the creation of the baths as they stand today is the result of the work of the only Lompres to ever serve as councillor to the Duke. The Lompres are a tight community, never straying far from water. Their day doesn¡¯t start until they¡¯ve had a good soak. She saw the benefits it had on the health of her community and worked hard to create the same opportunity for every resident of Sturron. I had a book that talked about it. I¡¯ll lend it to you.¡±


    She shook her head and didn¡¯t let me reply.


    ¡°But that¡¯s not what I wanted to discuss with you. You told me about your world and your country. I think it is important that you realize something. You are no longer there. You have spent your life learning how to live there, you have built preconceptions. You must understand that they do not all apply here. Power doesn¡¯t manifest itself in the same way. Here, in Sturron and in the rest of the world, power is a capacity for violence. Nothing is built and nothing is kept without violence. I could be the best Bookkeeper in the world and I would have no more power and influence than the best Mage or Warrior would grant me. It is good that you ran away when you heard the fighting. It was a good reaction. It¡¯s the one you must learn at all costs. You have a good heart, Luc. I have seen you make friends with everyone you met. I know that you like to help people. It¡¯s a great quality.¡± She made a strident whistle that made me jump. Then she carried on her speech. ¡°You should bury it for a while. Keep your head low, focus on your business. And above all, do not get involved!¡± Her eyes narrowed and she stared at me as if I had already transgressed.The story has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation.


    ¡°I assure you, Inrak, I had no plans on getting involved in the succession,¡± I told her. ¡°I told you about Ana and that Schalass coming to me. I turned them down. I just want to make some money and study Aether magic.¡±


    ¡°Hm. Good. But do not forget that you would be valuable to them. For your magic for one, but especially for your origins. That¡¯s why you must not even think about coming close to the succession. Should they ever learn who you are, I fear that I would never see you again.¡±


    I took her hand and smiled.


    ¡°I will be careful, I promise. As a matter of fact, I was wondering if I should try to look up ways to protect myself. Do you have anything here? Maybe I could learn another school of magic, one more focused on defensive capabilities. What do you think?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not sure it is a good idea. It took you months to reach a passable level in Aether magic. I don¡¯t think you have the time to learn another one, especially since we may not have months before the fighting ramps up considerably. You should concentrate on doing what most of us do. Stay low and alert.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s fair, I guess. What about learning a martial art or becoming a warrior of some sort? How would I go about it?¡±


    She actually made a little snort at that comment, which wasn¡¯t a sound I had ever heard from her. Pterars usually reacted with the sound of their voice coming from their beak, not from their nostrils. My Human self must have been a bad influence.


    ¡°I am not trying to be mean, Luc,¡± she said, ¡°but if there¡¯s one thing you are not it¡¯s a fighter.¡±


    ¡°What!¡± I exclaimed, offended to my core. ¡°I can fight! I did some judo in middle school!¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know what that is.¡±


    So I explained judo to her. Then I had to explain our education system in detail because she had a lot of questions that took up most of our evening. Talking with her put the threat to the back of my mind. I did not forget it though, and despite what Inrak had said, I was still going to look for ways to protect myself. Perhaps it was time to petition the Goddess of magic. I had a lot of questions of my own.


    The Bourok meeting went as planned the next day. The city lived as if nothing had happened. Tork was leading Flyssa and I. He had left behind his cart and walked quietly in front of us, the plates on his back half folded, almost as if he was ready to roll up to protect himself. I didn¡¯t think it had anything to do with yesterday¡¯s attack though. Tork was just stressed out. This meeting was almost as important for him as it was for us. He was the one vouching for us. He had made sure before we left that we were aware of the basics of Bourok civility. I would need to thank him after this. I had perhaps not fully realized the opportunity he had given us.


    The Bourok quarter was situated on the eastern side of the city, not far from the walls and close to the area where Merchants and Captains stored their merchandise in a series of hangars. Accordingly, it wasn¡¯t the most prestigious part of Sturron, which became evident once we reached it. There was no fountain here, and though the streets were cobbled, the grime covering them made me wonder if the Hydromancers paid to clean the city had forgotten to come here. I saw almost no stalls, food or otherwise. We passed a few smithies and a tailor but the decrepit walls lining the streets belonged mostly to small houses. I found it surprising. I had kept hearing about the talent of the Bourok Crafters. I had expected something else. On top of that, we saw only two Bouroks. I threw an interrogating glance at Flyssa but she did not notice. She was focused on her pitch.


    ¡°Hey, Tork,¡± I called. The Messenger slowed down and turned around to face me.


    ¡°Yes?¡±


    ¡°Isn¡¯t this the Bourok quarter? Why are there mostly Humans and Schalass?¡±


    ¡°Oh, there are few of us, comparatively. The name was given when we settled here and it stayed. It is meant to be degrading.¡±


    ¡°I¡­ see.¡± I hesitated. I had inquired a little about his species¡¯ history. They had been enslaved for a long time, used for their strength and their mobility some times as servants, some times as no more than beasts of burden. The community here was part of a group of Bouroks that had escaped and found refuge in Sturron. A previous Duke had welcomed them mostly as spite towards the nation from where they came. They were free, but the stigma had stayed with them. I did not wish to offend him so I reined in my curiosity.


    ¡°Were you born around here?¡± I asked.


    ¡°I was!¡± he replied, his face lighting up. ¡°I will show the house after if you wish. My father still lives there.¡±


    ¡°How big are Bouroks families anyway?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s hard to say. We don¡¯t really have the concept of family like you Humans, or even Schalass, have. We are very independent, in a way. My father has had four children for example, but I was the only one he had with my mother. And it is the same for her. She has had three.¡±


    ¡°Oh, all right. But that¡¯s a lot of children though, isn¡¯t it? Why aren¡¯t we seeing more Bouroks? Have they all left?¡±


    By the way that Flyssa¡¯s head rose and her eyes opened wide, I knew that I had fucked up. So much for not being too curious.


    She started to say something, probably to apologize, but Tork waved her off with a small smile.


    ¡°It¡¯s fine,¡± he said. ¡°I know that you are not from here. You should not ask too many questions like that at the meeting though. It¡¯s a sensitive subject.¡±


    ¡°Shit, I¡¯m sorry, Tork. I didn¡¯t mean to offend you.¡± Though now I was even more curious.


    ¡°I know, Luc. Do not worry. And to answer you, some of us have indeed left to find fortune elsewhere. But the main reason why you do not see more of us is because of the curse.¡±


    ¡°The curse?¡± I repeated, frowning.


    ¡°Yes, the Bourok have suffered the curse from most of our existence. I will tell you the story one day if you wish, though you will have to pay for the drinks. Suffice it to say, it is the main reason why you will not see many, if any, Bourok Mage and why I had to work hard to convince my kin that you could be trusted.¡±


    Well, fuck me. Curses were real? Of course they were, magic existed in this world so why not curses? Add that to the pile of things that could kill me.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Tork,¡± I said. ¡°I had no idea. Thank you for putting your neck out for me¡­ I mean you don¡¯t really have one. Your tail out? Anyway. It doesn¡¯t matter. Thank you. I appreciate it.¡±


    He laughed, all traces of my mistake forgotten. I hoped his kin were all like him, because that Bourok was an angel.


    ¡°It is nothing,¡± he said. ¡°You have been a friend to me. And we must overcome our prejudices. Magic could benefit the Bouroks greatly, especially Aether magic. I hope that you will be able to convince them.¡±


    ¡°So do I.¡±


    ¡°And I too,¡± added Flyssa with a nervous smile.

 20 - The Wind in a Cave

    ¡°We have arrived,¡± announced Tork.


    We were standing in front of a gate guarded by two Bouroks carrying a short knife and a sickle on their belt. A tall wall shielded a bunch of buildings of which we could only see the top of. The gate was wide and tall enough that a chariot and the beast pulling it could pass without slowing. I knew that the Bouroks were withdrawn and secretive, but I had not been expecting an actual gated community. I looked at Tork with a raised brow.


    ¡°I assure you,¡± he said. ¡°The security is necessary.¡±


    Flyssa, as always, was more practical.


    ¡°Any last advice before we enter?¡± she asked.


    ¡°Yes. Above all, be honest. If they decide that they cannot trust you, no incentive will be enough to convince them to work with you.¡±


    I chuckled. ¡°Perhaps I should do the talking then, right?¡±


    Her eyes focused on me like a hawk. ¡°What do you mean, exactly?¡±


    ¡°Uh¡­ Because I¡¯m very naive and trusting, you know. It¡¯s perfect.¡±


    ¡°Of course,¡± she said, snorting. ¡°Good start on the being honest part.¡±


    ¡°Thank you. I try my best.¡±


    Tork glanced between the two of us like we had gone crazy. ¡°Shall we go in?¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s,¡± said Flyssa. Her grin vanished and she straightened her back. This was Flyssa the Financier, ready to do business.


    The guards let us in with only a few words from Tork and we made our way onto a large courtyard. A line of workshops surrounded it, with small houses interlocked in between them. Most of them had been built with a sort of dark brown cob, with only a few exceptions made out of stone. There were three narrow alleys leading further inside. Two dozens or so Bouroks were going about their day, a few of which were pulling carts much like Tork¡¯s. A band of Bourok children were awkwardly trying to roll around in straight lines and racing each other. It was like a small town in the middle of the city. I whistled out of stupefaction. Flyssa was quiet, glancing around with wide eyes.


    ¡°Welcome to Lor Shil,¡± declared Tork while raising his arms. He was visibly satisfied by our reaction. I guessed that with the secrecy surrounding the Bourok people, he did not have many occasions to show his home to his friends. The place looked far cleaner than the streets outside of the walls where we had just been, though I did not think it was much richer. It gave off an austere impression. I could see no plants or decorations of any sort and the Bouroks were all wearing simple, workmanlike clothes. About half of the people I saw where only wearing pants and sandals, but I suspected that had more to do with the fact that shirts would not last too long when you rolled around in them.


    ¡°This way, please.¡±


    We dodged the rolling children and followed Tork into one of the side passageways. Another Bourok came to greet us. He, or she ¨C I realized that I had absolutely no idea how to distinguish Bouroks by their gender, they all looked somewhat similar to me ¨C was shorter than Tork, with a slightly hunched back.


    ¡°Welcome, welcome, I am Ras, Tork¡¯s mother,¡± she said, answering that question, though I was still uncertain as to how I could have guessed it. Even her voice was barely higher than her son¡¯s. ¡°I have been appointed to bring your proposal to the Elders.


    ¡°It¡¯s nice to meet you, Ras,¡± I said. ¡°I am Luc and this is my business partner Flyssa. Thank you for this opportunity.¡± We both bowed in turn which seemed to please her.


    ¡°There is no reason to thank me, my son did all the work. Alas, he is too young yet to bring his own proposals before the Elders. He will wait for us here. If you would please follow me?¡±


    We bid goodbye to Tork who wished us good luck and followed his mother into a larger building. The walls were thick enough that the temperature inside was considerably cooler than outside. A lone window illuminated the room we found ourselves in.


    ¡°You will have to excuse the lack of light,¡± said Ras. ¡°We have little need for it. We have prepared some candles for your comfort during the meeting however.¡±


    ¡°We are grateful,¡± replied Flyssa. ¡°Is there any advice you could offer us before we meet the Elders?¡±


    The Bourok stopped and turned around.


    ¡°Oh, my apologies. Did my son not brief you?¡±


    ¡°He only told us to be honest. Could you share anything more specific about the process or perhaps the Elders we will be meeting?¡±


    Ras chuckled and gave a few gentle pats to Flyssa¡¯s arm.


    ¡°He did brief you then. I am sorry, but I cannot give you more. Be honest and forthright and everything will happen as it should.¡±


    Flyssa threw me a helpless glance but she just thanked Ras and we made our way deeper into the building. Though we had not gone that far inside, every step gave me more and more the impression of being in a cave. We passed by a few Bouroks going about their days. They all bowed to us briefly but nobody spoke and with continued our way inside, crossing rooms and corridors shrouded in darkness, until we reached an antechamber where an armed guard brandishing a torch was waiting for us in front of a large opening. He (or she) bowed, held out the torch to Ras and stepped to the side to let us pass. She gave us one last reassuring smile before entering the meeting room.


    Inside, five Bouroks were sitting on low stools in a half-circle, the shadows of their figures drawn by two small windows atop the ceiling and a dozen or so candles that, though they had been placed here for our benefit, gave the scene a very ominous feel.


    Three stools sat empty and, following Ras¡¯ lead, Flyssa and I sat down after bowing to the Elders.


    ¡°Welcome to Lor Shil,¡± said the Bourok in the middle with a grave voice. ¡°I am Windspeaker Solf. I will serve as First Elder for this meeting.¡±


    I was taken aback at the mention of their Class. Tork had explained to us that the Elders used a rotation system. Depending on the subject, the most competent of their numbers acted as the First, the one presiding over the discussion. We had all expected some kind of Crafter to take the lead during this meeting, but a Windspeaker was some sort of spiritual guide to the Bouroks. I didn¡¯t know why they had chosen this one.Did you know this text is from a different site? Read the official version to support the creator.


    Ras spoke for us to begin.


    ¡°Thank you, First Elder. I, Ras, have been appointed to represent the Human Luc, Aether Mage, and the Schalass Flyssa, Financier, in the current matter of their proposal to provide the services of their company, Bordeaux Logistics, to our Kin, in exchange for a compensation to be determined. It is to be noted before presenting this proposal that Aether Mage Luc has been regularly providing his magic to assist our child Tork in his Messenger duties. This exchange was the subject of a previous meeting of the Elders and I can testify that it has been greatly beneficial to Tork.¡±


    ¡°We remember this exchange,¡± said the middle Elder. ¡°It is the reason why we have allowed today¡¯s meeting.¡±


    ¡°Yeah we remember all right,¡± grumbled one of the Elders on the left. ¡°I had to enchant the child¡¯s damned cart.¡±


    They shut up at the scathing look the First Elder gave them and I had to suppress a nervous laugh. I was glad to know that not all of the Bouroks were as serious and dignified as the ones I had met.


    ¡°As I was saying, we remember this exchange. It has been deemed worthy of further exploration. Esteemed Ras, will you speak on your charges¡¯ account?¡±


    Ras bowed her head.


    ¡°If it pleases the Elders, I will let them speak for themselves.¡±


    ¡°Very well,¡± consented the First with a wave of their hand. ¡°Mage Luc, we will hear from you. The possibilities offered by your Aether magic are numerous, but it is our belief that the current exchange you have with the child Tork would not be scalable to much more of our Kin. Are we mistaken?¡±


    I bowed my head and tried to ignore the uncomfortable stool and calm my beating heart. I knew I would be taking a significant risk here, but I had spent a long time evaluating the pros and cons. I was confident that this was my best option.


    ¡°Thank you, First Elder, for honouring us today. To answer your question, you are indeed correct. Fuelling Tork¡¯s cart takes a decent amount of energy from me and, with the rest of our company¡¯s activities taking off, I do no think I would be able to provide this service consistently to more than three or four others. There is, however, a new service that we could provide the Bouroks to our mutual benefit. I have recently reached a threshold in my Classes and am now able to imbue items with a permanent Aether link, in so far as any enchantment is permanent of course. The gained space is lesser, about ten percent of the normal capacity, but it would be cheaper and require far less maintenance.¡±


    The same Enchanter that had spoken up before interrupted me.


    ¡°A lone enchantment is useless on carts. The roads aren¡¯t smooth. The carts take a heavy toll from their travels. A version of Hardening is a minimum. Are you able to fill that rune in with your permanent Aether enchantment?¡±


    ¡°You are right, Elder. And sadly, I am not able to do that at the moment.¡± I didn¡¯t know if I would ever be able to. I had basically reached my goal with my Enchanter Class. I wasn¡¯t sure what the future would be made of, but for now my plans had me focus heavily on improving my Aether Mage Class.


    ¡°However, our proposal is much more simple. What we are offering is to provide the Bouroks with Aether linked tarps, made out of whatever material you prefer, though we would recommend hemp. The Messengers or Carriers would spread them into their cart and put the merchandise within. They could even hold a replacement tarp underneath in case the first one unexpectedly breaks. The risk would be minimal and it would ensure a considerable advantage in either volume or lessened weight.¡±


    Chatter broke through both on my right and left, but the First Elder spoke over their peers.


    ¡°An interesting idea. And how much would each of those tarps cost us?¡±


    ¡°Since this is her domain, I will let my associate Flyssa answer your question,¡± I said.


    ¡°Thank you, Luc,¡± she said with a confident voice. ¡°And I would like to, again, express my gratitude to you, Elders, for this great opportunity. The prices will of course depend on multiple things: the materials you wish for, whether you would want our company to provide everything or only to enchant your products, the quantities you would be interested in. I have prepared a series of estimates, if you would care to hear them.¡±


    The First Elder motioned for Flyssa to continue but I phased out of the discussion to observe the other Elders. In the darkness of the room, I could not discern their facial expressions, but I did see them slightly lean towards each other to comment on what they were hearing. If size was a correct indicator of gender, there were two males and three females including the First Elder. I could not be certain though, not that it mattered much. The Enchanter, the only one who had spoken apart from the First, was the most agitated, speaking to his neighbour who was much more stoic and only answered by a series of nods with slight nuances. It was hard to guess what they were all thinking.


    When Flyssa finished her exhaustive presentation of our price range, I took the floor again.


    ¡°If I may, there is another subject we would like to bring up today.¡± The First Elder made a gesture to signal me to continue.


    ¡°Thank you,¡± I said. I sat up on the stool and cleared my throat. ¡°We have currently positioned our company to mainly assist during the loading and unloading of ships¡¯ cargoes. To that end, there is a tool we would like to create and offer the use of to our clients, a critical component of which we would like to buy from the Bouroks. To be more precise, the tool in question is a hand truck. It is made of a strong metal frame, a small ledge and two small wheels. Seeing as it would be used to carry barrels and crates, the axle and the wheels need to be strong enough to handle such weights comfortably. We would be interested in benefiting from your Kin¡¯s renowned expertise in this matter.¡±


    It had been a while since I had spoken with such obsequiousness. Even in my last meeting with the God Pamasteron. I had been honest though, as Tork and his mother had advised. I was hoping it would work. Having a couple of hand truck that we could loan to our clients would further differentiate us from our competition. However, the way the First Elder was shaking their head did not fill me with confidence.


    ¡°Such requests are not handled by the Elders. You must petition a Wheelmaker and only they will decide whether they wish to work with you or not. We cannot provide a name if you do not already have one, but perhaps your advocate might help in this matter.¡± Ras gave me a subtle nod without taking her eyes off the First Elder, who continued.


    ¡°So concludes the meeting of the Elders with Aether Mage Luc and Financier Flyssa. We will debate the merits of your proposal and inform you when we have reached a decision. We are grateful to you both for your proposal.¡±


    Ras stood up and bowed and we quickly followed suit. She kept the torch while leading us out of the building. Tork was waiting outside, looking at the door, his back against a wall. He instantly rose when he saw us coming out to ask how it went. The sun was bright and almost at its peak. It took a moment for my eyes to adjust.


    Though we chatted a little with Tork and his mother, it soon became clear that they would prefer for this discussion to happen outside of the Bourok compound. Tork started walking while he talked and we were forced to follow. We did manage to leave with a Ras¡¯ promise that she would try to find us a good Wheelmaker.


    Flyssa and I went back to the workshop, debriefing our meeting with the Bourok Elders and speculating about what their answer would be. We were not far from the harbour when we saw a bunch of people speaking excitedly and running to it. We shared a glance and followed the crowd.


    The Fishers had already put away their stalls and every food seller stood at the ready behind their wares. Nobody was looking at them though. The crowd only had eyes for a tall Schalass standing on a low stool and surrounded by a ring of Guards proudly wearing the colours of the Duchess. I could see the people closer to him struggling with elbows and shoulders to avoid being crushed. They did not try to leave though. They were using their privileged position to shout questions at the Schalass.


    ¡°What¡¯s happening?¡± I yelled in Flyssa¡¯s ear.


    ¡°It¡¯s a Herald! He must have an important message from the castle!¡±


    We tried to get closer to him but the crowd was like a solid wall and all the people we asked shrugged in ignorance. They had also arrived too late to hear the announcement.


    I was ready to head back to the workshop and ask about all of this later when a booming voice cracked the air like thunder.


    ¡°People of Sturron! Quiet down! Hear me one more time! Hear this vital information from our beloved Duchess! She is well and her health is as robust as it has ever been! The lies that have been spreading in the city are nothing more than hateful and empty curses against the Jewel of Sturron! Do not despair! She stands with us, always! Praise the Duchess! Praise the Duchess!¡±


    The crowd chanted with him those last words. People laughed and hugged around us and my back actually hurt from all the joyful taps I received. The harbour was jubilating. Even Flyssa was smiling and yelling with the rest, taken in by the excitement.


    I could not bring myself to be happy. Of course, if the Duchess actually was healthy, it would be great for our safety and our business. But that speech had sounded far too much like the propaganda we heard every day on Earth, from our history lessons to our politicians, for me to trust any word of it.