"READING AGAIN?" THE PRIEST ASKS ROUNDING A SHELF AND NEARLY PLOWING INTO AL. "YOU KNOW YOU CAN READ IN THE SANCTUARY."

"SORRY FATHER. IT TAKES TOO LONG TO WALK BACK AND FORTH." AL REPLIES WITHOUT LOOKING UP FROM THE BOOK. HE FLIPS A PAGE AND BEGINS RAPIDLY SCANNING IT.

"IT’S ALRIGHT." THE PRIEST SAYS WITH A SHAKE OF HIS HEAD. "WELL IT SEEMS MR. FRED HAS COME TO LIKE YOU SO YOU ARE MORE THAN WELCOME TO HANG OUT IN THE LIBRARY."

"MR. FRED IS A CAT?" AL ASKS EITHER PHILOSOPHICALLY OR IDIOTICALLY.

"MHM I DON’T KNOW IF IT'S ENTIRELY TRUE BUT IT'S THE CLOSEST WE WILL SEE NOWADAYS." THE PRIEST SAYS RUBBING THE CAT BEAST’S HEAD GINGERLY. "HE LIKES BOOKS YOU SEE, SO HE HAD TO BE THE LIBRARIAN. NO ONE ELSE FIT THE BILL QUIET LIKE MR. FRED."

AL GLANCES AT THE CAT BEAST WHO STARED BACK AT HIM COOLLY. "HE’S A GOOD LIBRARIAN."

"THE BEST, IT'S PART OF HIS DNA. SEE I FIBBED A BIT ABOUT HIS QUALIFICATIONS. ITS THE BOOKS SEE." THE PRIEST TAKES HIS STAFF AND HOLDS IT ALOFT ALTHOUGH NOTHING INTERESTING HAPPENS. "SEE."

"SEE WHAT?"

"EXACTLY. CAN’T USE MAGIC IN A LIBRARY. THE BOOKS REMOVE THE MANA FROM THE AIR. SCHOLARS SAY IT'S THE PAPER."

"MAGIC." AL SAYS THINKING ABOUT THE WORDS HE READ THE DAY PRIOR ABOUT THE SUBJECT. HE SAW NO MENTION OF IT BEING DISRUPTED BY PAPER. THE PRIEST NOTICED AL WAS LOOKING AT THE TWO MAGIC BOOKS HE HAD READ YESTERDAY.

"PROBABLY NOT WRITTEN ABOUT IN THOSE. ITS A FAIRLY NEW DISCOVERY AND IT TOOK AWHILE FOR OTHER SCHOLARS TO CORROBORATE THE CLAIM."

AL FROWNED AT THIS KNOWLEDGE. THE FACT THAT HIS INFORMATION MIGHT NOT BE UP-TO DATE ANNOYED HIM. HE WANTED CONCISE ACCURATE INFORMATION. HE MENTALLY MADE A NOTE ON ALL INFORMATION TAKEN FROM THE BOOKS SAYING ‘OUT OF DATE‘.

MAGIC WAS A STRANGE CONCEPT TO HIM. HE COULDN’T EXACTLY PLACE WHY. HE HAD THE WORD IN HIS HEAD BUT IT STILL FELT LIKE AN IMPOSSIBILITY. MANA ON THE OTHER HAND COMPLETELY DIDN’T EXIST IN HIS DICTIONARY. HE FIGURED OUT THE WORD BASED ON CONTEXT BUT STILL IT FELT DIFFICULT TO COMPREHEND, ANOTHER ANNOYANCE TO AL.

"CAN I SEE?" AL ASKED LOOKING AT THE STAFF IN THE PRIESTS HAND.

"SEE…? OH. MAGIC? SURE. COME TO THE OTHER SIDE OF THE BUILDING WITH ME." THE PRIEST TURNS AND BEGINS WALKING, GLANCING BACK AT MR. FRED TO SEE IF HE WAS JOINING.

AL SCANS A FEW PAGES QUICKLY AND SETS THE BOOK BACK ON THE SHELF NEXT TO THE REST OF THE ENCYCLOPEDIA’S.

SO FAR HIS FAVORITE WAS ‘G’, ALTHOUGH ‘A‘ WAS A CLOSE SECOND. BUT HE SET THAT ASIDE IN INTEREST OF SEEING MAGIC. COULD HE ANALYZE IT THE SAME WAY HE COULD ANY OTHER PHYSICAL PHENOMENON? HE WAS INTERESTED TO SEE.

"MAGIC IS THE CONTROL OF THE FREE MANA IN THE AIR THROUGH ONE OF MULTIPLE WAYS. I USE A STAFF." THE PRIEST EXPLAINS HOLDING THE GEMED STAFF IN THE AIR. "BUT SOME PEOPLE CAN MANIPULATE IT THROUGH THEIR BODY, OTHERS DRAW IT INTO OBJECTS, THERE ARE TONS OF VARIOUS OTHER OBSCURE WAYS BUT THOSE ARE THE TYPICAL ONES."

"GOLEMS?" AL ASKS, GETTING TO THE CORE OF ONE OF HIS INTERESTS.

"RIGHT THAT'S THE OBJECT ONE. A MANA CORE IS MADE WITH A SET OF INSTRUCTIONS AND A GOLEM ENGINEER… WELL I DON'T KNOW HOW THEY DO IT BUT THEY CAN GET THE THINGS TO MOVE. IT’S UNNATURAL IF YOU ASK ME."

"INTERESTING." AL SAYS THINKING ABOUT THE NEW INFORMATION. "I WANT TO MAKE ONE."

"YOU WANT TO MAKE GOLEMS? WELL FIRST SEE IF YOU CAN EVEN OBSERVE MAGIC. I’LL SHOW YOU, WATCH CLOSE." THE PRIEST AGAIN RAISES HIS STAFF AS HE HAD IN THE LIBRARY. THIS TIME A BRIGHT YELLOW LIGHT GLOWS FROM THE JEWEL AND ALONG AN INSCRIPTION UP THE LENGTH. THE YELLOW ISN’T THE ONLY THING VISIBLE THOUGH, ALONG THE CORONA OF THE LIGHT A HINT OF MILKY PURPLE LIVES.

"PRETTY." AL SAYS WATCHING IT IN AMAZEMENT.

"WHAT COLOR DO YOU SEE?"

"YELLOW." AL SAYS STARING AT THE CENTER. HE THEN LOOKS AGAIN AT THE RIDGE OF THE GLOW. "AND PURPLE."

"SO YOU CAN SEE TODAY’S COLOR THEN? THAT’S A GOOD SIGN, YOU MIGHT HAVE A SHOT."

"TODAY’S COLOR?"

"MHM, MANA COLORS CHANGE LIKE THE WEATHER, EVEN NOW A HINT OF GREEN HAS STARTED DRIFTING IN FROM THE WEST." THE PREIST EXPLAINS WITH A NOD TO THE RIGHT-HAND SIDE OF THE GOLDEN SPHERE.

"COLOR," AL SAYS LOOKING TO THE STAINED GLASS WINDOWS, "COLOR IS HARD."

"YOU’RE RIGHT THERE." THE PRIEST SAYS WITH A NOD. "ON BLACK DAYS I CAN’T PERFORM CEREMONIES."

"BLACK DAY?"

"DAY’S WHERE BLACK MANA DRIFTS INTO TOWN. DEPENDING ON THE MAGIC YOU USE, DIFFERENT MANA COLORS WILL EFFECT YOU IN DIFFERENT WAYS. A GOLEM ENGINEER WOULDN’T HAVE TO WORRY ABOUT IT BUT FOR INSTANCE A FIRE MAGE NOT USING A STAFF COULD BE FATALLY INJURED IF THEY PERFORMED MAGIC WHILE IN BLUE MANA. I’LL SHOW YOU A FEW HIGHER LEVEL BOOKS SINCE YOU SEEM INTERESTED."

AL LOOKS EXCITED ABOUT THE NEW INFORMATION BUT HE QUICKLY LOOKS AT THE SKY WITH A TOUCH OF CONCERN.

"TOMORROW. HAVE TO GO NOW."

"ALRIGHT, TOMORROW THEN. DON’T GET INTO TROUBLE NOW AL."

"I WON’T." AL CONFIRMS WITH A NOD.

HIS NEW DESTINATION IS THE YILKINS HOUSE FOR ANOTHER DAY OF LESSONS. HIS LATEST BUILD HAS A NEW REVISION TO THE RESET PROTOCOL, IT WASN’T EASY TO INSTALL BUT PREVENTING ISSUES LIKE YESTERDAYS PREMATURE NAP WAS A NECESSARY STEP.

THE REVISION ALLOWED FOR THE OFFLOADING OF CERTAIN DATA TO THE NEXT RESET. FOR INSTANCE TODAY AL ACQUIRED AROUND FORTY THOUSAND NEW CONVERSATIONAL SCRIPTS AS WELL AS THE REACTION DATA FROM THE PREVIOUS NIGHTS CALIBRATION.

THESE THINGS ADDED WITH THE KNOWLEDGE FROM HALF OF THE ENCYCLOPEDIAS IN THE LIBRARY WOULD REQUIRE AT LEAST A FEW MINUTES OF DOWNTIME. AND DOWNTIME WOULDN’T BE TOLERATED DURING A LESSON. AND THE RESET CODE WILL BE USED, TRAVIS IS AN EXTREMELY DOMINEERING TEACHER.

"YOU’RE LATE." THE MAN STANDING BESIDE THE ROAD NEAREST THE YILKINS FARM SAYS WITH A DIRTY SCOWL SMEARED ACROSS HIS FACE.

"SORRY, LIBRARY." AL ANSWERS WITH A DIP OF HIS HEAD.

"YOU GET ENOUGH SLEEP OR WHAT?" THE MAN ASKS RUBBING HIS ROUGH CHEEK. "YOU READY TODAY? WON’T PASS OUT AGAIN?"

AL ABOUT TO RESPOND LETS OUT A LOUD STOMACH GROWL.

"AH FINE. LETS GO. CAN’T KEEP YUZU WAITING FOREVER NOW."

THE TWO BEGAN WALKING TOWARDS THE OLD FARMHOUSE TRAVIS WAS SECRETLY THRILLED AL HAD COME, YUZU SEEMED TO BE MORE LIVELY WITH PEOPLE VISITING AND TRAVIS WAS PUMPED TO TRAIN A RECEPTIVE STUDENT.

THE LUNCH WAS MUCH LIKE YESTERDAY EXCEPT THE ROLLS WERE MORE PLENTIFUL AND THE STRAWBERRIES WERE FADING IN FAVOR OF WINTER CHERRIES.

TODAY TRAVIS SHOWED AL A METHOD OF SMEARING MASHED FRUIT ONTO THE ROLLS AS OPPOSED TO MEAT. AL WAS A FAN, AND TODAY HE EVEN SAVED ROOM FOR DESSERT, A PART OF THE MEAL HE WAS PARTICULARLY INTERESTED IN.

AFTER THE MEAL, LESSONS BEGAN. THERE WERE COUNTLESS ADJUSTMENTS OF STANCE AND GRIP, BUT TRAVIS WAS EXTREMELY IMPRESSED WITH AL’S NEWFOUND FINESSE.

"WERE YOU JUST HUSTLING ME YESTERDAY? TODAY YOUR DRAW IS ALMOST PERFECT. DID YOU REALLY LEARN FROM GUNTHER?"

"NO, I LEARNED FROM YOU." AL REPLIES AS IF OBVIOUS.

"I MEANT BEFORE THAT. I MEAN, THAT KID CAN HOLD A SWORD ALRIGHT BUT… I DIDN’T THINK HE’D TEACH SOMEONE TO THIS LEVEL." TRAVIS SAYS SHAKING HIS HEAD AND PONDERING THE NAMES HE’D CALLED GUNTHER IN THE PAST. ‘COMPETENT SWORD TEACHER’ WAS NEVER ONE OF THEM. "THIS IS A GOOD SWORD TOO, IF YOU SEE HIM ON YOUR WAY BACK TO TOWN, YOU TELL HIM THAT. THIS IS A GOOD SWORD."

TRAVIS, AGAIN HOLDING THE SNOW WHITE ARCED BLADE SWINGS IT CAREFULLY BEFORE GRIPPING IT WITH BOTH HANDS AND WEIGHTING THE BALANCE CAREFULLY. AFTER TAKING A DEEP BREATH AND HANDING THE BLADE BACK TO AL, TRAVIS SENDS A FORLONG GLANCE IN THE DIRECTION OF A SMALL BLACKENED SHED.

LESSONS CONTINUE WITH TRAVIS SLOWLY IMPROVING AL’S TECHNIQUE. THE IMPROVEMENTS THEMSELVES WERE THINGS BEYOND WHAT TRAVIS HIMSELF WAS CURRENTLY CAPABLE WITH HIS BODY SO THEY COULDN’T BE DEMONSTRATED. EVERY ATTEMPT WAS FOLLOWED BY ANOTHER SHOUT OF ‘STOP!‘.

FROM THERE AL WOULD LOAD THE PREVIOUS IMPROVEMENTS AND TRY AGAIN. THIS ACTUALLY MADE THE LESSON PROGRESS AT EXTREMELY FAST SPEEDS.

WITHIN THE FOUR HOUR TIME FRAME BETWEEN LUNCH AND ADRIA RETURNING HOME FROM WORK AL HAD NEARLY MASTERED WHAT TOOK TRAVIS A GENERATION TO LEARN.

AS AL BEGAN THE JOURNEY BACK TO THE APARTMENTS WHERE ADRIA LIVED TRAVIS SAT SOMEWHAT SPEECHLESS IN A CHAIR OUTSIDE THE OLD FARMHOUSE. HE TOOK A SIP FROM A MUG AND REJECTED THE OFFERED PIPE FROM YUZU.

"YA’OK?" SHE ASKS THROUGH AN EXHALE OF HEAVY SMOKE.

"MHM, JUST THINKIN." TRAVIS SAYS PLAINLY.

"THAT DON’T GIVE ME MUCH." YUZU SAYS EYEING HIM CAREFULLY.

TRAVIS SIGHS AND GRIPS THE PIPE FROM HIS WIFE'S WRINKLED HANDS. HE INHALES FROM IT FORCEFULLY, SPARKING THE GLOWING EMBER DEEP IN THE PILE OF ASHES. "I WAS ALWAYS KIND OF… WELL, COCKY ABOUT MY SWORD SKILLS. IT’S MY ACE IN THE HOLE, IT'S MY ‘I’M DIFFERENT THAN THESE BORING FARMERS‘, BUT NOW…"

"WELL AL ISN’T A FARMER." YUZU OFFERS WITH A WORRIED EXPRESSION.

"NO BUT, HE COULD PROBABLY LEARN IN A FEW MONTHS WHAT I COULD IN A LIFETIME. AND, AS IT IS, MY BODY CAN’T DO ANYMORE TO MASTER SWORDSMANSHIP. I’VE REACHED AND PASSED MY PRIME FOR THAT."

"BUT YOU ARE THINKING YOU COULD STILL SWING A HAMMER?" YUZU ASKS NOTICING HIS GLANCE IN THE DIRECTION OF HIS OLD CRUMBLING SHED.

"GUNTHER’S GOOD, BUT HE’S TOO LIGHT ON THE ANVIL, IF HE COULD JUST…"

"YOU WANT TO TEACH HIM?"

"I WANT TO TEACH ANYONE WHO WANTS TO LEARN. TEACHING THAT KID… NO, JUST THE TEACHING IN GENERAL, IT FELT GOOD. PASSING ON SOMETHING WORTH HAVING BEFORE I GO."

"THAT’S A VERY SUDDEN ABOUT FACE DON’T YOU THINK?"

"YEAH BUT… I’M HARD ON GUNTHER BECAUSE IT'S YUI, I MEAN… IT’S YUI…"

"I KNOW." YUZU SAYS WITH A SMIRK TAPPING THE PIPE ON THE CHAIR ARM AND BRUSHING THE ASH INTO THE WIND. "LET’S GO SEE HIS SHOP TOMORROW, I NEED STUFF IN TOWN ANYWAYS."

"F… FINE."