A few weeks had passed from that last night. It was the 320 year Ast-Astrix, and the 54 year of King Roth. Just like Emilie had done a year ago, Reese stood outside the town Inn waiting for the carriage driver to arrive. The weather was much cooler than it was for Emilie, the difference between an early spring day in the month of Elemiw and the early autumn month of Sootemer. At his feet were three bags. His entire life thus far compressed into three, all be it larger, canvas bags. One bag held his clothes. The other one his experiments, and the last one his books, including his notebooks and whatever wouldn’t fit in the first two.

He also had a small purse at his hip, the coins he had managed to save over the years. In all it was about 89 silvers and 12 coppers, a bit less than 1 and 1/3 gold coins worth. Not a bad amount for a 10 year old, he supposed. Still far short of what his new family would have. He didn’t know much about the Vallhorn, but they were exceedingly wealthy from what Fortus explained, and what little he could gather from his books. The census data for Trillonia was interesting. The city seemed to be one of the most prosperous in Thrus.

He still didn’t know much about his own family. Forust was still being tight lipped on that. Even his books didn’t seem to mention much. Though, at one time they might have ruled over several provenances in Thrus! Now though, they didn’t even control a single one, and barely head a city state more towards the north. It seemed like a large fall, and one he still didn’t understand. His research had just lead him to more questions, and even less answers.

The carriage driver was quite well dressed, with smooth almost silken clothes. Which given he worked for one of the richest families in the country made sense. Being a representative of the ruling family there, the Vallhorn. His suit colors were mostly dark, but there were some highlights of green and amber, with white trim around the collar. Given the way he was dressed it was a reasonable deduction that the man was a servant or employee of the Vallhorn as opposed to an actual member of the family. Reese would later learn the colors he wore were the three primary colors of house Vallhorn and showed up on all their markings.

The Vallhorn were mostly eleven, by blood and the green represented their woodland ancestry and commitments to bring in agriculture and greenery to their city. The amber represented the yellow shades of the arid region and bordering desert. The white symbolized the large amount of silver the Trillonian mined and what they were most known for.

As Reese attempted to load his bags into the carriage the driver insisted on doing it for him. “Nobles shouldn’t do menial work, sir.” The man started, and carefully placed each bag inside the carriage, just under the forward-facing seat. It made Reese feel uncomfortable though, he had never had anyone pack up for him, in either world. After the driver was done, nothing was left outside the carriage but himself, and it was time to take those last few steps.

A part of him couldn’t help but worry this might be the last time he’d ever see his family again. Memories of a forsaken life, and lost opportunities flooded his mind. Without even thinking, his heart made him run back and give one last hug to each of them. Even Nemi, who weakly accepted the gestures. He still didn’t understand why she never liked him, and probably never would. Just the nature of sibling dynamics, he supposed.

He was going to miss her terribly.

“Take care of yourself, son. I’ll check in on you when I’m back in the area.” Fortus squeezed Reese’s shoulder tight and pushed back tears that were starting to form in his eyes. Reese wasn’t able to do the same as entered the carriage, leaving his short life in Wollseeth behind. His eyes burned slightly as he rubbed the brackish sadness away from them.

Looking around, the inside of the carriage was opulent, for a carriage anyway. There was light gold leaf trim around the hard woods and soft seats of sown leather and filled with something like cotton. It would be a marked change from the normal carriages people used with hard wood seats, and cheap splintering woods. The windows held glass panes in them, crystal clear and free of defects. Again, a marked difference from the lower price carriages commoners would usually use.

With a jerk, it began to move ahead, at plodding pace of 12-14 kilometers an hour. Only the initial path the carriage would take was the same as Emilie took. It would travel north, up Bridge Road, and over the unnamed bridge the road was named after. Eventually turn westward, down the Paved Road. Unlike Emilie's trip though, it wouldn't eventually turn north and instead would continue westward towards one of the largest cities in Thrus, Trillonia. Looking back out the carriage window, all Reese could see were the tops of the larger buildings and some of the watch towers. But eventually, and far quicker than he expected, even those disappeared. His old life, or rather his second life faded into the background ahead of him. That background which would become the next part of his journey. Whatever that actually was.

As the trip dragged on, the countryside slowly shifted from greens and trees, to more amber and brown colored plains that Thrus was known for. Occasionally farms and small villages would appear, many of them too small for a name. Near the middle of the day, they would stop at a village to exchange horses, and rest for a few moments. Though larger than most the village was tiny compared to most, little more than an Inn and some houses, not even a market to speak of. The inn had food at least, such as it was. Some bread, and a watery soup of what tasted like roots.

“Young sir, it’s time to move on.” The carriage driver kept using an odd word, ‘Siriglich’ when he referred to him. For the most part, the driver spoke human, but Siriglich was a Dark Elven word, which itself felt like a curious fusion of Latin and Germanic. In his mind he would translate the word as ‘sir’ or ‘sire’. Which was fairly accurate. In the end, it was some more linguistic musings to put in his notebook.

It brought up an interesting and still open question he had since his first notebooks, why all the languages of the world seemed a strange fusion of old earth languages, and something else entirely.

Speaking of his notebook, the trip gave him ample time to consider all of them. To pass the time, and focus on something other than his family, he found himself diving into his old notes, and some of the newer ones too. There were still so many unanswered questions, and given all the gaps even more questions he didn’t even know to ask yet.

It would take two days to travel to the city. Carriages were far faster than walking, but slower compared to a single horse and slower still compared to a land dragon. They would be overnighting in a small unnamed village with an unusually large Inn. A common way point for travelers, and that's what the Inn, and town specialized in.

It was moderately clean, with a handful of patrons already inside. His room was somewhat expensive for what it was. 18 coppers, and it didn't include a meal, which was another 8, all paid for by the Vallhorn, but still. At least it was good. A thick stew, some bread and sliced cured meats. He could have gone for something sweet afterwards, but that wasn’t an option.

There was even a bath, of sorts. A welcome addition to the trip, very few Inns had actual baths. Usually, if you wanted a wash, you used a bucket and towel or maybe head to the local river. Some towns would have a public bath house too, but not this one nor Wollseeth. At least this world had soaps. The addition helped explain the higher cost of the room. No doubt there were cheaper rooms elsewhere in the inn, without such luxuries as running water.

The next day was more of the same. Getting up around dawn, eating some more fair from the Inn, and spending several hours in the rocking carriage. Even with the soft seats, Reese could still feel the bumps and rocking. He shuttered at what it must have felt like without the cushions, and a sympathetic pain radiated down his back as he thought of Emilie's weeklong trip.

"Young, sir!" The carriage driver spoke to him for what might have been the 5th time on the trip. "We'll be reaching the outskirts of Trillonia soon, you'll see it on the horizon. It's quite a unique view."

Outside the window, Reese could see the large river slightly to the north of them, 'Silver Stone River'. It was large enough to support barges and moderate sized ships, a few of which seemed to be sailing in different directions as he peered outside. Further downstream the river would eventually connect to the 'Great Wide River', which would eventually reach the special district and then the ocean. Many of the riverways in the country shared a dense network of trade routes, as most linked to the large river at the center of the kingdom. He studied the ships for a moment, the one going downstream was simple enough, but how was the larger one able to move up stream and fight the current? There appeared to be paths along the river for smaller boats to be pulled, but not this larger one. A new question for his notebook.

Up ahead, the city started to come into view. It seemed to exist in three levels The lowest was all farmlands with a smattering of auxiliary buildings and residents. Then, there were the two mesas, a smaller one stacked on a much larger one. From the distance, there was a large wall on top of the second mesa, behind which was what could best be described as a castle or very large keep.

The lower mesa didn't seem to have a single wall, rather, the roads and pathways leading up ended at a gate house with half walls that ended some meters after. It made sense if you thought about it, very few armies would be equipped to scale the non-paved parts of the mesa. At least in any significant number to matter.

Getting closer, more buildings came into view. In particular there was a large Colosseum-like building, that Reese would later learn was just called "the Arena". Behind the walls on the upper mesa, the roof of the large trade house could be seen. A smattering of smaller buildings cut into the skyline. A silhouette of the mountain that used to be there, long since mined down to the bed rocks that made up the mesas.

A small but notable building sat at the edge of the upper mesa. It's white marble contrasted with the sandy-gray coloring of the other buildings. It had to be the city's main temple. Despite the size of the city, it didn't seem like it was large enough for it. Then again, the gods didn't care so why should the people? Besides, there had to be shrines all around, you just had to look for them.

Finally, they crossed the large Silver Stone River on an equally larger bridge. To the left, Reese got a view of the Silver Ore lake, and the dock attached to it. Various streams of water poured and trickled from the side of the cliff the mesa became. The darker color of the water suggesting that the lake was probably not the cleanest, nor safe for drinking.

The city held vast underworks, most abandoned mine tunnels from back when the mountain held valuable mana stones, gems and gold. Technically, no one lived in them as they weren't safe, prone to collapse or housing dangerous fauna. But if you were smart about it and brave enough, you could get anywhere in the city via them.

As the carriage traveled up to the first mesa, the bustling streets and people quickly became apparent, it was midday after all. The city had to have a population of nearly 200,000, which for this era was huge. Most quickly got out of the way of the carriage, the rest moved as the driver yelled at them. Traveling past the five points, an intersection of five of the city's major roads, they continued up northward, down a single long and wide road, towards the higher mesa, and eventually over it.

The size of the walls became ever more evident as they approached them. Behind the walls, the buildings changed markedly. There was much more wood and brick work, fancier structures that likely cost much more than those outside it. But what was at the end of the large road was most impressive.

It was a castle. Not just a keep like what was in Wollseeth but literally, a giant castle inside a massive, fortified wall. Which itself was behind more walls. This was a city designed to survive not just a war, but arguably armageddon itself. Who were these people?

The carriage pulled up to a large open and paved area, and then stopped. “We’ve arrived, young sir.”

Outside the carriage window were a small assortment of people. Most seemed dress in various clothing you might expect from laborers or staff. But a small number, those closest to the carriage were dressed far fancier. Also, a decent number of guards sprinkled about.

“Welcome to the Vallhorn estate.” A very well dressed older elven man addressed Reese. He was wearing what could best be described as a suit, but not quite. It was almost identical to what Fense wore, just slimmer.

It also seemed to lack the colors of the carriage driver, being just dark greys, black and a touch of white.

“Are you Beeson, Beeson Vallhorn?” Reese had no idea what he looked like, beyond being an elf. The snickers from the nearby guards implied he was mistaken.

“I am not, Reese Bronwyn. My name is Hippall, I am the head of the servants for the estate. If you’re ready, I will take you see the Vallhorns.” As Reese considered his bags and how to handle them, he was surprised to find two other well-dressed individuals taking them for him without asking.

“Your bags will be taken to your room for you.” Hippall tried to reassure him.

“Thank you, uh, sorry but please be careful with the one. There’s glass and some experiments in it.” Reese couldn't help but flinch as the servants were still more forceful than he would have liked.

Hippall nodded to the other staff who quickly got the message. “Of course, Reese Bronwyn. This way.” The elf began moving at a quick pace towards the castle.

As they headed inside the castle, the shear opulence of it all really became apparent. The gold trim and velvet could make even the strongest Rococo style seem mundane. They passed through a large hall, with even more gold, and what appeared to be actual gems in the chandeliers.

“Do you need anything special in your room?” Hippall asked as they walked through gold lined spaces.

If Reese asked for a solid gold bar on his bed, they’d probably have given it to him and not even noticed it was missing. But he thought seriously about it, there was one thing he’d like. “I’d like a table or a work bench. I have some experiments and could use the flat space.”

“Of course, we’ll see to it.” Hippall called over another servant and whispered something as they proceeded into the next room. The other ran off quickly elsewhere in the castle.

The space opened to a large moderately lite room of great size. The window placements were well thought out, and even on the northern side of the building light streamed through at key points, illuminating specific parts of the court. In particular there was the red-carpet path that lead up to the throne. Only to stop a few feet short. Or at least the seat looked like a throne, it was certainly big enough and plush enough. At the head of the path and carpet was large bar of light, that petitioners might stand in, making an almost ‘T’ shape. Then, there were the surrounding seats next to the throne which were also well lit.

It was all very theatrical, and yet, it made the point well. This was a special place, between light and dark. Nothing else mattered but those you could see, and it would be easy to just be cast back into the shadows and forgotten.

Hippall stopped and gave a simple glance as if indicating Reese should stop as well. "Presenting Reese Bronwyn, of the family Bronwyn." With that Hippall stepped back a few feet into the shadows, leaving Reese alone to face the gaze of the court occupants.

An older woman sat on a throne in front of him, some distance away. Flanked on both sides by very several well-dressed nobles, first a man and a woman. Then next to the man were two girls, both dresses in exquisite garbs, highlighting the houses colors. The two girls appeared remarkably like the man and the woman, and also a little bit like older matriarch. The one girl seemed slightly better dressed, not by much but it was certainly a more voluminous dress. What looked like the youngest one was in a dress that was slightly closer to her body with a few less frills, but again only a small number less. A clear but subtle difference between the two.

Fortus had explained the immediate Vollhorn family, but not everything about them. He wasn't quite sure what they all looked like. But at the very least he knew their names, right of the old woman, the man was likely Beeson. The middle aged woman by herself on the left would then be Sneacta, his wife.

Elves aged a little slower than humans, not by much though. He guessed the one daughter was around 17, and the younger was about 14 or 15. Neither were particularly close to his age, so he doubted if they could be Feuer. With the information he had, it wasn't a risky guess that the two girls were the older daughters Virume, and the middle one, Lueismar.

Lastly, and most importantly, in the room was the matriarch who was sitting on the throne in the center, Fuhen. Her gaze was unpleasant, like a woman short on time, in all meanings of that statement, and he was wasting it by even being there.

Which led to the question, where was Feuer? Maybe there was some separate ceremony he wasn't aware of. Something he had forgotten?

Reese's heartbeat in his chest, a tight feeling he remembered from a decade ago threatened to take him again. He could feel the panic welling up inside of his, this wasn't good, but he knew what was happening. A few deep breaths, and he could beat out the panic attack, just few breaths. Looking around he tried to remember that one text from school, ‘Etiquette and Maners, by Oleson’. It was a book about this very thing, how to behave around royalty, nobility, aristocrats, and generally anytime you needed decorum. At the moment though he didn’t know if he should bow, kneel, or just walk forward.

A bow, was usually done by those on the social ladder, but still lesser in some regards. A mayor to a governor, a governor to lord, a lord to a king, stations like that. Kneeling was subservience, an act of fealty, a house knight or a servant was expected to kneel, but for someone of near equal or higher station it could be seen as insulting to both parties. Walking forward was a bold claim of equality or superiority. Lords to Lords, kings to kings. Reese was certain he was not a king. So many maddening points, a single miss-step could lead to… well, it wouldn't be good.

"Are you ok? You seem to be staring around like you’re a lost little boy." Fuhen spoke down to him. Walking forward was absolutely the wrong move.

A short bow forward, "I apologize, I'm just in awe of your throne room. It's very opulent and exquisite."

"It should be, we spent a lot of coins on it. Why are you here?" Her brow furrowed in annoyance. Given the wrinkles it probably wasn’t an unusual expression.

Reese considered the question; she had to know why he was there. This was either some kind of a test or a game. He would play along for as long as he could.

"I'm here for two reasons. The first I consider more important, to tutor Feuer, and the second…" He paused for a moment, unwilling to say the words. "To be a groom for, Feuer. In the distant future." He made sure to add that last part.

"So you think tutorage is more important for my granddaughter than her marriage. Why do you think you're even qualified?" The matriarch’s tongue was sharp, and her words were quick.

Reese didn’t have a lot of time to think, as he put the words together, "I apprenticed as a teacher in my town under the teacher Fense. So I have experience-"

She pounced on that statement. "Experience? Wasn't it for less than a year, you consider that an acceptable level of experience?"

Reese was certain now, this had to be a game of wits. For what reason he could only guess. He couldn’t lie about material facts, not without serious risks for questionable rewards, but maybe he could stretch some things. He had tutored decades earlier, in another life. Even learned teaching methods this world hadn’t even considered.

With a quick breath, he defended himself, "That's true, but I spent more time before my apprenticeship unofficially tutoring the other students in the class, and I believe have more experience then might otherwise be evident."

The genuine version of this novel can be found on another site. Support the author by reading it there.

"We'll have to take your word for it, I guess. You are, about 10 years old?"

Nodding, Reese responded, "Yes, I was 10 this past Deciamon."

Fuhen’s eyes narrowed slightly, "Do you think 10 is the right age for a teacher? Do you think it's the right age for teaching a noble?"

He thought back to that damn census report he read a few times. There was a number in there for this, he remembered looking it up when trying to gauge Fense when he first met him. What was it though, 32? Had to be close to that anyway. "Well, I know from Verster’s Census from the 40th year of King Roth the average age for a teacher across the six kingdoms was about 32. I will admit I am less than that, but I have confidence in my skills. I know it's bold, but I suspect I could outcompete most other competent teachers."

"You're able to spit out random facts, if they're true it's impressive. But it makes me wonder if you're not just lying. Regardless, and again I ask, do you believe you are better than a 32 year old teacher?"

"I have skills that are at least comparable." Reese continued to keep his composure, but it was growing difficult.

"What subjects are you most versed in? What do you plan to teach my granddaughter?"

Finally having enough the man next to her, Beeson spoke up, "Mother please, is this all necessary?"

"Yes. I need to see what damage your decision caused. You should know Reese, it was not my choice to invite you here. Now, what subjects are you an expert in?" She continued to speak quickly, her wit was sharper than a dagger, and just as fast as one too.

Reese thought about the question for a moment, he could point to math, but beyond that it was harder to quickly evocate. General History and geography, magic theory at a basic level anyway, language well human at least. A few others he could point to, but that wasn’t what was really important, he could learn quick too.

Doubt began to creep into his mind, which he shook out. "I am most knowledgeable in mathematics. I also know a fair amount of ancient history and geography. Along with some biology, I know a fair amount about magic theory. I can give your granddaughter a comprehensive tour of these subjects and more. I can also learn very quickly and teach her anything else you would like. We would just need to agree on a lesson plan."

The matriarch huffed and smirked, "I'm surprised to hear you say magics, I was told you were gateless and inept."

Inept was a step too far, but it seemed like she was just goading him into an emotional response. He just needed to stay calm. "It's true I'm gateless, but I'm still quite knowledgeable and can cast simple spells, I also know-"

She waved away the rest of his statement, not really interested. "What about High Elven, how much do you know?"

He thought about it, he actually did know bits and pieces of a few languages from his old world, it’s just most of them weren't relevant here, though there were two he could point to. "I know a bit of Anthro and Dras-"

"I didn't ask if you could talk to the animals or dark-skinned elves. I asked about High Elven, do you know it?"

Racists, on top of everything else. "No. I do not know High Elvish personally only a handful of words, but I can learn it quickly and will be in a position to teach your granddaughter."

The woman paused as if taking his answers in. There was no change in her face, and she remained the same stonewalled difficult person he had been dealing with. He could really have used a chair right now as he stood in silence. Waiting for the next attack.

Fuhen broke the silence "Of course you understand my concern. We need to make sure Feuer's education is taken care of. But for your second point. What does the Bronwyn family even have to offer the Vallhorn?"

Reese had no idea. There was some ancient history between the families, but he only knew about that in passing from his father and Fense, neither of which were willing to fill him on the very large gaps. For all his studying, he had never really had a chance to study up on his own family. Which left a rather larger hole in his knowledge base. But, there had to be a reason why the Vallhorn would have agreed. The reasons his family, his father specifically, arranged this felt cold, but there had to be logic behind it. Why would Beeson agree to the suggestion?

As he thought about it, Reese could remember his father mentioning how Beeson was the one who originally brought it up. There had to be some reason on their end, something they wanted? Maybe he could just bluff it. The larger Bronwyn family was known to be a strong name and power.

Another quick breath, "I'm sure you're aware of how powerful the Bronwyn family is. Some of that strength can be shared with the Vallhorn, and I'm aware of my uncle and his strong claims, my branch of the family does still have pull." He smiled lightly, he felt that it was a good answer, even if imperfect.

The matriarch didn’t seem to agree, however. "That's it, just some pull? The Vallhorn family is beyond wealthy, a 'little pull' isn't much of a trade."

That was the best he had. Maybe with more time, he could have come up with something better. "I only know what I was told and what I've researched. I'm sure my father and Beeson have a plan for the marriage, I was not made aware of it.”

Which was true, he was sure Beeson and his father had a plan in mind, he just didn’t know what it was, because no one told him. He could feel his teeth grinding in his mouth as he cursed his father for not telling him anything. He should return focus on what he did know.

A silent voice inside of him calmed him down, and for a moment seemed to take over. His eyes locked onto to the matriarch as he felt all his fear just vanish, for a moment. “First, and foremost, I am here to tutor your granddaughter. The marriage won't happen for another decade."

There was silence and as Reese’s senses came back he began to wonder if he spoke out of turn. He wasn't expecting the old woman to smile, however slight.

"I think I might come to like you. At least you can keep calm. How much do you know about my granddaughter?" Her speech slowed, just slightly.

He had heard a few rumors, his father mumbling a few things here and there. None particularly appropriate or likely accurate. "I know she's a year or two older than me and is in need of a tutor. Beyond that not much."

There were some other rumors but nothing he should probably say aloud.

Fuhen sighed, the first real sign of emotion from her even more than the subtle smirk. It implied she was out of patience, though not necessarily with him. At least he hoped not.

"She needs more than just a tutor. Feuer fancy's herself a Knight, but that's not possible. Her older brother is already a knight. I'm sure you can see the problem?"

Reese thought for a moment, his knowledge of noble politics was limited. There was something about this though, "Yes, most nobles and aristocrats are limited to one active Knight in the family. To keep any one family from having too much control of the kingdom's military. Your oldest grandson is a knight and Feuer can't become one too without causing issues for her family."

“Issues is an understatement. We’re one of the wealthiest families in the kingdoms, if others saw us trying to control more of the military, they’d be worried. Rightfully so. We’d lose most of our trading partners overnight… It was my hope that by finding a good tutor for my granddaughter, we could pull her out of her silly ideas. Instead, thanks to my idiot son we have you.”

Before he could defend himself Fuhen held up a hand to stop him, “That’s not an insult to the skill you claim to possess, merely an observation from where I sit you are after all young and new to teaching… As for the marriage, do you know how many suiters Feuer has had?”

He didn’t, but he could guess by the question it was more than one. “I’m not sure, but I’m guessing more than one?”

“More than one he says. Seven. She’s had seven suitors, of which she’s actually managed to meet 4 before they were called off.”

She’s had seven suitors. The girl was barely older than he was, how was that even possible. A chill ran down his spine as he felt this gross stickiness run through his mind. She was about twelve, to be pledged to seven different people was beyond disgusting. Even if it was the way of this world.

“The last one she met she also ended up blinded in his right eye. Not that fool didn’t deserve it, and worse… You’ve got your work cut out for you on both fronts."

A fear followed that icky creep down his spine. Maybe there was a good reason so many suitors… She blinded her last? What could possibly have led to that. More to the point how could he protect himself from something similar. Healing spells barely worked on him, and deep healing spells were useless. A serious injury in this world could be a death sentence.

Fuhen stood up in her seat and addressed Reese with a bit more warmth and formality. "Not to scare you boy. Welcome to the Vallhorn estate and family. If you need anything from us please speak to Hippall. Good luck, Reese Bronwyn. You'll need it.”

With that, the matriarch waved him off. The servant, Hippall, coming up to his side strongly implied his leaving wasn’t optional. Not that he wanted to remain anyway. He needed to think about things, and walking would likely help.

As he left the room, Hippall whisper somethings into his ear. “This really isn’t my place, but I suspect the matriarch actually does have high hopes for you, despite what she said. It’s necessary for her to maintain an air of control.”

Reese forced a smile and slight nod, he wasn’t sure how true any of that was. But, at least someone was trying to make him feel welcome.

“One of the servants will take you to your room, you are free to wander the grounds just don’t go into the basement levels.”

“Oh, what’s in the basement the dungeon?” He laughed a bit, hoping to take the edge off.

“Yes.” Hippall answered without missing a step or even a slight air of emotion.

Swallowing, he had to consider that answer, “… I wasn’t actually expecting there to be a dungeon.”

“Dinner will be served at 6PM, please don’t be late. Also, wear something more, fitting.” A slight air of distain entered Hippall’s voice as he said that last part.

Reese looked at his clothes, while they weren’t as nice as everyone else, they weren’t exactly the clothes of peasants either.

Hippall sighed, as if sensing Reese’s thoughts, “I’ll have the tailor come to your room and fit you into something… better. Now, if you’ll excuse me.” With that, the head servant broke from Reese’s side.

Hippall turned around and away from Reese. Greeting a group of well-dressed nobles or aristocrats they wandered into the court to speak with the matriarch.

As he stood there in the opulent hallway, Reese was unsure what exactly to do. Though he didn’t wait long, another servant had snuck in behind and greeted him. The surprise caused more than a bit of a start; he found himself still on edge after talking with Fuhen.

“Sorry sir. Didn’t mean to startle you. I’m Olithma.” The young halfling in front of him was just a hair shorter than he was, meaning it was probably close to fully grown. He seemed a typical halfling with dark brown hair, brown eyes and a tannish white skin. Though, the orange streak in his hair hinted at a mix ancestry somewhat recently in his family tree. Also, the occasional scaring on his skin and thick callous hands, particularly for a halfling, implied a hard life and was likely from the streets for most of it.

The young halfling nodded and bowed very slightly, “I was tasked with taking you to your room. If you’ll follow me.”

Olithma didn’t wait for Reese to respond as he walked ahead of him.

As they walked through the castle towards the main staircase, Reese was further impressed by just how opulent it continued to be. “You know this castle is very exquisite. I’ve never seen this much gold leaf and actual gold before.”

“Oh? Has sir been in many castles then?” The Halfling’s tone sounded almost dismissive and insulting. It was hard not to see it as a bit insulting.

“Well, there was a large keep in my town my father worked out of it.”

“Is that so? Must have been quite a sight in your small town.” Again, that dismissive tone.

It was starting to irritate him. “I mean yeah, it was. I spent a lot of time in there.”

“How impressive, sir. Had the run of it did you?”

“No not really, my father was the commander of the keep the town guards. I spent a lot of time there, training.”

“Mhm, fascinating. I’m sure it was very impressive for you.” Olithma didn’t seem like he had paid any attention or cared.

Why did this bother Reese so much? “Is there a particular reason you seem to dislike me?” He asked, bluntly.

“Oh, no particular reason, sir.” The Halfling made his way around the top of the stairs.

Reese was about to continue forward, only to see his halfling guide take a turn and continue up the next flight of steps. “Is my room on the 3rd floor?”

“No, sir. Your room is at the top of the castle’s living space. On the 4th floor.” There was nearly a smile behind those words. As if Olithma relished the idea of him being on the highest floor.

“Is there some reason that seems to amuse you?”

“No. I understand you a very important person sir, hence why you will be on the most privileged highest floor.” The sarcasm in the halfling’s voice was practically dripping.

So from what he could gather, the 4th floor was not prestigious or privileged. In fact, it seemed like it was the exact opposite. Reese was about to say something more, but bit back his tongue. There was no need to say something that would either be turned back around on him or that he would just otherwise regret.

Ultimately, being on the 4th floor of the keep, was a mixed blessing, having a view just over the walls to the northwest. It held a rather nice view of the fields and farms in the distances, and he could make out what he would later learn was the industrial district for the city. Aesthetically, this pleased him. A view would help him think and another that might help him calm down.

The size of the room was large by his standards, probably a bit bigger than his kitchen and dining room back home, easily 6 times the size of his old bedroom there. Hell, it was probably bigger then his first studio on earth. However, the rooms below were generally larger still. It was also quite a walk up. But by far, the biggest issue with the upper floors though, was the lack of any running water. It would have to be brought up by the dumb waiters or by a servant. Looking back at the smirk of the halfling, he could probably forget about the servants doing anything for him. Not that it mattered.

The room itself looked to be in, ok condition, there was clearly some neglect, dust in spots you might expect. But oddly, some food crumbs in a few places, and strangely no dust along the window stiles. They were probably opened to bring in air from time to time. He’d have to do a bit of his own cleaning but this space would be acceptable.

As he continued to look around, his bags had been emptied quite carefully. His clothes were put away neatly, his books now lined one of the two bookshelves, and on the other were most of his experiments and magic equipment, the rest were on a fairly large table that Hippall was kind enough to procure in place of the normal desk. It was a fairly nice setup, all things considered. He could already see himself making significant strides and advancements here.

He turned back around to see a slightly smirking halfling. Perhaps he was waiting for some kind of complaint or lamination about the space. Instead, Reese just smiled back and said truthfully, “Thank you Olithma, this space will work very well for my needs. I hope we can have a decent relationship with each other.” The deflation on the halfling’s face made it worth the extra steps to get up here.

Bowing slightly, the halfling turned and left the room. Leaving Reese alone with his thoughts, and the possessions he brought with him. Between Fuhen and that halfling his mind was a torrent of thoughts and minor frustrations.

Looking over the equipment on the shelves it all appeared to be in good condition still. Nothing was damaged, though it wasn’t how he would have arranged it. Minor details he shrugged. Holding a particular piece, he was tempted to start work on something, maybe his mind would calm down with a problem to solve.

On the desk was at least one minor thing he could do right now. After a few minutes, he mounted the escapement he made, and the larger great wheel that attached to it. A single, very thin arm ticketed off from the center. Along the wall, were now alternating thin and thick marks he made with a charcoal pencil. Thick lines for hours, and between each of those 12 thinner lines for 5-minute intervals. Also, it would be hard to see, but a mark on the escape wheel would count seconds, 60 in one rotation. It had meant a larger escape wheel, but also halved the number of teeth he needed to cut on the great wheel, which was itself considerable.

In all, it produced a working 12 hour clock. Perhaps his first useful invention in the world. Though, it wasn't perfect. Every few minutes it could get "jumpy", and it would probably lose a few seconds a day. Still, very useful at night when the city's bells stop. Speaking of which, exactly 5 minutes ago, the city bells chimed at 3PM, the time he set it too.

A smug smile appeared on his face as he suddenly had knowledge that few others would possess. Trivial it might be. It was something he could take pride in as he watched the hands slowly move forward. A knock on the door, snapped him out of his trance.

The tailor had shown up for his measurements. Carrying with him, the human tailor seemed to have a set of servant's garments. Which truthfully seemed even less dressed down than what he was already wearing. Though, he wouldn't second guess his hosts. If that's what they expected him to wear, he would wear it. To be fair, he was basically employed by them anyway. Maybe that was the intent, to hide his actual station for the time being. The tailor’s measurement work was quite quick and painless, and also silent, not seeming to want to make any conversation with him. In Reese’s previous life, he had been measured a few times for suits, those times seemed to take much longer. For a moment he worried his measurements were rushed. He'd have to trust the tailor to do his job.

Gathering his journals and notebooks, he found his teaching journal he kept from Wollseeth. Inside were the marks and notes from his old students and class. Two familiar names brought a smile to his face before he flipped to a new page and made some quick marks. He needed to flush out a lesson plan for Feuer on Momadeg.

The room was beginning to feel a bit stuffy, maybe it was time to go for a walk. Hippall did say he could walk around the castle after all.

Wandering the castle, it's true size became apparent. For this world, the building was huge, possibly one of the largest in the kingdom. Though he only had the tiny buildings of Wollseeth to compare it to. And, compared to many of the buildings on earth, it wasn't particularly tall, but perhaps that wasn’t a fair comparison. In total it was maybe 900 feet in both directions, possibly a bit shorter north to south. It was a little hard to tell for sure though, as many corridors snaked around. Whether that was for ascetics, security or some other structural reason he could only guess.

The first floor was reserved for actual functions, it contained the great hall, a large dining and ballroom space, the court area, obviously and other functional spaces. The 2nd floor seemed to house the most important people in the castle, such Fuhen, Beeson, and most of their family. There may have been space for visiting dignitaries as well. Then the 3rd floor, seemed to be space for other important guest, not quite heads of state but close. The 4th floor where he was staying was mostly a catchall space by the looks of it. The rooms were used for, less important people, like him. There were a few other floors above him, technically, but they were mainly storage, and for defensive use, like the towers. There was also the library which stretched between the 2nd through 4th floors of the 'Central Spire' as it was called. The court sat just below this spire and a bit to the south. The castle had several entrances and exits, but only one was considered the main or proper one. It connected directly to the aptly named Vallhorn Road. It was also opposite Reese's room, mostly.

There was a large expanse under the keep, mostly the dungeon. Supposedly there was a connection to the city's underworks too, but that was supposed to be very heavily guarded. Also, some underground passages which connected to the auxiliary and staff quarters next to the keep.

The large build which he was able to get a good view of as he wandered outside. It was itself a massive structure that might as well have been a mansion. It's length, nearly matching the length of the keep, but its depth was maybe a third that. It looked to be about 3 floors high and was shorter than the keep by some measure. Walking around it, the building seemed to be nothing special architecture worse.

"Architecture" Reese mumbled to himself and made some notes in his teaching journal. Architecture and civil engineering seemed like good things to tackle eventually. While he wasn't too interested in those aspects of engineering, the Vallhorn family was responsible for this city. Perhaps, he could ingratiate himself to them if he had something to offer in that area or if he could teach Feuer about some of them.

A large bipedal raccoon watched Reese take his notes and smiled at him when their eyes met. The man kind of reminded Reese of Ethmond just a bit.

It was curious, but none of the estate's staff stopped him. Most seemed to ignore him, but a few smiled and waved. Reese couldn't be sure if they were told about him, or if security was just non-existent here. He could believe either to be true. Thinking about the staff, most seemed to be Anthro or at least the laborers did. There was a common theme in this world, that Anthros were often seen as lesser than elves and humans.

Though, Reese's own experience with Fense and some of the traders suggested otherwise. Most were just as competent as anyone else. Then again, racism didn't need to be based in logic. Maybe he was just reading too much into things.

Rounding the staff quarters, he came to the stables. A simple, and rather smelly building. A large number of horses and a few ground dragons were stable inside on opposite ends. The two had to be kept separate, and there was a large divider near the lower quarter. For the most part the two species would tolerate each other, but occasionally the ground dragons would make deep trilling noises that tended to really spook the horses.

The sound of metal hitting metal drew his attention, and he found the blacksmith for the Vallhorn Estate attached to the stables. The estate was large enough and wealthy enough to have several auxiliary services, like a blacksmith, a tailor, and likely a healer as well. It was intimidating the more he thought about how wealthy they must have been.

The blacksmith appeared to be a middle age dark elven woman, her deep blue eyes glared at him as he tried to make conversation. It was clear, she wasn't interested in anything at the moment, beyond fixing the horseshoe she was working on.

"Go away."

The only words she did say reinforced that point. Maybe some other day.

Taking a moment, he sketched some ideas in his notebook. The Vallhorn family was wealthy because of the silver mines, he should probably put items in at least future lesson plans about economics.

Moving to the east, he came across the large open courtyard he had come in at. Just a bit past that it turned into an area full of greenery, shrubs, and trees, it was an aberration in the arid space, but a welcoming one. At least some of the trees looked like they would grow fruit in the summer months. Small green alcoves with wooden benches covered the area, lots of little hideaways for important people to talk in muffled seclusion.

The subtle sound of wood clicking against something caught his attention, and he felt drawn to the sound. As he wandered, the maze-like structure of it all became apparent. Following the sounds as they grew louder, and his curiosity continued to grow. The sound reminded him of wooden swords and training implements, and a short vision of his home came to him; a life he was unlikely to see again.

Clack. Clack. Thwack.

Reaching the end of the courtyard he smiled at the realization he was correct. There in an open corner two people spared. An adult tropical human woman with dark green hair, a knight or maybe a guard, and a younger girl who might have been full elven given the pronounced ears.

He stood there, just outside the space watching the two spar. The girl was young, but clearly had some skill and was able to keep up with the woman, mostly. They weren’t using any techniques, just pure sword play.

The eleven girl was younger, but not quite a child, it was hard to guess an exact age, maybe 12 or 11. The armor she wore was a simple leather and cloth training armor, usually worn by Knights and Soldiers during sword exercises. If it was like the stuff he would sometimes wear, then there should have been pouches inside you could fill with weights or sand to simulate different armor load outs. With the way she moved they had to be empty, or she was very strong.

Her deep red and purple hair was bunched up into a tight bun at the back of her head, keeping it safe while she traded wooden sword blows with her instructor. For all her speed and agility, it wasn’t enough though.

Clack!

The wooden sword impacted the young girl in her upper arm.

“2-1. This match is mine.” The Knight declared.

Sighing the young elf turned her head around, looking for the source of the discomfort she suddenly felt. Like someone had been watching her.

As they locked eyes, Reese couldn’t help but think the dark purple, almost amethyst colored iris were glowing. Her freckles made her whole face look like it was emitting sparks and fire. In short, her gaze was terrifying. Where she quite a bit older, he might have even said she was terrifyingly beautiful as she likely would be one day.

“Why are you watching me?” Despite the fiery gaze, her words were closer to ice.