Later that night, Pax wasn't the only one grinning as they worked to set up their new shelter. Exhaustion plagued everyone. Pax’s feet and legs felt almost numb. But the upcoming spectacle gave them all a flicker of fresh energy. They’d only tested out the shelter device once before in their training cave and were excited to watch the amazing magic at work again. Regardless of how many cores it consumed, Pax didn't think it would ever get old.

Mage Eldan had found them a relatively flat area in a dark crevice hidden between the edge of a small hill and a thick copse of trees. Together, Pax and his friends took the arms of the device and spread it out into a large shape as close to a circle as possible.

Amil and Dahni worked quickly to replace beast cores that had gone dark. The others waited impatiently for them to finish. When they finally straightened, Tyrodon crouched down by the controls and looked up at the others. "Everyone ready?"

They stepped back and nodded, grins of excitement on their faces. Kai looked particularly curious about what was about to happen. The two older mages had moved to keep watch while they had their fun.

Tyrodon activated the shelter controls and quickly moved back himself. For a long moment, nothing seemed to happen. Then the arms shuddered with power, vibrating at a high speed that made a soft, thrumming noise, audible only when Pax focused on hearing it. The entire apparatus sank into the ground, like a kid diving into water.

Everyone leaned forward but knew better than to take a step closer. Pax felt the subtle vibrations through the ground under his feet and exchanged a pleased look with his friends.

“I still can't believe how awesome this device is,” Amil grinned. “I wish I could be Talpa and head underground to watch it all play out.”

Pax stared at him, suddenly struck by the idea. He should have thought of it sooner. Talpa jumped up from where he’d flopped down on a patch of soft grass with a few of the other companions.

Come. We watch. He dove into the ground, disappearing much like the arms of the device had just a few moments ago.

“Talpa’s going to Share Senses with me from underneath.” Pax shot a smug look at Amil before sitting down cross-legged and closing his eyes to focus.

Amil let out an outraged snort and hit Pax’s arm with a quick backhand before he sat down. Pax barely noticed, already focused on interpreting Talpa’s disorienting vision. It was always jarring in the way it compensated for its lack of color with a complex tapestry full of information about nearby vibration and movement.

Talpa stopped moving just to the side of the still-forming structure and focused his senses on what was happening. It was nothing like the wall of dirt Pax would see if he were physically next to Talpa.

Talpa had a large area of perception that ballooned out in front of him, giving him information about all the details as things changed around him. Pax forced himself to let go of his own understanding of vision and commit fully to Talpa’s senses. It took another two heartbeats for the confusing chaos to solidify into something he could understand.

And then it was amazing. Like a sinking floor, the bottom of the shelter moved down at a steady pace, shoving the excavated earth out in an expanding wave and condensing it into walls much more compact than the original sandy and rocky dirt.

Pax realized that the walls themselves helped keep the shelter from collapsing under the weight of the roof or any beasts they attracted that might try to break their way in. The structure was much more complicated than a simple hole in the ground.

Focusing more intently, he watched in fascination as the internal walls formed inside the shelter, giving further strength to the final form. It reminded him of the internal structure of the fancy honeycomb treat Master Windhelm had given them to celebrate Winter’s Solstice on that amazing ride in his elegant wagon during the Purge.

And then it was done. The device had finished building the primary structure of the shelter. Pax watched in amazement as the arms of the device climbed their way back up along the outside of the walls of the now-finished shelter, adding another layer of even denser material as an outer shell. The circle of arms stopped a few feet before the surface and started on the final touches.

The magical energy focused over the top of the structure, pulsing through the ground and improving the roof of the shelter. Pax could sense it creating more of the ultra-dense material that had formed the shell a moment earlier. It didn't take long. The vibrations stilled across most of the roof, leaving only a bit of action in a cylindrical area near one edge. Pax grinned, watching it create the entrance, including a lid with a handle that he knew, from experience, would poke up through the surface dirt.

Thank you, Talpa, for letting me watch. Pax sent a pulse of gratitude to his friend as he opened his eyes.

“Well?” Amil asked. “Was it as amazing as expected?”

“Better.” Pax pushed himself to his feet and shook his head in amazement. “Remind me to thank Crafter Jacoby over and over if we ever see him again. This was worth every war point we spent on it.”

“You don't know how true that is,” Incedis said as he reached down to pull up on the handle. The trapdoor, with the heavy layer of compact earth attached to disguise its surface, took a hefty jerk to break free from the surrounding earth and flip open. “One of these would be expensive and hard to get a hold of in normal situations, much less with a war going on. Let's just put it this way. The military loaned me the only one I've ever used, and I had to give it back afterward.”

Pax and his friends looked at the shelter with even more appreciation.

“Well, let’s get settled for the night.” Incedis waved for them to follow. “Eldan will make a final round and disguise the entrance before joining us.”

Everyone followed him down the ladder, though a few of their companions needed some help with the stone rungs built into the wall. Once most of them had made it down, Eris‌ gave a soft cry of triumph from above before tucking her wings and diving through the hole. She pulled up just in time to make a controlled landing on the perch Rin had set up for her against a wall.

It was interesting looking at the shelter through human vision now, compared to what he'd seen through Talpa's senses. The space was the same size they had marked out when first setting up the arms of the device, but the internal walls broke up the space and made it feel smaller.

There was an open gathering area that used up about half of the shelter and had built-in counters, shelves, and cubbies all along one wall. His friends wasted no time pulling out furniture and setting up kitchen equipment. Rin even shook out a large and colorful rug to spread out over the packed earth floor.

Well, the floor wasn’t quite what he’d expected from packed earth. The device had condensed the earth and stone so compactly that the floor was completely smooth and hard, almost like a single polished piece of stone without a single blemish anywhere on the floor of the shelter. It really was incredible.

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The other half of the shelter comprised two large rooms and a small one for necessaries. There were no doors, just openings carved out of the solid earth. This is where their trial run had come in handy. Rin had been the one to come up with the idea of simple rods along with curtains for the three doorways. While Pax had been looking around, she’d already put the bedroom ones up and was heading his way with the third.

He took a quick peek inside the restroom, seeing the only break in the polished earth floor. There was a small hole in the floor covered by a lid made of similar material to the trapdoor up above.

It looked as if Rin had already set up the small stool to make using the room more comfortable. It was surprising how nice it was to have an actual restroom instead of needing to find a safe bush to duck behind.

“Better grab a spot in the boys' room if you don't want to be sleeping right in front of the doorway.” She tipped her head toward the room she’d just hung the curtain for. “You’re a lot more crowded than we are in the girl’s room.”

Pax groaned. He hadn't thought ahead. Of course, there would be a nightly race for the best spots. He hurried over and stepped through the curtain, but he’d been much too slow. A smiling Amil had already taken the best spot against the far wall.

Dahni had set up along the right wall, and Tasar was putting the finishing touches on his cot along the left. Even Kai had gotten a decent spot next to Amil, while Tyrodon had wedged his cot next to Tasar’s. That just left a little room in the center, as well as the spot directly in front of the door. It was the worst because of nighttime bathroom trips and the risk of being tripped over or jostled awake.

“It blows when you’re too slow.” Amil’s tone was mocking as he looked up from straightening out his bedding and pillow. “It's nice to beat you at something now and then, you know.”

Kai and Dahni snickered, but Pax just shrugged. There were plenty of nights ahead where he could get his revenge. Besides, the center spot wasn't that bad. He quickly got out his supply box with his cot. He wanted to make sure he got it set up before Incedis came in and objected to being left with the worst spot.

Amil spun his head and made an exaggerated sniffing motion. Pax noticed, too. A hearty aroma of something delicious drifted through their small shelter. That got all the boys moving. They piled back out into the common space to see Incedis setting a large, steaming pot on a counter in the wall.

Mage Eldan climbed down the ladders and shot him a smile. “Please tell me that is your grandmother's stew recipe. Because I could really use a bowl right now.”

“Yes.” Incedis reached into the inventory box at his feet and pulled out something else. With a flourish, he took a soft towel off of a large loaf of crusty bread that looked to still be steaming. “And bread from Selma's Bakery.”

Mage Eldan gave a moan of pleasure. In a motion almost too fast to follow, she was suddenly next to the pot with a bowl, plate, and utensils in her hands. Incedis gave her an amused smile as he pulled out a cutting board and knife from his box and began slicing bread.

He looked over his shoulder at them. “Take care of your companions while Mage Eldan gets her food. Then the rest of you are free to come get some dinner. After today's running, you all deserve it. Especially you, Kai. We didn't need to slow down nearly as much as I expected. If you didn't gain a point in your attributes, you will soon. Keep up the good work.”

Kai ducked his head with a muttered ‘Thanks’ as he got in line behind Mage Eldan while the others pulled out food for their pets. Things were chaotic until finally Pax got settled with the bowl and a slice of bread balanced in his lap and took his first bite.

A rich and hearty flavor exploded in his mouth along with a sparkling touch of mana that his Sight noticed. The stew was full of rich pieces of meat, so tender he barely needed to chew. Chunks of different vegetables, some soft and creamy with others firm and full of an earthy flavor, made it even more complex and tasty.

“Wow.” He paused chewing long enough to let out a soft exclamation of appreciation.

Around him, his friends nodded their agreement, busy shoveling the amazing food into their mouths to Incedis' amused chuckle.

“My grandmother was an expert at turning beast meat into something both wonderful and invigorating. But don't expect to eat like this every night. I just decided you deserved something after a brutal first day like that.” He met Pax’s gaze in acknowledgement.

Mage Eldan went back for seconds, aiming a frown at Incedis. “Please tell me you have a second pot that you're saving for another meal, or I'm going to be scraping this pot and saving some for later.”

“I might have another one.” He gave her a teasing shrug. “But once everyone's had their fill, you're more than welcome to squirrel away an extra bowl or two for yourself.”

She turned to look back at the others and demanded, with none of the teasing Incedis had, “You’re all full now, right?”

“Eldan!” Incedis’ tone turned scolding.

“Fine.” Eldan gave the kids a quick glare before retreating to her stool and getting busy eating her second bowl.

“Ignore her and eat as much as you need to refill your reserves.” Incedis filled a bowl for himself and balanced a piece of bread on the rim. “You won’t realize how much energy you spent today until you try to get up in the morning. I'd recommend everyone spend a little time using Meditation and personal Healing before going to sleep.”

As they finished their meal and the stew settled into a ball radiating warmth in Pax’s center, a wave of tiredness rolled over him. It seemed to hit the others at the same time. As they cleaned up, movements became slower, and eyes drooped.

“Pax, not you.” Incedis tapped him on the shoulder as the others shuffled off to get ready for bed.

Pax tipped his head back and bit back a groan before turning to face Incedis. “The light manual? Or did you mean choosing my evolutions? They can't wait until tomorrow?”

“There's no time.” Incedis shook his head. “But first, I’d like you to test one of your artifacts from the ruins to see if it can help. You should have experimented with it long before now.”

Pax frowned, knowing he didn’t have any open slots for any scrolls from the ruins. What was Incedis talking about? And then he had it. “Wait. Are you talking about the Wand of Sanctuary?”

Incedis nodded, giving Pax a censuring look. “You’ve left it too long.”

Pax’s eyes flicked away, embarrassed. “I've just been so busy, and my list of things to do is always so long and full of much more urgent things.”

“All the more reason you need more sanctuary in your life. I know you're young. So was I, and it wasn't as long ago as you might think. I had a similar drive, to grow stronger and be the best as quickly as possible. But there's going to come a point when you crash and burn if you don't figure out a way to recharge and build a bit of peace into your daily routine. Understand?”

“But my inventory ring can give me about a five-minute break of extra time when I need it.”

Incedis snorted. “Standing in a cube packed full of items for a few minutes at a time isn’t what comes to mind when I think of sanctuary. You need something better.”

Pax gave Incedis a challenging look. “So, what you're saying is that after forcing us to run all day while bombarding me with new types of magic, you'd like me to do more work instead of getting some sleep?”

“Good point.” He laughed. “My actions are not matching my advice. However, I'm hoping this artifact might help. How about this? You test it out, and if it gives you a way to rejuvenate and have the energy to work on the light manual, then you do. Otherwise, head to bed, and we'll try again tomorrow. As for your build, I think we’ll work on that between sessions of elemental practice tomorrow. Then the others can chime in with ideas.”

Pax nodded and pulled out his equipment box. When he had the Wand of Sanctuary in his hand, he looked up at Incedis. “Any advice before I try it?”

Incedis shrugged. “I assume it's like any other device. Push a bit of mana into it and see what happens. And considering the source, I would recommend light mana.”

Pax nodded, a fresh excitement filling him at discovering the secrets of the ancient device. For a moment, he stared at the wand, wondering at its origins and exactly what had made Archivist Evander value it.

First, he pulled up the Identify information so he could remember the details. It wouldn’t give him any more points in Identify, but it would jog his memory.

***

Item: Wand of Sanctuary

Rarity: Legendary

Effect: Self only.

This legendary wand is a wondrous magical item coveted by those who seek solace, privacy or sanctuary in a world filled with chaos and clamor.

Increase Identify Skill for more information.

***

He reread the information and realized he had a new line of information now that his Identify was level 4. It wasn’t much, but knowing the artifact would only work on the person using it could be helpful.

It was time to test it out. Having plenty of lessons that taught him caution lately, Pax drew up the smallest thread of light mana he could manage. He held his breath and sent it into the wand.