Fenn woke up to the sound of bells.

Morning already?

The clang of the bells started to drift along the hall away from her room. Pulling the blanket off, she shifted around to put her feet on the floor. Across from her was Ayana’s bed. It was already empty.

Fenn yawned and stretched before getting up to look for her cloak. Everything in the room was still dark. Fenn pulled the heavy curtain that was the door to her room. Light from the hallway torches barely came through but it was enough that she could see everything dimly. The room she shared with Ayana had two beds, two bookshelves, and a shared desk. Fenn changed clothes before grabbing her cloak and her pouch of dust.

The hallway had a slow trail of Acolyte trainees. Everybody had just woken and was tired. The first year with the bells had long made it across to a different part of the tower and another set of rooms to awaken. They all filed towards a staircase near the centre of the tower.

The slow wander up the stairs was interrupted by the thunderous crash of the main tower bells. The main bells sounded far louder and lower than the hand bells used to wake everyone up. The sound felt like it made the whole tower vibrate.

Another flight of stairs and Fenn made it to the west balcony. They were all waiting for dawn and torches cast a low light over everything. The fires of the forts and lighthouses at the edge of the city were there but dim in the distance. Some of the earliest acolytes to arrive had already begun the incantations of the morning ritual and were preparing the altars. Fenn found Ayana just inside the door.

“You’re up early? Nervous for the ritual this morning?”

“Not nervous at all,” Ayana replied. “Just making sure I’m prepared.”

You can just admit being nervous because you blew the ritual last time.

“You’ll be fine, Ayana.”

Fenn left her and walked over to the rows of seats near the back. She was just watching and chanting that morning. After squeezing past another acolyte she found her seat beside Imtha. And in the empty seat on her other side was supposed to be Jaali.

“Where is he?” Fenn asked.

“No idea,” Imtha answered, “Probably having nightmares and trying to ignore the bells. How he can sleep through that is a mystery to me.”

Another acolyte behind them shushed them. Faint green light on the horizon meant dawn arriving. The first bit of the sunrise was nearly blinding and everyone frowned as they squinted. Fenn relaxed shortly after to take in her favourite view of the city.

Imperia was a beautiful city when Fenn wasn’t lost in the middle of it. The light always hit the finger forts first and quickly washed over the rest of the city. The whole city was built on a peninsula that stuck out at the foot of a mountain. Tall Tower, her home with the Coven, was near the middle of the city. Three strips of land, the fingers, stretched out towards the sea and enclosed two harbours. Each of the fingers had a fort at the end that also served as a lighthouse. Dozens of boats sat in each harbour and dozens more on the less protected outer shores. Every bit of shore was covered with docks and wharfs to keep as many ships as possible moving in and out. Imperia was the heart of the world and the traffic was endless. Docks and wharves on every edge of the city also meant no room for walls, not that there was need. After all, the finger forts, and the shoulder forts further back, had enough gunpowder to push back an entire armada. But the hundreds of thousands of people seemed less busy and crowded to Fenn when she was looking over it at dawn.

Ayana was about to get started. The beginner altars furthest left were surrounded by masters trying to keep students calm and focused. Imtha was with the seniors near the middle while the masters of the Coven did their rituals furthest right. Altars started to light up with green symbols one by one. Ayana put her altar glove and the rune on the back of the hand picked up the green glow. Fenn could see the discomfort as Imtha put her hand down onto the altar and then reached through it into the other realm. Ayana shuddered at first and her body rocked forward like a dry heave.

Keep at it. Entering is half the fight. You got this.

At every altar along the line, the acolytes started reeling from the morning rituals. At the beginning altars, a burst of dust flew up from the surface and the acolyte fell backwards onto the floor. Professors rushed to wash the dust off his face and calm him down. On the far side, Master Ceron’Macosius, highest of all the acolytes in Tall Tower, pulled his hand out of the altar, finished his ritual, and poured a handful of the dust into a waiting container. Another of the masters finished. Another beginner blew their ritual at the other side, with the nearest available person rushing to wash the dust off and help them get their senses back. Ayana was in the middle, clearly starting to struggle.

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Damn it, don’t lose it.

Fenn looked beside her and Imtha was in a trance while keeping up the chant of the group. She was focussed and helping Ayana. She looked like she needed the help. Fenn tried to put her attention on Ayana when she was interrupted by a nudge beside her. Jaali, finally arrived, was pushing into his spot with a yawn.

“Dumbass, where were you?” she whispered sharply. “Nevermind. Ayana needs you. Get into the chant.”

Jaali blinked a few more times with obvious fatigue. Fenn nudged him and pointed out Ayana. Jaali yawned. Then he straightened up, took a deep breath, and started into the chant with the rest of the acolytes.

Near the moment that Jaali started, Ayana dropped her shoulders and relaxed. Another moment and she pulled back her hand with a handful of dust. Imtha took off the glove and turned around with a large smile.

Yes! You were due for one to go right.

The acolyte to the left pulled out a handful of dust and immediately collapsed. Those beside her rushed to brace her fall and rescue the dust as it fell out of her hand. She spun around during the fall. Her face was blank and pale. A master snapped his fingers in front of her eyes. She didn’t respond. After another try at snapping fingers, the master pulled out smelling salts. She shook back to reality shortly after they got to her nose.

WIth a few more minutes, the sun was fully up and the rituals were all complete. The chant finished and everyone sat down. Some juniors started talking and were quickly shushed by masters. Fenn looked over the city again. They were too high up to make out much detail of people moving about but the buildings and ships were clear. Between the fingers, in the south harbour, Fenn’s eyes stopped on a large warship. It was bigger than the rest by a good margin with larger flags and colourful sails. In the early morning light, the brass all over it made it look more like an ornament than a warship. It was facing towards the opening of the harbour and along the back Fenn could make out “Fury” in copper and bronze letters. A cannon fired an empty blast off the side to start the morning salute. Then another. Then another. Fenn kept count.

Twelve, Thirteen, Fourteen. Fourteen salutes. Good morning, mom.

“Hey,” Imtha said, “let’s go. Fourteen and done. Your mom’s in town. Breakfast is getting cold.”

A few staircases later and Fenn, Ayana, and Imtha all sat down for food. Jaali was behind them and nearly made it to the table before Master Joran’Teek stopped him and laid into him for being late.

“The community is relying on you, Jaali. It may not feel like one mind matters but everyone in the chant helps the rituals. This doesn’t come as easily to others as it does to you. You underestimate how much of a burden it is to put your own mind into the Allomir to draw out the dust. You’d alleviate the suffering of your peers if you could show up on time and participate. Your lack of punctuality is selfishness. Take Ayana’Muro here. You were supposed to support her. We’re lucky that she’s focused enough to succeed without your help..”

Jaali, still partly asleep when Joran’Teek started, wide awake when the master finished. He looked at Ayana. Ayana froze.

Say something. You know he helped you through. Stand up to a master for once.

“I…” Ayana started, “I’m just glad it worked out with the help I had.”

Fenn could see what little wind was left come out of Jaali’s sails. He looked back at Joran’Teek from Ayana. “Right. Too much selfishness around.”

Master Joran’Teek walked away. Jaali sighed and found a different table for breakfast.

Imtha took a large pull of coffee. “What’s the duties this week? I have the ship blessing to pay back our coffee yesterday. And then the library to dust off old books.”

“I’m stuck on postal duty this week,” Fenn replied, “Someone has to carry around all the letters that are too sensitive for the regular post. It’s always just gossip among masters and admirals.”

“Sea trials,” Ayana replied.

Imtha nearly spit out her coffee. “Sea trials?! None of us are supposed to ship out until months from now.”

“Yes,” Ayana said, “But the masters said that I’m ahead of the group so if I could get my morning rituals down and not have anymore dust bursts then I could ship out early. Joran’Teek is organising the acolytes for the Southern fleet and said he could squeeze me in early onto a frigate.”

Fenn sank into her chair.

That was supposed to be mine. Joran’Teek already said so. Southern fleet and everything.

She pushed out a smile.

“That’s amazing! You’ll have everyone jealous when you sail out of the harbour and we’re all on dry land.”

Keep it together, Fenn. Breakfast now; cry later.