Dobo sent Vimna off to fetch me some water while he sat me down at his table to talk.

"You lose control. It happens sometimes. You lucky nobody get hurt, and smart to go where many metals. Maybe feeling dizzy from magic drain. Drink water, replenishes magic."

Thanks Dobo, but I'm actually fine. Aside from the leftover adrenaline from the fear of losing control, I feel normal, maybe even refreshed. Tuleni was right that magic was dangerous without practice. I'm going to have to ask her about my element soon, since that was definitely not thunder magic.

Vimna returned with a pitcher in her hands and a fearful look in her eyes.

"Da, Kayroo be okay? She not gonna die?"

"Yes, sweetest, Kayrux fine. She used too much magic and needs rest. Be good and stay with her, okay?"

Vimna nodded vigorously, allowing Dobo to look me square in the eyes.

"You stay here. No work, no magic, just sit. Know good healer, her name Tuleni. You cannot walk home, take you there. Okay?"

It's not surprising that he would know her, but it works out either if I can or cannot make my way home: both paths lead to answers. For now I will just give him a confirmation of understanding before leaning against the wall with the little girl by my side. She was still nervously glancing from me to her departing father, so I caught her attention with a simple message that she would sound out slowly.

"Kay-roo… will… be… o-kay."

Content with that answer, she decided to climb into my lap and curl against me. This seemed familiar somehow as I gently held her close. As she nuzzled against me I could feel her voice against my chest.

"I scared, Roo. Not wanna lose you."

Don't you worry, I'm not going anywhere. I've been fighting too hard to let a little slip up bring me down. With one hand on her head and the other holding her upright I shushed her while keeping her close.

…

The end of shift came, and it was with sorrow in my heart that I conveyed my farewell to Vimna. She was a little hysterical, refusing to part until my brothers had arrived, whom she gawked at in disbelief for only a few seconds before latching onto me. My brothers were amazed by her because of how she had locked herself onto my tail with a vice-like grip. She can keep the scales she peeled off as a souvenir, just as long as she never does that again.

I explained what had happened to them as we walked home, and they told me that they would request a meeting with Tuelni to address concerns they were having with their own mana. Humey was losing control of his heat again, Tokols had been muting himself sporadically, and Mibata has been unable to feel his own mana core for a while. Shit, something bad is happening again.

We told our parents about this, and they promised to have Tuleni visit as soon as she is able. As relieving as that was to hear, I still wanted to avoid anything that would possibly cause another cascade. Mom fixed up some burrito things filled with meat and mushrooms, but I couldn't taste it while my mind was like this. I didn't want to let a single thought slip by that could set my mana off. My dinner was eaten quickly and quietly before rejoining my bed.

I was lying facing the wall when I felt someone sit on the edge of my bed. The voice of Mibata pulled me away from my silent angst.

"I know there are few words that can stop you from worrying. How about you tell me more about that girl? She seemed to dread your departure. "

My writing board slid over my side to tumble in front of me atop the messing. I went ahead and answered, but I just held the words in front of me knowing that he was peering over me at the chalk.

"Her name is Vimna. She's a delightful kid. Sweet, caring, and helpful. She's the daughter of the rebuild team leader. I've been teaching her to write. She was afraid I was dying."

"Seems that you have found a dedicated disciple."

That word was objectively worse in all regards that either student or pupil. It made her sound like she worshiped me, and the thought of having someone pray to me was unsettling.

"Don't like that word. I don't know what to call her, but she cares about me a lot for a kid her age. Reminds me of someone."

A hand reached over and stole my slate, then handed it back a moment later with new words on it.

"She cares about you because you are special. Reborn or not, you're the only Kayrux. You probably don't even know how much you have changed her life in the short time you've been near her. Good night."

I didn't want to erase the words from the slate, so I refused to do so. They would probably be worn away as I held them close to my chest while I slept. Thank you, brother.

…

Tuleni would be here tomorrow to inspect our magic elements, so we would have to manage another day without her insight. Dobo was hesitant to let me work, but I refused to do nothing. I settled for ten projects and spent the rest of my shift making physical devices without any runework. Vimna stayed close by, though I imagine it was more than halfway possible that she was after the remaining beetles. She and I had worked our way through half of the sack, and I didn't want to let them spoil, so they were now treats for her accomplishments. She had a good sized chunk of describing words down now due to our system of me pointing and her saying a word for me to write. I had just taught her "metal", so now she was writing the word on every exposed metallic surface in the area.

I kept myself busy by going over to one of the boilers and seeing how it worked. Unsurprisingly, it was a coal burning boiler with a smokestack leading all the way to the ceiling. I had worried they were using fires underground, but the multiple ducts that ran the length of the workshop ceiling told me that some kobold engineer had the wits to give this place more ventilation than was necessary. Smart thinking, and it would play to my advantage later. Coal and its byproducts could be refined to make steel and concrete, which I’m surprised I haven’t seen anywhere yet. Perhaps architecture and magic eliminate the need for support pillars.

Now that I thought about steel, I should do a bit of a survey of the ores this city pulls up from the depths below. I knew there was precious ores like gold and silver, and their main industrial product was obviously copper, but what else was down there waiting to be used? Maybe tin or aluminum were available, which I could use to introduce this society to anti-corrosive materials, bronze, and higher conductive wiring. Tougher metals would also put this workshop a step ahead, especially if tungsten or titanium could be handled and turned into components for high temperature machinery. So many possibilities, and all I had to do was go spelunking.

Stolen content warning: this tale belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences elsewhere.

My daydreaming must have put my trademark scowl on my face, as the worried jostling from Vimna brought me back to focus.

“Why Kayroo mad? Still hurted?”

I knelt down to her level with a newly made smile on my face. Careful as to not use any words she didn’t know yet, I replied on the slate in large letters for her convenience.

“Not mad. Think much. Good think.”

The little girl mouthed the words as she read them, and returned her wide eyes to me.

"Wanna think smart, like Kayroo."

The whispering influence of fate attempted to guide my hand, but I already had my intended message in hand before it could change my mind.

"Vimna smart. Learn words fast. Grow big, more smart later. Kayrux promise."

Her toothy grin brightened the building by sheer joy alone. The remainder of my shift was spent teaching her a few more words, which she was beginning to sound out on her own. She had a basic understanding of the way the letters sounded on their own, which meant that she avoided the pitfall of assuming that the words were just shapes with meaning. You're going to be stuck with this little fiend for a week, Dobo, so I hope you're ready for some crash courses in linguistics.

A new sound came at the end of the shift, almost like a train whistle chorus coming from each entrance for the different floors. The workers were lining up and marching out in a single line. I suppose that means it's payday. The rebuild crew joined the line, and I noticed a number of relieved and somewhat happy faces.

A familiar sledgehammer toting muscle bound kobold descended upon a cargo lift with a wheelbarrow of brown burlap bags. He moved himself to the front of the line and began clapping at ultrasonic speed with each person that passed them, as well as tossing them a bag of jingling coins. After paying everyone before me, and making some uncanny comments about some of the team members, Vynrashu was once again posturing before me*. His eyes lit up as I approached, but he* decided to finish paying Dobo first.

"Did some great work today as usual, Dobo. Hey kiddo, be a good kid for your geezer. Hah! Just kidding, you aren't that old. Here, I tossed in a little extra for putting up with the new girl. I heard she was a hassle. Might want to get going, I've got to have a little chat with our new inventor here about where she's going to be setting up."

As Dobo nervously shuffled out the door with the anxious Vimna in hand, it was just the two of us in the workshop. His words were slower now, more deliberate.

"How are you holding up, newbie? I imagine it must be good. Our repair rate went up as though the crew was doubled, and I can tell that it was all you. We've also got Dobo's little pup running around writing on everything, and a new hole in the wall behind the parts shelves. Seems like you've been pretty busy. A whole lot of changes are swirling around here, and you've only been in my workshop for a week. Makes me wonder…"

There was something moving behind those eyes, a kind of curiosity you would see in a cat before it pounced. His face scrunched as he made a poor attempt at a reassuring smile.

"Hah! Not the time or place for any of that talk. You're wanting your wage, and I have it right here."

With a sweeping gesture he waved to the remaining sack, which looked noticeably fatter than the ones everyone else had gotten.

"A couple of bonuses for your hard work, on top of the pay we give our inventors, and a little something from me, too. One hundred Draks and forty Skrats. I'll admit, even I'm jealous of such a pile."

That was a lot of money, more than enough to feed my entire family for a month. Ten Skrats could buy a basket full of food, and a Drak was ten Skrats, and I had just over a thousand. This felt like bait, and I was already looking for the trap.

"Yes, quite a haul. That's why I'm going to make you an offer."

There it is.

"I have quite a few places I could set you up with for your inventing. Right now I have a space cleared out on the ground floor, not far from the stairs. There's nothing back there, so you will be without any tables or chairs for a while if you take it. However, I have a few places on the top floor that I could vacate for you. Fully furnished, high end tools, and even your own personal boiler. Everything you would need to bring your ideas to life. All I ask in exchange is just a modest thirty Draks."

This was sleazy, and his words were leaving an oily feeling along my back. I would be lying if I thought it was a bad deal. Thirty Draks, and I would have everything needed to begin my own industrial revolution. As impatient as I was to make some tangible progress, I still recognized some things he had said. My space would be "vacated", implying that he was willing to remove somebody from their station to make room for me. He also chose the absolute worst spot for my initial location, as it was almost completely isolated from the rest of the workshop and had a full ceiling overhead. Most concerning was his side of the deal. He didn't actually gain anything from this. He was already the son of someone in power, and was running the entire place from a cushy office, so money wasn't his real gain here.

This didn't feel like some shady deal, this felt more like a test. The fact that he was patiently waiting for my reply, and his lack of opinion on the matter made it seem as though he were gauging my character. I took my time as I wrote my reply.

"Thank you for the offer, but I must decline. I am an inventor, so I would prefer to make my own lab by hand. I apologize if this displeased you."

A flicker of a smile appeared, but his face maintained a relaxed confidence.

"Such a shame. I would be overjoyed if you would reconsider, but I won't force you on the matter. As promised, your whole pay, bonus and all. Good luck with your scribe work next week, you're gonna do great. Oh, and don't worry about the hole in the wall, we've had malfunctions and misfires do worse to our crew than that little blemish. Might use the space to hang a portrait. Hah! Wouldn't that be quaint? Alright, off you go, I can see you have some bodyguards waiting for you, and I'd like to keep my limbs as they are."

Using his tail as an additional hand, he pulled the lever of the cargo lift to activate its ascending function, all while keeping his composure. Seriously, what a show off. Still, it seemed that there was something more to him. He wasn't disappointed that I refused him, but kept up the facade that he wanted me on the top floor. Perhaps all is not as it seems with the elders and their plans.

…

It was no surprise to me that my pay was the highest. Tokols and Humey each raked in twenty-five Draks, and Mibata an even thirty. Guard duty pays like shit, and mom was the low pile of fifteen, but Dad was the breadwinner, and was the second highest with forty. Apparently mom was the big winner on her regular job, and would consistently bring home one hundred and fifty for a good* hunt. Needless to say, we had a lot of capital stashed in the hidden storeroom, and I could picture a small dragon sitting atop our little hoard.

Then we discussed how it was going to be spent. The armory was asking for fifty to make all three sets of gear that my brothers had requested, so Tokols and Humey offered to cover it with their pay. Mibata gave his pay to mom and dad to cover the spending we siblings had done the past week. Our parents already had a budget system for their wages, and had already set aside the necessary grocery money while stashing the rest. This left my pile as the only untouched one.

I was never good at budgeting, and even worse at managing bills. I needed to get the materials I would need for my lab, but I also had an urge to lighten my metaphorical wallet. I proposed a plan to my parents.

"What if I gave a little money to each brother, and we go shopping for a celebration? I will keep fifty in reserve for building my lab at the workshop, and the rest we can spend together on things to make our den better. How does that sound?"

They had a mixed reaction. Bahruk was less than thrilled, and was midway through grumbling about wasted money when Juaki put a hand over his snout, clamping his mouth shut. She had a smile just as bright as little Vimna's.

"Wonderous idea my dear, we shall go tomorrow! You head for bed, you father and I need a moment."

I could hear the terrified whimper through her hand, and I knew he was about to get chewed out. I cast mom a pleading look, but she just shot me a wink. I had never seen her do that, but it was oddly playful. Perhaps she wouldn't kill him.

I went back to the dorm and told the others about my plan to visit the bazaar. The general consensus was an initial feeling of guilt for relying on my finances, a follow up of double checking that I was completely onboard with the idea, and a final celebration and speculation as to what we would each be buying. My bet was that Humey would buy fresh ingredients, Tokols would get booze, and Mibata would get something exotic. As for what they would buy for themselves, I could only guess. They've been surprising me more often lately, so perhaps they will do so again tomorrow.

Speaking of tomorrow, I wonder if Tuleni will stick around for dinner after she checks on our magic. I don't know if I want her to. On one hand, it's a way to thank her and keep her close as a member of the family, on the other, she tears her way through a buffet line like a vacuum. I hope she stays.