The last two weeks had been a non-stop cornucopia of new experiences and information for Syl. Korvos was not lying when going over the terms and conditions of Syl’s new position as his personal assistant. The amount of random and sometimes laborious tasks kept Syl in a constant state of activity from dawn until evening; at which point Syl was given a measure of free time to work on his personal growth and hobbies.

Most of this free time was spent learning the layout and goings on of the people of Raust as many of Korvos’ demands required Syl to travel outside of the Archaeological Society headquarters and find his way to various points in the city. Raust was a strange change of pace for Syl. The mostly fortress-like cold stone buildings of Last Bastion were a stark contrast to the homey and numerous wooden construction of the capital of Halicant.

These wooden buildings were often supported by leftover stone from the many island quarries serving as a foundation and held up by full-sized tree logs taken from the nearby forest to the east. The roofs of the architecture appear to be made out of a tiled clay material with thatch filling in the gaps of the tiles. This style allowed the citizens of Raut to put up numerous small buildings very quickly to accommodate large increases in trade or population. As a result, the layout of the streets and districts of Raust were seemingly random, requiring Syl to rely heavily on memorization and directions to navigate the maze of structures.

This maze of infrastructure was fortified on the east and west sides by thick stone walls to better help protect the city from wild monsters and bandits. The north side was entirely made of docks and holds for ships, while the south functioned as the only entrance to the city from inland. The south side was mainly open and connected directly with a large forest that served as the gathering place for most of Raust’s wood trade.

After becoming confident of the main layout of the city, and the general paths Korvos tended to have Syl travel each day, he began focusing his studies on the people and trade. Syl had known prior to arriving on the island that Halicant was the capital stone and quarry distributor of the archipelago. However, being a small part of the capital allowed Syl to truly appreciate the unreasonable variety of stone types that appear on various sections of the island. Raust was most certainly not the only port city on the massive mountainous landmass, but it was the largest by far, and most of the stone types made their way through the city at some point in their trade cycle.

Syl found all of this information to be swirling in his head long after dusk when much of the capital had begun sleeping to prepare for the next day. Syl had been woken up from a night terror, a result of his intense fear of being dragged back to the Bastion. A new forming habit that, to his dismay, was starting to keep him up on a near-nightly basis. Syl had decided the best thing to do when faced with these nightmares was to focus his mind on something else until his body relaxed enough to return to slumber. Because of this and the frequent terrors, Syl had become quite a new font of knowledge on Raust and his new temporary job.

“They’re getting worse,” He said to himself in his room on the third floor of the Archaeological Society headquarters of Halicant. The room had little more than a bed, a window, two chests for his belongings, and a small desk covered in recently borrowed books and notes. The room was currently illuminated by a lighting node. A small magical sphere imprinted with a basic spell that produces light. The node was set to detect consciousness during the night within a five-foot radius and had thrummed to life in response to Syl’s waking.

“You’ve got to get yourself together. You’ve put it all behind you now. Letting it steal your sleep is not a habit you want following you for your life.” Syl’s attempts at comforting himself were not the most effective and tended to be more self-deprecating than comforting at times. He glanced over to a stack of letters next to a shoulder bag given to him by Korvos. He was meant to deliver the letters to another member of the team Syl had joined when accepting Korvos’ offer to accompany him to a new dig site in the next few days.

Korvos was currently meeting with his nephew several miles outside of town to do one final check of the site before meeting with the team at a tavern on the outskirts of the city. Syl’s job in the morning was to take the information about the meeting and roles to one of the team members that Syl had yet to meet. Cassiopeia, Korvos’ beautiful and interestingly human wife, had agreed to take the second set of letters to another member of the team and thus Syl wouldn’t meet them until the tavern meeting. He made a mental note to ask Korvos about how they met since it seemed to be a unique story.

“Okay, that's enough talking. You’ve got some people counting on you tomorrow. Don’t want to start disappointing anyone all over again,” Syl mentioned offhandedly to himself while staring at the letters. Going over his tasks and plans for the following day was able to help Syl relax enough to sleep a few more hours before waking to the intruding sun. Sighing due to an ever-increasing tiredness, Syl got up and began to get dressed.

Syl began his daily walk with a trip to an increasingly familiar market street a few blocks down from his current residence.

“Now Mr. Syl, I know Korvos doesn’t eat this much bread,” Hope said to Syl with her usual kind smile.

“A third mouth makes a big difference in the house Hope,” Syl said defensively.

“Oh yeah? Are you sure you just don’t use this as an excuse to see me every day? The first week or so I thought you were just a weirdo that went through bread loaves like a starving duck,” She teased. “At this point, I prefer to believe you just want to see me. Otherwise, you have some larger issues to work through.”

“I’m not sure what to say to that…” Syl yielded, blushing as red as the cherries in the stall next to them. “Not too many people have ever been as nice to me as you were when we first met. Feeling that joy helps me start each day,” He said with a slight smile.

“Most people would ask someone on a date before saying something like that Mr. Syl. And I’d like to get to know you a bit more before doing that.” Hope said, happily tossing a loaf of bread towards Syl.

“No, it's nothing like that…. I mean you’re pretty and all, but I… and I can’t even. Uhhh…”

Hope started bursting out laughing. “It’s just some teasing Mr. Syl. Don’t have a panic attack on me. I like poking some fun at you when you’re not being brooding and mysterious about your problems. Don’t take it too seriously.”

“Oh… yeah. Okay,” Syl said looking flustered and slightly confused at the mention of him being brooding and mysterious. “I’ll just head on out. It was still good to see you. Same time tomorrow?”

“You’re gonna put me out of business at the rate you keep buying the product, but I won’t complain about seeing a friend like you each day. Good luck on your errands,” ending the conversation with a wave and a wink.

“Brooding and mysterious,” Syl whispered to himself while walking towards the harbor. “I guess I haven’t been in the best headspace since… ever really.”

The harbor was just as chaotic and lively as it was the day Syl arrived at Halicant mere weeks ago. He had found that this area tended to be the busiest part of the city during most of the working day. Hardly surprising given how important the trading of goods was to the island as a whole. While there was an immense exporting of stones, minerals, and precious metals, there were few places to cultivate crops or livestock on Halicant. The establishment of a trading hub was tantamount to survival and a constant backbone of the economy.

Various dockhands and sailors made passing waves and greetings to Syl. Having started to be around long enough to be called a familiar face, coupled with the constant errands Korvos sent him on, Syl was beginning to grow accustomed to the people of Raust. This was reflected in the citizens as well. Shifting from annoyance to his slightly inconveniencing presence in a busy workplace, to a friendly acknowledgment and occasional conversation with what they all agreed was a bright, if socially awkward, young man.

The man Korvos had sent Syl to find was apparently a local priest and a well-known and liked member of the community. Syl was told that he didn’t live directly in the city of Raust and made daily trips from a small but nearby settlement to the east, nestled in a river valley. Syl did not find this strange as he had come to know many regular people who made the daily trip to the city without having a direct residence in the expensive cityscape.

What he did find strange was the location in which Syl was told he would be most likely to run into his assignment. Not only did the city have a dedicated temple district for various religious organizations, but it was fairly large in size for a city with a lower-than-average faith base. Syl had expected to be sent in that direction for the delivery. Instead, he was told to go to the shipping yard and look for the only man who would be in priestly robes. This wouldn’t be strange had the man belonged to the Church of Trade or the Sea God’s clergy. But Syl was told that the man belonged to a minor God that Syl had never heard of; Lehin, the God of Safe Passage.

Despite his preservation in the unordinary circumstances, Syl found the directions to be spot on. It did not take him long to spot a tall but thin man wearing a flowing white robe with light blue trim around the base, arms, and neck. His short brown hair reminded Syl of wet oak wood, and his eyes matched the ocean blue to a near-perfect hue. The obvious priest was talking to a couple of people who appeared to be the captain and first mate of the ship they were beside. Syl was able to hear the last part of their conversation when approaching.

“Thank you again for the blessing, Jasper. Without your help, I fear the storm last week might have been the end of us,” the captain said while shaking the priest’s hands.

“Don’t thank me,” said the priest. “I’m more than happy to do my lady’s work and pass on some good fortune to good sailors like yourselves.”

“You shouldn’t be so humble Jasper,” came the shorter man next to the captain. “I appreciate all the good your Goddess does for us, but it takes good people like you to carry that help to those who need it.”

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The vice-captain handed the priest ten silver coins. “Pay it forward for the next crew that needs your protection.”

“Thank you, but you know you don’t have to do that. I am more than capable of handling the cost myself,” the priest responded.

“That may be so. But we don’t like the idea of reaping rewards without sewing a few of our own seeds,” shot back the captain. “We will get out of your hair, looks like you have some business to attend to anyway,” he mentioned while gesturing at Syl who had been patiently waiting till the end of the conversation.

“Very well. Thank you for the donation, and please find me again when you’re ready to set sail again. I will always be here to help,” said the priest while waving them off into the city.

Syl didn’t find the conversation to be anything different than what he had expected from a priest. Many of them perform duties for their church in the various cities that they reside in. Even in the Last Bastion, there were priests who did the works of their Gods; even if much fewer than a normal city would have. This priest seemed much the same as any other kind-hearted clergy member would. What tugged at Syl’s mind more than anything, was the fact that he didn’t know of a God who used their members to bless ships or crews. But given the title of this particular God, the God of Safe Passage, Syl imagined this to be a normal activity.

“Are you Mr. Fox,” Syl inquired when the priest made his way towards him.

“Just Jasper is fine, do you need something? About to embark on a sailing trip?”

“Oh no! I should’ve introduced myself first. I am Syl. Korvos sent me with some documents about the upcoming expedition that we seem to be a part of,” Syl stammered while fumbling through his satchel for the letters.

“Oh! I’ve heard about you from Korvos! He says you’re a good man, with a good heart. I’ve known Korvos for many years and so that opinion alone means you can count me as a friend,” said Jasper with a wide smile.

“Ah, well thank you, I guess,” Syl responded. Finally finding the letters and handing them over to Jasper. “I’m glad. Given that we will apparently be working very closely soon enough.”

“Yes, the expedition. Korvos contracted me for my healing magic affinity and the nature of my God’s blessings. I hope I can be of good help to you and the rest of our team. Have you met anyone else that will be going?”

“Not yet,” said Syl. “We will be having our first team meeting once Korvos returns from his preliminary scouting of the site at the end of the week. I expect that's when he plans for us all to officially meet each other there. And speaking of which, would you mind filling me briefly on your God? Part of my studies during my upbringing was dedicated knowledge of the various churches of the archipelago. I don’t recall a God of Safe Passage in my materials,” Syl questioned while looking at Jasper with a genuine desire for answers.

“Of course! It’s not surprising that you haven’t heard of Lehin. I’m actually her only priest. Total, as far as I can tell,” said Jasper with a slight blush.

“How is that even possible? Don’t Gods gain power and influence directly from the number of worshippers they have?”

“They do,” said Jasper looking more embarrassed than before. “I’m not entirely sure myself. I know she is real, and the magic she has imparted me with does make a difference in the lives of many sailors. But for some reason, I can’t find any mention of her in any of the library's texts. And pulling more worshippers in is proving to be a hard task. A God with only one follower has barely enough power to bestow that follower with the powers they need to fulfill her will. Until she gets more followers on faith alone, she won’t be able to grow her priests. Which as you can assume is hard to ask of people who can get similar powers from other churches with less work.

“If you can’t find anything about her, how did you even know she was a God that could be worshipped? If that's not too insensitive to ask,” asked Syl with a confused look on his face.

“No worries, I don’t get offended when people ask. They usually do after some leadup questions like you asked. I don’t have much to tell you on that front. I’ve just always known she's real. I’ve experienced her talking to me several times throughout my life. Lehin is much more open to communication with mortals than other Gods just because I’m the only one she has to talk to.,” He said giving a slight shrug and smile to Syl. “I know that probably doesn’t satisfy your curiosity, but it's all I have for now. I do what I can to try and help her because I’m the only one who can.”

“Okay…,” Syl said in a voice he hoped didn’t portray his growing skepticism. “If you say so, I won’t argue with a man over his beliefs. If you have enough power to help us all to stay alive in the expedition, I can’t complain. How strong are your healing spells?

“Lehin doesn’t have much power to lend me so I rely heavily on my personal mana pool to cast her spells. I am currently a little over halfway between the second and third circle tiers. I imagine you’re close since Korvos invited you on the trip.”

“I am very close to closing the gap and gaining access to the second tier. A little more training and meditation will push me over before our trip I promise,” Syl spouted hastily, attempting to reassure himself in front of Jasper.

The feelings of inadequacy and weakness that flashed through Syl’s mind at that moment were very familiar to him. One of the several daily reminders that even though he had taken the first steps of escape, the looming cloud of his past and anxieties would be with him for quite a while.

“Do you get paid to do your God’s work by the sailors?” A topic Syl brought up in an attempt to take the topic away from his magic level.

“Huh? Oh, the silver! No, I do not. Like I said the powers I get from Lehin are weak at best and I tend to have to supplement the spells I cast with my own mana. Using pure silver in the casting of Lehin’s spells lowers that cost tremendously due to the innate magic held within the metals. Thus, many of the sailors who request my help often will provide enough silver for the next person as a way to pay forward the help. I specialize in spells that strengthen people and vessels. It usually allows them a slightly safer passage on the rough seas.

“That's pretty admirable Jasper. I’ve only ever sailed once and that was to get here. But we’ve all heard horror stories of large storms and deadly monsters in the water that make the sailor’s lives much more dangerous,” Syl responded while calming down slightly after the feeling of inadequacy left.

“I’m just doing some good for someone who has more than earned my service. If you ever want to hear more about my duties or the church of Lehin please do not hesitate to ask. You’ve given me a very good first impression Syl. I imagine we will be working very closely together during the expedition, and you have me looking quite forward to it. I’m afraid I must go however, I am needed to help with more departures today. I will meet you at the tavern in three days.

“It was great to meet you too Jasper! I won’t say I'm not nervous about the trip, but you’ve made me a little less so. Thank you for some of the insights into your church,” Syl returned with a nod and a wave goodbye.

The sun had long since crossed below the horizon and night had taken over by the time Syl returned to the Archaeological Society. When he opened the front door he was hit with the amazing smell of rabbit stew being boiled from the kitchen.

“Are you just now eating dinner Mrs. Jagodath?” Syl closed the door behind him and began removing his satchel and boots.

“How many times do I have to tell you Syl? Please just call me Cassie,” a voice came from the kitchen.

“You know I prefer the keep things more formal when acting in contract with your husband, Mrs. Jagodath. I would refer to Korvos as such if he wouldn’t kill me for it,” came Syl into the kitchen with a nervous chuckle.

Entering the kitchen, Syl was able to make note of the small area with just enough room for a cooking pot, a few chairs, and a storage cabinet. Standing in front of the cooking pot, filling up two bowls with stew was a human woman that Syl had become increasingly familiar with over the past 2 weeks.

Cassiopeia was a short and spunky woman, with long flowing brown hair and dark brown eyes. She handled most of the organizational and paperwork aspects of the society while Korvos spent most of his time in the field handling the physical side of the projects. Cassie was always happy and eager to assist her husband in his endeavors, seemingly happy just to be alive. Syl was jealous of such a mentality. He had gained a tremendous amount of respect for her and Korvos while living with them due to their optimistic natures and seemingly unending good moods.

“How was your meeting with Jasper?” asked Cassie while handing Syl his bowl of stew and a half loaf of bread.

“Surprisingly pleasant,” he replied. “Meeting new people is still a little nerve-racking for me, especially ones that have magical experience. But Jasper was very considerate and seemed to have a genuinely kind heart.”

“He always has,” said Cassie. “We’ve known Jasper for years. We helped him get back on his feet when his dad passed away. But I doubt he mentioned that to you. A little dark for a first-time conversation.”

“Oh, well no he didn’t mention it. That was quite kind of you both. You seem to be almost eager to pick up strangers in need. Have you and Korvos always been like that?”

“Not always,” she said with the first hint of sadness Syl had seen on her face. “But ever since Korvos left Ziurn, he’s been a pillar of charity and I love and respect him so much for it.”

“How was the other team member? Anon, wasn’t it?” Asked Syl.

“She was what we expected. I haven’t known Anon for very long but she has been a woman of few words the entire time. She basically just took the papers from me and left,” She laughed while taking a spoonful of stew.

“I know some people like that. How did you meet her?”

“Korvos brought her in one night after a storm had apparently destroyed the ship she was coming in on. Said he found her off the coast a few miles down west. The poor girl has lost most of her memories due to the head trauma. None of the healing-based priests in the city can cast high enough magic to heal that level of injury in the brain though. I’m not sure if she’s always been a quiet and aloof individual, but ever since that day she seems to watch far more than she talks.”

“Wow,” Syl said. “That’s pretty sad. I’m not sure what I would do in that situation.”

“I don’t either,” replied Cassie. “But it’s mostly a battle that Anon will have to fight herself. We just want to be here for her in whatever way we can be. Korvos chose her because somehow her knowledge of magic survived and her ability to cast spells seemed to be unimpeded. She mostly knows battle magic so Korvos is hoping a more dangerous environment will help trigger some of her memories to come back.”

“That shouldn’t be possible,” Syl said, looking up from his bowl. “Magic is based on your knowledge of the spells and relies heavily on memorization and repetition for the casting process. It seems strange for her to remember nothing other than the very specific and detailed memories required to cast spells.”

“That’s what Korvos said as well. But I admit, I am not very knowledgeable on the topic. I can’t cast spells myself and I don’t have the desire to learn. I’m more than happy to be on the administrative side of the business,” She smirked. “But you can ask Anon herself if you want when you finally meet her. But back to Jasper. I’m glad it went well. Did he mention anything about your eyes?”

“No, he didn’t. I was kind of shocked at first. I didn’t believe you when you said most people were kind enough to ignore them. Where I come from they marked me as an outsider and people seemed to despise me for them. I never knew why, especially since I wasn’t the only one to have my body changed by a magical influence.”

“I don’t agree with treating anyone poorly for something like that. Especially you Syl. But if that's the case, I imagine it has to be a specific reason instead of just your eyes as a whole. And since most people here wouldn’t know that reason, they just assume you’re a spellcaster and mind their own business. Most people I know on Raust wouldn’t be rude enough to bring it up and definitely not shun you for it. Jasper is no exception.”

“I’m happy you were right. It’s a nice change of pace. Hope said I came in brooding and mysterious. I don’t want to be like that. I just left in a bad headspace. The kindness of the people here is helping quite a lot,” Syl spoke with a grin as he downed more of his bread and rabbit.

“That’s great Syl! How is your magic coming along? Reached tier two yet?”

“Not yet, but I feel very close. My total mana pool has almost doubled from what I started with, so I should be able to safely cast tier-two spells soon. I estimate that I will cross over by the end of the week. I haven’t been training my magic for very long. However, I was able to do a lot more training along with my meditation while on Last Bastion. Being stuck with just meditation in Rasut has limited the growth quite a bit.”

“I’m sure you’ll cross over the line soon. Be happy, that’ll be a huge accomplishment! Listen Syl, I need to turn in early. I have to head to the library at dawn tomorrow to begin the final set of paperwork for the expedition. Please clean up around the kitchen when you’re done,” Cassie asked while taking her bowl over to a rack of dirty dishes.

“Will do Mrs. Jagodath! Thank you so much for the stew,” yelled Syl as he filled his bowl up with a second serving.