0:098 on the 86th day of Fall

I strode into the workroom just a bit more energetically than normal. Fonsa is a miracle worker. She agreed to heal me in exchange for breakfast, and for bringing her dinner at the hospital after work. My everything feels better. Not one hundred percent but much better. After the healing, I’d stopped by the general store and grocer down the street from the family manor to pick up pastries. The place was run by Hogarth and Borghild, an adorable older couple who had been delighted to see me with a cat and had given us an extra donut in exchange for some ear scratches. It was a good morning.

I held Schrodinger under one arm and a small bed stuffed with soft dry grasses in the other. I placed the bed on a desk near The door and put Schrodinger down to rest.

"What do you think?" I asked him while turning to the room.

I was one of about a dozen people currently apprenticed under master enchanter Wodunc Flood. He owned a store for magic items in the northern district but also handled commissions for the city and legion. His workshop was set up in a sub-basement below even the forges. This gave us plenty of space but it tended to be cold and stuffy. The ceilings were high and vaulted with clumps of bright-leaf hanging in buckets at regular intervals. Tools and equipment were scattered haphazardly around the whole room, left in whatever place they were last used. It was a mess.

I let out a long suffering sigh and got to work. I picked up, cleaned and put away tools by type, shape, size, and intended use. I started a list of missing tools that someone probably took with them somewhere and parts we would need to place orders with the forge for. It was half past the first quarter before anyone else showed up.

"Thank Vaine you're back!" said Hroadant. I was sweeping the floors and paused to greet him.

"Hi, and thanks. It's good to see you too." I said. Hroadant was average height with sandy blond hair and blue gray eyes. He was the kind of guy that was friends with everyone he met. Vaine was a goddess of artwork and fine crafting. I didn't know he venerated her but I suppose it made sense.

"Organization around here always goes down the trash shoots when you're gone." he said, pulling a donut from the bag I bought.

"Thanks." he said. "Oh, have you seen the medium caliper? I haven't been able to find it for like, half a season." I simply pointed at the list of missing items which included one medium caliper.

"Dang." he said with a slump of his shoulders. "Wait. Why are you back? Your on service leave until the first day of Winter"

"Just got back yesterday." I said. "I had nothing better to do so I thought I would come to see what kind of mess you all made while I was away."

Just then the door burst open to admit an old man in a pointy hat. Schrodinger jumped to his feet and then down to the floor, moving to hide behind one of the table legs. Flood was clearly in a hurry. He swept into the room and crossed to one of the project bays.

"Where is that damn mana drill?" he mumbled to himself.

"Can we help you with something?" asked Hroadant bravely. He was startled and turned to us.

"Good, you're here. The mana drill project, tell me where it is." he said.

Hroadant led the way and showed him to another of the project bays where the mana drill was set up on a workbench. While Flood was inspecting it I pulled the project notebook on it to refresh my memory.

After a short inspection Flood turned back to us with an expectant look.

"Well? What is the status of this device?" he asked.

"I'm not sure," said Hroadant. "I think this is Uote and Baldor's project and they normally come in the second quarter of the day."

I could see Flood's cheeks getting red with anger. He was about to lay into Hroadant so I tried to jump in with what little I had learned from the notes.

"It is undergoing detail work while awaiting a field test." I said quickly. "It passed …" I flipped through a few pages " … all the initial tests of function. Finished way back on the 17th day of Fall." I said showing Flood the page with the test results recorded. I actually remember some of the testing now as I had helped Uote and Baldor with the design. It was essentially a magic version of a classic steam drill for hard rock mining. It had a piston that held the drill head set between two pressure chambers. There was a mechanical switch that made it so that when one chamber filled with steam the other one would empty. Then the piston would get to the other end and the switch would reverse. The only real difference was that air magic was used to make steam without heating the water. I think they used the beak of a gail roc if I remember correctly.

They had also built a pressure trigger in the handle so you could put more or less air mana into the process to drive it faster or slower. On my recommendation they had also planned to add a feature to spin the drill using water mana but they hadn't gotten that part working before I left.

"And what sort of detail work is being done?" Flood asked sternly. Instead of answering I crossed to the table and lifted the drill in both hands and hefted it up to show him the sides. There, etched into the metal, was an intricate geometric pattern of lines and dots. The culture in Cinder was that any craft must be functional and beautiful. Teams of crafters would always have several artisans specialized in etching, engraving, or jewelry work along with those specializing in magic and metallurgy. He eyed it for a few moments and then he sighed in relief.

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"That's good." he said. "I just got word that our field test was approved for the 3rd day of Winter and I was worried we wouldn't be ready."

He made to leave and then he waved over his shoulder at us.

"Pack up everything related to the project in the wagon before you leave today. Thank you Hroadant." he said. Hroadant and I looked at each other then back at Flood. Before we could say anything else he was gone. Schrodinger came out from behind the table, his tail twitching in agitation.

***

1:187 on the 91st day of Fall.

Style in Cinder is a mess of colors and shapes signifying, as far as I could tell, nothing but a willingness to spend money. Okay, maybe I was being unfair. My memories of Earth instilled an appreciation for understatement. Sleek lines and well fitting formal wear. Because of this preference, my suit was much simpler than what most of the guests would be wearing today. I looked at myself in the cloudy silvered mirror to check everything. I was wearing a black coat with matching pants, a light yellow shirt and brown vest with stitched embroidery. Ties were not a thing here but a kind of triangular scarf that pinned in the front was popular so I had one in orange.

"You know, you could go with at least a few hair beads." Ingo said.

"None at all makes you look lazy."

Ingo was standing next to me in a white and purple suite with pink and cyan ribbons hanging in layered loops everywhere. His hair was, of course, in complicated looping braids with beads and baubles hanging everywhere.

"At least I don't look like a tropical bird." I said. He had a confused expression for a second before looking down at himself.

"I do, don't I!" he said with a smile. "That's fantastic!"

I guess he took it as a compliment.

"Hey, if that's what you're going for, you got it." I said with a shrug.

"Five measures!" said a voice from outside the room.

I hurried to put on the rings and brackets I had picked out for the evening. All simple silver with etched designs I liked. Ingo and I left to join the rest of the family and we all walked downstairs toward the main ballroom. Father was decked out in a fantastically expensive looking red and gold suit that reminded me vaguely of a military uniform. Aostilo and Fonsa both wore a kind of coat and long flowing skirt, his in blue with hers in green, while Welant and Mistila were wearing fine shirts and trousers. I have a theory that there is less systemic cultural difference between men and women on Root because magic acts as an equalizer. Really, the bigger distinction here is between mage and mundane. As magic is mostly inherited, there was a kind of caste system with those from families with strong magic at the top, weaker magic in the middle, and mundanes at the bottom. I reminded myself that I would never be invited to this if my family were not who they were.

"Why the long face little brother?" Welant asked, jostling my elbow.

"Oh, it's nothing really." I said. "I'm just feeling out of place. Like the only bottle of beer in a wine cellar." I said.

"Oh, don't be like that. This is a celebration and we want you along." he said. "If anything, you have it backwards. This ball could be a big opportunity for you. There are connections out there that could get you a leg up. Maybe talk to some folks with the warcrafting companies, I'm sure they could give advice to help you in getting a proper job after you earn your journeyman level."

I thought about that while we walked. "I want to succeed on my merits, not my connections. Otherwise whatever gains I make will be fleeting, or at the least they will feel unearned." I finally said.

"No one succeeds on their own. You need to let people help you, little brother." he said, exasperated. We'd had this talk before.

Then we were at the ballroom entrance.

"Announcing Lord Donarad Aegis, Viscount of Cinder, daughters Fonsa and Mistila, and sons Welant, Aostilo, Theod, and Ingo." said the ball's herald.

We walked into the ballroom and all eyes turned our way. I recognized the normal groups already forming. The import / export merchants were clustered close to the door, too busy for these events so they would say hi to everyone and then leave. Each of the prominent mage families had staked out a table or two far enough from each other to avoid problems. I recognized at least three Cinderlords, representatives in the land owner exclusive democracy the city government ran on. Oh, and there were the stock brokers who have attached themselves to a group from the mining companies. All and all this party was a gathering of the richest and most powerful people in the city. And me.

Music thrummed through the hall as well-to-do people mingled and danced. The large fireplaces at each end of the room kept the guests warm, along with the wine and spirits. I raided the buffet and found an out of the way corner to hide in. About a score of measures after getting there I saw Mistila swing by, dancing with someone striking. They were dressed in a blue and gold formal suit-dress and had black hair falling over one eye. The pair seemed to only have eyes for each other.

The music changed to a faster dance and I looked around for my other family members. Welant was talking with some other council members. Father was up on stage for some reason. Probably getting ready to make a speech. Ingo and Fonsa were … I had no idea. Out of the corner of my eye I spotted a shimmer in the air over the dance floor. I did a double take when I saw Mistila. It was subtle but the shimmer was a heat haze that followed her like the smoke from a chimney. She didn't seem to notice as she was engrossed with her dance partner. I started moving as soon as I realized what was going on. Pushing my way through the party I apologized to the people I was upsetting. Then the heat haze doubled and I knew I was out of time.

“Back! Everyone back!” I yelled.

People got out of my way then and the music petered out. I cut a swath through the crowd. My sister and her dance partner stared at me like I was a crazy person. As soon as I was close enough. I grabbed my sister's hand and pulled her off the dance floor. I felt a spark through my hand and it went numb at her touch.

"What is going on brother?" She asked. "You're scaring me."

Now that she was a few feet away from others I let go of her hand and started pushing people to back away farther.

“You're awakening!” I yelled. “Everyone back!”

Then father was there. He saw right through the situation and held up his hands just as the first fires started.

“Everyone, stay calm! Mistila.” Father said, pausing to measure his volume. “Mistila, stay calm. Take deep even breaths like we practiced.”

Mistila looked terrified but nodded, closed her eyes, and started breathing deeply. Little fires sprange to life all around her. Father was actively suppressing the effects of the awakening with his own fire magic. After just a minute, which felt like eternity while the whole ballroom was staring at us, the haze started to retract into her body. Then it was gone and she looked exhausted.

“Very good.” father said.

Then he turned to me.

“Theod. Are you hurt?” he asked.

I had to think about that for a moment. My arm and hand had feeling again, and the pins and needles were mostly gone.

“No father, I am unharmed.” I said.

“Good.” he said.

He walked up to Mistila who was sagging with exhaustion and still breathing heavily. He checked her in her eyes and seemed to find what he was looking for. Then he took her by the hand and turned back to the crowd.

“Today is to be celebrated twice! On this, the last day of Fall, my daughter Mistila has awakened as a fire mage!” he yelled to the crowd. His yell overcame the ballroom's nervous energy all at once and everyone broke out in applause.