Jiran was unable to stay awake until Niya brought him dinner. Being exhausted from his hectic day, which had started with him on death's door. He awoke with a start as Micah entered the shop. First Father had not yet graced the sky with his presence.
Jiran’s dinner sat on a plate beside him. He didn't hesitate to dig into the salted meat and vegetables. Jiran watched Micah make his way to the four lamps spread throughout the shop, lighting each one and bringing a flickering glow to the space.
"Good morning, Jiran." He greeted with a kind smile.
"Good morning, Uncle. How did it go last night? Oh, and thank you for the meal and for letting me sleep here."
Micah gave him a considering look, trying to decide how much to tell him. "Well, we're going to need to get this all out eventually, I might as well just get on with it."
"That man is our new lord, his name is Feylon Samris, that makes this now the town of Feylon. He commanded me to create a courier network ranging to several nearby settlements including the City of Femiir. Which means I'll be traveling frequently over the coming seasons. Niya will be taking over the shop while I'm gone, I'll also hire someone to work with her here."
Jiran tried to keep the disappointment off his face. "Does that mean you don't need my help here anymore?"
"Nothing like that Jiran, let me finish. Lord Samris needs staff for his manor, he's chosen to hire you. He did not inform me of the duties he's expecting from you, but I feel he has good intentions where you're concerned, so try not to be nervous. You need to understand, Lord Samris is no ordinary noble."
Micah looked over his shoulders conspiratorially before continuing in a whisper. "I believe he may be related to one of the emperors."
After letting that bomb drop, Micah leaned back and gave Jiran a few moments to let all the new information sink in.
"Could I refuse? Should I refuse?" Jiran wondered aloud.
"You can try Jiran, but I would at least hear what he has to say first. This could be a great opportunity for you. Think it over. Now, tell me why you're sleeping in my shop and not at home?" Micah’s expression turned deadly serious after asking.
Jiran cringed and took a deep breath to collect his thoughts."During my tiering ritual, something went wrong, halfway through, all the mana was sucked out of my body leaving me nearly dead. I figured out how to fix myself but it was a really slow process.
Jiran’s breathing hitched, his heart rate accelerated, and his palms grew sweaty at the memories of his parents. Afraid that if he didn't talk about it now, he might never find the courage, his next words came out in a rush.
"When I woke up the next morning mom was there with a knife, she was going to kill me. Dad stopped her though, then they left for work. I was able to recover enough to move after that. Some priests came with mom right as I was running away, they didn't see me though."
With his story out Jiran flopped against the wall, he felt like a wet noodle. Jiran sat with his eyes closed, palms resting against his forehead until his breathing and heart came back under control. Curious as to why Micah had been so silent, Jiran snuck a peak at the huge man.
Micah was livid, Jiran had never seen the man more upset than the time a full barrel had fallen from their cart and spilled on the street. That incident had only elicited a curse of annoyance. His current reaction was on an entirely different level. Fury oozed off the man, his brow was furrowed, teeth clenched in a snarl of hate. Jiran would have soiled himself if the huge man’s animosity had been directed at him.
Jiran watched closely as Micah tried to calm himself. He took deep breaths and clenched his fists over and over as he paced back and forth inside the shop. Finally, he gathered himself enough to speak.
"I see." Was all he said though before grabbing his lantern and heading toward the door.
"You stay here for now Jiran, I'll be back," then he opened the heavy door and walked into the rapidly brightening morning.
Jiran cried, he tried to hold it in, but the feelings could not be constrained. He wiped his eyes furiously while trying to restrain the heaving sobs that wanted to escape his chest. His uncle was there for him, his father had been there for him. He wasn’t alone in this insane world and the feeling of relief knowing some people truly cared for him was deeply reassuring.
Thanks, uncle, love you too.
A short time later, Jiran got up to begin his usual daily tasks in the shop. However just as he began to move, a knock came at the door. A delivery for the day, a request for a pickup, or someone looking for work. None of those things would have surprised Jiran. Jiran looked up into the golden eyes of Lord Feylon and stood frozen in shock. The two stood there in the portal staring at one another for several seconds before Feylon spoke with his brain-warping whisper.
“We will have to work on your manners if this is how you greet a guest first thing in the morning”
Jiran’s cheeks burned with embarrassment as he hastily bowed to the man. “My apologies Lord Feylon!” he shouted with a cracked voice. “Please come in, My Lord” he stammered, trying to get his voice back under control.
“Take a moment to calm yourself, Jiran.” Lord Feylon spoke as he entered the shop. “This is precisely why nobility announces themselves prior to a visit, it does not do to shock your constituents unduly,” he announced by rote in a strange accent. As if he had heard the turn of phrase a hundred times, spoken by another.
“Now, please stand child, I hardly wish to have a conversation with the top of your head.” Jiran sighed in defeat and stood tall. If he was not going to be punished for his mistake then it hardly made sense to keep being so flustered.
For the first time, Jiran got a good look at Lord Feylon’s face and he took the time to go over his features carefully. He was certainly a very handsome young man, he appeared around twenty-five by Earth standards. With his immaculately trimmed mustache and bright golden eyes, there was absolutely no way one could pass him on the street without a double-take. What surprised Jiran the most however was the expression of relaxed mirth on his face.
“There we are, much better young Jiran. Now, as your uncle Micah no doubt already disclosed, I wish to hire you to work at my manor. Your duties will remain much the same, deliveries and shopping in town on my behalf. This offer does come with room and board as an expectation. I can hardly desire to track you down every time I have a request. Your pay will be at the imperial standard for a squire, to be received upon your coming of age. Are these terms acceptable?”
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Room and board in the manor? Yeah, sign me up! Imperial standard, what’s that exactly? Wait, more importantly, why me?
Jiran went to bow again but a firm hand on his shoulder stopped him. “None of that now, just speak your mind child.”
“Yes, My Lord. I have two questions before accepting, what is the imperial standard for a squire? Also, why me?”
“Excellent questions, it will never behoove you to enter into a contract without fully understanding the ramifications. Any fool who does not question their servitude will find themselves forevermore bound.” He once again spoke as if reciting someone else's words.
"Your pay will include fully covered living expenses as well as ten gold per season. The far more important question is not so simply answered. To be blunt, Jiran, you are special. Your circumstances are unique, I intend to study what has happened to you. Part of your duties will involve answering questions and being subject to non-invasive tests."
Jiran had barely heard the second part. Ten gold per season! That's more than the entire town makes per season. Oh, wait, what was that about tests? Non-invasive at least, so he's not going to cut me up and study me under a microscope at least. But he could get his answers then cut me up and bury me in the yard.
"If I may, My Lord, I do have one final question." With a nod from Samris, Jiran continued. "I don't know anything about being a squire, are there any oaths I have to take? Or any guarantees of service for a set amount of time?"
Samris smiled at him like a proud older brother. "Very astute young Jiran, to not be blinded by greed and see the potential dangers is unexpected of a child. Your service and safety are guaranteed until you come of age after your third birthing celebration. As for any oaths, I will not require them at this time, perhaps if you chose to return to my service after your term in the Imperial Army."
"Then I gladly accept, My Lord! I will do my best to not disappoint you." Jiran bowed deeply.
"Excellent, please gather your things and head to the manor. There are several rooms on the first floor, choose one that suits you then await my return. I will remain here and explain things to your uncle when he returns."
"Jiran, expect more servants to arrive before me. You shall assist them with storing their belongings and finding their rooms on the first floor."
"Yes, My Lord" Jiran responded before hastily cleaning up the area he had slept in. He then grabbed his few belongings and headed to the manor at the edge of town, his new home.
The two-story building was nothing like the rest of the town, which mostly consisted of small one or two-room wood huts and hovels. The twenty-room mansion before him had a sturdy rock wall with a stone gate. The walls were made of what looked like a mix of marble and plaster, which gave the building a regal presence.
Jiran took his time exploring the sparsely furnished first floor. There were multiple entrances for the servants, giving easy access to the different facilities.
Jiran picked a room furthest from the stairs and kitchen, hoping that would provide the most peace and quiet.
Before Jiran had a chance to search for some breakfast he heard the sounds of people talking outside. He headed in the direction of the voices to find five girls his age, and an older woman he had seen at the market several times, but couldn't remember the name of.
"Good morning," he said while waving in their direction.
They all stopped talking at once and looked his way with wary expressions. The woman didn't take long to respond.
"Good morning, Jiran. Did you come to make a delivery? Is the Lord inside?"
Jiran felt happy immediately due to her pleasant tone and gentle smile. It seemed like half the people he interacted with lately had either been rude or scared of him.
"No ma'am I was hired to work here as a squire, the lord told me he would be back soon and to help you get settled into rooms on the first floor." While he talked Jiran moved to help them with their belongings that had been piled into a cart.
They all worked together to quickly get settled in, it turned out the woman's name was Sharaal. She was related to some of the birdsmen who collected eggs from the rocky ridges of the cove. The other kids had all signed on to work as maids in exchange for room and board, as well as more advanced education.
Once the cart was unloaded, three of the girls went with Sharaal back into town for a load of foodstuffs and supplies for the manor’s day-to-day activities. Leaving Jiran with a rare moment of inactivity. He decided to make the most of it and found a spot to sit and think in the unkempt garden behind the manor.
What are my priorities right now? I need to work on my mana issue, learn what's expected of me as a squire, and see what kind of experiments Samris has planned for me. Hopefully, he knows something about why my mana is being drained.
I don't think I want to tell him about my memories though, certainly not until I know he can be trusted. He's a weird dude for sure, with his whispering and the stiff way he's talking. Maybe that's just a noble thing?
What else do I want to work on? Some general knowledge about magic would be awesome, thinking about the things I've seen, it's almost like mana can override reality, but there are obviously a lot of limitations. Ahh, I'm so excited to start experimenting myself! I definitely need to prioritize getting my mana back, then maybe Samris will let me tier up a couple times.
Jiran spent the rest of his free time slowly breathing in and taking control of the ambient Density, which he found was much more abundant here than it had been in town. He surmised that was due to the lack of people here replenishing their own mana. Either that or this area just had more natural Density.
The girls returned before Samris so Jiran once more helped them unload the cart, bringing all the food and supplies inside. They worked in companionable silence stocking the shelves in the cellar. Sharaal clucked after them like a mother hen, directing their efforts while she prepared a late breakfast of Tier one fish and vegetables.
Shortly after eating, the girl who had been tasked with keeping an eye out for Samris, came rushing in letting them know he was coming down the street. They all lined up in the foyer, under Sharaal's guidance and when he came into the room they bowed in unison with a "Welcome home, Master."
Their coordination needed serious work, Jiran cringed as even he could tell how terrible that had been. Samris showed no signs he noticed or even cared simply walking by them toward the stairs. He beckoned for Jiran to follow him and they ascended together in silence.
Samris led him to a room at the far back of the manor. It was some kind of office with a large dark wood desk and several chairs. Jiran noted how much nicer the furniture was on the second floor, the rugs thicker, and the walls even had pleasant paintings of scenery he didn't recognize.
Once inside the room, Samris motioned Jiran to a plush chair while he took out a wooden case. Pulling out a foot-long thin paintbrush, Samris circled the room painting sharp intersecting lines in patterns that Jiran didn't recognize. Jiran focused intently on the paintbrush while the man worked in silence. He could tell there was some kind of movement in the Density around the brush but was not able to glean any further information.
A short time passed before Samris looked over his work, nodded in satisfaction then stored his brush and box in the desk that took up half the room. He then snapped his fingers and a wave of mana washed out from him. Upon reaching the walls, all the markings he had painted came to life with a soft, pulsing, green glow.
"There we are, now we may begin," said the new master of his destiny.