I sat across from a very still Android, which patiently waited for my move. I picked up my knight and moved him accordingly. "Check," I said. The Android moved their piece.

Odessa was in the ring, and she had gotten smaller. Which was bizarre looking. Space had expanded inside the  circle, and that had resulted in it appearing compacted. She was fighting a simulated creature, which loped around behind simulated barriers, avoiding her. Much to her annoyance, it sounded like.

"Check," Aku said. "Good game."

"Indeed. Checkmate."

Aku reset the board by hand, moving the intricate glass pieces back to their starting positions. "Increasing difficulty."

"Oh boy," I said with a smile. "Should be fun."

Has been somewhat vapid.

While I waited, "How's it going?" I called to Anna.

"Meditating was going well," she replied from up on a boulder which rested in the far corner of the room. Then she added, "Do you think I could schedule a meeting with an elementalist?"

"Dunno." I turned back to the table, "Aku?"

Almost done setting the board, "Yes, I'll place you on a waiting list."

"Thank you," Anna called back.

Aku placed the last piece, which fell over on its side as a minor eruption shook from over by the range. Kendall was working on producing more powerful spells and had managed a pretty good explosion. Aku fixed the piece and took the first move.

I moved. "What are you doing?" I said to Ash, not looking away from the board.

He was sitting nearby, leaning back with the front two legs of his chair off the ground. "Waiting on the ring. It's all bullshit, though, I'm static, I don't practice."

"Mhmm." My game continued, I started moving my pieces faster, and Aku didn't hesitate to pick up the pace. I sat back in my chair and stared at the Android, making move after move. Again, the game concluded. "Checkmate."

"Increasing difficulty."

Stolen from its rightful author, this tale is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.

Porter came down the ramp from his hideaway and was walking towards the door, putting on a jacket. "It's nine O'clock, lesson's over.  Feel free to leave whenever. I'll see everyone tomorrow for more training and a short lecture on Metaphysics and Superweight Entities. Ciao," he said, the door closing behind him.

Some time passed and my game ended predictably.

I stood up and shook hands with Aku. I took up my coat from the back of my chair and donned it over my tank top.

Kendall hadn't told me not to, and per the contract which I remembered in entirety, I was in my right to leave. Given that I intended to come back, and it put no one in danger. I saluted Ash, who did so back and waltzed out the door.

Kendall would be mad. I couldn't care less.

I closed up my coat for the mountaintop cold and found it comfortably warm for how light it was. The ever-present twilight outside resided, but as my eyes quickly adjusted, I saw Porter ahead. I ran and caught up with him.

"Excuse me," I said.

He turned to look, not slowing down as he did. "Oh, it's you. Did Kendall send you? Nevermind. The answer is no."

"Keen Attunement." I fell in step with him, walking along the paths.

"What would you know about it? I'm still not clear on what you are. I'm just as good a classifier as anybody, better actually, and I'm not getting much of a read."

My headache flared, and I had to close my eyes for a moment to center myself. "Christopher. You know him?"

"Yeah...? Do you?" He asked, not having expected that.

"No, but I was curious, after yesterday."

"So was I, but just like me, you'll have to settle with a no. I don't know him. And he gives me weird reads too."

"Mhmm." I stopped and looked up. Porter stopped too. Good, I had some sway. "This is a beautiful place. I was reading that it was founded very shortly after Magic was discovered, before the formation of the Guild even. You're not in the Guild?"

"No, I'm not. I'm not immortal either. Not anything but determined, really." He started walking again, and I followed. "And yes, I love it here. But there are other things I love."

"Such as?" I tried, testing my luck.

"You haven't answered my question," he not only shot me down, but he glared at me.

"I'm just me. Determination is all I've got to my name as well, and I'm not even sure about that."

"Hm. Do me a favor and sod off, if you're going to dance around the point."

"So be it. See you tomorrow," I said.

He stopped and grimaced at me, dissatisfied with that. He groaned and then strode off. I stayed put where he had stopped.

I put a hand to my head and breathed deep.

Please, the desperate thought clung to me.

I decided to find somewhere to sit, upon the rock above the walkway. I took a run up at the cliffside and propelled myself steadily up its side, to a short ledge. There,  I could wait for that sun thing I'd seen yesterday, moments after my manifestation. It might be a couple hours, but I could wait. I had some things to think about, and there was never enough time. Which was paradoxical, since, before my manifestation, all there had been was silence and time. Only me. Now, there was still only me, but there was noise to accompany my song.

I waited for the sun, keeping a solemn mind on the future.