“So what was it you wanted to talk about?” Rosie asked.

“Well… it was just that I felt I hadn’t been entirely honest with you two.” Brand said. Tommen perked up inquisitively, whilst Rosie’s face darkened.

Rosie sighed, as if resigned but pained. “You don’t have more people chasing you, do you? What have I gotten myself into?” It hurt Brand a little to hear the disappointment in her voice.

“It’s not that.” He said, trying not to be annoyed. A little at her for assuming the worst, but mainly at himself for not being clear. “It’s nothing bad. I guess people might be after me if they knew. But they don’t. The thing is…” He braced himself, surprising himself that he was really saying this. Telling them now wasn’t the optimal course of action, telling them after he got the element stone attuned would be. But still, he felt that he had to do this. “My element stone isn’t a low grade fire like I said. It’s a medium grade one.”

Tommen sat back like he’d just taken a physical hit, looking shocked. The gap between a low grade element stone and a medium grade element stone in price was immense. “Whew! Well done! Where on Excoria did you get one of those?” Tommen asked excitedly.

“Kelvin gave it to me. He and Ember had ones too. We were going to all get them attuned together. But then my dad got in an accident and I couldn’t leave with them.” Brand explained. He almost felt like he was outing his friends too, even though Kelvin and Ember would have attuned their stones long ago by now.

Tommen’s face really became shocked now. “He had three!? Wait… I swear I remember him being broke?”

“It was his inheritance. The last thing - the only thing really - that he got from his parents.” Brand told him.

“But wait…” Tommen started, but Brand interrupted him.

“It’s a mystery. As much to him and I as it is to you. But that’s how I got it.”

“I see. And you wanted to brag about it. I don’t blame you, I’d be doing the same.” Tommen nodded along, pretending to be serious.

“Would you?” Brand asked.

“No, I’d probably keep it to myself.” He shrugged. “I can see why you couldn’t wait to attune it though. I’d have left Quartz Creek as soon as we realised it didn’t have a lab!”

“It has a lab, there’s just no one there to work it!” Rosie defending her home town.

“Whatever, I just mean that I get why Brand would be in a rush to attune it. Hell, I am, and mine’s only a low grade.” Tommen said.

“Well that’s the thing, I was never sure I really wanted it.” Brand said. Tommen looked at him as if he’d grown two heads, and then a third one. Rosie was also seemed confused.

“You what?” Tommen spluttered. “You didn’t want a medium grade element stone that you were given for free? Are you out of your mind?”

“I did, I just didn’t. If that makes sense. Of course I wanted a medium grade stone, of course I wanted one that Kelvin had given me. I just wanted to have some sort of say in it, you know?” Brand explained.

“The only say you should want to have in it is yes!” Tommen exclaimed.

“I did say yes. I am saying yes.” Brand said.

“Then what’s the problem?” Asked Tommen.

“How do I say this…” Brand started. He took a pause before continuing. “I wondered about the fire element for so long. I was so impressed when you told me that you’d worked so hard for so long to get a wind element stone, because that’s the one you wanted. You could have gotten an earth one for a half the price, taken the easy way out and saved yourself a year of your life. You decided what you wanted and you went after it. I wanted that too, to not just take the first one that had been offered to me, the easy way.”

“Well if you want to trade…” Tommen joked.

“Don’t even ask me that.” Brand laughed back. “I do want it, I was just surprised that I wanted it so much, you know? I want to be the one deciding my own destiny. Not just having other people handing it to me along the way. But I do want it.”

“So why are you telling us this now?” Rosie asked. “It must be for something important if you couldn’t just tell us after the attunement.”

Brand hesitated, looking at the two faces. He didn’t really know what to say. Rosie seemed genuinely confused, whereas Tommen seemed to have a level of understanding. He blurted out the first thing that came into his mind, because it was the truth. “Because you two could still steal it from me now if you wanted.”

“I really don’t get it.” Rosie blanked. “Are you saying you want us to stop you from going through with it, or what?”

“No, that’s not it.” Brand was getting a little frustrated with himself again. “I just didn’t tell you guys - didn’t tell anyone - because I was worried somebody would try to steal it from me. But I wanted you guys to know that I trust you. I didn’t want to only tell you after I’d already attuned it, and knew that you guys wouldn’t be able to take it. I felt like I had to say that I trust you now. It wouldn’t feel the same otherwise.”

“And after this, there’s no more lies or half-truths?” Rosie asked.

A case of theft: this story is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation.

“No more, honest.” Brand said.

“Good. Congratulations though. It’s really cool you have a medium grade stone, not gonna lie.” Rosie said.

“Cheers.” Said Brand, touching his wrist.

There was silence for a second before Rosie spoke up. “I do get what you mean though. About not wanting a good thing because you didn't get to choose it. The inn is a little like that for me. I do want it, I just want other things too, you know? My ancestors helped build Quartz Creek, and the inn is part of that legacy. But my ancestors that moved there weren't just preserving what they had, they were travelling and trying to take greatness for themselves. I want to live up to them. I want to follow in their actions. But I also plan to look after the inn and cherish how long my family has run it. So I think I get you.”

“Yeah that's sorta what I'm getting at. It felt like I was just being pushed around by the currents of fate. My dad was the one who encouraged me to leave. My family supported the decision. I'm not sure I would have done it otherwise. And I don't like saying that. This stone was given to me and I really have no choice but to accept it. I have to find Kelvin and Ember, which is technically my choice, but they're my oldest friends so how could I do otherwise? It just feels like I've been responding to other people acting. But for some reason accepting element stone and attuning it doesn't feel like that anymore. I've made up my mind and this is my choice. My action, to become the person I want to be.” Brand said passionately, everything rushing out of him. He was feeling fired up, perhaps fitting for the stone he was about to absorb.

“I wonder that I'm the same. That I might never have left Silverstar Inn if you two hadn't come along.” Rosie said. “I'm worried I'll never know, now.”

“That's how I felt in Cabletown too, from a young age. Everything decided for me, all my personal choices derided.” Said Tommen. “I feel like you’re right, that I chose my fate more than you. I made a plan and I executed it, and here we are. But I do think it was just because I really couldn't stand the stifling place. So my hand was still forced if you look at it like that.”

“We’re all victims of fate in the end then?” Brand said, a little sardonically.

“Come on now.” Said Tommen. “We’re out of Cabletown now, and free to make every choice in the world. We can go wherever we want, do whatever we want.”

“I have to find Kelvin and Ember.” Said Brand.

“And you’re still being chased by those guards.” Said Rosie. “But Tommen is right! It’s between us and fate now. The amount of other people getting involved is zero. We can do a lot with what we’ve been given.”

“You’re right. And when I find Kelvin and Ember, that just means even more freedom. The more I think about it, the better fate looks!” Brand replied.

“There’s a world out there for the taking, and I want it.” Tommen proclaimed cheerily.

“We’ll split it three ways.” Brand laughed. “A third each.”

“What about Kelvin and Ember?” Rosie asked.

“Woah! They weren’t here for the discussion. Brand can give them his share.” Tommen argued.

“Sure, they can be my captains. I don’t mind splitting a third of the world if it’s with them. Brand said.

“It’s decided then!” Rosie agreed. “A third each.” They each put a hand out, one on top of the other. Then raised it up in a traditional cheer.

Brand felt heat from his element stone wash over him and he felt content to be aside friends who wanted the world as well. He could see Ravena and the professor talking to each other outside the room. Brand realised they must have been waiting outside because he’d made it clear he wanted to have a private conversation with Rosie and Tommen. He was done with that now, and felt a little rude to have monopolised the professor's room, even for a good cause.

“Come on, let's see how Ravena did.” Brand said. The other two turned to see the others waiting outside and stood up.

They walked out and Ravena and the professor greeted him.

“How did it go?” Asked Brand.

“It went great.” Ravena said. “Clerk is in great nick, and he even has a Tech!”

“Oh wow.” Said Tommen, admiring the round little dog at their feet.

“Clerk, now!” Ravena called. It took a second of concentration, but suddenly the little Databeast transformed before their eyes. No longer was it a round little canine with stubby legs, now it looked halfway to a wolf. A lean mean killing machine, slavering for their lives and ready to strike at any moment. The trio took a step back, although Clerk was still quite small. He yapped affectionately, which seemed very strange coming out of such an angry looking face.

“Yes, it’s very impressive. Affectionately called Puff Up. It’s an illusion based Tech and it should give us a hint on the way it’s going to evolve. At least, one of my colleagues seems to think so…”

“Woah! So he doesn’t really look like that?” Rosie asked.

She got her answer as he seemed to collapse back into his round, cute form.

“Incredible.” Said Brand honestly.

“Who knew he had it in him?” Said Tommen, impressed also.

“Now then, I trust you’ve had your conversation?” Said the professor. “Who’d like to get started?”

Tommen and Rosie looked at Brand. “I suppose I would.” He told the man.

“Excellent, if you’d just like to follow me…” Said the professor as he led Brand down the hallway and into a room. The lab was very impressive to Brand’s eyes. Big control panels, certain exercise equipment hooked up to monitors, and of course a big full body scanner and resonance machine. This is the equipment the professor would use to analyse Brand and initiate the attunement process.

“Just in there. Stand straight and tall, place the element stone in the little plinth before you.” Brand did so. “Just there, perfect.”

The professor scanned both Brand and the medium grade fire element stone.

“Ahh, I think I understand the reason for all the cloak and dagger now. Don’t worry, I won’t impose by asking questions.” The professor chuckled.

Brand nodded. “Just pleased that I won’t have to keep it so jealously guarded for much longer.”

“Now that I can believe. Watch out though, I wouldn’t spread it too much at your level. Some unscrupulous people tend to believe that if they can kill a person with a higher level element stone, they’ll gain a lot more element than they would otherwise. They might be right too, so I’d keep it close to the chest around the wrong type of person.”

“I will.” Said Brand truthfully. He’d never heard that before. It felt strange, unsettling to know he could be weighed up for the element and level he contained. He did that to Databeasts, sure, and Databeasts certainly did it to him when they attacked him. But people doing it to people? Weird. He knew people killers were out there, but why? Why kill your own kind, when a Databeast would do?

“But apart from that, enjoy being stronger than other people your level. Don’t use it as a crutch though! Levels and skill can certainly overcome a grade of element.”

“Gotcha. I’ll keep that in mind.” Brand told him.

“Alright. Excellent. Starting the attuning process now.” The professor affixed him with an intrigued look as he pressed the button. The machine whirred and everything flashed white and blue, then reds and yellows and orange as he merged with the element stone.