Leah opened her eyes; surveying the landscape. Where a Techno-Guild’s Shop once stood, now there were only trees, and a stream falling from a cliff into a lake; and an old dark-skinned man in red and amber robes standing on the rocky bank, a green metal staff on one hand. Her grandfather turned to look at her, a grin on his face. One second and she’d closed the distance, hugging the elder, stitches be damned.

“Careful,” her grandfather said with a laugh. “Or we might fall into the lake.”

She didn’t care, not in the slightest. “I hate letters.”

“Got that from your grandmother; but she just hates writing in general.”

Her grandmother. She rounded, trying to spot the [Sol-M.System] but the trees were empty. She gazed up at the cliffs, already aware, but found no one waving down at her from the jagged stone. Her eyes found the [Hellion] next, and the apology in his gaze.

“Where's my grandmother?”

“Helping set up the festivities. You know her and ‘Declathean’s week’.”

“Then how…”

“A Pocket System moved into Lavinthe last month. Guild-certified. They set up the connection from my end.”

“The Techno-Guild? So far out.”

“The world is changing, and the Forest continent along with it. A need for technology is the result. You’re not the only one who hates letters.”

She moved away from him, walking back onto the soil. “Lavinia?”

“There are richer people in Kedethaxulrithe than the [forest.queen], and my dear Apricot can’t help them all.”

“But why isn’t she here?”

“Guild System-borne aren’t allowed to carry out Neuro-Links with Non-Guilded. So it had to be one of theirs if one of theirs was available. And Non-Guilded have to pay for the service, System-borne or not. It would have been…” been too expensive. Leah understood. Not only had she paid a King’s sum to see her family, but she’d also unwittingly made them pay as much on their own end as well. The day just kept getting better and better. Got even more sunny when she realized Kibo must have known. And he hadn’t told her. Cause he would profit from her blunder. Cause he was not her friend. Cause she was a fool.

“Oh, Grand-dad, I’m…”

“I will have none of that. We discussed it before. Knew you probably didn’t know. Made the choice for one of us to see you. If anything the apology should come from us. We’re using a bit of the money you would’ve stood to inherit in what, a year, two.”

“Grand-dad—”

“I’m just saying that when the Slumbering Mother calls, the slumbering mother…”

He waited. “Calls?” Leah guessed.

“She calls,” the Green Hellion snorted, and in spite of the situation, the grand-daughter grinned. “Now, enough of me. You look like she was trying to come for you first. What happened?”

He sat on one of the sturdy boulders and she followed suit. “Goldenblade. I think I fell for one of her plots.”

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“A fight?”

“A drowning prince whose death would’ve spelled disaster, for every continent.”

“Macy. She used to be kinder, that one. What happened to her?”

“What happens to all of who enter the Academy. We turn into stone, or we crumble.”

“You found a better way, Ranger.”

“I lost that better way too. Today. To Nett, of all people. I’m a loner now. How long, before I crumble?”

“Talk to her. Tell her why you refused.”

“I did. She didn’t want to listen.”

“Do you believe what you did was right? Not letting you’re student take the final leap.”

“She’s going to die. A twenty year old is not ready for a Danjuni. Declethean’s forest, I don’t think I’m ready for one. Why would I let her? Give her my blessing, to die?”

“Because that’s the risk. One I didn’t want to make either when you wanted to join the academy. Hone yourself. Be ready for the God-Path of the Graystone so you don’t stumble off it the way I did. Your Grandmother convinced me to trust in you. Help you take the leap. Should I have not done so?”

He waited. Half a minute later, Leah shook her head. “I was ready.”

“I didn’t think you were. But you proved me wrong. Let her prove you wrong. Give her your blessing.”

“And if she dies?”

“Then, she dies. That’s the risk of the game we decided to play. Support her. Talk it through with her instead of making the decision about her life yourself, and if she still wants to do it, support her still.”

A pair of leaves danced with the breeze, floating till they reached their end at the middle of the lake, ripples pulsing from their point of impact, dry brown surface going dark and wet. Support her still. “What else? I can see it on your face, clear as day.”

“The Prince. I had my chance to save him. But someone else was in trouble. A human, like us, who saved me during the fight. I chose to help him, instead. I’m no better than the Goldenblade, no matter how hard I try to be.”

“Is the Prince dead?”

“No. Alive by Mace’s hand.”

“Is the other human dead?”

“No. Alive by mine.”

“Did you do everything in your power to save both?”

“I just told you I left him. I chose who to save.”

“Yeah but not choosing would have led to a worse fate for one of the two, if Mackenzie hadn’t been playing one of her games. If it had been in your power, and your rival hadn’t been there, would you have chosen to save both of them?”

“Of course I would have.”

“But you didn’t?”

“No.”

“Because...?”

“It… wasn’t in my power to do so.”

“You did what you could. Anything else was in Fate’s hands, or the Slumbering Mother’s, or Vocatian’s themself. You did what you could.”

“I did what I could,” Leah said, and believed it. What had transpired hadn’t been her fault. She’d made the best out of a bad situation. Everything left had been in the Gods’ hands. “I did what I could.”

“Good,” her grandfather said, patting her on the shoulder. They sat in the quiet afterward, watching the waterfall, and the many flying leaves, enjoying each other’s company and the weakening breeze for Oshvepertha knew how long.

“I’m coming home for the month.”

“A suspension?”

“Not in a sense. I was almost expelled, but I beat it, with her help. They suggested a leave for me. And I think I’m going to take them up on their offer. For the month.”

“Good. Good.” He said, and they continued enjoying the companionable silence. An hour later, the Neuro-link ended and she woke up, the stars above her twinkling through a circular opening on the ceiling.

“Did you enjoy your meet?” She raised her head to look at the direction the voice came from. Kibo sat at his counter, writing into his book, a black jacket over his white robe.

“Bet you enjoyed it more than me,” she said, and the swindler smiled.

Static. “Oh, what is this, now?” He asked. “Skill attained. Neuro-link Lvl. 1. 7/7 uses left. Do you accept, Leah Cheretesha?”

“Bet you’d love that too. Ruining my chances?”

“Accepting it would ruin your chances, yes, if you did it through your Grand-mother. No offence, but Apricot Systemborne is not a child of [Oshvepertha]. Is not even of this world. I am. If there is a cost to accepting another skill for you, then I can and will pay it. I owe you that much at least.”

“You’d… do that for me?” She asked, squinting her eyes.

“I’m not known for breaking oaths, Pebble. I will.”

“Does this mean we’re friends?”

“If you don’t want it, I could just—”

“No, I accept. I accept. Hit me.” She felt her mystic threshold grow a smidge. Felt her soul and mind welcome this new capability, adapt to it. And hands pressed against the smooth stone beneath, thanked the Slumbering Mother she was still on the ground, open stitches and all.