After making his plans, he joined Silas, and was led inside the library for more reading. He trusted Madge to bring Zahria to him. In preparation for this, he went with his master to pick out some beginner’s books for her to practice with.

Gendra was waiting when he arrived back at the training grounds where they’d had the lesson in the morning, and waved with a left hand.

“Glad you made it. As I said, it isn’t far.” She was as good as her word. They had hardly passed into the residential district when she was leading him left down a side street a little ways and stopping in front of the stout stone lodge where she made her home. It was much like the others, with a gravel path leading to a door with a big round window on either side of it, and a chimney extending from the roof. It was not the nicest, but nicer than the multifamily longhouses he grew up in, and certainly nicer than his current home with Silas, where he and Gerald shared a room, with Silas's other two students in another. Silas himself kept a room in the tower itself, as did many of the masters.

“Let's get started, then,” she said . Daedalus followed her inside and withdrew his roll of measuring tape from a pocket. she lead him to the dining room so she could sit, and very nervously straightened and spread her arms so that he could take the measurements. She was filled with such tension that as he measured her arms and the spaces between them, she looked to him almost made of stone. It made his teeth itch, how anxious she was.

“You aren't my first you know. My mother was a seamstress, as I said, and some of her customers were spell forged. You should try measuring pants for a quadruped.” That made her laugh, and after that it was easier.

Soon they were done with measurement and were on to drawing and cutting out pattern pieces before using those patterns to cut their fabric. There had been little conversation, and to Daedalus it had been just to focus on work, but apparently she thought there was another reason.

“You can ask about them. Everyone does.” He was sure that was true.

“But I am not everyone. If you want to tell me that’s up to you, but otherwise it's not my business. It's not my body.” She seemed taken aback by that. It seemed apparent that this was not a reaction she was accustomed to getting. He felt bad for her, and worse for how she had apparently been judged and mistreated.

“Thank you. Suffice it to say, many of my friends were doing similar things, and I thought it was so cool. So I was forged at 18. Four arms, ambidexterity, two sets of eyes, one for day and one for night, and no more physical need for sleep. Because hey, if you’re going to turn yourself into a freak, why stop halfway.” She winced. “My mom taught me how to do what she did, too, but she wasn't a seamstress. She was a fighter. She trained me since I was little, and I turned myself into a weapon to please her.”

“You aren't a weapon, or a freak.” Daedalus meant it. He knew only too well that the spellforged were people like any others.

“Its nice of you to say that, but you're the golden child, already teaching your own student, adept in all of your subjects. I'm trying my best, but I am still a student, and I'm 30. I know, it happens, but for me its different. After my spell forging, there was a period where I became unable to sleep for a month while my body adjusted to no longer actually needing the sun to see.”

This story originates from Royal Road. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.

“That sounds terrible.” He couldn't imagine how she must feel. He cut the last of his fabric and looked to see that Gedra was almost done with hers. “Once you finish I think we are ready to sew.”

She finished and set her pieces down in a pile. “First, let me go grab paper and pens. There's a writing table with ink well in the corner of the sitting room. Meet me there and we'll place the enchantments.”

He went into the sitting room, which was dominated by a large and ornate sofa complete with several dividers with spaces to set drinks, and two ashtrays on the centermost divider. The room was otherwise adorned with house plants, knickknacks and an incredible array of books. “Mistress Ayave keeps an impressive collection,” he said while staring at the bookshelf which entirely engulfed the far was one saw when entering the room. he craned his head to look at them while still seated at the writing desk.

“And silas doesn't?”

“Silas only keeps books of lore about the elder tomes, long treatises on how to best use the power of reading, nothing like the variety of things here. He prefers to go to the library for everything else.”

“Anyway, enough of reading just now,” she said, handing him paper and a pen

“Now is the time for writing.” Daedalus dipped his quill and wrote out the spell in simple, precise language before surrendering the seat to Gedra, who did likewise. “Ok, that's done, and the sewing machine is in Ayave's room. I asked her permission before you got here, and she is out with another student.”

She showed him the way and he followed her to a room where a sewing machine and table took up much of the space not occupied by the bed.

“I'll go first,” she said as she sat in the chair in front of the machine, a quality bit of spellforging that never jammed and operated by pressing a foot lever. She put in place a spool of brown thread, and threaded the needle with two skilled hands. Her other two drummed out a rhythm on the tabletop as she worked.

“This may well be the nicest house I've ever been in.” The more he looked around the more he came back to that thought.”

“Its nicer than where I lived, but my place was nice enough. Wealthy families is something me and mistress Ayave have in common.”

“My family was poor, so we rented rooms in long houses that slept 15 families. I was on the streets more often than not when Silas found me. It was safer.” She seemed surprised and distraught by the story.

“I had no idea you had to go through that. I'm sorry you did.” Daedalus appreciated her empathy. Too few people had it these days, but in his mind, empathy was the only thing of real value people had left.

“Thank you. And I could not imagine the struggles you went through, either. Just know, not everyone thinks you're a freak, and anyway most of the best people are. Normal's just what everyone else thinks you should be, but you can be whoever and whatever you want.”

She looked as though she might cry but recovered quickly. “Again thanks. I mean it. I appreciate the help.” She gave him a genuine if nervous smile. He saw that the eyes she'd had open when they met were now closed, and the other pair, which were open, glinted like cat's eyes when the light struck them right.

“I look forward to tomorrow's lesson, seeing hopefully that mine at least works. I'm sure yours will.”

That makes one of us but here's hoping.” She followed him to the door and opened it “Have a good night.”

He bade her farewell, and read a passage back to Silas's rooms he had memorized, which opened a portal. He stepped into the room he shared with Gerald, who greeted him and asked teasingly how his date went. Daedalus told him it wasn't a date but that it went very well. He was absolutely sure at least half of that was true.

He looked to the top bunk where his student slept. “She behaved herself, yes?”

Gerald Nodded. “She was great, just read her beginners books and kept to her self. “

Daedalus Went to bed looking forward to morning, and hoping, now he thought of it, that no one attempted to set him on fire in the morning.

After class, Zahria went to speak with Madge, while Daedalus went to Gedra to talk through the plan for how to make whatever they were making. Personally he thought a simple hooded jacket would work best. He said as much to Gedra, and she seemed to agree.