Talent’s POV
Talent had always been taught that birds were great mothers. They sat in their nests incubating their eggs for months on end. When the eggs hatched, the mother would leave to find food and return to feed them. She sacrificed everything for her young. Talent had even watched this play out in a branch outside his window.
He wondered when the baby birds would be big enough, strong enough to leave the nest. Would the mother continue to care for them forever? He didn’t think she would. She couldn’t. What would happen to her if she kept giving them all her food? Talent wondered if she had considered this thought or if every day she did her duty without concern for herself.
“Are they still there?” Mila asked as she pulled the covers tight across his bed. “They ought to be big enough by now, don’t you think?”
Talent shrugged. “I’m no expert.”
Mila continued her tasks, using a cloth to wipe dust from his bedside table. She was thorough, but also efficient. Talent sometimes wished she worked slower. He enjoyed her presence, although he’d never say so out loud.
Mila was one of the few who were allowed in his room and the only one of those who could enter on her own.
Talent watched her work, noticing the way her body moved as she cleaned, how her face would twist in concentration when she did something particularly difficult. He blinked away casually when she turned toward him, and he’d pretend he was looking at something else.
He wasn’t sure if she’d caught on yet, but she never said a word about it.
Mila finished her tasks and left with a smile. As the door closed, Talent felt the weight of his recent failure settling over him. His mother stole his diato, his power. She made it so that he couldn't even ask for what was rightfully his and his father couldn’t compel her to give it back.
He thought about her often, despite a growing sense of resentment and anger. Her lies were like thorns stuck in his side. He couldn’t reach them and every day they seemed to go deeper, twisting his mind and infecting his thoughts. He knew he needed to cut them out, but he couldn’t figure out how.
Because of her, Talent would always be his father’s greatest regret. He was a failed heir and when Lord Asher Kastin died so too would Krellestin. Talent wouldn’t last day without his father’s protection. He was no better than a number, he may as well join them in the mines.
It was a fate Talent considered often, but he wasn’t quite ready to give up. There had to be some way he could reclaim his lost power. He hasn’t found it yet, but he was sure that he would.
He thought again about his mother. He didn't understand why she did what she did. Her “protection” left more vulnerable than he ever would’ve been if she hadn’t tricked him into giving up his diato.
There was a knock on the door, then magistrate Sandra pushed it open without waiting for his permission.
She said, “There’s been an incident at one of our mines.”
Talent shrugged. Crystals didn’t provide much benefit to him anymore. He could only eat one every six months and the rest he’d have to sell. To his knowledge, his father hadn’t touched a Crystal in years. They had other streams of income so he didn’t see a need to worry about one mine.
Sandra was unfazed by his lack of interest.
She said, “Normally I would handle this on my own without bothering you, but the mine is—well, gone. I’m not sure there’s anything I could do to restore it.”
Talent blinked, trying to understand what she was saying. The words were all there, but they didn't make any sense.
He asked, “What do you mean gone?”
“The entire mine collapsed, I'm told. It will take a great deal of time and resources to reopen it. If we don’t get it back up and running quickly, our other mines will become overburdened. The production numbers could drop drastically.”
If the situation was as dire as she described, then even a team of magistrates would struggle to resolve the crisis. He needed to see for himself, and he needed to understand what caused the situation.
Talent said, “Take me there.”
Sandra nodded. She was used to his requests and she was very good at predicting his needs.
With a smile, she said, “The crystal cruiser is already ready. We only need permission from the Lord before we set out. I haven’t yet informed him of the situation.”
Talent nodded. He knew what she meant. His father wouldn't care about a single mine, but he would be very interested in knowing who destroyed it. He would want to know so that he could find them and punish them accordingly.
Talent saw this as an opportunity. He would do more than find out who was responsible, he would restore the mine. He would show everyone that even without a ruling, his power far outstripped any who might challenge him. Then he would reclaim what belonged to him.
Sandra bowed her head. She didn't ask anything else, and she left. Talent appreciated that.
He stood up from his chair by the window and moved toward his dresser. He opened the top drawer and pulled out a pair of black leather pants with a silver belt. He also grabbed a shirt of the same color, the fabric shimmering as it moved through the air.
When he was dressed, Talent walked down the hall to his father's office.
Lord Asher Kastin sat behind his desk, papers and books scattered about in front of him. Talent didn’t know how he managed to keep track of it all, but he always seemed to know what each report said.
Talent also noticed a heaviness and deep shadows that seemed almost too dark. Sombra was present and that meant his father would be short. The lord was either plotting someone’s end or hearing about it. Talent preferred to avoid Sombra when possible. The man was pleasant enough in conversation, but that only made him more horrific.
Lord Asher Kastin looked up when he heard his son enter. Sandra was finishing her explanation of the situation at the mine.
Asher said, “So you believe this situation is beyond your capabilities?”
Sandra said, “Yes, at best I can ensure there are no surviving numbers. However, if you'd like to salvage your investment, I will need help to do so.”
Talent stood silently by the door, listening to every word. He wasn’t sure how much his father knew, but he didn't want to interrupt. He also didn’t want to give his father a reason to refuse his request to see the mine.
Asher said, “I understand, and I think you've been very clear. I'll send my son to investigate. You can accompany him on this matter. I trust you can keep him safe while he is away?”
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Sandra nodded.
“Good, and for extra measure I will upgrade your privilege. Gravity will obey your command for this assignment,” he said, as he summoned a book from a nearby shelf.
Sandra glowed yellow as she received the privilege. She seemed pleased.
Talent didn’t like the way his father spoke about him, but he knew the best way to handle it was by showing his father what he was capable of.
As Sandra turned to leave, Asher added, “Be careful with that privilege. It’s quite demanding and tricky to master.”
Sandra nodded, then said, “Thank you for the opportunity, sir.”
Sandra continued out and Talent followed her.
They rode in a crystal cruiser, which Talent found a nice change of pace to flying with his magic. The vehicle was a modest size, large enough to fit six or seven magistrates and capable of both high and low altitude flight. It was fast and silent, except for the sound of air rushing past as it flew.
There wasn’t much to see on the way to the mine. Once they passed by Ashil, it was just trees and hills all the way to Glyd’vi’s Watch where the mine was located. The flight took longer than four hours, but Talent passed the time sketching in his pad.
He wanted to draw something bold and fearless, something that might inspire him to feel confident no matter what circumstances he faced. When he was halfway done, he realized the drawing looked an awful lot like Mila, and he wasn’t sure if he should finish.
He stared at the image for several minutes before turning his attention to the world outside the cruiser.
They were above the forest now, which made the world below seem more beautiful and less suffocating. He didn’t leave the city frequently and he rarely went anywhere so far and remote.
The trees were taller and thicker than he expected, their canopies so thick it was nearly impossible to see the ground below.
Talent hardly heard anything besides the sound of wind rushing past. The cruiser was as silent as he was, and the sound of its engines was so faint that Talent almost didn't notice it.
Talent watched the world move by. He enjoyed the silence and the scenery. He especially enjoyed watching birds swarm and fly through the clouds. He spotted swallows and ravens, crows and eagles, a curious bladewing emperor even flew beside the cruiser for several minutes before dipping down and turning back.
Talent smiled as he watched the wildlife and wondered if he could tame a mount for himself. He lamented that he couldn’t simply issue a ruling. If he could, then he could ride any creature he wanted so long as it was large enough and strong enough to carry him.
He knew it would be a challenge to tame a beast himself. He would need to catch it, train it, then ride it every day so that it would learn to obey him. He would have to be careful though, if he made a mistake the beast could turn on him and then he’d have to start all over.
“Better to stick with machines,” he muttered as he turned back to his drawing.
Sandra laughed. “I don’t know, a machine isn’t quite as soft or pretty.”
Talent knit his brows in confusion. “Well of course it isn’t, but they are easier to manage, less prone to biting, and far more predictable.”
Sandra shrugged. She said, “If you say so; although, I’ve never known her to bite. She’s got plenty of reasons, but that girl is one of the sweetest there is. She could stand to be a bit more focused though.”
Talent realized they weren’t talking about beasts, but his sketch. He felt a little embarrassed, but he tried not to show it as he said, “You misunderstand. I am merely practicing my art. I have no interest in the subject.”
“Sure, sure,” Sandra said, with a hint of a smile.
Talent wasn't sure how to respond so he let the matter drop. He decided to ignore Sandra for the remainder of the trip.
The cruiser descended after a few more minutes and soon it landed in an empty field of grass near a large depression in the earth. Smoke rose from several places but he couldn’t identify anything resembling a mine.
He knew there should have been a landing chamber where a crystal cruiser could descend to ferry magistrates in and out of the mine, however even that seemed to be buried under rubble.
Talent wondered who could possibly cause such comprehensive destruction. Was there another Lord bold enough to attack their property? He considered this for several moments while he surveyed the area. It would have to be Asterith, he decided. No other judge would risk provoking his father…well, no other except for his grandfather, but Lord Akiru wouldn’t go so far as a direct attack like this.
Talent didn’t think Asterith was responsible either. He couldn’t detect any trace of powerful magic and it didn’t seem like a ruling was to blame either. The mine must have collapsed from the inside. He wanted to believe it was just a cave-in, but he was almost certain this was deliberate. He would have to investigate.
Talent climbed out of the cruiser and started to walk toward the mine. Sandra stayed right behind him.
He saw several bodies strewn about the area. There was a group of magistrates near the edge of the wreckage. Talent didn’t recognize them, but he knew their uniforms. “Identify,” he commanded.
The four magistrates were locked in conversation, each debating what could have caused the disaster and discussing how they made it out before it was too late. When they heard Talent’s command, they turned to face him. Each snapped to attention then called out their identity starting from left to right.
“Magistrate Jun, first rank assigned as cruiser pilot.”
The first was a stocky man with a patchy beard and eyes that looked angry, even though Talent was fairly certain he was excited.
The next, a young woman with green eyes and aquamarine hair. She was quiet as she answered, “Magistrate Liana, first rank assigned as mine access guard. I reported the disaster sir.”
Talent nodded his appreciation for her report.
“Magistrate Nyvlano, fifth rank assigned as mine manger.” The man didn’t look like much, but Talent knew better than to judge a magistrate by appearance. At fifth rank, he would have privileges like those granted to Sandra. He might even make a good sparring partner for Talent.
Finally, the last of the group answered. Her voice was like a bell and Talent thought she was trying a little too hard to stand out. “Magistrate Mira. I’m third rank and assigned to medical supplies.”
That struck Talent as odd. “We keep medical supplies in the mines?”
His question was for Sandra, but Mira answered first, “For the magistrates injured in battle. Sifter attacks have been happening more frequently and they are grouping together as well. I think we’re getting close to a crystal heart.”
“We did find a crystal heart,” Nyvlano corrected.
That was exciting news, except that the mine had now collapsed. Even if they had found a heart it would be useless if it couldn’t be retrieved. Talent added that as one more reason why this mine must be restored and one more accomplishment he could present to his father.
Talent looked more closely at the magistrates and noticed none of them appeared injured, dirty, or even slightly disheveled. A question burst from his lips as the thought crossed his mind, “How did you escape?”
Nyvlano said, “I used my privilege to make an escape tunnel and crawled out.”
Liana, he guessed, was already near the exit given her assignment. He wondered where those assigned with her were, but he didn’t ask and she didn’t offer an explanation.
Jun fidgeted anxiously. “I didn’t abandon my post,” he began. “I was just checking the conditions. I was supposed to fly the heart out once it was…but it attracts beasts and stuff—that’s what magistrate Penny said—so I was trying to—”
Talent didn’t care about the explanation. He held up a hand to stop the man and said, “It’s fine.”
Without waiting for magistrate Mira’s response, he moved on, asking, “What caused the collapse? Was it sifters or something else?”
Jun stopped talking and the magistrates exchanged questioning glances. None seemed to know the answer.
Talent felt a growing sense of impatience. He asked, “Can you at least tell me how bad it is inside? It can’t all be gone right? Are the lower shafts intact, or the pits, or any of it?”
No one answered, but Mira stepped forward and offered him a small device. It was rectangular, about half the length of Talent's palm and slightly wider than his pinkie finger.
Talent wasn’t sure what he was looking at. He examined the object carefully, flipping it over to see if there were markings on the back, but there weren’t. He looked at magistrate Mira and raised an eyebrow.
The woman explained, "That's a data logger. We use them to record progress and to document any unusual circumstances. It’s especially important for predicting the need for medical supplies.”
Talent nodded, narrowing his eyes as he asked, “And how will this answer my questions?”
“It might not,” Mira admitted, spacing out her words so much that they almost felt disconnected from each other. Speaking faster, she continued, “But it was connected to the monitoring network and recording until just after the first big tremor hit. That should give you some idea of what happened—how bad it is inside, and what might have caused the collapse. The network storage is probably destroyed so even if we can get to it, I doubt we’ll find anything more than whatever’s on that logger.”
That was a better answer than Talent expected. He smiled as he replied, “Good. Thanks. Please use the reader in my crystal cruiser to extract the data.”
Mira nodded as he placed the device back in her hand.
Talent shifted his focus to Nyvlano. “Your escape tunnel, where is it?” he demanded.
The magistrate shrugged. “It collapsed as well. Could have shifted in all the rumbling, and honestly it might not lead anywhere useful at this point.”
Talent wasn't happy to hear that, he also didn't fully believe it. Nyvlano might have been hiding something. Talent nodded as he said, “I see. I suppose it's lucky you're such a talented magistrate then. Open a way inside. Before I begin reconstruction I need to make sure there’s some support in place or it’ll just keep crumbling.”
Nyvlano nodded, though he was slow to move. With his help, Talent began to enter and restore the mine.