Tala actually felt a little bit nervous as she and Master Grediv stood and moved toward the center of the underground room, beneath the Alefast Archon Complex.

She pulled her iron back from where she had made it into a chair for herself, reabsorbing it, and ensuring that all of her iron was well tucked away.

Master Grediv glanced at his chair after he stood, and it vanished with a sweep of dimensional magic.

And just like that, they were ready.

“Mistress Tala, do you have a particular place that you’d like to go?”

“Nowhere particularly. We had more to discuss, right?”

“We do.”

She shrugged. “Somewhere good for that, then. The north part of the city might be a bit better, but it likely doesn’t matter overmuch.”

“Alright, then. I’ll select… there.”

Tala felt an odd shifting in the magics. There was an unusual sensation, a disjointment, like stepping down only to find the step missing, or not quite where she expected it to be.

After a flickering moment, she felt like her vision split.

On one hand, she was still in the same stone room with Master Grediv, but on the other, they were standing in a city street, positioned out of the flow of traffic.

The next instant the stone room was gone, and they were simply standing on the side of a major thoroughfare.

Tala looked around, then turned a skeptical glance to Master Grediv, “That’s it?”

“That was it.”

“That’s how it always is?”

“Give or take, yes.”

“That was absolutely nothing like a cork.”

The Paragon shrugged. “It’s an imperfect metaphor.”

“I didn’t go ‘under’ anything, not in any sense.”

“Of course not. I’m not going to throw a person down in the dimension of magic, do you think me mad?”

“No?”

“In the metaphor, the room is the cork. If you lack sufficient density, you can get left behind, either in a vacuous space that the room was within, or within the dimension of magic.”

Tala frowned. “Shouldn’t higher density make that more likely? Magical inertia and all that?”

He shook his head. “Even though we use the terms—magical weight, density, and inertia—they are, for the most part, useful for comparisons and understanding, but they don’t always work in the same way those terms might suggest. In this case, a lacking of magical density would make you like the air, and the working—the moving room—would simply pass through you, leaving you behind.”

“Oh, I can see that.” She frowned again. “But that’s another way that the terms do work.”

“True enough, yes.”

Tala waited for a moment, but Master Grediv didn’t seem inclined to answer further.

Thus, she sighed and looked around, taking in the passersby.

As usual, she was struck with how different the citizens of Alefast were from those she’d seen in other cities.

They were a bit leaner, a bit firmer of step, in some cases a bit more desperate. There were myriad well-paying tasks around a waning city, but few were free of danger. That was, in fact, why they were well paid. Mages were generally on hand to heal any injuries, but accidents still happened, and deaths did occur.

It’s a dangerous world. Though, she felt her mindset shifting, now that she knew about the City Stones.

They could move the cities earlier, bypassing the waning, in a sense. But that would negate one of the purposes.

Master Grediv hadn’t stated it outright, but the implication was obvious. The funnel formation within the cities drew in not only all power of the citizenry, but of the surrounding lands, more so at the waning. To move the cities early would mean not only less growth for the Stones, but also allowing greater magical density in the surrounding environment.

Wanings served so many purposes that Tala was beginning to lose track.

Regardless, she was examining their surroundings, not contemplating the purpose of various city stages.

She and the Paragon were standing just outside of a little restaurant, though they were positioned out of the way of the bustling entrance.

Master Grediv gestured toward the sapphire blue double doors, and Tala sighed, “Very well, we can discuss inside.”

He smiled and let her lead the way. Less than five minutes later, they were seated at a table, their tea ordered and on the way.

Tala had opted for a sweet and spicy, red tea.

Master Grediv had ordered green tea.

She reached to pull a pastry out of Kit but found her right hip empty. Well, rust… That’s irritating.

He plucked a still steaming cinnamon roll off of a passing cart, ensuring that the server noticed his acquisition for the bill later.

Show off.

-You could have grabbed one, too.-

Tala wrinkled her nose, ignoring her alternate interface. “So, are we going to just sit here?”

He took a careful bite of his treat, clearly savoring the confection. When his mouth was empty once more, he smiled, “If you wish, but I’d thought you’d want more information.”

She leaned back, trying to show incredulity on her features, “That would be appreciated, yes.”

“Very well. On what subject do you want to speak?” There was a twinkle in his eye as he took another bite of the cinnamon bun.

“I’d thought we would talk about advancement toward Paragon.”

“But of course! Enjoy the little things.”

“Like leading on your lessers?”

His joviality vanished in an instant as he responded, “I have no lessers here, Mistress Tala. All are equal from an eternal perspective. A soul is a soul, and we all must move on to the next world.”

“An eternal perspective.”

“That’s right.”

“So… can you expound on that, then?”

His smile returned, “Do you want the long version, medium, or short?”

“Well, I imagine that the long version might take a while.”

Master Grediv chuckled. “To tell properly, I’d say it would take at least a year, yes.”

“Then, let’s start with the short version?”

He opened his mouth, then closed it. A moment later he huffed another laugh, “I was going to give a ridiculous response, but I think even the short version won’t be that short, so I should just get to it.”

Tala leaned forward, not interrupting.

“To be Fused was to come into alignment with your mortal self, to be true and truthful to who you are and what you feel.” He paused, waiting for her acknowledgement.

She shrugged. “Yeah, that was my understanding. A bit simplistic though.”

“As you said, we’re going for the short version.”

“Right.”

“So, in that same vein, you aren’t mortal anymore. Thus, to become a Paragon, you need to align yourself with your immortal self.”

“My immortal self?” She frowned, considering.

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“What part of you is, and always has been, immortal?”

She knew the answer instantly, then. “My soul.”

“Precisely.”

“So… isn’t it already in alignment? My body is soulbound. I chose immortality, even though it was without full information. Shouldn’t I be there already?”

He chuckled. “Wouldn’t that be lovely?” He shook his head. “While that would be easy and convenient, it wouldn’t actually be good. The power that a Paragon wields…”—he paused for a long moment—“Well, you’ve seen it more clearly than any of your advancement should, I suppose. Would you have humans rise up with the power and temperament of a City Lord?”

Tala frowned in confusion. “Aren’t City Lords at least Revered? That’s the equivalent to Reforged.”

“Yes and no. You have to remember that humanity’s power is unlike arcane magic. They have an advantage in kind, we in quality. They in ready quantity, we in staying power. A Paragon can match a City Lord outside of their domain.” He hesitated. “It wouldn’t be a balanced match, mind you, but they wouldn’t be slain outright. That also neglects the fact that a City Lord wouldn’t leave their domain.”

Tala opened her mouth to argue but stopped as he raised a hand.

“My apologies. This is a hotly debated subject, and I was falling into conversational ruts. That is not why we are here.”

She chuckled, nodding in agreement. “I can understand the obsession. If it were really so easy a comparison, humanity could sweep aside the arcanes now.”

“Some think we should try, but those who know, know better.”

Tala grunted, remembering the might of the City Lord and even the Eskau she’d met. And those were just from one House.

“Though, if the arcanes really knew how close we were to being able to do just that, there’d be war on the horizon, beyond question, but back to our conversation.”

“Yes. So, I have to align myself with my own soul?”

“Yes and no. You must shift your mentality—your existence—to align with how your soul experiences existence. Some see that as a severing of all ties, but that way lies madness—sometimes literally. Our souls are intimately connected with so, so many. Denying that is to deny the very thing that makes us human.” A sad expression washed over his features before he seemingly mastered himself and moved on, “In light of eternity, one could argue that other people are all that matter. After all, we’re all that moves on to the next life. It’s not like our cities, territory, wealth, or magical advancement will have any impact on the next world.”

Tala frowned, but she found herself nodding. “I suppose I can understand that. Though, all of those things are necessary to protect and provide for other people while in this world.”

“Oh, unquestionably. I am the last to call such things bad or evil on the face of it, but the obsession over title, possession, power, or knowledge is one route toward great evil. Our cells are filled with those who sought just such.”

Tala grunted, considering her encounter with the new-born fount. “All souls have the same destination, the next world. Even Sovereigns will pass on eventually.”

“Precisely. Some will survive to the end of existence, whatever form that takes, but then, they will pass on too.”

“So, how do I align with that? How do I shift my mindset?”

“Slowly, and with great care.”

Tala barked a laugh in response.

Their tea arrived, and they thanked their server, taking a moment to get situated and enjoy the first sips.

This establishment served their tea in artifact-style cups and pots, with magic around enhancing flavor and maintaining temperature.

Somehow, the workings were able to detect a drinker’s optimal temperature and feather the drink to match.

In Tala’s case, she suspected that she was stressing the magic, or at least forcing it to its limit, right up to the brewing temperature for her tea.

A hearty physiology sometimes has its downsides.

She set her cup down slowly, lifting her gaze to regard the Paragon. “So, what is one step?”

He nodded, setting his own drink aside. “Wisely asked. One step, from my perspective, is realizing something critical. In the long run, no one ever gets away with anything, even once.”

Tala frowned, “What? That’s not true.”

“Think of eternity, Mistress Tala. Every action creates ripples that never cease. A moment of selfishness tinges all, forever.”

“That’s bleak.”

He smiled wryly in response. “It is, but that is just one side. A small kindness is also forever. Make sure you understand, not ‘niceness,’ kindness.”

“Setting that distinction aside for later, if I understand correctly, you’re speaking on a global or collective scale? That no one ever gets away with anything, because someone suffers?”

“While that’s true, I am being more direct. Even if the only traceable negative is a shifting of the actor more toward being selfish in the future, there are always negatives.”

“But those are so minor…” She felt herself nodding. “But even the smallest shift in direction, on the timescales of eternity, is a monumental change.”

“Precisely. Now, as I was saying: No one ever really gets away with anything. Reality is real, and you distort and bend it at your peril.”

Tala felt herself smile. “Don’t I know it.”

Master Grediv grinned in return. “Indeed, and I’m not even talking about reality Mages. Now, of course you can distort and bend reality, creating a rift temporarily, but eventually, that’s going to snap closed on you, and you might not even notice the connection between your initial ‘indiscretion’ and the final consequence of the same, but the consequences are inevitable.”

She tilted her head in thought, picking up her teacup once more.

He took a sip, himself, before continuing, “In fact, it’s worse than that, the consequences tend to multiply, and when we have forever…”

“That is a lot of multiplicative consequences to bear.”

“Precisely.”

She gave a half-smile. “Is it too late to be mortal?”

Master Grediv barked a laugh, quickly covering his own mouth. “I am afraid so, but some do choose… dangerous occupations in order to avoid having to consider eternity in this world. It is something to keep in mind.”

“But we can’t have eternity in this world.”

His smile solidified into something even more genuine. “That is absolutely correct.” He let that sit for a long while before he continued. “Nonetheless, we must grapple with eternity while here to achieve alignment with our own soul.”

She grunted noncommittally.

“I don’t expect you to understand or agree at the moment. I am simply planting the seeds.”

“This sounds like something you higher-ups are using to try to force the creation of altruistic humans with power.”

He nodded. “In a sense it is, but it is also the known next step. It is a picture of what awaits us. Peace for those who accept it. For those who fear it? They fight tooth and nail, body and soul to stay away from the next world, no matter what it takes.”

“City Lords.”

“Them and most arcanes near that level of power. They seek power to avoid passing on. Theirs is a rejection of the natural order, the rejection of eternity beyond this world. We embrace the next world and try to draw it forth into even this one.”

Tala found herself slowly shaking her head. “You’re right. I can’t say that I understand what you’re saying, and what I think I understand, I can’t say I agree with.”

“That is to be expected. Don’t let that concern you, however. You have a long time to gain insight.” His smile was grandfatherly in its kindness and wisdom. “Who knows, maybe you will be the one who finds us another way. You've done it before.”

“Thank you for the faith in me and for the advice.”

“Of course, Mistress Tala.”

They both sat back, enjoying their tea.

They’d each had a pot of their particular beverage brought along with the initial cup so they had sufficient quantity for an extended conversation.

If I head back now, I’ll just get another ‘discussion’ from Artia…

-Well, Master Grediv did say he had some ideas for increasing our magical density.-

“Oh!” Tala nodded to herself, drawing the Paragon’s attention. “You mentioned a while ago that you might have some suggestions on increasing my magical density?”

He carefully swallowed his latest bite of cinnamon roll. “Yes, not that you need it. Still, it shouldn’t hurt.”

She leaned forward, pouring a bit more tea into her cup as she waited for him to continue.

“Let’s finish our tea and return to a training area. I think it will be better to go through the motions.”

She hesitated, then shook her head. “I don’t want to take too much of your time, could you describe it to me, here, and then I go and enact it on my own?”

He seemed to consider as he took a long sip. “I think that could work.”

* * *

Tala closed her eyes and drew in a deep breath, focusing within herself.

Master Grediv had been as clear as possible in describing this process, and so she knew what to look for.

She was fully coated in iron, both around her inscriptions and around her exterior.

She examined the flow of power through her spellforms, focusing her will and perception on the minutia.

As she monitored every part of her magical network so closely, she found what Master Grediv had theorized would be there. Some of her inscriptions felt like the power within was pushing outward, trying to spread out through the dimension of magic.

She relaxed her iron grip in that area, allowing that part of her capacity to expand.

It wasn’t a change of shape, nor an alteration of kind. Instead, it was simply like digging a river deeper while staying within its preestablished banks.

More than just her inscriptions had this feeling, however.

In places, it was as if her very flesh was straining to expand into the dimension of magic, though she knew it was only the power within it that was making that attempt.

That in mind, she similarly pulled her iron back in the dimension of magic around those areas, allowing her reserves to grow as new power flowed in through her gate.

It wasn’t a complicated process now that she knew what she was looking for, and she was able to complete it reasonably quickly.

Nothing she was doing was new on its own; she just hadn’t used these skills in this way before.

Then, with a carefully released breath, Tala tightened the iron again, pulling it inward through the magical dimensional-axis, driving the power inward and causing a compacting of the power across her entire body.

The resulting feeling wasn’t pain, not precisely.

Instead, it felt similar to having her stomach full to the brim and then trying to swallow one more bite… while doing crunches.

She was not used to that sensation at all.

Tala groaned in discomfort, but even this initial, tentative effort yielded results.

She felt that her every cell was filled with infinitesimally more power than before. They also felt on the edge of bursting.

-Alright! That was… something. Do that a hundred more times, and we’ll have increased our power density by a whole percentage point.-

That’s a little bit insulting… oh… huh. Tala grimaced as she examined herself magically once more.

-See? I’m right. You didn’t really clamp down very fast, nor did you allow as much expansion as you could have before clamping down.-

So, it works in theory, but we need to try harder?

-I would have said ‘better,’ but that about sums it up, yeah. But not now. Don’t try it again now. I think if we tried to do it again now we might burst into a cloud of magical power.-

Well then, we can add it to the list. Tala grinned to herself. Not a bad result for a rest day.

Successes aside, it was time to get back to Kit.

After all, it was just about dinnertime.