Tala, Rane, Latna, and Master Leighis all sat with Nea, finishing up their tea.

The little girl was looking down at her hands, clearly a bit uncertain about sharing her choice, but resolute all the same. “I don’t want to be a Mage.”

Everyone remained silent, awaiting her next words.

“I’ve been watching the fights around Alefast waning… those monsters are so scary.”

“Nea.” Latna chastised. “You know you aren’t allowed to—”

“I know, Lat, but I did anyway. I don’t want to be a part of that world. I want a normal life. I don’t want to deal with magic.”

Master Leighis cleared his throat. “Most Mages never fight such creatures, Nea.”

The little girl shook her head. “I know, but they face other things.”

“They do, at times, but no more than any mundane will. Mages are just better prepared.”

Nea raised an eyebrow, the gesture so like when Latna did it. “So, it’s less dangerous to be a Mage?”

The little girl’s eyes were filled with an intelligent intensity. She knew the answer.

Tala sighed, taking up the answer, “Statistically, no. If you include all Mages and all mundanes in a non-waning city, Mages die… less pleasantly, even though they live longer, on average.”

“So, a shorter, peaceful life, or a longer one with a worse end.”

“Not necessarily.”

“But on average?”

Tala hesitated, then nodded. “In your situation, here in Marliweather, yes.”

“Then I’ve made my choice.”

The group sitting with her were clearly of mixed opinions about the choice, but it wasn’t really any of their places to try to change the girl’s mind.

Rane cleared his throat. “I know we don’t know each other well, and I’m not interested in changing your mind, but if you have any question, you can ask. I’ll give you a straight answer. That’s one reason why we’re here, so that you can ask us any questions. You haven’t really done that.”

Nea seemed to consider that. “Fine.” She put on a pretend interested face. “Are you glad that you became a Mage?”

He gave a small smile. “Yes.”

“Did you like your time at the Academy?”

“I didn’t go.”

That seemed to catch the girl off guard. Her next question seemed far more genuine. “Do… Do you wish that you had?”

He shrugged. “Yes and no. I think it would have been easier, but I wouldn’t be who I am today if I had.” He glanced toward Tala. “I probably wouldn’t have met your sister, not in the same way, if I had.”

Nea was frowning deeply, then. “Would you go if you were me?”

He shook his head. “That is your choice, Nea. I’ve already said that my aim isn’t to change your mind. I won’t make the choice for you.”

She sighed looking at everyone sitting with her. “I appreciate the honesty, and I’m sorry if I’m disappointing you, but I won’t be going.”

* * *

Tala almost tripped. Worse, she almost allowed one of her six intermixed, interweaving void-iron shapes to pop.

Rane noticed and stopped beside her.

He was being exceptionally attentive after Nea’s decision the day before.

They’d planned to leave when Nea did, but when she didn’t leave… well, they hadn’t wanted to depart right after that revelation. Tala felt like doing so would have seemed like they were leaving because of the girl’s decision.

So, they’d stayed an extra day, and Rane had been a bit… overbearing during that time.

To be fair, Tala now understood why he’d been so irritated at her on their way to Marliweather, but she still didn’t enjoy it.

Regardless, they’d been walking away from Tala’s siblings’ home to find a place to anchor Kit for the evening, and his careful attention had ensured that he noticed her sudden hesitancy.

“Tala?”

“One moment, Rane.” She held up a finger.

Say that again.

-I found him. The fire Mage that you saw become a fount.-

That had been more than a year earlier.

Alat had been combing through the Archive for any publicly available information that could lead them back to the man whom they’d seen.

Finally, Alat had fallen back on querying the guilds for access to their member lists, and then customer lists, seeking any fire Mage and then hunting down visual records of those.

It seems that that had finally borne fruit.

Who was he?

-Master Iazo. He had two children before his wife died to a magical creature. His daughter… does not seem to still be alive. His son. Oh…- Alat made a sad sound within Tala’s head. -Tragedy seems to follow this family. His son’s wife died after they’d only had two children as well. Those two children are still younger than ten.-

Wait… the picture we found. It was filled with people, filled with lots of young children. Weren’t they Master Iazo’s family?

-It seems like they must have been extended family and the family of their employees. Apparently, their family business is rather popular, and so they have a large cadre of families working with them.-

Tala grunted at that. What’s the son’s name?

-Master Okuz.-

Where is he now?

-He runs the family business now with his uncle Hori. It’s a tea shop here in Marliweather.-

Tala looked toward Rane. “Alat found the fire Mage’s family.”

Rane’s eyes widened, instantly knowing whom she was referring to. “Where?”

“A tea shop in this city.”

“Are they open, now?”

-Yes.-

“Yes.”

“Do you want to go alone?”

Tala hesitated, then shook her head. “No. Let’s head there now.”

It was in the inner ring so it didn’t take too long to get there from where they started.

Tala stood outside, looking up at the sign. “The Jasmine Dragon.”

Rane smiled. “It looks popular.”

“That it does.”

It was a beautifully laid out building, set among sipping gardens, each with their own sequestered tables.

It reminded her of a new, slightly less established version of the teahouse in Alefast.

I suppose it couldn’t be as old, given that this Marliweather is only eighty years old or so.

There was a large waitstaff moving about smoothly, greeting customers as they came, seeing departing customers out, and bearing tea and baked goods throughout the business.

Prominently featured within the foyer of the teahouse were several large portraits, seemingly of notable, beloved family members who had passed.

Near the top of the wall was a depiction of Master Iazo.

“That’s him.” Tala nodded to herself now that she had that confirmation.

The two walked in and were immediately greeted by a reasonably attractive young woman, bowing, “Mistress, Master, welcome to the Jasmine Dragon. What can we do for you, today?”

“I am looking to speak to the proprietors. Are either Master Ukoz or Hori in?”

Alat had informed her that both were Mages, but not currently working in any official capacity.

“Oh! Certainly. I will see what I can do. Can I get you some tea while you wait? It is a rather busy evening.”

Tala looked toward Rane, who shrugged. Tala smiled at the young woman. “That would be lovely. Whatever you recommend would be acceptable.”

This text was taken from Royal Road. Help the author by reading the original version there.

She bowed once again. “Very good, Mistress. Right this way.”

They were led into a nicely appointed, private sitting room.

Tala and Rane positioned themselves on the same side of the large, low table.

It seemed sized for between eight and ten people to be able to use it comfortably.

Tala and Rane knelt on the cushioned mats, Rane having left his shoes at the door to the room.

Less than a minute later, their server returned with tea. “The Masters will be with you shortly. You had good timing, and they are both available for the next few minutes.”

“Thank you.” They accepted the tea and drank deeply.

It was the perfect temperature and wonderfully flavored.

Tala smiled. “This is excellent, thank you.”

The woman bowed. “It is our blessing to serve, Mistress. Can I get you anything else?”

“Could we get a small bowl for a companion of mine?”

She hesitated, then nodded, returning after a bare handful of seconds.

During that time, Tala opened an entrance into Kit and invited Terry out.

The little terror bird trilled a greeting when the attendant came back in.

To the woman’s credit, she didn’t seem overly startled by the appearance of Terry.

She simply poured some tea for him in the bowl and bowed again. “Is there anything else?”

Tala smiled. “No, thank you.”

“Very well, ring for me if you change your mind.” The servant left a small jade bell on the table between them.

Tala saw magical potential in it, in a way that she doubted she could have without her threefold sight.

There was a miniscule harvest within the clapper and a spellform across the inside of the body of the bell.

It must create a sort of magical induction when rung. That’s fascinating.

She had never delved into the myriad depths of the Constructionist arts, and times like this showed her just how varied those truly were.

Before she could get truly distracted, Terry had taken a deep pull of his tea.

He tilted his beak back and chirped happily before flickering to her shoulder and nuzzling into sleep.

Terry had played hard with the children the last few days, only taking a few breaks at Tala’s insistence, and the avian seemed rather tired after the efforts.

After Terry had snuggled in, the door to the room slid open once more and an older, rather rotund man walked in, followed closely by a young man who fit the more traditional build of a Mage.

Tala almost laughed. Her threefold sight showed that the older man was, in fact, in better shape and more muscular than the younger, but he kept cloth packed around his torso to affect the larger, more affable shape.

They both seemed to be Mages focusing around fire and heat. There might have been inscriptions for lightning manipulation as well, but she wasn’t quite sure, and she didn’t want to be rude by delving too deeply.

The younger was clearly still unbound, but the older… Tala couldn’t actually tell, and that was odd, if not unusual of late.

Paragon?

-Maybe? Or just skilled at hiding his aura.-

There was no opposition to her sight, but she simply saw no aura. That should have made it obvious that he was unbound, but that didn’t seem right.

Despite herself she delved a bit deeper. Aside from the severed soulbonds—at least one of which had seemingly connected the man to his now deceased wife—she thought he was bound to… something else.

Still, she was getting distracted. She turned her attention to the other Mage.

The younger’s inscriptions were incredibly intricate and well-developed for someone not at the Archon levels of advancement, but it became obvious why, as soon as she saw the commonalities between the magic of the two men.

Family inscriptions?

-It’s rare, but not that unusual. Some families have taken generations perfecting the set of powers that mesh best and the techniques to train them to the best effect.-

Huh. That’s actually… pretty interesting. She suddenly had the image of a bunch of little ones rampaging through her sanctum, armored against damage with her scripts and causing chaos with gravity and kinetic magic.

She hesitated, pulling herself out of her contemplations.

Where did that come from?

Alat didn’t say anything, and Tala didn’t have time to think deeper about whatever it might mean.

She and Rane stood as was proper to greet their hosts and gave slight bows toward the men.

The two men bowed, the older man speaking. “I am Hori, and this is my nephew Okuz. How can we assist you?”

Tala gave a sad smile. “I am Tala, and this is my companion, Rane.” She motioned to the table, and the tea that was set out. “Can we sit?”

Master Hori nodded, and the four of them settled down upon the padded floor.

Master Okuz seemed a bit less patient than his uncle. “My apologies, Mistress Tala, but what can we do for you? We are rather busy.”

“Okuz,” his uncle chastised, “They are our guests. We can keep them company until their business comes to light.”

Tala smiled. “I don’t mind. I am here about your father, Master Okuz, and your brother, Master Hori.”

Master Hori’s face became stoic, and Master Okuz reddened. “What of my father?”

“I… I was with him when he passed from this world.”

The two shared a look. Master Hori cleared his throat. “So, he is gone? This isn’t a roundabout way of saying he’s still alive?”

“No, I’m sorry. I simply wished to let you know that when he passed, he was holding a picture of his family, one with a note on the back. I apologize, but the item was lost. Even so, I wanted you to know his fate for certain, and that he had you on his mind when it happened.”

Master Okuz wiped a tear from his eye before it could fall, putting a smile on. “When might this have been?”

“It was more than a year ago. I apologize that it took me so long to track you down.”

The young man bowed his thanks and excused himself.

Master Hori sighed, having watched his nephew leave before turning to look to Tala, consideringly. “If I may ask, why did you track us down? I assume you found him becoming a fount?”

So, either an Archon or forbidden. “Yes, I did. I am here because I promised that I would come. It might have been a foolish promise, made to a man who couldn’t truly hear me, but I try to honor my word.”

The older man nodded. “Thank you for that. I mourn my brother’s fate, but he was always a bit too obsessed with power to become an Archon.”

“Are you…?”

Master Hori smiled. “I am an Archon, yes. I am here to draw my nephew in the right direction. There is much of his father in him, both the good and the bad. I am trying to nurture the good. I failed with my younger brother; I do not wish to let his son down as well.”

“If you don’t mind my asking…?”

Master Hori waved for her to continue.

“He seems much younger than you or your brother.”

The older man smiled. “My brother was… much younger than I. And he continued the tradition of having his children later in life. With my wife gone and children likewise beyond Zeme, I am free to pursue the family business and work with my nephew in his pursuits.”

Rane spoke then. “I’m sorry to hear about your family.”

Master Hori waved a hand. “It is not as I’d have wished, but it is the way of this world. We fight, we die. We strive and scrape for every scrap, and then we die. If I thought I could bear another bond, I’d likely remarry and fill this city with children, but my soul is too old, too brittle. I am content in my choices.”

Tala could see the man’s soul, and it looked vibrant enough to her, even if she couldn’t see an aura or coloration to it.

To be fair, however, she could see what seemed to be the remnants of quite a few shattered soulbonds, five if her count was right. Souls were hard to truly see, soulbonds more so. Regardless, the broken bonds represented a depth of suffering that she couldn’t fathom.

He must have guessed something of what she could see, based on his next words, “So, your sight can see soulbonds, then?”

She shrugged, a bit uncomfortably. “Yes and no. I can see connections and broken connections. It is something I am striving to improve.”

He nodded. “That is laudable. One should always be improving in some regard.”

Tala sighed. “Thank you for your time, Master Hori. We have already imposed upon you quite a bit.”

As she moved to stand, however, he waved her and Rane back down. “Nonsense. Sharing tea with a fascinating stranger is one of life’s true delights.”

Rane grinned at that. “A good conversation is a pleasure all its own.”

“Indeed.” The older man bowed his head in acknowledgment toward Rane. “Now, my fascinating strangers, may I ask a… probing question?”

Rane nodded, still smiling.

Tala did as well but more hesitantly.

It was odd. The man gave off a grandfatherly air that made her wary even as it made her want to open up to him.

He just seemed so affable and open in his own right that it only seemed reasonable to return the attitude in kind.

“There seems to be a great burden upon you both. What is troubling you?” He poured them more tea.

Tala frowned, then. “We don’t want to burden you with our ills. We came to deliver hard news, not to seek help for… anything.”

Rane slumped a little, clearly reminded of his own struggles as he took up his teacup and sipped carefully.

Master Hori shook his head and smiled, “There is nothing wrong with letting people who love you, help you.” He hesitated a moment, tilting his head to one side before continuing, “Not that I love you. After all, I just met you.”

Tala felt herself smile at that, and she glanced to Rane.

He was already looking her way. “I don’t know if”—his eyes flicked toward Master Hori—“it would be allowed.”

Rane was clearly asking if she could see the man’s aura, and if he was Refined already. It would be poor repayment for the man’s hospitality to cripple a future attempt at Refining.

Tala sighed. “I am afraid that I must ask a slightly impolite question, if you wish us to answer you.”

Master Hori nodded once.

“Your aura is hidden, so I assume you do not wish it to be known, but the issue is… advancement sensitive. May we ask what advancement you have achieved?”

The man straightened, pulling back just slightly in realization for a moment before nodding. “Refining, then.”

Well, that answered the question without answering the question.

Rane nodded, seemingly relieved to be able to say, “I have… failed.”

“Oh?” The man’s eyebrows rose. “I sense no cracks in your gate, no barbs within your flesh, nor compulsions within your mind.”

Rane shook his head. “No. I just… I can’t finish.”

“Ahh, I see. There is a misunderstanding.”

Rane nodded.

“You have chosen to end your advancement.”

Rane bristled, and Tala almost interjected, but Alat spoke within her mind.

-Wait. See where this goes. Master Nadro’s isn’t the only way, and we can interject if required.-

Rane practically growled. “I cannot continue. I am not up to the task.”

“No, my dear boy.” He said with a smile. “You are choosing not to continue.” He then held up his hands to forestall any reply. “I am not saying you chose poorly. I am also not saying that you are weak for your choice. But we must see things as they are, if we are to live with any sort of contentment. You cannot let pride blind you to the truth of your choice.”

Rane hung his head, turning a deep red. “I have no pride left, Master Hori. I am drowning in the shame of my failure.”

The old man sighed, refilling Rane’s cup. “Master Rane.”

Finally, after a long moment, Rane glanced up.

Only then did Master Hori continue, “Pride is not the opposite of shame, but its source.”

The younger man rocked back at the words, almost as if struck.

“I am speaking where my thoughts were not asked, but I will say this last thing. A choice to stop your Refinement can be the right choice for you, but it is a choice, and choices can be changed at need. If you have been forced to stop, then no matter what comes, you are trapped.” He smiled, lifting his own tea cup in a salute. “You are not trapped. You have the freedom to make the choice you think best. Do not let your pride blind you to the freedom you still have.”

His eyes turned toward Tala, and Tala held up her hands. “I… I don’t think I can take hard truths, Master Hori.”

The old man laughed, a deep, rolling belly laugh. “Oh, Mistress Tala. I am but an old man who loves his tea. My words come from years on Zeme, but it is up to you to decide if they hold any truth.”

She smiled at that. “All the same.”

He raised his cup toward her as well. “As you wish. Would you, then, humor an old man with an inquiry?”

She tilted her head to one side. “Master Hori?”

“I must confess that I recognized you as soon as I saw you from the Defender battles out of Alefast and from a few of your memories from your trip to the south.”

She considered, what sort of memories might interest such a man. Ah. “The House of the Eternal Fires Within?”

“I purchased those few memories, among a few others.”

She hesitated a moment before asking, “What would you have me tell?”

His smile broadened. “How do they make tea in the arcane lands?”

Tala blinked a few times, taking a moment to process that. Then, she barked a laugh before quickly covering her mouth. “Master Hori? It would be my pleasure.”