Jeb apologized for his lack of understanding, and the bees seemed to accept it. He was still curious about the answer, but he knew that he wouldn’t be able to understand it yet.
At lunch, Jeb saw a surprising face. “Aunt Sue, what are you doing here?” She was almost always at her workshop in Midville.
“I came to pick you up,” she replied simply. “Are you ready to learn how to fashion wood?”
Well, that solved the issue of how Jeb would pass the time.
“I am!” he said. “Just give me a moment to pack.”
“There’s no rush Jeb,” his mother said, “I’m sure Aunt Sue is staying for lunch.”
“She’s right,” his aunt confirmed. “But I would like to leave as soon after lunch as possible. I hear you’ve been working on a number of other projects. Other than the lute, you’re probably safe to leave the rest here. Your grandfather informed me that you’re pouring your Mana into it?” She framed it as a question, though Jeb wasn’t sure why.
“I am!” he replied happily, taking the lute out of its case. He had started to grow used to the way the light was striking the lute, almost thinking of it as normal again. The gasps that his family gave as he pulled it out reminded him of how different it looked now.
“So, Jeb,” his aunt finally asked, “how did you get the lute to look like this? I was told it just looked like a mediocre lute.”
“Oh!” Jeb was excited to get to share, “I had a Quest to create a new Glyph, and so I made Glyphs that just Attune Mana to an Element. I realized that I could force my Song to go through those Glyphs, and therefore Enforce the lute with Elementally Attuned Mana. As it turns out, that changes the color and sound of the lute.”
“Do you think you could put Elementally Attuned Mana into other pieces of wood?” she asked.
Jeb thought about it for a moment. “I tried putting Mana into a shovel that I was smithing, and that didn’t work,” he finally replied, “but I might be able to figure something out if I tried harder.” He wondered whether just leaving something in an environment of highly Attuned Mana might do something, but that was far too theoretical to bring up to the family just yet.
“No, your efforts are better spent elsewhere. Though, if you do figure out how to put Mana into wood, I would greatly appreciate if you send me a letter with instructions,” his aunt replied.
“Do you already know how to use your Mana?” Jeb asked excitedly. He assumed that no one in his family did. Then again, maybe his shovel was only exciting for the members of his family who couldn’t already use their Mana.
His aunt exchanged a look with his grandfather, who shook his head. Before Jeb could ask what that was about, his aunt replied, “I’m comfortable with using my Mana, yes.”
Her tone left no room for a response, and so the conversation ended. Jeb put his Lute Method book back in his room and packed a few changes of clothing in a travel sack. With that and the lute, he should be ready for whatever training his aunt had in mind.
He followed his aunt as they made their way to her cart.
“As much as I love being at the farm with the rest of the family,” she said as they started walking, “almost all of my equipment is in Midville. Are you ready for your first trip out of town?”
“I hope so!” Jeb replied, “I have some clothes and my lute.”
She started to jog, and Jeb was worried that she would make him run all the way to Midville. He had no clue how far away it was, but it must be far if he’d never gone. Thankfully, they quickly came to a cart, and Jeb got inside with his aunt.
“Why did grandfather say you went to the market for wood if we’re going to be working at your shop?” he asked once they had started to travel.
“I needed to get wood for you to work with. Most of the wood I keep in the shop is wood that I’ve purchased for a specific commission. Also, I wanted to make sure that you end up getting Wood Identification. Your grandfather tells me that you’re working on getting more Identification Subskills, and it’s vital to know as much as you can about a piece of wood before working it. If there’s a knot in the board, it’s best to plan on dealing with it at the start of the project, rather than the end. Different woods, even from the same kind of tree can have wildly different grains, and you need to know how to treat all of them. Most importantly, though, the two Skills require fairly identical workflows for you to gain.”
They fell into silence as Jeb tried not to annoy his aunt with too many questions.
It was strange having nothing to occupy his hands or mind but the road around him. Jeb realized that he couldn’t remember the last time he’d just sat, rather than running around on some idea or another. He didn’t regret his musings, but it was nice to have this time to recenter and refocus on why he was doing what he was doing. Even though he wasn’t a Farmer, Jeb wanted to do the most he could to help the farm.
After a few minutes, his aunt started talking. “Your Aunt Esther promised me that you’d be talking my ear off, why so quiet?” his aunt startled him out of reflection.
“Honestly, I was just thinking about how I haven’t taken enough time to plan for the future. Since getting my Class, I kind of feel like I’ve just been floating from project to project, half the time trying to pretend I’m not a Mage and the other half acting like I always wanted to be one. I don’t really know what I’m doing with myself, and I’m worried about that.” He had never been too close with his aunt, but in a way it made the confession easier. He knew how much work his grandfather and the rest of the farm had been doing to help him adapt to his Class, so it was hard to tell them when he was having doubts. Jeb didn’t question their advice; he knew it was meant with the best of intentions and would likely help him get to his goal, he just wasn’t sure what his goal was anymore.
His aunt didn’t say anything, so Jeb continued, “Grandfather said that I should spend more time planning, but it’s hard. I want to be doing, not just thinking about doing. But more than that, I don’t know what I want to do.”
“I think we all go through phases of our life where we feel unmoored,” his aunt said after another pause. “I know that when I was offered my Woodworker Class this Tier, I spent a few months considering what to do.” Jeb had never known that his Aunt used to be anything but a Woodworker, but couldn’t find a way to ask.
“I know what that expression means,” she said, expression turning wistful, “I remember when I was young and excited by Classes too. Before I was a Woodworker, I was a Carver. Truthfully, I thought the Woodworking Class was a joke when I first saw it. I had just come back from a trip hunting-” she glanced at Jeb and clearly changed what she was about to say, “anyways, I had to cut down a lot of trees while we were there. When I got the Class offer, though, I was conflicted. Becoming a Woodworker was going to mean a much different life, but I was tired of spending my time on the road, and I was ready to start settling down. Still, there are nights where I regret it.” That was clearly all she was going to say, despite the many questions she’d just introduced to Jeb.
What was a Carver? What was she hunting? How old was she now? What Tier was she?
Jeb pondered those questions as he considered his own future. He wasn’t sure if he was supposed to learn a message from her story, but he thought it might be that he needed to keep his future Class advancements open. The two of them sat in their thoughts as the countryside passed along.
After a few more hours in the cart, Jeb realized that his Mana had refilled. “Aunt Sue, do you mind if I Enforce my lute while we ride? My Mana refilled and I’m supposed to keep Enforcing it until it binds to me.”
Stolen story; please report.
“Hmm,” his aunt said, clearly thinking. After a few moments, she seemed to realize that she hadn’t responded to Jeb’s question. “Sorry, yes, go ahead and Enforce your lute. I was just wondering why you’re trying to bind something.”
Jeb cocked his head. “The Bard told me it would be a good idea and no one else has disagreed,” he answered. “Do you think it’s a bad idea?”
“That’s a difficult question to answer,” his aunt replied. “You do know that once you’ve bound something to yourself, it becomes a part of you, right?”
“More or less,” Jeb replied hesitantly.
“Have you thought about what that means? When you’re separated from something that you’ve bound, it feels like you’re missing a limb. More than that, though, if a bound object gets destroyed, it’s not uncommon for the person bound to it to break as well.”
“What do you mean?” Jeb asked, somewhat horrified.
His aunt started and stopped a few times, clearly trying to shield Jeb from how harsh life could be without actively lying to him. “Imagine life without one of your arms.”
That wasn’t difficult for Jeb to do, so his aunt continued, “it’s like that, but on a metaphysical level.” Seeing Jeb’s confusion, she shook her head, “never mind. It will hopefully never become relevant for you.”
Jeb shrugged. “Ok!” he fixed the tuning on his lute. Apparently the jostling from the cart had been enough to finally detune it slightly.
“Are you planning to put Elementally Attuned Mana into it right now?” she asked.
“I was going to,” Jeb said.
“Which Element?”
Jeb considered. He liked the effect that Earth Mana gave his playing the most. “Probably Earth Mana,” he answered.
“Do you mind if I watch?”
Jeb couldn’t find the polite way to say “I would have no way of stopping you and no reason to mind,” so he refrained from saying anything and just nodded.
He pushed his Mana through the Attune Earth Mana Glyph. It went far more quickly this time, which he attributed just as much to the difficulties of Attuning Air and Fire Mana as to his growing experience Attuning Mana. It went into his lute, and he heard his aunt gasp.
Rather than break his concentration to see what was distracting, Jeb tried to remember to ask once his Mana emptied. The feeling of oneness lasted longer this time. Jeb almost forgot where his fingers ended and the lute began.
Then, too soon, he ran out of Mana.
Coming out of the Song remained a bittersweet experience. Sure, he no longer felt at one with the universe, playing the music of the heavens. But, he could talk to people again.
“What was the gasp for?” he asked his aunt.
“I just didn’t expect Lute Enforcement to look like that,” she replied unconvincingly. Jeb knew that it was impolite to pry, so he let the half-truth stand.
Before his Mana had refilled again, they had made it into Midville.
Jeb’s Status Sheet at End of Chapter:
Jeb Human Age: 16 Class: Least Mud Initiate Level: 1 Experience: 4203/100
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Total Statistic Load: 278 Physical Load: 124 Strength: 28 Dexterity: 21 Endurance: 30 Vitality: 41 Presence: 4
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Mental Load: 154 Intelligence: 25 Willpower: 25 Magic Affinity: 51 Mana Depth: 25 Charisma: 28
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Mana: 585
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Glyph Attunement: 22 Least Shape Earth (Modified) Tier 1 Spell Least Hold Earth (Modified) Tier 1 Spell Least Create Earth (Modified) Tier 1 Spell Least Destroy Earth (Modified) Tier 1 Spell Least Shape Earth - Efficient (Modified) Tier 3 Spell Least Conjure Water (Modified) Tier 1 Spell Least Shape Water (Modified) Tier 1 Spell Least Hold Water (Modified) Tier 1 Spell Least Destroy Water (Modified) Tier 1 Spell Least Create Air (Modified) Tier 1 Spell Least Move Air (Modified) Tier 1 Spell Least Destroy Air (Modified) Tier 1 Spell Least Hold Air (Modified) Tier 1 Spell Least Create Fire (Modified) Tier 1 Spell Least Destroy Fire (Modified) Tier 1 Spell Least Move Fire (Modified) Tier 1 Spell Least Hold Fire (Modified) Tier 1 Spell Least Create Mud (Modified) Tier 2 Spell Attune Water Mana (Modified) Tier 0 Spell Attune Earth Mana (Modified) Tier 0 Spell Attune Air Mana (Modified) Tier 0 Spell Attune Fire Mana (Modified) Tier 0 Spell
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Bard Songs Known: 1 Lute Enforcement
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Skills: Least Mud Magic Meditation Mana Manipulation Spell Glyphing Improved Glyph Groking Gift of Gab Running Identify Soil Savvy Animal Handling Fertilizing Lifting Athletics Lute Playing Singing Musician Pollination Brewing Distilling Bardic Magic Smithing
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Achievements: Focused Meditator Student of Magic
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Quests: Major: Slay the Dragon of the West (Progressive)