He was out of the time stream and standing upright on a railed balcony with the landscape spinning by at an idle pace.

He felt his ribs, they were fine, but his hands were flesh again. The Aether in his body felt weaker.

Dellen felt reduced.

“I need to go back to the Aetheric Cultivators. My gains don’t last across resets.”

Gilgamesh hovered in the air, not speaking or reacting. At last, he spoke. “There’s got to be a better way for you to do this.”

“Well, if you come across it, tell me. I’m not scared of a little discomfort.”

“Discomfort?” Gilgamesh said. “Discomfort! That last punch collapsed your rib cage; blood fountained out of you like magma from a volcano!”

“Huh,” Dellen said. “I seem to have blocked that part out.” He twisted his face in thought. “That might be for the best. Still, yes, discomfort, those should be crippling injuries, and yet.” Dellen gestured at his chest, “Here I am, almost untouched, apart from having to reforge my body.”

“You’re going to do this the hard way, aren’t you?” Gilgamesh said, “You’re going to fight him again and again until you win.” It was a statement, not a question.

Dellen rolled his eyes. “I’m stubborn, not a masochist. My only edge against that monster was that my Electrical Aether could be weaponised against him. To win a match against him I’d need two things, a boxing frame, and better control of my Electrical Aether.”

“Or, you know, you could just not get back into the ring,” Gilgamesh suggested.

“Thaddeus said combat was a good way to improve, and I’m going to improve.”

“If you say so, alright fine, a boxing frame.” Gilgamesh said slowly, “Yes, I could see that working. Where are you going to get a boxing frame?”

“I don’t know, yet.” Dellen said, “But if someone like the Mauler can get one, surely I can. With the resources I have, maybe I can make one for myself.” The words felt right in his mouth. He liked to make things; he had a talent for it, he was sure.

“The Mauler’s frame took advantage of his Kinematic Aether, that last series of pistoning punches, his fists seemed to blur. I can make a frame that will punish him for even touching it.”

“First things first.” Gilgamesh said, “Let’s talk to Maisy, then let’s go.”

Four hours later, Dellen and Gilgamesh stood before Thaddeus Valtair. “Yes, I would be honoured for the opportunity to be your disciple,” Dellen said.

“Excellent. Come with me.” Thaddeus said. “I want a better understanding of what you are capable of. Hearing about you secondhand is insufficient for my purposes.”

“Is this going to be another test where I’m strapped into a chair and fed Aetheric Energy until I glow?”

Thaddeus snorted. “Quite the opposite.” He turned to Tristan and Aurelia. “I won’t be needing either of you for this. Run along.”

Dellen blinked at the casual dismissal.

“This way, Lord Northcote,” Thaddeus said, imbuing his words with more than a touch of insincerity.

Together they walked out of the library and into the dimly lit corridors of the Aetheric Cultivators’ airship. They passed by a series of interconnected metal chambers, a stark contrast to the wood-lined pathways from before. Each chamber emitted the faint hum of machinery and the aroma of oil and grease. The walls were lined with piping and gears, occasionally punctuated by the glow of a small Aether lamp that glowed with a soft, warm light.

They encounter other members of the order, each engrossed in their studies or discussion. Their dress ranged from clothes more refined than Dellen’s own to the ripped coverings of a day labourer. The atmosphere was one of intellectual dedication and the constant pursuit of knowledge. They reached a large metal door Thaddeus unlocked with a key pulled from his robes.

The door creaked open to reveal a spacious workshop and training area. Off to the side were work benches littered with tools and diagrams. In the centre of the room was a designated training area marked off by a worn, circular mat on the floor.

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Thaddeus led Dellen over to the training area. “We’re going to test your basic competencies.” He held up a cube. “This is an aethermeter. It is specifically calibrated for Electrical Aether. I want you to channel Aether into it. I’ll show you how.”

Thaddeus held the cube up at arm’s length, level with his eyes. The cube lit up. Small lightning bolts spread across the surface in an ever-expanding network of connections, the spaces between stayed dull, but in seconds the aethermeter was too bright to look at. Thaddeus stopped, and the brilliance faded away.

Dellen took the Aethermeter. It was neither warm nor cold to the touch. It felt heavier than he expected. He brought it to his eye level and focused on channeling Electrical Aether into it. Lightning bolts spread, but they were faint and only near his hands. The dull metal around them gave off heat and scorched his steelskin.

“That’s enough of that,” Thaddeus said. “Your output and your control would be excellent for an initiate, but you forged your arms and your hands; how can you have such minuscule output?”

“I haven’t done anything to strengthen my Spark Core,” Dellen said.

“Curiouser and curiouser.” Thaddeus said. “If you haven’t strengthened your Spark Core yet, how did you have enough experience with higher-powered flows to succeed?”

Dellen shrugged. “I’m not sure.”

“What is the extent of your forging?”

Dellen held up his hands and forearms, “Just to my elbows.”

Thaddeus ran fingers over Dellen’s hands. Dellen could feel him probing his hands with faint currents of Electrical Aether. “What’re you looking for?”

“I’m not sure,” Thaddeus said. “Forging and alteration are cornerstones of cultivation, but it’s personal, there are more common evolutions than others, but there is always the potential for a unique step forward. Perhaps your hands are as common as they come, and perhaps they are a previously unseen marvel of Aetheric Energy, or so I have read.”

“And?” Dellen prompted.

“As far as I can tell, they are just hands.”

A laugh burst out of Dellen’s lips. “Let’s continue with your tests.”

“Very well. Close your eyes.” Dellen raised an eyebrow but complied.

“How strong are the currents of Aetheric Energy in the room with us? Where are they strongest, where are they weakest?”

Dellen sighed. “This one is trickier; my senses are off. I just increased my capacity through forging. I haven’t adjusted to my new normal yet.”

“Do it anyway,” Thaddeus said without a hint of sympathy in his voice. “This is a crucial skill for any cultivator, regardless of affinity.”

With his eyes closed, Dellen focused on the world around him. He tried to clear his mind of distractions and to sense the subtle energies that permeated the air. At first, he struggled to sense anything beyond the hum of the workshop’s equipment.

Dellen sought to feel the connection between his Spark Core and his environment. He imagined it as a whirlpool drawing the Electrical Aether into his body.

Faint at first, but growing, a tingling sensation came in his hands, which spread up his arms. This was, he thought, the Electrical Aether around him reacting to the Aether circulating within his body.

Feeling encouraged, Dellen tried to spread his awareness beyond his body to find Aether in the room. He thought he felt a stronger current emanating from somewhere nearby the workbenches.

“I think I’m sensing more Aether coming from nearby your workbenches.” Dellen said, after opening his eyes, “But I can’t feel where it’s weaker.”

“It’s harder to find Aether Voids.” Said, Thaddeus. “By their very nature, they are more difficult to sense. You learn to find them more by inference than direct sensation unless you are within an Aether Void.”

“How long does it take to develop this sense?”

“With regular practice, you could experience substantial improvements in just a few months.”

“Months,” Dellen murmured.

“Months, but we needn’t dwell on that. I’d like to know if you have any experience with Aetheric Projection.”

“Could you define that for me?”

“Projecting your Aether beyond your body to create an effect in the physical world.”

Dellen nodded, held out his hands, and cupped his fingers as though holding an imaginary sphere of energy. He fed energy from his Spark Core down his arms and back again, trying to build intensity in the flow. At first, nothing happened, but Dellen could feel the change in his channels, the Aether was building.

Then there was a spark between his hands.

And another.

A pinprick of light formed. It hovered; it stayed.

Miniature lighting bolts arced up from the pinprick and lashed his fingers, dancing like a thunderstorm.

The flow faded, and the pinprick vanished.

Dellen realised he was sweating.

“Rest a moment,” Thaddeus said. “We could keep pushing you, but you’ve shown me enough. Your external energy control is rudimentary, enough so that if you hadn’t forged yourself, I wouldn’t consider teaching you, but as it is, you are an intriguing project. We will need to consider the best way to push you forward.”

“Do you have any water?” Dellen said.

Thaddeus waved a hand in the general direction of a pitcher. “Drink your fill.”

The first glass tasted like liquid light pouring down his throat. The second glass was a cool current running through him. The third glass, he was able to drink at a normal pace. “What else do you need from me?”

Thaddeus passed him the cube. “Work on your Aether control. There are many applications of Aether, but all require better control than you’re showing now. Come back in a week and show me how you’ve progressed.”

“I’ll work on my control.” Dellen said, “But I did have a question.”

Thaddeus looked silently at him.

“I’ve heard sparring or physical training can help with Aether control,” Dellen said, wanting to confirm that Thaddeus thought that sparring would help his progress.

Thaddeus nodded. “I’ve given initiates that advice myself, but I don’t want you injuring yourself while I’m training you. Let us concentrate on the cube for now.”

Dellen nodded. “Thank you, I’ll be back in a few days.”