Mender Saphora is gone by the time Lionel returns from his brief meeting. He’s grinning from ear to ear, so I don’t want to ruin his good mood by delivering the disturbing news. I wait until we’re down the steps, around the corner, and well away from the Menders before I sigh and tap Lionel on the shoulder.
“Let’s reconvene. Got some news.”
“Doesn’t look like it’s good,” he says, peering at my face. He frowns, picking up on my somber mood, but he doesn’t pry. We’ve all been around too many strange happenings and secrets lately. Learning to act more circumspect is high on all of our priority lists.
By unspoken agreement, we pick up the pace. Gilead is such an enormous city that it still takes us about an hour and a half to reach our inn, even with a slight jog. Maybe we’ll relocate closer to the Menders if we can find a good rate, but from what I understand, lodging becomes more expensive the closer to the Menders campus you look for a room.
Finding enough rooms for all of us? Almost impossible, assuming that we want to save any money. If the Menders will really take on my case for free, however, that opens up a lot of options. Of course, so does producing more masterworks, but I’m not sure yet where to sell them or how to avoid awkward questions. I’m trying to keep a low profile.
As soon as we’re inside, I knock on everyone’s doors, ready to call a team meeting. Of course, we’re the first ones back, so I end up pacing around our suite in the inn and getting out all my nervous energy while I wait for them to return.
The rest of my team is still out running errands and scoping out places for us to continue crafting. We can set up a mobile forge any time we want, but it’s not the same as having access to materials and tools. We are also less likely to push our craft to the next level without guidance from masters.
While I’m technically able to claim the title of Master, due to my ability to imbue, my skill is only above average. I’ve still got a long way to go if I want to reach the absolute pinnacle of glassmaking, and I know my friends feel the same way about their own talents. None of us are content yet with our current level. Taking time off to travel the country and pursue martial power hasn’t helped. We’re out of practice and away from our teachers, which is a bad combination
“No one’s here. Might as well nap,” I tell Lionel. I don’t want to risk giving out any secrets while Rakesh is gone. We need him to provide us with a secure, sound-proofed environment to discuss without fear of people overhearing our discussion.
“Actually, do you mind stubbing your toe? Or poking yourself?” Lionel asks, laughing at the way I scrunch up my face in distaste at his odd request. “I want to practice my healing Skills, but Uttara warned me in no uncertain terms that Gilead belongs to the Menders. Without their express permission, no one is allowed to dispense healing magic. Mundane treatment only.”
I run my fingers through my beard as I think it over. “Let me guess, their permission involves paying registration fees?”
“Something like that,” Lionel confirms. “Regardless, it’s still cheaper than paying fines if you’re caught without a license. Those Menders don’t mess around.”
“Noted. I’ll avoid sketchy back alleys if I need someone to bind up a wound. Although, if I know how people work, then I’m willing to bet that anywhere there’s a restriction, there’s also a thriving black market. I’ll bet we could find someone to patch us up, no questions asked.”
“For a price,” Lionel points out. “And if I’m gonna pay money anyway, I’d rather go to an established [Healer] who knows how to deal with infection or tetanus.”
“What’s that?” I ask.
Lionel snaps his fingers and points at me. “See? That’s what I’m talking about! The average person doesn’t even know what can kill him. No offense, Nuri.”
“None taken. My knowledge isn’t even average when it comes to medicine. I don’t know anything other than ‘magic goes in, healthy me comes out.’ You’re a genius compared to me, Lio. And you can quote me on that anytime it makes you feel better.”
Lionel snickers. “You really know how to cheer a guy up. Thanks, Nuri.”
“Yeah. Any time. But, uh, were you really serious about me getting hurt so that you can heal me? Couldn’t you practice that Sounding technique, instead? Seems useful. I’ll bet I can talk you through how to do it. As far as I could tell, it’s built on mana manipulation principles.”
Lionel sticks out his tongue. “Oh, is that all? You forget that I didn’t get to go to the Academy with you and Mel. Someone had to stick around the hot shop and be responsible.”
“Thanks for taking one for the team, bud. Listen, I can show you basic drills if you want to improve. It would probably help with your mana leak, anyway. We should have been drilling you on these all along. Sorry that I’m so self-centered sometimes. I haven’t been a good friend lately. I should have been thinking of ways to help you improve.”
Lionel pulls out his knife and grins at me maniacally as he waves it around. “I can think of the perfect way to pay me back.”
“You’re nuts,” I say, shaking my head. Yet I dutifully hold out my left arm. “Fine. If I’ve got a meeting with the prosthetics team tomorrow anyway, then I guess a little extra damage isn’t a big deal. Try not to cut too deep. It’s not gonna leave a scar, is it?”
“Wow. You have such amazing faith in my abilities,” Lionel says, clucking his tongue.
I scowl. “Mana manipulation is way less likely to hurt. But no. You have to practice by stabbing me. And here I am, letting you do it. Friend of the year material right there, Lio.”
Lionel gives me an arch look. “Less likely to hurt? Mana manipulation is what blasted out your insides in that Rift. Just sayin.”
“Got me there. Fine, go ahead and—ow!”
=+=
That night, when everyone’s back at the inn, and we’ve all had a chance to eat and kick back, I tell the team that I saw [Lady] Saphora in the Menders lobby. Once the initial buzz of confusion, shock, and anger dies down, I motion for everyone to return to their seats. “My concern right now is that we still don’t know why she was out here when we first arrived. If she’s on to us, then we should probably assume we’re all under surveillance.”
“Doesn’t that seem paranoid?” Melina asks. “We don’t know who she’s connected to in the Menders. For all we know, she’s a low level Mender, or a recent recruit.”
I shake my head. “Remember how confused I was when we first met her? All her Skills had runes related to healing. I’m pretty sure she’s been a [Healer] for a long time.”
Rakesh raises his hand and I call on him. He often defaults to behaving as though he’s still in a classroom setting , which I find both amusing and endearing. “That may be true, Nuri, but it has little to no bearing on her position within the Menders. She could have recently joined them, despite practicing healing for a while. Look at Lionel for an example of that.”
“True,” I say, frowning. “I hadn’t thought of that. Timelines aren’t tied to experience.”
“How’d she get here so fast?” Avelina asks. “Did we really go through all that trouble for nothing? If I find out she just rode here in some posh carriage while we were slogging through the Barrens on foot, I’m gonna be annoyed.”
“Remember, we were delayed in Mack-town for a long while after she fled,” Lionel says. He winks at me, knowing how much it annoys me that he’s still trying to get us all to adopt his silly nickname for Mahkaiaraon.
Avelina groans, dropping her head into her hands. “We were stuck for ages! Halmuth made it worse, but we ran into problems every step of the way. Why didn’t we just take the first caravan heading in the right general direction, and hop on a different one when we reached a traveling hub? We could have saved ourselves a lot of trouble. Finding a guide to take us here directly didn’t turn out so great.”
I shrug. “Not a bad idea, Ava. We’ll probably do that when it’s time to go home. I didn’t think of it at that time—guess I was just distracted. Sorry.”
“That’s all right, Nuri,” Avelina says, although she lifts her face out of her hands just to give me an annoyed side eye. “We’re all still figuring things out.”
“Got it. Caravan home. I’ll ask around for passenger comfort Skills. We could return like kings and queens!”
“Now you’re talking!” Avelina withdraws her little glass sea serpent from her coat pocket, stroking her scales as though she’s a real pet. “Make sure we get a silk pillow for Yuuni. She’s been unhappy with our travels so far. Too much noise, not enough comfort.”
I’m about to point out that the little creature is only a step up from an automaton, bound to my will, not hers, when it curls around Avelina’s wrist and rests its head on her palm. She rubs her thumb across the nubs of its little horns, a gentle smile on her face.
I stare at it for a moment, taken aback. I’m not controlling my [Glass Animation] Skill any longer. I don’t even feel a bond, now that I think of it. Other than the gush of mana that went into the formation of the creature, it hasn’t drawn any further on my reserves. Yet it’s clearly reacting to Avelina. How? Did she develop a new Skill? A quick Viewing refutes that theory.
Maybe the world is wider than I ever imagined. Not everything is easily explained by the runes I understand in my Skills. There’s more to magic than I’ll ever uncover.
Lionel also has a happy smile on his face as he watches her play, and I sigh as I once again resign myself to the idea that I’m going to have to make every member of the team a pet. I’ll try to personalize the animals. Not everyone wants a snake. Dragon, I correct myself.
The narrative has been illicitly obtained; should you discover it on Amazon, report the violation.
“Oh, that reminds me, Ava. Do you want to try to add a fire rune later? Yuuni’s a dragon, so she should be able to use flame breath.”
“I’ve got enough fire for the both of us,” Avelina replies. A small white flame dances into existence, twisting around Yuuni’s head like a crown.
“How did your visit go?” Melina asks me. She bites her lip, looking at me pensively. “Did we get you here in time for your hand?”
I shake my head. “Nope, but don’t worry about it. I have a meeting with the prosthetics team tomorrow. I’m a candidate for a replacement limb, not regeneration, but they’re the best in the world. I should be able to use it pretty well by the time they’re done.”
Mikko crosses his arms. “They might be good, but can they make the hand come alive? Why don’t you make your own out of glass? Ava can make it strong, you can bring it to life, and the rest of us will chip in and buy a beast core to power it so that you don’t have to worry about running out of mana or anything.”
“That’s too generous. I can’t ask you to do that for me!” I protest. “Let’s just see what the team has to say first.”
“Ain’t a request, little brother. I’m telling you what to do for once. Listen to us. We’re your friends and family, Nuri. Stop acting like you’re all alone again. You don’t have to do everything by yourself. Let us do something for you, for once.”
I blink away tears at Mikko’s declaration. There’s a loneliness to wearing the mantle of leadership that I never expected. I’m not even good at leading yet, but I’ve seen how it puts me on a different trajectory—not above my team, but responsible for them. They’re strong, capable people, but they’ve chosen to follow my guidance. That means I have to make sure that where I lead them is the right place to go. Making the right choice is harder than I expected.
But it doesn’t mean I’m alone.
I nod, slowly at first, but more vigorously as I warm to the idea. “You know, I started sketching out ideas for a glass hand back in Grand Ile. I didn’t have the skill with glass, or the fine control with mana, to do anything other than create a crude hand that could grip or release. Maybe I can try again. I just don’t know if I can create something that will feel right.”
“Nuri! Enough of that,” Melina says, more sternly than I’ve heard from her. She’s glaring at me. “You are a recognized Master of glass work. Trust in the skills that you’ve acquired. And remember, if you make a mistake, then you can just start over. Try again. And again. Nothing prevents you from iterating and improving as you come up with new ideas in the future.”
I gape at her. “You’re right, Mel. I’m not stuck with my first attempt. You’ll help me, and I can try again. I’m thinking too narrowly.”
“Great, glad that’s settled. I’ve met some success in the meantime,” Mikko says.
“Oh? Did you find a smithy?”
His eyes shine with excitement. “Yep! The first two were boring. Just like home. I thought I’d be comfortable with something familiar, but they didn’t even consider letting me show off my abilities. They just said they were busy and waved me on.”
I snort. “I’m getting flashbacks to looking for a glass studio in Grand Ile. No one wants to take a chance on a stranger, even if you’ve got your own hammer and anvil. I can’t believe you carry them around at all times.”
Mikko snaps his fingers back and forth. “Never know when inspiration might strike, little brother. Besides, it keeps me in shape.”
“Still not the little brother.”
“Yes you are, no matter how old you get. Now be quiet. This is my story for once!” Mikko says with a good-natured laugh.
I settle back in my chair, enjoying how happy everyone seems to be today. They deserve every good thing that comes their way.
“So, just as I’m starting to feel disgruntled, I start hearing this banging sound. It was too fast and regular for some people with hammers. I followed it for a few streets, amazed that the people around me didn’t seem to complain about the sound, and found this warehouse. Biggest I’ve ever seen, Nuri. I think it could swallow up my smithy, your glass studio, and the library at the Silaraon City Academy you’re always nattering on about.”
“Good luck with that,” Melina interjects. “That library isn’t natural. It would probably keep getting bigger and bigger if you tried to show it up with another building. I’m fairly certain that you’d only wake up its competitive nature.”
I nod solemnly, shivering.
“Anyway!” Mikko continues, unperturbed by our lack of faith, “they’ve got a crazy setup. Rows of automatons, like our sweet little Lunk back home, all smashing away on a moving anvil that carries hot metal out a furnace to their stations. They’re each enchanted to follow a design. A ‘program’ they call it. The [Foreman] there was super nice. He told me all about how it worked and let me see the armor and gears they produce. By the end of the moving line, the piece is finished. It’s not any faster than I could do, but there are dozens of them working at once. And that’s just for one department!”
“Not sure I’d call the Iron Lunk ‘sweet’ or anything, but I get your point. How would you fit in there, though? Doesn’t seem like much room for a human [Blacksmith].”
“Not for a regular bloke! But me? I’m stronger than most. And thanks to all the practice I got preparing the Iron Lunk, I’m familiar with integrating enchantments, even if I can’t script the spells myself. The [Foreman] was surprised to hear that I can shape mana-infused steel. Even in a big city like this, it’s not a common Skill. Most of the people who can do that are already in charge of their own shops.”
“So you’re just their hired muscle now? Sounds like a perfect fit,” I tease.
“Hey, whatever pays the bills,” Mikko says easily. “But it’s more than that. I’ll get to work with their enchanting team if I prove myself. That means I could start working toward a future Class evolution if I can learn to incorporate enchantments. I’m not like you, Nuri. I’ll never figure out imbuements—besides, most [Blacksmiths] don’t take that route.”
I jump up from my seat and slap my hand on my brother’s massive shoulder, catching his excitement. “Ko! I’m so happy for you. That’s awesome.”
“Sounds like you had a more profitable scouting trip than we did,” Melina says. “I’m more sympathetic toward your time in Grand Ile than ever before. None of the glass studios would let us even look at the hot shop. We couldn’t make it past the sales desk out front. They’re all afraid that we’re there to steal their secrets.”
I scratch my chin, considering a way of getting around this trouble. “Rakesh, do you think you could facilitate communication with the Capital? If we could get in touch with Melidandri, I’m sure he could direct us to a shop that’s willing to work with us.”
“Or we could burn down the competition,” Avelina suggests, shooting a jet of fire across the room and narrowly missing my face.
“Let’s table that idea. Save it for a last resort,” I say, snuffing out the fires by lowering the temperature abruptly. “I’m open to other suggestions, though.”
“Don’t worry, Nuri. We won’t let you down,” Avelina promises. She clutches Yuuni closer to her chest. “I’ve got a real plan. You’ll see.”
“Thanks, Ava. Can’t wait!”
“Meanwhile, I’ve also met with a discouraging lack of success,” Rakesh says. “I should have known that a borderland academy wouldn’t carry much prestige in a big city like Gilead, but I didn’t expect to be laughed out of the building. I’ve tried two universities. No luck.”
“No public library?” I ask.
“There is,” Rakesh says. He hesitates, and a strange emotion flickers across his face. I don’t know quite how to place it, but it looks almost like pity. “Not accessible to non-citizens. I’m not keen on concealing knowledge like that.”
“Maybe it’s a perk for local tax-payers,” I suggest, but the disdain that Rakesh summons into his arched brow makes me back down.
He sniffs. “I still don’t like it.”
“Perhaps you could help me find the local branch of [Inquisitors], instead. I’m not ready to report in just yet, and I don’t want to tip off anyone that we’re associated with them, but I’d like to know where to find them. You’re good at sleuthing.”
Rakesh straightens up at my praise. He smooths out his robes and gives me a dazzling smile. “I have acquired a rather useful skill set in that regard, haven’t I? Excellent suggestion, Nuri! I’d be happy to assist you with that matter.”
“Great! Sounds like it’s sorted. I’ll leave it in your capable hands, Rakesh,” I say, nodding at the preening [Researcher]. “I’m going to retire to my room and work on a few designs. Get as much rest as you can, before our next inevitable adventure springs up.”
“You don’t know that anything will go wrong,” Melina says, laughing demurely. “After all we’ve gone through, don’t you think we’re due for a break? The law of averages works in our favor, Nuri.”
“You forget: I’m a natural lawbreaker,” I reply with a smirk. “But we’ll hope for the best. I appreciate the optimism.”
=+=
Buoyed up by the good attitudes and encouragement from my friends, I find myself humming a song while I set out pen and paper in my room later that night. It’s a simple space. My part of the suite we’re renting is nothing more than a basic desk and bare plaster walls, with a narrow bed shoved in the other corner. Everything is a dull off-white, except for the dark brown of the wooden frame for desk and bed. It might not be luxurious, but it’s quiet and cozy. I especially like the window on the far wall. West-facing, it lets in the last rays of the setting sun. That makes me smile, since I get to enjoy the sun’s warmth on my back while I draw.
Sketching out a rough hand takes only a moment. I’m not inventing a brand new design from nothing. A quick glance at the fingers is a stark reminder of why I elected not to pursue a glass replacement previously, however. Disproportionate and mismatched, the four fingers look almost grotesque. They’re hard to draw, given my limited artistic capabilities. I don’t want to give people more reason to pay attention to my hand.
“What do you want?” I ask myself.
In the confines of my small room, the words I spoke aloud bounce around, unnaturally loud in the stillness. Long after the sound fades, the question remains. Relentless. Demanding an answer.
I slide the paper away from me, push back the chair, and walk to the window so that I can watch the sunset while I think. The answer used to be simple: new Skills. Then I wanted to become an adventurer. A mage. A master of the craft. As my horizons expanded, I wanted to learn the truth of things and find the hidden mysteries behind the Rifts and Wraiths. After losing my hand and my Skills, I felt unmoored. Adrift in a sea of possibility.
I’ve fallen back into more personal pursuits since then. I want to fix my hand. I want to walk the Way of the Artisan again. I still haven’t given up the hope that I can learn to repair my Skills once my core space is restored. Synthesizing a Skill is far from simple. Still, I think I have all the information and experience I need to try to recover what I’ve lost, since I’m not creating a new Skill from scratch.
But is it enough to work without interruptions? Maybe I’m not looking at a replacement the right way. Maybe my missing hand is an opportunity for replacing it with something greater. Should I abandon a hand shape? Unexpectedly, Scalpel’s voice echoes in the back of my head, yammering on about surpassing the frailty of my flesh. Maybe a set of glass-making tools would be more useful. Or perhaps I can create some sort of focus to direct my mana and Domain. If I can find a compatible beast core, like the fire-aspected core I used for Avelina’s staff, then I’ll be able to wield incredible power. It’s there for the grasping, right at my fingertips.
I shake my head. That’s not quite the right path for me, either. The chaotic maelstrom of my thoughts fall silent as I stand and watch the blush of orange and purple hues in the pale blue sky. As the sun slips beyond the far horizon, the remaining clouds in the sky burn crimson. It’s so beautiful my breath catches in my throat, and I wonder why I’m wasting time perseverating over something so simple. Why not just enjoy the beauty around me?
I should meet with the prosthetics team before I make any final decisions. Maybe they’ll have better ideas for me that I haven’t considered before. Maybe they’ll be completely useless. I smirk at that thought; it would be just like the rest of my life if I came all this way for nothing, only to have to come up with a more clever plan on my own.
No, not on my own, I remind myself. My friends are with me. They’ll help me each step of the way. They’ve proven reliable. No matter what happens when I meet with the prosthetics team, at least I’ll know what my options are.
Then, once I have a goal firmly in mind, I’ll get moving. I don’t fear the challenge. With my friends to help me, there’s nothing I can’t overcome. That thought warms me long after the sun sets and the gentle covering of night blankets the room in darkness. For all my fears and concerns, sleep comes swiftly and peacefully.