The worst part about making dramatic statements is that I have to follow up with something suitably clever. I’m not sure my plan to cheat qualifies as smart, let alone clever. All the same, my teammates trust me. It’s a lot of pressure, but I’m going to do my best to live up to their expectations.
The next morning, after breakfast, I drum my fingers on the table, considering all the facets of the plan I just outlined to them. Maybe I should check that everyone has a clear understanding of what’s going on. “Mikko, you sure that you can get your boss on board? I’m worried that—”
“Yeah, yeah. I got it, Nuri.”
I puff out my cheeks, then let out the air in a slow, steady stream. “Sorry. I’m kinda worked up. You’ll do great.”
“My part is also accounted for. Thrice over,” Rakesh assures me, an arch to his eyebrow that not so subtly conveys his amusement.
“Linas?” I ask.
“All set,” Avelina says, smirking.
Melina settles for a more dignified nod. She leans forward, reaching across the table to place a comforting hand on my forearm. “This will work. It’s a good idea. We know what to do, so trust us.”
With one last gentle squeeze, she releases my arm and returns to her upright posture, once more prim and proper. Even so, her vote of confidence means a lot.
I slap my hand down on the table in excitement. Conviction lends volume to my words, and I practically shout, “All right. Let’s go!”
At my over-eager prompting, we each depart for our various jobs and responsibilities: Mikko returns to the automated metalworking shop, the Linas resume their posts at Lionel’s side, and Rakesh is practically a permanent fixture in the library while he’s researching whatever esoteric knowledge he’s interested in lately, along with looking into an assortment of Gilead’s bylaws at my request. As for me, I get back to glass-making at the Orpheus.
The next few days pass by in a blur as we prepare to put my multi-part plan into action. Once I explained what I had in mind, they were all in. I just hope I don’t let them down.
I spend most of my prep time at the Orpheus. In the mornings, I create imbued pieces for sale. We need more funds. In the afternoons I’m free to explore my own projects. Lately, that means more specialized golems based on the scrying sensors. And in the evenings, I meet with Ozana and work out the details of the scrying system, or at least the parts she knows about. My questions are getting more and more pointed about how the runes work, operational practices, and who repairs the system when it breaks down. It’s hard not to tell her everything, but I don’t want to implicate her, or to give her too much leverage over us if things go sideways.
The less she knows about my audacious con, the better. I can’t lie to myself, though; she is too smart not to figure it out. Unfortunately, it’s not going to be terribly difficult for her to put the pieces together. When the alarms start coming in, she will instantly have a primary suspect: me.
Returning to our inn late at night a few days after our initial brainstorming session, I’m struck again by how much time I waste just walking around in Gilead. It’s a sprawling metropolis, far bigger than we realized when we first booked the current inn, and spending more than two hours a day commuting to and from work isn’t remotely unusual from what the workers at the Orpheus tell me. Still, it grates on me that I’m so inefficient with my time. All I can do is think while I walk, and I’d rather talk with my team and hear their ideas than come up with my own scatterbrained schemes.
Gratitude and relief wells up within me when I sense my team inside the inn through my Domain. Thanks to another late night strategy session, the rest of the team beat me back to the inn, but they’re still waiting for me.
I run up the stairs and wave to my friends, happy to be back at our temporary home base. “Everyone doing all right?”
“Hi, Nuri. Holding on,” Avelina says.
“Better than that. Lionel shows slight signs of improvement,” Melina reports, glowing as she goes over the magical health readings that the Menders update each day on Lionel’s patient charts. “They don’t know if he’ll wake up anytime soon, but he’s more or less stabilized thanks to the miracle potion. His body is slowly healing on its own.”
“So we have time to get on the waitlist after all?” Mikko asks. He leans forward, resting his muscular forearms on the edge of the table. His weight makes the table creak, but it holds.
Rakesh hums thoughtfully. “Perhaps, but I strongly recommend that you don’t leave things up to chance. Nuri’s idea is sound. For once.”
“Good to see you, too, Rakesh. You’ve really taken up Lionel’s role as the prankster in his absence,” I say with a faint smile. His humor has gotten more acerbic lately, but he’s doing a great job walking a fine line between being insulting and keeping our spirits up. He probably has it all calculated in his notebook. That’s the kind of fine science he excels at.
On a whim, I decide to ask him about my latest pet peeve. “Hey, how much time do you spend traveling to the library each day?”
Rakesh glances at the ceiling while he counts. “At least seventy-three minutes, and that’s on a good day. Once, I was jostling for position with [Merchant] carts and took a full two hours to arrive. Depending on how many pedestrians clog up the roads, it’s usually around an hour and a half. I’ve taken to leaving at odd hours to beat the rush.”
I stroke my beard as I consider our options. “Hmm, about what I thought. I’d like to propose that we look into moving our location. We’re wasting way too much time traveling to and from our various activities. Plus, I’m worried that the timing will be tough if we’re spread so far across the city when we enact our plan. Rakesh’s birds can only cover so much territory.”
“Good luck finding something we can afford,” Melina interjects, scowling. “Remember why we picked this place? We can actually pay for it. The prices are outrageous further into the city. We have no shot at anything in the Menders district.”
“Yeah, but that was before we had a buyer for my imbued glass,” I say. “Surely we’ve got more disposable income now.”
Avelina shrugs. Predictably, she champions her sister’s perspective. “So? Who wants to waste money? Walking is good for you. Keeps you slim.”
“Counterpoint: we’re rich,” I say.
Mikko snickers, but a glance from Avelina shuts him up. He blushes, looking sheepish. Traitor! I accuse him cheerfully in my mind. I’m happy for him, despite the teasing.
“Connected suites at a more centrally-located inn will still be painfully expensive. As our treasurer, I can’t recommend that in good conscience,” Rakesh says. “We’re not so wealthy that we can afford to waste money.”
Melina chews her lip, deep in thought. She finally sits up straight and folds her hands in her lap. “I suppose we could ramp up glass production at the Orpheus. I’m right on the cusp of imbuing. With some extra effort, I can probably break through soon. The corresponding uptick in proceeds might be enough to pay for better lodging.”
“If you bring me a batch of glass, then I can do some flamework in the Menders room while I’m watching over Lionel,” Avelina suggests, but there’s a note of uncertainty in her voice. “I suppose that’s an all right way to pass my time. You don’t think that would be a problem, do you? I don’t want to ignore him.”
“Nah, Lionel would probably be embarrassed to find out he’s taking you away from your work. I’m sure he’d be happy to know you’re making things. He’s always liked your flameworking pieces,” I say gently.
“Thanks, Nuri,” Avelina says. Her eyes shine with the shimmer of unshed tears, though unlike when I scared her at the Menders campus, this time they’re because she’s happy.
A companionable silence descends on the small common room between our bedrooms. I close my eyes, enjoying my friends’ nearness. I almost don’t want to speak up and interrupt the good times and warm glow in my heart, but I know we have a lot to do. “Well, now that we have a plan for lodging, let’s turn our attention to our big project. How are preparations coming along?”
“We’re ready at the glass studio,” Melina says immediately, speaking up for the twins. The firm conviction in her tone leaves no room for argument or doubt, and Avelina nods along next to her.
“Yep,” Mikko agrees.
I wait for him to elaborate, but he just shrugs his big shoulders. I guess that’s as good as I’m going to get.
“Ah, I suppose that I’m as prepared for this caper as I’ll ever be,” Rakesh says with a sigh of resignation. He also shrugs when I fix him with a serious stare, but doesn’t say anything further. It must be a conspiracy to tease me with silence.
“All right. Let’s get some rest,” I say, happy enough to shut up and turn in for the night. No point in dragging out a meeting if we’re all on the same page.
“Oh! I just had an idea for how to solve our housing dilemma,” Rakesh says, bouncing to his feet. Apparently, he’s willing and ready to extend the meeting for as long as humanly possible.
Who does that? There’s something not right in his head. No one likes meetings. No one!
I suppress a groan, remind myself that I’m trying to become a better leader, and give him an encouraging smile. “Let’s hear it! I’m glad we’re all contributing. I get too lost in my own head when it’s just me.”
“We’re not taking full advantage of your unique abilities, Nuri. Why bother to pay for a room when we can make our own for free?” Rakesh says.
“Uhh, none of us are [Builders],” I say, confused where this is going. Maybe I should have insisted that we all get some sleep, because I’m not following his meaning.
He looks at me smugly. “Have you forgotten about your [Sanctuary of Glass] already?”
“Of course not,” I lie.
“Ha! You absolutely did. Remarkable. Anyway, I think I know just the spot for your next [Sanctuary],” Rakesh declares, revealing his proposal.
I tug at my beard while I think, although I’m more intrigued than I let on. “Let me guess, this is connected to our surveillance plans?”
“Naturally. Ezio always taught me to accomplish as many goals as possible with each action I take,” Rakesh replies. “It’s simply more efficient.”
“Naturally,” Mikko parrots in a falsetto voice, making Rakesh chuckle. He mimes wiping away a tear. “Ah, our little [Researcher], all grown up. I’m so proud of you! You’ve come a long way.”
“From you, I’m not sure that’s a compliment,” Rakesh ripostes. “All you’ve succeeded in doing is convincing me that I should reevaluate my life.”
“It’s late. Let’s stay on task,” I say.
“Very well. Tonight or tomorrow?”
The author's narrative has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.
I splutter for a moment, caught off guard. “Wait, what?” Then it dawns on me and I do let out a groan after all. “Oh. You want to go now. Where is this place, anyway? I hope you know what you’re doing, Rakesh.”
“Better now than in the morning. We all have work to do tomorrow,” Rakesh replies in a matter of fact tone. “This way, friends.”
Rakesh pulls a slate-gray cloak over his black scholar robes and strides out the door. His long legs propel him down the hallway of the inn and out of sight before we all file into the hallway, but I track him effortlessly in my Domain. Without any mana restrictions, I can see much farther than ever before, and categorizing mana signatures feels trivial.
Picking up the pace, I guide the team and soon catch up with Rakesh, although when we reach him, I’m shocked to discover that I have trouble laying eyes on him. My gaze slides away, just like it used to with Mbukhe when his stealth Skill was activated. Still, thanks to my [Arcane Domain], we’re able to follow him as he weaves through the packed streets of Gilead.
We follow him across town, although some of my friends give me an odd look, since they can’t seem to see him. I can see him, but only if I stare long and hard at the spot my Domain informs me that Rakesh occupies. Even then, I have to circulate my mana throughout my eyes and mind while I look. There’s some kind of powerful mind magic at play to avert my eyes, but I don’t see any new Skills when I View Rakesh’s core space.
Of course! It’s his new cloak, I realize all at once. At first I assumed he wanted to be more stylish, but it seems obvious in retrospect. His growing connection with the [Inquisitors] must be paying off if they’re loaning him powerful artifacts. I’d love to get a closer look at the enchantments sewn into it. They must have been done by a high-level [Enchanter], since they’re so small and subtle that I didn’t even notice any interference in my Domain when Rakesh showed up with the cloak a few days earlier. I need to do a better job. My expanded senses are our first line of defense, after all.
I’ve been distracted, to be fair, but that could also get us in trouble. I need to keep sharp, especially for what’s to come. Focusing on his new cloak is good practice.
Our odd little procession finally reaches our destination about forty-five minutes later. My respect for the [Inquisitors] goes up another notch as I realize where we ended up after our walk through the night. We’re only several streets over from the Menders campus. Following the faint trail left by Rakesh’s mana signature, I pull aside a hanging board on a fence and duck into an abandoned lot with nothing but dirt and scraps of rusted metal tangled in a heap. If not for the practice of following Rakesh, I never would have noticed the gentle compulsion making me look away from the fence.
How they found an empty lot in the middle of prime real estate is beyond me, but there’s no arguing with facts. Professionalism at its finest, I guess. They’ve clearly worked hard to both infiltrate Gilead and keep a low profile. Whenever things with [Lady] Saphora’s shadowy cabal come to a head, we’ll probably have more allies than I first realized. I hope.
Rakesh materializes from thin air, making Mikko jump and let out an undignified squeal. Our [Researcher] is visible to our sight again after deactivating his cloak, and he indulges in a self-satisfied smirk at the reaction he garnered. “I’m not sure whether to be impressed that you can still track me, or disappointed that an artifact isn’t more powerful. I thought I’d lose you for sure in the press of the crowd.”
“I almost did,” I admit. “That was impressive! You’ll have to let me study the enchantment later. Maybe I can learn how to duplicate the spell impression.”
“We’ll see,” Rakesh hedges.
“Let the man keep his secrets,” Avelina says with a laugh. “You’re just envious that you aren’t the special one for once.”
My face heats up before I draw away the warm rush of blood with a deft application of my [Greater Heat Manipulation]. I cough into my fist and try to change the subject, although I’m embarrassed to admit Avelina hit the mark. “So, this is where we’re gonna set up camp?”
“Yeah, you sure we can stay here, Rakesh?” Mikko asks, frowning as he glances around the abandoned lot. “It’s not exactly well developed, but I don’t want to interfere with whoever owns the place. They won’t be happy to discover vagrants have moved in.”
“Oh, I don’t think that will be a problem,” Rakesh says, waggling his eyebrows in what’s probably supposed to be a mysterious manner.
Avelina rolls her eyes. “Of course. More of your undercover work.”
“Naturally. We’ve found our [Inquisitor] contacts. Nuri will take it from here,” Rakesh says, a haughty timbre to his voice.
“I will?” I deadpan.
“You’d better!” Rakesh says, scowling. “I’m already behind writing my treatise. As much as I enjoy occasional subterfuge, I have work to do. My academic career won’t make itself.”
I shrug one shoulder. “Yeah, tell them I’m ready to make contact. I doubt they’re unaware of the connections we’ve uncovered so far with [Lady] Saphora and her ilk. That’s why they sent us to the Old Keep first, I’ll wager. We still have to infiltrate the Menders, but we’re getting close to making our move.”
Melina smiles at our scholarly friend. “This is perfect, Rakesh. Close to the Menders. Hidden. The [Inquisitors] picked a good spot. And best of all, it’s free! We won’t find a better spot, as far as I can tell.”
“Well said,” I chime in, nodding in approval. Melina echoed exactly what I was thinking. She’s always been good at clearly articulating things. I work more on hunches than pure logic, so it’s good to have her around.
“No more stalling. Build us a [Sanctuary]!” Rakesh says, gesturing around the empty lot grandly.
I shuffle in place, trying to figure out the best approach to the problem. “Uhh, I haven’t raised a [Sanctuary of Glass] on my own. I never had the mana for it. Last time, I had to drain the entire Oletheros core. I definitely don’t have that much inherent Capacity, even after my big upgrades.”
“You’re gonna do great,” Mikko says, bumping me shoulder to shoulder. He can always tell when I’m worried or feeling uncomfortable.
“Yeah, and we don’t need a massive castle. The last one was immense. This is just for a few of us to stay temporarily,” Avelina reminds me.
“Right. Right! I can do this,” I say, working up my courage to try. The task feels daunting now that I’m not borrowing power. What if I’m not good enough on my own? There’s only one way to find out.
“Go Nuri. I believe in you,” Rakesh says in a flat, sardonic tone. He pumps his fist in the air in the most lazy manner I’ve ever seen from him, which earns a round of laughter and a grin from me. It was almost certainly a calculated move, since I feel better already. He’s good at that.
Raising a building using [Sanctuary of Glass] will take almost my entire mana pool, but I don’t have anything else to do tonight. I can afford to spend all my energy and regenerate as I sleep. Worst case scenario, if I fail, we can fall back to the inn.
Taking a deep breath, I block out all my distractions and doubts. I connect to the strange, recursive runic arrays that make up the enormous, intricate Skill, feeding it mana until I’m about to pass out. I flare my [Greater Endurance] and [Lesser Resistance: Mental Strain], grateful for the borrowed Skills, and fend off the growing tinges of black spots at the edges of my vision.
With one last surge of mana, I empty my entire pool, draining myself completely. A spike of pain pounds through my skull, but I push onward in grim satisfaction as the Skill initializes at last. It’s incredibly mana-hungry, but I can do it. Barely.
Guided by my intent and imagination, the potent mana merges with the ground in a burst of power that reminds me of [Vitrification], transmuting the dirt and debris into glass. Walls grow up from the ground right in front of my eyes, rising vertically to a bit under three times my height before curving in toward one another and melding into a smooth, curved dome.
I collapse on my rear, panting as I take in the [Sanctuary] I’ve created. It’s certainly not a large structure. Barely larger than my small cabin at home, I reckon. Nevertheless, it looks like it will be roomy enough for us all to squeeze inside.
“Unnh,” I groan unintelligibly, my head resting against my hand. I swallow a few times and force moisture back into my mouth and tongue before I find my voice again. “If [Sanctuary of Glass] ever ranks up, I can’t imagine how much mana draw it will require. That was intense.”
“Better than sleeping in tents,” Rakesh quips with a wink, proving once and for all that bad company corrupts. He’s more like Lionel than ever these days. Even as I groan at the pun, the thought makes me smile.
I can’t wait for the team to get back together again. If all goes to plan, then it shouldn’t be long now. Soon, I tell myself hopefully. Soon.
“Hey, Nuri, I have a theory that I want you to try out if you’re willing,” Melina says. When I nod, she continues, “Try combining your Skills to create a doorway that can open on its own. [Glass Animation] can do so much more than give animals an ability to move, unless I’m on the wrong track. You could key it to our mana signatures so we’re always able to get inside, but a stranger will be locked out.”
“Oh, wow. That’s a great idea, Mel. I gotta harvest mana first. I’m out,” I say, glancing up and giving her a weary smile.
“Completely?” she says in surprise. “Even with the massive amounts you have now?”
“Yep. Dry as a bone.”
“Whoa. Well, it can wait.”
My forehead sinks back down, dropping into my palm. Through force of will, I shake off the feelings of drowsiness and stand up. “Glad to hear that. [Sanctuary of Glass] is absolutely ridiculous. Without my restored core, I’d never be able to use it at all.”
“We’ll have to test your Capacity again when we’re back at the SCA,” Rakesh suggests with far too much cheer. “I’ll bet you’re past the First Threshold metrics. We’ll almost definitely have to score you on the Second since you’ll exceed the expected total.”
I make a face. “Pass. The mana control test is no fun at all. I can’t believe you want to inflict it on me again, but you’ve never once offered to our friends. What about Lionel and Ava? Shouldn’t they get a chance to try it?”
“No thanks,” Avelina pipes up. “Mel told me all about it when the two of you took it at the SCA. I don’t need numbers to know I’m awesome.”
Mikko leans over and high-fives her. “Numbers are for [Scholars]. We’re busy doing way more important stuff.”
“Important stuff! How far would you have gotten without me?” Rakesh sputters, choking on his words in his outrage. “Oh, how quickly you forget!”
“Fine. You do important stuff, too,” Mikko concedes, holding up his hands in surrender. “I should say boring instead. No one can argue that.”
“I can argue!” Rakesh protests.
“Think you’re alone there,” I say, only for Melina to shuffle over and stand next to him, crossing her arms and giving me an arch look. The two of them look so indignant that I can’t help but chuckle.
“All right, well, you’re a little touched in the head. We get it. But the rest of us are way less interested in numbers.”
Mikko pats my back. “You’ve worked hard today. Let’s go get some rest. We can argue about numbers in the morning.
“Thanks, Mikko,” I mumble, my voice suddenly thick with gratitude and exhaustion in equal measures. I beckon for the team to join me in exploring our new home. I walk over to my glass Sanctuary, sliding a gleaming glass door out of the way so that the rest of them can follow me inside.
“Melina’s right. That would be awesome if it opened on its own,” I say, nodding toward my thoughtful friend. She has the good graces to accept the peace offering as the apology it is for poking fun of her obsession with numbers.
Unlike my original Sanctuary, which had no doors, rooms, or windows, this iteration most resembles a cottage. It’s completely bare inside, since I forgot to manifest any furniture, but it’s dry, clean, and warm. Best of all, it’s virtually impenetrable with the door closed. I doubt anyone under at least a high-Gold ranking, whether man or beast, could break down the door.
Admittedly, that’s less impressive than what I created with the Oltheros core powering the Skill, which held up the weight of the inland sea, but it’s still an incredibly strong structure. For our needs, it ought to be more than sufficient.
“I know it’s a bit empty, but we can fix things up. Linas, you’ve got a loft upstairs. I didn’t make a full second level, but there should be room for sleeping mats and a privacy curtain. The rest of us are downstairs. I ran out of mana before I could create any plumbing, so we’ll need to rely on the public baths. Sorry!”
Melina runs her hands across the wall. “So smooth. It’s perfect in composition, according to my Skill. No variation. I can’t identify what it is, however. It’s not borosilicate or soda-lime. I’m getting some sort of metallic element, but I can’t identify it exactly. I’m genuinely astonished, Nuri! We didn’t get a chance to examine the massive pillar you made in Natan, but I wish we had. This doesn’t feel like anything I’ve ever analyzed. I wonder if we’d be able to harvest some of it and use it for the glass armor project.”
I rap on it with my knuckles, enjoying the satisfying thunk. “That’s an excellent idea, Mel. If you’re able to cut any free, go for it. I don’t know whether you’ll be able to carve off any sheets thin enough to work. I’m not even certain if I can melt this glass down with my [Greater Heat Manipulation], or if it will simply evaporate and return to pure mana.”
“One more thing to add to my research list,” Melina replies happily. “Rakesh, do you still have space in your treatise for this discussion?”
“Of course! There’s no page limit. Ezio may edit it down for clarity, but I’d rather include a detail than skip over something truly revolutionary. There’s no record I can find of anything quite like this Skill. Even [Glass Animation] has precedence. Look at the famed Lion of Densmore, for example. But [Sanctuary of Glass] is new. It seems to borrow from the [Eternal Forge] that Nuri had before—a much-sought-after creator Skill—but it creates a ready-made structure out of an unidentified glass type. Of course I’ll include it in my report!”
Hearing Rakesh put it that way makes me simultaneously proud of [Sanctuary of Glass], and simultaneously saddened about the loss of my old Skill. I don’t mind losing it as much as I do the Artisan line, however. If there’s any Skill I want to one day regain, it’s [Way of the Artisan: Architect of Unseen Worlds].
Focus on the positive, I remind myself. I can turn anything into glass with [Vitrification]. I can summon a shelter that will likely only grow in time as I gain strength and rank it up. Perhaps in the Second Threshold someday, I’ll be able to create an entire palace without relying on an enormous beast core. Visions of the grandeur in my future dance in my mind, bringing a smile to my face and washing away the temporary melancholy.
Mobbed by my friends and hearing their congratulations, it’s much easier to put aside any lingering sense of sadness. Onward, Nuri, I tell myself in encouragement. Forget what’s behind. Press on to what’s to come.