The day was uncharacteristically hot as Ranvir, Kasos, and Dovar trained on the Sworden estate. The vast emberleaf’s canopy sheltered each beneath its heavy leaves. Supposedly, the trees didn’t usually grow to be so big in the wild.

Ranvir could understand why as he examined the slow buildup of debris in each of the cupped leathery fronds. In the shadows, the slight amber glow hidden among the ashes was easy to see.

In autumn, when trees bared their branches would the emberleaf dump all the ember and ash onto the ground. While resistant to fire, the tree was not immune. They caused many forest fires in the more southerly parts of the plane. For now, its sheds were fresh and diffuse, no risk of igniting anything.

Thankfully for Dovar, the climate in Elusria made it a little easier to keep emberleafs. It was a lot drier south of the Ankirian desert, so many places that the tree naturally grew were more likely to burn. Autumn was a short and soaked affair, leading into a long winter here.

Of course, the tree took a lot of effort to keep alive when it was first transplanted into the North. The ground being both too cold and dense for them to survive on their own. According to Dovar, if you planted an emberleaf seed in natural Elusrian soil, it would die within a week of sprouting.

The sheer effort and cost of growing the trees meant it was cheaper and easier—but neither cheap nor easy—to transport it across the desert, risking sun-blights and the like. All to show how much effort and expense Dovar’s mother had gone through to get the tree that now loomed tall and mighty.

It had been one of twelve she’d gotten imported and the only one to survive. They could have bought a dozen fully grown trees and get them sent up for the same price it took to get the one survivor.

Ranvir had thought his background as a Sentinel would’ve made him rich compared to the Elusrians. And he was, to a degree. But it would only stretch so far. Despite his delightful house and the grounds surrounding it, he still couldn’t compete with the kinds of money nobles were throwing around on hobbies.

The Sworden family could’ve fed a village through a winter with the kinds of money they’d spent on the emberleaf during the first year alone. That, of course, went without mentioning the subsequent years of effort and gardening. Ranvir’s parents hadn’t spent that much coin, including bartering, in their lifetime.

And it wasn’t just Dovar’s family. The Tage ledger spoke of similar decadence, just in other fields. Grev’s family too. Ranvir didn’t want to imagine the kind of wealth they spent on guards.

“Ranvir,” Kasos whispered, nudging him in the side. “What are you thinking about?”

Blinking, he turned to look at the older man. He coughed into his fist. “Sorry. I’ve just been a little distracted.”

Kasos nodded. “Is it about the school?”

Ranvir nodded, frowning up at the reddish brown leaves of the tree. “I got the budget for the first trimester.”

There was a flicker of confusion on Kasos’ face before he reconciled trimester and semester in his mind. “What about it?”

“It’s a lot of money. At least, I thought it was.”

“But the more you look into it, the more you need to spend?”

Ranvir nodded, and Kasos sighed. “Yeah. I’ve found that you often have less money than you want, but, if you’re careful, more than you need.”

Ranvir chuckled. Kasos turned to Dovar, then gave Ranvir a considering look. “Is he there yet?”

Letting his tether-sense wash over his friend, Dovar didn’t externally react. He’d delved deep into his spirit, so far that it would take effort for him to have more than a reactive external response.

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“I think so…” when Ranvir saw the judging gaze of Kasos, he nodded. “He is.”

“Let’s get started then.”

So they began their ‘training.’ It felt a little too much like bullying to Ranvir, however. First, they started shoving and tugging his friend’s seated form around, causing him to lose balance and fall over. But he didn’t react to this at all, sitting eyes closed and focusing on his Fundament.

Solidity training was a form of exercise that Ranvir hadn’t had to go through. The process involved causing slight stresses to the spirit and Fundament, then slipping prepared bits of anima. Remaking him spiritually with purpose made it more focused as well as increasing internal awareness.

While not directly strengthening the soul, like many other exercises, it was a similar effect. Taking Dovar’s spirit from a disorganized spear-troop, heads pointed in every way. After these exercises, they would all be pointed in the same direction.

Soon, they moved on to pinching instead of shoving. Again, the feeling of bullying intensified for Ranvir. This was only worsened because he didn’t have to go through this training. Or rather, he’d begun his training already stripped bare, so no need for this careful ripping into the spirit.

Kasos stopped them after Dovar’s arms had turned red and sore from their constant ministrations. With a deft twist of his spirit, he ‘knocked’ on Dovar like you would a door.

“That sucks,” Dovar said, reaching to run his hands over his arms but stopped after touching them.

“It’s going to get worse, I’m afraid.” Kasos said. “Physical trauma only takes us so far without causing you permanent harm.” Dovar paled at his words. “So, we’re going to move onto a different method.”

“And it’s going to suck worse than pain?” disbelief was clear in Dovar’s voice.

Ranvir nodded. He knew the theory well enough that he could’ve done this training without Kasos present. He just really didn’t want to do it alone. That he’d needed to ask some of their friends to be ready, in case they needed to dump Dovar on them, spoke enough for the severity of this exercise. There was every chance he wouldn’t want to see them after this.

“Should you be telling me this?” Dovar asked, looking from one to the other. “Won’t it lessen the impact?”

Kasos nodded. “Obviously, however dumping this exercise on you without explanation would be at minimum mean-spirited, if not outright malicious.”

“But you’re just going to talk to me?”

Kasos nodded. “Get ready?”

Dovar shook his head and closed his eyes. Ranvir desperately wanted to be back in his house, going over the budget for the dozenth time.

Five minutes later, Dovar was ready. Both teachers knelt next to him, their tether-senses carefully layered over him.

“You failed to advance on your own,” Ranvir said. “The academy was wrong about you. Next great talent? You aren’t even mediocre.” He flinched, a dark violet cloud of virulence surging in the absolute pit of Ranvir’s stomach. Something similar happened to Dovar. The surface of his spirit having been reordered. It was harder to tell when he was finished internally.

“Minor tremor,” Kasos reported.

Ranvir nodded. His voice shook as he continued mocking him for another minute. Digging for more within the well of Dovar’s inability as a tethered. There wasn’t as much as Ranvir’d hoped. Either he’d already faced that he was a failure, or he’d invested little of his sense of self into his ability as a tethered. Granted, he’d only had official training for around a year.

“Your house, the house of Sworden, fell because of you. You didn’t stop your father and sister and they brought ruin to your home.” Ranvir barely detected any reaction from Dovar at all.

Kasos shook his head, affirming Ranvir’s thoughts. Ranvir reiterated a little, the nauseous smog rising from the pit in his stomach growing darker and thicker.

There was little reaction from Dovar. Even then, it seemed to pertain only to a single subject.

“Yrsa,” Ranvir had barely mentioned Dovar’s ex-fiancée when he reacted. Ranvir immediately stopped, letting Dovar work. He exchanged a glance with Kasos. Smog had risen to cover the entire ground of Ranvir’s self. A miasma of virulence and malicious intent. He tried not to focus on it. This was about Dovar, managing his spirit without as little hurt as possible.

Dovar worked for a long time in silence. They sensed the continual shift in his soul. Even his mind returning to the subject of his ex was enough to ripple at the deeper layers. Instead of continuing to pressure, they let him work in as much peace as their actions could afford him.

Eventually, Dovar settled.

“Is it done?” Kasos asked, keeping the hope on his face out of his voice.

Dovar took a long time to answer, churning over the details of his spirit. Likely internally working over it as well. Ranvir imagined part of him considered simply saying ‘yes’ and stopping it.

Dovar slowly shook his head.

Ranvir exchanged a look with Kasos. There was a question in the old man’s eyes. Did he know of further buttons to push?

Licking his lips, he tried to shove down the sick feeling in his stomach and focus on his friend instead. Focusing on his spirit was an important part of gaining control and mastering the spiritual. It was an unfortunate truth, but one every person who wished to master their self needed to do.

Ranvir opened his mouth. “Asny—“

Dovar ripped out of his trance. He leapt to his feet, mana flooding through him as he backed away. He held up both hands. “I can’t… This, I need a break.”

Ranvir and Kasos remained seated. They nodded and watched as he slipped out of the gate. Ranvir opened hopped into a pocket to get Es to look for Dovar.