《Fresh Recruits》 1.00 Family Like Wolves A faint aura of fear essence approached from behind Aliera, causing goosebumps along her neck and sending shivers down her spine. She turned to face her next ¡®training partner¡¯, still surprised at the puppet standing before her. Six feet of obsidian steel armor with a claymore to match. The empty shell of a Death Knight pointed its blunted sword at her in a salute. Aliera, unarmed, simply nodded her head. Then turned and ran towards the raised garden beds to her right. The burst of speed gave her some vital space ahead of the suit of armor. It wouldn¡¯t last. With each stride, the suit closed the gap. Aliera tapped into her mana battery, letting essence flow from the battery down her spine to her legs. Infused with essence, Aliera nearly fell on her face as she surged forward. Between a raised bed with various edible flowers and one with vines of True-Shrooms, Aliera cut the connection to her battery. She only had so much mana to use. Even if it was just a puppet, it would not be an easy win. She needed a plan. ¡°You have three seconds before I send it in after you¡± Cim, Aliera¡¯s trainer/ Guardian, called from the patio. His cat-eyes reflecting the dim light coming from the Ley-Lines overhead. ¡°Sely will hiss if we wreck her garden.¡± His comment was more a threat than a warning. Sely managed the house and grounds with Cim. If they destroyed her garden, she would be livid. And considering that Cim was married to her, he had just as much at stake as Aliera. She took a deep breath, chose the least insane thought she had, and bolted directly away from the house towards the wall surrounding the estate. The animated suit of armor barreled after her as it closed the gap. Aliera cursed as she noticed its speed. Despite being an empty suit of armor, it weighed more than Aliera. The least Cim could do was make it slower than her. She needed time, and preferably space. A gauntleted hand reached for her throat- it¡¯s a predator. It always went for the throat. Weaving under the arm, Aliera stepped in close. Close enough that it couldn¡¯t bring its sword to bear. Close enough that she could smell the lingering scent of the body that used to inhabit this suit. Like rotting mold. They could never completely get rid of that smell. Sely tried for months. Aliera couldn¡¯t beat it in any head-to-head contest, so she used its weight against it. She grabbed the arm and stepped behind the puppet. Using the arm as leverage, she wrenched it off balance. The Armor lost its balance and tipped awkwardly. Kinetic essence lighting up its limbs as Cim worked to regain proper balance for his puppet. Now if only there was something she could do with the slight advantage she¡¯d won. The suit was stronger, faster, and operated by a far more experienced fighter. She is outclassed in every way. She wasn¡¯t a little girl anymore, but even before the hollowed out husk of this monster, Aliera was hopeless. When the death knight attacked the estate 7 years ago, Aliera could only hide while it slaughtered the staff that tried to protect her. If Cely and Cim hadn¡¯t arrived in time to kill it, she would have died as well. 7 years after the worst night of her life, and she was still as weak as ever. The hopelessness struck something inside her, an internal flame sparking to life. Outmatched, sure, not helpless. Stopping to face the suit as it lumbered forward in a charge. Boots pounding rivets in the dirt claymore raised over its head. Aliera reached for the projection crystal on her necklace and did some math. With a thought, her mana battery thrummed, a spark dancing between her shoulder blades as essence flowed from her battery to the projection crystal. First Eisens foundation. As she stepped aside, letting the armor charge past her, Aliera ran the formulae. The projection crystal mapping out her calculations in a series of angles and geometric patterns. Running the equation was nearly effortless by now. The only variable for Eisens Foundation was how much Essence she would use. Aliera poured as much as she had stored in her Mana Battery, 2 Thaums. Opalescent lines of light spilled out from Aliera¡¯s projection crystal. Forming a base inches in front of the crystal. Like a spiderweb of sharp angles. Now the structure. Aliera tried to maneuver a tree between them to buy her some breathing space. The armor kicked dirt at her as it pivoted around the tree. Lines from the foundation streamed upwards, forking and joining at steady intervals as her projection took the shape of a staff. Running Aliera stumbled into the ¡®orchard¡¯. Having barely over a dozen trees there, it wasn¡¯t a real orchard. Just what they called that area of the grounds. But there isn¡¯t enough space for the suit to swing its sword, and that mattered to Aliera a great deal. She might actually get to finish her technique. Taking advantage of the moment, Aliera raked her eyes across the projection for flaws. If she¡¯d made a mistake anywhere, all the essence she used would misfire. No room for careless errors. She¡¯d performed this technique out of combat every day; and others more difficult. All flawlessly. She just had to make sure she didn¡¯t miss something in the fight''s chaos. The suit of armor aimed a kick at her, catching her on the side as she dodged aside. The force nearly knocked her off her feet. Retreating further, her projection finished, Aliera poured essence into the Formula. The Opalescent lines turned yellow as the essence filled the projection. The suit scrambled after her; Aliera could practically hear Cim growling from his chair on the patio. Focus on the formula, get it right. She spotted an angle that looked out of place near the top of the would-be staff. Is that supposed to be an obtuse angle? She didn¡¯t have time to track its relation to the rest of the formulae. The projection was turning yellow inches below it. If that was a flaw, it would fail as soon as the essence reached it. With two thaums worth of essence, the technique won¡¯t just fizzle. Out of time, the Suit got within striking range. Aliera sent a silent prayer and smoothed out the offending line. Making the projection symmetrical just before the section turned yellow. Then orange; then green. Pots, she cursed, watching the projection warp as her technique broke. That was the endpoint of a reinforcing component, she realized. She broke her own technique; again. Aliera could practically feel Cim¡¯s pitying look from 20 feet away. He expected me to tilt this. She thought, but he won¡¯t expect this. Aliera often lost; in training, in school, in politics, in life, really. But she always took a measure of pride in never making it easy for her opponent. Spite has its place. Aliera reached out to her projection; too late to stop the technique from failing; but not too late for her to influence in some small way. Like fracture a section of the circuit right in front of the suit of armor, for example. A bubble of essence formed around the fracture as the top third of the staff swelled out of proportion like a tumor growing on a vine. The Suit of armor faltered for the second it took for the technique to fail. The projection snapping with the sound of trumpets and ripped brass; an inconsistent chaos of light playing from the unraveled technique. The explosion blew the suit back off its feet and sent Aliera tumbling back. Rushes of pain hit her as she tumbled to a stop. She directed a larger portion of the blast with the fracture that she caused. But in the end, a failed projection with that much essence fueling it can¡¯t be controlled or targeted. She just pointed a larger portion away from her. Considering the churned earth at the point of the explosion, it was a good thing she had done it, too.This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road. If you spot it on Amazon, please report it. It was truly evening now. The purple tinted light of the veil above gave the estate a melancholy feel. A silhouette approached Aliera, calling out as it walked, ¡°If you¡¯re alive, groan really loud.¡± Aliera sighed instead ¡°I¡¯m ok Cim, just knocked around a bit.¡± Cim came up to her and offered a hand, his feline eyes flashing in the low light. ¡°Should I call the Elders to come heal you?¡± The Demi-human asked as he pulled Aliera to her feet. ¡°We¡¯re training to keep you alive. Letting you die would defeat the entire point.¡± Aliera leaned on Cim¡¯s arm as she limped to the house. ¡°I won¡¯t argue with you there.¡± She said, ¡°However, I am an architect, and I have some manna left in my battery. I¡¯ll just circuit what I have left to speed up my healing.¡± Cim frowned, his whiskers drooping. ¡°You know your father always told Sely, and me, it is better to heal naturally.¡± She stayed quiet as they crossed the garden. Wincing with each step. Aliera was quickly coming to terms with how risky detonating her projection was. But a collection of bumps and bruises would not make Aliera run to a healer. Neither would that ringing in her ears. Aliera stopped at the sight of a stranger standing in the patio''s light. He gave a half-hearted smile when her eyes met his. Several excuses not to talk to him ran through her mind. All hopeless. Aliera was cold, hungry, tired and in pain. She had no energy to be polite. All that aside, she couldn¡¯t risk alienating another member of the upper class. She needed friends and allies. She couldn''t afford to be picky. For now, at least. Ignoring the pangs her muscles gave off, Aliera straightened and greeted the stranger. ¡°Apologies that I could not welcome you at the door. I am Aliera Haedron¡±. The stranger responded with a nod. ¡°Julius Forthin. I¡¯m sorry, I realize watching you train without invitation is quite rude.¡± he said, at least having the sense to look abashed. ¡°Honestly, my curiosity just got the best of me.¡± Aliera briefly considered if she could guilt him into coming back tomorrow when a towel engulfed her face. Followed a breath later by her godmother calling her from the kitchen. ¡°Get cleaned up, dear. Julius is joining us for dinner¡±. Aliera scowled. Sely had deftly outmaneuvered her. Julius looked back ¡°I am? I... uh I don¡¯t want to impose...¡± he said as Sely glided out of the kitchen entrance to the patio. Aliera would never get used to how graceful her godmother was. Even other feline Demi-humans look like newborn foals compared to Sely. She gave the young man a warm smile. ¡°It¡¯s no problem. I¡¯ve made plenty for dinner.¡± Julius opened his mouth as if to argue further when Sely pinned Julius with one of those looks that mothers have used since time began, and instead he ran his hand through his hair and said, ¡°Well, I don¡¯t want to impose. But it would be an honor to eat with you,¡± He said, nerves creeping through his voice. Aliera found herself somewhat curious. This Julius was clearly familiar with the customs of the nobles. But not comfortable with them by any means. What was he doing here? A brisk breeze rolled across the patio, reminding Aliera that she was still in her training clothes. While not scandalous, it wouldn¡¯t help her standing if it got out she entertained in such a state. ¡°I¡¯m going to get ready for dinner, if you¡¯ll excuse me Julius,¡± she said, stepping past the young man into the house. Hiding a wince with a shrug, Aliera headed to her room up the stairs. Before she had gone more than a handful of steps, Sely called up to her. ¡°When you¡¯re done, please assist the Madam to the table.¡± Aliera paused on the stairs. ¡°Has she been feeling better? I Wouldn¡¯t want to take too much out of her?¡± Sely¡¯s white tail swished, as if batting at an annoying kitten. ¡°I believe she¡¯ll insist either way.¡± Knowing that she wouldn¡¯t get any clarification from Sely, Aliera headed upstairs. Wondering if she forgot some appointments. Between Julius joining for dinner, and Sely insisting that her Great Grandmother be brought to the table, dinner will surely have some significance. Aliera groaned to herself. She was in pain and rattled. She didn¡¯t have the mind for anything except sleep and food. Let alone significance. How long could she last a hermit out in the mountains she wondered. Stepping into the Bathroom on the second floor, Aliera eyed the tub with longing. As much as she would love to soak and relax after the intense training, she couldn¡¯t afford the time. Dropping her training clothes into a barrel, she slotted a small charge into a basket attached to the rim of the barrel. The quartz rectangle stood in the groove as the mana circuit pulled essence from the charge, a teal spark wavering inside the quartz as the essence flowed through the circuit. Aliera added some powdered Skymint to the water and flipped the lever attached to the inset box. A buzz built as the water in the barrel churned, washing her clothes. The smell of fresh mountain air filled the room thanks to the Skymint she¡¯d added. Aliera took a deep breath, already feeling better. A sapphire in tin clamps over the sink released water essence into the basin as Aliera turned a gear to complete the circuit. After a few moments, the essence coalesced into actual water at the bottom of the basin. Splashing the room temperature water on her face, Aliera wondered how much the new circuits that the Haedron family had installed on their estates cost. She was grateful for what she had; being able to have clean water from a charged sapphire was a privilege that many didn¡¯t have. Still, she admired the new water circuits for the magi-tech marvel they were. The way the new tools used a combination of circuits to not only conjure water but also could add heat and momentum was not only brilliant but luxurious. Of course she may be a Haedron by name, but Aliera knew she could never afford the amenities that her relatives did. Clean and washed, Aliera entered her room, debating what she should wear. Her comfortable night clothes were conspicuously missing. Instead, a functional dress with accompanying shawl laid on her bed. She sighed at Sely¡¯s attempt at a subtle suggestion. Picking it up, she regarded the dress. It was a wonderful choice, practical, well made, even flattering for Aliera¡¯s short frame. Even considered past her prime, Sely is a beauty. Cim joked about how a hundred hearts broke the day he paired with her. Aliera believed him. Sely has always had an eye for style and a grace that almost was magnetic. Try as she might, Aliera¡¯s GodMother could never transfer that same skill to Aliera. Her brother liked to say that Aliera had too much of their dad in her. Putting the dress back into the wardrobe, Aliera pulled out something that she¡¯d at least feel slightly comfortable in; A blouse from the linen market with a nice open sleeve, and leather pants with panels of extra fabric that almost gave it an armored look. They wouldn¡¯t do in actual combat, but Aliera felt more confident in them. Which, she supposed, was its own sort of armor. Stomach growling, Aliera knocked as she entered the downstairs bedroom that her great grandmother inhabited. Draped in a shawl and nightdress combo, the frail woman somehow evoked the memory of the structured gowns she wore decades ago. ¡°Madam, Sely asked if you would like to join us for dinner.¡± She said as she walked into the room. The old woman rolled her eyes as she moved out from under the blankets. ¡°I told Sely to send you a child. I¡¯m a cripple, not a vegetable,¡± she said, pulling herself to the edge of the bed. ¡°Now bring that tilted chair over here. I haven¡¯t had my dignity hurt yet today.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t say that gran, there¡¯s no shame in getting help¡± Aliera pulled the wheelchair to the bed. Unhooking the quartz charges from the momentum circuit. Aliera could get them to the dining room with her own power. ¡°Besides, you¡¯re a hero. That means everything you do is dignified.¡± The old lady grunted in response, pulling on Aliera¡¯s hand for help into the chair. ¡°You look rather presentable, considering the ruckus I heard not twenty minutes ago.¡± The Madam said, laying a shaking hand on Aliera. ¡°Ha, you''re kind gran. But I¡¯m probably a bit too casual. Maybe I should have gone with the dress Sely put out after all,¡± Aliera replied. The Madam blew a raspberry. ¡°You¡¯re fine. Sely has always preferred dresses since she was a child. If I looked like her, I would too. Point is, if we expected the males to be presentable on a moment¡¯s notice, no one could ever visit unexpectedly.¡± She said, legs twitching as she laughed. Aliera smiled to herself. She couldn¡¯t remember any time from her childhood that her great-grandmother laughed. She was such a different person from the stern force of nature that she remembered as a child. Entering the dining room, Aliera nearly tripped as she saw two guests sitting at the table instead of one. They¡¯re multiplying. 1.01 Dinner with guests The first guest she expected, Julius. The same young man who had already introduced himself. Only now did she notice ?he was a half-elf. The distinctly rounded points on his ears made it rather obvious. What was surprising was that the sides of his hair were cut close; drawing attention to the fact that he was a half-elf. In the Kael valley, half elves weren¡¯t considered servant class. But they weren¡¯t far off either. A half elf intentionally displaying his heritage was an uncommon approach. Aliera liked that he didn¡¯t shy away from his blood. She could relate to that. A Librarian¡¯s Capelet hung off of his shoulders bordered with ether silk. Marking Julius as a member of the Kaelton Library and the Gate-Keepers Guild as well. The Kaelton Library functioned as both research and development of essence technology, everything from mana engines and circuits to complex essence compounds. The Librarians are among the most skilled scientists, alchemists, artificers, etc. and are vital to the defense of Kaelton and the Dragons Keep from the Ley-lands. Beyond that, to be selected from the Librarians to join the Gate-keepers speaks of significant accomplishments in combat focused essence research. This Julius was part of two of the most powerful organizations in the valley. The other guest was unexpected, though unfortunately familiar. Fenton Haedron sat at the table, dressed in a respectable coat and vest with a Haedron clan pattern stitched into it. Aliera choked a chord of panic down. Mechanically moving her Gran to the head of the table, she took a deep breath. Aliera felt faint just being in the same room as her mom¡¯s cousin. But she couldn¡¯t leave her loved ones to deal with the second most influential leader of clan Haedron without her. Glancing at Cim, Aliera moved to her seat. ¡°Everyone sit. I believe in the saying ¡®Unexpected guests are an undue joy.¡¯¡± While patently untrue, Aliera often found small deceptions necessary to keep peace in polite society. ¡°We have plenty to serve everyone. Please enjoy.¡± Cim brought the meat out and helped Sely serve the meal. The Madam first, then the guests. Last Aliera and themselves. Thinking ahead, Sely gave Fenton an extra portion of Highland Hog. Aliera tried to focus on her meal, but couldn¡¯t help glancing across the table wondering why she had two guests tonight. Last time she had any visitor was 3 months ago. It tempted her to stop the meal and tell them to spit it out. But that would be... rude. Instead, she tried to distract herself from panicking by going over formulae equations in her head. Worried she wouldn¡¯t be able to keep anything she ate down. So all she could do was wait. ¡°I can¡¯t stay to eat,¡± Fenton Said, trying to wave off Sely as she moved to give him seconds. ¡°I¡¯m here on clan business and am in something of a hurry. Miss Aliera, shall we talk in greeting room?¡± Aliera stuck a slice of meat into her mouth. The time to think was worth the risk of her hurling it up later. As she chewed, her stomach reminded her how ravenous she was. She¡¯d had a long day cleaning a Haedron facility and then done her training with Cim, all while forgetting to eat lunch. Perhaps she could afford a little rudeness; after all, she¡¯s not acting as a member of Clan Haedron at the moment. Besides, she¡¯d be a much better host if she wasn¡¯t at risk of fainting from exertion. A cold wash of panic begged her to just do as Fenton asked. But her stomach won out; ¡°Master Haedron, I¡¯ve had a rough training session after working the full day as a servant for Clan Haedron. As you can imagine, I¡¯ve worked up something of an appetite. Whatever needs to be discussed can either be at the dinner table or wait until I¡¯ve eaten.¡± Aliera replied, taking a bite. ¡°Though if you¡¯re here to tell me you no longer object to my pursuing a traditional education, I believe you¡¯re a year and a half late. Not to mention a rather invasive surgery.¡± She said, tapping the Mana Battery implanted at the base of her neck the handle of her knife. Fenton¡¯s jaw clenched, but it was The Madam who spoke. ¡°If you¡¯re here as a representative of the clan, then you will act with the propriety that fits a leader of Haedron. Do not tell me we have fallen so much since I stepped down that..¡± the woman began wheezing. Struggling to regain control, she gestured for Fenton to take his seat. He did, giving the Madam, his grandmother, a look of concern. Having won a moment of peace, everyone worked on their dinner. Once everyone had their first plate, Cim broke the silence. ¡°Tell us, what brings you to the Orthal estate, young Julius?¡±. The half-elf looked up and smiled. ¡°Honestly, I¡¯ve always wanted to visit since studying to become a librarian. When the opportunity arose, I volunteered.¡± ¡°You¡¯re rather young for a fully fledged librarian. That¡¯s quite an accomplishment.¡± Sely said. ¡°Not as much as you may think.¡± Julius replied. ¡°I have more elf in me than it looks. I¡¯m actually in my late 30s, which is plenty of time to be accepted into the librarians. It also helps that my father was part of the first generation of engineers. I grew up around Mana Engines and have always had a love for essence circuits. In some ways, I was bound for the librarians and gatekeeper guilds since I was a child.¡± ¡°Use modesty modestly, my dear,¡± Sely said, giving Julius a reassuring look. ¡°Your accomplishments are worth praise. But what business do you have for tonight? Other than a long held desire to visit my god-daughter¡¯s home?¡± To Aliera¡¯s right, Cim sat still as a knife. His eyes trained on the visitor. A sheen of worry covered Julius¡¯ eyes. He was intelligent enough to know that Cim and Sely still considered him a potential danger. ¡°Yes, right, I brought these,¡± he said as he reached into his bag and brought out a collection of folders. ¡°On behalf of the Librarian and Gatekeepers Mana Facilitator research project, I am returning the notes and research of the late master Orthal that you so generously allowed us to study.¡± Cim took the folders from Julius, a slight ting of essence emanated from him as he inspected the folders. Julius, clearly relieved that Cim¡¯s attention was no longer so intently focused on him, nodded to Aliera. ¡°Thanks again for letting us study those. It is an honor to continue your father¡¯s work of strengthening the city. Rather than horde knowledge for personal benefit.¡± Aliera¡¯s great grandmother flopped a hand through the air. ¡°Please, the radical benefitted plenty from his genius. This is what his children insisted on,¡± she said, voice trailing off as she signaled for Sely to fetch the Sweet loaf dessert. If you encounter this story on Amazon, note that it''s taken without permission from the author. Report it. ¡°You¡¯re done with them already?¡± Aliera asked. ¡°Father left behind a significant amount or research. I thought it would take another year or two before it had been thoroughly worked through.¡± ¡°Oh, no, there''re loads left to do,¡± Julius said, smiling as he took a bite of his dessert. ¡°This is delicious. What bakery is it from?¡± ¡°It¡¯s homemade. My Sely puts all the bakeries to shame.¡± Cim said, smiling at his partner. ¡°If you like it, I can give you the recipe. Do you Bake?¡± Sely asked. ¡°Not habitually, but baking is a type of science. I dabble when I have the time,¡± Julius replied. ¡°Wonderful. I¡¯ll send you with a copy of the recipe, then.¡± Fenton dropped his fork onto his plate. ¡°If you have ¡®loads left¡¯, what is it you brought tonight?¡± he interrupted. Clearly having forgotten that Fenton was there, Julius scratched the back of his ear. ¡°These are the materials and subjects that we could process this far. The rest is... somewhat harder to interpret.¡± The rest of the table laughed to varying degrees. ¡°You mean Illegible¡± ¡°A complete mess¡± Even Fenton added ¡°unorganized, at best.¡± ¡°That man had a whirlwind of thoughts in his head. He wrote as if he could spit them all on the page and finally know a moment¡¯s peace.¡± The Madam said. Aliera¡¯s heart skipped. Her great grandmother rarely spoke about her father who¡¯d married into the Haedron clan but never really fit in. ¡°His first and greatest love was Kael. Driven to protect this valley. I never thought there would be anyone who matched my granddaughter¡¯s passion until I met that man. I still believe that their love for each other sprang from their love for this city¡± Cim cleared his throat, an unabashed tear in his eye. ¡°To my dearest friend and the woman who was too good for him.¡± He said, raising his glass. Everyone at the raised their glasses in salute; even Fenton, and downed the rest of their cup. The others followed suit. Allowing for a moment of silence, Aliera continued the conversation, asking, ¡°If you haven¡¯t finished all the notes and journals my father left behind, what is it you delivered to us?¡± ¡°Oh, simply the frameworks that you expressed an interest in first. Honestly, they were rather straightforward, as Master Orthal was already working with the librarians on them before he passed. Which meant that we already had means to decipher his related notes.¡± ¡°That¡¯s wonderful. I wasn¡¯t expecting the testing to be done for at least another couple of months.¡± Aliera said. ¡°We were eager to test out these designs. You father was one of the best Artificers there was. His research into specialized techniques for Mana Engines is continually leading to breakthroughs. We¡¯ve already improved on many of the frameworks open to the public.¡± Fenton¡¯s mouth flapped around like a fish trying to breathe air. ¡°That¡¯s great to hear and all but Aliera. Why do you care what they finished first? You don¡¯t have a mana engine. Your father¡¯s research wouldn¡¯t benefit you.¡± Aliera squeezed her fists under the table. Forcing herself to look him in the eye. Telling either of the clan leaders that she wants to sponsor recruits into the Gate-Keepers Academy was bound to be a big fight. She hoped to at least have candidates in mind before informing them. ¡°It¡¯s just me being sentimental.¡± Fenton¡¯s eyes narrowed, and he turned to Julius. ¡°What frameworks did my cousin-in-law improve on? Guardian, flame blade, or some such.¡± ¡°While I¡¯m sure we¡¯ll get there.¡± Julius said, becoming more animated as he talked. ¡°These are specialized Frameworks. They are highly effective, but will take specific training and skills to make use of them. Because of that, we are not making them public. Instead, it¡¯ll require a certification process like other specialist framekworks; Spark wisher for example¡± Fenton¡¯s surprise showed on his face. While specialist frameworks and libraries weren¡¯t unheard of, they were only classified when either significant skill and judgement was required for them to be handled safely. Spark Wisher was notorious as both a powerful and ridiculously dangerous. The framework uses techniques creates an electric aura that allows the user to electrocute anything in the field. Used correctly, it can decimate hordes of enemies. But it also requires exacting control. Otherwise, it can kill a battalion of allied soldiers. Or clean out a neighborhood. Excited, Julius continued. ¡°Of course, as the owner of the Frameworks, Miss Aliera may give the frameworks to whosoever she pleases.¡± Aliera suppressed a groan. Strange how the smart ones are never smart enough to be quiet. Fenton¡¯s face grew more stern and seemed to age several years as he listened to Julius. Now turning to Aliera, he all but growled. ¡°Private frameworks!? Specialist class ones at that? Aliera, are you planning on offering those up to build a team for your academy? You want to play at being a soldier, fine. But to drag others into it just seems cruel. You¡¯ll just be throwing others¡¯ lives away like you are your own.¡± Fenton¡¯s voice rose as he picked up steam. ¡°You want the family to pay for putting Mana engines in strangers, and then hand them specialist frameworks? It¡¯s a waste of the clan¡¯s resources. Whoever you convince to join, you won¡¯t be able to handle the types of techniques your father invented. Can¡¯t you think things through at least once?¡± Fenton looked to the Madam for support, but she seemed to be dozing in her chair. ¡°Fee is going to boil over this. The clan already acquiesced to your petition. You may remain at the Founding Academy as an individual student. The team aspects of the academy were never part of the agreement.¡± Aliera dug her nails into her hands, voice steady and cold. Emotionality is a sign of weakness to the aristocrats. ¡°I remember petitioning the clan to be allowed the same stipend as your son. I also remember passing the same tests and classes as him, but getting denied anything beyond the required resources. If I only did the individual classes, it¡¯d be impossible to qualify for the next year while doing my work for clan Haedron. Work that is apparently non-negotiable. I am a student of the most elite program in our military academy and won¡¯t follow demands that are intentionally designed to make me fail.¡± She had to focus on keeping a snarl off of her face. Though Aliera was terrified to speak so forcefully. The sheer outrage at the fact that she¡¯s treated as a waste when her cousin is in the same class and is lauded as an asset to the clan and head family. The Haedron patriarch looked mad enough to spit fire, but struggled to find words. Before he got any more worked up, the Madam spoke, ¡°Sit down grandson, enjoy some of Sely¡¯s dessert. If you won¡¯t be friendly, then go home. I¡¯ve no mind to sit through family drama.¡± Despite having seemed to be asleep a minute before, the frail woman seemed quite aware of the conversation. Taking a deep breath, Fenton sat down and did as his grandmother asked. After all, Sely¡¯s cooking was divine. Cim and grandmother were the only ones finished with dessert when a thud came from the front room, a resonance circuit they had on the wall in the dining room played a chord signaling someone was at the door. Cim and Sely were on the move before anyone else had breathed. Cim striding to Aliera¡¯s side while Sely had somehow left the room without moving her chair. A shriek came from the entry room, followed by a shrill voice. ¡°It is not wise to threaten the Matriarch of a powerful clan. Make yourself known next time. Or at least wear a bell.¡± Feillah Haedron had arrived to make Aliera¡¯s day that much worse. 1.02 The True Fang Feillah Haedron strode in wearing her typical sky blue dress and golden mantle, with silver wires threaded in a complicated circuit. A piece of clothing that was worth enough to pay clan Haedrons workers for half a year. That Feillah bought it, let alone wear it so casually stunned Aliera. The woman most resembled a crow in Aliera¡¯s mind. Harsh angles, harsh tones, harsh personality. She stood taller than most Haedron women, which she took liberal use of to look down her nose at the rest of the clan. ¡°Really girl, you need to train your servants better. This one does not know how to greet a guest.¡± Feillah said, gesturing to Sely. Cim, still standing by Aliera¡¯s side, grew still. Aliera could almost hear him forcing himself to ignore the insult. Aliera felt her anger rise ?in tandem with Cim¡¯s. She would not hold her tongue. Not on this. ¡°They are my god-parents and members of the Heroic Order. Please do not demean them in front of me.¡± Aliera said. The vain woman looked taken aback by the firm tone she spoke with. Even Aliera was surprised at her own response. Feillah reacted as if Aliera had threatened to slap her. Shock and outrage struggled across her face before she settled on shocked outrage and stepped up to the table. Looking down at Aliera, she said, ¡°I am your matriarch girl. I know living in this ruin gives you an inflated sense of importance, but you¡¯re just a servant of the Haedron clan. Remember your place.¡± Aliera dropped her gaze, not willing to meet the woman''s eyes. ??As poorly as the clan treated her, without them, she¡¯d have nothing. She couldn¡¯t afford to push it too far. ¡°What can we do for you Matriarch?¡± she asked. Feillah pretended to brush dust off of one of the empty chairs. ¡°Nothing, my dear niece, Fenton and I were in the area when we heard about a delivery mistakenly headed to this estate instead of our main house.¡± Her eyes swept over the envelope on the table. ¡°We figured we might as well come to address the confusion since we were nearby. Imagine our surprise when we learned that these valuable frameworks were being delivered this evening but the family had no knowledge of it. I¡¯m sure nothing was meant by it; however we are the Heads of the clan. We can make much better use of these experiments than the last child of a lost family line.¡± Aliera¡¯s mouth dropped. Feillah was manipulating this whole situation into another way to limit and control her. ¡°Have no worries,¡± Feillah continued. Holding her hand out for the folders ¡°The girl will be punished and we¡¯ll ensure such a mix up doesn¡¯t happen again.¡± The others in the room froze, unsure how to handle this situation. Though in decline, Clan Haedron was still influential and could make any of their lives difficult. Something Aliera Knew from personal experience. Feillah often used her position to bully others into submission. Even if she held no authority over them. But if Julius gave the patents to the matriarch, then Aliera¡¯s chance of keeping the frameworks would plummet. Which would make recruiting a team go from difficult to nearly impossible, leading to the Aliera inevitable. Being cut from the academy and living under the thumb of her spiteful relatives. She couldn¡¯t put this decision to chance; ratcheting up her courage Aliera opened to her mouth to argue her point. But Julius spoke up before she¡¯d had the chance. ¡°I¡¯m sorry. I think there¡¯s been some confusion here.¡± Aliera froze. Feillah, apparently just as confused, responded with her default emotion: condescension. ¡°I know this must seem quite confusing. The older Clans can be a puzzle for the uninitiated.¡± Feillah waved her hand in a conciliatory gesture, nearly patting the young man on the head like a pet. ¡°However, you should know that little Aliera has a history of stepping outside her role, and claiming authority that she has no right to. It¡¯s an internal matter. Nothing to trouble you; trust that the Haedron clan takes full responsibility. You need not worry about your position or any blowback.¡± Feillah gave Julius a smile that looked entirely too reptilian for a being that had no history of the draconic races. Julius looked up at the Matriarch, scratched the back of his head and said, ¡°Apologies, clan leader. I mean, ?these documents are not for Clan Haedron.¡± Feillah clenched her fist. ¡°Nonsense. Explain yourself¡± Aliera knew the argument Julius was making when she finally looked at the labeling on the outside of the package Inheritors of the Orthal Estate. A flush of fire ran up her spine. This might not be such an awful night after all. ¡°I believe Julius means that you¡¯ve mistaken his task.¡± Aliera said, cutting in. ¡°He is a representative of the Gatekeepers after all. Not an errand boy. Your insinuation that I am trying to steal from the clan is not only unfair, but it¡¯s also mistaken.¡± Aliera looked to Feillah, noting the restrained anger. ¡°If anything, the clan is trying to steal from me.¡± The anger in Feillah¡¯s eyes spread to her face as she opened her mouth to argue. But Aliera was feeling bold. And continued. ¡°These items belonged to my father. Lent out to the Librarians according to his will, his estate still belongs to his heirs. My brother and myself. Do you intend for the Haedron clan to claim my inheritance?¡± The air across the table grew still. Fenton froze in his seat, intently watching his sister. Feillah glared at Aliera. Aliera could practically feel Feillah weighing her options. Though the Haedron clan combines resources from the many families that are part of the clan. Individual households are still run privately. Inheritances are explicitly considered out of reach of the clan''s demands. Within reason, of course. Feillah surely knew that without these frameworks, Aliera wouldn¡¯t be able to make it past the second stage of the academy; and she really wanted to see Aliera fail. However, claiming an inheritance from a deceased parent. One who still has popularity among the craftsmen in the city would undoubtedly cause a litany of headaches for her. So, unable to back down, and unwilling to commit, Feillah lay it all at her brother''s feet. ¡°Fen, I have no patience for this girl. You make her see reason¡± Sighing, Fenton looked across at Aliera, putting his forkful of desert down. ¡°I¡¯m sure anything connected to your parents has great sentimental value to you. We will make sure anything that is directly from your father- notes, journals, and whatever else will be returned to you.¡± Fenton said, ignoring a glare from his sister. ¡°Though honestly, I¡¯m surprised at your reluctance to share his research. Your parents wouldn¡¯t have wanted anything that could benefit Kaelton to be withheld from doing as much good as possible.¡± ¡°The patriarch has a point,¡± Feillah said. ¡°The Haedron clan can surely make much better use of that research than you could. Especially considering your history of misusing the clan¡¯s resources in the past.¡± Aliera bristled at the barb about misusing the clan''s resources. This was not the first time Feillah had specifically gone out of her way to ensure Aliera¡¯s failure. ¡°You ?have a point there, patriarch,¡± Aliera said, inclining her head to Fenton. Who gave her a wary look in response. Then she continued. ¡°I would not want to hoard resources. Which is why I¡¯ve released the plans for the frameworks to the Librarians. That way, any team that wishes can take advantage of them.¡± Feillah swayed on her feet, letting out something of a cross between a gasp and a gag. ¡°You... a team - Publicly released?¡± The thin woman gripped the back of a chair in front of her. ¡°Haedron will not be giving these frameworks to the Librarians. We will, of course, lease them. Which is how it should be done.¡± The narrative has been illicitly obtained; should you discover it on Amazon, report the violation. ??Aliera tilted her head, doing her best to look innocently confused. ¡°The patriarch said it himself. It¡¯s the duty of us all to support the defense of Kaelton. I would never withhold frameworks that could increase the strength of those who defend this valley. I¡¯m simply giving whoever I ask to join my team a chance to be first to use these frameworks.¡± Feillah seemed truly outraged now; her fingernails practically gouging the chair. ¡°Do you know how much groups will pay for plans designed by the Copper-Eye Artificer?¡± ¡°Is it significant? I was under the impression that his research had been discredited and he was ¡®little more than a charlatan''¡± After her parents passed. Feillah spearheaded a successful campaign to ruin the reputation of Aliera¡¯s father. Now Aliera got a particular joy out of using the Matriarch¡¯s own words against her. ¡°There are a couple of misunderstandings that I feel I must correct,¡± Julius said, standing up. ¡°First, we have finished testing the requested frameworks and found them safe for use. However, we won¡¯t be recommending them for public use.¡± That Aliera wasn¡¯t expecting. The half-elf continued. ¡°While the techniques are quite potent. They¡¯re also rather unique and would take specialized training to be effective in combat.¡± Aliera almost couldn¡¯t believe her luck. Specialized frameworks required a recommendation and assessment to get access to. She could side step that and offer them directly to her team. Waving down the questions he could see forming around the table, Julius continued, ¡°second, all the research, including these frameworks, is not part of the Haedron clan. It all falls under the Orthal estate.¡± On the other side, Julius Fenton sagged, burying his face in his hands. The thin Matriarch sneered at the young half-elf. ¡°What matter is that. Haedron has many assets under vessel families or businesses. The Orthal estate being one of them.¡± Feillah turned to Aliera. ¡°You continue to overstep, girl. You have no claim on these resources, even if you feel entitled to them. Learn your place already¡± Taken aback, Aliera could only stare at the Matriarch. Unsure whether the woman was playing dumb or actually so clueless. Fenton spoke up with a sigh. ¡°The Orthal estate is deliberately not part of our clan. It¡¯s out of our hands.¡± ¡°The clan leadership designed it that way,¡± Aliera said, carrying the train of thought. ¡°they feared ?my father would try to enrich himself through his marriage to my mom. So they explicitly forbade the Orthal businesses from being wrapped into the clan.¡± She couldn¡¯t help quirking a small smile at this turn of fate. Leaders in the clan who opposed Aliera¡¯s mom marrying ¡®below her status¡¯ put forth the stipulation, hoping her father would back out. It didn¡¯t work. Now the very arrangement was protecting Aliera¡¯s chance at getting out from under the Matriarch''s thumb. ¡°If any members of clan Haedron wish to use the frameworks, we can set up a very favorable deal, of course.¡± Aliera said. Feillah¡¯s demeanor dropped, disgust washing across her face. ¡°You¡¯ve never been able to listen to you superiors.¡± The woman pointed a flawless finger at Aliera. ¡°The little leftover thinks she can negotiate with me. You aren¡¯t clan heir now. You¡¯re barely even a Haedron. '''' Leaning across the table, she hissed, ¡°learn your place¡±. Tension hung in the air. Aliera forced herself to meet eyes with the Matriarch. Cim stepped forward, eyes sharp as a knife. He said, ¡°It seems we¡¯re done for tonight. At this rate, we¡¯ll end up with someone issuing a challenge.¡± Fenton caught the look in Cim¡¯s eyes and stood, taking his sister by the arm. The idea of a challenge from a fighter of Cim¡¯s caliber was enough to spook the most powerful in Kaelton. Giving a nod to the Madam, his grandmother Fenton said, ¡°I agree with Cim. Emotions are running hot and that is no state to deal with family matters.¡± Fenton turned to his sister, offered his arm and said, ¡°Shall we, sister?¡± Feilllah stepped toward her brother. Gathering herself up she said, ¡°yes Fenton. No need to waste more time on them.¡± Then paused, as if just realizing something. ¡°There is one last bit of business before we¡¯re on our way.¡± Tilting her head up, Feillah regarded the room with a disdainful look. The look made Aliera. feel small and powerless. Despite having seen it since her childhood, Aliera couldn¡¯t help but feel like she was waiting for a verdict from a judge. ¡°While we have already declined to allow you to waste any of the clan''s resources that are needed elsewhere, I, as Matriarch and leader of the Haedron¡¯s, am revoking the clan''s permission to have you attend the Academy. You have duties and it is about time you ?earn your place.¡± Feillah looked like a cat that had finally caught a bird who kept interrupting its nap. Fenton? looked up at his sister with a wide-eyed panic. Julius¡¯ reaction was the most interesting. His mouth half open in disbelief he said, ¡°I¡¯m sorry, did you just admit to refusing to let one of your wards attend the GateKeepers Academy? I¡¯m not very business minded, but doesn¡¯t Haedron have some contracts with the GateKeepers?¡± Before Feillah could respond, her brother cut her off. ¡°Naturally, we process Aetherite into light fixtures and such. My sister mis-spoke, Aliera earned her place in the academy and we¡¯d never stand in the way of that.¡± He wiped a thin sheet of sweat from his forehead and continued, giving his sister a hard look, ¡°What she meant is that the young miss will still need to complete her duties to the clan. Outside the time she¡¯s at the academy, of course.¡± Julius gave a half-hearted sigh of relief, ¡°Wonderful, I was worried that the Guild might have to revoke its contract with Haedron and sponsor Miss Aliera and her team ourselves.¡± Despite getting an immense amount of pleasure at the shock and alarm her relatives were experiencing, Aliera thought it may be wise to show some grace and said ¡°that is a kind offer, but I don¡¯t want to cause any trouble for the GateKeepers, I will figure something out.¡± Julius waved her comment aside. ¡°Well, you know what they say. ¡®following the law may be troublesome. But it¡¯s right¡¯. The GateKeepers Academy is merit based, we choose who attends. Just like the GateKeepers choose who to do business with.¡± Julius had not only taken her side regarding the Frameworks, but then he all but threatened to cut ties with Clan Haedron for her benefit. ¡°That is, unless sponsoring the installation of Mana Engines for Miss Haedron''s team would be a burden on the clan. I¡¯m sure the Guilds would ?extend another contract after a routine audit.¡± ¡°Haaa, there¡¯s no need for that.¡± Fenton injected with a nervous laugh, ¡°Haedron can handle our obligations to the guild and academy.¡± They might consider having to sponsor Aliera and whoever will make up her team as something of a thorn in their side. Losing the business dealings they had with the Gatekeepers'' guild would be a spear through their heart. The clan couldn¡¯t stay afloat without them. Julius nodded. ¡°Spectacular, I¡¯ll pass that along so that everyone is on the same page.¡± Feillah regarded the room, lips pulled back in a sneer. She looked like a snake preparing to strike. Not missing the signs, Fenton placed a hand on his sister''s shoulder and guided her towards the exit. ¡°Miss Aliera, thank you for hosting us this evening.¡± Turning to Julius, his hands together in a goodbye. ¡°Librarian Julius, it was a pleasure to make your acquaintance.¡± Fenton said, before pulling his sister out the front door. The room stilled for a moment. The silence a welcome reprieve from the tense dinner that just came before. Finally Sely stood up, brushed off her dress, and said ¡°I just happened to remember that I made dessert.¡± before she walked into the kitchen. Everyone was well into their first bowl of Starberry pudding when Julius looked up from his portion. ¡°Uh, I want to give you my thanks Sir.¡± He said, looking at Cim. Who gave him a baffled look in return. ¡°My brother was one of the civilians who fought at Linen Square when the Wight¡¯s horde attacked. He says that you were the only reason a bunch of untrained civilians weren¡¯t immediately overrun. Just thank you for your service¡± Aliera suppressed a wince. While she believed that Cim and Selys were heroes for their actions protecting Kaelton, for their entire lives, but during the Wight¡¯s invasion in particular. She knew that day was a source of great pain and regret for them as well as for her. After all, it was when Cim and Sely¡¯s closest friends, Aliera¡¯s parents, died. Aliera¡¯s grandmother gave an enormous yawn, and said ¡°Come girl, I¡¯m full and tired, it¡¯s time for bed.¡± Grateful for the opportunity to end the evening, Aliera thanked Julius for delivering the frameworks and wheeled her great-grandmother away while Sely cleaned the table and Cim walked the young man out. 2.00 Unwilling self sabotage Jorn envisioned himself as a calm serene pond as he grabbed the quartz charge and brushed a small amount of adhesive onto the plate in front of him. I am still waters, he recited to himself, No ripples mar my surface. Pure emotionless pond. He¡¯d rather envision himself as a lake. But he¡¯d learned over the years that he just couldn¡¯t imagine an entire lake with nothing disturbing the surface. Which then defeated the point of the exercise. Moving with deliberate efficiency, Jorn settled the thumb sized rectangle into a spot he had carefully etched out for the charge. Checking the edges that none of the adhesive inhibited contact with the lead paths embedded in the plate. Suppressing a sigh Jorn moved the plate to stack with four identical plates already completed and grabbed a fresh plate to make the same exact thing. Jorn wasn¡¯t told who had made such a large order of essence purifiers, but they must have large resources. Artificer Greyfoot was known to be able to produce quality mana circuits for a reasonable price. But even so, Everyone in the shop was working on this order. Even the other applicants like him were allowed to work on the purifiers. Which can not be cost efficient. Jorn wasn¡¯t the best applicant at the shop, but he was in the top three of the 12, and his fail rate was 1 in 3. Whoever put in this order was happy to pay for these mistakes if it meant a slightly faster delivery. Jorn checked the new plate in front of him. Basic Iron with the pathways of the circuit chalked out. His essence stirred around him, but Jorn just returned to his mantra and cleared his mind. He wondered if he¡¯d be allowed to work on some of the more complicated components once he was a full apprentice. Journeyman Hash was working on an intricate piece of marble with tin wiring and Quartz charges that looked eye gouginginly complex. Jorn craved to assist him. The tip of the tool that he was using came loose, wobbling as he scoured the line of the circuit. Cursing Jorn quickly fastened the chisel back into his grip and inspected the plate. Luckily he hadn¡¯t introduced any flaws to the circuit, which was good. Two accidents had already happened around him today and he really didn¡¯t want a third. Peaceful calm spring air above a still pond, he thought. Calming the aura that surrounded him. Refusing to let his mind wander, Jorn finished the next plate. Now he just had to adhere the charge into its slot like before. A familiar sensation caused a shiver of anxiety to run through him. No, he thought, I¡¯m a calm lake; the aura that constantly surrounded him stirred. Pond i¡¯m a serene pond with calm wind. Indifferent to his mandtra Jorn felt the aura clinging to his skin drift outward around his torso. Like a snake lazily tasting the air. A lifetime of experience taught Jorn that changing his actions would only further stir up the cursed aura, so he continued. With practiced motions, Jorn prepared the adhesive and brushed it onto the spot. The aura spread out across the place, nearly invisible to the naked eye. Ignoring it Jorn placed the charge down and finished connecting it to the plate. The charge held tight. Jorn let out a sigh of relief, smiling at his minor victory. Nothing the cursed aura could do to ruin this plate now. He would show Greyfoot that he could be an artificer, even with the aura. He¡¯d been an applicant for 6 months now. The average applicant only needs 2 weeks before Greyfoot either takes them in or turns them down. Jorn was a special case. Despite having more skill than some of the junior apprentices, Greyfoot was hesitant to take Jorn on officially. All thanks to the Aura he was cursed with at birth. Unsatisfied, the Aura spread across his workstation, examining the essence circuit laid out before it. Go for it, Jorn thought. There are no variables for you to manipulate. The aura ignored Jorns'' confidence, spreading across his worktable. As a chaos aura, most times it caused obnoxious intrusions into his daily life. Broken pencils, wobbly chairs, things falling on his head. Kind of like having an obnoxious ghost following you around just to make life difficult. But this circuit handles essence flows and is made ?of iron and lead. The aura wouldn¡¯t be able to do anything to it. It¡¯s one reason Jorn wanted to become an artificer. To build mana circuits that ?the aura couldn¡¯t mess with. The aura around Jorn moved in a wave, panic flooding Jorn before he even knew what was happening. Anytime the aura moved with purpose like that was bad for him. Like a malicious wind, the aura seized upon the stack of finished circuits, pulling the plates down onto the floor in a crash. The quartz charges spitting light as they broke in their housing. The others in the shop looked around in alarm at the noise. Accidents in an Artificer''s shop can be dangerous considering the essence different tools utilised. Jorn himself had gotten second-degree burns from a broken circuit that stored enough fire essence to melt iron. He probably would have lost his hand if he weren¡¯t part gremlin and had a measure of essence resistance as part of that heritage. This story originates from a different website. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there. It was a sucker¡¯s deal in Jorn¡¯s mind, considering the chaos aura that plagues his life, comes from the same heritage. Wincing at the whining noise the broken circuits were producing, Jorn tried to salvage the plates, setting them back on the table to see what he could repair. But the light bouncing out of the charges made it difficult to focus on the lead circuits themselves, and Jorn could feel the aura stirring around him as his irritation grew. An ivory cloud drifted on top of plates, the venting essence mixed with the cloud and calmed as the two mixed. Bright lights diffusing to a dull glow and high-pitched whistles slowing to a dull hum. A voice over Jorn¡¯s shoulder said, "You should really just keep one of these dowsing rods at your desk." The senior apprentice on duty regarded the mess on Jorns worktable, "Or, maybe keep one on you. You seem to need it often enough." Jorn rubbed his face, thankful that he didn''t have hair; as he''d surely be pulling it out otherwise. "I was done. I put in just as much work as the full apprentices and something like this happens." Hesh looked at him with her large brown eyes. As a demi-human with mouse heritage, her eyes took up around 20 percent of her face. "It can''t be easy. Usually, naturally producing an aura is considered an advantage.¡± Not sure where to take the thought from there, Hesh just sighed, looking around awkwardly. Jorn had heard statements like that his whole life. ''It sure is unfortunate you have a saboteur that is connected to your spirit.'' Usually someone tried to add a caveat of some sort. Tying it to a life lesson if they were feeling especially pretentious. Jorn could appreciate that Hesh was enough of a realist to not try to make him feel better. ¡°I actually came over because Greyfoot wants to talk to you in his office.¡± Greyfoot¡¯s office wasn¡¯t an actual office so much as an alcove separated from the rest of the shop by a pair of bookcases and an enormous chalkboard. Greyfoot sat at a table with various plans and materials strewn across the area. Just being there gave Jorn anxiety. Greyfoot himself was a tall being, just shy of 7 feet tall. Despite his size, Greyfoot was actually small compared to the goliaths that stay in the plains east of Kael Valley. ¡°Young Vallen, good. I¡¯ve been needing to talk to you. Come sit.¡± The man said, gesturing to a stool that appeared to be a huge spool of wire. ¡°Look, there¡¯s no easy way to say this; I¡¯m mighty fond of you, but the fact of the matter is I can¡¯t take you on as an apprentice.¡± The words hit Jorn like a guillotine. He felt like his intestines were trying to crawl out of his throat. Obviously uncomfortable, Greyfoot continued, ¡°Truth is, I¡¯m strained to support the apprentices I¡¯ve got. It¡¯s a forsaken shame. You¡¯ve a sharp mind and are a hard worker. It¡¯s just that I¡¯m spread thin as it is.¡± Greyfoot paused, gave Jorn an almost guilty look and said, ¡°and honestly, with that chaos aura of yours, you go through too many resources. I just can¡¯t afford it from a business view.¡± Greyfoot held a paper to Jorn, who reached for it mechanically but registered nothing on it. ¡°I¡¯ve written a recommendation. You¡¯re a quality kid. This is just a setback. You¡¯ll come out the other side of this stronger.¡± That pulled a dark chuckle from Jorn. He knew ?artificery was a long shot. It seemed his diligence and skill didn¡¯t make up for the liability that he presented. Responding to Greyfoot¡¯s confused expression, Jorn said, ¡°I¡¯m sorry, It¡¯s just funny to hear the whole ¡®What doesn¡¯t kill you strengthens you¡¯ talk right now. This isn¡¯t a setback. I¡¯m finished, done.¡± Greyfoot sighed. ¡°Look kid, you¡¯ve a rough heritage and that has you looking at things in a bleak light. But this is Kaelton. We don¡¯t waste resources; or beings. There¡¯s a place for everyone.¡± Jorn forcefully prevented himself from rolling his eyes. Greyfoot wasn¡¯t trying to be condescending. He just didn¡¯t understand. ¡°Master, look at me. I¡¯m an orphan with an aura that actively tries to break things. I can¡¯t even join the Dragon''s Gate and guard the border to the ley-lands. This tilted aura is too much of a liability. The entire reason I tried Artificing is because circuits are naturally resistant to essence. Unfortunately, tables, chairs and whatever else isn¡¯t. I¡¯ve searched. I¡¯m going to be stuck working the Wrecks.¡± Greyfoot nodded. It had been clear for weeks that he couldn¡¯t keep Jorn in the shop, but Greyfoot had stalled searching for a place for the youth. He came to the same conclusion. He¡¯d be stuck somewhere he couldn¡¯t do harm. Hard labor at the wrecks. While there was the option of joining the Gatekeepers, but he was just an orphan. He¡¯d need backing, which he¡¯d never get. Mentioning the possibility would just give him false hope. ¡°The Wrecks is a worthy project with a lot of great Kaelers working it with pride. It¡¯ll be a great defense against excursions from the Ley-lands.¡± Jorn nodded along. He¡¯s heard the same points about the Wrecks project, ¡°Sure, I agree. There¡¯s no shame working the wrecks. But no Future either.¡± Jorn waved his arms in the air. ¡°One of my friends from the Orphanage works the wrecks. He¡¯s much more¡­ durable than I am. Even he¡¯s says he''ll only make it a few years if he doesn¡¯t land in a different trade.¡± Jorn gestured to his thin arms and wiry frame. Though he was in shape enough to keep his militia certification, he was still part gremlin. Gremlins, as part of the imp family, are long-limbed with little weight or strength. Jorn likely would always be under 150 lbs. He gave a hopeless shrug. ¡°I¡¯ll be disabled in 3 years.¡± Greyfoot warred with himself. He hated to send the boy into such a difficult situation. But he had his own responsibilities, and Jorn couldn¡¯t be one of them. Rubbing at his face Greyfoot said ¡°You have two months before you get assigned something. I¡¯ll keep my eyes and ears out, but you keep looking, too. There¡¯s got to be something. What about weapons testing?¡± Jorn stared at Greyfoot. Weapons testing? Was Greyfoot trying to get him killed faster? Then again, Jorn thought, at least it¡¯d be interesting- Maybe it¡¯d be better than moving rubble around in the Wrecks. ¡°I¡¯ll see what I can do.¡± 2.01 Odd brothers ¡°I¡¯m just saying it¡¯s ridiculously ironic that earlier this morning I was telling Greyfoot that I couldn¡¯t handle the wrecks and now I¡¯m heading there to¡­ something or other¡± Jorn said, shrugging the pack on his back into a more comfortable position. ¡°Watch you work?¡± Jorn looks over at his friend Hector who just smiles, ¡°I wasn¡¯t going to let you stay home in the mood you were in. Complain all you want. You¡¯re already in a better mood than you would be if I left you to wallow¡± "So instead you''re taking me to your work. It''s like you want to prove my point definitively. I¡¯m looking forward to saying I told you so.¡± Hector rolled his eyes, ¡°I¡¯m telling you so. The Wrecks would be terrible work for you. Even if you weren¡¯t scrawny and small. Your aura would surely see you buried under a pile of ruble in no time.¡± Jorn couldn¡¯t help recoiling at the thought. ¡°Not my aura, I refuse any ownership of it.¡± ¡°I refuse ownership of being single but I still don¡¯t have dates lined up.¡± Hector replied, grimacing. Keeping a comfortable stream of banter going the two crossed the linen district to the outer residential area at the western edge of Kaelton. After an hour they reached the Kaelton fence. Fence is too unified a term for the barrier that marks the beginning of the inhabited areas. More a collection of stone, wood, and steel piled up in a ring around the edge of the city than an actual barrier. A post stood where the road led past the fence. Two guards sitting inside looked up as Jorn and Hector approached. An older guard, his skin the tan purple of a shade elf, but lacking the typical white hair spoke ¡°Oh hey Hector, you don¡¯t usually walk to work with someone else.¡± Stepping forward Hector shook the guards hand while the other guard. The other guard, slightly older than Hector and John, motioned for Jorn to hand over the pack on his back. Can¡¯t have any contraband going out to the workers doing heavy labor. Hector smiled ¡°Yea, I decided to bring my brother along today. Just to show him what it¡¯s like¡± ¡°Brother?¡± the guard failed to keep the confusion out of his voice as he regarded the two. Jorn, a gremlin demi-human, just over five feet with dark green skin and long limbs. And Hector, a human just over 6 feet with brown messy hair and no other discernible heritage. Jorn could only guess what was going through the guard''s mind. ¡°In a sense,¡± Jorn said, ¡°We¡¯re both from the orphanage.¡± ¡°Yea we¡¯ve been friends since before we were house trained¡± Hector said, giving a hearty laugh. Jorn and the guards didn¡¯t. The younger guard had the contents of the bag laid out on a table. He looked to the older guard chatting with Hector ¡°Most of the stuff in the bag is fine. Spare shirt, a parcel of food. Bag of tea, plate, utensils, water flask. But these¡± He gestured toward two rods about the length of Jorns forearm. Both had a metal band at each end holding a cheap agate cap with a mechanism for changing settings a third of the way down the rod ¡°We can¡¯t let you take weapons into the wrecks.¡± The young guard said, somehow smirking with just his words. Jorn''s jaw tightened. There were no laws preventing anyone from taking protection into the wrecks. There were even laws ensuring that any civilian could have a form of self defense. What possible reason could there be that they couldn¡¯t take weapons into an area that¡¯s known to house various unbalanced creatures. Whatever his reasoning; it was stupid and Jorn opened his mouth to tell the guards that when Hector spoke. ¡°Oh the tea¡¯s for you two¡± He said, gesturing to the package. ¡°From Sister Agneu¡¯s latest batch of GreyNettle blend. She added some Tonguebark in there. Really adds that extra depth of flavor.¡± ¡°Oh that is awesome, I loved the last bag you brought.¡± The older guard said, smelling the blend. The younger guard glared at his partner. ¡°That¡¯s very nice, but we can¡¯t overlook the weapons. It¡¯s bad enough when it¡¯s just one. These aren''t just defense rods. They¡¯re modular combat rods. Have you really been trained for these?¡± Jorn tried not to glare. ¡°We¡¯re both full members of the militia. We¡¯ve done the training.¡± The guard ignored him, ¡°What do you even need these for anyways? I thought you were just going to be doing some work in the Wreck?¡± It was Hector''s turn to be irritated with this young guard. ¡°We are going to the Wrecks. We need the rods for self defense. You know, from the various tilted that keep appearing. The ones that you¡¯re guarding against.¡±Unauthorized content usage: if you discover this narrative on Amazon, report the violation. Now the guard actually smirked, ¡°Like you said, we¡¯re here. That means you don¡¯t really need those weapons right?¡± Hectors clenched good fists. ¡°In the past month 3 members of our crew have been injured, one lost a limb. So when I say I need defense-¡± The older guard caught his eye, giving a firm shake of his head. As much as Hector would love to tear into this pompous guard, tact and patience were his best bet. ¡°I mean we need some way to hold off any unbalanced until you guys get there. There¡¯s what? Like six of you covering this area? No way you could be expected to cover the entire Wrecks. I brought the rods just as a way to buy time.¡± The older Guard nodded along ¡°It¡¯s a good thing to watch out for yourself kid. Yokie here is simply doing his due diligence. Just remember those are Mana Tools, not weapons. Don¡¯t bet your life on a defense that was designed just to be a stopgap.¡± Shaking Hector''s hand again the guards handed Jorn the pack and waved them on. Crossing the fence into the wrecks was a somewhat disconcerting experience. Almost like crossing into a distorted version of the neighborhoods they just passed. On the inside of the fence there were multiple residences, some standing three stories tall, housing multiple families in each building. Other neighborhoods were for the more wealthy, with houses sprawled out across a wide area with generous yards. In the wrecks they can see what used to be multifamily housing as well as various shops, further in they¡¯d even find an old industrial section. All of it broken, crumbling, and overgrown. As if an army had hit three square miles of the city with the goal to do as much damage as possible. Which is exactly what happened. Add on 6 years of neglect and growth supercharged by the various essences that still linger make The Wrecks look like the ruins of some long lost civilization. Cresting a hill Hector pointed to a section that actually had some organization to it, with an area of several acres cleared. Except for the occasional tent or cart with tools. Around this opening were large piles of materials collected from the area. ¡°We¡¯ll get our job from there. Lately we¡¯ve been working on the edge over there.¡± He said, pointing to the east where it was more cluttered, but Jorn could see some clear paths even from where they were. Jorn couldn¡¯t help admitting the scale of it all. ¡°Y''all weren¡¯t kidding about turning The Wrecks into a defense.¡± Hector nodded, ¡°Yeah, that open space will be a staging ground for the military. You can even see as we¡¯re starting to build pathways that will eventually lead to a sort of maze. Check out over there.¡± Hector said, pointing just north of the large clearing, ¡°they¡¯re even putting in obstructions and stuff. It¡¯s almost like an obstacle maze.¡± Half an hour later they made it to the clearing where there were supervisors giving out assignments. Jorn stood by as Hector got his assignment. ¡°Just like I thought,¡± he said, returning to Jorn, we¡¯re working where I showed you earlier.¡± Following Hector down a road that had been cleared they wove between teams carting heavy stones or metals piled high above their heads. Others worked down branching pathways clearing vegetation and rubble out of the way. As they hiked down the road the other teams and workers became less common until they came to the end of the road. There stood a surprisingly intact building, it didn¡¯t have a roof and half of the second story had collapsed. For The Wrecks it was practically a palace. Four large workers stood around the building, working away at the walls with a pick or hammer. A fifth watched them while standing at a stone laid out like a table with various papers laid out in front of him. He looked up from his table at the sound of the approaching pair. ¡°Ah Hector, good to have you, is this a new team member? I didn¡¯t know they were planning on sending anyone else.¡± he spoke with a deep voice, an almost echoing resonance that was common among those with dwarven heritage. ¡°Hey boss this is my friend,¡± Hector said, gesturing to Jorn ¡°He needed a change of pace so I volun-told him to join us for the day.¡± noting the look in the dwarfs eye he added. ¡°He¡¯ll be alright, he¡¯s tougher than he looks¡­Just don¡¯t put him too close to any tall buildings.¡± The supervisor gave Hector a puzzled look for a moment before pointing to a bundle of assorted tools next to his stone table. ¡°Right, Hector, grab something and start helping bring that house down. After that we¡¯ll clear it out of the way. New kid, take a shovel and fill in the potholes and whatnot in the road.¡± He waved a hand a pile of gravel that had been collected in front of the house ¡°We¡¯ll figure something else out once you¡¯ve finished.¡± It wasn¡¯t long before both boys had worked up a sweat. Jorn found a certain enjoyment out of working on a project with his bare hands. He was particularly pleased when his aura built up a lot of momentum in response to an environment that it could affect quite a bit. Only to retreat after spending all of its essence to shift the gravel that Jorn was moving. All that movement and the most it could do was make getting a shovel full of rocks somewhat obnoxious. It was enough to put a smile on Jorns face for the rest of the day. Eventually they called lunch. Sitting in a circle with the other workers it struck Jorn just how tough all of them were. Two of them were Orcs, possibly related considering that they had the same green splotches across their backs and arms. Not to mention similar facial structure. A dwarf with rust colored hair, and a Demi-human with what Jorn suspected was troll heritage considering his elongated jaw, gangly limbs and frog like eyes. They all made Hector look like a small weak teen in comparison. Jorn could only imagine that he looked like a kid amongst giants. With a clap the old dwarf in charge ended lunch, walking up to them with an armful of ropes. ¡°Ok everyone stay back¡± He said, eyeing the building that stood in their way. After the work of the others the second floor had been almost completely removed with a large section of the three standing walls, ¡°I¡¯ve attached these-¡± he thrust his beard toward the ropes in his arms. ¡°To the remaining sections of the building. It¡¯s time we bring this building down.¡± Each team member grabbed a section of rope and started pulling, even Jorn. Before long the building gave in and collapsed on itself. A sound like thunder breaking a tree rang out, throwing up a plume of dust and dirt. Followed quickly by a rotten acidic scent. Jorn¡¯s senses went into a panic. While he had no way to manipulate essence, he could sense it. Apparently that building had a sealed basement, one that was opened when the building over it came crashing down. As the dust settled and essence poured out, a handful of small squat forms clambered out. Voices chattering in a high pitched giggle. Imps. Mad and unbalanced imps at that.