Archcrafter

Book #3 of The Weirkey Chronicles

Version 1.0

© 2021 Sarah Lin

All rights reserved. This book or any portion thereof may not be reproduced or used in any manner whatsoever without the express written permission of the publisher except for the use of brief quotations in a book review.

The story so far...

Book One: Soulhome

Theo’s first journey in the Nine Worlds ended in tragedy. The mentor who first taught him how to survive in the Nine demanded that he return to Earth, and when he refused, killed him and his allies. Theo survived only due to a quirk of fate, his soul returning to a hospital bed on Earth.

After struggling to find a way back for forty years, Theo finally returns to the Nine Worlds, this time emerging in the peaceful world of Tatian. Reborn as a young man, he finds that he retains none of his former soulhome’s power and must start again from scratch, starting with rediscovering the ability to wield cantae.

As travellers from other worlds emerge from the cracks in reality, he meets a shy Ichili woman named Fiyu and Navim, a Mundhin stoneshaper from the world of Arbai. Together, they set off to help the local Farmguards to guide the refugees back to their home worlds. Along the way, he also meets a hostile young man named Magnafor who he quickly recognizes as a fellow visitor from Earth.

Before long, Theo is pressed into action alongside Fiyu, Navim, and the Farmguards to defend the other travelers against a demonic invasion. The last few demons sacrifice themselves to summon a powerful second-tier demon, and in desperation he activates the cantae inscriptions on his spear to destroy it. The power almost kills Theo, but in the process, it awakens his soulcrafting abilities and grants him access to his soul’s empty foundation.

Having proved themselves in combat, Theo and some of the other refugees are invited to the Landguard village in the city of Myufuru to be trained as soulcrafters. Soon afterwards, the students are split into teams to compete amongst each other, and a young Tatian woman named Nauda selects him at the urging of her first pick, Fiyu.

Soon, Theo has to put his nascent soulhome to the test when demons attack a nearby village and the students are sent to help deal with the attack. Nauda proves to be a strong fighter, with an unusual binding technique allowing her to freeze the demons in place while others attack them, and Fiyu’s lightstorm bolts prove essential for dealing with the flying insect-like demons.

Afterwards, Theo attempts to ignite the solar core which will serve as the heart of his soulhome, but to his horror it explodes catastrophically and permanently scars the walls of his central chamber, leaving his plans in tatters. Forced to change blueprints, he remodels his bright sunlit soulhome concept to instead revolve around a dark singularity.

As the student teams begin to compete against each other, Theo creates his new blueprint’s first technique chamber: an ability to cast gravitational fields over his opponents. The unusual skill proves effective in combat, but some Deuxan foul play forces Nauda, Fiyu and Theo to fight alone after the rest of their team is poisoned. Against the odds, they win the match, and are rewarded with a private feast where they are served potent sublime foods.

Theo decides to inform the head trainer, Nanjuma, of his suspicions that Magnafor is planning to break into the Landguard village’s vault of high-tier sublime materials, but stops short of making a direct accusation. He is more forthcoming with his teammates, revealing a little of his history, and to his surprise they agree to help him.

When the next match starts, one of Theo’s teammates uses a powerful Archcrafter armament to fight Navim, but loses control and a blast from the staff shatters the Mundhin’s rocky body. None of the local healers can help, and Magnafor suggests that they rush to Navim’s homeworld, Arbai. As they arrive in Arbai, however, Magnafor betrays them and returns to Tatian, sealing the gate behind him.

Stranded in the Arbaian desert, Theo and his allies rush to bring Navim to his school, where he can be healed. Theo strikes a deal with the school’s master, a fourth-tier Authority with the ability to use weirkeys, to return them to Myufuru so they can pursue Magnafor. They arrive to find the training village overrun by demons. They pursue Magnafor through the battle, but are delayed by his allies long enough to watch him reach the giant tree housing the vault… just in time to watch the entire tree to twist in on itself and snap out of existence entirely.

In the aftermath, Nanjuma is questioned by Landguards about visitors from other worlds, but to Theo’s relief he only mentions Magnafor. Nauda and Fiyu are just as keen to leave as Theo, and they agree to venture into the north of Tatian, back towards Nauda’s home.

Book Two: Rainhorn

Theo, Nauda, and Fiyu split up to avoid attracting attention and agree to meet at the city of Nlukoko. On the way, Theo narrowly avoids being caught by a Landguard searching for interlopers from other worlds. Soon after evading him, he is joined by Nauda on the outskirts of the city, and discovers that Fiyu has already arrived, cloaked in her new stealth ability. Together, they find their way past the guards and into Nlukoko.

As they explore the city, Nauda explains her plan: to earn enough money to afford a vehicle and supplies to venture into the wilderness to the north of Nlukoko, to find a gate to the world of Fithe. The large city on the other side is a hub with gates to several worlds, including Fiyu’s home, Ichil, so Theo and Fiyu quickly agree.

While Nauda and Fiyu look for transportation, Theo visits the city’s expansive library to research Elghiera, a mythical soulcrafter who traveled widely across the Nine Worlds and left behind powerful artifacts. In his first life, Theo had been given a protective ring which Vistgil called an Artifact of Elghiera, but Theo is unable to find any concrete information about them before his reading is interrupted by the sounds of a demon attack.

Joining the battle, Theo rescues a small, unusual being called Senka before helping to defeat a powerful second-stage demon. As he leaves to find Fiyu and Nauda, Senka attaches herself to his leg and refuses to leave him alone, complaining that a “big mean fumpet” is looking for her. Soon enough, a Landguard arrives to meet with the Lord of Nlukoko, so Nauda suggests that they make a break for the city’s gate to Deuxan and lay low until the Landguards move on. They succeed in slipping through the gate, but not in evading Senka, who follows them through and attaches herself to their group.

After finding their bearings, the group head towards the nearby city of Anguedan. On the way, they are introduced to the harsh side of Deuxan’s stratified society when they encounter a minor noble commandeering a wagon from some villagers. Nauda confronts him and Theo narrowly guides her away from being pulled into a duel, explaining that even minor insults are often answered by combat challenges in Deuxan. They decide to take some minor revenge by stealing from the noble's private forest, and Senka unexpectedly helps them by sniffing out some buried sublime materials.

Theo visits a local establishment to gather information and is shocked to discover that a century has elapsed since his last visit to the Nine. He returns to find that Fiyu has unwittingly insulted a young member of the local ruling family, who promptly challenges her to a duel. She misunderstands the rules and nearly kills her opponent before Theo intervenes. Unsatisfied, the group’s leader, Esaire ai Armaeu, forces another duel which Nauda wins, despite having her arm broken, and earning a bloodprice from Delarde, one of Esaire’s Archcrafter companions.

Back at their inn, Nauda reports that they will need to earn a lot more money to be able to afford a sleigh which would allow them to return to Tatian and travel to the gate to Fithe. They agree to remain in Anguedan until the upcoming rainhorn hunt, to take advantage of the high prices paid for the slain sublime beasts. Nauda decides to skip paying for a healer by instead ascending to Archcrafter, reinforcing her body and unlocking space for another floor in her soulhome.

While they wait for the hunt, the group earns money through guard jobs, demon extermination, and a bit of gambling on the side. Theo also visits the court library of Anguedan, hoping to learn about the family of his old ally Brigana ai Teraeves, but discovers he is being followed by Esaire. Finding no information about the Teraeves family, Theo manages to extract himself before attracting any more unwanted attention.

When the Rainhorn Hunt begins, Theo, Nauda and Fiyu find they can hunt the beasts effectively by combining Nauda’s strength, Theo’s gravity powers, and Fiyu’s stealth. However, they are unable to avoid being ambushed by Esaire’s allies, and Theo finds himself forced into a wager against the noble scion. They decide to purchase their sleigh early so they can leave immediately after the hunt, but on the last day, they are drawn into another fight and are forced to flee to Tatian by stealing one of the Armeau family’s sleighs.

After stopping briefly in Nlukoko to gather supplies and make another visit to the library, Theo is aghast to find that Senka has followed them… and that she did so by hitching a ride with some angry Deuxans. They immediately flee the city, but the Armeau family gives chase. They maintain their distance for a time, but are forced to hide when an enormous sublime beast called an eryo ambushes them. When the Deuxans catch up, Theo and his allies barely escape and take refuge in a cave as Esaire is wounded fighting off the eryo.

Before the group can move on, Delarde finds them in the cave and they are forced to fight him to the death. Theo extinguishes the lights to help Fiyu remain in stealth, and Nauda uses a blast from her nullstone to open Delarde’s defences long enough to administer a killing blow. Before long, all of the Deuxans are defeated, but one of them creates a cantae explosion with the last of his energy, summoning the still-hungry eryo to the mouth of the cave.

Exhausted, Theo wracks his brains for a solution while his allies recover. Soon, he realizes that their only chance is to use the beast’s size against it via his gravity techniques, but that he will need the cantae of an Archcrafter against such a powerful beast. He uses some sublime fairysilk to fashion a makeshift trampoline and pushes through the barrier above his soulhome, flooding him with newly-powerful cantae. Together with Nauda and Fiyu, he manages to slay the eryo by bombarding it with rocks accelerated by his multiplied gravity fields.

After harvesting the eryo’s carcass for its powerful sublime materials, the group sets off for the gate to Fithe. When they arrive, Nauda shows them something unexpected: an enormous cliff running around the entire planet, separating the lush verdant half of Tatian from a blackened wasteland on the other side. As they depart for Fithe, Theo realizes that he knows much less about the Nine Worlds than he had previously thought.

Back in Deuxan, Esaire is chastised by his grandfather Arceon for allowing the vendetta to get out of hand. Struggling to explain himself, he mentions that Theo had been searching not just for money or sublime materials, but also information. Arceon unexpectedly reacts with shock when Esaire mentions the Teraeves family name, and Esaire is no less confused when the family head abruptly decides that they need to arrange a trip to Fithe...

Chapter 1

Theo might have entered an entirely new world, one he barely knew, but one thing hadn't changed: demons tended to run in straight lines.

Most young soulcrafters would have been terrified by the sight of nearly a dozen demons rushing toward them, but now that his plans were starting to come together, numbers were nearly irrelevant. Extending a hand, Theo drew the cantae within his soulhome into his gravitational chamber and dropped a field onto the demons, flattening them with several times normal gravity.

That alone couldn't kill them, but his only goal had been to stop the momentum of their charge. He didn't even bother to shift his hand while reversing the field, since that was only a concentration aid, and let the demons fall up into the air. Before they could fall far, he carefully added other fields in both directions until he had them pinned in place.

Of course, that wouldn't kill them either. But the flood of cantae bolts tearing through the entire group definitely would.

He glanced over his shoulder to check on Fiyu, who stood atop a rock that jutted from the dusty wasteland. Though he could have smiled at her, she was much too focused on the battle going on around them for any communication beyond combat information. Regardless of the fact that the risks were low, she took the challenge deadly seriously.

Technically they were hunting demons to earn their place in the Fithan city of Norro Yorthin, but Theo had judged that objective trivial compared to their abilities. So over the past week, they had been focused on practicing use of their skills. For Fiyu, that meant launching more controlled storms of light from hiding, while his was a little more complex. As an Archcrafter he could finely tune each of his gravitational fields, but it still took practice to be able to get an opponent hovering off the ground - slamming enemies up and down was much easier.

If they did enter the city, however, they'd be likely to face situations where lethal skills were less useful, so he needed fine control. Even the lowly first stage demons were good for practice, since they always resisted with perfect violent malice.

His thoughts screeched to a halt as a demon burst from the underbrush, loping toward him. Theo instinctively cast a gravitational field on it, but to his surprise, the beast kept charging, even when he intensified the field. Its maw opened wide, revealing layers upon layers of teeth...

Which froze in the air a pace from his head, quivering and slavering. Theo took a deep breath and looked past the demon to Nauda, who stood with her fork extended in its direction. She didn't taunt, since they all had to watch each other's backs in the field, just nodded.

"You want to finish it off?"

"Thanks, Nauda." She could easily have done so, meaning that it was a chance for him to practice one of his other skills. Theo extended his hand toward the beast and attempted to create twisting planes of gravity within it that would create a gravitational torsion effect. The technique had become much easier now that he was an Archcrafter, but it was still a complex skill, and demons were resistant targets.

Not resistant enough: the insides of the demon crumpled up and when Nauda dropped it, the beast lay still. That breed was highly durable, but it seemed even they needed their internal organs.

"I believe that we are nearly done." Fiyu spoke from atop her vantage point, finally beginning to smile. "Perhaps today will be enough?"

"It's certainly a bigger outbreak than normal." Theo put a hand over his eyes to scan the horizon, noting other demons and the groups of soulcrafters exterminating them. Nauda took a position between them, squinting at the group to their east.

"Do you think they need help?" Nauda asked. Theo glanced briefly and then shrugged.

"Last time they got angry with us for getting in their way. If things fall apart, we'll have to trust the city guard to take care of it."

Fiyu nodded. "We do not want to offend anyone before we truly enter the city. But... I am surprised that they can have so many demon incursions near such a large population. It seems a great risk."

"It's because of the gates," Theo explained, "and they most likely have multiple Authority-tier soulcrafters using weirkeys to travel further. The fabric of the Nine Worlds is weaker here, so they have to deal with more of this sort of thing."

As the conversation continued, Theo began to walk over the battlefield, gathering up what remained of the demonic bodies and drawing them into his soulhome. They were useless for most soulcrafting purposes, but he could throw them into the singularity at the core of his first floor. Hopefully, once it gained enough spiritual mass, it could become a singularity in truth.

Norro Yorthin was a massive hub city on Fithe, just as Nauda had promised. It had no fewer than four gates to other worlds, and during their week of demon hunting, he'd learned that they led to Tatian, Ichil, Arbai, and Aathal. In his previous visit to the Nine Worlds, he'd seen a few bigger hub cities, but not many. After rushing through the countryside of Tatian and Deuxan, he'd finally arrived in real civilization, so he might be able to spend a while there profitably.

Unfortunately, the gate to Tatian was not the most prominent, standing in an outskirt of the city proper. Their group could have bought tourist passes to the city, or tried to sneak their way in, but if they wanted to use the other gates, that meant getting proper identification. If he understood Fithan culture, that was better earned than bought, which was why they were helping the city guard with demon incursions.

"Reinforce the west!" A chariot formed from a whirlwind of dust swept past them, the figure within shouting down to them. "Almost done!"

Theo couldn't see the figure through the wind chariot, but recognized the voice as Jothan. The man was a Ruler-tier soulcrafter who served as part of the Norro Yorthin city guard, one who had been reasonably friendly to them. Of course, he could have handled much of the demon incursion himself, but he was saving his cantae for if the battle got truly out of hand.

"Alright, we check west." Theo glanced to the other two, but they were already moving, Fiyu dropping from her vantage point to join them. He didn't give them a second glance and focused on the problem.

Ahead, he spotted a group of Fithan soulcrafters retreating from a group of demons swarming out of a cloud of dust. They were first tier soulcrafters with mundane soulhomes, but at least they were keeping in good order as they backed away instead of scattering and causing a panic.

Nauda swept ahead of them, trailing her staff behind her to trace a line in the dust between the demons and the Fithans. It appeared useless, though he knew better. At the end of the group she turned on the demons, swinging her staff overhead and crushing the nearest. Two more blows, two more down - ever since she'd begun working on Archcrafter rooms, her physical strength had been increasing.

Despite being in the middle of the battle, Theo found himself dissatisfied with his own roadblock. All the skill in the world couldn't earn him the right sublime materials, and he wasn't willing to soulcraft anything that didn't contribute toward his final blueprint. He needed a solid building material to begin soulcrafting his second floor, plus so much more... Theo wrenched his attention back to the battle.

Most of the other demons ignored Nauda, instead rushing for the weaker soulcrafters... but when they reached the line, they smashed into a barrier wall that flickered into being. It existed for only a moment, but powered by an Archcrafter's cantae, it sent them reeling back.

Finally in range, Theo pinned them to the ground with gravity and Fiyu tore them apart the next second. Instead of continuing to fire, however, she came up behind him, coughed a bit on the dust they'd kicked up, then spoke quietly. "There are no good rocks to stand on."

"Got it." Theo reversed gravity enough to carry her into the air, where she could rain destruction over the rushing demons.

Since she could easily destroy her own targets from there, Theo focused instead on a group of demons on the far side. They promptly fell into the air, and he let them sail far up before he brought them down again with all the gravity he could muster, crushing them all as they impacted on the ground.

Across the battlefield, Nauda was taking apart the rest. A demon managed to leap at her from behind, clawing at her shoulders, but she whirled with surprising speed, grabbing its head with one hand and bringing it down hard against her knee. By the time the body hit the ground, Fiyu had annihilated the last group and the horde of demons was gone.

"Thank you." An older Fithan man from the retreating group bowed to them, but a younger man promptly shoved him aside and pointed further west.

"They're sacrificing!"

Immediately they all turned their attention in that direction, and in the moment it took Theo to observe the scene, it was almost too late. The next group of soulcrafters in the line had collapsed even worse, failing to prevent a circle of demons from crumpling up to summon a second stage demon.

Theo struck first, trying to flatten the entire group, but he was too late. The last of the demons disappeared and something new emerged, briefly an inchoate form before the massive second stage demon appeared. It gave a savage grin and launched itself not at him, but at the retreating soulcrafters.

Their cantae bolts dissipated harmlessly against the demon's skin as it knocked a woman aside carelessly, smashing through her soulcrafted defenses. A man lunged in to impale the demon, but it bent aside from the thrust and then broke his arm with a single blow. Unless they did something, that demon would tear through the entire group.

Nauda hurled a cantae bolt that glanced off the demon's head - such strikes weren't her strength, but the Archcrafter cantae caught the demon's attention. It bent down and then lunged for them, crossing the distance in terrifyingly little time.

One of its feet slammed into the ground and suddenly sent it sailing skyward. Theo had been trying to retrain his instincts to send opponents up instead of down, since more opponents could resist heavy gravity than could resist its reversal. This time, it had paid off.

He let it sail upward and then slam down, but despite the force of the demon's momentum, he didn't even hear anything break. Instead, it merely began to climb up, grinning savagely in their direction. It probably had unnatural durability, then, and no amount of slamming it against the ground would kill it. Though he wanted to test how well it would survive against truly massive speeds, Nauda made an upward gesture and he nodded in return.

Theo sent the demon upwards at a slow pace, giving Fiyu plenty of time to pepper it with bursts of light. Nauda leapt up under her own power to strike it from behind, but the demon twisted with surprising agility. Somehow it caught her staff in one hand before it could hit, pulling Nauda in the air and forcing Fiyu to cut off.

The demon swiped across Nauda's face and she flinched back, but it didn't stop her from thrusting out with the fork in her other hand. It caught the demon's arm as it pulled back for another blow, binding it in place. Both combatants spiraled like that, each binding one limb of the other...

Until Nauda wrenched both down and slammed her forehead into the demon's nose.

Dividing his field into two, Theo let the beast drop and sent Nauda skywards. The demon crashed down, again being flooded by Fiyu's bursts of light. They might not be able to kill it, but they did burn, and the demon turned on her with a low growl.

At that moment, Nauda struck from above, at the precise instant Theo and Fiyu released their techniques. The demon had a moment to look startled, but not enough time to avoid her streaking blow that smashed its skull down into the ground.

Though it managed to survive, it couldn't get up in time to avoid Nauda stomping down onto its neck. When the demonic presence faded, they could finally breathe a sigh of relief. Nauda might be able to fight toe-to-toe with a second stage demon, but they were a serious threat to Fiyu and Theo didn't want to get anywhere near one until he had more Archcrafter rooms constructed.

A chariot of dust careened down toward them and they stepped back on instinct, but Jothan pulled up expertly and dropped from the vehicle to land beside them. "Huh." He glanced down at the fallen second stage demon, then grinned at them. "I was coming over to take care of it, but the three of you know what you're doing."

"Jothan." Fiyu approached him with a nervous smile. "Have we contributed enough to the city? Will we be allowed to travel freely now?"

"Oh, after today, you've done more than enough. Actually, since you've done so much for us, I'll fast track you in. Grab your things and come by the tower, I'll get you the official guard commendation."

With that, he hopped back up to his chariot and sped off, back toward the city walls that loomed over part of the horizon. Fiyu smiled broadly and Theo felt the corners of his lips turning up as well. They'd been delayed a bit, but not set back, and now they could enter the city with a strong position.

Norro Yorthin had been built in three vast rings, though he'd only heard rumors about the innermost wall. The gate from Tatian sat in the outermost, a sprawling mess of buildings constructed in different styles. Though it was surrounded by a guard station that remained on high alert, there was little traffic through the gate, since it opened into a wasteland on Tatian.

That thought brought him back to the impossibly tall cliff Nauda had shown them. Theo shook off the memory and focused on his present goals.

They'd arrived flush with cash from their hunting on Deuxan, so they'd found simple accommodations and set about earning their commendation so they could truly explore the central city. As he grabbed his pack, Theo found he had no emotional attachment to the simple room, he just wanted to move on. More than anything, he was annoyed to have to carry so many things instead of keeping them within his soulhome.

"Heya! Didja kill some demons? Didja?"

Then there was the other annoyance... Senka popped up from behind one of the low cots with a grin on her face. The little imp promptly latched onto Nauda's leg, letting out little whines when Nauda attempted to peel her off with her staff. "We're actually getting into Norro Yorthin today," Nauda said. "You don't have to come with us, but you can't stay here."

"Senka will come! The people here are all fumpets!"

"Everyone is a fumpet to you," Theo muttered as he headed out. Senka either didn't hear or pretended not to hear, instead flopping from Nauda's leg to Fiyu's. The Ichili woman seemed to treat children differently, because she just took Senka's hand and led her as they headed out. They'd secured their sleigh with the guards to keep it safe from theft, so they mostly walked for the time being.

Though Senka was definitely not a child, whatever she was, she could pass as one since children were exempt from the usual paperwork requirements. Besides, Theo wasn't going to waste any time getting special permissions for her. Commendations for Fiyu and Nauda would benefit all of them, but Senka remained a wildcard who could easily hinder as much as help.

They made their way to the guard tower near the gate quickly enough, passing by others who were waiting for audiences or begging for entrance paperwork. There were plenty of soulcrafters in the crowd, but in a hub city like this, that meant absolutely nothing. Even being an Archcrafter didn't give any automatic authority, because Fithe only cared about how powerful you actually were. That benefited them, since Fiyu remained a first tier soulcrafter but was quite capable.

When they stepped into the office, Jothan turned from one of the desks with a smile on his face and several stone plates in one hand. "As soon as you accept these, all of you will be officially citizens of Norro Yorthin. As new, unaffiliated citizens, you'll be entitled to... basically nothing. But it will be easier for you to join a House or travel, and merchants might not cheat you as much."

Accepting the stone plate handed to him, Theo looked it over carefully for traps, unlikely as it was. But it was mostly inert stone, the only complex part of it an inlay of silvery ore. It was a sublime material, just not a strong one, probably there to make the identity plates more difficult to forge. He might have been able to do it himself, if he'd known the necessary details, but in this case it was easier to just follow the rules.

"All you need to do is pulse cantae gently through it to bind the plate. Cantae doesn't have unique signatures, so... but I don't need to tell you that, do I?" Jothan laughed at himself and instead just waved vaguely at the plates. "Point is, this isn't some sublime masterpiece. Don't lose them or let them get stolen. Your real identity is found in city or House records."

Binding the plate was trivial, so Theo turned it over to look better first. His false name was etched on the front, identifying him as Deuxan to hopefully deflect some attention. Beyond the pattern in the silver, the plate was mostly blank except for a carved line along the bottom with the sigil of the city guard. That was what made this effort worth it, in theory.

"Does the guard commendation earn us anything?" Nauda asked. Jothan could have kicked them out, since his job was done, but he sat back on his desk and folded his arms.

"On its own, no. Lots of people in the city have worked with the guard, sometimes just for money. But the commendation marks you as soulcrafters worth at least a little, so when you join a House, you'll be able to negotiate a better starting salary."

"Everyone speaks of these House organizations." Fiyu had already tucked her plate into one of the many folds in her robes. "I have not yet seen them."

"Oh, but you have!" Jothan gestured vaguely to points outside the room. "The money exchange by the gate is run by the House of Coin. Those soup lines for the poorest peasants? Courtesy of House Blacksilver. Even this tower is maintained by the contributions of House Crimson. They and all the other big Houses are the main contributors to the city guard."

Though he'd been focused on work, Theo had absorbed some information about the city, but talking to Jothan was a much better chance, so he decided to risk a question. "You suggest we join a House?"

"Unless you really intend to just pass through, absolutely. Nothing gets done here without the Houses being involved."

"Then which one would you recommend?"

"No comment." Jothan straightened from the desk, his expression growing serious. "The city guard is officially independent, and we do take that seriously. We're the only force that works on behalf of everyone, free of internal politics. Everything else is quid pro quo, but you can't run a guard like that."

The phrase "quid pro quo" buzzed in Theo's mind as his soul simultaneously heard several things. He thought the literal words were "blood for blood" but the phrase was so well-worn in the Fithan language that the specific words were almost irrelevant. Apparently it had a commonly understood meaning similar enough that his soul heard the Latin phrase, but he could only guess at what Fiyu and Nauda heard.

"We will remember your words, Jothan." Fiyu smiled broadly at him and bobbed her head. "Thank you for helping us."

"No, thank you for assisting the city guard." Jothan stepped forward and clapped Theo and Nauda on the shoulders, which he'd only started doing after several demon fights. He'd never gotten close to touching Fiyu, which made sense if the city had an Ichili population. Fiyu might not find Norro Yorthin comfortable, but she'd be given enough personal space in relationships, or something close to it.

Elsewhere, there might have been longer goodbyes, but Fithe didn't stand on ceremony, so Jothan turned back to his desk. Recognizing the dismissal, the three of them left his office, soon being joined by Senka. A few stared at them exiting the guard tower, but more out of boredom than any suspicion. In a city this large, Theo hoped that they could completely disappear.

Once they did, then he might be able to make progress in peace. Against the forces that were threatening him, he needed far more strength, so sublime materials and soulcrafting time were essential. Perhaps more importantly, in a city like this, he might be able to learn more about his enemy. Hopefully this would be a good base of operations for a long time, it was just a question of how...

"I've been talking to some of the villagers," Nauda said as they walked toward the main gates. "Everything really does revolve around the Houses here, but they don't seem to resent them. If anything, they just hope to get employed by one of the better Houses."

"I see." Fiyu had spent much less time learning about Fithe, focused almost solely on gaining information about the gate to Ichil. "What I do not understand is how they can run a military based on contributions from civilians. What if a House decides not to pay?"

"They do, sometimes, and that's why the city guard is so serious about trying to stand above politics. But making contributions is a way of buying influence, and failing to make payments would be a sign of weakness, so apparently it works well enough." Nauda's gaze slid over to Theo. "But I suppose these petty observations are all incomplete, oh knowledgeable one?"

"Not here." Theo smiled as he stared at the entrance. "I only spent a few days on Fithe once, and it wasn't this part of the world at all. I'm learning along with you."

"But you've known many Fithans."

"They must have been from a very different culture, because they had clans and powerful families. Here, the Houses seem to be wholly independent organizations. As far as I've been able to tell, family means nothing here. World of origin doesn't mean anything either. So we're all starting off in the same place."

Ahead, the second wall of Norro Yorthin stretched upwards... and a wall of dust stretched even higher. The inner city appeared to be surrounded by a tornado of dust, not whirling intensely but incredibly vast. He could presume that it broke the dust storms that swept through the rest of Fithe, but he didn't actually know that for certain.

Theo found his smile growing wider as he felt that little thrill of discovery that he'd so often lost in his second life in the Nine Worlds. As they walked through the gates of Norro Yorthin, he finally walked into the unknown.

Chapter 2

The first thing Theo noticed within the city was the relative lack of dust. It was still stirred up by the feet of the crowds, but compared to the constant dust storms outside, the air was practically clear. He noted that the streets were bone dry, but they seemed unnaturally clean, suggesting that the city had some sort of street cleaning organization. Another sign that they'd reached real civilization.

"There are many people." Fiyu's eyes were so wide that he could actually see a hint of them through her translucent mask. She shuffled to the side, tugging on their sleeves to move them into defensive positions. "They are all bumping into each other."

"I'm afraid Fithan crowds can be a bit rough." Theo managed to pull out of his personal thoughts to give her a reassuring smile. "But if you can bear with it, we should be able to find private rooms. As soon as we find a secure place, we can use our sleigh instead."

"But where?" Nauda asked. "If I understand the signs, there are several inns near the gate, but those would be temporary at best. Where are we actually staying?"

"Perhaps we do not need to stay." Fiyu smiled uneasily as she looked back and forth between them. "If I can return to Ichil, I may be able to contact my relative. He is a skilled soulcrafter and he would reward you as thanks for assisting me."

"Fiyu..." Theo had known this was coming but put it off, which he belatedly realized was a bad habit he'd thought he'd outgrown in his years on Earth. "I do think we should investigate the gate as one of our first priorities, but we have no idea where it leads on Ichil. Statistically, it's very likely that it will be nowhere near anywhere you know."

"I am aware, but I may still be able to send a message to my relative." She gripped their sleeves a little tighter. "If I was able to return, you should come with me. We could continue traveling together on Ichil."

Theo had been intending to gently lower her expectations so she wouldn't be crushed, and now had to consider the opposite outcome. If Fiyu did find an easy path back home, that would entirely throw out his current plans and potentially break up their group. Then again, her relative must be an Authority, so his weirkeys could prove even more valuable. The question would be Nauda...

"I'd like to visit your home, Fiyu." The other woman stepped closer, but instead of brushing her in the Tatian fashion, just moved to better shield her from the crowds milling around them. "But there are many other things we need to do, and I think many of them are best done here."

Though Fiyu bobbed her head agreeably, Theo saw a bit of tension in her stance. Despite everything, she might still be afraid that they would leave her, or simply be contemplating that their goals might take them in different directions. He wasn't sure how close they'd grown in her personal calculations, but Ichili didn't form connections often.

"There's no point making decisions now," Theo said before the mood could worsen. "A city this big will have countless opportunities and we need to judge them first. We should check the gate to Ichil, but also the gate to Arbai. It's another low chance, but it might take us close to where Navim lives, and the master of his school might have a weirkey to Ichil."

"Oh, we could see Navim again!" Fiyu let go of their sleeves to clasp her hands together, her smile broadening. "I would like that."

"The point is, you have many different paths back home, so don't pin your hopes on just one. We need to scout Norro Yorthin thoroughly so we're in a strong position whatever happens."

"Let's start with a little tour." Nauda gave his arm a little squeeze, he thought in thanks for disarming the situation, and then turned forward. "Stay between us for now, Fiyu, and we can make basic plans."

As they headed into the crowds, they made their way into the human flood. Unlike Deuxan, where bumping into someone could start a duel or even a feud, here everyone ran into each other. Most didn't apologize or even make eye contact, just pressed on about their own business. Since the three of them were all soulcrafters with enhancement chambers, they were in no real danger, so long as they stayed alert for pickpockets.

That was one of the several things he'd warned them about when they'd first entered and he'd shared his limited knowledge of Fithe. Fiyu would have no trouble, supremely aware of her own person, but he wasn't sure if Nauda was accustomed to such suspicion. He might have assumed she wasn't before, but after seeing the cliff on Tatian... he had no idea what the culture was like down below.

Though Fithe had a reputation as an aggressive world, Theo thought they were actually safer than average in the city. Fortunately, Norro Yorthin wasn't currently at war and wasn't near a watery part of the world, so there would be less widespread violence. They'd learned that dueling was strictly regulated and it seemed that the Houses were mostly happy to operate as economic engines without meddling in the lives of wandering foreigners. Due to the presence of many powerful organizations, the city was relatively low on crime, though the word "relatively" carried a lot of weight.

As they continued, the noise of the crowds drowned out all but essential conversation, so Theo began examining his surroundings with new eyes. He'd been focused on situational awareness of potential threats, but now he could observe the city itself.

Unlike the messy buildings outside the great tornado wall, everything within was clearly organized by a central authority. Most of the buildings appeared to have been hewn from the red stone of the wasteland around, and he wondered how well the color would hide blood. Buildings arced up to at least three floors on either side, giving the slight impression of walking through a canyon.

Soon enough he began noticing the important signs: the businesses he saw almost all had a conspicuous color scheme that he doubted could be purely aesthetic. He spotted a restaurant with dark blue tables and lanterns, yet it displayed a golden banner in the window - clearly the marker of a House. Once he started looking, nearly every building had some marker of their patron, whether it was just a patterned cloth by the entrance, a door painted brightly, or an interior entirely cast in a single color.

If they spent any time at all in the city, he'd need to learn those signs, but for the moment his attention shifted to the people themselves. The majority were Fithan, with unnaturally red skin and slight fangs - he spotted only a few of Fithe's other major species, marked by bluish skin and horns. Their presence lent weight to what he'd heard about this region not being at war, in any case.

Aside from them, he spotted a number of Arbaian natives, obvious in the crowds due to their enormous rocky bodies. Fiyu was no longer the only Ichili in sight, as he spotted a number of them as they walked, some wearing masks but others simply squinting in the light. What struck him as strange was that he saw no species from Aathal - and he would have noticed, since they all looked like trees.

"Another locked entrance." Nauda looked away from a gate he'd barely noticed. She jerked her head to the side and they pushed their way from the central crowd into an alcove between two buildings, which muffled the sound a little bit. "So much of this city seems to be locked away."

"That's just to be expected, in a city with fractured loyalties." Theo had been noting the walls and other barriers, just not thinking much about them beyond their House insignias. "Most likely each House has several different private grounds for their own purposes."

"So the city is divided into many regions." Fiyu bobbed her head, a slow smile appearing on her face. "I noticed that the crowds moved strangely, but could not determine the barriers to their movements. Now I realize that they were social."

"I understand what Jothan told us now," Nauda said, "but would joining a House actually help? Seems like for every place it would let us enter, we'd be locked out of several others aligned with opposing groups."

Theo shook his head. "It would be impossible to do business as independent agents. I'd bet that aside from the House grounds, most of the city will take custom from anyone. Perhaps we'd gain some benefit from being unaligned, but I doubt most of the average people care enough about House politics to mistreat customers."

"This is premature." Fiyu looked back toward the main street, but frowned at the bustling crowd. "First we must learn all we can about the gate to Ichil, and the other gates. Perhaps we do not need to align with anyone."

"I agree. It looks to me like the central circle of the city is relatively small, so we can guess a few things..." Theo bent down to trace a simple map in the dirt. He could have used gravity to give them all a bird's eye view, but he'd decided that going that high might attract unwanted attention. Plenty of people in the city could fly by various means, but no one broke the tornado wall and he'd only seen the wind chariots outside, so he thought it might be a local norm.

However, he'd been watching the crowds before and after they'd earned their way inside, so he thought that he'd learned something important: the gates to Ichil and Arbai lay in opposite directions. Each was surrounded by rings of security, markets, and other businesses related to the world on the other side. Once he laid out what he knew, the others immediately understood.

"So Ichil is to the north, Arbai is to the south." Nauda shook her head down at the map. "This is a big city, so it would take us a while to go all the way around the circle. Are you suggesting we split up?"

"We don't have to, but I think we shouldn't waste time." Theo glanced toward Fiyu, who remained unreadable for once. "We need information about the gates, and failing that, all the local Houses. The sooner we learn that, the more we can benefit from it."

"I would prefer to stay together..." Fiyu took a deep breath and then nodded to herself. "But I can go with Nauda. We can each investigate one gate and then meet back here at nightfall. Can you take Senka?"

He definitely didn't want to, but since Fiyu was going outside her comfort zone, he decided that he could put up with it. At least... he could if Senka was around. Just when Theo was beginning to hope that she'd left them in the crowds, she popped up from a pile of refuse.

"Senka heard Senka's name!"

"We are going to split up." Fiyu bent down beside her with a gentle smile. "Can you go with Theo to look at the gate?"

"No! Senka doesn't wanna! Senka wants to eat yummies!"

"You ate this morning. We must investigate the city now."

"No! Nooo! Senka wants yummies!" She promptly threw herself onto her back and began to thrash back and forth, like a horrible parody of a toddler. Fiyu shifted back, as if shocked that reasonable words hadn't worked with a child-like mind. Then again, most of the Ichili children he'd met had been very well-behaved.

Nauda bent down beside her, opting for the same tone. "We'll get something to eat while we walk."

"Senka wants yummies sporping now!"

Theo was a reasonably patient man after all his years of life, but he had very limited stores of it for Senka's little tantrums. He grabbed her by the back of her robe and jerked her into the air to face him. "You've been following us and eating our food since we arrived here, but you don't have to. If you want food, go get it yourself."

"Fine, Senka will!" She twisted with surprising speed and managed to escape his grip. "Senka doesn't need you fumpets anyway!"

Before the others could stop her, she darted between them and into the crowds, quickly becoming lost among the legs. Though Fiyu looked concerned, there was no real way of retrieving her. Part of Theo hoped that she would go find someone else to bother, but he had a bad feeling that in a few days she'd crawl back to them, babbling so miserably that the others would take pity on her.

"I suppose we cannot find her," Fiyu said, so Theo pounced on her acceptance.

"If she wants, she can find us. I think your plan was good: we split into two groups, gather all the information we can, and meet back at a central location tonight. So long as you don't do anything that would lead you to join a House, I don't think we can get into too much trouble."

They agreed on their meeting point, a large square with statues of the city founders, and then separated in opposite directions. Since Fiyu obviously wanted to visit the Ichili gate, Theo found himself heading south. He had a pretty good idea what he would find, however, so he was more interested in gaining a better sense for the city.

They had only split up for half a day, yet as he walked Theo began thinking about the ties that bound them. When he thought about the trials they'd shared and the emotions that had run through those times, it felt like they had a bond, but were they unified by anything more concrete? Nauda had her own agenda and goals that she kept hidden, while Fiyu might not have any grand objectives beyond returning home to continue her training.

Was that actually enough? He could easily imagine that in the future, it would become clear that they were simply three people who had come together in a disruption between worlds. Then again, when he thought about his friends in his first life - now a century dead - there hadn't been much more binding them.

Brigana, Khaluu, Eratius... he'd stumbled across most of them, as friends or as enemies, and they'd stuck together right up until the day Vistgil had gotten them all killed. Though Theo felt a familiar surge of anger, his time in the Nine had worn that emotion down to sorrowful determination.

Theo actually stopped walking for a moment as he realized something new: that loss hadn't actually been what had made his life on Earth unpleasant. Many others his own age had lamented that it was so easy to make friends in school, but so difficult as an adult. He'd been even worse than most, barring himself off from others in his obsessive mission to return to the Nine Worlds. Yet as big an obstacle as that had been, part of the problem was that he'd been hoping meaningful relationships would simply come to him instead of being built over time.

Yet now that he was back in the Nine, and even placed in an environment where it was easy to meet new people, he'd started to fall into old ruts. Instead of imagining their group drifting apart, Theo thought about what he could do to maintain those relationships, even if their goals took them in separate directions. Nothing about his outcomes would change unless he fundamentally changed.

Slightly cheered by that decision, Theo headed forward with new determination. Most likely, neither gate would take them where they needed to go, but Norro Yorthin could well contain the path they needed. Though not as trivial as Archcrafter, it wouldn't be too difficult for him to ascend to Ruler, then a city such as this would have the materials to reach Authority. Once they reached that tier, they could acquire their own weirkeys and move freely.

On his way, he noted many stalls that sold sublime materials, weaponsmiths, and combat arenas... the problem was that there were just too many opportunities in such a large city. All three of them already had a strong foundation and such commonplace materials were useless to them. He didn't want to draw too much attention to himself and potentially call down Vistgil, but he couldn't afford to waste his time, either.

A scuffle in the street ahead caught his attention, taking place around the entrance to some sort of soulcrafter establishment, a building with a finely carved front that wouldn't have otherwise captured his attention. Several young soulcrafters were arguing, trying to shove their way in.

"Don't you know who we are? We're from the House of Burning Leaves!" One of them stepped forward toward the doorway, only to be pressed back by a wall of cantae.

"No exceptions." A powerfully built Fithan man barred the door, his skin covered in scars. It wasn't his muscle or his scars that caught Theo's attention, but the fact that the man was a Ruler. If a third tier soulcrafter was guarding the entrance, perhaps the building wasn't so unimportant after all.

Unwilling to go up against such overwhelming power, the soulcrafters slunk away, already beginning to convince themselves they hadn't wanted to enter anyway. Theo set them out of his mind and gave the building a better look. The sign declared it to be "The State of Rest" and an instinct told him that the phrase was similar to "sublime" in the local Fithan language. So it was a powerful soulcrafter institution, but an understated one. Notably, he didn't see any indication that it belonged to any of the Houses.

"May I ask what the trouble was about?" Theo asked as he approached. The Ruler kept his arms folded, but regarded him with a friendly smile.

"Simply a few misguided youths. The State of Rest does not allow anyone beneath the rank of Archcrafter to enter. You, being of the requisite rank and considerably more polite, are welcome." Despite his rough appearance, the man spoke very smoothly, which suggested that he needed to keep out threats of a social variety as well. Theo had gone from mildly interested to intrigued, but kept his expression neutral.

"I'm afraid that I am new to the city and not yet familiar with your establishment."

"Ah, well... this is a place for soulcrafters to relax free from House politics. We serve a great many refreshments, but the primary attraction is the opportunity to exchange information. There is no entry fee, but we do maintain certain standards. Specifically, citizens in good standing able to afford our services..."

Recognizing an obvious invitation, Theo slipped his identity plate from his robes as well as a bag of craftgems. Since Fiyu preferred not to carry many, he had almost half their considerable supply. The guard's eyebrows rose fractionally at the sum, but he spent more time looking at the labels on his identity plate. Soon enough, the Ruler returned both to him and gestured inward with a smile.

"We do not get many Deuxan guests here, so I believe you may be of interest to some. I hope you will enjoy your time in The State of Rest."

"Thank you." Theo stepped through the door and felt a subtle barrier tingle over his skin - it didn't try to analyze him, just kept out heat and noise. Even one step inside, the world felt much cooler and quieter.

In the future he might enjoy spending time there, but Theo had too many urgent objectives at the moment and only had time to scout. The interior of the building was larger than the small door would have indicated, spread out across booths over two floors. All of it was tastefully lit with blue lamps, though the greatest show of wealth was how the booths were constructed from wood, which was rare in this part of Fithe.

Since he moved in smoothly, as if he was comfortable in the place, few gave him more than a glance. He noticed that everyone within was an Archcrafter or Ruler except for a few staff, some Fithan but also a lean Ichili man. In one corner, an Aathali's branches bent low as he engaged in conversation with several other soulcrafters.

Lacking the social knowledge to truly take advantage of the place as of yet, Theo instead looked for simpler opportunities. There appeared to be a desk for exchanging clandestine messages, as well as a board that seemed to cover requests. He glanced at them briefly, not letting himself attract attention. After skipping past servers who offered food or drink, he finally spotted what he wanted.

A finely crafted board in one shaded corner was far more organized than the previous, containing only formal-looking announcements on expensive paper. This was exactly what he needed: anything on the board was common knowledge to talented soulcrafters, but still unknown to many others. It was a much better place to start than blundering through the streets.

His eyes ran over the announcements, noting how many seemed to be invitations for employment from the major Houses of the city. All highly specialized requests, which suggested that they respected the establishment as well. Currently his group couldn't meet those requirements, and he wouldn't enter any of the contests suggested, but-

Theo stopped and stared at a paper in the center of the board.

Most of the paper was filled with local names, but his attention was seized by the title at the top: The Chasm of Lamentations. He hadn't thought about that name in years, not since his first visit to the Nine Worlds. The Chasm was a region of great danger and natural wonders that was accessible only once every decade or more.

As far as he knew, the Chasm was located on Noven, so why was its name listed here in Fithe? There were no explanations on the paper, only the names. When he looked closer, he saw that there were empty spaces as if they might be filled by other people. The names of those who had visited it, or would be going?

There were too many questions, but he was certain of one thing: this was the exceptional opportunity he'd been waiting for.

Chapter 3

The young Theo would have rushed up to the nearest person and demanded everything they knew about the Chasm of Lamentations, but instead he swallowed his enthusiasm and reacted calmly. He finished scanning the room, ordered an inexpensive drink of some sort of blue wine, and pretended to relax while considering the best path forward.

It was remotely possible that this was an unrelated location referred to by the same name, though previously the Chasm had been a notorious legend. That led to the opposite concern: it might be another trap laid by his unseen enemy. The Chasm of Lamentations was a location filled with dangers that could be circumvented via knowledge, which meant it was an appealing target for someone just like him. He needed to be suspicious of the very fact that a visit to the Chasm could prove so valuable.

While he waited, he listened to the conversations around him, trying to absorb as much of the local environment as possible. He learned many rumors about individual Houses, and got a strong sense that Norro Yorthin was a city balanced between many powers, but no one mentioned the Chasm. In the end, he decided that he should defer any direct interactions until he had a strong grasp of the city.

Instead, he finished his drink and returned to the exit, or more precisely to the bouncer who worked there. The man nodded to him politely, but Theo stepped out of the main path to speak to him. "Thank you for inviting me in, but I wondered if I might ask a few questions."

"About our establishment, certainly. Anything about House politics, the State of Rest takes no position. I would also never reveal anything about clientele."

"Nothing like that. I merely noticed the papers advertising a number of different competitions, many of them without any times or places listed. In particular, I was curious about this Chasm of Lamentations."

The bouncer had relaxed when he started speaking, but his eyes narrowed when he mentioned the Chasm. Regardless, the man answered in the same polite tone. "I'm afraid most competitions are available only by invitation, so you need special permission to enter. That is especially true for the Chasm, where the invitations are always fiercely fought over."

"Oh? Is it that valuable?" Theo pretended a disinterested smile. "I assumed that the people of this city would have long ago gained control of any sources of sublime materials. Is this one new?"

"Not new... I'm unclear on the reasons, but the Chasm is only accessible once every eleven years for a brief period. Many of its most valuable materials have been harvested by the champions of the houses, but others regrow during that period. Hence the intense competition to be allowed in."

That suggested it was an authentic opportunity, unless the bouncer was in on the deception, a possibility that Theo quickly dismissed. If there was really a great event to harvest sublime materials every decade, then there would be numerous records of it. Though caution remained important, that meant that his knowledge could potentially be useful to them, and reaching the Chasm was essential. Assuming...

"And when will the next eleven year period elapse?"

"I believe the event will occur in slightly over a year." The bouncer kept his voice low, more caution than a hushed whisper. "We list the names of those who have already earned an invitation for the sake of their reputation, but otherwise the State of Rest is uninvolved with the contest. That is all I can tell you."

One year. Even if it was extremely difficult to acquire one of these invitations, he thought that would be more than enough time. It might be troublesome to acquire three for the entire group, but he could easily go and loot the place himself. Assuming that there was no trap and the competitors themselves weren't a problem... no, it would be better to bring Nauda and Fiyu.

"I won't impose on your good will." Theo gave the bouncer a Fithan nod and started to step away before pretending to reconsider. "I've seen very little of this city, but I have a feeling that I'll be returning here eventually."

"We would welcome your business."

"No, we wouldn't." The new voice cut into their conversation and Theo saw a woman cutting a swift path toward them. Ruler-tier, red-skinned Fithan, wearing practical armor. She had her hair dyed a blood red that matched her skin, cut in a sharp line to either side of her face. "You stumble into Norro Yorthin and think you can grab a Chasm Invitation just like that?"

"I was merely interested," Theo started to say, but she cut him off.

"I've seen that kind of confidence before. You think it's just another material hunt that you can easily master. Well, you're wrong. A single Chasm Invitation sells for more than you're worth, and that's the price now, not when the season draws near."

Her words might have been intended to intimidate, but only told him that these Invitations could be bought on the open market, if for an exorbitant amount. That combined with the list suggested that control of them was a game played among Houses, a game he needed to play.

Adopting his best neutral smile, Theo didn't back down even when she marched into his personal space. "And who am I addressing?"

"Just someone offering friendly advice." She poked him in the chest, leaving no doubt that it was a threat. "I am Kathina of the House of Coin. Even if you think you're ready for the Chasm, you don't have what it takes to reach the starting line."

"Perhaps I do, perhaps I don't." His old instincts wanted to wager her that he would, but he realized that anything he won would be trivial compared to angering the House of Coin and potentially getting further embroiled in politics. "I take it you have some personal interest?"

"I don't see how that's any of your business."

"You're right, it's certainly not." With that, Theo stepped back with a polite bow and turned away. He thought he saw her give an annoyed sort of smirk, but she didn't pursue him when he returned to the street.

Distraction shed, Theo headed into the city with renewed purpose. He still needed to do research to be absolutely certain this was the same Chasm as on Noven, or perhaps it was a class of location instead of a specific one. If the competition occurred every decade, contenders would be exchanging intelligence from previous veterans, so he could easily confirm whether or not he had the knowledge advantage he expected.

Still, he thought it was likely, so the question was how to acquire these Chasm Invitations. If he had any sense for how Fithe operated, he guessed that they were distributed by some sort of official organization that controlled the expedition, then fought over. No doubt some were given to each significant House, then traded, exchanged, or otherwise used as bargaining chips. Over the next year, he needed to get his hands on three of them.

Promising as that goal was, Theo forced his gaze back to the street level. If he did manage to enter that competition, it would be on the back of many smaller accomplishments, so he still needed to evaluate the city carefully. He hadn't spent much time in the State of Rest, but he did need to make sure to have reached the Arbaian gate before nightfall.

Even as he examined the streets around him, Theo couldn't entirely contain his enthusiasm. The sublime materials they could acquire in the Chasm, even if it had been picked over by others with similar knowledge, would be a huge boon to them. Leaving Norro Yorthin was no longer a viable option and he wondered if it would be worth lying to the others to make sure they stayed.

Theo immediately grasped the thought and examined it more carefully. No, that was childishness masquerading as ruthlessness. If they were really his friends, it would be best to approach them honestly with both the risks and the rewards. They would understand how it could benefit all of them.

What pulled him out of his thoughts was a group of people he passed in the street - a group he didn't recognize. Though Theo acknowledged that there were countless species and ethnicities across the Nine Worlds that he didn't know, he usually had a strong sense for anyone's world of origin, and it was rare that anyone threw him completely as Senka had.

In this case, it was an entire group of soulcrafters, their soulhomes walled up tight. But physically, he could get a great deal of information from them: all humanoid, with golden brown skin that he would have considered Tatian... except that they had pitch black hair. Theo had visited many places across Tatian and never once seen someone without light hair, so this puzzled him.

He glanced at the group once more over his shoulder, confirming his observations. The most likely explanation was that they might be Tatians from the dark half of the world beneath the cliff, yet that immediately led him to wonder why Nauda's hair was light instead of dark.

In the end, he decided that speculation was irrelevant: he needed more data about Tatian. They could just as easily be from the world below, a group he'd simply never seen, or a faction that soulcrafted a change of hair color for some reason. He tucked the idea away for the time being and resolved to keep his eyes open for dark-haired Tatians in the city.

"Didja miss Senka?" Just as Theo was beginning to feel positive about life, an imp attached itself to his back. "You looked all sad. Because you missed Senka a lot, right?"

"Not even one hour?" Theo reached over his shoulder to try to grab her, but she scrambled over to the other side of his head. "You couldn't stay away from us for a single hour?"

"Senka went off to sporp blook up but then waited a long, long, long time and got bored." She ducked aside from his second attempt to grab her, giggling obnoxiously. "Then Senka saw that you were so sad without Senka and so she had to come back!"

Instead of trying to talk to her, Theo just let some of his cantae flow and reached back faster than she could move, tugging her off his back and holding her at arm's length in front of him. "I've had about enough of you. Keep chattering and I'll send you floating off into the city."

"That sounds fun! But Senka wonders... will everybody see Senka and wonder what mean fumpet was so mean to a nice little Senka?"

Theo hesitated, staring into those purple eyes and wondering if there was anything else behind them. That had almost been a threat, and though he would have normally dismissed the idea, he'd tried to reconsider his assumptions after he'd misread Tatian culture. Yet Senka just stared back at him and swung back and forth with a vapid smile.

"Fine." He lowered her to the ground without letting his annoyance leak out. "You can come with me for now."

"Yay! But Senka wants to ride!"

He drew the line well before letting her ride him, and there, at least, he could outargue her. Eventually Senka's intense obnoxiousness seemed to run out and she settled for following at his side, holding his hand. It annoyed one part of his mind, but he rationalized that appearing to lead a child deflected attention from him. Instead of a young Archcrafter who might be dangerous, he was just a kindly father who had managed to scrape into Archcrafter. That could be a useful deception, especially once he soulcrafted a shielding wall.

"Hey. Hey." Senka tugged on the leg of his pants as they walked, barely audible over the crowds. "What are you doing now?"

"Scouting the city and visiting the Arbaian gate. You should know this."

"Nah. What are you doing. Why are you here?"

Theo glanced down at her, then decided to just ignore her. It was a valid question and he wasn't about to answer it to the insufferable little imp. Instead, he increased his pace toward the gate in the hopes that it would offer some simpler answers. He could finish scouting the city once Senka had been dumped onto Fiyu or anyone else she didn't annoy. Or into a ditch, though the ditch might not be as patient.

A wall caught his attention: not one of the crimson stone walls that represented societal barriers, but a huge block of sandstone. In the consistently red city, it stuck out, but Theo realized that there were more than a few such walls ahead. Remnants of an older city built with different stone? Or perhaps...

When he examined the crowds more carefully, he realized that their composition shifted ahead of any changes in architecture. He saw far more Arbaians, rock-shaped Mundhin along with serpentine Eubhan and other species he couldn't even name. When he looked beyond the obvious, he realized that there were Fithans wearing all encompassing robes and face masks for sand instead of dust. It seemed like Norro Yorthin contained an Arbaian community within its walls, which didn't fit his expectations for Fithans.

"Wow, it's a bunch of rocky fumpets!" Senka punched his leg, apparently out of sheer excitement. "Except... do they have fumpets?"

"I guess we're about to find out." Theo grabbed her hand and pulled her into the Arbaian quarter.

Chapter 4

The walls of Arbaian stone soon included more sandy domes, though Theo spotted many buildings of traditional Fithan red. Several times he tensed as he saw a Mundhin with a body fully crafted for war, most of them soulcrafters, but they appeared to be simple guards. All carried a pattern on one of their spheres that he recognized as similar to the symbol for the city guard.

Soon he passed through a large market area crawling with Fithans, eager to purchase Arbaian goods. From a glance it seemed like their most valuable exports were finely crafted armaments and stone or metalwork, though he saw some raw materials as well. Several times he had to step aside as a wagon filled with non-native rocks passed, and he also saw trade in sand. Most likely it was rare Arbaian sand suitable for fashioning into windows, which might explain how their windows survived the dust storms on Fithe.

With Arbai spilling out of the gate, Theo could only conclude that there was a city or major school on the other side. Normally he would have expected Fithe to go to war against such a force, but then again, Arbaians had a reputation for negotiation. In any case, they seemed to have established a mutually-beneficial equilibrium, based on the routine trade he saw all around him.

When he got within sight of the gate to Arbai, Theo was finally stopped: there was a perimeter of spiked stone and guards from both worlds. Not particularly hostile, but alert, ready to keep order if anyone attempted anything. The only way to get closer to the gate was through several controlled paths, Fithans and Arbaians waiting in long lines.

Theo briefly glanced at the gate, noting that the arc was formed of dark blue marble, standing out starkly against the reddish Fithan sky. His gaze soon shifted downward, estimating the size of the gate, and he understood why there were such long lines. It might be relatively broad, with a steady stream of people moving through in both directions, but it was absurdly small compared to a city the size of Norro Yorthin. Essentially they needed to squeeze the needs of an entire city - an entire world - through a single gate. No doubt passage was expensive, and he imagined it would be the same for the other gates, which boded ill for Fiyu's hopes.

"Are you gonna just stare at everything?" Senka asked. Theo scowled in her general direction and moved off without answering, having finally spotted his angle.

One of the guards sat near a secondary entrance that few approached, not bored but certainly with idle time. Instead of the rocky limbs of the Mundhin, it was an Eubhan, with a snake-like body of smooth living stone. Regardless of its exact species, it had the same guard symbol wrapped around one of its smaller tails.

"Only critical House business through this gate." Though the Eubhan had a blunt face with emerald eyes and a carved mouth, none of those moved, the deep voice emanating from his core like other Arbaians. "Move along, Deuxan."

"I don't want to get through," Theo said, "I just wanted to liven your day with a few questions."

"And what if I don't like questions?" The Eubhan coiled its body to lower its head to his level. Once Theo would have been threatened, but he knew that it was a posture of thought for the Eubhan species, so he pushed on.

"In fact, I don't think I want to go through your gate at all, but I need to check if it's useless to me. What information could I offer in exchange?"

"Oh, I don't play games of exchange, Fithan or scholarly. But... I am required by my position to answer certain questions, so you may ask."

"What lies on the other side of the gate?"

"The city of Ulsalem, which contains more things than I could possibly count." The Eubhan lowered itself further, a low rumble like rocks grinding together emanating from its length. "What are you looking for?"

Theo briefly considered whether or not Navim's name could bring any attention or harm, but decided that it was enough steps removed to be no concern. "I owe a debt to someone in the School of Emerald Indulgence. Unfortunately, I doubt this city of yours is anywhere near it."

"I am not familiar with that school. Now, be on your way."

"You look like you're from one of the Eubhan combat orders. Which one? Perhaps I might have heard of it."

The Eubhan wasn't impressed by his knowledge, since it must be common here. Still, after glancing over the empty pathway, he decided to answer. "I am Eemal of the Order of Steeled Steel."

"Huh. Steeled Steel, is it?" Theo hadn't heard the name before, but the repetition did jog something in his memory. Meanwhile, Eemal shook his head theatrically and released a very good imitation of a sigh.

"So few of your kind understand the profundity of the name. The majesty is lost when the name is translated across souls, but the synonyms speak to the depth of true being, as opposed to the mere reflections we see in our world. It is a magnificent and profound tru-"

"No, it's not." Theo smirked at the impassive face - he wasn't an expert in the many schools of Arbaian philosophy, but he knew enough to recognize a fabrication when he heard it. "Even if your order subscribes to the theory of forms, that's not how they'd frame it. If I had to bet, the name is intentionally stupid, some kind of reminder of the futility of human striving."

For a long moment the Eubhan stared at him, emerald eyes cold, and Theo began to wonder what he would do if it lunged at him. But eventually a rocky chuckle emerged and one of Eemal's tails flicked playfully. "You saw through it! Most Fithans will believe anything if you throw in the right vocabulary."

"Was I right about the meaning?"

"Close to it. Ours is a military order, but we have scholarly roots. The name serves as a reminder that invincibility is impossible, and that piling synonymous defenses is a fool's quest." Eemal swayed to the side, looking past him to peer at Senka, who ducked behind him to hide her face in his pants. "What I would like to know is how a young parent is so familiar with Arbaian philosophy."

"I was telling the truth about owing a debt to a Mundhin school. But I take it that, even if I could buy my way through the portal, I probably wouldn't be able to find it through this gate."

"Come, let us speak more directly!"

Now that he had been amused, Eemal was much more open, giving Theo a great deal of information about the city on the other side of the gate. Theo actually recognized the general region from his first life, which only confirmed that the gate led nowhere near Navim or the School of Emerald Indulgence. He had expected that outcome, but did feel a flicker of disappointment before refocusing.

Though he had the essential information he needed, Eemal did seem bored, so... "Eemal, would you be willing to give a fellow outsider some insight into the politics of Norro Yorthin? I'll need to take up work with a House, and I fear that many of them would offer deals with no future for my daughter." He set his hand on Senka's head, which she tolerated for approximately a nanosecond before squirming away.

"You are right to be cautious, but most of the Houses offer salaried servitude, some of them even fair terms." Eemal circled his body on the ground, though in a spiral instead of a snake-like coil. "It's the small Houses that you need to watch for, because they'll squeeze the life from you in their desperation. Most of the larger Houses could offer you real opportunity, if you have the talent."

"Which ones dominate the city?"

"With Fithans, it's always about strength. Three Houses within the city are led by a Stronghold-tier soulcrafter, so they are also the most powerful by social or economic measures. Of course, there are also the outside forces... Arbai controls its own affairs, Aathal exerts an influence, and the House of Waves represents powerful Fithan forces, even if they don't have a Stronghold."

"Let's focus on the local Houses for now." Though Theo suspected he might have to deal with broader politics eventually, he knew that he was in no position to do so yet. So the city had three Strongholds... that was the highest tier he and his allies had reached in his past life. If they had arrived in the city with their full strength, they would have completely upset the balance.

He considered asking about any Dominion-tier soulcrafters, but decided that it would seem too ambitious for a conversation between Archcrafters. Besides, if there had been any, Eemal would likely have mentioned them first. Dominions generally ruled nations or led powerful militaries, though they did gather in rivalries in some of the world's most dangerous places.

"House Crimson is most prominent, of course," Eemal said. "They have a powerful Stronghold, but also two Authorities they hope can ascend, giving them superiority in raw power. By contrast, the House of Coin has a weaker Stronghold, but more Authorities and a great deal of economic might. Most of their attention is to the business of the city, and so long as they remain in their field, they are unchallenged."

Both potentially promising choices, if they were as honest as proclaimed. "And the third Stronghold?"

"A bit of an odd case. The House of the Lost is an organization of travelers from strange worlds that was a lesser House with only one Authority, until they gained a powerful new Stronghold. With such undeniable power, all must negotiate with them, but their position is tenuous."

"I understand." More importantly, he understood that he would have absolutely nothing to do with the House of the Lost until he had gained extensive information about them. In many languages "Lost Ones" referred to people like him, from outside the Nine Worlds, and that made the organization far too suspicious. It might be an interesting opportunity, but the chance that it was a trap was simply too high.

"Any other questions?" Eemal rose up to his full height, peering over the gate, then descended to eye level again. "I may need to conduct some of my other duties soon, so our conversation must end."

"Just one more: which of the lesser Houses are large enough not to fall into the disreputable category you mentioned?"

"Those led by an Authority, essentially. House Blacksilver is the most aligned with foreigners, and it attempts to buy favor with public works. House Teal is old and stable, with an Authority who has long since given up on ascending. The House of Burning Leaves is young and ambitious, with many weaker Authorities. Aside from the outside powers, those are the primary movers in the city."

"Thank you, Eemal. You've been a great help to me and... my daughter." He glanced around for Senka, who was no longer anywhere near his legs, only to find her crawling atop a nearby gate somehow. "Senka, get down from there."

Eemal promptly rose to pick her up, but Senka skittered away and then threw herself at Theo. "The rocky fumpet is trying to eat Senka! Senka doesn't want to get eated!"

"He just wanted to help you get down." Theo patted her on the head and then tried to pry her fingers from his clothes to set her down. While struggling with her, he gave one more smile to Eemal, assuming that the Eubhan was used to humanoid expressions by now. "You've been a great help to us both."

"Oh, it's no trouble." Eemal returned to his guard position and swayed back and forth in a friendly fashion. "Perhaps one day you'll return for a true visit to Arbai, but for now, enjoy yourself in Norro Yorthin. Be careful not to let the earth swallow you."

Was that an Arbaian idiom? As Theo headed back into the city, he searched through his memories but came up with nothing. Despite the ominous tone, his new optimism was unharmed. He trusted Eemal to have given him a reasonably accurate picture of the city, so he now had a realistic plan upwards.

Finish scouting and confer with the others, then choose a House. Through one of the most powerful organizations in the city, they could definitely acquire all the sublime materials they needed to ascend while finding a way to acquire Chasm Invitations. Then the Chasm of Lamentations and beyond...

Chapter 5

As they walked through the streets of lawless anarchy, Fiyu found herself wondering if other worlds were just a series of progressively larger and more terrible cities. Myufuru had been an unacceptably large number of people, but Nlukoko and Anguedan had shown her horrifying new densities. Now she followed Companion Nauda through Norro Yorthin, which teemed with such a mass of people that she feared they would merge into some sort of monstrosity.

Though Fiyu did her best to assist her companions by observing the city carefully, she couldn't help but focus on the oppressiveness of it. Her senses were utterly overwhelmed by movements on all sides, impossible to track, much less fully evaluate. She had to resort to using her sight to pick out particular individuals, where she could at least glean some understanding.

Her attention naturally fell on the Ichili in the crowds around her, gloriously familiar after so long without seeing anyone from her home world. Even the cavesteaders, huddling together in clusters that made her uncomfortable, seemed familiar by comparison. She was most impressed by a few she saw who clearly ranged civilized lands, but had adapted to the city. They flowed through the crowds as if stepping through water without getting wet, maintaining a thin layer of solitude around themselves in a way she could only hope to mimic one day.

Until she mastered such a skill, Fiyu gripped Companion Nauda's sleeve tighter and stuck closer. She wished that Companion Theo was there to guard her back as well, as people lunged into the space behind Companion Nauda's back with aggressive indifference.

"Are you okay, Fiyu?" Her companion turned back to her with a concerned look and Fiyu immediately smiled in response. Companion Nauda did not fully understand, thinking that her unhappiness was more an illness than simple pressure from the density of people, but her kindness was still welcome.

"I am okay, Nauda. Let us continue until we reach the gate."

"If you say so." Companion Nauda's arm tensed as though she clearly wanted to touch her, but instead only grasped her sleeve to pull her on. "Have you seen anything interesting to you?"

"Many of the walls are quite elaborately carved, though their interiors are simple natural stone." Fiyu realized that her words were overly critical, and though no Fithans were listening to be offended, she still sought for something she could compliment wholeheartedly. "The statues have also been very beautifully carved."

"A bit too warlike for me, but I'll admit it's good work."

Companion Nauda didn't attempt to make further conversation, since it was difficult over the noise of the crowds. In a sense, the sheer number of voices became a sort of silence, a sound that contained no meaning and simply lay beneath everything else.

To ignore it entirely would be an unacceptable risk, but perhaps she could soulcraft Companion Theo's curtain to better reduce the cacophony. It might require additional materials, perhaps those used by silent hunters like she might find on Ichil. Cheered by thoughts of a potential solution or a return to her home, Fiyu continued on with a more focused approach.

When someone roughly bumped into Fiyu's shoulder, she drew the shock and disgust into herself and pushed it back out like a foul wind. The other person who had bumped her hadn't even seen her, didn't remember her, probably hadn't even noticed the collision. It meant absolutely nothing and it should mean equally little to her.

Reframing it in that sense, the city became slightly less atrocious. The people might be packed together, but in another sense they were pleasantly alone, anonymous in a sea of meaningless encounters. Even though the surprising touch still made her recoil, if she reminded herself that it wasn't intentional or even considered, it became less shocking. She could almost imagine growing to accept such an isolation, not that she would ever prefer it to her home.

Though Companion Nauda had planned a route that took them through a large arc of the city, she had recognized Fiyu's eagerness and didn't take long to bring them nearer the gate to Ichil. Fiyu remained observant for differences that might signal their arrival, but other than slightly more Ichili in the streets, the city remained its spiky Fithan self, right up until the moment she finally saw it.

The gate arched higher than the nearest buildings, built from a crimson stone even brighter than that of the city. It was at once inappropriate for Ichil and a great relief. Fiyu ignored her vision and instead let her senses wash over the solidity of the arch, reinforced beyond normal substances. When they brushed against the wall of the gate itself, she felt at once infinitesimal lightness and impossible weight, exactly as the other gates had felt.

But through this one, she saw nothing but comforting shadows.

Though the markets surrounding the gate were filled with familiar sublime materials, Fiyu noted that there were mostly Fithan merchants. She feared for a moment before realizing that their wares were mostly materials that might be gathered from an unoccupied region. In fact, many of them could well be from the Shadowdeeps, so she eagerly pressed in.

"Fiyu?" Companion Nauda sounded surprised, and her muscles flinched as Fiyu moved past her into the market. She followed soon after, her staff hitting the stone hard as their pace increased.

Getting closer actually let her see little more of the gate, because it was surrounded by a dense wall. Even if they had gone back to acquire the sleigh, she noted constructs atop the walls that would have captured or brought down anything that attempted to pass over. That meant the only way in was through the gate, but there was a line of people waiting to enter, and the guards were Fithan.

Even as she walked toward the gate as fast as she dared, Fiyu ran her senses over both groups. The people waiting were either relaxed, as if this was routine, or shifting nervously as if anticipating the journey. All of the guards stood or sat with moderate stiffness throughout their bodies, alert but focused primarily outward, not toward the gate at their backs.

As the people in line were not moving particularly swiftly, Fiyu ignored them and instead walked up to one of the guards standing beside the line. "Hello. I need to make use of your gate to return to Ichil and find my relative."

"Then get in line." The guard pointed with his chin, barely looking at her. "We have to control the gate."

"I understand that, but I am looking for my relative. I have money to pay the necessary fees." Fiyu reached back to Nauda, hoping that she would reveal the appropriate amount, but the guard waved her away.

"It's not just about the fee, it's about getting permission. Ichil is a dangerous place... you might be better prepared than most, but we can't let just anyone in there. Especially since you're just a first tier soulcrafter."

"I will be with her." Companion Nauda stepped up beside her and placed her staff firmly on the ground. Though Fiyu should have smiled at her, she was still far too tense, now so close to her destination and forbidden from entering.

"There's more to it than that. Ichili materials can sell for a good price here, so they need to come from certified Ichili merchants or Houses here who have specific permission to harvest from the other side. If you have family on the other side, get them to vouch for you from there."

"That cannot be." Fiyu tightened her fists, taking a step closer to the guard. "I have become separated from my relative. It is important that I return to find them."

The guard actually looked at her this time, then sighed and his back slumped. "Another one of these... yo, Hirot! Got somebody here for you!"

An Ichili man stepped from one of the buildings, robes flapping around him. Though they were layered in a Fithan style, he wore a mask like those who ranged the Deep Ice. It was intricately etched with symbols of flame and a scowling face, which Fiyu found quite comforting. Though he appeared to be a member of the Fithan guard, based on how no one reacted to his movement, perhaps he would be more reasonable.

"Please tell me why you require access to the gate."

Though she understood him easily, Fiyu no longer wanted to hear the harsh tones of the Fithan language. Instead, as she had learned from Companion Theo, she focused her will and spoke in an Ichili trade language. "An accident separated me from the relative who was mentoring me. Please assist me in locating him, to the degree that it will not impede your own travels."

"Apologies, but I will require more information." He switched to the same language, sounding much smoother as all his words came out with the proper polite inflections. "The gate leads to the Greater Dark region. Are you familiar with it?"

Relative Guchiro had taught her extensive geography as part of her education, but it brought her only pain as she recognized how far the gate was from her home. She noted that Stranger Hirot's facial muscles shifted slightly behind his mask, likely in authentic concern. "I apologize for my emotion," Fiyu said heavily. "I fear this gate cannot take me home."

"Then I must also apologize, because I can help you but little. If you can contact relatives, I can acquire special permission for you to use the gate, but it seems that is not useful."

"Is there a Biolumin Relay in this part of the Greater Dark?" It was a vast, mostly uninhabited region, but sending a message was her only hope. She felt the answer in the movements of his face before he spoke.

"I regret to tell you that the nearest Biolumin Relay is near a cavesteader community quite some distance from the gate. Many months of travel walking, and still weeks even at speed."

Fiyu's last hopes crumpled as she acknowledged that this was not to be her way home. She had known that this outcome was likely, but Stranger Hirot's words still depressed her deeply. "Thank you for your assistance," she said with a polite bow. "I must retreat for now to consider my journey."

"May your path be shadowed." With that, Stranger Hirot retreated, a mild degree of additional tension in his body, as if he regretted that he could not do more, but saw regrettable situations on a daily basis.

After he left, Fiyu was silent for a time before Companion Nauda stepped beside her and spoke in a low voice. "I didn't understand any of that, but based on your expression, the answer wasn't good."

"The other side is a dangerous region that is not my home." Fiyu sighed and relayed the information to her companion before shuffling away, wishing that she had a room to return to. Companion Nauda followed her, still smiling, but the muscles near her eyes made the fact that it was forced obvious. Though Fiyu appreciated her kindness, she had no strength to receive it.

"That doesn't sound impossible. If we stay here, we can gain permission, bring the sleigh, then travel to this place to send a message."

"I will do my best to help." Fiyu lowered her head and followed her companion, no longer attempting to follow the movements of the city.

Chapter 6

It had hurt Nauda to stay back from Fiyu, but she recognized that her friend needed space to recover. But even hours later, Fiyu remained mute and subdued. She didn't seem hurt or discouraged so much as she had simply shut down, operating at her lowest capacity.

Even after all their time together, even after everything Theo had said, Nauda had a hard time truly believing that she couldn't help Fiyu with an embrace. The urge to comfort her was so intense that it required significant willpower not to begin any actions that would probably just seem like a threat, given the way Fiyu behaved now. But Nauda had noticed how comfortable Fiyu seemed during her stiff conversation with the other Ichili, so she did her best to understand with her heart as well as her head.

Though her second instinct was to find a dark hotel room and let Fiyu hide herself, she thought the other woman wouldn't want to be pitied. So, despite her misgivings, she explored the rest of the northern end of the city with Fiyu trailing glumly after her.

Along the streets, she pretended to be interested in many minor items in order to chat with the merchants and listen to the conversation around her. She made sure to inquire both with the shops that displayed their House allegiance proudly and those that had small banners or none at all. Asking questions directly would only lead to them telling her what they thought she wanted to hear, but she let them make assumptions and found truths in what they left unsaid.

While they stopped to eat a meal, Fiyu only picking at her food, Nauda listened to the conversations around her. As expected, many discussed the politics between Houses, but she heard more who simply spoke about the Houses as facts of life. They didn't care that House Crimson had snubbed House Teal in a duel, they were simply interested in whether or not either of them would be willing to offer employment, trade, or building permits.

They passed through a market dedicated to local food and Nauda made use of the farming knowledge she'd gained in Myufuru to pretend to be an interested trader. From the merchants, she finally got an answer to how they supported a massive city in a wasteland: plants that grew in underground caverns, plus small animals captured in the regular dust storms.

More importantly, she developed a real understanding for the hierarchy of Norro Yorthin. They had no nobles and few real leaders, but the city functioned well enough, and the people seemed happy. The villagers thought of some Houses as better and some worse, but many had real affection for a House that employed part of their family or that had once given them charity. Between their words, she heard an understanding that the Houses did such things to maintain control, but they didn't chafe against that order.

Given the strength, Nauda would have overturned many things, but she decided that the Fithan system here was harmless enough. If Theo pushed for them to join a House, as she was certain he would, she would have no qualms about joining one with a responsible reputation.

As the vast red sun dipped to the horizon, Nauda found herself descending into melancholy thoughts instead of focusing on their scouting. Compared to the other two, she lacked purpose: Fiyu desperately wanted to return home, while Theo was desperate not to and had a thousand plans. All she could do for the time being was gain enough strength to make a difference.

Recognizing that she wasn't going to accomplish anything else, Nauda took Fiyu back to the central square and set about locating an acceptable inn. She had many options to choose from, it was just difficult to find one that was reasonably priced without sacrificing safety.

Eventually she found a family that rented out small rooms above their shop and left Fiyu there with the window firmly latched. The room might be uncomfortably tight for the three of them, but at least she could be alone in the dark for a time. Meanwhile, Nauda headed back to the statues, only to find Theo waiting for her. Senka lay against his leg, snoring loudly.

"There you are." He stood up, not caring that his movement sent Senka sprawling and possibly doing it intentionally. "Nothing happened to Fiyu?"

"She was very disappointed that the gate didn't lead home, so I left her in a room. I found a good one... hopefully you didn't rent a room as well."

"No time for that. There's too much to do." He moved past her, speaking rapidly until he abruptly halted. "But I suppose there's no point talking without Fiyu. Let's get back quickly."

They returned to the shop, where the owner asked them if they needed anything to eat. Nauda was too filled with thoughts to be hungry, but Theo asked for some food and tore into it even as they climbed the stairs. He ate simultaneously like he didn't even taste the food and as if he hadn't eaten all day... which she estimated was a fairly likely possibility.

When they reached their room, Nauda was concerned that he might barge in and trample over Fiyu's mood, but he slowed down. At the door he gave a low whistle, then waited until he heard one in response. Within, Fiyu had pulled a blanket over herself as a shield from the nonexistent light, but gave a smile that looked almost authentic.

"Hello, Theo. Was your day successful?"

"I'm afraid I faced many disappointments. The gate to Arbai would take us so far from Navim that it would be faster to ascend to Authority and acquire weirkeys than to walk back to his school." He paced to the side of the small room, then leaned back against the wall opposite Fiyu. "I fear we have no choice but to change plans, but there might be a new way forward."

His blunt words had struck Nauda as insensitive until the moment when she saw Fiyu bobbing her head meekly. It was a tactic that would never have worked on Tatian, on either half, but his terse evaluation seemed to get through to her. Instead of compassion, he was offering her a chance to empathize and work on a way forward. Nauda couldn't decide if it was considerate or cynical.

"Nauda told me about your trip, so we-"

"I didn't." Nauda cut him off before he could barrel directly into his plan and set their direction. "I told you about the disappointment with the Ichili gate, and that was it. But I take it you have a plan for us?"

"Of course I hav-" Theo cut himself off this time, frowning in some internal calculation she couldn't read. He slowly ran a hand through his hair and eventually continued in a lower voice. "I think I have an unparalleled opportunity for us, but you're right. Given what we've learned, what do the two of you want to get out of the city?"

Knowing that she had the weakest goals, Nauda went first. "I want a true armament to replace my staff. Not just the Deuxan stick, the original as well. Soulcrafting a true armament room is the most significant progress I can make in the short term, but I'll need to find the right one."

"Fortunately, the Houses will have plenty of armaments to choose from. Fiyu? What about you?"

"I must return home, but I do not know where my relative is." Her voice was quiet, but Nauda much preferred that to the flatness from before. "I think my only choice is to leave him a message and stay here until he is able to come find me. It would require a long journey, but if we can enter Ichil, there is an Animallight Messageplace there."

Nauda blinked, trying to parse the strange compound words her soul heard. Whatever they meant, she clearly didn't have the right concepts for it, and could only guess at what Fiyu had originally said. Theo just nodded like her answer was obvious, though she wondered if he would have done that no matter what.

"Then we can all help each other," he said. "Have either of you heard of the Chasm of Lamentations?"

They glanced at one another, Fiyu almost as responsive as before, but had no choice but to shrug. Theo seemed to have expected that and continued on.

"It's an incredibly dangerous region in Noven that is only accessible on rare occasions. I'm not sure how, but this city has a path to it. What matters is that I've been there before, and I explored most of it. The dangers aren't demons or sublime beasts - the Chasm is lifeless because the environment itself is so lethal."

"What kinds of danger?" Nauda asked.

"I don't know what happened there, but the world seems broken. The water becomes lethal at certain times of day, some caverns create whistling sounds that make your ears bleed, gravity randomly goes haywire... the key thing is that those threats could harm even an Authority, but they're avoidable if you have the right knowledge."

Theo finally couldn't resist smiling at the two of them and continued. "If you can survive, there are significant rewards, sublime materials beyond even those in the Landguard vault. Some of the natural materials had unusual qualities, like being usable to even early soulcrafters despite being unusually potent. There are fragments of a broken civilization there too, with more elaborate treasures."

It sounded too good to be true, so Nauda simply rolled her shoulders. "I assume there's a catch?"

"Yeah, there is. The opportunity has enough risk and value that only a small number of soulcrafters are allowed in, so we need to acquire something called Chasm Invitations. But we could earn those by ascending and proving ourselves valuable to a House, so it isn't an obstacle if we work hard."

"Do you believe it's a trap?" Fiyu asked. That was the first thing to truly make Theo stop short, and he was silent for a long time before he answered.

"I don't know. What I know for sure is that it's the same place and that Fithans have been going there for several decades - even the common knowledge about the Chasm was able to confirm that. We'd need to be cautious, but I think if we go in with a House, we should be safe. The only deaths in previous years have been from internal fighting and the Chasm itself."

"So your new plan is to get us there." Nauda nodded to herself, accepting the terms - if she was willing to believe Theo's story about his two lives and his strange world, she could believe him in this. "I imagine that it starts with much more practical steps, like picking a House to join?"

"Exactly. Working for a House is one of the only ways we can earn money and sublime materials without taking time away from soulcrafting, plus it will get us closer to all our goals. Houses have many armaments, and they regularly grant access to enter Ichil to harvest materials. So even if the Chasm proves a trap, we won't regret the steps taken toward it."

"I don't know about Fiyu, but I'm too tired to argue with you when you're this determined." Nauda gave the other woman a smile that was returned, though Fiyu looked just a little puzzled. "For now, I just want to sleep, because this has been a long day. Tomorrow we can find our place in Norro Yorthin."

That decided, they shifted to much more mundane manners, such as getting ready for the night and deciding how they were going to sleep in the cramped room. Fiyu insisted that she wanted to sleep on the floor, and as she set up a makeshift tent, Nauda believed her. Perhaps it was similar to sleeping on the hard Ichili ground.

The bed wasn't large, but there was enough room for Nauda and Theo. Normally, she would have been conscious of a potential sexual implication, but Theo seemed oblivious to it. There was too much focused determination in his head to even think about such things. For her part, she had long been comfortable sleeping alongside others for simple companionship, so it wasn't going to bother her.

As she drifted to sleep, she did wonder where his ambition was going to take them. But in the end, she thought she could accept it.

Chapter 7

In the morning, Theo woke before the others to buy some early bread and gain a little more information. He was pleased by how much they'd accomplished in one day and had every intention of keeping up the momentum. With one year until the deadline, there would be time to relax later, but for now they needed to get the ball rolling.

When he returned, he found that Fiyu had departed to clean up, while Nauda brushed her hair in bed. As soon as she saw him drop the bread beside her, she gave an odd smile. "Somehow, I think that your infinite wisdom has decided on the path we're going to take today."

"It doesn't take any great wisdom," Theo said, "plus we caught a lucky break: House Crimson is conducting a trial today to induct new members."

"House Crimson? From what I've heard, they're powerful and influential, but their reputation is... cold and indifferent at best. And disturbingly unstable in recent times, according to rumors."

"We don't need them to be our friends, we need them to benefit us."

Nauda shook her head and chewed on a piece of bread for a while before swallowing and answering. "They apparently have the promising soulcrafters they want, so would we even stand out? We can't earn anything from them if they don't think we have enough to offer."

Theo waved the objection aside. "There's no reason not to start with the most powerful House. We can work our way down if absolutely necessary."

They continued to argue over it, Nauda bringing up other Houses that had made a better impression on her, until Fiyu joined them in the room. She was fitting her mask to her face, both of which appeared to have been freshly washed. When she smiled at them, he thought it was authentic. He'd suspected that she would recover quickly, since she had known she would be separated from her relative for a long time.

Unfortunately, Fiyu seemed to have no opinions whatsoever about which House they should join, so they remained stalemated. In the end, the fact that House Crimson was offering them an opportunity that day won out, so the group headed out to make their attempt.

House Crimson crowned a hill in the northeast, actually within the innermost circle of the city, which clearly proved to be the oldest and wealthiest region. The grand outer wall to the House complex was the same red of the city buildings, a fact that the House had exploited in propaganda to imply that they best represented the city. To make it clear that this was private territory, in case the reinforced gates and soulcrafter guards weren't clear enough, there were bright red banners hung every few paces along the walls.

Normally they would never have been allowed inside, but today the House was conducting a trial to select new members. The three of them joined a large group of hopefuls, some of whom seemed like mere workers, and Theo counted soulcrafters in the crowds. He saw some rough soulhomes, but there were Archcrafters among them and even two Rulers, which suggested fiercer competition than he'd expected.

Eventually the entire group assembled in a courtyard, buildings on all sides looming over them. Theo noted that the building ahead of them was the first true palace he'd seen on Fithe: the outer walls might be formidable, but the huge curtained windows and balconies couldn't be defended. Of course, if they really had a Stronghold-tier soulcrafter among them, that was defense enough. He could just see someone watching them on one of the balconies, though it wasn't likely to be their true leader, not for something like this.

"All of you are here today because you want to join the House Crimson." A Ruler rose over them on a platform of wind, staring down at the group somberly. "But our House has more hopefuls throwing themselves at us than we can possibly accept. For that reason, we have devised tests that will determine your worth in many different ways.

"Listen closely, because these rules will be explained only once. Over the course of today, there will be seventeen different trials, some of them announced and some hidden. Your performance on each will be graded, and your scores tallied. A sufficiently high score in one category could earn you entrance, or-"

"Nah." The lazy voice cut through the Ruler's speech, magnified by cantae. Theo wasn't sure where it came from, but the Ruler turned toward a balcony and immediately bowed.

"Lord Tythes!" Though thrown off his speech, he quickly managed a smile and gave a sweeping gesture. "Everyone, today you are honored by the presence of Tythes of House Crimson. He is one of our most talented Authorities, destined to become our second Stronghold."

The destined future of House Crimson slouched over the edge of the balcony, wearing disheveled robes that failed to cover his chest, though whether by design or by accident was anyone's guess. Wine stains covered one side of them, and the offending bottle of wine swung up to his lips for a long drink. Dropping the bottle, Tythes looked out over the group as if he found them particularly boring.

He didn't feel like an Authority, but Theo presumed that he had a shielding wall in place. The one curious detail about his appearance was that his skin was an odd purple and he had a single horn poking from his hair on the left side - he couldn't have looked more like a half-breed if he'd tried. Getting mixed signals, Theo reserved judgment until he had more observations.

"Lord Tythes," the Ruler eventually continued in a lower voice, "I was just beginning the test of our newest potential recruits, so if-"

"I said nah." Tythes raised his hand to his face, glanced down as if deeply offended that the wine bottle was no longer there, then refocused. "Seventeen tests sounds like way too many. There's going to be one test, and it's going to start now."

Stepping forward, Tythes pitched over the side of the balcony, but instead of falling, he floated upward, flipping a few times before turning upright. As he did so, Theo felt his soulhome and seriously considered retreating: Tythes might be acting like a fool, but he wasn't just an Authority, his soulhome was a dangerous one. Only the possibility that it might be a test of nerves kept Theo motionless in his position.

"My lord, I think-" The Ruler cut off the instant that Tythes waved at him, then the Authority focused down on the group below.

"What's going to happen is that I'm going to slam a bunch of cantae down on all of you. If you can keep standing, you win! If not, you can get out. Sound fair?"

Everyone stared at him in silence and he chuckled.

"Good answer, because it doesn't matter what you say. Okay, I'll count to eight so you can leave if you want. One... two... three... never mind, it starts now."

With no more warning than that, cantae pressure crushed the courtyard and nearly everyone crumpled. Most of the first tier soulcrafters never had a chance, smashed down to the flagstones immediately. Fiyu and a few others managed to drop down to one knee instead of collapsing, bowing in the face of such overwhelming force.

Theo considered resisting for a moment but decided to do the same before the cantae flattened him. He wasn't sure if using a reversed gravitational field would have been wise, since his gravity couldn't possibly affect the cantae. It was essentially like a solid wall descending on them, so sending himself upward might just smash him against it, which could be deadly if Tythes was as reckless as he looked.

Only three people were left standing... one of them Nauda. She had her staff braced against the ground and grimaced to stay in place, but she was resisting the cantae flooding down over her. The difference between an Archcrafter and an Authority was too vast to possibly overcome, but she might have endured.

Unfortunately, Theo doubted that this was really a trial at all.

"Oh, some of you are standing. That's nice." Tythes floated lower, looking over them. "The thing is, you have to keep standing. Good luck."

He could have brought them down just by keeping up pressure, but Tythes didn't wait more than a few seconds before he suddenly made a downward swatting motion. A column of light slammed down on one of the soulcrafters still standing, not just pressure but an established technique. It hammered them into the flagstones, eyes and mouth bleeding.

"That's one..." Tythes started to turn, but the next man in line wisely dropped down immediately. With a wry grin, Tythes floated on, shifting toward Nauda... who remained standing. "Hmm, are you not very bright or just stubborn? Are you really going to stand up to me?"

"It's obvious that no one else will." Nauda grated out the words, sweat now covering her body as she struggled to remain upright. Theo glanced at her in surprise, since she obviously understood what was happening by that point. What would drive her to take a stand against impossible odds for nothing?

"Oh, that's fun." Tythes clapped his hands together, then raised one, cantae gathering in it. When Nauda didn't flinch, he gave another lazy grin. "I'm not sure where you're from, but is it one of those weird places with strange views about striking women? I will absolutely flatten you."

"I know." Nauda couldn't last much longer, but she glared at him with everything she had left.

"Okay then."

With that, Tythes brought down his hand and slammed Nauda to the ground with just as much force as before. That left everyone in the courtyard bowing except the House Ruler, who seemed to have retreated off to the sides. Most of them stared up at the rogue Authority, wondering what they could do if he started killing people, but at that moment Tythes threw up his hands in an elaborate shrug.

"Looks like everybody fails! Go away and stop disrupting my sleep."

As soon as he landed on the balcony, his power veiled itself again and the oppressive force lifted. The vast majority of the former contestants scrambled to flee, while a few looked over to the Ruler as if hoping this had been part of the test. But the other man simply looked shaken and didn't respond, so they soon retreated as well.

Theo found himself alongside Fiyu as they rushed to help Nauda. The column of light had come down on her hard, but he judged the force had been somewhat evenly distributed. She lay on her back with no sign of broken bones, though she was bleeding from her nose.

"Nauda, are you alright?" Fiyu bent down beside her and Nauda gave a low groan.

"He didn't kill me, but... the pressure felt like it was crushing my chest. I think... I should see a healer."

"For now, you must rest. We will take care of you."

Fiyu gingerly touched the other woman's robes, then looked to Theo for help. He neutralized Nauda's gravity so that she could remain floating on her back, then the two of them slid her out of the courtyard between them. As he went, Theo glanced back over his shoulder, trying to evaluate what he'd seen. Parts of it felt like a performance, but he was also certain that Tythes had wanted the trials to end and would be willing to strike anyone else who ignored him.

That meant no challenging House Crimson, but their position had unquestionably worsened. Even if Nauda's injuries proved minor, it would take time and effort for her to recover, plus their strongest option for a House alliance had closed. Then again, given what they'd seen, staying out of House Crimson might have been for the best.

A glow behind them made Theo start to move for cover, but it wasn't the rogue House scion again. Instead, he saw a robed woman descend from the sky beside the soulcrafter who had first been crushed, then bend down beside him. Violet light flowed from her hand over the man, who suddenly sat up gasping.

It had obviously been a healing, but Theo was more interested in what he had seen. The woman's soulhome was expertly hidden, so his only chance to examine her strength had been in the moment of healing. There, he'd felt an Authority's cantae and gotten an impression of a highly polished soulhome. Perhaps this was another ranking member of House Crimson come to clean up the mess.

"Theo, should we avoid her?" Fiyu asked the question softly, but they didn't have a choice. In another moment, the woman was standing beside them.

Up close, Theo realized that he'd gotten the wrong impression of her age. Though her back was straight and she looked reasonably young, the wrinkles in the corner of her eyes and mouth suggested that she was far older. Perhaps she had soulcrafted excellent health for herself, but not yet true immortality. They would have to hope that her experience had made her less volatile than Tythes.

"I must apologize for my nephew." She spoke in a quiet voice that still seized their attention. "Please forgive his youthful indiscretions. The House has placed a great deal of pressure on him, and it causes him to lash out."

"He is your relative?" Fiyu asked. The old woman responded with a practiced half-shrug.

"I used the term in the sense of being my junior within the House, as we are not actually related. However, I trained him when he passed beyond the abilities of his parents and his tutors, so I bear the responsibility for his actions."

"Never mind that," Theo said. They might not have any leverage except the woman's honor, but he thought that could be exploited. "Are you going to heal our friend?"

"Yes, give me but a moment." Again he caught a glimpse of an Authority's soulhome as a violet light spread over Nauda's body. When Theo relaxed the gravitational field, she returned to her feet with wide eyes, no sign of her injuries except a bit of dried blood above her lips.

"Thank you." Nauda gave the woman a friendly touch to the arm, but she immediately shook her head.

"We do not deserve your thanks. For now, I suggest that you depart. It may be quite some time before House Crimson conducts future trials, so you will need to be patient." She disappeared in a blur, back into the House grounds. Whether she was going to reprimand Tythes or clean up after more of his messes, Theo couldn't be sure.

As they wearily put some distance between themselves and House Crimson, Theo considered the encounter. It seemed plausible that Tythes was simply lashing out, and if he was really so essential to the House's future, there might be no one to stop him. Many Authorities were like the old woman who hadn't given her name, managing to break through later in life and unable to soulcraft further. Soulcrafters who could ascend to Stronghold and beyond at a young age were rare, which gave them entirely too much power. The fact that House Crimson hadn't anticipated such behavioral issues spoke poorly of them.

"Our first attempt has not gone as we'd hoped," Nauda said mildly. "Tell us, Theo, where will your enlightened guidance take us next?"

"Hey, I'm not sure anyone could have predicted that." Theo glanced at the other two, but was glad to see that their spirits hadn't been broken. "Let's try a House with a calmer reputation next, shall we?"

Chapter 8

Several days later, as they entered another House complex, all they'd essentially done was narrow their options. The House of Coin was stable and well-managed, but he judged they were too canny and well-staffed to offer them much of an advantage. House Teal hosted many trials, but they were trying to prop up their own position and had nothing to offer. When Nauda had convinced them to at least try one of the small Houses, it had been so limited that she'd agreed that was a dead end.

Now they sat in another courtyard, this time for House Blacksilver. The group along with them wasn't nearly as large as those hoping to join House Crimson, but the group was reasonably large and unusually diverse: he spotted Ichili and Arbaians along with Fithans. Around him, he noted that the grounds weren't particularly luxurious, but they were practical and well-maintained.

It had taken the two of them teaming up on him to attend the House's trial event. He felt that any organization that devoted as much energy to appearing benevolent as House Blacksilver must be attempting to cover something else. They hadn't figured out the city's black markets or smuggling operations, which must exist, so perhaps they were the local mafia. But Nauda believed they had good intentions and Fiyu had been attracted by their Ichili facilities, so now they were giving it an honest try.

"Do you think their name comes from this material?" Fiyu had pried up one of the stones beneath her and examined the glossy black surface. "It is a worthy material for a name, but I cannot tell if it is silver as well as black."

"Oh, it definitely is." Nauda bent down beside her, shifting the flagstone to reveal the silvery sheen that merged with the black, producing a color Theo hadn't seen on Earth. "Can you not see that part of the color?"

"I could, but not through my mask." Fiyu smiled to herself, as if pleased she had uncovered the reasoning behind the name. Then someone from House Blacksilver marched into the room and she guiltily replaced the stone and straightened back up.

The woman conducting the trial was an unremarkable Fithan, wearing a Blacksilver uniform but otherwise exactly like many of the other functionaries they'd met. None of the trials they'd seen or heard about had gone as explosively as the one Tythes had ruined, which at least suggested that the city wasn't ruled by power mad Authorities, but simple officers doing their job bored him.

"Thank you all for coming to House Blacksilver." She gave the assembled group a polite smile that was as much a part of her script as every other word. "We do not consider ourselves an elite organization, but because our resources are limited, we can only afford to pay a certain number of soulcrafters. For that reason, we need to conduct this trial. I will explain the terms, then you may all choose whether or not you wish to participate."

As the woman walked to a table, a number of House servants brought out several heavy cases and began to set them up. The functionary unlocked the first, then slipped out a vial of liquid that glistened an unnatural purple.

"This is granitebile. It's a sublime material from one of our mines, but it's considered a waste product because it has few productive uses. In pure form, it's a poison that could damage an unprepared soulhome. We've severely diluted this, but consuming it isn't without risk. The trial is to consume a single vial without defending yourself, and we will evaluate how well your soulhome resists the effect. If you're not confident in your ability, please decline the trial."

Depending on the exact properties of the "granitebile" the test was either brutal or cleverly designed. Without more information, Theo wasn't about to go first, and fortunately several soulcrafters immediately moved to the table. Judging from their lack of hesitation, they must have attempted the trial before, or just be idiots. The House functionary forced them into a line, so a broad Fithan Archcrafter drank the first vial.

With his defenses lowered, it was easy to get a sense for his soulhome, and Nauda reached over to touch Theo's knee so he could take advantage of her telescope. They peered into the man's soulhome, getting a glimpse of a squat building formed from common Fithan stone. He might have an Archcrafter's cantae, but his floors were too short, and the stones forming his wall were set together poorly.

An instant later, purple liquid flooded in from the edges of his soul, the sublime material magnified within his soul. The man flooded his own cantae outwards, attempting to sweep back the tide, but that was a weak maneuver that barely pushed some of it aside. Purple liquid flooded past him, splashing up against his soulhome, leaking through the cracks in his walls and splashing into the windows.

As the granitebile flooded through the man's soul and dissipated into cantae, Theo understood the brilliance of the test. A true poison could have dealt devastating damage, but the diluted granitebile only left deep purple stains, revealing all the man's weaknesses in stark color. There was no way to deny that his soulhome had handled the test poorly, so the man cursed and stalked out of the room without arguing.

Others continued with the trial, while Theo slid into his own soulhome and began to work. What impressed him about the test was that it favored quality over strength: any idiot with enough money and willpower could have forced their way to Archcrafter, but the trial wouldn't turn away skilled soulcrafters who lacked the means to ascend. There were multiple viable options for dealing with the staining poison, so it let all potential candidates show their worth.

His soulhome could have kept out the flood, but Theo wanted to do better, hence it was time for some last second soulcrafting. He began by creating a barrier to cover his technique window, just in case, then began to soulcraft barriers from his leftover hearthtree wood.

While he worked, the others made their way through the trial, most failing. Some couldn't lower their defenses enough, immediately burning away the granitebile, which revealed a lack of fundamental control over soulhome techniques. Most who succeeded did so with simple good construction, though it clearly wasn't an exceptional result. One candidate with a barrier wall around his soulhome was ushered into another room. No one succeeded with pure cantae - it would take a Ruler or better to actually push aside a poison directly, and they didn't need trials like this to prove their worth.

Busy with his soulcrafting, Theo didn't realize that Fiyu had stepped into the line until he saw her at the front drinking a vial. The purple flood rushed through her soulhome, lapping at the sides before washing away without leaving a trace. Her perfectly polished walls retained their true colors, so finely honed that they rejected the outside influence.

Though the woman leading the trial tried to take her into another room, Fiyu shook her head and sat at the side, waiting for them with a smile. Nauda went next, stirring up a circular pattern of cantae from her heart chamber. It didn't attempt to strike back the flood, just redirected it slightly. Her soulhome easily repelled the portion of the flood that reached it: a few stains remained, but she'd proven her worth with the advanced cantae flow.

That left him, but he was adept at ad hoc constructions like this. There weren't many left in line, so Theo was able to walk up to the table and get a vial easily. He checked the granitebile, just in case it contained something more sinister, then lowered his defenses and allowed the poison into his soulhome.

As he'd known it would, it swept in from one side, meeting the V shaped dam he'd constructed. The flood of poison split in half against the hearthtree wood, flowing to the sides and out of his soulhome without touching his central building. It left the wood horribly stained, but Theo was surprised that the yellowed grass of his foundation actually drank in the poison without harm.

"It's certainly enough to pass, but..." The woman regarded him oddly, eyes unfocused as she peered into his soul. "Soulcrafting something so quickly is impressive, and your soulhome looks like it would have performed well regardless. But to simply waste resources to pass the trial..."

"They're not wasted." Theo entered his soulhome again and picked up a piece of the stained wood. Though he didn't let the Blacksilver functionary look directly into his soulhome, he took a fragment of the dam inside and fed it into the singularity in his heart chamber. She might not understand the exact technique, but her eyebrows rose slightly as she realized he could absorb the material harmlessly.

"Very well, then. Normally we would take you aside to discuss terms of employment with House Blacksilver, but since you seem to have companions waiting for you, we'll address the three of you at once."

Theo went to join Fiyu and Nauda, who smiled back as they rose. Though there were other Blacksilver employees around, it was actually the trial proctor who led them into one of the buildings around the courtyard. The office they entered was simply furnished, like the rest of the complex.

"House Blacksilver attempts to be generous but fair," the woman explained once she was behind her desk. "We evaluate each of our members by a system of merits based on their contributions to the House. Every month, one hundred merits will be deducted from your account, and in return you'll be given your salary. If you do not contribute sufficiently in a month without informing us, it will be viewed as a... lack of commitment."

"What's our salary?" Nauda asked. The woman pulled a stone slate from behind her and set it on their side of the desk, so Theo leaned forward to glance at the listed positions.

"It's based upon three things: your soulcrafting tier, your total contributions to the House, and other confirmed positions, such as being a stoneshaper or armament crafter. I think you're capable of calculating your salaries for yourselves, but let me determine how many merits we'll grant you based on your demonstrated skill in the trial. Presuming that you agree to the terms, of course."

That was less important than Theo's question: "What if we acquire more than a hundred merits in a month?"

"This slate will explain the tasks you'll be expected to perform as a member of House Blacksilver." The woman found another in her desk, then handed over both. While they drew back to examine them, she continued with the familiar speech. "Soulcrafters are expected to harvest sublime materials, serve as guards, handle demons, and hunt sublime beasts. If you truly contribute to the House, you will be well-compensated."

The slates revealed a system that seemed simple and fair. He and Nauda would receive one hundred and fifty Fithan Discs per month, while Fiyu received only eighty. But if they continued contributing to the House and increased their merit rank, the difference between tiers declined, which would discourage moochers but allow first tier soulcrafters with other talents to earn a better wage.

Most importantly, the merit values listed for the various tasks suggested that one hundred merits was far from an impossible goal. That meant it would be possible for a group like theirs to accumulate many, both increasing their salaries and likely trading the merits in return for other rewards. Theo had heard rumors of some Houses granting Chasm Invitations to their most productive members, so this could well be the path they needed.

"How much money is that?" Fiyu asked quietly as they huddled up. "I have purchased nothing since we arrived here."

"It's a lot." Nauda chewed her lower lip as she looked over the slate. "Too much, I think. There must be a catch."

"I will ask." Fiyu turned back to the Blacksilver official before they could object. "Excuse me. Do you directly give us this amount each month?"

The woman shrugged without looking up from her notes. "There are adjustments. If you damage House property, there could be deductions, but if you contribute something significant, it could be increased as well. You can also use your salary for services: we offer highly secure rooms for a reasonable price, for example, if you wish to stay here instead of an inn."

"I will require a complete list of all such adjustments."

"We don't exactly keep lists like that. There are too many unknowns... for example, if you bring us unusually valuable sublime materials, you can be paid in merits or in coin. Your paid salary will be lower than the value, but not much, so-"

"Please let me see the most complete list you have." Fiyu's frown made her disapproval obvious, actually seeming to shame the woman slightly. "I would like to join House Blacksilver, but it is important to know the exact terms of any commitment."

Grumbling under her breath, the woman sorted through her desk before coming up with a partial list. As soon as they looked over it, Theo realized that their caution was entirely necessary. The monthly cost for room and board was quite reasonable, but all the other fees...

"Transportation, healing, instruction, material evaluation, repair..." Nauda shook her head and stared at the list skeptically. "They promise you a huge salary, then take most of it away in bits and pieces. Now I understand how some people become permanently indebted to Houses."

Fiyu looked between them nervously. "Is this a trap? Should we reject the offer?"

"No, I think this is reasonable." Theo tapped the list and nodded to himself. "They could easily charge more and force people to become debt slaves, but these fees are reasonable. An average soulcrafter working with them would receive a decent life, just not much profit on the side. It's a fair offer, and we should be able to do much better than average."

Across the room, the functionary had finished her work and now watched them. Though she likely couldn't hear their whispered conversation unless she'd significantly enhanced her hearing, she wiped her eyes and sighed. "I knew the three of you might be trouble. I believe you could do very well in House Blacksilver, but please don't make my job harder than it already is."

"We have some questions." Nauda broke from their huddle and they returned to stand in front of the desk. "Deducting some of these fees from our pay seems unfair. For example, we will not require House transportation, because we possess a levitating vehicle already."

"If you use your own vehicles, then we could remove that fee." The woman smiled a little too readily and got out a paper contract, but Theo cut her off.

"There's more. We have our own blueprints, so we don't need to pay for soulcrafting instruction. I can evaluate all the sublime materials we harvest, and we can repair our own equipment..."

Though the woman groaned, she accepted their negotiations. Nauda looked a little hesitant at some of his choices, but Theo was confident in every skill that required nothing but expertise. In the end, they negotiated contracts that granted them the services they needed while still leaving them with the majority of their salaries.

The others seemed pleased by the results, but Theo had one more question: "Was House Blacksilver given any invitations to the Chasm of Lamentation?"

"Oh?" That got another look of mild surprise, but the functionary quickly nodded. "We are not a small House, so we were granted five Chasm Invitations. Three of them are reserved for our most talented and skilled Authorities or veterans of previous chasm expeditions. That leaves two that can be purchased by merits... but I must warn you, they will cost over a thousand, and there may be competition for them."

"That's fine." Theo glanced back at the others and Nauda smiled at him.

"So we finally won you over?" the woman asked. He nodded and then turned back to the official.

"We'd like to join House Blacksilver."

Chapter 9

After so long rushing between worlds, a significant portion of it being pursued, Theo was glad to fall into a routine. Though they could serve as ruts, routines could also be optimized. As the three of them adjusted to life in House Blacksilver, he set about doing exactly that.

Since they were new recruits, they weren't taken into any important confidences, just given necessary tasks. Fortunately, their strength as soulcrafters ensured that they didn't need to waste time with any truly tedious activities, as unranked members often needed to do. Instead, they could begin with work better suited to their skill.

Unfortunately, it wasn't possible to work day and night to rack up as many merits as possible: everyone else had the same idea. The jobs he judged had a good merit/hour ratio - like dangerous harvesting or occasionally demon extermination - were all fiercely contested, so they could only get one per week or so. However, he'd learned that there were rarer and more rewarding tasks, so resolved to pay attention for those.

What they could do beyond the other members of House Blacksilver was work on everything at once. Theo built his schedule around enormous blocks of working, soulcrafting, and skill refinement with Nauda and Fiyu. The result left them with very little free time, but they were simultaneously racking up merits, money, and most importantly power.

At the moment, Theo sat within his soulhome, hammering away at a boulder. The sublime material was called eclipsebasalt, and he was still immensely pleased to have found it. Eclipsebasalt was incredibly durable and contained cantae nearly perfectly, but it wasn't exorbitantly expensive for two reasons: it was unusually challenging to soulcraft, and difficult to work into a soulhome. But since it fit his design perfectly and he had the skills to soulcraft it, he'd been able to acquire multiple boulders for a reasonable price.

It was durable enough that even his skills with a spirit hammer couldn't just break it apart, but he had more tricks in store. The traditional method of breaking such boulders in half was to hammer a line of spikes and create a plane of weakness. Instead of purchasing any from the House stores, he'd improvised them from other materials, though it still required significant work.

How many hours had he been working? Theo stopped hammering at the spikes and immediately felt new waves of spiritual soreness. Recognizing that he needed a break to work efficiently, he wiped away some sweat and just leaned on the spirit hammer for a while, staring back toward his soulhome.

With the eclipsebasalt he'd broken so far, he'd laid most of the groundwork for his second floor, though it was currently covered by a tarp and still missing most of the bricks in one corner room. Still, it had been satisfying progress: with each new room completed, he'd significantly increased his available supply of cantae. He might not be a peak Archcrafter yet, certainly not with empty rooms, but no one on his tier was going to out-muscle him with raw cantae.

He thought about checking on how the other two were doing before remembering that they'd gone out on some sort of assignment with Ichili immigrants. Still, he knew their soulcrafting quite well.

Fiyu had been spending her money in the markets near the Ichili gate, acquiring the materials that she was missing in order to complete her first floor chambers. Meanwhile, Nauda had completed the walls and ceiling of her second floor, though this time instead of pushing upward, she remained focused. That was good, because for all the strength of her Archcrafter materials, her blueprint needed tightening overall.

Early on during their work, he'd explained to them his basic strategy: they'd spend their money and merits freely until they had run out of options with an excellent rate of return. Fortunately, they'd understood immediately, and in fact the explanation might have been unnecessary. Every merit he'd spent building his second floor strengthened him enough to acquire even more merits, and so on. The trick was recognizing the point where investments got diminishing returns and start saving instead, which would likely be different for each of them.

Of course, the easiest promotion available to them was having Fiyu ascend to Archcrafter, but she insisted that her relative would give her a special sublime material for that step. Theo was sure she had the willpower for it, and she'd done plenty of polishing on her first floor, but decided not to press the argument.

When Theo returned to his work, he was surprised how much easier it felt, putting more spiritual force into each swing. It wasn't long after he resumed work that he finally heard a crack from deep within the eclipsebasalt. He eagerly struck the line of spikes until at last the boulder split in half.

Though the outer surface of each boulder was black, the inside glowed hot white. One of the things that made eclipsebasalt so difficult to work with was that the light and dark sections shifted unpredictably, but he'd mastered the patterns after a few false starts. Now he could craft solid bricks that had a brilliant exterior and a dark interior, then place them with the light side out.

Theo retrieved his spikes, set the boulder halves on their flat ends, and began creating new lines. The trick was not to work the light side until the final chiseling stage. Done this way, his second floor glowed to match the solarstone of his first floor. It could represent an eclipse, like the name, or it could be the corona of a black hole. The exterior would deflect attacks well, while the interior was a good match to his gravitational cantae. He almost considered using plates of eclipsebasalt to cover the entire tower, but felt that he could find a more perfect sublime material for that.

Most of his soulcrafting hours had been spent on the hard work of building a new floor's walls, but the majority of his thoughts had been on the contents of his chambers. He had an absolutely perfect design for his second floor, which would come later. For now, he was more concerned with finding appropriate materials to furnish the chambers on the ground floor.

That was the point where he wasn't sure about the balance of cost and rewards. There were countless worthy sublime materials available through House Blacksilver, it was a question of which were most helpful to them at the moment. He'd eaten some sublime foods along with the others, and the addition of Fithan dishes had strengthened his feasting chamber, but he needed more than incremental improvements.

His weakest chamber was unquestionably the southern one, which was filled with emblems won from Deuxan nobles. Those had nothing to do with his design, they were just being stored where they'd do some good, so the room might as well be empty. He already had chambers dedicated to concepts like feasting and storage, so he needed something else, perhaps something relaxing...

Unfortunately, relaxing wasn't his strong suit. And while there was so much work to do, he saw no reason to be worried about it.

Once he had broken the boulder apart into block-sized chunks, Theo recognized that he needed to stop for the day. Carving them into proper bricks without ruining the bright surfaces required absolute focus, which he didn't have at the moment. When Theo withdrew from his soulhome, he was surprised to find that his room was completely dark. The sun had set and he'd been too deep in his work to bother creating any sort of light.

After finding one of the light spheres, Theo turned it to generate a soft red light. They sold others that created light in many hues, but the red ones had been cheapest. What mattered was that they lit up the room enough for him to read the papers on the desk beside his bed.

There he looked over the calculations again, more as a focus aid than because he'd needed to run the numbers on paper. The Fithan year was slightly longer than an Earth year and they operated on a thirteen month cycle. So each of them needed to acquire 1300 merits from their work just to remain employed at House Blacksilver - they received security and other services for that fee, but he counted it as a loss toward their true goals.

So far, they'd been able to earn an average of fifty merits per week, meaning over 2500 per year. The 1200 merits after their salaries might be enough to purchase Chasm Invitations, but that would mean purchasing absolutely nothing else. He'd already spent a significant amount on eclipsebasalt, and Nauda wanted her armament. On top of that, he worried there might end up being a bidding war. So the simple math suggested they needed to find better sources of merits on top of other paths to Invitations.

That would have been necessary in any case, since there were apparently only two invitations remaining. There was an outside possibility that one of them could become one of the House's top soulcrafters and earn one of the protected spots, but unless everyone above them stopped soulcrafting or there was a war, that possibility seemed unlikely. He needed to get into the city more and find out where a Chasm Invitation might be bought.

Looking over the numbers again didn't do him any good, and he didn't feel like sleeping, so Theo locked his room and headed out for a walk. The Blacksilver complex was generally silent at night, but various guards and workers still kept busy. Theo wandered from the men's chambers and started to go toward the women's side before remembering both the hour and his friends' absence.

Instead he drifted to the main courtyard and eventually into the office. His plan had been to check the various lists and boards of work, just in case any new options presented themselves. As soon as he entered, the woman who had administered their test - he'd learned her name was Antha - waved him toward her desk.

"There you are," she said. "You were supposed to come today, but I suppose it doesn't matter. It's the same salary no matter when you take it."

"Salary?" Theo asked brilliantly. She tossed a small sack of coins to him and he reflexively caught it in one hand. It wasn't her words that surprised him, but the fact that it had actually been a full month since they'd joined the House.

His life was so filled by his work that the month had passed almost before he'd realized it. Finally, all of the preparations he'd made and skills he'd redeveloped could come together in the swift pace he'd hoped for. Buoyed by his progress, he didn't even resent the time he'd needed to wait, because it had given him the chance to refine his new blueprint.

"All of you have been worth the trouble." Antha gave him a slight smile before she returned to her work. "Keep it up and I'm sure you'll be pillars of House Blacksilver in no time."

"We plan to stick around, but we need to make faster progress than this." Theo tested the bag's weight in his hand as he considered the matter. "Are there any special opportunities we could volunteer for?"

"That's not enough for you? You already negotiated a hard enough deal... apparently it works for you, so I can't object, but you're getting better salaries than most newcomers."

Unfortunately, it would be a bad deal to spend merits increasing their salaries when they might not remain with House Blacksilver long term, so they needed alternate paths. "Are there any high value jobs we'd be specifically suited for? They don't have to involve combat or soulcrafting."

"That sort of thing doesn't just fall into your lap. But..." Antha paused, frowned to herself, then dug beneath a record book for another paper. "We actually do need a delegation to go meet with some mud Fithans. Dust Fithans are a bad choice for obvious reasons, so we usually rely on foreigners to represent us. Now, the House has a lot of foreigners, but if you three can prove your negotiation skills, perhaps..."

"Weren't you just complaining about those skills?"

"I suppose I was. I'll mark you down and we can discuss it further when the time comes. It won't be for months, depending on higher level negotiations, so just focus on earning merits and proving yourself for now."

He nodded acknowledgment and wandered back out, counting his salary just in case. After fees, he'd earned 110 Fithan Discs, which meant 1430 per year. That would be 3250 between them, though it could have been over four thousand if Fiyu had been willing to ascend to Archcrafter. Theo set that aside, since he wasn't sure how much it would matter in the end.

The amount of money they were earning, especially combined with their reserves from Deuxan, was a considerable amount for individuals, but not so much for vast organizations like Houses. Until he had more information, he wasn't sure whether Chasm Invitations would be available on the black market or only fought over in auctions by Houses. It might be wiser to spend that money on themselves, though he intended to save his until they knew for sure.

On his way back to his room, Theo considered alternative methods. He'd learned that the granitebile used in the entrance trials was produced in great quantities and considered almost useless. Several possibilities for its use, such as cleaning or intentional coloring, had leapt out at him, but the Fithans weren't stupid: over generations they'd tried most of the obvious things. His methods would work, they just required other ingredients that rendered the result more expensive than the cheapest alternatives.

Still, if he could come up with a new use for granitebile the House would immediately become richer and they'd reward him for it. Theo spent a while sorting through all his old memories for a hint of something that might lead to a breakthrough. He'd been focused on combat soulcrafting, but with all the sublime materials he'd encountered, there might be a fragmentary memory of something.

When he returned to the corridor to his room, Theo spotted a body on the floor and immediately threw aside all his long term thoughts. The lump of cloth gave little clue in the low light, but a pool of liquid glistened beside it. If it was a corpse, the House might be under an attack, so he-

No, it was Senka lying in a puddle of her own drool, which was worse.

"Senka's back!" She popped up with a cheerful smile. "Senka waited a long, long, long time for Fiyu and Nauda but they never came."

"Where have you been, anyway?" Theo walked past her to unlock his door. He knew that she'd find a way in somehow, so he might as well get her out of the hallway where she might blurt sensitive information.

"Senka found some food that tasted yummy but then someone got angry for no reason and Senka had to run away and then Senka jumped into a sewage pit and that did not taste yummy." She continued her nonsensical babble as she followed him, then suddenly tossed a bag down onto the ground. "Anyway Senka found pretties!"

Since "finding" objects was her one real use, Theo bent down to pick up the bag. To his surprise, it contained several dozen Fithan Discs, smaller bags of craftgems, a few lumps of sublime coal... and what appeared to be a half-eaten fruit. Not a sublime one, just severely chewed and extremely smelly.

"Thanks, Senka. You can have this part." He gingerly picked out the fruit and tossed it toward her, only for her to swat it directly back into his face.

"Take Senka's gift, you big mean fumpet! Hmph! Senka is angry now!" She promptly stormed out of the room in a huff, though unfortunately it wouldn't last for long.

As he locked the door, Theo looked back to the bag and considered that she'd inadvertently taught him a lesson. Yes, they'd find other resources outside of House Blacksilver, but he'd been counting on that.

The real lesson was that they had no idea what random chance would throw at them.

Chapter 10

"Come on, Theo, didn't you say we should be taking more risks?"

He frowned at Nauda, even though he knew that he was going to give in eventually. "There are different kinds of risks and you know it. Fighting demons is one thing, but getting near power-mad Authorities? If he gets it in his head to kill us, there'd be nothing we can do."

"But we'll be meeting in a public place, with other important figures from the city nearby." Nauda pushed at his leg with her foot from her seat on the bed. "You're always calculating everything by 'merit per hour' value, but you're not going to get better than this. Seventy five merits each, just for an hour of escorting."

Fiyu bobbed her head in agreement. "Theo, I was also concerned. But I have investigated the restaurant where the meeting is supposed to take place and it is owned by the House of Coin. They maintain it as neutral ground, so Lord Tythes would not be able to follow his whims."

"This negotiation isn't even that sensitive. The only reason it's worth so many merits is because everyone else is concerned about the same thing."

Frowning deeper, Theo wondered if that led to a more serious objection. "Do you suppose it's possible that he's using his unpredictable behavior as a weapon? If everyone thinks he's dangerous, they'll avoid meeting him. Usually that would work against them, but if it makes House Blacksilver retreat from negotiations..."

"It's a good question. Wouldn't you like to find out?" Nauda gave him a smile that suggested she knew that he was going to give in. "I know you're interested in the House politics, even if you're focused on soulcrafting for now. Minor negotiations like these could be your way in."

"Alright, fine. I accept your logic, and it's a good find, I'm just surprised that you want to meet him again, after last time." He cast Nauda a skeptical stare. "Unless you noticed this specifically because you wanted to confront him again?"

"I'm not suicidal, Theo. He's an Authority."

"Okay. But everyone finish any soulcrafting work in progress, just in case he starts slinging cantae again. With that much power, he might be able to do permanent damage, even through our defenses."

They left the sitting room and returned to their own chambers - most parts of Fithe were relatively conservative about that sort of thing, so they needed to avoid the appearance of impropriety. It was an annoyance, but one he forced himself to remember, now that he was getting closer to politics that mattered.

Two days later, the meeting took place and the three of them went along with a small number of guards from House Blacksilver. Theo vaguely recognized a few of the others as fellow soulcrafters, from merit trades or just walking through the complex, but didn't know any of their names. If he needed those connections, he would trust Nauda to have forged them in his absence.

Their group contained one Ruler and three Archcrafters, including him - not exactly an army to take on an Authority, but a respectful enough group. If the assignment went as planned, their purpose was to prove that House Blacksilver could back up its words, with an undercurrent of not fearing House Crimson. Given their increasingly dominant place in Norro Yorthin, that was an important message to send, so he understood why they were willing to reward the volunteers so handsomely.

Soon enough, they arrived at the restaurant managed by the House of Coin. It was a larger building than he expected, filling an entire city block and rising four stories. Looking through the numerous balconies, he saw that the main chamber appeared to have an open center through all four floors, with most of the tables along the sides. Clearly, a place to see and be seen.

"Oh, there you are!" The sound of Tythes's voice from overhead made Theo flinch, and he looked up in time to see the young Authority walk directly through the side of the balcony. Infused with cantae, he simply smashed directly through the wood, then plummeted to land on his feet in front of them.

"House Blacksilver greets House Crimson." The diplomat they brought with them didn't back down in the slightest, instead giving a courteous bow. Since the man wasn't even a soulcrafter, he must be accustomed to facing down people stronger than him, so in a sense he had an advantage over the others. "We are glad to see you, Lord Tythes, but we had hoped to meet your delegation."

"Oh, they're... in there. Right over there." Tythes wheeled to point at a table near the entrance, which contained a group of three Ichili who suddenly looked much less comfortable. After staring for a bit, Tythes frowned, then turned back to them. "Well, I may be a little turned around. They're somewhere in there. Why don't we go find a seat?"

"An excellent idea, Lord Tythes."

With that ignominious start, the group headed in behind the Authority, who grabbed a drink from a nearby server without asking. He didn't seem to be drunk, and his robes weren't stained this time, though they were definitely rumpled. When he started to go off course, a group of Fithans in red robes rose to mark their presence.

Once the two sides came together, Tythes slouched back, leaning on the head of one of the other diners. House Crimson didn't seem to have brought any other soulcrafters, and perhaps they didn't need any. Though Tythes kept his power bound behind his shielding wall, he could obviously destroy the entire building.

"House Crimson greets house Blacksilver." One of the negotiators on the other side gestured to a broad table filled with steaming food. "Please, sit down. We've taken the liberty of ordering additional food for our guards... would you consent to letting them relax at a slight distance?"

"Very reasonable," the Blacksilver negotiator said smoothly. "There's no reason we can't all have a comfortable meal."

It was clearly a choreographed maneuver to reduce tensions, so Theo pulled back with the other soulcrafters to allow the negotiators to speak in peace. Given how Tythes behaved, that was likely an improvement, but it also meant that the Authority-tier soulcrafter went along with them, draining his drink as he sat down at the table.

"Come, join me! There's nothing to be... oh, it's you." He blinked when he saw Nauda, who stiffened and clenched her staff tighter. Though Theo tried to touch her back reassuringly, it didn't do any good. "I remember you. I... wrote some very bad poetry in honor of your beauty, didn't I?"

"I'm humbled by the quality of your memory, Lord Tythes." Despite the tension in her back, Nauda somehow managed to respond with a sugary smile. Tythes gave a lopsided grin that made Theo highly confident that he knew exactly who she was, but he only waved to them.

"I said sit down! Let's not cause a fuss and distract the others."

Since no one was sitting, Theo took the first step and pulled out a seat on the opposite side. Fiyu followed him, then Nauda and the others... and then Tythes promptly stood up and wandered off without another word.

Tracking the Authority as he ambled through the restaurant, Theo tried some of the meat set before them, but his hunger had vanished. He didn't think that House Crimson had any intention of sabotaging these meetings, so the only question was if Tythes had some plan. It was possible that he intended to cultivate his reputation as a threat, but if so, he was doing it recklessly.

What was strange was that his soulhome showed every sign of being finely crafted. Even focusing his full attention, the shielding wall was perfect: it not only left an impression of a humble first floor soulhome, it reduced Tythes's cantae to that of a first-tier soulcrafter, even qualitatively. Someone who could soulcraft such a wall couldn't possibly be a fool, and no one could buy their way to Authority.

It was possible that he'd only intended to reach a position of power and then exploit it; Theo had known people who were extremely determined in pursuit of their own pleasure. Another possibility was that Tythes had once been extremely motivated, but run into a wall when he attempted to reach Stronghold. Some who were considered geniuses failed that way, streaking upwards until they ran into hardship and promptly crashing. Given the pressure supposedly on him to take House Crimson into the future, that was a plausible scenario.

Pushing through a group of merchants, Tythes climbed onto their table, curled up, and promptly fell asleep. Theo expected loud, exaggerated snores, but there was no sound at all, as if Tythes had simply grown bored and stopped engaging.

Around the restaurant, a few watched his behavior and gossiped, but the majority didn't seem to care. It occurred to Theo that his antics might have been intended to thoroughly draw attention away from the actual negotiation, presuming that he did have some intention behind anything he did. But in that case, it would have been much more effective for House Crimson not to send him at all.

As he looked around the four tiers of the building, Theo saw a group of Deuxans and abruptly froze.

Though it was unusual to see Deuxans here, Norro Yorthin was a large enough hub city that it was hardly impossible. Yet he couldn't escape the sudden feeling that they were familiar, and not from his past life. All of them wore blank robes without any Court or family symbols, which was itself highly unusual for Deuxans in other worlds. Perhaps they were a monastic order, but perhaps...

"Fiyu." He whispered the words over to her while pretending to look elsewhere. She didn't turn to look at him, but immediately smiled broadly. "There's a group of Deuxans opposite us, two floors upward. What can you tell me about them?"

"There are... seven." She closed her eyes beneath her mask, senses extending out through the crowded restaurant. "One is a Ruler and appears to be the leader. All the others are Archcrafters. Most are wearing the robes you can see, but three are hooded in cloaks that obscure them from me."

"Meaning that you can feel the others? Are they wearing anything notable underneath?"

"Some armor... a few weapons... oh! They have hidden badges beneath their clothes. I cannot make out the exact details, but I recognize them from our time in Anguedan."

"Thank you." Theo smiled back at her while his heart sank into his stomach. A group of Deuxans might be a coincidence, but a group from that exact frontier city couldn't be. From his vantage point, none of the ones he saw looked familiar, but Fiyu had said that three of them were hiding themselves anyway.

If it truly was the Armeau family, had they tracked him specifically? It seemed an absurd amount of effort in response to a simple vendetta, yet he couldn't come up with another explanation. He strongly doubted that they had followed him through the gate, otherwise they would have appeared sooner. More likely they had contacted an Authority of their own and used a weirkey to reach Norro Yorthin.

Given that, was it possible that this meeting was a coincidence? They would have had the opportunity to see him and his companions during the incident, yet the group wasn't looking in his direction at all. If they intended to take revenge for killing one of their soulcrafters and injuring their family scion, surely they would attack in a darkened alley instead of a place like this.

That left him wondering if he had fundamentally misunderstood the nature of the vendetta. Esaire had been an important member of his family, but he wasn't important enough for them to mobilize such resources. Theo considered several wild theories, such as the sleigh they had stolen containing some sort of incredibly valuable sublime material. None of it made sense, so it seemed more like it was a vendetta taken far beyond the bounds of reason.

"Theo... one of them is gone." Fiyu spoke quietly, yet the words sent a chill down his spine. When Theo sat back to look around the restaurant, it was too late: an elderly Deuxan man was walking toward him with a viciously civil smile on his face.

Chapter 11

"Please pardon me, good soulcrafters." The old man stared at him directly and Theo struggled to remember ever even glimpsing him. Perhaps there was a family resemblance to Esaire, but that might be his mind forcing a conclusion. More importantly, the old man was a Ruler making no attempt to hide his soulhome. "One of your number looks very much like an old friend of mine, and I'd like to beg a bit of his time."

Given their location, civility was the only option. "So long as I can perform my duties to House Blacksilver," Theo said, "I would be happy to speak to you. You say I resemble an old friend?"

"Forgive an old man's sentimentality. This matter concerns no one else, so could we perhaps discuss it in private?"

"There do seem to be empty tables nearby." As he rose to his feet, Theo shot a glance to Nauda and Fiyu, but there was no real choice. Even if they were capable of fighting a Ruler, they couldn't do it in a place like this. All he could do was take precautions and see where the conversation led.

Theo was prepared with polite excuses to prevent them from leaving the restaurant, but to his surprise the old man only took them to a nearby booth, not even one that could be targeted by the rest of his group. Likewise, he ordered no food and made no attempt to touch Theo. The old man's cantae was strictly controlled, with no signs of threats or any attempts to manipulate.

When they sat down opposite one another, the old man gave him an amiable smile. "Forgive me for those small lies, as I will forgive you yours. We heard that House Blacksilver had employed a Deuxan, and we were highly curious about such a thing. Upon seeing you, the answer became clear, but we do not mind your lies. Indeed, they are very Deuxan."

His act was good, every emotion apparently authentic, forged through a lifetime of Court struggles. But the story had holes and Theo was too well prepared, so he only played along. "I admit, I was worried when I first saw real Deuxans here. Thank you for being accommodating."

"Oh, don't trouble yourself further over it. But now I must admit something: a great deal of curiosity as to what path led you here. Would you accept a dinner invitation from us? Once your work is done, of course."

There was the trap: if they got him alone, his membership in House Blacksilver would do him no good. A powerful Ruler like this could easily remove him from the city and then he would be entirely in their power. Realizing that he was at his strongest here, in a public restaurant with allies and a more powerful soulcrafter nearby, Theo decided to press his advantage.

"I'd be honored to learn from the Armeau family."

Instantly the old man's polite masked dropped, his gaze becoming razor sharp steel. "You may know us, but we know you, Bartolo 'aina Fithe'. There is no reason for us to engage in any conflict at all. It would be very regrettable if we couldn't find a way to cooperate."

"And who exactly am I speaking to?"

"I am Arceon ai Armeau, head of our family." Arceon kept his cantae perfectly still, but the way he leaned forward was threat enough. "If you answer all my questions, I will leave you in peace. I don't care that you killed a brute in our family or scarred my grandson. But if you prove uncooperative, perhaps those blood debts will matter after all."

That wasn't the approach Theo had expected at all, but he kept the surprise from his face and merely shrugged. "You seem a wise man, so you must understand I only tried to avoid conflict. What was so important that you pursued me this far?"

"What do you know of the ai Teraeves family?"

Though Theo was utterly taken aback by the question, his instincts leapt to fill the silence. "The historical one? What do you mean?" He filled his words with his actual surprise, hoping that it could trick the old man's keen instincts, while his mind churned in shock.

During his time on Deuxan, he had investigated about one of his old companions, Brigana ai Teraves. It had been a futile search, but Esaire must have remembered the name, leading to this pursuit. That was what baffled him, since he had assumed Brigana and her family were a century dead and couldn't imagine why they would merit such an aggressive response.

"That is not the sort of history many speak of, much less foreigners." Though Arceon examined him carefully, his suspicion seemed to have shifted. "For that reason, I require all the knowledge you have of them."

"Honestly, I don't understand. The ai Teraeves family was one of several I found mentioned in an ancient manuscript, and I wanted to-"

"And just why would you be investigating them?"

Theo gave another shrug and shifted back in his seat, getting his feet underneath him. "I wanted to trace my identity to a group that immortals might know, but without a family that could become angry with me for using their name. Clearly, that didn't w-"

"Liar." The old man's voice didn't rise, but his fingers tightened so hard on the table that the stone cracked. "You may not know what you're meddling with, but you know more than that. I will give you one more chance to be honest with me."

"If I knew enough to expect such a violent reaction, do you think I'd approach the matter so casually?" It was Theo's best available lie, since it was built on all the wrong truths, but he saw that it wasn't enough. "I only wanted to find out enough for a cover st-"

A hand closed around his throat and Theo was thrown backward, despite his efforts to brace himself. In a flash his back struck a pillar and he was pinned there by Arceon, his soulhome and eyes blazing. Yet it wasn't a wild attack, the old man was too canny for that, so the question was why he'd shifted approaches.

"This man is a thief and a liar!" Arceon kept his grip on his throat while turning to face the shocked observers. "He claims to be a Deuxan named Peanen, but his true name is Bartolo. If your city will allow us to extradite him, we can cease disrupting your meal."

Theo had no idea if the tactic would have worked, but in the surprised silence, someone tumbled off a table in a shower of silverware. As the figure rose into the air, all eyes turned to Tythes instead as he floated closer to them. Realizing that he had misjudged, Arceon let go of Theo's neck, but didn't stand down.

"A Ruler bullying an Archcrafter? That's not polite at all." He landed beside them, slinging an arm around the old man's shoulders. "There are three things I really hate in this life: bullies... hypocrites... and cherry jam. I don't see any jam, and I'm the hypocrite here, so you'd best watch your step."

"Is there no honor in Fithe?" Agilely stepping out of Tythes's grip, Arceon instead appealed to the entire restaurant. "We seek justice against a criminal, and no more. Allow us to follow our laws."

For a time all four tiers of the restaurant were completely silent, then someone coughed violently from the highest floor. An old woman stepped up beside the balcony, finished her hacking, and then spoke with her voice magnified through the room. "The House of Coin apologizes for this disruption. Please allow us to resolve the matter and offer recompense in private."

"Oh, but it's entertainment!" Tythes grinned at her, then gestured grandly to everyone watching. "This is more fun than any other dinner you've had, right? Why not let them continue?"

"Tythes." The old woman's tone snapped out. "The House of Coin would like this matter to be resolved quietly."

Though Theo thought the old woman wasn't even a Ruler, she was the first person to make Tythes actually back down. Clearly, she spoke with the voice of the House of Coin, carrying a Stronghold and all their economic influence behind it. Employees of the restaurant surrounded them and politely but firmly guided everyone into one of the back rooms.

There was little he could do now, but Theo still cast a glance to the others. He was glad to see that not only Nauda and Fiyu followed, but one of the Blacksilver negotiators joined them as well. Soon all sides stood in an ornately furnished room, and the old woman hobbled her way in a back door some time later, frowning at all of them.

"I would like this matter resolved promptly." Her cane jabbed out at Arceon, who had been joined by several hooded soulcrafters. "Deuxans. You have attacked a customer and disrupted our business with loud accusations. Explain yourselves."

"It is just as I said," Arceon began smoothly. "This man is a thief and a liar wh-"

"He is a member of House Blacksilver." The negotiator interrupted sharply, stepping in front of the group. "You chose not to pursue him through the appropriate authorities, I believe because you lack any evidence. Furthermore, I question if you even have standing to make a criminal accusation, with no House behind you."

"On the contrary, we are here as guests of the House of Burning Leaves. Feel free to contact them."

That set the Blacksilver negotiator back a step, but the old woman from the House of Coin joined in. "But your hosts didn't pursue a formal case either. This is growing tedious. Present evidence or we will have you thrown out."

For a moment Arceon hesitated, and his gaze briefly stabbed toward Theo with pure hostility, but then he seemed to make a decision and smiled. "It is true, we cannot press our claim in your courts. But we have a personal vendetta to resolve, and I understand that Fithe has long been accepting of private duels. Esaire, stand forth!"

One of the hooded figures stepped up beside him, pulling back his hood to reveal the Deuxan noble. Esaire looked much the same as before, though he had a scar across his face and neck from the sublime beast attack. Other than that, he seemed to have healed perfectly, and his soulhome brimmed with power.

"This man killed one of my oldest friends." Esaire swept a hand toward Theo, and the fact that the gesture was clearly planned didn't take anything away from the venom in his words. "I demand justice."

"Ooh, a duel for vengeance!" Tythes sprang forward, eyes alight. "This is so much more interesting than all the pointless allegations. House Crimson would happily get behind such a duel, since it would be a much more enjoyable resolution to this conflict than more talking."

Everyone else was quiet, while Esaire simply continued glaring at Theo. Whatever schemes his grandfather was up to, the young man clearly did hate Theo. He wasn't sure what the best position to take was, but knew that a duel that moment would go poorly. As the silence stretched on, Theo stepped forward to finally speak in his defense.

"I have done nothing but defend myself. Furthermore, I believe you will find that the Armeau family has no proof that I-"

"Don't care!" Tythes clapped his hands together with each word. "Duel! Duel! Duel!"

"There is precedent." The old woman tapped her cane on the floor a few times, then nodded to herself. "Both of you seem to have misapprehensions about Fithan justice. Your affairs are your own, and the details are immaterial - the House of Coin certainly does not care. But we cannot have personal vendettas spilling blood in the streets."

"Why not? Violence everywhere! Slaughter for the slightest insult!"

The House of Coin representative continued as if Tythes hadn't spoken. "The two offended parties will settle their vendettas in a single formal duel, then the matter will be closed, by the authority of our House and the city."

Esaire glanced at his grandfather and the two exchanged a look that might as well have been a smirk. Arceon nodded in acceptance. "Thank you for your wise decision. We wish to duel the offender, of course. If we defeat him, we can take him back to our world for justice?"

"Yes, so long as the duel is fair."

"But of course. The offender Bartolo and my grandson Esaire are both Archcrafters, so a duel between them would be entirely reasonable, would it not?"

"Just after you attacked him?" the Blacksilver negotiator objected. "You've clearly planned this vendetta, so such a duel would be anything but fair."

"What about a duel in a month's time?" Arceon smiled as if seeking to cooperate, his eyes glittering. "That would give both sides time to prepare. Surely no one can object to that."

Obviously they could, since Theo could already guess their ploy: Esaire had clearly been soulcrafting lately, and Theo had a strong suspicion he was building toward his upper limit. In a month he could ascend to Ruler, but the duel would still be considered fair by the rather loose standards of Fithe. After all, if Theo didn't want to be outmatched, he should have ascended as well.

"One year." Theo spoke into the silence before anyone else could take control of the conversation. "If you want a fair duel, give us each an entire year to prepare, then I'll fight you."

That led to a chorus of objections from all sides: Tythes thought that was too boring, Arceon objected that he would flee, and negotiators on both sides brought forth new arguments. But in the end it was decided by the House of Coin representative, who had clearly grown weary of the argument.

"Six months." She pointed her cane at both sides. "This trouble you've brought us has been very disruptive, and you're lucky that we don't begin any vendettas of our own. Until that time, neither side will make any violent attempts or any efforts to escape. Then when the time has elapsed, you can conduct your duel and the matters will be resolved, once and for all."

Though some objected, Tythes threw his weight behind her, and the two Houses combined couldn't be refused. Esaire and the others were clearly unhappy, but they understood that they had little control and were forced to agree. The Blacksilver representative gave Theo an apologetic glance, but in the end agreed as well.

So, with no more discussion than that, Theo would be dueling with his life on the line in six months.

Chapter 12

Despite the disruption, the House Blacksilver representatives did finish their discussion with their counterparts at House Crimson. The entire time, Theo stood in place, trying not to anticipate a knife in his back. Fortunately, it seemed that the Armeau family really was limited by the powers of the city and they had no choice but to leave the restaurant.

As soon as they had finished their official duties and the negotiators began to separate, Fiyu turned to him with a somber frown on her face. "This is not fair. Matters of truth cannot be decided by duels. Will this truly occur?"

"I'm afraid so," Theo said. He'd been holding back his tension, but now ran his hands through his hair and found it sweaty. "Most places on Fithe don't really care about concepts like justice, they just think violence should be controlled. So unless our House will stick its neck out for me, the only real option is to start planning for a duel."

"That was my question." Nauda glanced after the retreating Deuxans, then toward him. "Do you think you have a chance of beating him? He's been an Archcrafter a lot longer than you have, and his family will throw their resources into him."

"It doesn't look good, but we have six months." Theo might have said more, but at that moment the groups finally broke apart.

Despite all the disruptions, the representatives on both sides appeared pleased by the economic terms they'd negotiated. Tythes had finished off several bottles of wine and fallen asleep, but now scrambled back to his feet. As he followed his allies out, he abruptly swung back as if he'd just remembered them.

"I'll be seeing you in six months! Maybe sooner!" With that, he gave a cartoonishly large wink at Nauda and then marched out the door.

Their group remained a little longer, gathering themselves, and then departed the restaurant. A floating palanquin waited for them, and the lead negotiator gestured for Theo to follow him instead of going with the other soulcrafters. Nauda and Fiyu joined him without getting permission and the negotiator looked too tired to object. Once they began floating back to the House complex, he spoke in a weary voice.

"Do I have your word as a member of House Blacksilver that you aren't responsible for any great crimes against the Deuxans?"

Theo nodded immediately. "Absolutely. I fought only in self-defense, but this is a personal vendetta."

"We recognize that you weren't at fault, and negotiations did finish despite the disruptions, so none of this will impact your earned merits." The negotiator looked back to Theo wearily and shook his head. "However, you are a newly joined member of the House, so we won't provide any special aid, either. We'll support your legal rights to the duel, but if you lose..."

"I understand. Give me the opportunity to work and I'll handle this myself."

"That's what we like to hear. Only one last thing: is your name really Bartolo? We don't care what name you used, but it would be good to have for our records."

"I..." Theo pretended to hesitate, then sighed. "Yes, that's my name, but I would prefer to be called Peanen."

"Fine. Now, let me think about what all this means."

With the negotiator turning to his own affairs, Fiyu and Nauda clearly wanted to speak with him, but there was no privacy in the palanquin. For that matter, they'd need to be more cautious about names in the future, as well.

Overall, he thought that was the least of his concerns. Though he'd disliked the idea of his false identities getting linked, it might actually work in his favor. Now, if anyone investigated him, the secret they would discover was just another false identity. Those were extremely common between worlds, so hopefully anyone working for Vistgil or other forces would ignore him.

Then again, perhaps not. No matter how much Theo thought over the details of the confrontation, he couldn't come up with any answers related to Brigana. Though Esaire might actually want revenge, his grandfather had clearly gone to so much trouble solely to investigate the name. He didn't understand how just mentioning the ai Teraeves family could lead to such an extreme reaction, but the old man had been deadly serious.

In the century Theo had been gone, something must have happened to Brigana's family, and the only thing he knew was that asking questions about it was dangerous.

~ ~ ~

When they finally returned to the House Blacksilver complex, they remained silent. Some of the other soulcrafters were now entirely too curious about Theo, but Nauda deflected their attention. Since it was still daylight, they all marched into the male quarters to discuss strategy. Only after Theo locked the door behind them did Nauda finally speak.

"Do you attract problems, or do you enjoy having them bearing down on you? First the Chasm of Lamentations, now a duel in half a year..."

"Six months," Fiyu said. "There are thirteen months here."

"Close enough. That's not much time before your life is on the line."

Theo took a deep breath, trying to find the excitement that he would once have felt. The truth was, the duel merely annoyed him now, another obstacle getting in the way of his true goals. Its only redeeming value was that the steps he needed to take to win the duel included many of the steps he'd planned to take anyway, just perhaps in a slightly different order.

"There's something I'm missing about this." Theo turned to the others and explained the conversation, including some details about Brigana, though those seemed immaterial to the vendetta. When he finished, all he could do was shrug. "Duels aren't to the death here, but if Esaire wins and they take me back, I'm as good as dead. I'd like to find out why they came after me, but I don't see a path to those answers."

"Could you ask after the duel, assuming you win?" Nauda asked. "The terms seem more favorable to them, considering that you get nothing if you win, but at least you'd be in a position of strength."

"That could be, but it would take place after the duel. The odds are definitely stacked against me, so everything that occurs after then has become second priority... well, not acquiring Chasm Invitations. But those won't do me any good if I'm dead."

Fiyu sighed and sank down onto the bed. "So you are also concerned about the duel. It seemed nearly impossible to me, but I was not sure if you had a special plan from your previous existence."

"The central problem is that Esaire is starting with a huge lead: he's a fully polished Archcrafter and his family will definitely help him ascend." Theo leaned back against the wall and began ticking off the concerns. "I can probably work harder than Esaire, but twice as hard? He'll be soulcrafting every available hour, so not possible. I might be able to find better sublime materials, with a bit of luck, but I'm up against the resources of his entire family and possibly a Fithan House. My blueprint is superior to his, but it's not going to be ten times better than a design refined over generations. So simply surpassing him in six months is a fantasy."

"That sounds hopeless." Nauda watched him silently, her mind clearly churning over the same problem. "Yet you seem to believe there's a chance. He's obviously going to ascend to Ruler, so... perhaps you have a trick to get there too, and you'll only focus on a certain set of rooms you need?"

"I'm not going to try for Ruler at all. Rushing through ascensions is a sure way to create a weak soulhome."

As expected, that got an immediate negative reaction, but not as much as it might have been. Theo felt like in his past life, everyone would have shouted that it was crazy. This time, Fiyu merely tilted her head curiously and Nauda frowned as she considered it, so he continued speaking.

"Focusing on 'catching up' is a failing strategy, playing directly into his strengths. What I need to do is find a way to neutralize those strengths, then have an advantage that can take him down despite the gap between us."

Nauda started tapping her fingers along her staff in a swift rhythm, beginning to nod. "His cantae will be more intense than yours, so he'll win every head to head confrontation. But something like your gravitational torsion would still hurt him, if you have a way past his defenses."

"It is good to have hope," Fiyu said quietly, "but I think there is a bigger problem. Esaire is already very fast, and he will become faster. He will attempt to kill you before you can begin any strategies."

"Speed is a problem," Theo agreed, "and one I haven't entirely solved yet. At minimum, my blueprint has space for a speed-focused room on my second floor. I may need to take further steps, but it will be a question of what sublime materials we can find."

"This is a good plan, Theo. We will assist you in earning good materials."

"What's your advantage?" Nauda leaned forward, regarding him with narrow eyes. "I thought of your torsion technique at first, but Esaire saw it before, and you're not dumb enough to just try a stronger version. You have something else in mind, don't you?"

At first Theo hesitated to reveal one of his blueprint's secrets, but he realized that was a foolish vestige of his time on Earth. These two were his allies, and telling them would only help the group. Since their rooms in House Blacksilver were highly secure, he could reveal the secret there. Theo still sat down and lowered his voice.

"The four techniques on my first floor were not chosen randomly, they're all components of something greater. I intend to open channels from them to the second floor, where they'll all mix into a single technique. This is earlier than I intended, but it's possible to finish in six months, if enough other factors line up properly."

"Multi-floor designs are advanced stuff, but I assume you know what you're doing." Nauda shook off the tension and finally shifted back, giving him a wry smile. "I know this one isn't actually your fault, but you really do get yourself into messes. We'll help you if we can, but we can't afford to put aside our own soulcrafting."

"I can't afford it either: we should assume that Esaire's family might break the terms of the deal. Not overtly, since they need to obey the Fithan authorities, but we need to be alert. For that, all of us need to be fighting fit."

"There is another matter." Fiyu looked first to him, then toward Nauda. "They knew the travel name that Theo used when he joined House Blacksilver. Is that a sign of a betrayer in our midst? Or is that data public knowledge?"

"I doubt it's public," Nauda said, "but I think the easiest explanation is that they paid for it. Information like that must leak out, since it's not particularly important."

"I hope that you are right. Our House did try to help, so I would prefer to trust them."

As the three of them continued chatting about every angle of the situation, Theo let himself relax just a little. Not because he had time to waste, but because he needed to be at his best for what was to come. Given the amount of time, his objective was a marathon instead of a sprint, so he needed to pace himself perfectly.

He had a feeling that this time, there would be no grand coincidence to sweep in and save him.

Chapter 13

For two weeks, Theo didn't leave the House Blacksilver complex except in the company of others for assignments. In part out of caution in case Esaire's family intended to strike immediately, and in part because this was an essential period for focused soulcrafting.

In that time, he'd finished the outer walls of his second floor as well as a wooden roof, and he was proud of his work. The exterior was excellent, all glowing with the intrinsic light of eclipsebasalt... the interior was still rough, but polishing that would be the work of months, and non-essential for his current goals. What mattered was that he now had nine new chambers to work with - actually eight - and he could begin filling them with sublime materials.

Unfortunately, that was the last major accomplishment he could manage with brute time and willpower. He could do a significant amount of work carving designs, but that was an enhancement, not a substitute for cantae-generating materials. Fortunately, since Nauda and Fiyu had reported that the Armeau family was behaving, simply training Esaire in the House of Burning Leaves, he could now begin hunting for them.

Theo opened his eyes in the real world and looked around for the others, but the soulcrafting courtyard remained empty. Not yet time for them to depart. As a small token of support, House Blacksilver had let him use one of their special training courtyards. It wasn't anything grand, but it offered a quiet and well-defended place to soulcraft.

Soon enough, they'd come get him to leave on a serious assignment, but he must have a little more time. Normally he would have taken the opportunity to recover, but Theo judged that he could push a little harder. There were many steps he could take toward developing his new technique, even if he couldn't realize it yet.

Returning to his soulhome, Theo entered the central chamber and then climbed up his ladder in the center to reach the second floor. In time he was going to have to come up with a better solution, because moving between floors started to become more difficult at the Ruler tier. However, that was a long term goal, and he hoped that he could come up with a solution that would avoid the need to waste space on staircases, permanent ladders, or anything else that didn't strengthen him.

Though the majority of his floor was solid, the solarstone and eclipsebasalt perfectly merged, he'd left the central chamber completely empty. The meeting point between the floors could use detail work, now that he looked at it. That was the reason he only had eight rooms on the second floor: he didn't intend to create a single heart chamber, he planned to create a heart column.

According to his blueprint, the central chambers would become a pillar of strength for his entire soulhome, but he needed to run tests to be sure exactly how to balance it. What mattered now was that the central chamber on the second floor would serve as a perfect focusing point.

While balanced on the ladder, Theo got out his spirit chisel and began to tunnel shafts that angled down to the four corner chambers on the first floor. Such work would never be possible in the real world, but his soulhome responded to his willpower and gradually reshaped itself. Soon he opened the first shaft and could feel cantae flowing from his chamber for gravitational fields.

Merging the strengths of different rooms was a technique he hadn't understood until late in his first soulhome. It was common knowledge to healers, who frequently mixed specific sources of cantae to produce different types of healing, but he'd had no time for healing back then, it had been just something that was done for him. Now, he intended to use exactly the same concept for rather more destructive purposes.

His gravitational field and torsion chambers each had a practical effect, while chambers that created mass or anti-mass were currently too weak to be useful in combat. Now, however, they would prove their worth as he gathered all four concepts into one. The singularity in the center of his first floor pulsed beneath him.

Soon it would allow him to generate a real black hole.

As an Archcrafter, he knew that the technique wouldn't be overwhelming, a far cry from the devastating technique he hoped to generate one day. But he was certain that it would be viable, based on how his mass and anti-mass chambers had strengthened when he ascended. The event horizon might not be large, but within that range, it would consume all cantae, even a Ruler's. His strategy for the coming duel required him to soulcraft the capacity and then somehow manage to pull it off in a real fight.

It took him less time than he'd expected to create the four shafts, and no one had come for him yet, so Theo decided to take on another task. Stepping back down the ladder, he reached out to grasp the singularity with his hands. Here in his soulhome, it was the heart of his power, so he could move it like he moved every part of himself.

Still, it resisted him when he tried to pull it upwards. He'd created it in the blasted black space of the central chamber and the singularity was in a spiritual sense bonded to it, part of the cantae orbiting around the central chambers. If he brought it to the second floor, it could absorb the cantae from below and eventually manifest.

When he started to pull it between the eclipsebasalt walls, however, Theo felt the pressure intensify. He'd been worried that his singularity might be too weak to function well on his second floor and now realized he might have the opposite problem: he'd been feeding it so much spiritual mass that it was dangerous when not within an environment designed to contain it.

A crack sounded above him and his instincts immediately urged him to pull the singularity back down to the first level. There it returned to its peaceful rotation, humming along in its proper place. Frowning, he climbed back up the ladder to examine the damage.

Fortunately, it had only been some fragments of eclipsebasalt breaking off and falling below. He'd soulcrafted his walls well, so they wouldn't be seriously damaged so easily. However, he now knew that they wouldn't be durable enough to contain the singularity. His hope had been that the dark side of the eclipsebasalt would be equal to the obsidian gloss that had been produced by the catastrophic failure of his first blueprint.

Theo chuckled as he realized the truth: he needed to reproduce that failure intentionally. If he found another sublime material that could implode in the same way, he could reproduce the same reinforced interior. Presumably he'd do the same every floor, which would strengthen the concept of the central column.

That meant he needed to find something equivalent to a noonstone core, which might be a bit tricky, but that was effectively just one more objective. He needed to find four powerful new materials to place in the corner rooms of his second floor anyway.

Clearly, all of that was delicate work he couldn't do while this tired. Theo passed out of his soulhome and rubbed the grit from his eyes in the real world. Still no one, so perhaps he should investigate. He shook off a bit of lethargy and headed into the Blacksilver complex.

It wasn't difficult to find them, as the group was assembling in the landing zone by the western gate. A large chariot of stone stood at one side, not having taken on its wind form. Silver lines of some sort of conductive sublime material linked it to a smaller chariot and his group's sleigh, but no one seemed to be working on them. Everything looked packed and he saw Nauda just waiting in a corner, so he figured there must be some other holdup.

Though Nauda was soulcrafting, her body flickered back to her full presence when he approached. "We're ready to leave," she explained, "but the Ruler who was meant to lead this assignment was injured in some sort of skirmish. I'm not clear on the details, and the way they're hiding them, it must have something to do with House politics. So now they're trying to find another Ruler willing to go talk to the mud Fithans."

"That's an insult, by the way," Theo said. "I'm surprised they didn't tell you that."

"Oh? They told me that they called themselves 'depths Fithans' but I heard the words as just a difference in dialect. Why don't they have proper ethnicity names, since the two groups are so different?"

"It has something to do with both sides considering themselves the true Fithans and the other group invaders. Pure propaganda, as far as I'm concerned, because I think both are native to this world."

"Presumably so, if they can have children together." Nauda's gaze went unfocused over the complex walls and he assumed that she was thinking of Tythes. Obvious as that fact was, it actually hadn't occurred to him. His mind didn't exactly gravitate to family affairs and Tythes was the first hybrid he'd seen.

"Actually, it's possible for some related species to have children, it's just that those children are sterile. So dust and depths Fithans might b-"

"You can take your transcendent scientific enlightenment somewhere else." Nauda faded into a golden blur as she returned to soulcrafting. "I'll remain here to keep track of progress, so just stay inside the complex and somewhat prepared. We should still leave today."

Accepting her dismissal, Theo headed back to the central buildings. He couldn't do meaningful soulcrafting at the moment, but he might as well review the available sublime materials before their journey, now that he had a new requirement. This region in Fithe didn't seem to have any particularly explosive materials, but the House imported from many nations.

He entered the office, noting only that Antha wasn't on duty at the moment. Instead he found the books that listed everything currently available to House members. Though they were ostensibly "gifts" for loyal members, it was essentially a store that accepted only merits. They had lists for armaments and luxuries, but Theo ignored them in favor of the sublime materials book and pored over the familiar lists.

He'd spent over two hundred of his merits on eclipsebasalt, and that had been an exceptionally good deal. If he continued to engage in extra tasks, he'd earn about a hundred every month over his salary, which combined with what he had would reach only seven hundred extra merits before his duel with Esaire.

Looking over the prices, he clearly needed alternate strategies. Theo ignored everything mundane and made a new mental list of items that looked worthwhile.

Voidgum 49 merits

Twilitwood 81 merits

Soulshadow Stone 300 merits

Dark Lantern 420 merits

Bleakburden 790 merits

Chasm Invitation 1000 merits

Esoteric Chisel 2500 merits

The list proved that House Blacksilver had much to offer him, but the total was absurdly high compared to what he expected to earn. Simple sublime materials like the voidgum or twilitwood were relatively inexpensive, though since they'd serve as excellent adhesives and trim, he could easily spend a lot on them. By far the most valuable item was the "Esoteric Chisel", which if he understood it correctly, was of such high quality that it could serve him for the rest of his life.

He set aside those and focused on the major cantae-generating materials: the Bleakburden and the Soulshadow Stone. Each would be a worthy cornerstone of his soulhome, but even those two combined cost over a thousand merits. Just considering that calculation made him realize that he needed to give up on acquiring a Chasm Invitation via merits in the short term. Perhaps after the duel.

Unfortunately, nothing in the book stuck out to him as a promising source of an implosion. There were a few he might ask the House officials about, but he wasn't hopeful. Whatever he found, it would need to come from a source outside the House stores.

That was one of the reasons that he didn't regret that he was forced to spend merits every month for his salary. Yes, having more merits would make those numbers look better, but he needed money as well. A city like Norro Yorthin had numerous markets, many of which might contain the sublime materials he needed... possibly at better prices. He'd need to investigate that more once they returned.

Still, he had his objectives straight. First any opportunity to acquire key sublime materials, second acquiring money or merits, and third doing more work on his soulhome. He needed significant time to polish the new blocks, carve more rooms, and build a stronger roof. That time could come in bits and pieces when he didn't have more critical work to do. It was a good plan for the next six months.

No... five and a half months, now.

Just as Theo began to worry over that in his head, he spotted Fiyu peering in from the doorway, and she smiled when he looked toward her. "Peanen, Nauda says that you should come. We are ready for our journey."

So it was time for them to leave the city and go to meet the other major race of Fithans. It was a rare mission that would offer great rewards... all they had to do was cross a war zone.

Chapter 14

As the sleigh flew high above the Fithan landscape, Fiyu reflected that its greatest failing was a lack of a roof. The expensive vehicle was comfortable in many respects, and even offered enough room for all of them, but it was completely exposed to the sky above. Though the Fithan sun was not as overwhelmingly intense as the others she had seen, it was abominably large and the red glow seemed inescapable.

If they had been able to add some sort of structure over the top, then she could have watched with a minimal amount of shade. Fiyu considered asking Companion Theo, but he was busy soulcrafting, and then the Ruler who led them, but he was too focused on driving. Companion Nauda would help if she knew how to do such things.

Their sleigh had been lashed to the large chariot, which sped forward in a whirlwind and pulled them at much greater speeds then they could have moved on their own. Another chariot on the opposite side balanced it out, and between them, they hung a net of a glistening sublime material. Fiyu had asked about it and received few answers, only being told that it served no purpose until they used it to carry back the materials they required.

Despite the terrible sun making everything much too red, Fiyu was happy to be in the sleigh again. Within it, especially so high in the sky, her world was easily controlled. No one would assault her door and yell out alarming requests to engage in social activities, as was so frequent in the Blacksilver complex. It was also pleasant to feel the wind and travel to a new part of the world again.

Furthermore, the world outside was much more interesting when it wasn't being experienced as a wall of dust and noise. Though the wastelands beneath them appeared flat at first, and Companion Nauda had complained about them being too monotonous in color, there was more to them than she'd first realized.

First, the dust formed surprisingly large patterns of density, swirls that matched no natural formations she knew. When Fiyu had gotten her fill of examining those, she'd realized that the ground beneath the wasteland was often filled with caverns, and though they contained none of the beautiful crystalline constructs from Ally Navim's world, they were fascinating in their variety. Different regions had very different natures, from those with massive underground chambers to others with pillars breaking free into the air for no reason she had been able to determine.

Allegedly, the landscape would change even more, but she had yet to see any sign of their destination. As Fiyu extended her senses further, she felt a very strange line of tense points. Not density or pressure, actual tension, as if something artificial had been placed in a strained position...

Too late, she realized that they were weapons hurling great stones toward the chariot.

Fiyu rose to her feet and saw the rocks tumbling toward them with deceptive speed, but wasn't sure if her cantae bolts could deflect something so large and heavy. Fortunately, Companion Theo reacted more quickly, leaving his soulcrafting and casting a gravitational field that sent the stones curving skyward overhead instead of colliding with them.

"We're heading straight through!" Associate Ruler gave a call behind and their chariot increased in speed... taking them over a landscape that Fiyu now realized was a battlefield.

More of the rock-throwing devices were employed, but Theo easily redirected those, as well as the volleys of arrows that came from the other side. Fiyu thought she felt two different armies placed on opposing sides, yet now both of them were attacking.

She had no time to think, because a swarm of lights rose from the ground, like golden insects except that they were composed of pure explosive cantae. Companion Theo's gravity had no effect on them, so Fiyu rose and sent bursts of light downward. When they collided with the artificial insects, they exploded quite dramatically, so Fiyu continued to defend them as they raced onward.

Just when she hoped they had passed beyond the battlefield, a vast sphere of flame rose toward them. Associate Ruler finally took a hand, shifting from his chariot to pierce the flame with a line of cantae. But while he was distracted, another boulder flew toward them, this one spinning and glowing with a strange light.

Companion Theo reacted at the same time as Fiyu, but their efforts had no effect: the boulder only spun faster, now terrifyingly close. Just when Fiyu was about to consider her options for evasion, Companion Nauda thrust out her staff, attempting to bind the boulder in place.

She succeeded and was almost immediately thrown back, nearly colliding with Fiyu. In the moment she had arrested the boulder's movement, their vehicles swept low, evading its path and rushing on. Fiyu checked to be sure that Companion Nauda was alright, then looked back, prepared for more projectiles of the strange insectoid cantae, but it seemed that the attack had ended.

For a time they flew in silence, then Companion Nauda straightened and called up to Associate Ruler. "We couldn't take a safe route around the battle?"

"This was the safe route!" Associate Ruler turned back entirely to give a shrug. "If I'd known we'd hit it so early, I would have warned you, but this is about as bad as it will get. Just bored soldiers, nothing too serious. Be prepared for more before we arrive."

Though this answered Fiyu's question about why House Blacksilver had sent soulcrafters instead of negotiators, it was very little reassurance otherwise.

A day later, occasional attacks had become routine, though Associate Ruler made more effort to fly around the war zones in the future. The tension was not so different from ranging in a dangerous area, and Fiyu would have been untroubled if it did not obviously take a toll on the others. Once a bolt of cantae had struck the chariot opposite them, though it hadn't destroyed it, so she attempted to expand her senses to defend all their vehicles.

Companion Nauda reacted strangely, becoming grim and deeply serious. It appeared to make her no less effective, but she seemed unhappy and Fiyu was uncertain why. Meanwhile, Companion Theo seemed to view the regular attacks as nothing but an opportunity to test his new gravity-based skills, constantly sliding back into his soulhome to tweak details. She was happy that it was useful to him, it simply made him uninterested in conversation.

Though unsure how to help Companion Nauda, Fiyu decided to speak to her during a quiet period. "Nauda? I have a question for you. It is not important."

"Go ahead." Companion Nauda smiled at her, though the muscles in her back remained very tense.

"Would it be possible for you to use your barrier skill to help defend us?"

"Not really. The problem with the skill is that it has to be affixed to something, generally something large. If we were on a large sailing seasled, or a big enough flying vessel, I might be able to use one there. But it's a limited skill, built for direct combat."

Fiyu bobbed her head to encourage further talking, since Companion Nauda relaxed slightly. "This is interesting to me. I take it you developed that skill for personal use?"

"Actually, it's not what you might expect. I was first employed as a barrier creator, which is how I got my start as a soulcrafter. That basis was what I developed into a useful skill, but I'm still lacking strong sublime materials that match it. So I have the training, but not a properly furnished chamber."

"I see. Perhaps you could acquire some from House Blacksilver?"

"Perhaps, Fiyu, perhaps." Companion Nauda smiled at her in a way that Fiyu didn't entirely understand, so Fiyu simply smiled back.

As another day elapsed, the attacks from below became more routine, though one that came through the clouds overhead was very alarming. After that, Associate Ruler requested that one of them move over into the other chariot, since the sleigh was extremely well protected between all of their efforts. In the end Fiyu was chosen, and as much as she did not want to be removed from her companions, she felt that she needed to agree for the sake of the journey.

The smaller chariot introduced her to several Fithans, who were friendly and did not attempt to touch her. She learned that their role would be to judge the adequacy of the materials they acquired, but that they would stay far away from their contacts. It was related to the conflict on Fithe, which Fiyu did not yet understand.

Listening to their conversation was not a great deal of help, as they made many assumptions about what she already knew and spoke too quickly for Fiyu to interrupt them. She desperately wished that Companion Nauda was present to control the conversation, or Companion Theo could have explained the matter to her in a more understandable way. Fiyu resolved to ask them when they next slept.

Presuming that she would be returned to the sleigh during the night. To ask her to sleep in the unfamiliar chariot would not have been reasonable.

The next morning, when the sun was just beginning to form a red wall on the horizon, Fiyu finally felt something new: a large body of liquid. She rushed to the front of the chariot to look with all her senses, and even her eyes provided useful information: there was a splotch of blue on the horizon that rapidly grew.

"Almost to mud Fithan territory." One of her Associate Fithans spat over the side of the chariot, his spittle caught in the whirlwind and immediately swept away. "Be careful, Fiyu. They probably won't cheat you, but if they offer you a special deal in their home, don't take it."

"In their home?" Fiyu knew she should turn to the Associate Fithan to be polite, but still wanted to examine the growing line of water.

A long time ago, Relative Guchiro had taken her to the Darkflow and she had laughed and waved her arms as she felt so much liquid beneath them. He had not allowed her to swim, as the waters were filled with many dangerous creatures. They had traveled along the edge of the Darkflow and she had gained great respect for the people who ranged on the floating pieces of ice over the endless deep.

This, however, was a shockingly blue expanse of water. The water Fiyu had drunk in other worlds had been nearly transparent, but this body of it struck her as richly colored. She wondered if it extended on and on, just as the dusty wasteland did behind them, but their vehicles shifted to the side along the coast instead of passing overhead.

"Yeah, mud Fithans don't live in cities." It had taken Associate Fithan so long to answer her that Fiyu had almost forgotten her question, so she politely turned back to him. "They have these spherical huts way down there."

"On the water?"

"Not on the water, under it. You have no idea... deep below the surface, water pressing on every side... I've heard some of them are so deep that there's no light at all. That's why you can't trust mud Fithans, not in the end. Living down there makes you go crazy."

"I see." Fiyu managed to constrain her smile, because she did not think that her Associate Fithans would like to hear that the cities below sounded wonderful to her. It was difficult to control every single facial muscle, but she had been making attempts with her companions so that she could better navigate social environments. "Are they likely to invite us down?"

"Naw, not likely. You hear stories about kidnappings, sometimes, but not usually. Besides, we have an arrangement with them. All of you do your jobs, and this deal should go just fine."

"Our jobs?" Fiyu tilted her head to the side, frowning before she realized what she was doing. "I have not studied negotiation. I was told that I would only be required to escort supplies."

"Oh, don't worry. You just need to stand for House Blacksilver and be non-Fithan."

Stand and be non-Fithan. Fiyu felt confident in her ability to do that.

Chapter 15

Though Theo might have taken the assignment due to a cynical calculation of benefits, Nauda had an entirely different reason: she wanted to see the water Fithans for herself. After having heard so much about them throughout the city, frequently in casual asides, she felt certain that there must be more to them. If Fithe was really divided between rock and water, that would make it the only world she knew that was split in half like Tatian.

She'd been impressed at first, when the water Fithans emerged from the depths in a vessel shaped like an arrowhead and leapt to shore. However, she'd immediately discovered that she wasn't able to understand a word they said: apparently understanding most of the languages in Norro Yorthin had exhausted her soul's flexibility.

So all she could do was look as the Blacksilver Ruler spoke to them. It was almost sickeningly picturesque: water Fithans standing in the shallows, land Fithan on rocky ground. Despite the differences of skin color and horns, they struck her as very much alike, even down to the style of their armor. She presumed they must have some organ that allowed them to breathe underwater, but couldn't spot anything that struck her as unusual.

Most people on the street spoke as if Fithe was mired in eternal war between the two sides, though she'd quickly gathered that it was more of a conceptual war. As far as she could determine, both sides were mostly at war with themselves.

According to some senior members of House Blacksilver, there were places on Fithe where true war raged, bloody and terrible. She believed it, given the hatred she saw in them... yet she wondered if the war could possibly be won. Would the water Fithans actually occupy land, and could the land Fithans even survive in the deep cities? If so, what would it gain them?

"Is it going well?" she asked Theo in a low voice. He wasn't soulcrafting, but twitched like he wanted to be, then answered from the side of his mouth.

"This is another stage in a longstanding deal between the two factions. They're trading insults now, but it's coded language testing that we're really House Blacksilver."

"Couldn't they bring some sort of identification?"

"The depths Fithans think the chances of it being stolen in battle are too high, if the House fell to another." Theo's eyes flickered between the sides, then he shrugged. "I'm not sure if they're just being obstinate or if this is actually a problem. We've been referenced several times, and they talked about you, since the depths Fithans hadn't seen a Tatian before."

Nauda sighed and did her best to look foreign. "Would you deign to talk to me about their politics, now that you have essentially nothing else to do?"

"Am I really that distracted? I guess I am, but you know why." Theo gave her a weak smile. "What were you going to ask?"

"I was just wondering about their supposed blood war. If both sides can have a permanent agreement like this, is it really taken that seriously?"

"I'm not sure. When I met Fithans in other parts of the Nine Worlds, they really varied. Some of them considered the fight between the two sides to be... petty and provincial, I think. But others would go at each other's throats without hesitation. Most likely Fithe has a spectrum of everything."

That had been more or less what she suspected, since it was an entire world, after all. Some sort of agreement was reached and water Fithans began to emerge from the shallows carrying nets filled with blue stones. They glowed like a sublime material, something mundane instead of soulcrafter-grade products, so that must be what they'd come to acquire.

Since they still weren't required to do anything, Nauda looked past them, following the bodies as they walked up the shore from a vessel she could just barely see. "The other Fithans said that they have vast underwater cities encased in glass, guarded by swarms of monstrous fish. Think that's true?"

"I believe the underwater cities part, but I don't know about the fish," Theo said. "I've never been to one, but I've seen depths Fithans breathe in water on other worlds, and resist surprising pressures. From what they said, I got the impression that they didn't have much to do with sublime beasts underwater, but I could be wrong."

Nauda continued watching the shipment arrive, reflecting that Theo had changed somewhat in Fithe. He'd been constantly arrogant in Tatian, certain in his knowledge, but here he readily admitted when he didn't know something. In fact, she suspected that he enjoyed the discovery, though at the moment he just seemed annoyed to be distracted from his precious optimization.

Just when she was about to ask another question, loud shouting emerged from the shore. The Blacksilver Ruler turned back to them and Theo ran forward, calling out in the same language the others used. Though Nauda braced herself for a fight, it quickly became more of a shouting match. Whatever was happening, Theo seemed to be smoothing it over.

As that was resolved, the nature of the exchange shifted. The other members of House Blacksilver moved forward to start loading the blue stones into the net stretched between their vehicles. Others unloaded boxes she hadn't seen before and set them out on the shore, opening them to reveal a mix of sublime materials and various trinkets. More water Fithans emerged, these much less military, and some began looking through the supplies while others brought out wares of her own.

So it really was trade in multiple senses. Theo was still busy talking, so Nauda turned toward Fiyu, who smiled at her. "I am glad that there is no need for violence. It seems that this is a time for trade."

"I suppose that both sides have things the other needs?" Nauda asked.

"That is what our Fithan associates told me. Or... truthfully they said that mud Fithans needed to trade sublime materials from dangerous lands for the fruits of civilization."

"Of course they did." Since everyone seemed to have relaxed, Nauda decided that they no longer needed to stand as symbols and instead looked toward the market. "Would you like to see what they have?"

It was a select sort of market, with no food or common wares, only small items of higher value. Despite the prejudice of the land Fithans, Nauda noted many items that obviously required great skill to create, in particular devices made of glass. She lingered for a while in front of a cloth displayed by an old woman who made particularly beautiful twists, somehow imparting color to the glass. The result was spectacular, though Nauda had no idea what purpose they served.

A shout startled her, but it was only the old woman, smiling as she bellowed out the words. "I'm sorry," Nauda said, shaking her head. The old woman muttered to herself in her own language, then poked her in the chest.

"Archcrafter? Come, come." Her words sounded thickly accented, but they matched the language most often spoken in Norro Yorthin. Grateful that the old woman had poked her instead of Fiyu, Nauda let her lead them over to a different Fithan merchant.

As soon as they arrived, Nauda understood. A robed figure of indeterminate age or sex had set up an elaborate wooden case that opened with many different shelves. Clearly an experienced merchant, and the items they sold were of a much higher quality than the rest. Everything she saw was either a powerful sublime material or a well-crafted spiritual tool.

Nauda and Fiyu looked over the wares carefully, testing their nature with cantae, while the hooded merchant watched silently. Though Nauda was impressed by the overall quality, she didn't note anything that seemed particularly necessary for her. She already had her hands full soulcrafting the valuable Archcrafter materials that she'd stored for so long.

On the other hand, Fiyu seemed delighted, finding many materials with strong elements of darkness. The hooded merchant watched her, said something incomprehensible, and then unlocked an additional compartment. Nauda wasn't sure about the purpose of the glass shapes within, but Fiyu let out a gasp and looked through them.

Meanwhile, Nauda spotted something of note: not for her, but maybe for Theo. A dark sublime stone resonated with particularly powerful cantae, giving her a sense of pressure even though it didn't create any in the real world. Another unusual quality was that it looked like dark rock, yet had been cut into a precise shape as if it was a gemstone.

"Nauda..." Fiyu tugged on her sleeve, clutching a small sapphire rod in one hand. "This is an excellent tool for soulcrafting sublime glass. You must help me purchase it."

That might be easier said than done, judging from the watchful gaze of the hooded merchant. Nauda glanced over the rest of the market, noting how the Fithans were barking simple words and holding up fingers to negotiate deals. Perhaps they could do the same, presuming that the merchant was willing to bend for their custom.

"Can we buy this?" Nauda had Fiyu hold forward the sapphire rod.

In response, the merchant's hand fluttered through a series of numbers quickly, not in the order Nauda had expected.

"Uh... we might have to do this a simpler way." Nauda pulled out her sack of Fithan coins to just count them out, accepting that they might be robbed in the deal. If the tool was really so useful to Fiyu, perhaps it was worth the price, since they wouldn't get another chance like this.

Yet as soon as she pulled out the first coins, the hooded merchant made a derisive bark and reached to take the sapphire rod back. So they didn't like money from the city... as she looked to see what the others were using, Nauda saw Theo sitting beyond the market, soulcrafting.

She marched over to him and leaned down in front of his hazy body. "Come out, Theo. We need you to translate."

"Do they really have anything worthwhile here?" He reluctantly returned to the real world and slowly made his way to his feet. When he saw Fiyu anxiously waiting beside the merchant, however, his glower diminished. "Alright, I'll do what I can."

As soon as Theo arrived, he began an intense discussion with the hooded merchant in the other language. It struck Nauda as a sublime beast charging directly through a village, yet it seemed effective, as the merchant soon set down the sapphire rod and Theo turned back to them.

"I've negotiated a deal, but do you have the craftgems?"

"Of course." Nauda reached into her pouch for the sack. "But this isn't just for Fiyu, there was something I thought you might want to look at."

She directed his attention to the dark stone and was gratified to see Theo's eyes widen. He immediately began asking questions of the merchant, who responded slowly at first and then more animatedly. It seemed to be less negotiation than discussion of the material, though Theo's derisive tactics were obvious even through the language barrier.

Eventually they left the merchant, having purchased the sapphire rod and the dark stone in return for a shocking number of their craftgems, including those Theo had been carrying. As they left, Nauda tried to count those remaining, marveling that so much of their small fortune from Deuxan had been spent so quickly. Judging from Fiyu's beaming face, it was worth it to her, and Theo allowed himself a narrow smile once they got further away.

"Thank you, Nauda. This was a good find, and I would have missed it without you."

"Just what is it?" Nauda pulled his arm closer so she could poke the stone in his hand. "I get a sense of pressure from it, but only in a spiritual sense, not physically."

"He called it a trenchgem, and it's exactly what I didn't know I needed." Theo held up the gemstone between two fingers, gazing into it with his deeper senses. "It doesn't exert pressure, just resists it. Apparently these form at the bottom of the ocean, capable of surviving under intense pressures. Not only that, the pressure somehow squeezes it down into this cut shape."

"And all of that makes it a good fit for your soulhome?"

"A nearly perfect representation of one concept I need." His smile faded, because it always did, and Theo squeezed the trenchgem into his soulhome before turning back to the two of them. "I used more than my fair share of our funds to buy it, though, and that cuts into our monetary plans. Just based on our House salaries, we likely won't earn enough before the deadline to purchase anything as valuable as a Chasm Invitation."

Fiyu looked between them, her smile still lingering. "But... this was a successful assignment, was it not? Did you not say that we could exceed our expectations by finding such tasks?"

"It earns us 125 merits each, sure, but that's only part of the way to any meaningful goal."

"Wait." Nauda was willing to let him go on about his plans, but that was simply wrong. "We're getting 175 merits for this assignment."

Theo shrugged off her objection, barely hearing her at all. "Yes, but in the week of travel, we sacrificed the opportunity to earn other merits, which would have been fifty on average. So our net gain is only 125. Hmm... if we could acquire an assignment of this quality every month..."

He wandered back to his soulcrafting, muttering to himself about optimizations. Nauda rolled her eyes, but she also smiled.

Chapter 16

Five months.

Theo had taken an unexpected step forward, since Nauda had helped him find the trenchgem, but it had thrown off all his calculations. He still needed four more sublime materials and he now had limited money to acquire them, even considering his future budget. Though he'd thrown himself into soulcrafting one of his corner chambers on the second floor, he knew that he needed to find more alternate methods.

He'd already done some preliminary investigations, yet hadn't come up with any miraculous means. If events had gone like before, he was sure that something would have fallen into his lap, leaving him unsure if he had just been absurdly lucky in his first life, or if the Artifact of Elghiera had something to do with it. Though he wanted to research more about that, he didn't think there was time with only five months until a duel with his life on the line.

There were some interesting potential opportunities in Norro Yorthin, but the most promising was something involving the granitebile. With the right idea, he could instantly earn himself an unknown amount. Unfortunately, banging his head against the problem accomplished nothing, and while soulcrafting and stewing over it, he often considered that there might be no solution.

It was only when Nauda and Fiyu dragged him away from his soulcrafting that it finally came to him. He'd set the matter aside, relaxing with them, and it had struck his mind like a bolt of lightning: a Siatan petalfilter.

"Nauda, thank you." Theo stood up in the middle of his meal, already considering everything he'd needed to do. "Forcing me to stop overworking was exactly what I needed. There's something I need to try, immediately."

"We definitely invited you as an optimization thing." Nauda gave a rueful smile, then just waved a hand. "Alright, go. If you say it's that important, I trust it is."

Fiyu bobbed her head in agreement. "Good luck, Theo."

He rushed from the restaurant, tearing into the last of his sublime food as he tried to think through the details. It had been when he was struggling to ascend to Authority, back when Eratius was still a bitter rival. The Noveni warrior had been taken down by some of the strange demons that lived in the Siatan darkness, and it had required a team of Siatan healers to restore him.

Most of their work had been straightforward enough soulcrafting, even if it required significant power. But aside from restoring flesh and repairing soulhome damage, there had been a poison that had stymied the healers. They'd discovered that it was actually a sublime material injected into his body, continually renewing the spiritual poison. What the Siatans had done was repurpose something they called a petalfilter, which fundamentally altered the nature of liquids somehow. They'd converted the physical poison into a beneficial material, thus removing the source.

It had been a minor detail on a tense day, forgotten almost as soon as he'd heard it. As a matter of fact, he wasn't sure if he'd ever given it a moment's thought while he was on Earth, since his mind tended toward the grandest moments in his memories. Yet now those mundane details had filtered back to him...

When he arrived at the Blacksilver complex, he rushed directly to the main office. If Antha hadn't been there, he would have needed to search her out, but for once the world worked along with him. He rushed up to the desk, restraining his enthusiasm at the last second so he didn't appear unhinged.

"I believe I have discovered a method that could improve House Blacksilver's profits. Could I have a vial of granitebile to test, please?"

"Really?" She regarded him skeptically, then shrugged. "I'll let you have it for two merits, but I can't let you take it far. You could kill someone with that."

"Believe me, it's not profit via assassinations. I shouldn't need long, just a few materials."

He waited impatiently while Antha lugged out the heavy box used for initiation trials, then eventually handed him a vial. Undiluted granitebile might have been better, but the concentration wouldn't change the fundamental laws of soulcrafting. What he needed to understand was its exact properties, because he recalled there being many more than one type of petalfilter.

Theo dripped a little granitebile on the back of his hand and his cantae immediately surged to try to resist it. It was poisonous on contact as well as ingested, which was a good sign. He tested another drop on the floor, but it wasn't acidic enough to eat through the finish. Another positive indicator.

One experiment at a time, Theo felt out the sublime poison's exact characteristics, then went to interrogate Antha for more details about the mines. His specific information was a century out of date, but the fundamental natures involved shouldn't have changed. When he was completely confident that his theory was correct, and mostly confident he could make the arrangement work, he returned the half-empty vial.

"There's a sublime plant in the world of Siata that could convert all your granitebile into useful materials." He had more of a speech prepared, but Antha immediately frowned and he saw that she understood both the challenge and the potential profits.

"We have no connection to Siata. I don't even know of any cities with a gate to that world, and though our elite soulcrafters may have acquired a weirkey for it, we do not meddle in other worlds lightly."

"You wouldn't need to meddle. The plant we need isn't some hidden secret, it's a mundane aspect of their world. Please, contact one of the Blacksilver Authorities. With a simple trip to Siata, you could revolutionize the House's mining operations."

She regarded him skeptically, and he knew exactly what she was thinking. House Blacksilver didn't worship Authorities like some did, instead adopting a mutually respectful structure, but the time of Authority-tier soulcrafters was far too valuable for them to be simply summoned on a whim. Once again, he found Archcrafter to be a strange borderland: insignificant to some and yet not so easily ignored.

"Think about this from my perspective," Theo said carefully. "In just a few months, I'll be fighting a duel that might as well be to the death. There's no way for this to be a scheme to enrich me, and I can't afford to waste time on dead ends. Would I risk my standing with my only allies if I wasn't confident?"

Her fingers tapped along her desk, but he saw her thoughts shifting before she nodded. "Alright, I'll let you try this. If it fails, your use of an Authority's time will come directly out of your merit budget, and I think you know how you'd fare with that."

"The consequences won't be relevant. This will work."

Frustratingly, they wouldn't act on his decision immediately, forcing him to wait. He tried to soulcraft to pass time, carving perfect walls for another of his chambers, but his focus struggled. This would be the first time that he actually summoned an Authority to work together, instead of running from them. That was a step up in the world, and certainly in Norro Yorthin. The Stronghold who led the entire House was never even seen, one of the main powers of the city, so the Authorities were the highest powers for normal people.

There had been a time when he'd held the same rank, and he knew that time would come again. Hopefully just a little sooner than expected, if this scheme worked out as he hoped.

The waiting ended without warning: an Authority simply stepped into his room. Theo hastily left his soulhome, though he noted that the powerful soulcrafter seemed to have examined his work thoughtfully. Though that man was a standard middle-aged Fithan, he wore an Arbaian cloak and an Ichili mask. Theo wasn't entirely familiar with the Blacksilver Authorities, but he thought this man must be Dhan, one of the most experienced of the group. Before Theo could make his case, the Authority raised a single finger.

"Before I decide if I should spend my time on this hunt of yours, you must answer a question: why do you have a hole through the center of your soulhome?"

"It will serve as a heart column." Theo wasn't intimidated by Authorities, yet realized that acting too confident would only get in his way. He needed to strike the perfect balance of respect and explanation. "Once I complete the second floor, I'll raise the power you saw to the second floor, then begin circulating cantae in three dimensions."

"And your flow would only strengthen once you built a Ruler floor." Dhan regarded him somberly, no hint as to his thoughts. "That might power three floors adequately, and you could raise or lower it, but you cannot believe that strategy would continue to be viable. I presume you are arrogant enough to want to reach Authority one day... what then?"

Normally Theo didn't want to reveal such details about his blueprint, but he knew he was being tested and couldn't risk a false answer. "The first three floors will form a sphere of moving power. If I do ascend to Authority, I will develop a second core... to power a second three floors."

"So your design requires ascending all the way to Dominion in order to be balanced?" Dhan abruptly chuckled and shook his head. "You can't be faulted for lack of ambition, at least. Normally, I would say that such a complex spherical flow would be too complex to work, but I suppose it's technically possible, and exceptionally efficient if accomplished."

"You can decide whatever you like about my blueprint being madness. But my idea to filter granitebile is something you'll be able to test within a day, so you can see for yourself if I'm a fool."

"I was going to reject your request, as our House has only a single Siatan weirkey, reserved for highly unusual circumstances. But if you can tell me exactly what kind of plant I need to retrieve, I will journey there and... as you said, see for myself."

"I wouldn't go with you?" Theo tried to make the question sound surprised instead of indignant. He'd been counting on being able to guide things himself, and had plans for acquiring some valuable Siatan resources in the process. Judging from the Authority's somber look, that was not to be.

"You'd only slow me down. Tell me of this sublime plant, if you are truly attempting to assist the House instead of only yourself."

It wasn't ideal, but Theo was prepared for such a test. He'd already revealed that he had unusual knowledge of Siata, so he might as well embrace it. "What you need to do is go to a continent with acidic storms, then find a Sapphire Column with an ultraviolet shell. Around the edge of the community, they'll have a number of plants they call a petalfilter. They're common, but you'll need a high quality plant, not one the community uses to filter mud. Tell them that you need to filter a sublime poison emanating from rock mined by human hands and they can direct you to the correct species."

Though the Authority's eyebrows rose as Theo continued explaining, in the end Dhan made no comment at all. After staring for one more second, he pulled something small from within his sleeve, a brief flash of citrine. The weirkey caught hold of him and he was gone in a blink.

For a time Theo switched between soulcrafting and pacing, wondering how long it would take him to return. He wasn't concerned that his concept was wrong, since he'd done thorough experiments, but his plan could still fail due to simple human variables. Dhan might have misunderstood his explanation, or might not be able to navigate Siata well, or might simply give up instead of searching as long as it would take to locate the proper Siatan community.

Eventually, Theo accepted that the matter was not likely to be resolved that night. Staying up later would only fatigue him, and he could learn the results as easily when he woke up, so he forced himself to go to bed. Soon enough, his fortune would change sharply, one way or another.

Chapter 17

Half a day passed without any news, leading Theo to wonder if something had gone terribly wrong. Then again, using a weirkey to search through a world required much more skill than simply stepping between gates, so it might take time. He didn't let the waiting slow him down and returned to his usual schedule.

In the afternoon, the sun dully red through a haze of sand, he joined Nauda and Fiyu in one of the training courtyards. With less useful soulcrafting to do, Fiyu was focusing more on polishing her skills, while Nauda was happy to test out her new Archcrafter strength. One day he'd join them, since he needed his new skills to be well-practiced to stand a chance against Esaire, but for now he merely soulcrafted nearby and occasionally offered suggestions.

Aggravatingly, Senka had joined them this time, and hadn't even brought any stolen money. All she had was some sort of skewer of meat, like the kind he'd seen sold on many streets. While he watched, it slipped from her greasy fingers - she bobbled it a few times, then let out a cry of dismay when it fell to the ground.

Then she dropped down and began eating it, despite the fact that it had been covered in dust. In fact, she reached down and picked up a rock that had been covered in grease, shoving that into her mouth as well. Theo made a deliberate decision to stop looking at her.

As before, he had very little warning: Dhan suddenly stood in the courtyard, only a bit of mist flowing from him after the transfer. Fortunately, the Blacksilver Authority carried a potted petalfilter, the plant glowing a gentle lavender just like the one in his memory.

Also, a Siatan hovered alongside him. The fact that one came at all was more notable than its appearance, but it was still the first Siatan he'd seen in decades. Every species he'd seen on Siata couldn't be mistaken for the inhabitants of any other world, always inhuman and sexless, more energy than flesh. This one had a bright orange body the size of a child's, but with arms and legs twice the normal length. Above the glowing yellow eyes, its head split into three narrowing tentacles that floated around its shoulders. It wore nothing and it didn't need to - as far as he knew, Siatans reproduced by reincarnating themselves in beams of light.

"Moment of truth, little Archcrafter." Dhan grinned at him and hefted the pot. "I followed your instructions, and my new friend here even assisted, so we'll see if it works."

"Then we just need some granitebile." Theo ran to go grab some from the materials office, only to be met on his way by Antha and several other House officials. Apparently they had been given a message beforehand, because they were coming with all the necessary supplies.

Meanwhile, the courtyard had remained in absolute silence. Nauda clearly wanted to stare at the Siatan without being rude, though it gave no indication that it cared or even noticed. Fiyu was seated and frowning to herself, and he wondered what her senses felt: it was possible that Siatans were energy all the way through. Senka sat on the ground and continued to eat her disgusting skewer of meat.

"Is it time for the experiment to begin?" The Siatan's voice sounded more like a wind chime than anything that might come out a mouth, not that it had one. "Please bring the necessary elements and the proposer."

Though he would have been happy to let them test it themselves, Theo saw that he had no choice but to join them. While Dhan set the potted petalfilter down carefully, the Siatan stared at him. It took considerable discipline not to display any nervousness, because Siatans had uncanny senses that might be able to discern that he came from beyond the Nine Worlds. Still, this one was just a first tier soulcrafter, probably a merchant, and it extended a curling hand toward the pot.

"We will trade you our petalfilters only if your intended use is not harmful, and it does not react poorly with Fithan sublime materials. Please demonstrate."

"It won't take much work at all." Theo took a flask of granitebile from Antha and walked over to the petalfilter. "Even if they come from different worlds, this poison is very similar to the acidic mud that your people need to keep from their communities. It should require only time."

He poured out the granitebile and everyone else leaned in as the deep lavender petals of the flower curled upward, as if thirsty for it. Instead of splashing off the surface, the bile quickly spiraled into a natural container. With the petals raised, everyone who wasn't surprised by the plant's movement could see that an open stem extended from the bottom of the petalfilter.

That part was unnatural as far as he knew, specifically grown by the Siatans for this purpose. It could take a few minutes for it to begin working, so he had time to ask for a container to catch the result. Unfortunately, the Siatan revealed a ceramic bowl and simply set it beneath the stem, which meant that instead of a methodical demonstration, now everyone was staring at nothing.

Yet in less than a minute, a drop of dark amber liquid swelled in the stem, then dropped into the bowl. Several of the Fithans made appreciative noises, while Dhan simply grunted, nodded to him, and then walked off. As far as he was concerned, the matter was done, but the real question now was how much it would benefit Theo.

"The petalfilter has performed its work." The Siatan floated lower, extending a finger to the liquid and absorbing some into its body. "The result does not appear to be toxic or harmful to society. We are willing to trade sublime for sublime, but you must tell us how much your community requires."

With that announcement, the officials rushed in, eagerly testing the drops of liquid as they continually dripped from the bottom of the Siatan flower. The one thing Theo had been uncertain about was how long it would take the process to work, but it appeared to be processing the granitebile rather swiftly. Judging from the early reactions among the Fithans, the result had some uses, just like he'd hoped.

"You definitely won this one." Nauda moved up beside him, bumping her shoulder against his as they watched the activity. "How many more of these ideas do you have hidden away?"

"If I had a year and interviews with everyone in the city, maybe a few more," Theo said, "but we'd better not count on it."

"I'm sure they'll reward you handsomely, but I'm more curious about the Siatan. Everyone on their world looks like that?"

"With some differences, but yes."

They stayed silent for a while longer, then Nauda leaned a bit closer and spoke in a lower voice. "Do you think it's possible that Senka is a Siatan?"

"Not likely." He glanced in her direction, but she was still chewing the meat... no, she'd moved on to eating the skewer itself. "Every Siatan I've seen is composed of that sort of solid light, and they have strange life cycles. Short lives, but they're speaking in full sentences at a few months old. The only real similarity is that they're small, really."

"Not just that. There's something odd about Senka too, similar to them. She doesn't seem to have organs, she's just one substance all the way through, or at least that's what Fiyu says."

Though he wanted to get Fiyu's observations for himself, and for that matter her full report about Siatans, that fact swept aside other concerns for Theo. This time, he resisted the urge to look at Senka and instead spoke back in a low voice. "You've been investigating her?"

"After something happened, yes. She gets covered in filth sometimes, and she stinks horribly, so Fiyu decided to give her a bath." Nauda chewed on her lip a moment before glancing over to him. "Her body looked... artificial. Her skin looks like flesh from here, but her joints don't connect smoothly, one body part just sticks into another. I thought she must be a construct, until I saw the Siatan."

"The Nine Worlds contain a great many strange things." Recognizing he was being a bit portentous, Theo smiled at himself. "But I have no idea what Senka is. I still think the most likely theory is that she's from another world, one stranger than mine."

"Maybe it doesn't matter, and she's just lost. I never brought it up because I don't know what we should do about it. Seeing the Siatan just... made me wonder."

Whatever else she might have said was interrupted when Antha approached them with a broad smile on her face. Nauda quickly adopted a friendlier expression, while Fiyu tried to join them, slowed down by Senka abruptly latching onto her leg.

"It's everything you promised, Peanen," Antha said. "The resulting material isn't exceptionally valuable, but it could be converted into a sublime adhesive and it might have healing applications. We have a huge excess of granitebile, but you've just turned it into an asset."

Theo nodded, trying not to look too smug. "I did it to help House Blacksilver, but I expected it to help me too."

"Yes, if any contribution was worthy of merits, it's this one. Given the unusual nature of your achievement, there are no exact protocols, so it's up to you... would you like to be compensated in Fithan Discs, or in House merits? We'll insist on giving you some of both, but which is your preference?"

"I'd like ten percent of the profits made from the converted granitebile, every month."

Antha immediately recoiled, the threat to her profits a far greater danger than any threat to her life. "Ten percent! You expect us to calculate such a thing and then pay you in perpetuity? What you've done is a great aid to the House, but there are limits to reason. You don't own the mines or their byproducts, nor the petalfilters..."

"But you'll go on making money that you wouldn't have without me, forever. I'm sure you've already estimated the numbers: will it take even a year for your profits to dwarf the small pile of merits you intended to give me?"

Though Antha bristled at his argument, some of the other officials came to speak with her, and Theo knew he had a strong position. Of course, asking for ten percent was an absurd request, but he'd only started there to set their frame of reference too high. His actual goal was something more valuable than a bit of money.

"What about a promotion, free of merits?" another official offered. "A higher salary every month in exchange for nothing but continued contributions?"

"Throw in promotions for my allies as well, and I might consider it." Theo pretended not to care, but the offer was actually tempting. Still, if he reframed it as being paid 1300 merits per year and a little money, it seemed less remarkable, especially since he only had five months.

"Of course, your allies as well. Perhaps for a slightly lesser amount, but you've been eager members, so-"

"What about access to the Blacksilver vaults? Say... instead of ten percent of profits, ten items from the vaults, which I'll pledge to continue using for the House. Consider it an investment, since I'll be able to do even more for the organization."

They argued back from the second ridiculous offer, but Theo thought that he had them. In the end, he negotiated them to three items from the vaults, a hundred merits for the sake of formality, and a tiny fraction of a percentage on the profits. He hadn't expected to receive the last one at all, just wanted leverage to get into the vaults, but he'd certainly take it.

Once the deal was agreed upon, Antha led them deeper into the complex, as if eager to seal the terms. They went past gates that ordinary members weren't allowed through, past several pillars that hummed with energy, and eventually down into a fortified basement. In addition to the Rulers standing guard, the passage down into the earth was heavily warded and locked with several keys.

While the vault was opened, Theo turned back to smile at Fiyu and Nauda. "One item for each of us, I think? I doubt I could have argued them above two items if not for your presence making that seem unfair, so you're owed it anyway."

"No! Senka wants!" Senka interrupted whatever Nauda had been about to say and leapt at his elbow. As she wrapped her legs around his arm and began pummeling him with both hands, he wondered if he could feel the artificiality or not. "Give Senka a present! If everyone else gets a present Senka gets a present!"

"Senka gets nothing." Theo pulled her off his arm and flattened her to the ground with several gravitational fields. That might have been enough, but he immediately second-guessed the thought and bent down beside her. "You're thinking of stealing things, aren't you? They wouldn't take that kindly, and you can't get away with it. Stay here."

"Sporp!" Her eyes went wide as she started up at him. "You think Senka would do a blooky thing like that?"

"Don't insult me by asking." Theo increased the strength of the gravitational fields a little and left her there as the group was finally escorted into the House Blacksilver vaults.

The outer chamber was filled with gold, jewels, and other mostly useless things. Theo sensed no sublime materials at all, except from a few statues that he thought had more historical value than any real power. If he'd stolen it all, he might have been able to sell it for a moderate amount, but that wasn't an option. Antha and the guards didn't insult him by offering anything from that chamber, just escorted them deeper.

There, he began to see items of real value. One large chamber was filled with various vehicles, many of them chariots. Typically such large vehicles required a Ruler's cantae, but he saw several that were constructed so that any soulcrafter could easily use them. A few might have been slightly superior to their sleigh, but an incremental improvement was worthless for now.

Unfortunately, the guards wouldn't let them split up, so they kept moving together through the displays. One section was filled with soulhome blueprints and ancient books - the latter could potentially be useful if he had all the time in the world, but they weren't worth the gamble. Many sections held armaments, most of them weapons but others simply functional. Other chambers held stores of valuable sublime materials, only a few of which held his attention.

For the most part, everything he saw was clearly maintained for regular use. After all, it would be stupid of the House to keep valuable items locked up just as prizes for their workers. Many might be worthy items on their own, but he needed something better.

"Do you have a chamber for sublime materials that you couldn't use?" Theo asked. "Or anything old with an uncertain function?"

"Something close to that." Antha glanced at him skeptically, but she couldn't deny the request now that he had access to the vault. No doubt she was thinking the same thing he was: useful materials would have been claimed by the House's strongest soulcrafters, so the most valuable items would be those that they hadn't figured out how to use.

When they were brought to a smaller chamber alongside a weapons room, at last he started to see promising options. The walls were lined by shelves filled with various odd sublime materials. He saw a miniature tree growing around a hovering seed, a sphere with a sandstorm inside it, knives that spun uncontrollably, and more.

His first priority was anything that might serve as a central explosion, but nothing seemed to fit. Many of the sublime materials looked Fithan, and the world didn't seem suited to such things. Perhaps it was the dull red sun, perhaps something else, it was irrelevant for the time being.

In the end, three items struck him as truly exceptional. The first was a flame contained within a sphere that he was sure would fit Fiyu's soulhome, so he intended to suggest it to her. He struggled to choose between a seed that exerted significant gravity and a hunk of crimson rock that spun violently.

Both held significant cantae, closer to Ruler than Archcrafter, and would fit in his designs. In the end he chose against the seed primarily because it was organic: the tree it grew might be stronger than the rock, but after his experiences in Tatian, he wasn't sure it would match his soulhome completely. This was decidedly not the time to take a risk and potentially degrade the quality of his blueprint.

"This one." Theo gestured to one of the Rulers to lower the defenses and then eagerly scooped up the rock. It continued to spin in his hand, intensely enough that it would have torn skin if his body wasn't reinforced. He entirely understood why many would struggle to include it in a soulhome, but he could use it to represent multiple phenomena orbiting around a black hole.

When he walked back, he found Nauda in the weapons room with another guard, examining a trident. "Could the central tine be removed?" she asked. "Perhaps melted down and added back to the staff?"

"I suppose it could," one of the officials said. "This armament was forged by an Authority, but simply reforging part of it should be possible without excessive expense, so long as the inscriptions are not damaged."

Judging from her smile, Nauda had made her decision, but Theo still nodded toward it. "You have your new staff, I take it?"

"The shape needs modification, but the spirit of it matches what I need." Nauda ran her fingers along one of the outer tines up to the point. "A bit more violent than what I had on Tatian, but perhaps that's appropriate. Plus, this armament is actually worthy of soulcrafting a room or two for it."

Though Theo was curious about her plans there, the vault wasn't the place to discuss them. He instead looked for Fiyu, who was shuffling about one of the sublime ingredient tables. It appeared to be mostly varieties of sand, but she didn't look particularly satisfied.

Instead of speaking to Fiyu, he just stepped up beside her and waited. Soon enough, she looked up to him somberly. "They have sublime sands of high quality here, but I am not sure they are suited for me."

"Not good enough for making glass?"

"These could all become glass, but not the proper variety. This one..." Her hands passed over one of the closed cases. "I think it came from a terrible burning waste, and the glass it produced would be fiery red. That would be much too disruptive for my soulhome. And this one is from a dust storm, and this..."

"I have something else for you." Theo gestured for her to follow and they moved back into the smallest chamber until they stood before the sphere of flame. "Feel the cantae in this thing. It's almost pure burning, not light or warmth. Your soulhome is going to have a heart chamber with a flame on every floor, right?"

"I am not sure if it will be a flame every time, but fires are a stable source." Fiyu bent down and peered at the flame. "I like that it is so quiet and calm."

"Yet destructive. I don't know if your Archcrafter floor will be devoted to anything like that, but surely you'll need raw destructive cantae at some point. This could be the perfect material for a heart chamber."

"Thank you, but I do not think I will use this. My relative has gathered the appropriate materials for heart chambers on each tier. I will wait for him."

She turned away, returning to the sand, and Theo had to let her go. He was a bit irritated that she'd rejected his advice, and frustrated that she insisted on relying on her relative, but in the end she was her own soulcrafter. Eventually she chose a particularly dark sand that she thought would make a good glass, then the whole group was swiftly escorted from the vault.

Once they were back in the outer courtyards, Nauda tapped her new trident on the ground and smiled at him. "Thanks for this, Theo. I figured you were going to take all three for yourself."

"Not at all. I still owe you for the trenchgem, and I know you'd do the same for me." Theo touched her shoulder, just smiled at Fiyu, and led them back into the complex. "Let's just focus on being prepared for anything Esaire's family tries to throw at us."

Despite his words, Theo hadn't made the decision lightly. It had been a calculated choice, based in large part on the fact that he'd doubted he'd find more than one perfectly matched sublime material. Had there been two, he would have needed to make a much more difficult decision weighing his allies versus the immediate threat of the duel.

That was just for a few sublime materials. If everything was truly on the line, he wasn't sure what he'd do.

Chapter 18

With two major sublime materials acquired, Theo left behind polishing and carving tasks to focus on essential work. Refinements to a given room made the difference between a mediocre soulcrafter and an excellent one, but having functional rooms would make the difference between life and death in the coming duel.

The trenchgem had been a valuable find, the question was where best to place it. His design was for each new material to be placed on top of a technique chamber on the first floor, with vents in between for cantae flow, but in this case the ideal path wasn't clear. He'd settled for placing it above his chamber that generated anti-mass, because resisting pressure was more similar to that than any of the other options.

Even completed, the trenchgem chamber on its own had little effect, perhaps increasing his defenses against pressure, but when its cantae flowed down to the chamber below, it made his anti-mass skill much stronger. Both materials combined effects pushing things away, and if he developed it enough, he might even be able to create a new sort of defense. Such a technique would require significant spiritual mass, however, so he mostly developed both for use in his singularity.

By contrast, his sublime material from the vault was no question at all. Investigation led him to discover that the spinning red stone was called a stonevortex, and he placed it directly on top of his gravitational torsion chamber. The spinning cantae matched perfectly with his technique of shifting gravitational planes, making the technique much more deadly. He'd tried it on some demons while on assignment and been pleased with the results.

Of course, both of those chambers were still extremely simple, just suspended materials within a great deal of carving. There was a lot of work between functional rooms and truly finished chambers.

The traditional form for such chambers was a large dais, crafted from supporting sublime materials that would enhance the strength of the object placed at the top. He'd always thought this method lacked imagination, but also didn't want to fill the rooms with generic furniture or other household materials. It might not require expensive materials, just some decently supportive ones and a lot of time.

As he carved more symbols along the walls of his torsion chamber, Theo frequently glanced down to the vents leading below. Were vents actually the ideal form for his blueprint? Fiyu being so focused on glass made him think of windows set in the floor, though that obviously fit better for the light theme of her soulhome.

For the time being, he stuck to vents. They were completely functional but could be easily filled in or changed once he'd perfected this detail of his blueprint.

Another temporary measure due to the duel impending in... four months? Theo briefly stopped working as he realized that a few days ago, it had been exactly four months until his duel. He'd taken major steps with two sublime materials for the singularity, but he still needed two more, plus a material to reinforce the central chamber, not to mention training with his new skills.

That in mind, he could accept some of the measures he'd taken. So far, his rule for himself was that he wouldn't do anything that would set back his soulcrafting in the future. Everything he'd done was a step toward his final blueprint, they just weren't necessarily the steps he'd expected to take. Some of the chambers on his first floor still hadn't found their final forms, and he'd have much more to do on the second. If he survived, he'd have a great deal of work to do before he was ready to ascend to Ruler.

When his fingers became so numb he could barely feel the spirit chisel, Theo recognized that he was reaching a point of diminishing returns and switched activities. Leaving the room behind, he instead climbed down to his central chamber and began testing patterns of cantae flow.

Many soulhomes used simplistic unidirectional designs: cantae moved in straight lines from its sources to the exits. Competent soulcrafters had a smooth cycle, such as Fiyu's emanating heat or Nauda's spiral. His aimed for orbiting around his singularity: easy enough when everything was rotating on the single plane of his first floor, but much more difficult in three dimensions.

With a deep breath, Theo halted all the cantae within his soulhome and tried to push it in a half-sphere that arced through his second floor. The problem was, the cantae that arched up over the top of the sphere promptly went into the ground. He could redirect it, of course, because cantae flow problems could always be overcome with willpower. But it was a clumsy pattern compared to a perfect sphere of cantae that spanned three floors.

Theo was sure he could manage it once he had the space, even if the design had surprised the Authority. That orbiting design was the most effective part of his blueprint, a refinement of his old solar idea that he actually liked better than the original. It lost the absolutely brilliant design Brigana had made for an explosive start, but since that had been lost to him, he'd have to find a different path to the same power.

As he was considering whether or not to try alternate patterns, he noticed that Nauda was approaching his real body. Pulling back out of his soulhome, he glanced up at her, wondering if he'd forgotten something. No, it seemed like she had a new purpose of some kind.

"They finished your staff?" he guessed. She blinked and then shook her head.

"Oh, I forgot you hadn't seen it." Nauda spun the weapon on its end so quickly that the upper tines made a whistling sound. The central tine of the trident had been removed and, judging from the way the base was now studded with black stones, melted down for modifications. It looked much more like her forked staff from before, yet retained the deadly points of the trident. "They finished this a few days ago, you've just been locked away. But that's not why I'm here."

Theo hopped to his feet, fresh in the real world even if spiritually exhausted. "Then I assume you either think I need a break, or you have a new opportunity."

"The latter. Come on, Fiyu is already waiting in the sleigh."

By now the Blacksilver complex had become quite familiar, though he didn't feel any real sense of comfort from it. Nauda was moving everywhere faster these days, feeling the new strength of her second floor. He'd even noted the start of a pyramid atop her roof, though he judged that premature. That said, he trusted her judgment enough that he was highly curious about what she had found.

They soon reached one of the outer courtyards, where Fiyu sat patiently in the middle seat of the sleigh. When she spotted them, she smiled, and continued beaming as they climbed in. "Hello, Theo. Nauda believes that she has found a local challenge that will be beneficial to all of us."

"So she told me, but what is it?"

She didn't answer right away, instead easing the sleigh out the main gate and beginning to slide through the city. Norro Yorthin had laws about flying too high, but the streets themselves were rather orderly, with different lanes for different types of vehicles. They floated over the heads of most, the sleigh's downward force only producing a slight wind. Once they were en route, which he noted might take them out of the city, Nauda turned back toward them.

"Every month, one of the lesser Houses conducts a contest in a quarry outside the city. I think the competition generates cantae for their mining operations, but they motivate people to come by giving rewards to the winners." Nauda grinned and began ticking off her fingers. "First, House Blacksilver will give us a small amount of money for winning. Second, the award always includes some money. Third, there's a different unique prize every month. And finally, the contest itself is supposed to be a speed challenge."

"It sounds like you've thought this through." His own thoughts immediately led to an obvious question. "Is it based on teams, or can we each win the competition a different time?"

"Individuals. I don't know how stiff the competition will be, but I thought we should at least try. Since each person can only win a prize once, I think we have a shot."

Based on those details, the idea did seem promising. Since the rewards would be won or lost in a short period of time, it was certainly an efficient method, which made Theo more curious how effective it would be as training. That, he would probably just have to determine by seeing the actual contest.

They left by the western gate, which didn't have nearly as much of an outer city as the southern region near the gate to Tatian. A road of durable stone sliced out into the wasteland, likely to another city lost in the dust storms, but Nauda quickly took them away from it, northwest to a region where mining was obviously in evidence.

Huge pits gouged deep into the ground on both sides, but where most had workers going about their labor, one in particular had a teal flag and a cluster of soulcrafters around it. No doubt their destination. They stopped their sleigh alongside several chariots, and while Theo locked down the controls, Nauda hopped out to speak to the officials.

They stayed at the edge of the crowd of soulcrafters for Fiyu's comfort, so he just looked over the group and the mining pit itself. Most of those he saw were first tier soulcrafters, though a few had reached Archcrafter. The sides of the quarry declined gradually, their walls remarkably smooth - worn by wind, he thought. Strangely, a section in the middle of the quarry hadn't been worn down at all, instead a steep peak in the center that made the entire pit a ring. Something gleamed at the top of the platform in the center, so that must be their destination.

"Everyone, attend to me!" An official in teal robes called for silence, then somberly tucked her hands into her sleeves to address them. "I am Lady Baryara of House Teal. We have again decided to open our treasure vaults to the seekers of other Houses. If you have merit, you could well be rewarded in today's challenge. Each contestant may only receive one gift from House Teal before departing the challenge, to allow others to enjoy our magnanimity."

She went on with a similar level of pomp, so Theo began tuning out the exact words. Instead he examined the mine more carefully, trying to determine how the challenge itself would work. He noted that there were metal spheres placed throughout the exterior slope, designed to absorb cantae. Though he tried to feel for any dangerous sublime materials that could make this a trap, he thought they would simply absorb the atmospheric cantae used in the contest.

Honestly, it was a bit pathetic for a House to need to generate cantae like this. The quantity they'd gain, subtracting the expense of running the contest, would be trivial if they had able Authority-tier soulcrafters, much less a Stronghold. That didn't mean he wouldn't take advantage of it, though, so he listened in when the official moved on to the rules.

"In a moment, the tornado will be kindled and will rage for three hours. Your goal will be to descend this side of the quarry, then climb the center - as always, vehicles, flight, or leaping over the chasm are not allowed. Anyone who reaches the top of the summit will receive the esteem of House Teal, but the first three will receive additional compensation, and the first to scale the summit will be awarded this month's prize: a grand historical chariot from House Teal."

Lady Baryara gestured to one of the chariots beside the quarry and Theo barely gave it a glance. He had no direct need for it, and if they were giving it away like this, it couldn't be too valuable. What interested him most was the contest itself, and fortunately, it began before any more speeches.

A powerful source of cantae surged from the central mountain and wind began to circulate throughout the quarry. It was unremarkable at first, but the cantae urged it faster and faster. Rocks began to lift into the air and spin in a vast vortex, and then glimmering yellow stones were released, joining the others as citrine streaks.

"No one will be given assistance until the three hours are complete," Lady Baryara said. "Begin!"

Chapter 19

Theo crouched at the edge of the slope, peering into the whirlwind. The vortex was contained within the quarry, but it tore into the surrounding rocks and the earth below, no doubt serving a function for the quarry itself. There were a huge number of rocks traveling at considerable speed, so anyone who ventured below risked being battered to death. It did seem that the bottom of the quarry was clearer, perhaps to reduce casualties.

The House Teal official had leapt over the vortex to the central pillar, but the rest of them needed to venture into the whirlwind. One soulcrafter leapt forward with more confidence than skill, almost immediately taking a rock to the shoulder. He lost his footing and tumbled down the side, the whirlwind pulling him partway around the quarry before he hit the bottom and lay still.

Others ventured down more slowly, apparently veterans of the challenge. Some tried to use shields, but the broad surfaces caught too much wind and many tumbled down. One Archcrafter generated a spherical barrier around a small group and they advanced carefully.

"I suppose just throwing yourself down the side is one option," Nauda said. "But I thought that you would be more interested in trying to dodge all these rocks."

"Yeah, that will be a bit of a challenge." Theo rolled his shoulders and resolved to set aside his gravitational abilities for the speed he'd need in the duel.

Fiyu knelt down beside the edge, her body tense, then carefully sat cross-legged. "I will remain here. The number of gems and rocks and grains of sand is... very high. If I could expand my senses to encompass all of them, I could easily reach the other side, but to feel everything will be a great challenge."

"Then you're right where you need to be. The reward isn't anything special, so our actual goal is to use their whirlwind as free training. We might as well get started."

He and Nauda began edging down the side, bracing themselves against the intensifying wind. Theo could easily track the streaking gems, but the dark rocks were harder to make out. Several steps in, he needed to start dodging them, already requiring his full attention even before they reached the most intense speeds nearer the center.

What Nauda intended to get out of the contest was obvious: she spun her staff expertly, knocking aside every stone that came her way. As they pushed deeper into the quarry, a few of them made it past her staff, but they glanced off her body, leaving a mark but no blood. Clearly she intended to test her durability as well.

Though Theo could easily have reached the bottom by keeping her windward of him, that would defeat the purpose. Instead he tried to dodge on his own, the footwork difficult on the smooth slope down. Soon enough, some of the rocks began to clip him, some striking hard enough that he was afraid they'd bruise. He tried to snatch one of the gems out of the air, but it was too fast, even being able to anticipate them.

A rock hit the side of his head out of nowhere and Theo dropped, sliding down the remaining distance to the bottom. He groaned and rubbed the injury, sitting up only slightly. Here at the bottom, the wind was still intense, but most of the rocks had been flung higher, so it was moderately safe. Many of the other soulcrafters were catching their breath or lying still before they ventured toward the even more intense central pillar.

That had confirmed that he definitely wasn't fast enough - the rocks moved much slower than he'd expected Esaire to attack. The problem wasn't his instincts, which he thought were still sharp enough, but his raw speed. Fueled by their soulhomes, soulcrafters could move impossibly fast. As an Archcrafter he was already superhuman by Earth standards, but compared to someone with highly developed speed chambers, he'd be moving in slow motion.

"You okay?" Nauda slid down the side by him, shouting to be heard over the wind. He got up to walk closer to her.

"Not really injured, just frustrated." He glanced toward the central spire. "Are you going to try going up?"

"I'm not sure I'm good enough, but I won't improve unless I test myself." Nauda stepped away from him and headed inward, though she had to start deflecting rocks almost as soon as she set foot on the central slope of the quarry.

For his part, Theo tested his gravity in a small field around himself, mostly out of curiosity. It couldn't affect the wind itself, but it definitely had an effect on how easily the whirlwind picked up the rocks. If his goal had been to get to the top as fast as possible, he would have used that, but instead he set to work and began soulcrafting.

One of his side chambers on the second floor would be dedicated purely to speed, though it lacked sublime materials. Inspired by the wind around him, Theo began carving a pattern of a rushing orbit. Gravity was highly tied to speed, for example using a slingshot technique around a source of mass. Perhaps he could capture some of that...

Before he could do much, Nauda slid back down the side, bleeding from her lip but smiling. When she got close, she gestured toward the slope. "Nobody has made it up yet! I know the prize isn't much, but I think we should at least try, just to see how difficult it is."

That was reasonable enough, so he joined her. This time he helped a little, slightly increasing their gravity so the wind tore at them less fiercely. Nauda soon adjusted to her new weight, making it easier for her to climb the side while still deflecting rocks.

He stayed on the other side of her, his eyes struggling to track the projectiles. Those that got past her whipped at him at terrible speed, but he could occasionally dodge if he really threw himself into it. Without Nauda, he wouldn't have had a chance... for now. Once he'd soulcrafted a proper speed chamber, he thought this intensity might be a fairer challenge.

They struggled their way up, passing a few others who tumbled back down. At the end they needed to make a break for it, rushing up the final ascent on all fours, then suddenly the whirlwind abated. A few rocks swirled lazily near the top, but the whirlwind was no obstacle with the summit only a few times his height above them.

Of course, there were other obstacles: an Archcrafter stood on the slope before the summit, carefully watching the progress of someone below. When a different soulcrafter also got free of the worst of the whirlwind, the Archcrafter promptly hurled the rock at them, knocking them back down. They then returned to watching someone else struggling at the base.

"That Archcrafter could win at any time," Nauda said, "so is he... protecting someone else?"

"Maybe," Theo said, "but my guess is that he's a hired guard. Somebody with more money than skill brought a mercenary to keep anyone else from winning. If they're the one at the bottom there, they don't have what it takes on their own."

The Archcrafter glowered toward them, hefting a rock menacingly, but Nauda raised her hands and shook her head. He looked suspicious, but didn't throw anything at them. They caught their breath at the top, finally free of the dust, and prepared to head back down into the storm.

While he nursed a few bruises, Theo looked across, just to be sure Fiyu was alright. She still sat cross-legged, and when he raised an arm she waved back.

Because he was looking outside the quarry, he saw the crimson chariot descend near the starting point. Fiyu looked surprised and pulled back, but it wasn't an attack: Tythes slouched out of the vehicle. He took a final drink and then threw his cup aside before swaggering directly into the whirlwind.

"Is it even allowed for an Authority to do this?" Nauda asked the air. "What's the point?"

Given the unstable way Tythes walked, Theo wondered if he would adopt some sort of drunken fist style, but it was nothing of the sort. Instead he moved his body the bare minimum necessary to dodge each rock that spun his way. He didn't even look at them, just walked straight down the side untouched, yawning along the way... drawing in dust and coughing, though that didn't slow him down.

In a few seconds he was across the bottom and walking up the steep slope in the center, as easily as if ambling down the street. The Archcrafter mercenary hesitated, squinting down and seeing only Tythes's obscured soulhome. If he had any sense, he'd realize that Tythes was more powerful than everyone else in the quarry combined, but with Tythes approaching so quickly, he panicked and hurled a rock.

Tythes raised a hand lazily, raw cantae curling out and seizing both the rock and the Archcrafter. He threw them over his shoulder into the whirlwind without a second glance and continued marching up the side. Nauda glowered, but Theo grabbed her shoulder and urged her back. Not that he thought she'd attack, just to get them further away from Tythes in case he decided to target everyone in his path.

"You... you can't be here." The official from House Teal left her place at the summit to intercept him, though Lady Baryara didn't dare stand directly in his path. "You've already won this competition. You won when you were ten years old. Please stop coming back."

"But I want that... thing." Tythes stopped, glancing back to the other side. "Uh, a chariot? Yeah, I want that."

"Lord Tythes, the rules need to be followed. We can't stop you from taking the reward by force, but our master would be furious."

"If I leave the chariot here, will you declare me a victor and call me a good boy?"

Lady Baryara stared at him, unsure how to take that. Apparently growing bored, Tythes turned away from her... directly toward them. Theo braced himself to be thrown into the whirlwind, but the Authority simply ambled in their direction with a curious expression, smiling at Nauda.

"Didn't expect to see you here. They're telling me that I can't win, so do you want to?"

"I only reached this point with assistance." Nauda nodded toward Theo, which he didn't appreciate, but Tythes didn't even bother to look at him. "I will not be satisfied until I can pass through the whirlwind as easily as you did, without being struck."

"Ugh, hard workers. You are the absolute worst." Tythes promptly flopped over onto his face and then simply... slid down the side of the slope and lay at the bottom. Everyone stared down at him for a while, but he didn't appear inclined to move again.

Eventually Nauda shook her head and began moving around the side, ignoring Lady Baryara. "Let's stay away from him, but I want to go down again. I think I can do better, I just need to get used to the speed."

"That's a good strategy," Theo said, "but can you capture me one of those gemstones? They seem to move faster than the rest and I'm curious how it works."

She nodded absentmindedly before throwing herself back into the whirlwind. Sliding down was easier than climbing, so Theo just dodged as best he could and suffered the few injuries. This body still felt a bit slow - perhaps he needed to develop muscle memory to match his old instincts. That would only make sense if his physical brain wasn't the same as his mind or soul... the distraction let a rock strike his head and he focused again.

When they reached the bottom, Nauda simply thrust her staff upward, binding one of the gemstones in place. She grunted and took a step back, as if pitting herself against the whirlwind, but then easily pulled it down and tossed it to him. While she returned to train, Theo examined it carefully.

Even with the wind howling around him, he heard a second wind from the yellow gemstone, especially when he brought it close to his ear. It seemed to hum with the wind itself, and he realized that it must be one of the sublime materials that accelerated the wind. If it generated such an intense wind in the real world, it was likely not as valuable for a soulhome, but the cantae wasn't bad.

They didn't attempt to reach the top again, just using the full three hours to test themselves. Fortunately, Tythes didn't cause any other problems and seemed to have disappeared, so they made good progress. After some soulcrafting, Theo could endure the lower parts of the quarry without being hit by the stones, though the most intense part of the whirlwind was still far too fast for him.

What interested him more were the gemstones, which he had Nauda capture from time to time. He wasn't sure if House Teal approved of that, but no one stopped them, so he collected quite a few by the end. It would take a few experiments, but he thought they might be a functional material.

When the whirlwind finally died down, five of the soulcrafters had made it to the summit. That wasn't particularly stiff competition, but Theo knew that any powerful soulcrafters who wanted to win could do so at will. The real contest would be if two came to the same event, so he couldn't assume that he could win whenever he wanted.

Fiyu greeted them when they climbed back out of the quarry, first frowning at their bruises but then smiling as they talked about their progress. "Then this was a success?" she asked. "I feel I am closer, but such a storm is still complex for me."

"We got a lot of practice and some interesting sublime materials." Theo patted the gemstones he'd tucked away and smiled. "Let's fail again next month."

Chapter 20

As the last of the demons fell before the three of them, Theo had roughly ten percent of his mind on the battle and ninety percent running over the numbers again. Unfortunately, they didn't add up, and this time the problem was money.

Since the last week had been quiet, free of both danger and opportunity, he'd taken the chance to investigate the city's markets more carefully. To his surprise, he'd discovered a high end sublime material store selling something that couldn't be better suited for him: a stone from Arbai called a "drysupernova". Checking its properties in the store, it could easily produce an implosion reaction, plus strengthen his singularity.

The only problem was that it cost over a thousand Fithan Discs.

It was just sitting there, available for anyone to purchase. The perfect material, so near within reach, yet potentially gone the moment someone else bought the only one. After discarding risky possibilities such as stealing it, Theo thought the only viable path was to earn it as quickly as possible.

He currently had roughly three hundred Discs, and every month he'd earn another 110 from his salary, plus 175 from his portion of the granitebile profits. That meant more than two months until he could afford it, which was unacceptable. Even asking the others to loan him money wouldn't be sufficient, so the only choice was to take a flashier route.

His calculations were interrupted by the demons, who didn't last long enough for him to even finish his thoughts. It really was easy when they didn't find a way to sacrifice themselves. As he started to pull the surviving remnants into his soulhome, a familiar chariot swept past and a Ruler leapt to land beside them.

"You again!" Jothan landed beside them with a grin on his face. "I haven't seen the three of you in a long time, but I'm glad to have you helping."

"We joined a House and got involved in a number of things." Nauda stepped forward to handle the smiling and hefted her new staff. "Take a look at this."

Jothan let out a low whistle. "If you were aiming for an armament like that, I see why you stuck to those broken tools for so long. Why are the three of you even back out here doing menial tasks like this?"

"Our House is inviting merchants to the city and they want everything to be especially under control, so they offered more merits than usual for the task."

"Well, the city guard thanks you. We have the demons under control so well that it actually becomes a bit of a problem again, since people consider the work beneath them." Jothan scratched at his jaw, then shook his head. "I wish I could give you something, but you know about the guard's neutrality."

"Actually, there is one thing." Theo spoke up casually, as if it had just occurred to him, though it was one of the reasons he'd agreed to join the demon extermination. "Work at our House is a bit thin, so we're looking for other opportunities. Do you know of any other neutral institutions in the city?"

"Depends on how neutral you want, but a few. Have you heard of the Yorthin Coliseum?"

It was absurd to think that they wouldn't have, but Nauda was the first one to respond. "Of course, but I got the impression it was just an arena for the Houses to work out their problems indirectly."

"Sometimes, but they use it because the arena was built by the city itself, a long time ago." Jothan gestured toward the walls, as if that helped point out a single building among thousands. "If you actually stop by the coliseum, you'll find they have a lot of events. Many you have to pay to join, but try the tiered tournaments. They have three, up to Ruler tier, and the only requirement is being the right tier of soulcrafter."

They chatted for a while longer, Jothan apparently eager to give his opinion on various subjects, but his first suggestion remained the best. Everything Theo had heard about the Yorthin Coliseum had led him to believe it wouldn't be relevant to him until much later. He still didn't want to participate, since it would reveal too much about his soulcrafting, but the others could get real value out of it.

Eventually they said farewell to Jothan and headed back into the city proper on their sleigh. Since they had finished their task earlier than expected, Theo agreed that they could visit the coliseum. On their way, Nauda leaned over the side and pointed out a tall building with an ornate facade.

"I've never been to an auction house before." She glanced back toward him as he drove. "Is that a possibility to earn money, or have you already investigated it?"

"Not a good option. They have some serious auctions that are invitation-only, but only House representatives get to attend those. All the rest are worthless... there are no sealed bids and no one is anonymous. It seems like an ego game for people to show how wealthy they are, so you'd overpay for everything."

"How do these 'buyingwars' work?" Fiyu asked.

They had to take a while to explain the concept to her, and Theo got distracted on the exact mechanics. He was confident in his basic economic calculation, however. Given time and fund limitations, the auction was useless to him. Even if he returned later, it would annoy him to pay so much above market value.

When they drew near the Yorthin Coliseum, the rest of the path became obvious, because its outer wall towered over all the nearby buildings. He'd known it existed, but never gotten close because it lay deep within the center-most circle of the city. However, the street toward it was filled with people of all classes, so much so that they needed to slow down to avoid the wind beneath their sleigh angering anyone.

Once they got past all the pedestrians, it wasn't difficult to find a place for their sleigh. On their way inside, Theo examined the rich red stone of the walls and realized the cantae was denser than he'd thought. After a moment wondering if it would be an unnecessary lecture to his allies, he decided to state his thought anyway.

"You see this stone? It's an Authority-tier sublime material, and I think the entire arena is built out of it."

"How can you tell?" Nauda stepped out of the way of the moving crowds to peer at it closer. "When the materials don't generate cantae, they all just seem similarly dense to me. I know it's strong, but what would be the difference between Ruler-tier and Stronghold-tier bricks?"

"There's a big qualitative difference at Authority." Theo shot a quick cantae bolt at the wall and it disappeared without a trace. "Two Rulers could exert their full strength against one another and they wouldn't put a scratch on this."

Nauda experimentally thrust with her staff and the sharp ends only skated off the surface. "Huh. Could you build armor out of materials like that? For lower tiers, I mean."

"The sheer weight might make it hard to use, but I think it's been done. But such materials are strongest when in solid shapes like this and reinforced. And they're extraordinarily expensive: this building is probably worth more than several Houses combined."

"Oh!" Fiyu straightened with a smile on her face. "But since no one can chip off any of it, it is safe in public like this."

Theo nodded. "That might be why it's owned by the city neutrally, though. It probably has equally strong barrier generators, so anyone who wanted to use it as a fortress would have an advantage."

They walked in further, separating from the audience to find a desk for competitors. There, the clerk clearly had very little time for them, answering questions tersely or just thrusting a finger at a slate on the wall. It seemed that many of the rules of the Yorthin Coliseum were well-established.

As Jothan had suggested, there were scheduled tournaments for the first three soulcrafter tiers. An Archcrafter tournament actually took place in several days, though when Nauda signed up, Theo declined. Meanwhile, Fiyu investigated the first tier tournaments and decided to enroll in the biggest, over two months from that date.

"You're not joining." Nauda shifted back to stand with him while Fiyu completed her work. "Because you don't want Esaire to see what you can do?"

"Yeah. They'll be spying on me as often as possible, so I couldn't give my all in a tournament."

"And yet it's fine for us to participate?"

"Esaire won't be watching you as closely, plus he saw you both fight back on Deuxan." Theo shook his head. "It would actually be good experience, since I imagine the Archcrafter competition will be fierce. But if Esaire knows too much about me, the plan won't work."

"After the duel, then." Nauda gave him a smile that he returned, but then Fiyu joined them again.

They could have watched some of the current events, but Theo judged them to be cheap entertainment for the masses. Even a city with this many soulcrafters couldn't sustain constant competitions between them, so there were a great many other events. Many of them seemed to involve ritualized taunts, which bored Theo and confused Fiyu.

On their way back, Theo took a different route, just for the sake of further scouting. He didn't see anything that surprised him, since Norro Yorthin felt fairly familiar by now. Yet while they passed through a shadier neighborhood on their way to House Blacksilver, Nauda suddenly straightened up.

"What about gambling?" She nodded her head toward a rough-looking building with a symbol of several inscribed sticks. "You used to go earn money at it in Deuxan, so why not here?"

"I wasn't betting my life back then." He did glance over his shoulder at the gambling den before driving on. "But there's also the fact that I don't know Fithan games very well, and they seem to involve less skill and bluffing. If they're games of pure chance, then it's impossible to gain an edge without cheating, and I assume they'll have countermeasures for that."

"If the games are chance," Fiyu said carefully, "then are all the options equally probable? That does not seem fun."

"I don't think that's why a lot of people gamble, Fiyu."

Nauda shook her head and leaned back against her side of the sleigh. "You're not giving them enough credit. I've played that sticks game with some of the others at the House, and it's not pure chance. There's always the same set of sticks in the cup, so you can guess what's left."

Theo glanced back at her swiftly, nearly driving the sleigh into a rake propped up in the back of a wagon. "I figured the game was like rolling dice, because of how they throw the sticks. But they go through a whole set?"

"Yeah, each has specific symbols, then the ones that land face up are counted. You have to play with sets of ten, I think. Why, can it be cheated?"

"Not cheating, exactly..."

~ ~ ~

Several days later, when the tournament began, Theo was almost annoyed that it interrupted his work.

He'd gone over some Fithan games with Nauda and discovered that many of them were vulnerable to an equivalent of card counting. The sticks could land on several sides, so they were slightly more variable, but he developed a point system that was statistically sound. How much it could potentially earn would depend on how the local gambling houses allowed betting.

Aside from that, he'd broken up his soulcrafting with investigations into the sublime material market of their House. Unfortunately, he didn't see any opportunities that were equal to the granitebile, and though that had earned him a decent reputation, they weren't going to give him weirkey transportation just to test theories.

His most promising idea had involved certain wood technology in Aathal, but it had been taken from him by an Authority as soon as he suggested it. That was particularly disappointing, because he'd wanted a chance to go through the gate. Even though he'd confirmed that the gate didn't lead anywhere near where Khaluu's family had grown, he still wanted to return to the world. Aside from the sublime materials he might find there, it would be a nice change of pace from dusty Fithe.

Instead of doing any of that, he waited in the stands with Fiyu. The Archcrafter tournament had an absurd number of entrants, since the only requirement was having ascended, so it began with a massive melee round to filter out the majority. It hadn't begun yet, the contestants still waiting, so Fiyu scanned through the crowds in the vast arena.

"There she is!" Fiyu sat back, nodding to herself, and Theo saw Nauda where she'd indicated. "Her body feels very tense. Do you think she will win?"

"Her odds aren't good."

His statement made Fiyu frown and she extended her senses over the crowd of soulcrafters. "I believe that Nauda is very skilled. She has high quality sublime materials for her second tier."

"She does, but she isn't done soulcrafting the floor. Norro Yorthin has thousands of soulcrafters, so the competition is going to be dominated by people who are at the absolute peak of Archcrafter."

"I see. I understand the logic."

"That doesn't necessarily mean that Nauda is weaker than them, in a real sense. Some of the 'best' Archcrafters will be people who are stuck at that tier and just keep refining themselves there forever. You don't want to rush ahead, but if you just keep soulcrafting one tier you can end up in a dead end."

Fiyu bobbed her head in agreement. "I understand, but I will still cheer for Nauda."

In the end, Nauda made it through the melee, but it was surprisingly hard fought. Fiyu's "cheering" amounted to clapping or nodding her head when Nauda accomplished anything. She did make a good showing of herself, since her new staff made her binding technique immensely effective. Most of her targets were completely paralyzed by it, and he estimated the skill would only get stronger when she finished soulcrafting chambers specifically tied to the armament.

However, her binding technique was limited in its number of targets, and thus poorly suited to a melee. Nauda was bruised and bleeding by the time the final sixteen Archcrafters remained. Not only did she get an unlucky draw, chosen for the second fight, her opponent was a bad matchup, and his speed techniques eliminated her in the first round.

That was a respectable performance, but Theo knew that if someone said anything like that to him, he'd be insulted. Her opponent's taunt at the beginning of the match had been rather restrained due to her injuries, which would only rub it in. They left the stands to go down and meet Nauda, who did look a bit discouraged before she forced a grin.

"Do you have any encouragement or edification for me, oh-"

Theo cut her off with a deep bow. "The passion of your performance shook me to my core, leaving me speechless."

He hadn't been sure if that was the right approach, but her forced smile relaxed into a wry grin. Meanwhile, Fiyu fidgeted between them, beaming but also uncomfortable. "Um... Nauda. I think that you fought well. I wanted to give you physical encouragement, but the idea seems very awkward now. Um... Theo, you do it."

With that, she pushed him forward into Nauda. They both chuckled, but he gave her a hug for Fiyu's sake and then they left the arena. Even as he laughed and talked with them on the way back, he found himself thinking that if he lost, he wouldn't get such a nice ending.

Chapter 21

Even though the gambling house was one of the more reputable in the city, it was still a cesspit compared to the House complexes and competitions they'd spent most of their time in. Everyone went around armed, though common criminals wouldn't idly tangle with an Archcrafter. Many of the patrons smoked a heavy herb that left an acidic scent fogging the air. Hosts and hostesses moved among the games, implying sensuality without ever crossing the line, at least on the surface.

Theo leaned back in his chair, tapping the blank ends of his sticks against the table. He pretended to stare out the window, scratched his side, and engaged in a number of other behaviors designed to distract the other players from the fact that he was cheating.

The first component, which had served them well for the past several days, was the point system he'd created with Nauda. It was slightly more complex than counting cards, since it needed to account for the variability in how the sticks fell, but otherwise it was just a matter of following the system and betting when the odds were in his favor. In larger gambling houses that used more sticks, his advantage only increased, so he engaged in other behaviors to distract from his heavy bets at the end of the round.

His second component was careful research. He'd returned to the State of Rest and inquired about opportunities for gambling, and after rejecting a number of offers for private games, gained a decent understanding of the city's gambling houses. From that, he determined the best targets and picked nights when eyes would be focused on other events.

Of course, all his distractions paled in comparison to Fiyu, who sat across the table. When the dealer laid down another stick, she immediately peeked at the symbols on her sticks, then gave a small smile. It was such an obvious tell that he could see the other gamblers' minds turning flips as they tried to decide whether or not she was bluffing.

Her apparently simple nature had won them a massive bet of over fifty Fithan Discs in a different gambling house, since it had allowed for a glorious bluff. That had been hard to replicate, but she still did an excellent job diverting attention.

When the dealer turned to him, Theo pretended to consider before calling for another stick, which dropped onto the table with the others. They were close to a full set on the table, which was one of the highest payouts in the game, but the wager was getting too high for everyone. Instead of staying in the game and calling for more sticks, which would have increased his likelihood of winning, they began dropping out.

That was where the cheating came in. When it came to Fiyu's turn, Theo flexed the muscles of his left foot inside his shoe. Fiyu noticed without any sign of surprise, since their signals were familiar by now, but when it came to her turn, she increased the bet and called for another stick.

Communicating between them was an immense advantage, and it would have been even more effective at strategic games, but Theo had hesitated to try those. With many Ichili in the city, he was concerned that they must have a way to detect such cheating. Avoiding detection was essential to keep earning money, which had totaled to four hundred Fithan Discs. That would have attracted attention, if it hadn't been spread across several gambling dens and different nights. Nauda wasn't with them for the same reason, since their trio might be memorable even in a city like this.

"Last call." The dealer held a final stick over the board and Theo added in another Disc, trying not to think about the probability of losing everything. It was frustratingly high, but playing on high value sets like this was statistically optimal.

It landed with a red sigil up... completing the set. Across the table, Fiyu gave an audible sigh of disappointment and lowered her head, which distracted from the fact that Theo was raking in the entire pot and the set award from the dealer. Though the woman dealing cast him a slightly suspicious glance, she didn't say anything.

"Well, I should quit while my luck is good." Theo faked a laugh and levered to his feet, pretending to fumble a bit with the last Discs. That round had been worth nearly eighty Fithan Discs, his highest so far, putting his total gambling profits at nearly five hundred.

Half of what he needed to purchase the drysupernova. Though pushing harder at more gambling houses could have gotten him to the necessary sum in under a week, he judged it was best to stay cautious. Theo nodded to everyone except Fiyu, who looked deeply concerned, and stepped away from the table.

A hand settled onto his shoulder.

"We want to congratulate you on your victory, friend." There was a Fithan man standing behind him, but more importantly his hand was burning with a Ruler's cantae. It exerted no pressure, but guided him toward a side room instead of an exit. "Let us buy you a drink."

"Why not?" Theo laughed and went with them as if he was unaware it was a trap. If they were local thugs aiming to take his winnings, or just the gambling den's guards, Nauda wasn't far away and Fiyu would help. For now, best to play it cool.

As they walked toward the chamber and he got a better look at the people behind him, Theo suspected that they were not simply local soulcrafters. Two men and two women, all wearing nondescript robes that were expensively tailored. The worst case scenario would be if they were mercenaries hired by the Armeau family, intending to kill him before the duel with Esaire, but he thought it was more likely that they were representatives of a House. Given the circumstances, most likely...

"The House of Coin congratulates you." One of the women sat down on the opposite side of a low table, while the Ruler stayed at his back and encouraged him to sit. When he saw a stone plate with an elaborate golden seal, Theo slouched into the seat opposite her.

"You're not going to punish me for getting lucky, are you?" He intentionally held his soul stiff as he spoke, trying to make the words come out a bit garbled, as if he was a recent foreigner. All he got was cool stares from the cloaked group.

"There's no more need for that, Peanen of House Blacksilver." The woman folded her hands in front of her and gave him the most clinically precise smile he'd ever seen. "The House of Coin watches all of its establishments carefully for certain patterns of behavior, and we are as familiar with statistics as you are. You did well to evade notice for this many nights, but we are now certain."

Dropping the act, Theo met her gaze without blinking. "Nothing I've done is cheating." Not true, but he wasn't going to get Fiyu into any trouble, so he intended to deflect to his stick counting strategy. All he got was the same smile.

"You misunderstand me. Though we do intend to politely ask you to leave, we would like to congratulate you on your efficiency. If you were not already a member of House Blacksilver, we might invite you to work in our gambling division."

"I'm honored." While he mirrored her smile, Theo leaned back and considered his exits and whether or not he'd need to use them. "But since I can't, are we going to have a problem?"

"That is up to you." The woman set a stack of larger coins on the table and Theo realized that they were valued at exactly a hundred Fithan Discs. She slid them incrementally in his direction and gave that precise smile again. "Consider this a reward for your competence, and also a reminder not to return."

He hesitated before reaching out, half-expecting the Ruler to cut off his arm, but no one stopped him from collecting the money. That done, Theo rose carefully, beginning to believe that they really had no intention of doing anything more than threatening. Instead of leaving, he glanced over the entire group. "I suppose that's one way to do business."

"Business is indeed our concern. We do insist on maintaining certain monopolies, but for those who understand the nature of trade, mutual profit is generally ideal. Failing that, effective retaliation. Please have a pleasant day."

Realizing that his luck had been pressed much further than he'd thought, Theo left the room and then the gambling den. He found Nauda and Fiyu by the outside wall, Fiyu tracking him and Nauda looking like she intended to break through if there was a problem. When they looked to him apprehensively, he shook his head and jingled the sack of money.

"They caught on to what we were doing and politely asked us to leave. I suggest we do so."

"Not going to try again?" Nauda moved to walk alongside him as they left the neighborhood. "There are a lot of gambling dens in the city, and this has been earning you more money than anything else."

"Yes, but I don't want to cross them." Theo glanced back one more time, imagining golden eyes on his back. "I can deal with a blood vendetta from a noble family, but getting on the wrong side of merchants..."

Chapter 22

With the well of gambling profit dried up, Theo could only eye his total and hope the numbers worked out in the end.

He'd received his salary for another month, which took him a hundred and ten Fithan Discs closer. Some of his plans for Aathal had been deemed viable by House Blacksilver, but not as immediately profitable as the granitebile. Instead of a percentage, they'd given him flat payments. Combined with his ongoing income from the petalfilter work, that earned him roughly another two hundred.

So in all... only nine hundred. Over a hundred Fithan Discs short, which was no small sum.

Of course, he'd gain it in another month, but he was concerned that the drysupernova wouldn't be available by then. He almost considered gambling again, though challenging the House of Coin was clearly too risky. The others might have loaned him the money, yet he was already in their debt and they didn't have much, having purchased their own sublime materials.

One possibility was to begin selling off what assets they had, though it was a bad option that would cost them in the end. The Deuxan sleigh, for example, couldn't be easily replaced and saved them money each month. Nauda reminded him that they still had the eryo claws, which definitely had some value, but he wanted to save those for a time when he was truly desperate. His deadline might be highest priority, but a single sublime material wasn't worth losing irreplaceable assets.

If he had one skill developed on Earth, it was preventing depressing thoughts from overwhelming him completely. Despite falling short and feeling the increasing pressure, Theo didn't let up in his soulcrafting routine even slightly, throwing himself into every task he had available.

The most successful of those was his work soulcrafting a pure speed room. He'd researched the yellow crystals from the mine and discovered they were named, unsurprisingly, tornadogems. Imbued with wind as they were, they had a clear tie to concepts of speed and could definitely find a place in his soulhome.

For the first time since his return, however, he found himself having to build the room to dampen the essence of a sublime material instead of enhance it. They simply generated too much wind, clashing with his gravitational concepts of mass and pressure. So instead of placing them on an altar, he'd built a box for them out of leftover eclipsebasalt. That had contained them far too well, however, storing them inertly.

In the end, he'd forced himself to purchase some glass with his House merits, though he didn't like dropping further from his goals there. He still needed well over a thousand merits total, and his recent activities had been less successful at acquiring those than earning money.

Once he forced himself, however, the chamber came together quickly. He built a hollow cube of eclipsebasalt, then replaced the four sides with dark window panes. The top was a lid, through which he poured all the tornadogems he'd collected from the quarry. Once shielded from the rest of his soulhome, they began to spin around one another, soon forming a tornado of cantae. Their force passed through the dark window panes and was transformed into a much more palatable energy.

It all would have been much easier and cheaper if Fiyu had been able to create the glass for him, but it wasn't an option and he was actually uncertain if it was even theoretically possible. Such matters had been at the very edge of his understanding when he'd been a Stronghold, so he held the rules he remembered lighter.

In any case, the glass worked well enough for now. He had the force of a tornado inside his soulhome, and he could strengthen it simply by acquiring more tornadogems. Still, whenever he had time, he did his best to carve the walls of the room into a proper speed chamber.

He could definitely feel the results, able to move much more swiftly than he had before. When he tried sparring with Nauda, her enhanced speed was no longer overwhelming, but he still wasn't satisfied. Even if Nauda was as fast as Esaire had been before, he'd be even faster by the time of their duel. The speed chamber was a good start, but he needed more.

Which just brought him around to the same old flaw: his second floor chambers would work more efficiently if he could move his singularity upward. To do that, he needed the drysupernova, and that required the money he didn't have.

Eventually, after another mundane assignment, he realized that he needed to relax if he was going to think of a breakthrough. That had always been one of his greatest flaws, in a sense: he'd been so focused on gaining strength that he'd missed Vistgil's schemes, then so obsessed with returning to the Nine that he'd lived a miserable life on Earth. It seemed efficient only through tunnel vision, but with perspective he could see that it limited him in the end.

So instead of continuing to be unsociable, he found Nauda when she wasn't working and they both went to Fiyu's room. House Blacksilver had windowless rooms designed for Ichili, and Fiyu had customized hers since they arrived, reinforcing the door to reduce sounds and veiling all the lights. Only when checking to make sure Senka wasn't underfoot did Theo realize that he hadn't seen her recently.

"How are you, Theo?" Fiyu had been soulcrafting, but emerged to smile at him. He could only shrug.

"I need to think about something other than soulcrafting. What have the two of you been doing?"

"Mostly soulcrafting," Nauda said, but Fiyu regarded him seriously.

"I have a question, Theo. If soulcrafters do not exist on Earth, what was your profession? Were you a gambler?"

Theo coughed in surprise, struggling not to laugh. No, the only gambling he'd done had been preparation for a return, not trying to run any serious operations. "No, I wasn't a professional gambler. Honestly, I wasn't much of anything. It's not a very interesting time of my life, even though it's the majority of my life."

"It would be interesting to me." Fiyu continued staring, and he swore he could feel a supernatural sense flowing over him. "Your world seems strange to me, more strange than any one of the Nine Worlds. It is okay if you do not want to speak of it too much, but could you tell us what you did for a living?"

As the two of them watched him, Theo realized that this was very nearly a first. In his first life - no, he kept falling into that pattern, and it led him to make the wrong separations. Of all the people he had met on his journey through the Nine, essentially none had asked him much about his home. They'd treated him as if he was a brand new person, without a world that would be strange and exotic to them.

Yet he remembered his friends, and they had been vibrantly curious people. He wondered if perhaps he had been the one who had caused it, wanting to forget that he had ever lived elsewhere and exist wholly in a new life. But his silence had stretched on for too long, and they deserved an answer.

"I was an operations manager." When they both blinked at him, clearly not having heard the words he intended, he tried again. "Imagine an organization larger than a House, employing many more people and selling products over a much larger area. When a structure becomes that big, you can't just have a few leaders deciding everything. My job was managing supply chains, supervising the work of others, and maintaining quality."

Nauda stared at him with an unreadable expression and eventually shook her head. "Well, that might explain a few things about you."

"I think I understand the purpose," Fiyu said, "but I cannot imagine what your actual work would have been. Did you enjoy it?"

Theo snorted. "Not at all. At first, I was convinced that I was going back to the Nine Worlds at any moment, so I wasted my early years. When I realized it might be a long time, I took stable jobs that supported me and let me travel. It paid well enough, so I could explore my world, hoping to find a place close enough to the Nine Worlds to have a door back."

"I see." Fiyu bobbed her head as if pleased with his answer, though he thought it was a terrible one. Meanwhile, Nauda balanced her staff across her legs and tilted it back and forth, eventually coming up with a question.

"So what happens to that money, back on your world?"

"It probably stays in the bank, where I left it." Thinking about such details felt deeply wrong to him, somehow, as if he should have abandoned that life entirely. Instead of flinching away from the thoughts, as he often had, he pushed harder. That was part of his life, and ignoring it would cost him.

"And to your friends, you just disappeared?"

"Hah, as if I had real friends. If anyone thought about me, they probably assumed that I just cut them off."

Fiyu shook her head. "That is sad. It is good that you were able to return to the Nine Worlds."

"I hope it is." For a while he sat back and reflected on that, wondering just how they were connected. A very long time ago, Vistgil had spoken to him as if his old life had ended, an irrelevant prologue before his true life began.

Now it was clear that those words had been meant to manipulate him, but how? Vistgil must need people from Earth for some reason, which meant he had to keep them ignorant. The problem was, Theo couldn't think of anything he'd done before that was so important that someone else couldn't have done it. Surely someone as powerful as Vistgil could do his own dirty work. What he needed to remember was that Earth did matter, somehow, or there wouldn't be traps set up to destroy him.

Realizing that he'd fallen into his thoughts again, Theo smiled at both of them. "One thing I can say: I'm glad I'm here, and I'm glad I met you. This is my third shot at life, and I'd like to get it right this time."

Nauda smiled and touched his arm. Fiyu bobbed her head pleasantly. Senka slid out from underneath the bed and screeched, "Senka too, Senka too!"

All of them flinched in surprise, and Theo very nearly flattened her into a puddle. Not out of panic, but because he really didn't want to deal with her at the moment. Before he could decide whether or not to do it anyway, Senka suddenly thrust a large sack against his chest.

"Senka stole this for you!"

He looked down to see what junk she'd taken this time, hoping that it contained some money or items of decent value. But to his surprise, the entire sack was filled with Fithan Discs, not a single piece of trash in sight. After quickly calculating the value at over a hundred total, he looked up to Senka, only to find her staring at him with unusual intensity.

"Senka doesn't want you to hate Senka. Senka isn't a Senkahead all the time."

Theo met her gaze, wondering if there was really something there. "Senka, you..."

"Sporp!" She abruptly flopped backwards against Nauda's legs, then tried to chew on the end of her staff. When Nauda pulled it away, she began to thrash on her back and wail. The abrupt shift left all of them staring at her, not quite sure how to take it.

In the end, Theo hefted the sack. "There's enough here. If you meant to do that, Senka, thank you."

"Give Senka yummies right now!"

While Fiyu tried to console her, Nauda instead stepped closer. "Are you going to buy it tomorrow, or...?"

"Right now." He saw her expression and grinned in response. "I might have worked a very boring job, but I know something about doing things efficiently. If this works out, I'll be unsociable again for a while."

"Just so long as you keep your ultimate goals in mind."

She let him go, so Theo rushed to take the sleigh. A cynical part of his mind was convinced that the drysupernova would have been purchased just before he arrived, or someone would attack him on the way, or Vistgil himself would descend from the sky. None of those happened: he simply walked into the store, purchased the drysupernova from a polite clerk, and left.

He toyed with it all the way back, marveling at the power burning within. Though he was certain it would fulfill its most basic purpose, he wasn't sure how much of the cantae would be lost in the process. This was one of the points of his blueprint he wasn't completely satisfied with, since he'd been dependent on Brigana's design for a core and was trying to rework from first principles.

Back in the Blacksilver complex, he locked his door and practically leapt into his soulhome. It actually hadn't been so long since he'd been forcing work on his speed chamber, exhausted, yet the short time with the others left him rejuvenated. That, and the potential for a breakthrough.

First, he pulled the singularity up as high as it would go, the space between floors. Then he set the drysupernova hovering in the center of the shaft, which it did easily. It really was a remarkable sublime material, ready to explode and begin generating immense energy. What he needed to do was subvert all of that, make sure that the energy didn't damage his soulhome but did leave the glossy black residue like before.

Though he started with the old model, something about it felt wrong, so he prepared his own plans. This wasn't kindling a heart chamber for the first time, after all, but expanding on top of the singularity he already had. After considering every angle as well as he could, Theo took a deep breath and let cantae flow into the drysupernova.

This time he had a split second view of an explosion before his back smashed against the wall of his second floor, blinded by stars. He staggered upright, struggling to blink them away, trying to see the results properly.

His fingers touched the obsidian-like stone before his eyes recovered, and he let himself smile. The central chamber had been dark eclipsebasalt before, but now instead of rough stone, all the walls were glossy. Some of the explosion had made it into the outer rooms as well, coating parts of the walls. That might be a problem later, until he found a way to work the strange stone, but he couldn't bring himself to care.

Because his singularity pulsed more powerfully than before. Not only had it survived the explosion, it seemed to have absorbed most of the cantae, growing far denser than before.

This time, when he pulled it to the center of his second floor, his soulhome held firm. The power flowed throughout every chamber more intensely than before. He had the heart chamber he needed, now it was just a matter of putting it to use.

Chapter 23

Though Theo was mostly glad when they had a second chance at the quarry competition run by House Teal, it also reminded him that he had less than three months left. Half his time before the duel had elapsed, and though he'd made significant progress, "significant" was the bare minimum he needed to survive.

As they headed out to the quarry, Nauda was chatting cheerfully, tossing her staff from hand to hand. Both of them were eager to test themselves against the whirlwind again, though via different means. By contrast, Fiyu had sat still and silent the entire time, even her eyes closed. When they drew nearer, she finally spoke.

"Do we know what the top prize is this month?"

"Not sure." Nauda glanced back at her, grin fading. "Are you going to try to win?"

"I would like to try." Fiyu's expression shifted to a shy smile. "I think I can. I thought my perception chamber was perfect, but I have been inspired to make improvements. This will be a good test."

"Wait for the prize announcement," Theo suggested, "and then decide whether or not it's worth it. You can still test yourself and then stop at the last second, like we did."

"Yes, but I think you and Nauda will benefit more from it than I will. If you do not need me to collect tornadogems, I would like to win the trial. It is very noisy and disruptive out here."

That was fair enough, and since only one of them could win each month, it didn't hurt to start. He suspected that he and Nauda could gain much more from the trial itself, unless the prize was ever something truly valuable. Given the state of House Teal, he suspected it wasn't likely, though it was always possible they'd sell off something from their vaults...

Then he caught sight of the quarry and other thoughts fell away. A Deuxan sleigh sat near the entrance, and Esaire leaned against it.

All conversation ceased, and only discipline kept Theo on his path. Here, in front of so many witnesses, Esaire couldn't possibly be attempting an assassination. More likely it was a challenge, which had its own risks and potential benefits. Deciding to pretend he didn't care, Theo stopped the sleigh not far away and stepped out without even acknowledging him.

"I'm impressed you haven't run off again." Esaire kept pace with him, ignoring the other two. "Or do you just understand that we'll keep following you?"

"You're a few months early for a duel." Theo looked back at him without expression, trying to parse the exact emotions he saw in the other man's face. There was anger, but tightly controlled, not in control of him.

"My grandfather heard that you failed this training course last time, so I figured you'd try again. Just a little friendly competition."

Since any answer would be useless, Theo didn't bother, just accepting that he might not get the training he'd wanted this time. He thought that this might work out in his favor, since the training course and its prize would be useless to Esaire. Talented soulcrafters with an organization behind them didn't often make mistakes, so this was an opportunity... provided that Esaire didn't pull off something else.

"Everyone, attend to me!" It was the same official from House Teal as the previous month, Lady Baryara, spouting the same vainglorious platitudes.

Tuning her out, Theo instead examined Esaire from the corner of his eyes. Though Esaire felt like an Archcrafter, Theo suspected that he had had already ascended and built a shielding wall. His clothing was immaculate, of course, but the strangest thing was that he wore a Deuxan dueling blade at his hip. Previously he'd used gloves that were a powerful armament, yet Theo didn't see them.

They might be hidden, but it was a curious choice. Given that they knew Theo fought at range, it would have been logical to try to close the distance and use the gloves to tear him apart. Then again, perhaps Esaire had decided he needed range as well, or was worried about direct contact with Theo's abilities.

At the end of her speech, Lady Baryara announced the prize: a sublime material called a mistsphere. Fiyu perked up, but then tugged on his sleeve and whispered.

"I would like the prize, but should I stay to help you?"

"No, go for the top." Theo shot a quick glance at Esaire, who didn't seem to be listening, and then leaned back to her. "I think Esaire wants to win, but I suspect he also wants to attack me. That will give you a chance, and it might work against him."

"Okay, I will do this. Be safe."

Not long after, Lady Baryara sounded the beginning of the match. Esaire drew his sword with a flourish, turning on Theo... who promptly leapt down the side of the quarry into the whirlwind.

He was moving far faster than intended, fragments of stone whizzing around him, yet he mostly kept up. A few did manage to strike him on the way down, but they no longer moved so quickly that his eyes couldn't track them. It would be more difficult around the central mountain, but his main intent was to put space between himself and Esaire to spread out the fight.

When he looked up, he struggled to see through the full whirlwind... yet he soon saw Fiyu. She walked calmly down the side of the quarry, gracefully stepping aside from each stone that spun her way. It was nothing like Tythes's indifferent evasion, but instead a surprisingly elegant dance. Such choreography would be impossible with pure reaction time: she must be feeling each and every stone in the quarry and planning her route to spin around them.

Nauda slid down the slope quickly, only knocking aside a few rocks on her way to him. She glanced at Fiyu, then upwards. "Looks like Fiyu will be fine, but Esaire is right behind me. Want help?"

"Let him fight me." Theo flexed his fingers and prepared his cantae. "Step in if he tries to inflict permanent injury, but otherwise stay wary. I don't think he'd do something like targeting Fiyu, but we should be ready."

He was going to say more, but at that moment Esaire descended through the storm. His body was cloaked in a sapphire aura that burned with a Ruler's cantae, against which rocks shattered into harmless fragments. As he landed, Theo gestured to his own eyes, hoping that Nauda would understand. She nodded and stepped back, but then he needed to focus on Esaire.

The first lunge was blindingly fast, and it would have skewered him if not for his new speed chamber. As soon as he dodged, Theo dropped a reverse gravitational field over both of them as he leapt back. Esaire flinched as he started to rise, while Theo returned to the ground.

Unfortunately, Esaire immediately shifted the nature of the aura around him, again resisting gravity and returning to the ground. To do so he needed to drop the defensive shield, though Theo was immediately skeptical of that switch. Was he trying to deceive Theo into thinking that he could only manage one, as preparation for the duel?

In any case, the few rocks whirling around the bottom of the quarry seemed to be no threat to Esaire at all, since he stepped aside from them without even taking his eyes off his opponent. As that opponent, Theo realized that he had a difficult fight on his hands, since the rocks were still a threat to him. Even with Esaire having his back to the coming rocks, this would be difficult.

"You did kill Delarde, didn't you?" Esaire raised his sword to a thrusting position, but held that stance. "Tell me the truth."

"I didn't do it with my own hands, but when he attacked us, I fought back." Though he wasn't sure what he saw in his opponent's face, Theo decided to go with honesty. "You must have known he'd made enemies."

"Delarde had his flaws, but he was my friend." Esaire crept another step forward, eyes remaining calm. "If it had just been self-defense, I might have let you run. But when I learned what sort of person you are, I decided that I needed to end this."

"And just what do you know about who I am? Why would the Armeau family chase me this far?"

"There's no point talking to you anymore."

Another rush, but this time Theo was ready, leaping aside from the thrust. It transformed into a slash with startling speed and he barely leaned back in time. He tried to cast a gravitational torsion field into his opponent's torso, but Esaire pushed through it, kicking him in the chest.

Theo flew into the air, temporarily caught in the whirlwind, but Esaire leapt after him even faster. Instead of trying to strike back, Theo focused on dodging. He brought himself back to the ground sooner than normal with a gravitational field, dodging just under another thrust. As soon as he hit the ground, he sprang upward with reverse gravity, taking him through the whirlwind again.

Esaire frowned, perhaps realizing that his defensive aura meant he couldn't feel what gravitational fields Theo was using. Between them, the other contestants stared, set up defenses, or tried to take cover despite the fight going on around them. Nauda stood near the center, watching carefully.

When Theo's gaze shifted away, Esaire's cantae flared. Theo moved on instinct but the sword still pierced through the side of his arm. Esaire was no longer holding back, and his full speed was overwhelming.

A blow slammed into the side of Theo's head and he hit the ground, too disoriented to generate any more fields. Esaire immediately leapt above him with a foot on his chest, his sword positioned overhead. It first targeted his head, but Esaire hesitated a moment, then aimed it for his shoulder instead.

Nauda struck from behind, a pulse nullifying Esaire's cantae aura and then her staff slamming into his arm. He cried out in pain and staggered... but only one step.

Theo scrambled back to his feet, watching Esaire. That blow had contained Nauda's full strength, and it would have shattered the bones of most soulcrafters, but the way Esaire flexed the arm, he obviously retained its full use. He wasn't just a Ruler, he'd moved further along with his blueprint. Truthfully, Theo didn't like the odds even with the three of them fighting together.

"I have won." Fiyu spoke softly, barely audible over the wind. Esaire turned to her as if surprised and saw her standing just above the whirlwind, the mistsphere in one hand... and cantae flickering in the other.

For several heartbeats, Theo thought that Esaire might try to attack them all anyway. Then he snorted derisively and sheathed his sword again, turning his full attention to Theo.

"You won't be able to rely on anyone else when it's time for our duel." He switched back to his defensive aura and leapt from the quarry in a single bound, shattering through rocks in the way.

Once he was gone, Theo breathed a sigh of relief, which was a strange thing to do at the bottom of a tornado creating a vortex of sharp rocks. He was glad that Esaire hadn't pressed the matter, but even more glad that he'd left. Their fight hadn't taken very much time, so they could still make use of the opportunity to train.

Nauda watched for a possible return while Fiyu moved down to them, again easily evading the rocks. Once she arrived, they found a corner of the quarry partially shielded from the wind and huddled close enough to speak.

"I spent the entire fight trying to use my telescope," Nauda began. "His control is excellent, but you managed to create a few openings. Esaire is a Ruler now, but you obviously know that."

"He's too fast." Theo tried to bind the injury on his arm, which would definitely need healing but wasn't overly deep. "What I'm afraid of is what else he might have in store."

"His second floor is strange, all of it dedicated to a single complex room."

"Probably a Corporeal Floor, which will transform him physically."

"That was my impression, and it explains how his body alone shrugged off such a solid hit from me." Nauda frowned to herself, but soon continued. "Anyway, his third floor has a completely soulcrafted interior, but it's empty. I couldn't tell anything about it from the layout alone. So he had three full floors of cantae, but no new techniques."

"For now. We'll see how much has changed in another three months."

"Will you be okay?" Fiyu asked. "You've soulcrafted faster, but he will have so many advantages. I hope you are not discouraged by today, but I would be discouraged."

"Actually, this is a good thing." Theo smiled at the two of them and he didn't have to fake it. "Attacking me now was honestly a bit childish, because it just gave me more experience against him. Now, let's get to work and try to take as many of those tornadogems as possible."

Though everything he said was true, as Theo began to train his reflexes again, his mood declined. This attack might have been a tactical error on Esaire's part, but he was no fool. For Theo to win, he needed to overcome an opponent who had massive resources behind him and likely a decade of soulcrafting more than him.

If he was gambling on the fight, he wouldn't like his odds.

Chapter 24

It had only been a few days since the fight at the quarry, but Nauda still fumed every time she began soulcrafting. From one perspective, that made no sense, because Esaire didn't care about her in the slightest. Yet she had delivered a perfect hit to his arm, believing that she would slow his progress before the duel, and he had nearly shrugged it off.

Perhaps she was simply seeing the limits of Archcrafter, though there was still so much that needed to be done. In retrospect, she wished that she had built her barrier chamber in a different place so that its cantae could flow upward to reinforce another chamber. Theo's design was entirely based on such principles, and when she'd spoken to Fiyu, her blueprint had similar plans. Yet there was no time to stop and remodel, not with so many monsters above her.

Especially Tythes. She hadn't spoken to the others about it, but their previous meeting at the quarry had unnerved her. The Authority had held eye contact for a moment too long, making clear that he truly remembered her. Though it would be incredibly petty for him to hate her for standing up to him, Tythes seemed like a petty man.

Which might mean yet another Authority-tier soulcrafter potentially standing in her path. Nauda sighed and continued stacking bricks on the tower beside her main soulhome. She'd used some of her merits to purchase good sublime materials, both for stone and mortar. Being able to rely on a House's resources was certainly convenient in some ways, and if not for the threats hanging over them, she might have been happy.

There had been a time when she'd thought soulcrafting all the Archcrafter materials she'd been storing in her soul would make her impossibly strong. And they certainly had strengthened her, just not enough. She'd only been an Archcrafter for less than a year, and in the tournament she'd fought others with decades of experience, but the fact was that she had lost.

Here, that didn't matter. But in her home, losing meant death.

By the time she finished the second floor of her tower, Nauda was spiritually exhausted. She still hadn't made full use of the tower Theo had helped her create: it was suited for a single highly focused technique, but she didn't have the right sublime materials. That was always the problem.

Dragging her weary body back to her main soulhome, Nauda examined the sublime materials they'd recovered from the eryo again. If she could somehow make use of them, they'd strengthen her immensely, but the materials threatened to demolish her soulhome if she didn't keep them in safe storage. Abruptly she realized that she was falling into the same pattern, relying on future sublime materials to save her, and returned to the real world.

As always, it was disorienting to go from an exhausted spiritual form to her physical body, which brimmed with strength. Soulcrafting was deeply physical work, so her muscles there burned in the same way they did after real world training, yet those sensations vanished like spirits.

She'd almost forgotten that Theo was soulcrafting in the same courtyard, she'd been inside so long. Instead of getting his attention physically, she touched his knee and used her telescope to shift into his soulhome. Since she wasn't truly there, just an attentive presence, she didn't feel any exhaustion. Instead of the rich tactile feelings of her own soul, she floated as hazy fire, able to drift in all directions.

"Yeah?" Theo's voice echoed from within his second floor. It was solid, so she couldn't see him, but within his soul of course he knew her presence.

"Taking a break," Nauda said. She couldn't simply push into his soulhome, so she drifted up to enter via the hole in the roof.

It wasn't just a hole anymore, she realized. Theo had built a shutter-like structure that opened upward, and though it was probably just a temporary construct because it was made from local stone, it made her reconsider his soulhome. Normally cantae for techniques was released through windows or doors, but could it be released from the roof? She saw no reason why not, and now that she floated overhead, she felt as though his entire soulhome was a weapon being aimed at her.

Floating down the central shaft, Nauda found Theo working away at his tornadogem container again, sublime materials spread all around him. He worked with a furious intensity, but managed to look up at her seriously.

"Anything the matter, or just wanted to talk?"

"I feel like I have the opposite problem you do." Nauda tried to lean back against the wall, but her body merely slipped along it. "You have too much to do and not enough time. For me, I finally have most of what I want, and I feel like I'm not using my time well."

"You could always consider a remodel of your first floor, or further refine your rooms." Theo glanced up from his work, and though he might not be able to see her expression well in this form, he seemed to understand. "But that isn't what you're looking for, is it?"

"No. You're bending your entire Archcrafter floor to a single technique, and even if Fiyu is stalling, she's in an excellent position for when she ascends. I need to find something more dramatic to soulcraft, just in case things go bad."

"Well, there's always a shielding wall. Your two-sectioned soulhome should already have expanded the boundaries of your soul enough, so you could begin on that. It's a lot of work, but it's worth it."

"You're not building one."

"Because I have a duel to the death in less than three months." He hesitated slightly in his work, then shrugged. "Not technically to the death, but you know what I mean."

She did, and she thought he was thinking about the problem the right way, but that didn't mean that she agreed with his other conclusions. "I'm not sure a shielding wall is worth it. Being able to pretend I'm a first tier soulcrafter isn't worth very much, and even if I went overboard and built it two stories tall, how well could I pretend to be an ordinary person?"

"If you soulcraft the wall well enough, it's possible."

"I mean the fact that I'm carrying a powerful armament and spending all my time with soulcrafters."

That got a slight chuckle from him. "Okay, fair enough. But shielding walls can do more than just hide your strength. They can resist observation techniques, and most importantly they'll defend your soulhome from serious damage if things go wrong. With the right wall, you could drink undiluted granitebile harmlessly."

"I see your point, but I don't see how it will matter in most situations." Nauda tightened a fist, feeling the tension through her arm even in spirit form. "Maybe that would matter while fighting other Archcrafters trying to injure me, but how often will that be relevant? If a single Authority or worse decides to kill or cripple me, they'll tear straight through the shield wall."

Finally Theo looked up at her for more than a moment, seeing past the immediate soulcrafting questions to her true concerns. He didn't answer right away, which she appreciated about him - the Theo who strode forward confident in everything was different from the Theo who waited. When he started to open his mouth to answer, however, there was a disruption in the real world.

"Hey! Hey, fumpets! Stop sporping around and pay attention to Senka!"

Theo growled in irritation, so Nauda waved a hand. "I'll take care of it." A moment later, she was back in her body, watching Senka attempt to shove a flagstone into Theo's hazy body.

"Senka, where did you get that?"

"From the ground, silly gurfoop." Senka turned and tried to push the flagstone into her body instead, so Nauda took it from her, which stopped her for only a moment before she pulled more things from her filthy dress. "Senka also founded these!"

A piece of moldy bread and some Fithan Discs. Nauda sighed and took Senka by the shoulders to force her to stand still. "Senka, you need to stop stealing things. Even if you don't care that it's wrong, you're going to steal from the wrong person someday and get us all in trouble."

"Senka wouldn't steal! Senka just founded stuff!"

"You very proudly told Theo that you stole all that money before."

"Nu-uh! Stop lying like a lying liar! Senka wouldn't do that!" Her pronouncement complete, Senka wriggled out of her grip and moved into a corner to sulk.

Sighing, Nauda watched her for a while, as if that would get her any closer to answers. Theo seemed content with his explanation that she was an outsider broken by her transition, and he was probably right, but Nauda remained dissatisfied. Yes, Senka had been overall helpful to them despite her obnoxiousness. That didn't mean she liked having the question in the back of her mind.

Before Senka could finish her sulk, which never took long, the courtyard door opened again. This time it was Fiyu, and Nauda immediately smiled, but the other woman looked unusually nervous. Not upset or panicking, just anxious. Theo emerged from his soulcrafting before she started to speak.

"I have been negotiating with House Blacksilver organizers for many months." There was a bit of satisfaction in Fiyu's tone, despite her anxiousness. "I knew our best chance to use the gate to Ichil was a long assignment, but they did not want to give me one. There are other Ichili who are stronger soulcrafters, and more experienced in this region."

"But they offered?" Theo asked, and Fiyu immediately nodded.

"Yes! It is a long assignment that will allow us to travel far, deep enough for me to send a message to my relative. Though it will be dangerous, I believe that we could do it... if you are willing to join me."

"Of course we will!" Nauda surged to her feet and had to restrain herself from getting too close, but Fiyu heard her tone and beamed back at her.

"In that case, we need to leave in less than a day. They only gave me the opportunity because of an accident, so I fear they could take it away again. Let us go as soon as possible."

A day later, the three of them packed their things and departed to Ichil.

Chapter 25

Passing through the gate didn't immediately plunge them into darkness, because the gate itself shone with the light of Fithe. When Theo glanced over his shoulder, the arch looked garishly red in the dark landscape. Large walls had been built around it to contain the light, as otherwise it would have made itself a target, for sublime beasts or other forces.

Given the force of soulcrafters they had on the other side, however, he doubted it would be attacked by anyone intelligent. The walls around the gate were only the first part of a small fortress, though it seemed like most lived on the Fithan side. They had a Fithan Ruler to provide raw power, while Ichili soulcrafters used their skills to control the local environment.

As for the Greater Dark itself, it wasn't a region of Ichil he'd visited before, but it was broadly similar. Whatever else you might say about Ichili location names, you had to admit: they were descriptive. Outside the small circle of light leaking from the fortress, he saw nothing but darkness in all directions.

Within that light, he could make out a few other details. The sky was unrelieved dark gray, textureless like a day without clouds, no sun or stars to shed light. Below, the ground was actually varying pale shades, more white than black, but they all looked the same further out in the darkness. If he'd had Ichili senses, he would have been able to determine something about about the space beneath the ground, though the region didn't seem like it had rivers or caverns.

"We now begin a long journey." Fiyu had told them plenty of things during their preparations, but it was tradition to speak about the journey before it began. "This is the Greater Dark, which is a dangerous region of my world. It will require many days to cross even a small fraction of it. First we must locate a cavesteader community that trades sublime materials with Fithe, then perhaps a day beyond that, an outpost that contains a Biolumin Relay."

Theo had been double-checking the straps that tied down their supplies, both for security and to make Fiyu more comfortable, but looked up at that. "You don't know the exact travel times?"

"I do not, because the journey has never been taken in a vehicle like ours. It is said to take over two months by wagons, but our sleigh will pass over certain obstacles. We may also need to stop at times due to weather." She smiled and bobbed her head at him. "But do not worry, Theo. I have been given highly precise bearings for each stage of the journey, so only our travel time is uncertain."

He'd have to hope they beat that estimate by a lot, otherwise they'd miss out on other opportunities in Norro Yorthin. If things went horribly wrong and they thought he was trying to avoid his duel, that would be bad for House Blacksilver and soon worse for him. But his primary concern was simply the amount of time it took: the journey was worth a massive 375 merits, but the true value of it would decrease with every week they couldn't work in the city. He hoped the other opportunities would be worth it.

"It is absolutely essential that we remain silent and do not generate indiscriminate light. I will apply my stealth technique while I am awake, which should absorb quiet conversation between us, but it cannot effectively hide lights. House Blacksilver has loaned us obscuring tents and unidirectional lanterns for when lights may be absolutely necessary."

"How do we navigate if we get off track?" Nauda was staring skyward, eyes unfocused in the emptiness. "I don't see any landmarks away from the gate..."

"Do not worry, Nauda. My senses will be sufficient to keep us on the proper path, and likely to avoid all potential danger. I hope that this journey will be a quiet one, during which we can all soulcraft in a peaceful environment."

Having completed her speech, Fiyu checked over the sleigh as was customary, then climbed into the front seat to begin the journey. All the supplies were fine, so Theo hopped behind them, while Nauda remained in the middle. She leaned on the side of the vehicle, peering out into the darkness, increasingly squinting as they pulled away from the gate.

Relaxing in his seat, Theo just closed his eyes. On his previous visits to Ichil, he'd found that keeping his eyes open caused strain as they searched for light, but with them closed, his body seemed to expect more darkness. He did his best to feel all the cantae in the area, though it was a cheap imitation of a proper extended sense. It would be enough for some warning if they were attacked and not much more.

Under normal circumstances, he would have begun soulcrafting a chamber to grant him an extrasensory capacity immediately, especially because it would be beneficial even in other worlds. Unfortunately, it wouldn't be useful in a duel, so it had to wait.

He reflected that it wouldn't be the first time he handicapped himself in the present in return for future strength, but it would definitely be the most obvious. But there were speed chambers to soulcraft, so there was no time to waste. Theo settled back into his seat and closed his eyes as they glided into the darkness.

~ ~ ~

When they'd begun the journey, Nauda was certain that she could endure the new environment. In fact, she'd been most concerned that the endless darkness would be boring, since there was nothing to see. But as day after day wore on, the shadows clawed down her throat and began to consume her.

It wasn't truly endless darkness, since she could use a lantern within their tent when they were forced to stop. A strangely heavy rain passed through on occasion, which Fiyu said would be harmful to the sleigh, so they stopped and put a tarp over it while the rest of them occupied tents. Since the thick material blocked all light, she was free to bring out one of the cantae lamps and fill the tent with light.

Somehow, that was even worse. It let her read, and her eyes relaxed from the aching dark, but the tent walls in every direction just reminded her that she occupied an insignificant mote of light. All around, the dark closed in, and she could only huddle in a claustrophobic little space.

She thought that soulcrafting would be her refuge, and she could do so if wrapped in obscuring cloth. Yet even her soul seemed to be dimmed by the environment, lacking a vibrancy she'd always taken for granted. The false light within her only made returning to the darkness outside even worse. Though she made herself continue working, the pale light inside her soul grew increasingly oppressive.

As they again slid forward into the absolute black, Nauda felt almost as if they weren't moving at all. If not for the wind in her hair, she could have been suspending in nothingness, trapped in a void where movement had no meaning. She raised her hands in front of her face even though she knew that she'd see nothing. Nauda closed her eyes and rubbed the lids, because the flashes of light were better than nothing.

Had she ever been in this much darkness for so long? The upper part of Tatian was constantly lit by warm light, but even the Tatian below was lit by undying fires. She'd spent some time in dungeons where there were only tiny vents that let in light, but those felt like bright paradises compared to this.

No matter how many times she told herself it was just a long night, the utter void sank into her and putrefied. Her thoughts began to twist as if they were no longer under her control, leaving her shuddering with strange nightmares. And yet she couldn't say anything, because...

"Oh! It is a herd of dullspines!" The front of the sleigh creaked as if Fiyu had moved, and after she slowed them to a halt, her hands clapped together. "They are so beautiful... but you cannot see them, can you? Dullspines are great round beasts, with intricate spines they use defensively. We should stop until they pass, or we may encounter predators."

Even unable to see her, Nauda could feel the happiness vibrating through Fiyu's being. Though not exactly outgoing, she had been so much more vibrant and less withdrawn than in the city. And she took such care to try to help Nauda, bringing her everything she needed, that it felt crass to complain. This was Fiyu's world, after all, and she dearly loved her home.

"I must go scout and see how large the herd is. Please wait for me." Something shifted by the front of the sleigh, possibly Fiyu leaving, but Nauda couldn't translate the sounds. The only reason she knew Fiyu had moved away was that she felt the sphere of the other woman's cantae pass through her.

After a little more time had passed, Nauda climbed back over her seat, moving purely by feel. That nearly made her collide with Theo, but he seemed to have a slightly better sense for the darkness than she did and shifted away. Which wasn't what she'd wanted, though just as well that they spoke about it.

"Theo, I'm... not sure I'm okay." Her whisper sounded painfully hoarse in her ears, and she wanted a drink of water, but her flask was lost somewhere in the darkness ahead. "There's not enough light, and I haven't touched anyone in so long... you won't misunderstand if I say I need something, right?"

"I think I understand." Theo patted her arm and she quickly sat beside him, putting her back against his chest. Just feeling his body heat made her realize that she was cold, too, colder than just the environment should suggest.

"Sorry, I just... I've never felt like this. It's like it's getting into my head..."

"You don't need to apologize." He shifted his arm so she could sit more comfortably and just stayed there for her for a while before he spoke. "In my world, there are some who suffer mentally in periods without light. You might be suffering something worse, given the difference between Tatian and Ichil."

"Could we soulcraft a way through it?"

"I've never felt the same way, so I don't have an immediate solution. In theory we could figure out something, but we'd need to know more about what's happening, and I don't have a lot of different sublime materials on hand."

She'd been afraid of that, so she just dropped her head back against him. Somehow the darkness didn't seem to be bothering him - he couldn't see any better than she could, but he just adapted. Almost like he wasn't human... which, in a sense, he wasn't. He was an alien being from another realm she'd only heard about in his stories, apparently so alien that passing over had destroyed his soul.

For now, she would accept the warm alien. Being able to touch another person helped, but she was now certain that it wasn't enough. As her eyes strained in the shadows, her mind finally wandered from herself. "Do you... do you think this is how Fiyu felt on Tatian?"

"It's possible." Theo was silent for a time, giving her shoulder a friendly squeeze, before eventually speaking. "It wouldn't surprise me if Fiyu has been suffering from light overexposure of some kind. The window I helped her soulcraft would reduce the shock, but it probably doesn't help any mental effects."

"I thought that I'd enjoy visiting Fiyu's world, but this..."

"This is only your first visit. Before the next time, you can soulcraft something to help you through it."

When Theo said it so confidently, and she felt warm and part of a community, she could believe it. But Nauda knew that the dark would wait forever until it could close in around her.

~ ~ ~

Returning to Ichil was glorious, the cool quiet atmosphere enfolding Fiyu like comforting blankets. Though the mask that Ally Navim had created for her was not uncomfortable, it felt miraculous to be able to remove it and not be assaulted on all sides.

The clouds of the Greater Dark roiled overhead, so substantial she could almost taste their currents. Occasionally a vast but thin beast floated on those waves, bending against itself in a beautiful spiral when it wanted to drop. Encountering a completely unknown beast should have been alarming, but it seemed like a peaceful grazer and she enjoyed simply feeling them hang overhead. Around them, the stone formed twisting spires and vents of darkness curled into the sky intricately. In a sense, all that bright torture had been worth it, since it deepened her appreciation for her home a thousandfold.

And yet... her joy could not be complete, because she knew her companions were not equally happy. She had fully expected there to be some discomfort as they adjusted, yet she knew them to be resilient people and hoped that it would soon pass. Then their traveling group could continue together, with her leading them, and she could show them her home.

Companion Nauda had it worst, shivering miserably even when it wasn't cold and constantly shifting her head as if searching for light. In the beginning she had relaxed in the sleigh, but as the journey continued, her muscles grew increasingly tense. Her neck was held unnaturally stiff, and she sat so awkwardly it had caused a muscle spasm in her thigh. She wouldn't complain, at least not to Fiyu directly, but she was clearly unhappy.

By contrast, Companion Theo seemed largely unaffected by the environment. Perhaps it was because he had traveled in Ichil before, or perhaps because his world was not so bright. Most of the time, his muscles were relaxed and only his soul remained intense, seeking for threats. Yet occasionally, when he moved unnaturally slowly or fumbled for the objects in his pack, she remembered that he was completely blind.

Even though it was not strictly necessary, Fiyu decided to call a halt. She eagerly set up their tents, all three in a row, just like traveling companions should be. Though she picked a spot next to a particularly beautiful set of stone spines carved by the wind, she realized that her companions couldn't see them. Theo made his way alongside the sleigh to his, only stumbling a little on the ground, but Companion Nauda remained where she sat.

"Nauda, you can rest now." Fiyu stepped beside her, speaking quietly so as not to startle her. "I have put your lantern in your tent. You can use the light now."

"Thank you, Fiyu." Companion Nauda smiled at her instinctively, but only a few muscles in her face shifted. Even though it was too dark to be seen, Companion Nauda was still attempting to be encouraging.

For a moment, Fiyu felt an impulse to embrace the other woman, to do something to comfort her. She knew that on Tatian, such a thing would be completely normal, and Companion Nauda would no doubt appreciate it. Yet it felt wrong... instead, Fiyu reached out and brushed Companion Nauda's wrist before grabbing her sleeve.

"Follow me. Be careful with the bush just to your left." Fiyu led Companion Nauda toward her tent, as she had so often been led through the cities.

As soon as she was inside, even before the double flaps had closed, Companion Nauda flooded the lantern with cantae, producing so much light it nearly overwhelmed the tent. Fragments of it flashed into the Greater Dark, shocking in their intensity. Fiyu carefully scanned the environment for any movement, but she thought the light had flared too briefly to attract anything.

It was time for her to take action. Her plan might not be adequate, but she did have a plan. Fiyu walked to the sleigh and pulled up the pack she had placed below the front seat, opening one of the hidden compartments. Within, she had stored a number of things that she hoped might help.

She carefully returned to the tent, preparing the outer flap to shield the light. For a moment she almost forgot her mask, at the last moment withdrawing it from her robes to place on properly. Then she ducked under the outer flap and pushed into the burning dome.

"Nauda, I have something for you." Fiyu gave her brightest smile and set a small package down in front of her. "This is dried flamefruit. I hope that you will enjoy it."

"From Tatian?" Companion Nauda stared at her in surprise, then snatched it up and tore it open to get a bite. Immediately after she let out a sigh. "It is... how did you get this?"

"I purchased it the last time we were in Nlukoko. It was part of our supplies, but I saved it until now."

"Thank you, Fiyu." Though Companion Nauda smiled, and this movement did reach the muscles beside her eyes, she drew her arms closer to her body. As if the taste of home had also reminded her of the temperature.

"You are cold! I will get a blanket." Fiyu swept back out of the tent before Companion Nauda could object, scurrying back to the sleigh to pick up one of the reserve blankets.

If she had known how cold they would be, she would have advised them to bring even more clothes, but she had taken precautions with extra blankets. Hopefully this one would help Companion Nauda. Fiyu again tapped on the outside of the tent, then ducked inside and placed the blanket in front of the other woman... no, on her folded legs. That would be more personal.

"Here you go, Nauda. This will help you be warm."

Companion Nauda did wrap it around her shoulders, though she also gave an odd smile. "Are you not cold?"

"Some parts of Ichil are very cold, but this is not." Fiyu frowned and shook her head. "At least, not for me. Fortunately, we do not have to journey anywhere like the Deep Ice for this trip. If we do, I will advise you to bring many clothes and blankets."

"Well, thank you, Fiyu. This helps."

Uncertain if her presence would also help or only make Companion Nauda more uncomfortable, Fiyu lingered awkwardly and then eventually slipped out of the tent. Though the fabric absorbed nearly all the light, she could sense a nearly imperceptible brightness, so she walked some distance away until she could face true shadows.

They had made excellent progress, but their goal was still some distance away. Fiyu hoped that her companions could finish the journey alongside her.

Chapter 26

Just when Fiyu began to hope that they could complete their journey through the Greater Dark without any serious incidents, she felt a presence at the edge of her ability to perceive. Someone else traveled this part of the expanse... alarming enough on its own, but it was a large number of individuals milling about. She hoped that they were merely setting up a camp, but their behavior continued to be unusual, which suggested that there could be a problem.

"There are people to the north," Fiyu said. She felt Companion Nauda immediately sit up and try to look on instinct, while Companion Theo began generating cantae. He was the first to respond.

"Attacking?"

"No, I think something is wrong. But it could easily be a trap of some sort, as they are strangers."

"Why do you say something might be wrong?" Companion Nauda asked.

"Because they continually move around an unmoving object of varying density. It may be a broken wagon." Fiyu didn't change their course, but her fingers twitched over the sleigh's controls as she strained to determine more about the far off group. "I cannot feel them in great detail, but it is possible that they are in distress."

"If this place is so dangerous, how would they call for help?"

"They wouldn't." Companion Theo cut off any potential response, climbing up into the second seat and extending his senses, though they were insufficient. "Unless they're Ruler-tier soulcrafters, your stealth should be sufficient. Move closer until you can get a better feel for them."

Companion Theo said what she had been thinking, but she hadn't been able to bring herself to take the action. She was ranging in the Greater Dark without an elder relative, after all, and such an action was highly unusual. The strangers were not her relatives at all, yet she felt as though it would be better to do something for them if possible.

After reinforcing the sphere around her, Fiyu extended her senses over the group. It was easiest to confirm that the large object was indeed a wagon, lying on its side. A slightly dense material formed a large pile beside it, presumably what the vehicle had been transporting. She thought it was foolish of them not to have used a sledge in such an environment, for this very reason.

She looked first for what had disrupted them in case it was a source of danger, her senses delving deep into a crevice. It was narrow and filled with dense spiked stones. Their patterns were beautiful, if common, but for the first time it occurred to her to wonder how they would look in the presence of light. Given their flat and polished surfaces, she suspected they would glitter, which her companions might enjoy. However, she did not know what creatures might live in the Greater Dark's crevices, so she merely watched for movement below as they approached the group.

As they moved alongside the group, she was able to make out the individuals. There were no less than five of them, some working at the bottom of the wagon and others still moving about. She sensed physical exertion on behalf of those by the wagon, and the others moved stiffly, likely as a result of tension. Unless they hid their strength, only two were first tier soulcrafters...

"It appears to be a group of five, transporting goods across the Greater Dark when their wagon was damaged," Fiyu reported. "They have limited soulcrafting ability and are only lightly armed. It seems that they are in distress, to be stranded in this location."

There was a pause, then Companion Nauda leaned forward expectantly. "Well? Aren't we going to help them?"

"They are still strangers. We must be cautious, in case they have deceived my senses." Still, Fiyu thought that she was correct, so she released her technique and let out a low whistle. It was designed to echo, not revealing her location precisely, but still opening potential interaction.

After several heartbeats, a warbling whistle came in response. Companion Theo's face contorted in displeasure before he spoke. "I don't think I know what that one means."

"It was improperly done, but I believe they meant a cry for help." Fiyu shook her head as she shifted the sleigh to move toward the fallen wagon. "They are likely to be cavesteaders, or another group that does not understand how to range in this region. I hope it will not be a burden to assist them."

When they approached the group, Fiyu was able to make them out in greater detail: two men, two women, and a child. Likely one of the relative units that she had once found strange, though such units seemed much less so after witnessing families in other worlds. Their physical condition suggested extreme emotional distress, which finally allowed her to set aside most concerns about it being a potential trap.

Stopping the sleigh at a safe distance, Fiyu whispered to her companions to join her and then stepped forward. The small group had realized their location now and gathered together, nearly touching one another in a defensive cluster. Anywhere else, Fiyu would have spoken to them at a reasonable distance, but the Greater Dark required quiet, so they needed to come absurdly close, only a pace away.

"We greet you," Fiyu said. "We are only visitors here, but we may be able to assist."

"Thank the Dark you came." One of the Stranger Women spoke and Fiyu's mind reeled as she heard two voices simultaneously. The one that spoke to her soul was perfectly understood as a result of her movement through the gate, while the one that spoke to her ears was composed of half-understood words. Clearly, they used a trade language she had only partially learned, but there was no time to focus on that, not with tense negotiations underway.

"I assume this is your wagon of goods. What were you attempting to do?"

"We have heard tales of a fantastical path to other lands. Places outside the known world, we mean. But a trusted relative said that he knew a merchant who achieved great profits from selling goods there. A brief journey through the Greater Dark did not seem a terrible risk for a sight of fantastical lands, but now..."

It was quite an unnecessary speech, removing her doubt that he was a cavesteader. More surprisingly, they appeared to be innocents, not even aware of the existence of other worlds. Fiyu attempted to glance back to Companion Theo before realizing that her action was doubly strange: first, he could not see her, and second, she would never have done such a thing before.

Still, even without an exchanged glance, she could feel Companion Theo's expression tightening in something like pity, or perhaps derision. She considered that she should tell him that some Ichili would be able to sense his expression, because normally his face was tightly controlled. In any case, the negotiation was more important.

"The tales you heard are true," Fiyu said, "but the path you seek is many days away, over dangerous ground. We cannot pass that way without sacrificing our own journey, but we could help you reach a safe location."

"But without our goods, we are ruined." A Stranger Man took several steps toward the wagon to indicate the spilled items. "Your vehicle does not appear capable of transporting everything."

"This is true, but fortunately for you, we have other means. Companion Nauda?" Fiyu turned back to her companion, who stood with her staff planted firmly beside her, though the tension in her back showed that she was putting up a front.

Not caring what the others thought, Fiyu took hold of Companion Nauda's sleeve and guided her past the group to the wagon. Once Fiyu led her to the edge and whispered of the wagon's position, Companion Nauda easily lifted the wagon upright. Several of the Stranger Cavesteaders gasped softly, impressed by their strength, but they would be more impressed when Companion Theo joined them.

"You want to levitate the wagon behind us?" he said. Though his eyes were closed and he was oriented in the wrong direction, he'd clearly understood much.

"As well as these five people and all of their supplies. It is not too heavy?"

"Weight has nothing to do with it. The only hard part will be stopping the momentum." Companion Theo waved a hand and the wagon lifted off the ground, before another one of his strange fields reversed it. The wagon wobbled up and down before Companion Nauda grasped it again, stabilizing it.

Their actions had left the strangers awestruck, but unfortunately, what followed was a great deal more tedious. The strangers needed to pick up all of their spilled goods, as well as take down their partial camp. Beyond that, they would need to attach the wagon to the sleigh, and Fiyu was not willing to let strangers near her vehicle, so many steps would be required.

While they retrieved their goods, Fiyu examined the items carefully, in case the groups had more sinister motives for taking the risk. She identified many solid fabrics, their surfaces woven in patterns for aesthetics. Several spheres of artistry, though not particularly well-crafted. Some organic materials and pots that appeared to contain glazes. So far as her senses could penetrate, everything was perfectly ordinary.

Recognizing that the tasks might take some time, Fiyu went to Companion Nauda and helped her set up a tent so that she could sit within the light while they worked. Meanwhile, Companion Theo was required to stay next to their sleigh, modifying his fields as the Stranger Family took an unacceptably long time gathering everything, often moving the wagon while adding items. Though silent by the standards of most other worlds, she found them unacceptably loud for such a region.

While they worked, Fiyu learned more of their story. Not personal details, of course, but they revealed that one of their wagon wheels had fallen into a cleft in the ground. There were many such clefts, which was why a sledge would have been a better choice.

She learned the reason for their unusual openness soon: some of their goods had fallen into the cleft and they hoped to retrieve them. Normally she would have considered this unacceptable, but Companion Theo was able to to levitate them upwards to the ground.

There was a strange tension in Companion Theo's eyebrows that she recognized as a sign he was thinking deeply. When there was nothing else required of her, she stepped beside him and spoke softly. "Have you noticed something?"

"Nothing serious." Companion Theo frowned again, but when she did not depart, he continued with his thoughts. "I realized that I have some awareness of objects in my gravitational fields. At first I thought I shouldn't, but then I started thinking about how all objects do have gravity, if only a little. Right now the sense isn't fine enough to use, but perhaps..."

"You could develop a real sense." It was a fascinating idea, though certainly not advanced enough to make out fine details. That explained how his movements in the group were no longer completely blind. She looked forward to discussing the matter further with him.

While they spoke the strangers moved in various inefficient patterns, so Fiyu realized too late that the child had wandered away from the others. That alone was terrible lack of discipline, and she intended to inform the relatives and perhaps remind them about the dangers.

Too late, Fiyu realized that the child had wandered toward the tent where Companion Nauda sat. Before she could do anything, the child pulled open the flap and blinding light flared out into the darkness.

She attempted to move toward the tent, too slow to prevent what had already happened. The child let out a scream and fell back, sobbing and clutching its eyes. Companion Nauda thankfully understood the danger and grabbed the flap to pull it back into place, then attempted to close every gap that cast light into their surroundings. Fiyu swept in and grasped the child's mouth, silencing its cries as quickly as possible.

Her heart thundered in her chest as the landscape around them again became quiet and dark. The disruption had been significant, but also brief, so she hoped that they had been lucky.

In the darkness around them, she felt swift-moving shapes swarm from underground clefts and begin to converge on their location.

~ ~ ~

For a brief moment, Theo considered that they might have courted disaster, then he felt Fiyu's cantae rush from her soulhome. Whatever she felt, she clearly sensed danger, and that was a very bad sign.

Exerting the full extent of his willpower, Theo tried to sense cantae around them. Something slithered at the edges of his grasp, cantae of a predator far too subtle for its average victims. Even with the experience of a full lifetime, Theo could only get a sense of sublime beasts, converging on them from all sides. He wanted to ask Fiyu for information, but then it was too late.

Blue lights lit up all around them as the beasts opened their eyes. Not to hunt, but to shock their prey. The Ichili family let out a wail and cowered, and even Fiyu flinched.

Theo reacted without any more thought, slamming down gravitational fields all around him. He knew Fiyu and Nauda by their soulhomes and avoided them, but everything else he simply flattened. It was immediately rewarding to see the blue eyes drop to the ground and he tried to catch his breath. Before he could, the cries of pain began.

"No, you must not!" Fiyu grasped at the front of his shirt, her face actually visible in the reflected light. "You are hurting them."

At first, he didn't react, seized by survival instinct. His mind was fixated on the danger around him: sublime beasts like these were talented pack predators, with teeth that could no doubt tear into him. If he let them go, they would descend on him, and his life would end right there. He couldn't allow that, even if...

"Companion, please."

Her second statement got through to him and, against his better judgment, Theo released the gravitational fields. If he'd been lucky, the sublime beasts would have fled in shock, but instead they began stumbling to their feet, reorienting toward their prey.

Now that he wasn't reacting on instinct, Theo cast a more selective field, sending many of the beasts falling skyward. But there were so many of them, and he could only maintain a few fields... he realized that Fiyu had vanished, somewhere within her stealth technique.

Veering away from him, the predators raced toward the cringing family. Theo cast two fields that dropped many, but even more closed the distance.

Then Fiyu emerged from the shadows, a storm of light exploding from her palms. In the near darkness it was blinding, practically an explosion. Many of the beasts were torn apart instantly, and the others staggered away, despite their eyes being mostly vestigial threats.

Theo's eyes, adjusted to the darkness, were seared completely blind, which only increased his panic. Yet he heard a complex whistle from Fiyu: a military call to retreat. It didn't make sense, until he realized the hidden meaning: he needed to get the civilians away along with their vehicles, otherwise they'd rapidly be overwhelmed.

Because as he started to regain his vision, his first sight was more blue eyes lighting up in the distance, converging toward them.

A group of the beasts raced from the opposite direction, but at that moment Nauda burst from her tent, sending its light blazing in all directions. That left all the Ichili sobbing and blind except for Fiyu, who continued to destroy the nearest sublime beasts with bursts of light. Yet there were so many more, and they'd soon be swarmed unless they acted quickly.

"Get them into the wagon." Theo gestured at Nauda, who immediately understood. Now that she had light to fight by, she moved confidently. As she ran to the huddled family, she stabbed her staff out at one beast, then swung its frozen body into the nearest.

Meanwhile, Theo leapt into the sleigh, casting upwards gravitational fields around him as a precaution. He might be willing to risk himself for this, but he wasn't going to die to a predator coming out of the shadows and getting a lucky blow to his neck. Fortunately, they'd finished attaching the wagon, so they had an option for fleeing, but he needed something else.

They hadn't discussed this, since it was an unlikely contingency plan. Even though it violated her privacy, Theo tore into one of the packs of supplies Fiyu had prepared. Surely she would have... yes, he found a diamond-shaped rock that emanated the right sort of cantae. Not a good sublime material for soulcrafting, but it had a definite use in situations like this.

When he looked back, he saw Nauda handing the child up to its parents, while Fiyu fought behind her, fending back the growing mass of beasts with indiscriminate bursts of light. Yet they were no longer so intimidated, and they were clearly used to taking down powerful prey with numbers, so they had begun to spread out.

Theo whistled a warning for light, squeezed the rock, and then hurled it behind them. Even in the air, it began to glow, and when it hit the ground it emanated light in all directions.

Fiyu had understood his intent and retreated to the sleigh, so he started moving. Nauda was the only one still on the ground, but she raced after them, leaping into the wagon. As soon as she did so, Fiyu extended her sphere over their entire group, silence falling over them. Though the Ichili peasants still whimpered and shifted atop their wagon, the sound should be absorbed by her technique.

Behind them, two white lights shone in the darkness: the light from Nauda's tent, and the distraction flare he'd thrown. Between the two, the beasts seemed to be thoroughly confused. A troubling number of eyes glowed around those lights as they closed in, but they still hunted in absolute silence.

Eventually, he started to see those lights go out as the beasts gave up their chase. It didn't make him feel any more relieved.

Chapter 27

Though the darkness still closed around Nauda, she could make herself endure it. After seeing what lurked in the blind void, she could endure a lot. The lack of light still left her despondent, but while her heart was pounding from the chaotic battle and the escape after it, she didn't mind the dark at all.

At first, she'd just lain in the wagon, on top of all the lumpy packages, catching her breath. The sublime beasts that had attacked them had actually been smaller than their ominous eyes appeared, but they were quite fast and she wasn't sure if her body could have resisted their teeth. Fighting them in the low light had been an intense experience, and she was afraid that a single injury could have easily led to being swarmed.

Eventually she began to return to the present world, even if she could only hear it. The child was still sniffling, which struck her as surprisingly calm given how it had been traumatized. A Tatian child would probably still have been wailing... though she reflected that if Ichili children couldn't keep silent, that could well prove fatal.

For a moment she felt shame that the entire accident had been caused by the light in her tent, then the emotion transmuted to anger as she considered the fact that this family had taken a child into such dangerous territory. She wasn't sure how to feel about that, but the one thing she was certain about was that she no longer thought Fiyu's precautions were excessive.

Something shifted behind her, and she braced herself on instinct before she heard one of the Ichili men speak. "We owe you a great debt. Our child would be dead if not for you."

"I was... glad to assist." Since Fiyu wasn't around to help her understand the proper norms, she fell back on Tatian habits. "Please protect your child more carefully in the future."

"We never imagined you would have such a terrible-" The man cut off with a grunt, and Nauda thought she might have heard someone strike him. Whatever the case, one of the women answered next.

"We are ashamed of our negligence, Archcrafter. We only wish that we had some way to repay you."

Nauda considered asking them to help her over the wagon to get back to the sleigh, then decided better of it, since she still wasn't sure if they understood her limitations. Perhaps to them, she was a fearsome Archcrafter who could fight even in the terrible light. Despite their praise, all she wanted was to get away from them and back to Fiyu and Theo.

She wasn't sure how long it was before they slowed to a halt, but she felt the change in their movement because it was the only thing she could feel. Nauda sat up slowly, then did her best to climb down the side of the wagon. It was difficult at first, bobbing unsteadily in the air, but Theo lowered it to the ground, which made her task easier.

"Nauda." Fiyu spoke from the darkness just beside her, making Nauda jump. "You have done well, Nauda. Everyone else has been able to relax, but you have not. Please come."

Since the other woman was already pulling on her sleeve, Nauda had no real choice but to go with her. They moved past the wagon, which she knew only because she heard Theo speaking to the Ichili villagers, something about plans for moving onward. When they drew near the sleigh, Fiyu guided her hand down, and Nauda was surprised to feel a tent.

"You may have mine, since yours was lost to the beasts." Fiyu actually touched her back lightly, urging her in. When Nauda carefully peeled back the flaps only one layer at a time, she realized that a cantae lantern was already lit within, though not as bright as she kept it.

Crawling in, Nauda got her staff properly situated in the short space and then breathed a sigh of relief. She was surprised to see Fiyu crawl in after her, a broad smile on her face. "I think that perhaps I have done a poor job of explaining why it is important to be quiet here."

"Heh, well, I understand enough now." Nauda rubbed her eyes, which felt better in the soft light but still tingled a little after the explosions of light during the battle. "I think right now, I just want to sleep."

"In the light, like this?"

"I've had enough darkness for a while." Too tired to talk, Nauda wriggled back to slide onto the sleeping roll that had been set up for her. She closed her eyes, enjoying how she could actually tell the difference, and felt sleep already start to claim her.

Before she fell asleep, she felt a whisper of a touch as Fiyu pulled another blanket up over her.

~ ~ ~

Nauda remained tense for the next several days, especially because they never stopped for another break. It was essentially the same void as before, just with the family of five in the wagon behind them. Early on in the first day, Theo told them that the next region required absolute silence from everyone, and she was fairly certain that was a lie because he just didn't want to talk to them.

Though she was curious to speak to normal Ichili villagers instead of travelers in other worlds, Nauda felt uncomfortable with this group for a host of reasons. Eventually she heard Fiyu make a soft sound, and then Theo climbing closer, so she leaned in to listen.

"We have almost arrived at our first primary destination," Fiyu said. "This is a large cavern-based community that trades with many groups, so we can safely leave the family with them. I... do not like cavesteader communities, but I hope that you will like it, Nauda."

"Are these underground caves?" Nauda asked. "I hope it's at least warmer there."

"Oh, you do not need to worry about that. Caverns beneath the surface are always warmer than the surrounding area. It is the sky that steals warmth."

Nauda realized that it must be true, for a world without a sun. She stayed in the vehicle, the endless darkness having finally broken her of the habit of trying to look ahead. They'd arrive when Fiyu told her that they'd arrived, and not sooner.

Her sleeping had been increasingly disrupted, but the battle seemed to have reset her body, because Nauda slept deeply for the next two nights. The second time she woke, she yawned and stretched, only to have Theo tap her on the shoulder a moment later.

"Morning. Fiyu felt the community markers an hour ago, so we should be arriving soon."

Though Nauda strained her eyes for a hint of a light in the endless black, since Fiyu had spoken about cavesteads being bright, she didn't honestly expect to see anything. When Fiyu began to slow the sleigh, she still hadn't noticed anything... no, there were new sources of cantae in the distance.

Fiyu and the unknown parties engaged in a brief whistling conversation, then they eased their sleigh and the wagon down nearly to the ground. There was a conversation in an Ichili language she didn't know with someone who felt like an Archcrafter, but they soon slid on. Behind her, the villagers began chattering happily, suggesting that they had arrived, but one darkness was the same as the next to Nauda.

The pressure changed as they descended and Nauda realized with some alarm that they might be going underground. When she heard stone grating behind them, she sat up and gripped her staff... and then the light finally returned.

All around her, vines began to glow with a pale blue light, illuminating a vast cavern. It was the largest bright space she'd seen since they'd entered, and Nauda took in a deep breath as she devoured all the details. Other vehicles in a nearby cavern, workers carrying boxes, a set of stools around a bubbling pot... anything other than emptiness.

A path upward to the surface was guarded by somber Ichili, though none wore masks and their skin looked almost green. At first Nauda wondered if it was simply the lighting, but when she turned back, she saw that Fiyu looked as pale as always. Perhaps this was a different race of Ichili. The villagers in the wagon had pale skin but unusually large eyes that glinted in the light.

"Welcome to the Sweetfruit Cavern." An Ichili woman stood beside their sleigh, heavy furred robes drawn around her. "We understand that you are two groups on two journeys. All may avail themselves of our community, but we need to speak to a representative of the Blacksilver Allies."

As soon as their sleigh was put into place, that seemed to be Fiyu's role. Meanwhile, Theo assisted the villagers with his gravitational fields, levitating their wagon off toward the market. Nauda followed him at first, but soon let them move on to just enjoy being able to see again.

Branching caverns aside from the entrance appeared to be a market area, with Ichili of many types milling about. Their trade seemed to be very somber, many not even speaking, merely making signs with their hands. She looked to the people instead, noting that the majority had dark hair, but there were a few with bleached white hair, and many with no hair at all. Some in the hairless group looked shrunken to her, with patches of skin where they should have had eyes.

Noting a pillar of stone that split up the path, Nauda walked closer, eager to examine the glowing vines that lit the cavern. Up close, they were sturdy ropes that were actually blue in color, leaving her wondering about the light within. They branched so many times, she assumed they must have been carefully cultivated to provide light for the community.

She didn't see anything in the market that she needed, and didn't feel like engaging in commerce anyway. However, she spotted an old man sitting by a table, on which he tended a pot of some sort of bubbling stew. Another person walked by, placed a coin on the table, and was given a bowl in return. Suddenly hungry, Nauda approached him, trying to keep her distance.

"Excuse me." When she spoke, the man swung toward her in alarm and stared, as if just seeing her. "May I have some of your food?"

He flinched and drew back, still eyeing her skeptically. Nauda sighed and turned away, accepting that things might not be so easy. Everything around her appeared to be mercantile, but the cavern must contain homes as well. Even if the people there weren't friendly by her standards, the local equivalent of villages had to be warmer than this.

Nauda soon found a wide and well-lit tunnel that led deeper into the earth. Just drawing near it let her feel a current of warmth ascending the stairs, but an Ichili guard extended the butt of his spear into her path.

"You are welcome in the uppermost level, stranger. No further down."

When Nauda turned away, she was surprised to find Theo standing behind her. He gave her shoulder a very Tatian pat and she noticed that the guard and several others stared at them before turning away. She let him lead her away from the downward tunnel before speaking.

"They don't think you're doing anything horrible to me, do they?"

"People here touch each other a lot, by Fiyu's standards." Theo gave her a wry smile that she found herself mirroring, just happy to be able to see another person's expressions. "But it's typically only done with close relatives, so they'll make assumptions. More so because we're obviously foreign."

"Well, I don't care." Nauda moved into his side, glad for his warmth. "Is there any way to get them to stop treating you as a stranger?"

"Not normally. Before, I was kept at arm's length until I literally saved the cavern from an outbreak of demons. That allowed me to visit the top three out of five levels."

"Oh my. These caverns are larger than I thought."

"Sweetfruit Cavern is actually an even larger community than that one. Which means they should have a wide variety of things... would you like to go pick out some sublime materials?"

Nauda chuckled. "Yes, yes I would."

Chapter 28

Theo would have given literal tons of sublime materials for a decent watch. During their journey, he'd done his best to keep a consistent cycle of waking and sleeping to determine how long they had been traveling, but the cavern disrupted his count. Ichili had only weak urges to follow such cycles, so the community was constantly lit by the same light, which threw him off.

The problem was, every day that passed was another day closer to the deadline, and a reduction in the relative value of the whole assignment. At least he was confident that time moved smoothly between all the Nine Worlds, so he couldn't return to find that it was too late.

At the moment he was helping the locals carry the purpose of the whole assignment: heavy chests filled with vials that glowed a rich purple. According to Fiyu, they were a highly refined sublime material used in medical operations, which could only be grown and distilled deep within Ichil. Since it didn't emanate cantae, he couldn't judge its value as precisely, but clearly it must justify the effort required. When the sleigh was full of the chests, they'd be carrying a small fortune back to Fithe.

Before he could follow that line of thinking, a familiar presence popped up by his side. He turned to smile at Fiyu. "How are you feeling?"

"It is too bright and friendly here, but Nauda is happier." For some reason, Fiyu was carrying a number of different cups, slightly too many for her to manage. She tried to set them down on one of the boxes within the sleigh, so Theo helped by carefully taking two without touching her.

"What are these?"

"They are juice. You must assist me, Theo." All the cups did seem to contain liquids, and Fiyu carefully set them in a row before turning to him. "Nauda is healthier here, but I believe that she hoped for a community more like her home. I wish to cheer her up, but you must help me pick the juice a Tatian would like best."

"I'll do what I can." Though Theo smiled at her seriousness, when he tried the first cup, he had to admit that she had a point. The juice within was a mix of tart and bitter that he doubted would appeal to many. He cleared his mouth and picked up the next, but glanced at her first. "Have you taken the time to examine the markets?"

"I have." A smile blossomed on her face. "They have a great deal of pitchstone here. That is the exact material I require for the construction of my soulhome, so I purchased as much as I felt I could store in my soulhome."

Which meant she was at least thinking about her soulcrafting after she ascended. Theo decided not to push on that issue, merely tasted the second cup and then spoke. "Nauda and I went looking, but we didn't find much. She did buy some seeds for one of their bioluminescent plants, which she thinks could grow alongside hers. I was hoping for more darkness-based sublime materials."

"This community has a strange attitude toward darkness, and their blueprints do not take advantage of it. But I think you will be more successful at the Biolumin Relay. It will surely be staffed by a powerful soulcrafter, and may have a different selection of sublime materials."

"Hopefully." Theo finished sampling the last cup of juice, then tapped two of them. "I think the two of these are the most like Tatian drinks. I suggest you let Nauda try both."

"Thank you, Theo. You are a very helpful companion."

"Which is your favorite?"

Fiyu tilted her head at him, surprised, then made an oddly dismissive motion. "Some are not bad, but none of these can be a favorite. I enjoy the warm drinks we use when ranging in the icy regions. Perhaps one day I will be able to show them to you."

Theo smiled, and she smiled back, but she clearly wanted to be off. Once she departed with an armful of juice, he turned back to the sleigh, finding that several new boxes had been deposited while they spoke. He practiced subtle gravitational fields to lift them into the air, though he needed to use his hands to guide them into place.

By the time they were done, the sleigh would have just enough room for them, but it would be rather heavy. Perhaps more than the sublime materials in the base could levitate, though of course he could always reduce their weight with his fields. That was a problem for another time, as his first goal was to pack everything efficiently so he could go back to soulcrafting.

All but the first of the chests were firmly locked, so he'd put that one in an accessible place. Theo now opened it again, picking up one of the vials to examine it. So much value in a small space... he had to wonder how many Fithan Discs it was worth. He still needed two potent sublime materials, and he needed them soon if he was going to have enough soulcrafting time.

"What are you thinking?" Nauda appeared beside him, wearing a thoughtful expression as her eyes ran over the vial in his hand.

"Did you already try Fiyu's juice?"

"What?"

"I guess the two of you just missed each other. She wants to show you a sweeter side to the community."

"I'm sure she does." Nauda smiled fondly... but she wasn't distracted. She walked beside him and picked up one of the vials herself to examine it. "If you sold a few of these, how close would it get you to your goals?"

"Not sure of their value."

"Oh, but I think you have a guess."

Seeing her gaze boring into him, Theo sighed and set the vial back down in its place. "When House Blacksilver sent us, they knew the journey was dangerous. They no doubt expect a certain percentage of losses, so they'd have built them into their plans. If we do better than they expect, would it really matter if one or two chests disappeared?"

"At least you're honest about it." Nauda shook her head and leaned against the sleigh to face him directly. "These are medical supplies, Theo. They could save someone's life."

"Mine, if their value lets me survive the duel."

She sighed and rubbed her eyes, for once not due to the light. When she looked at him again, he was surprised at the hardness in her gaze. "I'm not a stickler for every single law, but I do have principles. I think you do too, you've just tried to forget them as you've gotten older."

"Esaire won't have any principles." Theo closed the lid and latched the chest again, though the conversation clearly wasn't over. "Neither will many of the people we face. I don't know if I can beat them if I focus on too many scruples."

"If you don't, there's no point beating them at all. At least, if you're the person I believe you are."

Message delivered, Nauda headed back into the cavern. He had a feeling that she wouldn't stop him if he made that choice, just be disappointed in him. Theo stared down at the chests for a moment, then ignored the question and sat down to soulcraft.

Later that day, they left the cavern to finally approach the Biolumin Relay. Fiyu pressed forward happily, Nauda braced herself as they left the light, and Theo remained with his own shadows.

~ ~ ~

Theo had grown accustomed to traveling in absolute darkness, actually using it to focus his soulcrafting. Outside, there was nothing but his cantae senses, so there were no distractions to set aside. He'd not only determined the optimal number of tornado gems for his speed chamber, he'd begun work on a second, just in case, and he'd finished all his carving on the corner rooms.

Normally that would have led to a decrease in his pace, yet the darkness and light inspired him to something new: carving a representation of an accretion disc around the exterior of his soulhome. Now the fact that it shone brightly matched his blueprint even better. Of course, there wasn't time to carve the entire thing, and he preferred a subtle exterior, but he completed several major orbiting loops that would also help his cantae flow in the intended sphere.

So when a bit of light intruded on the horizon, he was actually mildly annoyed. Bit by bit, the environment shifted from unbroken darkness to merely heavy shadow. He could make out Nauda leaning forward toward the light and a shape that must be Fiyu driving the sleigh. It had taken them less than a day, so they were arriving sooner than planned.

"Is that your Relay?" Nauda asked. The way she said the word contorted in his mind, but whatever she said precisely, his soul understood what she intended.

"Yes, this is the perimeter." Even in the darkness, it was clear that Fiyu bobbed her head happily. "We must be extremely quiet. This region will be dangerous due to the light."

As they continued on, the green light became a line in the ground, like a river of emerald fire. Theo knew the purpose but hadn't seen any exactly like it, so he stopped soulcrafting and focused as they neared it. He could see that it formed a large ring, and the edges of the trench were unnaturally straight, so it must have been cut by those who ran the Biolumin Relay.

Nauda looked as though she wanted to ask questions, but as they passed over the river of fire, she understood. Several predators prowled in the shadows alongside the river, instinctively seeking the disruption but afraid of the fire. Theo was surprised that the emerald river wasn't wider, though it seemed to keep all the regional creatures at a distance.

On the other side, his attention immediately shifted to the green mass pulsating above the ground. It looked something like a jellyfish, and seemed to throb with a heartbeat, but the key trait was the tendrils that extended from its base. They ran along the ground, putting off a similar light, before descending into the earth, where they would stretch for leagues until they reached other Relays.

"There is the outpost." Fiyu spoke up to signal they were safely inside, and actually pointed. It had been a long time since hand directions had been useful.

Beside the Biolumin Relay, lit strangely by its glow, a tower stood alone. He wasn't sure of their exact name, but they reminded him of lighthouses, though they served the opposite purpose. There was no other sign of civilization, no buildings or vehicles, just the lone tower in the pulsating emerald light.

"Stop." The voice resonated directly in their minds, without touching his ears, and Theo felt an Authority's cantae sweep over them. "I am the Luminkeeper. What is your purpose here?"

Fiyu stood up in the sleigh and bowed toward the tower. "I seek to send a message across Ichil. We would also like to trade sublime resources, if possible."

"Leave your vehicle and approach." The presence pulled back, but it was obvious that the Authority was watching them from the tower. Since no one else was around, the three of them dropped from the sleigh and began to walk closer.

Biolumin Relays were rare, but he didn't think they were anywhere near rare enough for them all to be guarded by Authorities. Most likely this one was either unusual because the Greater Dark was a dangerous region, or an Authority-tier soulcrafter had taken the position for their own purposes. In any case, he caught only glimpses of a figure through the large viewing platforms on the top floor. He didn't think "Luminkeeper" was a common title, so they must have chosen it for a personal reason.

"This... thing will let you send a message to your family member?" Nauda asked. They had to half-jog to keep up with Fiyu, who headed inward eagerly.

"I do not know my relative's present location, and he does not know mine. But the Biolumin Relays stretch across most of Ichil, and they store their messages at every location. Even if he has not left a message for me, he will check eventually."

"That seems like a long shot."

"Yes, but it is the only way I know of contacting him, since he has not been able to find me and we are so far apart. It may require time, but I can be patient."

The doors to the tower opened silently for them, flowing on the Authority's cantae. Within, they found the lowest layer of the tower extremely spare, with no living accommodations... or access to the upper floors. Several tables stood around the outer wall, all of them empty and without labels. Looking more carefully, he saw that one allowed access to the side of the luminous mass, another had a chute leading to the second floor, and each had a unique symbol.

"Those who have a biolumin signature, place identification on the eastern table." Again, the Luminkeeper's voice spoke directly into their minds, and Theo realized that he wasn't sure if it was male or female.

"That is just me." Fiyu walked to the side of the room, reaching deep within her robes. After some fumbling, she slipped out a small plate that glowed with a similar emerald hue. When she set it down on the table, atop a plate of sublime materials, there was a long pause, then the voice spoke again.

"Identity confirmed. There is a message for you."

The green mass pulsed brighter, then a darker emerald sphere emerged from its depths and dropped onto the table. Fiyu nearly ran to it, grasping the sphere in both hands and holding it to her forehead. Messages through the relay were always short, yet she stood still for a long time, so Theo suspected she was listening to it multiple times.

"Is this a safe method of communication?" Nauda asked him in a whisper. "Seems odd to trust messages to... all these things."

"Safer than most," he answered. "Only a certain person with a certain keystone can retrieve the sphere, and it's nearly impossible to intercept or alter messages. I guess you could, but it would require a troubling level of power, beyond Authority."

"Well, if it helps Fiyu, I hope that it works."

"It has helped." Fiyu turned back to them with a smile, still cradling the sphere. "This message is very old, but my relative left one for me. It seems he believed that the accident sent me somewhere else on Ichil, so he told me to send my location and remain in place."

Nauda smiled, not quite convincingly. "Then... do we stay here until he gets your message?"

"No guests." The Luminkeeper interrupted them from above, the voice for the first time holding a bit of annoyance. In any case, Fiyu shook her her head as she answered, clutching the sphere even as it dissolved in her hands.

"By now, my relative has certainly realized that I fell into Tatian instead. I will leave a message that I am in Norro Yorthin, and he will be able to find me. It may take some time, but he can now locate me." She took a deep breath and smiled at both of them. "I... thank you for taking me this far. You have been good companions."

There was no time for an emotional moment, because Fiyu immediately hurried to another one of the tables and began setting down money. She frowned and changed the amount, apparently in negotiation with a voice that spoke to her alone. No doubt she'd spend a significant amount of time composing her reply exactly, so Theo wandered further in.

Eventually he found a table that contained residue with very slight cantae emanating from it. There was an opening to the floor above as well, so he suspected it was the table for trade. Looking upward, he spoke to the unseen Luminkeeper. "I require sublime materials."

"Of what variety?" The voice in his head seemed mildly annoyed, but he pressed on.

"Can I make a list?"

He heard a scoffing sound, possibly with his ears instead of his mind, and then a wax tablet floated down from above to thunk against the table. Recognizing that the Luminkeeper clearly didn't want to be bothered, Theo simply picked it up and began listing sublime materials he knew would work for him. Even if the exact ones weren't available, an Authority should be competent enough to recognize his objectives.

While he wrote, Fiyu continued to practice her message, muttering to herself. Nauda had taken up a place against part of the wall without a table and appeared to be soulcrafting, though she smiled as if she enjoyed the lit room.

When Theo finished his list, he extended it upward, and it floated into a hole in the ceiling. There was a long pause, then five objects descended to the table. Apparently the Luminkeeper counted on their power to enforce honest trade, which in all fairness, it would.

There were two of the exact materials he'd requested, sublime materials that carried the essence of Ichil's deepest darkness. One bioluminescent mushroom that was a curious choice, and a piece of metal that was entirely wrong. Yet the last...

Theo bent closer, picking up the perfect sphere to examine it more closely. He'd never seen a sublime material exactly like it, yet it intrigued him because it seemed to draw the air into it. Not as gravitation or absorption... he picked up some of the residual dust and sprinkled it into the sphere, only to see the dust flutter to the ground some distance away.

It was a wormhole. He doubted that the material actually embodied the scientific concept, especially since it was theoretical, but the connection was crystal clear to him.

After testing its properties further with a grin on his face, Theo raised it toward the ceiling. The Luminkeeper gave him a price in an Ichili currency he didn't have, leading to a negotiation process where he pulled out every single coin he had to try to equal it. If he'd needed to steal some of the Blacksilver vials to afford it, he would have, but Nauda loaned him what she had.

The other four materials lifted back into the ceiling and he was left with his wormhole. He'd need to do research on its name, or come up with one himself, since the Authority wasn't likely to be forthcoming with information. But he was absolutely certain that it was what he needed, or actually something he hadn't realized he could acquire so soon.

At its core, the stone linked points in space without passing between them, and that had countless potential applications. Actually teleporting required incredibly dense cantae, many Authorities not being capable of it. Even if that would have to come later, he could easily transport certain things small distances. Instead of throwing cantae bolts filled with his gravitational torsion effects, he might be able to make them instantly appear in his opponents.

Most importantly, his singularity would no longer be limited to simple linear movements.

Though Theo could have sat down and soulcrafted with the material for days, their time appeared to be coming to an end. Fiyu must have signaled that she was ready, because the green wall emitted another sphere. This one was dull, empty of light or a message. She gestured to get their attention, put a finger to her lips, then spoke into the sphere.

"Relative Guchiro. I am well. I have taken residence in the city of Norro Yorthin, on Fithe. It may be found by traveling to the gate near the source of this message. I have allied with an organization called House Blacksilver, and also found traveling companions. I hope to tell you of my travels in person."

With that, she pressed her lips against the sphere. Theo didn't think that was a necessary part of the process, just a sign of the deep emotion behind her reserved language. In any case, the sphere lit up with the same light as the rest of the Biolumin Relay, so Fiyu placed it into the gelatinous wall. It was swept away and the entire mass pulsated more brightly as the message departed.

"Your business is complete. Depart."

They didn't say anything, just returned to their sleigh, Fiyu smiling the entire way.

Chapter 29

Part of Nauda didn't want to leave the glowing ring around the Animallight Messageplace, but the rest of her was extremely ready to return to Fithe. As much as she disliked the dusty city, she'd take its endless red stonework over the void any day. Fortunately, they didn't need to make any other stops, just fly directly back.

Even Fiyu seemed happy to return, now that she was confident her relative would eventually find her. She urged Nauda to come sit by her and they spoke about what they could do while waiting. The atmosphere in the sleigh was certainly better than it had been for most of the trip, so it was odd that Theo seemed to be the only one unhappy.

Ever since they had passed the ring of fire, he'd been looking behind them, even though they couldn't see much of anything anymore. He just shifted behind them as a grumpy presence until he eventually spoke up.

"Fiyu, did your stealth technique ever falter since we left?"

"Oh, certainly not." She looked back to him with a frown that Nauda could just barely make out. "I nearly perfected it back in Deuxan, and I have only grown more practiced since then."

"Are you sure nothing's following us?"

After concentrating for a moment, Fiyu shook her head. "I have examined the region thoroughly. There are no dense objects moving, I am sure of it."

"Okay." Theo was silent for just a few heartbeats before he leaned forward. "I'm not insulting your capabilities in any way, but nothing is perfect, right? A sufficiently powerful soulcrafter could evade you or pierce this sphere, and a sublime beast with the proper-"

"Enough." Nauda finally cut him off, because Fiyu wasn't going to. "We're both nearly blind here, so we'll just have to trust Fiyu's judgment."

That made him finally subside, though he continued to grouch in the back. Nauda had always believed his caution was reasonable, and she'd completely believed in his phantom threat ever since the tree at Myufuru had been wiped from existence. That didn't mean that he couldn't be paranoid, so she did her best to ignore him.

Something crashed into the back of the sleigh and they tumbled through the darkness.

Nauda hit the ground heavily, but her body absorbed the impact and she rolled to her feet. She heard someone else land beside her and Fiyu made a slight sound of pain before she gasped. "I don't... I don't see..."

Realizing they were in danger, Nauda made a split second decision. Whatever had struck their vehicle had been able to evade Fiyu's senses, perhaps a predator with a unique strategy. If Fiyu was disoriented and they were already threatened, there was no point staying in the darkness. Nauda flared her cantae around her in a bright aura to be able to see.

Fiyu struggling to her feet, sleigh lying on its side, no sign of Theo... and a strange sphere floating toward them. It was much larger than a person, yet its skin appeared nearly translucent in the light of her cantae. Though it was covered in long spikes, other than that she couldn't see arms, mouths, or anything else that it could use to attack.

Something shifted in the surface and a stream of pitch black gas shot toward her. Nauda instinctively dodged past it, closing the distance and thrusting out with her staff. She wasn't sure it would work on such a strange creature, but she managed to bind it in place.

Then the surface shifted again and a much larger stream of darkness caught her in the face. Nauda staggered back, letting out a cry as she felt it burn into her skin. When she rubbed her face, she felt a little better, but it burned in her nostrils and her eyes hurt so much she struggled to keep them open. And the floating creature was free again, floating toward her, the surface opening...

Theo dropped out of the sky and a gravitational field came with him, crushing the spherical creature against the ground. It began to emit more darkness, terrible eruptions of it, but Theo raised his other hand and cast something else.

She realized with a start that it was his "mass" technique that had been so useless when tested back in Deuxan. It still wasn't strong enough for her to feel anything, or to deflect a projectile, but the wall of expanding gas began to shift back. As Theo poured more cantae into it, the gas seemed to be pulled down into a pool near the creature, which weakly fluttered against the ground, its spines jerking oddly in different directions.

"I have... never seen such a thing." Fiyu walked up beside them, staring at it. Nauda just looked to Theo with a grim expression.

"Do you think there are more? Are predators going to be coming for my light?"

"Both are real threats," he said. "Turn the sleigh upright, and if it still works, we have to move. What we need t-"

With a sudden spasm, the deflated sphere suddenly shot its spines toward them. They weren't all that fast, so Nauda swiftly deflected many with her staff, and a fraction of a second later, Theo had applied a gravitational field that sent them to the ground. The attack had been neutralized almost as soon as it began.

Between them, Fiyu gave a soft gasp and looked down at the spine piercing through her stomach.

For a moment, Nauda was too stunned to act, horrified by the sight of the spike protruding from her back. Theo acted first, doing something that made an unpleasant crunching noise around the spiked creature. It must be dead, which barely seemed to matter compared to Fiyu slowly dropping to the ground, her fingers holding the injury.

"What..." Nauda took a deep breath and forced herself past the emotions. "What now?"

"Grab the corpse and take it to the sleigh. I can navigate, but I can't provide any medical attention without knowing what that thing was." Theo spoke with no expression or inflection, which struck her as almost monstrous.

Yet as she forced the deflated creature into a bag, she saw him kneel down beside Fiyu with great tenderness. By the time she had the sleigh upright, he was cradling Fiyu in his arms. Seeing someone touch her was almost shocking, yet the way she lay limply against him...

As soon as they began moving, Theo glanced back to her. "No more cantae aura. Use a lamp and do what you can for the injury."

Nauda grabbed one of the unidirectional lamps and then knelt down where Fiyu lay across one of the seats. They'd said using the lamps was generally a low but unnecessary risk... clearly not an issue with Fiyu's life on the line.

She lay terribly still, not even stirring, and Nauda feared for a moment until she heard Fiyu breathing. It seemed that Theo had cut away some of her clothing to check the injury, which was bleeding over her stomach. Without all the layers of clothes, her body looked so thin and fragile, the dark spine protruding viciously through it.

Blinking away tears, Nauda retrieved the bandages to do what little she could.

~ ~ ~

Tossing and turning, she strained to push her senses beyond herself, but she felt only nonsensical patterns that could not possibly be real. At times she was so delirious that she couldn't remember where she was or what journey she had been on. There had been something very important, she knew that, and a danger...

Fiyu remembered in bits and pieces as the throbbing light within her gradually gave way to calming darkness. Of course, the strange floating beast that was invisible to her. She had felt an intense pain and then a heat, which could only have been an attack. Normally she would have taken emergency measures, but she remembered that she had reliable companions with her.

At one point, when she emerged back into darkness, she found herself lying in someone's arms. It should have been quite alarming, yet she knew that it was Companion Theo. Her companions would not harm her, and this was the appropriate time for such things.

She lapsed back into confusion and when she woke, it was to intense pain in her stomach. Companion Theo gave her something to drink and it helped deaden the pain, which only made her realize that he was removing the spine and treating the wound. After so long avoiding ever making her uncomfortable by touch, he worked efficiently and without hesitation. His fingers on her skin should have inspired intense revulsion, yet instead she felt only a strange warmth. Within the delirious fog of light, she marveled at that, not quite sure what to think.

Next time she touched consciousness, she found herself lying on her back in the sleigh. It was uncomfortable and she was too weak to move, though she felt soft materials around her and assumed someone had tried to make a bed for her. Companion Nauda sat beside her, all her muscles vibrating with tension, wanting to draw closer and yet staying back.

Why didn't Companion Nauda touch her? Fiyu recognized that there was something strange about that thought, but within the bright fog she didn't care. Times of great injury were abnormal, so it was time for abnormal behavior. She could feel a tense hand very close to her, so Fiyu reached out to touch it.

Companion Nauda gasped and said something Fiyu couldn't understand. She squeezed back and Fiyu felt the same strange warmth traveling up her arm. To hold hands like this with a companion was much too intimate, but Fiyu was not sure if she would die and needed someone beside her.

Though her eyes remained closed, she felt them enter a cavern and then others descended on her. She flinched away from the touch of the cavesteaders, the clamminess of their hands seeming to seep into her. Yet she was too weak to struggle, and a warm hand of one of her companions soothed her forehead, and she felt cantae flowing into her, so she drifted back into the light...

~ ~ ~

When she next woke, Fiyu no longer felt as though her mind was blinded, but her body remained weak. There was a pleasant wind in her hair and she was aware of the landscape around her, though the ground was too far down. She was actually able to open her eyes, and was relieved when everything was dark around her. Trying to sit up failed, but produced a small noise, and Companion Nauda's tension sprang to whirl toward her.

"Fiyu?" she asked.

"Quiet... dangerous..." She again struggled to get up and Companion Nauda put a hand on her arm, but Fiyu flinched. Immediately she felt her companion's arm tense as if betrayed, so Fiyu forced herself to keep speaking. "It's okay... Nauda... thank you..."

"I need you to tell me how far I'm off course." Companion Theo spoke from further ahead, apparently focused on the path forward, but there was a pain in his neck as if he had often turned back in her direction.

"Really?" Companion Nauda spoke sharply. "She's barely awake!"

"If we get too far off, this could be fatal for all of us."

"I'll... help..." Fiyu lay back and extended her senses, which no longer felt burned out. Companion Theo had done a good job of navigating while blind, but he had begun to veer. She gave him directions and then settled back, exhausted.

"Fiyu, are you still with us?" Companion Nauda asked. Fiyu let out her breath as a whistle, her mind still active but her body too weak to move. Though Companion Nauda remained tense, Companion Theo understood and the tightness in his arms relaxed.

"She's stable, just tired." He twisted back to look at her, even though he couldn't see anything, which was not a mistake Companion Theo generally made. "The spine through your stomach was coated in venom. They purged it at Sweetfruit Cavern, but their healers couldn't repair the damage done to your body. I think you're on your way to recovery, but you'd be better off with Blacksilver healers."

Companion Nauda started to reach out to touch her and then pulled back, not habitually as she had once done, but as if she had done so many times while Fiyu was asleep. Fiyu was not sure how she felt about that, and her mind was growing hazy again, but she wanted to keep listening to them, especially since Companion Nauda was talking.

"Can you soulcraft for us, Fiyu? I want to check if there was any damage."

She couldn't nod, but Fiyu managed to reach out to touch her soulhome. That was another layer of pleasant darkness around her, so she drifted further from them. Outside, she heard Companion Nauda breathe a sigh of relief.

"None that I can see. Her soulhome really is durable."

Remembering the accident again, Fiyu tried to apologize, but she was much too weary and slipped away into the bright fog. This time, some portion of her mind remained, and she suspected that a long time had passed. When she returned, she could move a little more, but she was desperately hungry and thirsty.

"I..." When she tried to speak, Companion Nauda hurried to give her food and water, before she could even ask. While she partook of those, Fiyu checked the environment again and gave Companion Theo more directions, though he had stayed mostly on course toward the gate.

Once she had drunk her fill, Fiyu managed to speak. "I apologize to you for my ignorance. I had never encountered such a creature before. This is why it is irresponsible to range in unknown areas, but I wanted to send a message to my relative..."

"You have nothing to apologize for, Fiyu." Companion Nauda said swiftly. That was untrue, but Fiyu did not have the strength to press her point.

She had been a responsible child, and had only rarely thought that Relative Guchiro was too strict with her. Now that she had encountered a beast that she had never imagined existing, she felt especially grateful for his guidance. If she ever cared for children, she would be just as careful with them. It was fortunate that Child Senka had not joined them on the journey.

For a time she rested, then she returned to her soulhome to test for damage. Fortunately, there really was none, it was only her body that had been injured. Relative Guchiro had told her that her soulhome would resist damage and she had never truly tested that statement until now. She hoped that he would find her message soon, and return to her, and she could introduce her companions.

"You're soulcrafting again," Companion Theo observed. "Now that you have more stone to build with, I think you could easily ascend to Archcrafter."

"Theo!" Companion Nauda spoke louder than she should have and tried to swat at him in the dark. "This is not the time for that!"

"I'm just saying that she could."

Though Companion Theo was too polite to speak it, she understood what he did not say: if she had ascended to Archcrafter long ago, she would not have been injured. It was true that she was delaying, while the two of them soulcrafted further and further away from her. Yet she hesitated to ascend without her relative's aid, especially after seeing how poorly things could go wrong when she took risks on her own.

However, her companions were about to argue, so Fiyu spoke up. "I do not believe I am ready. I would need to build a structure above my first floor."

"Not with your base skills," Companion Theo said. "The first two ascensions aren't actually that hard, relatively."

"What would you suggest?"

"A pillar with supportlines." She did not know his word, but thought she understood his meaning. "You take a single narrow material and force it upright, then tie ropes from it to your roof and the ground. They all pull on it, and the pillar stays stable in the center. Someone with your willpower could easily climb up it and ascend."

"I see." She understood what he meant, and even possessed some appropriate materials, but the idea of plunging ahead remaining too troubling. "Thank you for the suggestion, Theo, but I do not think I am ready. My relative had a specific plan to help me ascend, and now that he is coming, I can wait for it."

"If you insist, but there's no disadvantage to doing it now."

After that, Companion Nauda made very clear to Companion Theo that he should stop lecturing, but Fiyu only smiled at the two different ways they tried to care for her. His suggestion was a reasonable one that she could not bring herself to attempt. Still, since she could do little but soulcraft, she felt inspired to return to work.

Not with further polishing to her first floor, instead something more daring. Her relative might not have shared his full plans for her ascension, but he had described certain advanced techniques to prepare for it. Walking up her stairs to her roof, Fiyu began to shape the stone around the edges into an arcing ridge. When she ascended, however she did, it would help capture the cantae from the process and make her more able to assist her companions.

By the time their journey was complete, Fiyu felt strange only when she exerted herself physically. Able to assist with the navigation, she quickly guided them the final distance to the gate. Terrible as Fithe could be, she would be glad to see that world again.

When the red arch in the sky finally came into sight, Fiyu thought back over everything that had happened and was overwhelmed with emotions. As soon as they stepped out of the sleigh, she grasped the sleeves of Friend Theo and Friend Nauda and led them back through.

Chapter 30

Less than a full day after Theo had returned to Norro Yorthin, he found himself racing back out of the city in their sleigh. The damage to the back hadn't even been fully repaired yet, though it worked with his gravitational fields helping. There'd been time to get Fiyu to the Blacksilver healers, since that was essential, and time to unload their cargo, since the House had insisted. But there was absolutely none to rest or recover, much less to adjust back to the normal pace of his schedule.

Instead, they needed to rush back to the quarry to take part in House Teal's contest. It felt a bit petty compared to the expedition into Ichil and Fiyu nearly losing her life, but the three hours in the quarry couldn't be replaced with any other three hours. So off they went.

Two months. It felt like another lifetime, but the fact was he had just under two months until the duel.

"Do you think I could ascend to Ruler?" Nauda asked the question abruptly while they were still on their way and he glanced at her in surprise.

"You might be able to force it, but I wouldn't suggest trying this soon." He tried to meet her gaze and she refused, though they both knew what she was thinking. "I'm not sure either of us could have defended Fiyu as a Ruler. The higher tiers are much better at surviving themselves than helping others."

"Maybe that's how it usually is." For a while Nauda didn't say anything else, then shook her head sharply in the way that always sent her hair shifting. "It doesn't matter now. I think I feel confident about the whirlwind this time, so if I can do well enough, then we'll talk about options for me to ascend. Deal?"

"Deal, but I'd just suggest something similar to what I did for Fiyu."

When they arrived beside the quarry, almost too late for the beginning of the competition, there was no one sinister waiting for them. Just a normal crowd of first tiers and Archcrafters, hoping for whatever the prize was. They leapt out practically before the sleigh had stopped moving, and Lady Baryara frowned disapprovingly, but it seemed they had arrived in time.

"I will not repeat any instructions, but the rules will apply to all, tardy or not." She sniffed and then looked over the rest of the crowd. "There is little more to be said. Anyone who reaches the top of the summit will receive the esteem of House Teal, but the first three will receive additional compensation, and the first to scale the summit will be awarded this month's prize: a sublime skull from the fabled direstorm, directly from the vaults of House Teal."

"That actually sounds like it might fit." Nauda tossed her staff from hand to hand and shifted her weight. "I'll help you gather those gems for a while, but support me when I make my attempt."

There was no need to for her to ask: after what they had been through in Ichil, working together was a foregone conclusion. Theo actually had more tornadogems than he needed for his current design, though he intended to collect more just in case. Overall, he was mostly interested in seeing how well he could dodge the rocks with his new speed.

"Begin!" The instant Lady Baryara started the contest, Theo and Nauda sprinted for the side and skidded down the slope.

Moving at his full speed and with Nauda beside him, Theo reached the bottom without hitting a single rock. That part had been easy, but he wasn't so confident with the central whirlwind. Nauda moved in first, spinning her staff freely and batting aside everything that came her way. She seemed a bit more confident striking rocks she couldn't see clearly, perhaps due to all the time straining her senses in Ichil.

For his part, he was just concerned with raw speed. Yet as he stepped into the whirlwind, he was surprised that the rocks no longer seemed to be moving as quickly because his perceptions had changed. That was the real danger of higher tier soulcrafters: not raw power, but a massive increase in functional speed.

Just as he started to adjust to his dodging, he noticed several others coming down the side of the quarry. Many were struck and fell, but one man swept down at a confident pace. At least, he thought it was a man: they wore loose clothes, a hood, and a mask that covered the lower half of their face. He would have thought they were trying too hard to look mysterious if not for something off about them, though he couldn't put his finger on what.

The mystery figure crossed the bottom of the quarry in the flash and started up the other side, and that was when Theo got worried: they didn't seem to be having any more trouble in the more intense winds. Nauda noticed too and ran to get ahead of them, so Theo decided to do his part and dropped several gravitational fields on their competitor.

Though the figure stumbled, a bolt of cantae crackled back at him. Theo's eyes widened as he saw it shoot toward him in an irregular line, leaping unevenly in a way he'd never seen before. He managed to dodge, despite the bolt flickering back in his direction at the last moment.

Nauda pulled ahead, but the figure released another bolt after her. She dodged, even with it fired at her back... and the bolt leapt backward to strike her legs. As she winced and skidded partway down the mountain, the hooded figure pushed past her.

If they'd wanted to, that bolt could have been much more destructive, since he suspected the mystery competitor might be a Ruler hiding their strength. When he tried to examine their soulhome, he saw only spiritual static. Throwing aside such concerns, Theo decided to try a riskier trick and used reverse gravitational fields.

As the figure fell upward, one of their legs stretched downward and grabbed a rock underneath. In the time Theo wasted hesitating, abruptly realizing that this figure was something that only pretended to be humanoid, it twisted its upper body all the way around and shot a much larger bolt of spasmodic cantae at him. By the time he'd dodged, the figure had escaped his field and was racing Nauda for the top.

Theo headed after them, taking a few hits from rocks because he was more interested in seeing the results than in a bit more training. He made his way through the vortex to the clearer area, unsure what he'd find.

The hooded figure extended a hand wordlessly to Lady Baryara, who handed him the skull. That accomplished, it rotated unnaturally stiffly and returned to the quarry, passing through just as easily as before. Nauda leaned on her hands and knees, catching her breath. She was soon awarded a sack of money by Lady Baryara and didn't look happy about it. Theo kept his head down so that he wouldn't be declared third place and waited for her.

It took longer than he expected before Nauda slid down to join him with a strange expression on her face. "I guess I should have pulled back, but I thought I could pass him at the end. He ran oddly, but his last sprint was even faster than mine."

"Did you get any information about him?" Theo asked. He hadn't noticed anything off about the running style, but that might make sense if his suspicions were true.

"If you mean with my telescope, he completely blocked it somehow. The only thing I heard with the official was that he represents the House of the Lost. This is the first time I've seen them take much of a role in anything in the city."

"They're supposed to be one of the main powers." Theo stared after the hooded figure for a moment, then turned back to the whirlwind. "Help me grab some tornadogems if you can."

Nauda took her frustration out on them, snagging the golden stones out of the vortex one after another. Theo spent his time dodging, pleased at how it had become easier, right up until the point that Lady Baryara descended beside them, wrapped in a dark green aura.

"Just what are you doing?" she demanded. Theo immediate slid back down the central slope and gave her a polite bow.

"As you can see, I'm struggling to dodge the stones. I saw that those gems were related to the speed of the tornado, so I thought that perhaps I could lower the speed. Is that not permitted? Forgive me if I have assumed too much of the generosity of House Teal."

"Hmph." She glared down like she didn't believe him, but in the end turned away. "Do as you will, but you cannot have past winners assist you. Be gone, girl."

As Nauda reluctantly left, Theo just returned to his dodging. It still wasn't easy, and he knew that Esaire would be even faster. Still...

Theo's hand shot out and he snagged one of the gems from the storm. The sharp edges bit into his palm, but he tightened his fingers around it and smiled.

Chapter 31

Technically Fiyu should have been purchasing sublime materials to prepare for the tournament she would participate in, but as she looked over the record of her merits, she instead thought of her companions. Though she still believed her decision to wait was the correct one, she admitted to herself that she was unable to contribute as much to their journeying group without ascending.

With the materials she'd purchased in Sweetfruit Cavern, she'd enhanced her curtain and integrated it into the rest of her sensory room. She was now completely confident in her ability to resist any assault of light or noise, though her chamber couldn't expand enough to detect the beast that had deceived her senses. No simple refinement could accomplish that.

Since she was running out of refinements to her first floor, Fiyu had actually begun to pursue Friend Theo's plan. She had purchased something from a Fithan tree called eldenwood, which was durable enough to resist the clouds overhead. The first several times she tried to set it upright, the pressure from above knocked it back down, then she realized that she needed to attach the ropes first.

Once she got them all hooked to her roof, it almost worked. If she'd gone on to secure another set of ropes to the ground, it might have been stable enough for her to climb to Archcrafter. And yet in the end, she lowered the eldenwood to her roof.

It wasn't that she feared that she would fail, though it was true that she had never attempted to ascend before. She also didn't worry that her ascension now would damage her future soulcrafting. But it felt deeply disrespectful to her relative to simply ignore his plans and push forward. She was confident enough in her own skills to choose comparable sublime materials to those she lacked, but ascending was a very different process and the blueprint for her second floor was difficult.

Yet she did admit that she was being a poor companion to her friends. For a long time, she had been collecting merits and Fithan Discs, in the hope of using them once her relative returned and helped her onward. Relative Guchiro had many resources, but she could still contribute some to be a good relative.

Since he was not likely to hear her message for some time, being a good companion currently meant making use of those resources. Currently Friend Nauda and Friend Theo had entered the city to participate in a social assignment for the House, so she resolved to accomplish something of her own and departed the Blacksilver complex.

There were a great many stores and merchants within Norro Yorthin, and all of them would serve Ichili customers, but few made them truly comfortable. When she did not have others to assist her with the crowds, Fiyu had occasionally gone out to better scout the regions near the Ichili gate. While there, she had met Acquaintance Hirot again, and he had suggested that she visit a particular mercantile house when it came to sublime materials or armaments, one of the few not controlled by the House of Coin.

When she arrived on the narrow street, she was forced to leave the sleigh, but at least the people in the neighborhood kept a more polite distance between them. This was good, as she had yet to master the method she had seen some Ichili use, slipping between crowds without being touched. Fiyu held her portion of the money tighter within her robes, pulled the bundle of eryo claws closer, and looked about for the indicators she had been given. There was no sign written in obvious words, only a specific pattern within the stones out front, visible to most Ichili senses but hidden to others.

She entered and was immediately met by an Ichili woman wrapped in many furs despite the heat, confronting her from several paces away. "State your business."

"I was advised to come here by a stranger named Hirot," Fiyu said. "I wish to purchase an armament without being betrayed by merchants."

"This is reasonable. We do not often cater to first tier soulcrafters here."

"I desire an armament that will be useful to me after I ascend. I believe that I also have sufficient funds for such a purchase."

"If your funds are found to be inadequate, we will discourage you from returning here." The Stranger Sentry stared at her for a time, and when Fiyu did not budge, she nodded. "I will escort you to our current armament specialist."

They moved down a side hallway, everything tastefully lit so that it would be just barely visible to the eyes of most. Each doorway they passed was covered by a curtain of beads that shimmered oddly, somehow blocking her senses from discerning anything beyond. Fiyu became mildly concerned, though given the semi-trusted location, she thought it was a good idea for privacy.

Eventually she was escorted into a room filled with soft objects, from Fithan rugs to pillows she recognized from home to unfamiliar chairs made from Ichili wood. A partition had been set up between the two halves of the room splitting a table in half, the one dense object in the room, though it did not prevent her senses from feeling a man sitting on the other side. There was a closed window in the partition to allow for items to be passed through. Overall, she thought it was a pleasant, comfortable arrangement.

"What armament do you require?" the stranger asked.

"I am uncertain." Fiyu spoke as she sat down, then immediately felt a tensing of the man's muscles in annoyance. Recognizing her error, she continued on. "What I require is an armament that is usable for a first tier soulcrafter, but not irrelevant when I ascend. This is a difficult request, so I did not want to burden you with more specifications."

"Not impossible, if you're not going to try to build a room around it yet." The man shifted on the other side, leaning onto the table with more receptive musculature. "Why don't you explain your blueprint so far and tell me what you might want?"

Though Fiyu would never reveal details of her blueprint easily, she was free to speak of the three sublime materials that formed her primary walls. She also spoke of her techniques and other details that she thought might be relevant. This was a trusted encounter, after all, and dishonesty would reflect poorly on her.

"What we have will depend on what you have." The window slid open with a clatter. "Show me how much you are willing to pay."

The truth was that Fiyu intended to spend everything she had, though that was not a truth she was required to share. She began to remove everything she had stored away or kept with Nauda: Fithan Discs, craftgems, even the limited Ichili money she possessed and the Silver Crowns she still had from Deuxan. In all, it seemed a sadly small pile, but she pushed it through the window.

After a pause, the man shook his head to himself. "For this amount, I can acquire you an armament that meets your specifications. But in the interest of courtesy, I must inform you that it might not meet your expectations. Are you willing to spend more?"

"I have no more money, but..." Fiyu's head drooped, but she had feared this. She reached into the bag she carried and pulled out her third of the claws they had taken from the dead eryo. Though she hesitated to place them all on the table, she did not believe they were a sublime material suited to her, so she thought it was better to spend them here.

The claws were large enough that the man needed to turn one sideways to fit it through the window. Once on the other side, however, his senses pored over the claw with such intensity that she could feel them rippling even from her side. Soon enough, he set the claw back down and turned to face her again.

"These are a valuable sublime material. Would you be willing to reveal where you found them in exchange for compensation?"

"Yes, but in the interest of courtesy, I must tell you that you would not be able to use that information. This sublime beast was killed by a companion of mine and I could not replicate the feat or the hunt."

"Pity. But yes, with these, we will be able to offer you an excellent armament. Please wait here." He vanished through another beaded door on his side of the room, leaving her alone.

On her own, Fiyu had time to consider whether or not the lie had been irresponsible of her. It was possible that the Ichili in the city could venture through the Tatian gate to hunt eryos, though she did not know how difficult that would be, if they lacked an ability like Friend Theo's. Because her companions were so concerned about security, she decided to withhold the information, even in this company. Though Ichili society could be trusted to some degree, betrayal was always possible.

While she waited, Fiyu entered her soulhome to work, but found herself struggling to decide. The number of improvements she could make to the interior were steadily decreasing and the exterior could hardly be more polished. Before she could generate the full willpower to begin any new project, the man returned from the other side bearing several heavy objects.

"First is a Darkling Knife, which can easily absorb and enhance cantae from your hand." As he spoke, the man slid each object through the window to her side of the table. "Second is a Voidwraith Cloak, which matches most stealth abilities. Third is a bolt of Voidwraith Cloth, if you wish to craft your own garment. Fourth are these Soulsilver Bracers, which will increase the intensity of applied cantae. Fifth is a Companionsphere, which generates a powerful defensive field. All meet your specifications with potential for growth. Choose."

Fiyu looked over each armament, admiring the quality of the work and the cantae within. She must have underestimated the value of the eryo claws, because the tools she had been offered were much more suitable for a Ruler or above than her. And now she would need to choose among the treasures.

She was most attracted to the Voidwraith Cloak, which was both elegantly inscribed and very soft. Most importantly, it would make her stealth technique more potent, perhaps allowing her to avoid the gaze of more powerful soulcrafters... or sublime beasts such as the one that had deceived her.

After much hesitation, Fiyu decided that she should not make the decision based on fear. As she had seen with Friend Nauda and Friend Theo, many conflicts required them to stand and fight. She judged the Soulsilver Bracers to be the overall most powerful, since they would increase the potential of her bursts of light. When she picked it up, she felt increased tension from the other side.

"That is your decision? I must tell you, that is the most expensive, and may also be difficult to soulcraft even at Archcrafter, being more suited to Ruler."

"I will choose these." Fiyu rolled back her sleeves and slipped the bracers onto her wrists, finding them easy to tie into a comfortable position. The cantae contained within the etched silver surface was actually somewhat intimidating, but she would master it later. In the short term, it might help her contribute to her companions when it mattered.

While she experimented with them, the man on the other side took everything she had offered. At the end, he slid the pile of Ichili coins back to her. Apparently that was all that remained of the money she had been saving for many months. Fiyu touched the bracers on her wrists carefully, hoping that they would be worth it.

"That concludes our business. Please depart."

"I will do so." Fiyu bowed to him and then slipped through the beaded door.

No one came to escort her, as conducting a successful deal had likely made their relationship incrementally closer. If she remained in the city, perhaps she could return again in the future and establish another ally. For the time being, she let her sleeves hide her new armament and returned to the sleigh.

On her way back, Fiyu realized that she had not truly spent all her resources: her merits with House Blacksilver had been accumulating for quite some time. They did not have many sublime materials that suited her, but perhaps...

Chapter 32

As another month dwindled, Theo was for once allowed to soulcraft in peace. He still went on assignment with the others and tried to push more value out of his ventures in Aathal or with granitebile, but that was maintenance. What would help him survive the duel were the new chambers he'd worked on.

Surprisingly, he hadn't been able to find out information about the wormhole sublime material he'd purchased in Ichil. Whatever it was, his instincts told him how valuable it was, so he put in the work first.

The most obvious option, the one he would have taken when he was a young man, would be to place the wormhole chamber above a ranged attack. Having a cantae bolt that could skip over space to strike instantly was no joke, and the potential for it still inspired him, but he forcefully set that aside for his Ruler floor if ever. Instead, he thought about the blueprint from the other angle and placed the wormhole above his very first chamber.

When he'd begun carving the walls for his gravitational fields, he'd used one of the most obvious symbols of gravity he knew: the fabric of space and time being warped by an object. Wormholes, even if theoretical, were just a logical extension of that. Instead of strengthening his gravitational fields, which were already adequate, he had the cantae from the room flow upward into the wormhole chamber.

That reinforcement wasn't enough to create a wormhole on its own - he'd tested - but he knew it was a close thing. When both chambers flowed together into his central core, they might be able to transport something small... something like a singularity. He couldn't test that process until he actually had a completely balanced second floor, but the flow between the two was quite strong.

So far, he hadn't made any decisions that weakened his blueprint in the long term, but his soulhome was turning out strange. The cantae generated by his second floor overflowed into the unfinished first, and whenever he tried to use a spherical flow, it swirled around itself strangely. His speed chambers on the second had more raw power than the enhancement rooms below, which could be easily corrected, but he didn't think he could waste time on a little more strength when his opponent was so dangerous.

Still, the lack of rooms enhancing him directly did bother him. Without them, he was as vulnerable as Fiyu, and a sword blow to the wrong place could kill him instantly. Yet trying to go up against a Ruler's cantae would be foolish in any case, so he remained focused on his plan.

With the wormhole done, it was time to move on to another material. Fortunately, he'd been distracted from spending merits recently, so they'd piled up in his account. The trip to Ichil alone had been worth 175 on top of what he would have expected to earn that month. All told, he'd just barely scraped over a full thousand merits. Enough for the Chasm Invitation... but he'd probably have to choose against it.

Theo stepped out of his room, noting absentmindedly that he'd apparently soulcrafted through the entire night. He'd need to get proper sleep later, especially in the last days before the duel, but for now pushing himself was harmless. Even after he obtained everything he needed, he'd have to make it all cohere and refine the technique.

When he stepped into the materials office, Antha looked up at him without expression. "The usual, Peanen?"

"Not quite. I'm going to actually purchase something today."

"Well, wonders never cease." Antha pushed the books of merit rewards over to him and he reflexively ran over them again.

Of course, with a thousand merits to spend, there was absolutely no point even looking at something like the Esoteric Chisel. Instead he focused on the sublime materials, particularly the less expensive ones that he might soon need to purchase more of. This was a challenging technique, after all, and it might require more than just raw materials and carving.

Soon enough, he found his other usual entries:

Voidgum 48 merits

Twilitwood 83 merits

Soulshadow Stone 300 merits

Dark Lantern 420 merits

Bleakburden 790 merits

Chasm Invitation 1500 merits

Just as he was starting to regret that he would have to leave the Chasm Invitation for later, his eyes flashed back to it in surprise. After so long, he'd barely actually looked at the number, but it had increased. Not only that, but by fifty percent. Theo slammed the book down on the table in front of Antha.

"Why is the Chasm Invitation more expensive now?"

"Because there's only one left." Antha patiently pushed the book away from her work. "Another member of House Blacksilver purchased the first, therefore we require a greater commitment for the last."

"Who?"

"You should know better than to ask that. All such information is private."

Recognizing that he was taking his anger out on the wrong person, Theo stepped away from her table, fuming. Despite all his efforts, he'd fallen into the basic trap of assuming his targets would stay in place. He'd been so focused on the ways that Esaire would improve that he'd started considering all of his other conditions as fixed values.

After taking a deep breath, he told himself that it didn't matter. He needed a sublime material most anyway, or the Invitations would be irrelevant. For now, taking focus away from the duel was weakness.

"I'll take the bleakburden," Theo said. Antha blinked in surprise, but nodded.

"If you want to spend all your merits that way, you can. I'll have someone retrieve it from the protected stores."

According to the description, bleakburden was an exceptional sublime material: not in its rarity, but in its strength. Most materials were useful only in soulcrafting or in the physical world, but bleakburden had powerful effects in both. It was an absurdly dense stone that held far more weight than it should, and would have been a critical component of many defenses if it didn't react so poorly with other materials. He wanted it because it was a perfect representation of mass.

When Antha returned with the bleakburden in a special case, she required a special cart to carry it. Theo was able to pick it up with cantae reinforcing his body, but it was difficult. Opening the case, he stared down at the dark rock. Unlike many sublime stones, it was a rounded disc instead of a sphere, but what mattered was that the cantae was every bit as intense as expected.

Theo reached down to squeeze the stone... and it refused to enter his soulhome. He blinked, actually looking for interference before considering the more likely explanation that he'd just failed. Yet it shouldn't be his willpower or his abilities, since he'd been easily absorbing sublime materials ever since he'd returned to the Nine Worlds.

He knew the real reason: his heart wasn't in it. With his advanced experience, he could draw many materials into his soulhome without really putting in effort like most soulcrafters. But not this, not a stone that was nearly breaking his present limits.

Instead of trying to force it, Theo hefted the case and headed back to his room. Truthfully, part of him didn't like being so focused on the duel. It was his life on the line, but it was also a small vendetta, unimportant in the vast scheme of things. While it consumed him, he couldn't focus on reaching the Chasm of Lamentations, much less on taking revenge on Vistgil or resolving any deeper problems.

On his way back, he passed Fiyu, who smiled widely at first, then more nervously when she saw his scowl. "Theo? Is something wrong, or is that just your face?"

"It's nothing important." He could have brushed it off, but after risking their lives together, Theo decided to push on. "Someone else took the cheapest Chasm Invitation, so now our job is a lot harder. Six months will pass without us getting a single one..."

"Oh. Oh, that is..." Fiyu reached inside her robes and then revealed a plate of pure white crystal, cut into a precise rectangle. "I acquired it with my merits. I was waiting to tell you when you needed to be cheered up, but now it seems I have troubled you."

"Fiyu, that's amazing." He stepped forward, probably too far into her personal space despite all they'd shared, but resisted grabbing it from her. Smiling again, Fiyu extended the plate for him to examine more carefully.

The Chasm Invitation was made out of a strange white marble that didn't contain any particularly powerful cantae, yet it did resonate strangely. He recognized it from his visit to the Chasm of Lamentations, since the entire place was made out of the stuff. More importantly than the material, it was inscribed with two elaborate sigils representing Norro Yorthin and House Blacksilver.

"So that's one." Theo handed it back to her with a smile. "This one is yours, but you can count on Nauda and me finding a way to earn one too. Then all three of us can go together."

"I hope that we can." Fiyu smiled even more broadly and tucked the Invitation away. "But first you must be concerned for your life."

"After today, I'm going to be a lot closer." Theo swept past her to his room, dark mood banished by such a small thing. They might not be able to join him in the duel, but he did have allies beside him.

When he opened the bleakburden case again, this time he had no trouble cracking the stone and drawing it into his soulhome. Time to get to work.

Chapter 33

Though Nauda told herself she was soulcrafting, she was mostly just stewing over her same problems. She'd significantly enhanced the chamber on her Archcrafter floor dedicated to her new staff, but it wasn't enough. For a while she worked on building toward Ruler, but the pressure soon got to her and she stumbled back down.

So when someone knocked on her door, she wasn't upset at the distraction. When she discovered that it was Fiyu, she was pleased... though the other woman was frowning and her hair was in a much messier version of its usual braid.

"Is everything alright, Fiyu? Shouldn't you be preparing for your tournament today?"

"My soulhome is ready, but my mind is not." Fiyu pushed her way in without making contact, and Nauda gladly stepped aside to let her be a little more comfortable. It was rare for Fiyu to express herself so openly, or at least it had been before their journey to Ichil.

"I'd help if I could, but I'm not sure I'm the person you want to talk to. I failed my tournament badly."

"Oh, do not say that, Nauda. And it is not a matter of strength, I am worried that I will not represent myself well. All the strange insults, and being in front of the crowds, and..." She touched her braid, but not as a nervous gesture, instead bringing it over her shoulder. "Do you think this would look bad to Fithans? I think it feels beautiful, but I know most people use their eyes first."

"I... would advise you do it slightly differently."

"Please assist me." Fiyu walked further into her room and sat down in front of her table, regarding her brush and the few other items she'd laid out there. "Complex hair styles on Ichil are usually focused on having various pins dividing the hair into layers. I am not good at those either."

Nauda stared at the other woman's back, unsure if it was really okay after so long staying apart. Fiyu had put distance between them ever since the moment when she had taken Nauda's hand while ill. Truthfully, Nauda had no idea if she even remembered her actions while delirious, and had assumed they were back to remaining apart. "I'll do what I can."

Careful not to touch Fiyu directly, Nauda pulled her hair out of the messy braid and brushed it out. The other woman's hair was remarkably thick, though fortunately her regular brushing didn't leave it with tangles. Having silence between them was a bit uncomfortable, but Nauda didn't think she could talk for all that long about hair.

"I'm going to braid it into several plaits, then weave those together. That should be practical but also look nice."

"Thank you, Nauda." Fiyu sat cooperatively, displaying no apparent discomfort, so Nauda decided to keep down the same path. Perhaps, after they were both immortals who had lived for a thousand years, Fiyu would voluntarily hug her.

"I wish I could do more for you than this." As she worked, Nauda spoke slowly, glad there was no mirror to make it more awkward. "Normally if a friend was going into a tournament, I'd be trying to give them sublime materials or last-second advice. But your soulhome is so finely balanced, and you have the skills you need..."

"Oh, but it will help to know that you are cheering for me!"

"Well... I'm glad it helps, Fiyu."

After that, it became slightly less awkward, as it seemed that Fiyu wanted to take her mind off the tournament. By the time she finished the plaits, Nauda wished that she could make the moment last longer. But since Fiyu no doubt knew each and every hair on her head, she would obviously notice any stalling, so Nauda simply finished her work.

Fiyu seemed quite happy and departed with another broad smile for final preparations. After that, Nauda had no chance of focusing on her soulcrafting. Fortunately, there weren't so many hours to while away before it was time, and when Theo came to collect her, he was all business.

They flew to the Yorthin Coliseum quickly, Fiyu quiet the entire way. Theo seemed to realize that she needed a distraction and kept up a conversation with Nauda about the tournament schedule. Apparently there were tournaments later in the year that awarded a Chasm Invitation, though those didn't restrict soulcrafter tier, which meant they had very little chance.

Eventually they reached the coliseum and Fiyu had to depart to join the other contestants. Intellectually, Nauda knew that Fiyu was a talented soulcrafter who had just recently survived being impaled through the stomach. She still felt anxious when she saw Fiyu walk out onto the sands among so many others.

~ ~ ~

The initial melee went heavily in Fiyu's favor, of course, Theo had never doubted that. Her ability to cloak her presence combined with her situational awareness was an overwhelming advantage, especially against first tier soulcrafters. A few with vision-based skills attempted to hunt her down, but she dealt with them in short order.

Waiting for the final few to drop was dull, since Fiyu wisely conserved her strength for the one-on-one tournament that would come afterward. He returned to soulcrafting, trying to balance all his cantae flows again. It was within his power in theory, but much trickier with so many sublime materials filling the rooms and adding their own cantae to the mix.

In the end, two of the contestants eliminated each other, leading to only fifteen remaining instead of a full sixteen. The judges discussed for a while before determining that Fiyu would be able to pass through her first round based on her performance in the melee.

That was a good advantage, and it also led to Fiyu suddenly emerging in the stands beside them. "I am not required to join the others yet," she explained, then moved between their shoulders and waited for them to create a space for her. He realized that she'd done something special with her hair, a somewhat more elaborate braid that he presumed was aesthetically beautiful to her senses.

Theo expected her to carefully watch her opponents as the matches began, but instead she withdrew into herself. It didn't seem to be the combat on display, which was unquestionably competent but nothing that should shock someone with her experience. He realized that it got worse at the beginning of the matches, when the contestants ritually insulted one another.

The next round was a Fithan man and an Ichili woman, who walked onto the combat floor and nodded to one another.

"I heard you weren't born blind," the Fithan man said, "but the first time you saw yourself in the mirror, you tore out your own eyes. Now that I get a look at you, I believe it."

The Ichili woman twirled a pair of long knives around her fingers. "You shouldn't believe everything you hear. I heard a rumor that you were so clumsy you tended to fall down and stab yourself in the back repeatedly."

Their taunts complete, the two of them began circling. They were better than average, but Theo didn't think they were astonishingly skilled soulcrafters, which was why it seemed odd that Fiyu was fidgeting with her braid while watching them. He considered asking, but decided to let her deal with her own issues.

The match ended with the Fithan man victorious and they were replaced with two more Fithans, who issued their taunts and began fighting. Again, they had solid finished soulhomes, just nothing that would have challenged Fiyu's skills... yet her lips pressed together tighter and tighter until Nauda finally spoke up.

"Are you okay, Fiyu?"

"I am worried about the beginning of the match," she said.

"Why?" Theo asked. "I haven't seen anyone who you don't have a good chance of taking."

"Not about the fight. I... do not understand these insults. They are supposedly jokes, but they are only insults or threats."

Theo paused and exchanged a glance with Nauda. She shrugged nearly imperceptibly and bent a little closer to Fiyu. "You don't need to say anything if you don't want to."

"But I wish to participate to respect Fithan culture." Fiyu pressed her lips together again as another set of contestants exchanged their insults, then shook her head. "I do not understand."

"You... do realize they aren't real insults or threats?"

"I am not foolish, Nauda. But I do not understand why some insults are good and some are bad. They all seem simply unkind to me. Are there established rules for insults?"

Nauda paused and cast a glance back to Theo, so he tried to take a different approach. "Unfortunately, it's based on intuition and it's all very subjective."

"This is frustrating. I will copy what the Ichili woman said."

"Fiyu, that doesn't... you're not carrying any knives, so it wouldn't make sense, and she was playing off his rumor line. Do you see patterns in what they're saying? They imply the other person is ugly or incompetent, but in a memorable way. The insults are never too serious, more playful."

"But she threatened to murder him..."

"Sometimes they go the other way." Nauda tried to catch her eyes, but Fiyu remained fixed on the arena. "If the insults or threats are incredibly over the top, then they can't be taken seriously. Do you understand?"

Based on her expression, Fiyu did not understand, but there was no more time. The first round of matches had concluded, so she needed to leave them to go sit with the other remaining contestants. Nauda glanced over at Theo nervously, but he could only shrug. He thought Fiyu's mental discipline was too good for her to make an error while flustered, he just wasn't sure what would happen.

Soon after Fiyu was called into the arena opposite a Fithan woman. She flinched at the roar of the crowds, but headed forward with determination. Her opponent grinned, no doubt thinking that Fiyu was scared of her, and hefted a large halberd to her shoulder. Soon enough Fiyu stopped across from her, still fidgeting with her braid.

"You look nervous," the Fithan said with a sneer. "Did you enter the tournament for adults by mistake?"

"Um... your head is bad. It is the wrong shape."

The Fithan woman stared at her for several long seconds, then let out a roar of laughter. She stepped forward, still grinning as she swung her halberd off her back-

Fiyu flooded the arena with a storm of light.

Taken off guard, her opponent was battered backward and nearly fell. She swung her halberd to deflect the bolts, but Fiyu was no longer easily exhausted and the onslaught continued. Though the woman tried to push through, Fiyu slipped into her stealth technique and reappeared behind her opponent, sending another hail of light directly into her back.

As she dropped, the arena was silent for once. When they began to cheer, Fiyu flinched, then instinctively bowed to the crowd and scurried back to her seat. Nauda had a fond smile on her lips, while Theo simply wished that he had time to offer Fiyu a little feedback on her insults.

The second round of matches passed in a boring fashion, so Theo spent his time soulcrafting and just watching with one eye. Some of the contestants had potential, but others he thought had tried to design blueprints specifically for a first tier competition. Nothing was worth his time until Fiyu returned to the arena.

This time, she faced an Arbaian Mundhin, several limbs fashioned into fearsome claws. He loomed over Fiyu, deep voice grating. "I haven't heard such ill-formed insults since my master went senile. I'm impressed you were able to clothe yourself, or did your mother dress you?"

Fiyu blinked in surprise and then shook her head. "You are mistaken. You are the one who was dressed by their relative. You are not wearing clothes. This is because your relative was inept at this task."

What followed was dead silence, and even though Mundhin were hard to read, Theo was pretty sure he knew exactly why its central sphere was motionlessly fixed on her. Fiyu shifted her stance and her fingers twitched, clearly wanting to play with her braid.

"Your... your head is also bad. It is the wr-"

The Mundhin let out a bellow and launched himself at her. This match was much more intense, since he could resist the majority of her bursts, but Fiyu outmatched him in speed. He nearly caught her while pretending not to be able to see past her stealth, but she anticipated his trap. In the end her dark blade proved able to cut through his limbs and she was victorious, though it was a close thing.

If tournaments followed laws of drama, Theo might have been worried about Fiyu's chances, but he knew the odds. In a single-elimination unseeded tournament, there was no guarantee that the two strongest fighters would end up against one another in the final round. As more unremarkable contestants fought, Theo strongly suspected that Fiyu had just defeated her closest competition.

By the time of the final match, Fiyu's cantae seemed to have recovered, but she looked more nervous than before. Her opponent was a Fithan man covered in scars who immediately raised his hands to either side of his face before she could speak.

"It's okay, you don't need to try to insult me. You're a talented soulcrafter, and you can simply show us your work."

After peering at him for a time, trying to discern an insult in his words, Fiyu smiled and nodded. "Thank you, I will do this."

Though the Fithan man might have been kind, he wasn't good enough to be competition for Fiyu. He had absolutely no counter to her stealth except instinct predicting her movements, and Fiyu was too smart to fall into simple patterns. When she defeated him, she seemed surprised by the loud cheering, then beamed as she realized that she had won the tournament.

It wasn't really a surprise, but Theo still found himself smiling.

~ ~ ~

The cheering would have been horrifying if not for the curtain within her soulhome, which Fiyu closed tightly even as she maintained her smile. It was important to behave normally, because she was representing herself, Ichil, and House Blacksilver. She knew that her insults had not been effective, though she wasn't certain why they were bad, but hoped her victory would be more important.

In the end, a Fithan stranger in elaborate clothing presented her with a sword, which baffled her. She had no idea how to use a sword, and if they had demanded that she do something with it, she might have been apprehensive. Yet it seemed to be sufficient to simply hold the weapon, based on the cheering, so she managed until she could retreat from the coliseum floor.

Though she only wanted to rejoin her companions, the way appeared to be blocked. Walking toward the group, Fiyu resisted the urge to touch the hair Companion Nauda had done for her, instead merely running her senses through the strands. She would be okay. Her companions were with her.

A number of people closed on her, apparently with offers, but a representative from House Blacksilver cut them off. Fiyu had hoped that it would be Ally Antha, mostly because she knew the other woman best. Still, the other officials were not bad, surrounding her at a reasonable distance while also keeping others away and escorting her through the press.

"You've done our House proud," an older man said. "We don't focus on such tournaments, so they're almost always won by soulcrafters from House Crimson or the House of Waves that are forced to stay at the first tier. But having one of ours win will remind them that they can't forget about us."

"I attempted to do well in every aspect." Fiyu had been holding the sword in both hands and now thrust it at him. "I do not know how to use this."

"It's still your reward, or at least the start of it. House Blacksilver is going to add something on top of it: five hundred merits. We hope you'll use them to continue your career to Archcrafter and beyond."

"Thank you." Fiyu did her best to smile at the Stranger Allies, but then she saw Friend Nauda and Friend Theo standing in the corridor ahead. She hurried to greet them, glad to see the smiles on their faces. "I have a sword now," she said. "I am not sure what to do with it."

"Didn't you used to fight with one of those?" Friend Nauda asked, glancing toward Friend Theo. Several muscles in his jaw clenched for a moment, then he shook his head.

"That was the old me, and this isn't about me at all. Congratulations, Fiyu."

She nodded her thanks. "I did not truly expect to win."

"That's humble of you, but you could have. You're remarkable for a soulcrafter anywhere, not just in this city. They think Stronghold is the limit here, but if you keep moving upward, you'll be able to go further."

Fiyu agreed, hoping that it could be alongside her companions. Not so long ago, she had been nearly dead, and now she was the winner of a competition and quite happy. She would hope that the next turn of fate was equally positive.

Chapter 34

Generally, when they soulcrafted together, Theo used Nauda's technique to check in on their progress. That day, he needed absolute focus, so he remained within his soulhome with the door closed, almost no awareness of the outside world. Senka was blessedly absent - he'd seen her perhaps once since they'd returned - and the other two provided a degree of security so he could concentrate.

He did have some idea what they were doing. Nauda was continuing to improve a chamber dedicated to her staff, as well as trying to enhance her nullstone. Fiyu was polishing yet more details as well as working on the roof to prepare for Archcrafter, if not trying to ascend. But he set both aside, because it was time.

Theo stood in the center of his soulhome, staring up at the singularity spinning above him. It was an unusually powerful core for his tier, and just using the techniques he'd developed in his corner chambers would be enough to make him above average. He didn't need to be above average, he needed to be exceptional, so it was time to bring his entire blueprint together.

With a deep breath, he began drawing every chamber of his soulhome together, a single complex flow that he'd never have been able to do in his first life. Average techniques drew on two chambers: a core source of cantae and a chamber to apply it. Strong techniques would add cantae from above or below, maybe even support rooms, using three or four chambers at once.

His singularity was going to draw eight into his central column.

They all flowed together relatively easily, which he'd expected since he'd been carefully selecting his sublime materials for a single purpose from the beginning. When he faltered briefly, it wasn't because of his soulcrafting, just a final mental barrier: his soulhome was unified, but he was still split between his first life, his life on Earth, and a thousand mirrored versions of who he could be now. One day he'd need to resolve that conflict, but for that moment he accepted it and pulled the technique together anyway.

The other eight chambers shivered as their cantae bled out into the voids being created as he drew everything into his core. Overhead, the shutters above his singularity slammed open and everything flooded upward, leaving his soulhome in a torrent.

In the real world, Theo raised his hands facing each other, expecting a useful failure... and a seed of darkness appeared between them. He'd honestly been expecting multiple attempts to refine the technique, and now he saw the singularity floating between his hands, drawing air and cantae into it.

Startled, Theo lost focus and the singularity dissipated. He found himself smiling in satisfaction, glad to have validated his new blueprint. After so long focusing toward this technique and bending everything he had toward it, the final step came together smoothly. Of course, nothing that powerful could be used easily, but now that the soulcrafting theory was confirmed sound, the rest was just a matter of training.

"I'd like to show you something." Theo spoke softly, expecting to need to get their attention and let them finish their work. Instead, he found both Nauda and Fiyu already staring at him from their positions.

"You've finally finished soulcrafting?" Nauda asked. Theo grinned as he got to his feet.

"Never. But my soulhome has advanced far enough to support a singularity."

Fiyu rose to her feet, smiling encouragingly. "What I felt was very strange. I believe I have understood your explanations, but they remain unfamiliar to me."

"It's a bit of a difficult concept, especially trying to recreate it by soulcrafting." Theo knew that what he'd created was several steps removed from a true singularity, but some of those were necessitated by the nature of cantae and others would hopefully make it easier to actually control. "I need the two of you to help me test it, because it's going to be difficult to use in actual combat, at least for now."

He felt Nauda examining his soulhome and let her. Several seconds later, she nodded to herself. "I see what you mean about your soulhome needing a third floor to create a full sphere. Until then, I'm guessing it's going to be a bit slower?"

"Hopefully not too slow to use. I need to improve that and test its limits."

Theo concentrated, this time accessing the technique without returning to his soulhome. What he was attempting to create was a relatively small singularity, but even that consumed his cantae at a terrible rate. Creating one at full power would be a challenge and he doubted that he could manage more than two, even under ideal conditions. Until he ascended further, this would be a final technique.

Manifesting another small singularity, however, was easy enough, and this time he held it stably between his hands. The others peered at the dark speck, noting how everything flowed inward. Though Nauda seemed merely interested, Fiyu shivered and took a step back.

"It is... I have never felt anything like this. My senses don't know how to react. It is impossibly dense, like a pit that descends so deep that I cannot see the bottom..."

"Infinitely deep, if I got it right." Theo had been wondering what she would see, but if it felt infinitely dense to her, then that was a good sign he'd pulled it off. Meanwhile, Nauda started to raise her staff to poke it, so he had to stop her. "I wouldn't test with anything you value. Do we have something else?"

"I think so." Nauda ran to the side and grabbed a board that young trainees used to practice simple physical techniques. "I'll just pass it through, I guess."

He separated his hands further to give her space and Nauda swung the board against the singularity with more cantae than he'd expected. It passed through cleanly and she brought up the board, staring at the hole that had been torn in it. When Nauda poked it against the singularity directly, the board was immediately torn apart by the event horizon, consumed without the singularity becoming even slightly unstable.

That was good, but Theo searched futilely for time dilation. There might not be any visible, given the size of the singularity. For that matter, there wasn't much of an accretion disc, just the darkness of the event horizon, and he'd need to do further testing to find out whether or not his technique needed refinement. What mattered most was that it wasn't draining him to maintain the singularity, not with it sucking in everything around it.

"Could it pass through anything?" Fiyu asked, eyes wide even through her mask.

"Not yet, unfortunately," Theo said. "The black hole is ultimately made from cantae, and the gap to Authority is too large. Once I ascend that far, it might be able to threaten anyone, but that's in the future." He relaxed his sober analysis and allowed himself to grin. "But this would definitely pierce straight through a Ruler, no matter their cantae."

"And so you have your strategy for the duel." Nauda tapped her staff on the ground as she watched the singularity thoughtfully. "So you're going to fire the sphere at a vulnerable target?"

"Actually, probably not. Even this small version is proving difficult to move." Theo could shift the black hole slightly by moving his hands, but it required focus and drained his cantae. His fingers curled in, forming somewhat of a cage around it, and if he moved them too far away, the technique threatened to become unstable.

With assistance from the others, Theo ran a few more experiments. Anything manifested by his own cantae wouldn't hurt him, so he could touch it harmlessly, but Fiyu and Nauda felt it drain their cantae if they got too close. Cantae bolts fired against it were absorbed instantly, actually strengthening the black hole. A constant stream of cantae attacks couldn't overwhelm it, unlike many techniques based on absorption. He was reasonably confident that anything short of a developed technique by an Authority would only feed into the technique, but it had another limitation.

"Fiyu, I need you to hit me with a light burst." Theo walked several paces away, pulling the black hole along with him. It seemed to grow spiritually heavier the longer it existed, so he was doubly glad for his wormhole chamber. "I need to know its full range."

"I will try to be gentle." Fiyu removed a pair of silver bracers he hadn't noticed before and stepped into place across from him, palms raised. He let more of his cantae flow into it, increasing the darkness to roughly the size of a fist.

Her first burst of light was much too modest, a stream aimed directly at the black hole. Not only were those that struck it absorbed, others curved inward, drawn in by the spiritual gravity. Nauda whistled, but Fiyu focused and widened her arms a little, preparing a broader assault.

Though a large portion of her blast fell into the event horizon, it didn't extend far enough to protect his full body, and some bolts were actually bent inward in his direction. Theo fell backward as the bolts burned against his cantae and his focus collapsed... but the singularity endured for a while longer, growing larger and soaking up cantae in midair before finally disappearing.

"So it's not unstoppable." Nauda stepped over to offer him a hand up and pulled him back to his feet. "You said you would create a large one - would that protect you?"

"This is a secondary effect. It's not a defensive technique." Even though Theo was starting to feel drained of cantae, he thought he could manage at least one more miniature singularity. "Let me show you the last aspect."

He repeated the technique, which came a little faster this time. Something this potent would never become instantaneous, but he could reduce the time it took to generate with practice. Most importantly, he finally planned to use his wormhole chamber. It had been simply feeding gravitational cantae into his core from the beginning... but now it was going to do something more.

Once he had another singularity between his hands, Theo took a deep breath and focused... and then clapped his hands together around it, fingers interlocked.

A grinding explosion sounded to their left and they jumped in surprise, even Theo. He'd intended to tunnel the singularity to a point in the air above them. Instead, it whirled in the middle of one of the roofs surrounding the training courtyard. It had been built from sublime materials, but those were rapidly falling into the event horizon. As the intensity of the technique increased, more pieces of the roof began to tear free, rapidly orbiting around the black hole, which grew, and grew...

Theo quickly released the technique before it could deal serious damage to the Blacksilver complex. Some accidents during training were to be expected, so hopefully they wouldn't deduct any merits.

Abruptly he realized that he was still thinking like his life depended on merits. Now that he'd finally created his singularity, he no longer desperately needed every scrap he could find. Of course, that was no reason not to continue optimizing, since he still needed more edges for his duel against Esaire. Yet he felt that the first chapter of his new life had finally come to a close.

"Well done, Theo." Fiyu smiled at him and brought her hands together. "It is an extraordinary technique. I hope it will allow you to survive the duel."

"You don't have too many of those in your soulhome, do you?" Nauda regarded him thoughtfully, then shook her head. "Well, you know what you're doing. Can we help you get it ready for the fight?"

"Generating it now is one thing, but in a fight is another," Theo said. "I'll need you to seriously threaten me so I can get used to creating it under pressure. But for right now... right now, I think I need a nap."

His soulhome exhausted, Theo laid back on the hard marble of the courtyard and was asleep almost instantly.

Chapter 35

Though Theo was incredibly busy, he couldn't possibly fail to notice the upcoming date when he had only one month left before the duel. He wasn't sure if the past five months felt like far more or far less time. In any case, he couldn't afford to let himself get distracted by the impending deadline.

Training with Nauda and Fiyu had been mostly successful, getting him used to manifesting his singularity even when being threatened. Unfortunately, he couldn't improve endlessly with just brute effort, and the technique was definitely going to require strategy to employ effectively. Fighting the two of them together, he only managed to gather enough cantae half of the time, and with their awareness of the technique, they might have been able to dodge even if he aimed for them. Certain steps would be too slow until he ascended and he'd have to work around that.

Perhaps the biggest problem was that the two of them combined weren't the same sort of threat as Esaire, who would be coming at him with focused speed and a Ruler's cantae. Theo didn't know anyone who was the same sort of soulcrafter, and didn't want to over-train against a single expected opponent anyway. That was a good way to develop rigid thinking instead of actual skills.

Still, he had another trial to pit himself against: one more quarry run with House Teal. This would be the last one he could attend before the duel, so he intended to make the most of it. Hopefully Nauda and Fiyu could sneak in, then he'd see if he could manage a singularity even in the whirlwind with attacks from all sides.

"Is something different about this time?" Theo had been distracted by overall plans while they drove out to the quarry, but Nauda leaned forward, shielding her eyes. "You notice anything, Fiyu?"

"There are more people than the two times I attended." Fiyu had been driving to let him soulcraft more, and now frowned along with Nauda. "They feel like an average group of soulcrafters, but they are much more tense than normal."

"Huh. I wonder if we're missing something."

That might be, but Theo didn't notice anything that struck him as substantially different. No Tythes, Esaire, or strange outsiders lurking in the crowd - more Fithans than usual, if anything. The House Teal official was the same Lady Baryara as always, standing in the same dignified pose. Fiyu was right about the tension in the crowd, however, which was visible in their faces in addition to whatever details she detected.

Fortunately, no one challenged the presence of Nauda and Fiyu. They'd probably be disqualified if they were noticed by Lady Baryara, but Theo didn't care about that in the slightest. He wondered if he could taunt some other soulcrafters to get them to come after him and increase the difficulty further.

"House Teal, in its wisdom, has decided to bestow a greater gift than our usual." Lady Baryara actually skipped her usual speech, a new tone of confidence in her voice. "We have increased the intensity of the whirlwind and the draining effect within the quarry, but we also offer a greater prize: a Chasm Invitation."

Immediately Theo's priorities shifted. He couldn't overlook the chance to acquire a second Invitation without a huge expense, even for the sake of training. As he took a second look at the soulcrafters around him, he realized that many were rough men and women, one large group even bearing weapons. No doubt some Houses had heard rumors of the prize and sent skilled soulcrafters to acquire it.

Fighting this many veterans might be beyond his abilities, but all he needed to do was win, and after nine hours in the whirlwind, Theo thought he had a chance. He turned back to his allies and spoke in a low voice. "Change of plans: don't enter, because I don't want to give them any reason to disqualify me. Stay alert in case anyone tries anything suspicious."

They nodded, and then there wasn't time for anything else, because Lady Baryara was clearly ready to announce the start. Theo stepped up to the side of the quarry as the whirlwind spun up to full speed. Unlike usual, nearly everyone else moved to the edge as well, some even putting a foot onto the slope, all ready for the signal.

"Begin!"

Theo leapt down the slope, like most of the others, but he also cast a gravitational field over himself. As a result, gravity pulled him down faster than the others, though several sprinted at nearly the same rate. He leapt across the base of the quarry, exerting his speed chambers to their fullest extent.

On the way, he lost ground to a Ruler who blazed forward. Some of the others might be faster than him, but that didn't mean they'd win. Theo was immensely familiar with the whirlwind by now, even in its intensified form, and he had never once tried to seriously win the competition.

He did now, slamming two gravitational fields down over the entire quarry as powerfully as he could generate them. Rocks began to plummet in their arcs and most of the others stumbled in surprise, but he hadn't applied it to himself. Instead, he cast the third field only around himself, reducing himself to a fraction of his normal weight as he sprinted up the side. A few rocks still spun at him, but he dodged with extra bursts of speed.

Then he was sprinting up onto the top, so fast that his reduced weight nearly sent him sailing off. He managed to stay back, releasing all his other fields. Around him, he saw a few who had managed to sprint through much of the whirlwind, but they had been focused on one another, not a lone Archcrafter who had ignored everything but the summit.

Seconds after the competition had begun, he stood in front of Lady Baryara, who stared at him in surprise. Since he'd stayed on the ground the entire time, she couldn't object, but she had clearly not expected the competition to end so quickly.

"Thank you for this opportunity," he said, doing his best Nauda impression. "Would you bless me with the Chasm Invitation now?"

The woman gave him a sour look, but she also pulled a piece of white marble from her robes. Other than being inscribed with the symbol of House Teal, it was identical to the one Fiyu had. That meant they only needed one more... but he had higher priorities.

Around them, one of the Rulers broke to the top to take second place. Many of the others fought with one another in the returning whirlwind, apparently interested in the monetary award, but he saw some of the strongest soulcrafters leaving. They could easily have reached the summit, clearly interested only in the Invitation. He could see the growing dissatisfaction on Lady Baryara's face and decided that his plans didn't need to change.

"If I understand correctly, your goal with this competition is to drain cantae for your ongoing mining operations. Since you have already kindled the whirlwind, would you permit me to train here until it fades? It would generate considerably more cantae for House Teal, so-"

"Fine." The woman pushed past him irritably, shooting one more glance in his direction. "If you steal so much as a single tornadogem, you will face House Teal's retribution."

That suited him fine. Theo looked across the whirlwind, which had restored itself to its full ferocity, and waved to Fiyu and Nauda. When he gestured downward, they understood, and both entered the quarry to meet at the bottom.

"I guess I need to get an Invitation now," Nauda said as they came together. Theo shook his head.

"Now that we only need one more, I'm sure we can find a way, even if we need to spend a lot to buy it. What I want to do is train like we planned. Between the new whirlwind and both of you, this might be a good test."

"Unlike the trial itself, which quailed before your might." Nauda smiled and spun her staff into a combat position.

Meanwhile, he realized that Fiyu had disappeared... so she intended to fire at him from within her stealth technique. A perfectly valid strategy, and even if it didn't match what Esaire would do, he wanted to test his limits. Theo leapt back away from Nauda's first attempt to bind him, landing on the side of the inner slope to get distance from both of them.

The intensified whirlwind whipped rocks more quickly than before, and he couldn't afford to ignore it or dodge on instinct. That meant his attention was split in many ways, plus there were still soulcrafters training or trying to achieve another of the lesser awards.

He almost put them out of his mind, before he noticed a group of Archcrafters moving in his direction. They looked experienced and a bit angry, perhaps intending to steal his Invitation from him. Not wanting to deal with that at the moment, Theo put a reverse field beneath them to send the group out of the quarry.

All five glowed with a cloak of blue cantae and charged.

In that instant, Theo realized that he'd miscalculated. The cloak around them was unquestionably Esaire's technique to nullify gravity, which meant that this was no theft. Esaire hadn't just been preparing himself, he or his family had trained local mercenaries for this precise hit. None of them looked like pushovers, either, so this could be bad.

Then a storm of light crashed into the charging mercenaries and one of those in the air froze in place, then smashed into the ground. Trusting in his own allies, Theo threw out a hand and hit the first of them with gravitational torsion.

Thankfully, the cloak couldn't shrug off such a complex twisting field, but the Archcrafter he struck wasn't just some pawn of the Armeau family. He kept charging, despite the fact that the torsion broke one of his arms, and reached out with a technique.

If he'd been as slow as he was a few months ago, Theo wouldn't have noticed the stone melting beneath his feet in time. As it was, he barely sent himself upward in time to avoid the liquid stone rising upward to wrap around his legs.

The emergency retreat gave him no time to defend, and a few rocks slammed into him, but then he was high above the whirlwind looking down. He saw Nauda exchanging blows with two of the mercenaries, keeping them at bay but giving ground. Fiyu flickered in and out as she rained more lightstorms against their opponents, at least distracting them. Unfortunately, that left one focused on him and generating a significant amount of cantae.

Theo reversed his gravitational field and sent himself downward, a second before a beam of solid cantae tore through the air where he'd been. Unfortunately, the mercenary didn't look surprised, and he'd barely landed before he needed to leap aside from another solid beam. The sublime stone of the quarry wasn't immediately destroyed by it, but several boulders shattered and their fragments joined the whirlwind.

So their opponents were trained, prepared, and positioned facing the whirlwind. House Teal must have noticed, yet Lady Baryara had ignored the attack, perhaps as retaliation. As he dodged aside from the next cantae beam, Theo didn't like his odds.

Chapter 36

The mercenaries were good, better than Nauda had thought at first. Two or three of them could have overwhelmed her, if they hadn't been so singularly focused on Theo. She had assumed that they would be holding back, since murder was illegal here and any investigation would surely lead straight back to Esaire ai Armeau, yet they attacked with full fury.

Of course no one was coming to help them. She couldn't trust those who ruled here more than anywhere else.

Theo retreated through the whirlwind, casting his gravitational torsions, but their opponents were experienced and most had armament breastplates, so the strikes weren't devastating. He shifted to put Nauda between him and the mercenaries, which she thought was a cheap tactic... until she caught his gaze and a slight upward glance.

With her in their path, the mercenaries charged at her in a tight formation. She couldn't have stood up to them like that, but she didn't need to. Nauda hit them all with a wave of nullification, and in the moment their cloaks were disrupted, Theo sent all of them falling into the sky.

It was only a short time before they rebuilt their cloaks and dropped back down, but they fell surprisingly high in that time. Knowing that the landing wouldn't kill them, Nauda thrust out her staff and caught one, slamming him into the side of the quarry. The others landed heavily and were soon coming for her again, shoving aside an innocent soulcrafter who didn't understand that lives were on the line.

Just as Nauda began to strike for another of them, a nearby boulder snaked out, wrapping around her arm and hardening. She tried to pull free and realized too late that the stone was reinforced with her opponent's cantae. Even though Fiyu rained bolts down on the group, four of them peeled away to attack Theo and one came to finish off Nauda.

Her right arm was bound too firmly in place to easily pull free. Nauda grabbed at the stone with her left, pretending to be shocked, as the mercenary approached with a sword overhead. When he got close enough, she dropped her staff, catching it with her free hand and thrusting out.

The tines of it pierced his chest before the force bound him in place, leaving him frozen in that position of pain. Nauda tried to push him downward with one hand, but one of the other mercenaries clapped her hands together, releasing a shockwave that rippled through the whirlwind, sending innocent soulcrafters flying in all directions. Fiyu was caught as well, breaking free from her invisible sphere and tumbling back over the ground.

Nauda's opponent broke free and knocked her staff from her hands while she was still off balance, then swung down at her face. She barely managed to catch her staff with one foot and kick it back up, catching it just in time to freeze her opponent with his blade in front of her face.

Letting out a growl, the mercenary began to flood cantae through his body, breaking her binding and bringing the sword closer to her face. Off balance and with one arm still bound in the rock, it was all Nauda could do to hold him back, her strength ebbing as he leveraged his superior position...

Fiyu appeared behind him, her blade thrusting into the gap in his armor just above the neck. It wasn't a gory wound, but it must have penetrated deep, because the mercenary twitched and then dropped his sword. Its cantae dying, it deflected off Nauda and fell to the ground, though she couldn't hear it hit over the sounds of the whirlwind and the battle.

With a slight smile Fiyu moved beside her and tried to cut the rock binding her in place. After only a few attempts, it was obvious that even her focused cantae blade wasn't going to cut through the rock. She stepped back, dismayed.

There were four mercenaries still in play, so there was no time to hesitate. Nauda released a burst of nullification from her right arm and smashed her other fist into the stone where it looked weakest. She managed to break off the section that bound her arm, and as soon as it separated from the rest of the stone, it weakened enough for her to easily smash it apart.

"Fight from cover," Nauda told Fiyu. She left unsaid that Fiyu was at a disadvantage against such armored opponents, but she saw the sorrowful understanding in the other woman's eyes before she vanished into the wind. If only she had chosen her words better...

Where was Theo during all this? She was torn between anger that he hadn't helped and worry that the others had used their numbers to finish him... and then she saw him across the vortex.

A sphere of darkness hovered between his hands, thrumming with power, and this black hole was no training exercise. The other mercenaries sent out bolts of cantae, but they were all immediately sucked into the void. When the woman clapped her hands again, Nauda was forced a step back, but the force itself seemed to be consumed. Even the whirlwind itself was beginning to falter, a new pattern flowing around where Theo stood.

Then the stone beneath his feet rushed up, clamping around his legs. Theo grimaced in pain... and his hands swept closed.

When the black hole appeared in the center of the mercenaries, the vortex itself seemed to roar in pain. The soulcrafter that shaped stone was consumed instantly, Nauda seeing only a split second of their body being torn apart before it fell into the darkness and nothing remained. Standing nearby, the others tried to flee, but it seemed to pull them inward. Cantae began streaming from their bodies, fueling the black hole as it grew larger.

Though Nauda saw true fear in the mercenaries' eyes, they were strong enough to avoid instant death. One of them dug his sword into the ground to hold himself in place, another used a burst of force to push her out of range, and the third began crawling further away.

Nauda realized that they wouldn't make it... but that they would last longer than the others. All around the base of the quarry, innocent soulcrafters had fallen either in the whirlwind or during the battle. As the black hole grew in intensity, their bodies began to edge closer. If they were drawn in...

"Theo, stop!" Nauda leapt beside him, noting that he seemed completely mobile now that he had released the technique, breaking free from the dead stone and moving to attack. At first he didn't seem to hear her, and she hated the merciless gaze he turned toward the mercenaries. "This will kill everyone!"

Finally his gaze left his opponents and he saw the others. Unconscious soulcrafters were sliding faster now, some even lifting into the air. A few desperately attacked the black hole, their cantae only fueling it further. One young man screamed as he clutched the ground, his fingers turning bloody as he was dragged inexorably closer.

Nauda asked herself what she would do if Theo didn't relent and simply killed them all... but something shifted within him and he released the technique. The black hole collapsed inward and vanished.

For the first time since the whirlwind had begun spinning, the quarry was silent. A few groaned on the floor of the quarry, others wept or fled. The whirlwind itself seemed to have been destroyed, leaving the quarry filled with settling dust.

The mercenaries didn't hesitate any longer. A spherical shockwave hit them both, which they managed to push through, but they were immediately assaulted by a sweeping beam of cantae. Nauda managed to dodge aside, but it caught Theo in the shoulder and he was spun to the ground from the force.

On his knees, he raised his hands again to begin another technique, only to be knocked back by the next shockwave. Nauda thrust out her staff, binding the mercenary with the shockwaves in place.

Another lunged from the swirling dust and Nauda leapt back too late. His sword caught her side and part of her arm, opening a nasty wound.

Nauda cried out in pain, staggering back and trying to avoid the next thrust. The swordsman was caught by a twisting field of gravity that knocked him backward, but Theo was exhausted and couldn't apply enough force to finish him. He managed to get to his feet, but she knew that his soulhome was nearly depleted.

Theo didn't say a word about the fact that they would have won if she hadn't stopped him. They simply glanced at one another, accepted the odds against them, and turned to face the mercenaries.

~ ~ ~

It was cruel and unfair. Fiyu knelt behind a rock that provided some cover from the horrible wind, wishing that someone would step forward to help them. There should have been guards, or allies from the Houses, or relatives who would prevent this ambush from occurring.

But there was no one. No one but her.

A tear touched the inside of her mask as she realized how little she could help her companions. Even with her new bracers, her bursts of light were insufficient against the mercenaries with their defensive chambers and armaments. She had been little more than a distraction, her strikes frequently failing utterly. Even the lethal blow she had landed with Friend Nauda's help had very nearly failed to pierce the mercenary's defenses.

There was no one but her... she had no choice but to make herself into someone who could help.

Fiyu balanced her sphere of silence around herself and then plunged into her soulhome. She hefted the eldenwood on her roof and managed to stand it upright, quickly racing to attach more support lines.

It soon stood tall, driving into the heavens... but could she do the same? The top of the wood was beginning to crumble as the pressure tore into it. Outside, Fiyu could feel terrible forces racing across the battlefield, but she shut them out, focusing herself on this one thing.

She took a deep breath and placed her hand on the gnarled wood, lifting herself into the air. It was easy at first, bracing her body against the pillar, but with every handhold upward, the air grew thicker and it began to reject her.

The peaceful shadows all around her began to whiten, light pouring down that she couldn't control. Though she tried to raise her defenses against it, here in her soulhome, her mask seemed useless, the brilliance blinding her. It was nothing like what she had expected, waves of light cascading down over her and attempting to throw her from the pillar.

For a time she clung to the side, regretting making the attempt. She should have waited for her relative to help her ascend, not attempted this madness. Fiyu wasn't like Friend Theo or Friend Nauda, striking out and making a new path. When she had journeyed somewhere new without guidance, she had only failed, and she would have died if her friends had not saved her.

Fiyu's hand rose against the light, grasping higher.

The pressure from the sky above struck her more forcefully with each step up, and the light burned into her skin. She had long ago become completely blind, feeling nothing but her path upward. Hand over hand, her skin cracking and burning in the light.

When her hand reached up and felt nothing, Fiyu nearly panicked before she realized that she had reached the top of the pillar. When she began to draw her cantae up into herself, she heard the pillar crack and begin to give way. Instead of faltering, she thrust her hand upward into the light and let out a scream.

And pierced through.

Darkness flooded down, wrapping her in its embrace. Suddenly she could feel again, her eyes soothed by the shadows that wrapped around her. The pillar was burning away, its task complete, but the cantae just kept flooding down. It filled her soulhome to the brim and overflowed, some of it disappearing into her soul and more gathering in the partial basin she'd built atop her roof.

Other parts of her soulhome had received slight damage, but the edges caught that flood briefly, holding it for her. As she landed on her roof, the touch of her soulhome restored her strength. Fiyu took a deep breath, grasped all the cantae above and below, and returned to the quarry.

There, she felt the world with new clarity, her senses reveling in an Archcrafter's strength. With them, she could easily feel her friends, innocents... and her enemies.

~ ~ ~

As Theo fell back yet again, he wracked his brain for a solution, but he was coming up short. Their opponents were fighting cautiously now, both afraid of him and confident that no one would attempt to stop them. Nauda had dealt a few good blows, but now bled from several more injuries. He had made several attempts to generate another singularity, all of them fizzling out in his empty soulhome.

Then Fiyu emerged and an onslaught of light exploded from her.

The swordsman was immediately blasted off his feet and smashed into one of the quarry walls, dropping with his armor smoking. Another mercenary clapped to generate another shockwave, but Fiyu's cantae seemed endless, bolts hammering into the shockwave and buckling it backward, a swath of light overcoming her.

Somehow the last mercenary leapt overhead, his armor in tatters, but still alive. He landed and launched a concentrated beam of cantae down at Fiyu... only to be met with a flood even more intense than all previous. It not only battered back his attack, the other bolts arced around it and smashed into him. His body was eclipsed by a searing stream of light, and when it faded, there was nothing left.

When Fiyu dropped her hands, there was again silence. She panted for breath, but when they turned to her, she smiled. Despite everything, Theo couldn't help but smile too, seeing her strength as an Archcrafter.

It didn't last long, because he saw one of the two remaining mercenaries twitch. "We need to kill them." He grabbed Nauda's shoulder, since she could do so most easily, but she resisted.

"Why not take them prisoner? Force them to say that Esaire's family hired them to kill us?"

"Could work, but they'd also reveal what they saw. We need to kill them before they can get word back to Esaire."

Her gaze met his without flinching, clearly thinking of all the other soulcrafters in the quarry. Was he going to kill all of them? As he truly considered the balance, Theo realized that it was hopeless and his secret was out. Even if he'd intended otherwise, the choice was taken away from him soon after that.

"Enough! House Teal will not stand for this any longer!"

Theo sneered toward the top of the quarry and saw why Lady Baryara had suddenly gained such confidence: the city guard had arrived. They appeared to have healers with them, but also a pair of Rulers who looked combat ready. He had only a short time before they began controlling the situation, so he turned his eyes to the surviving mercenaries and began walking toward them.

To his surprise, they screamed and rushed away, throwing themselves into the custody of the of the city guard.

"Will they see justice done?" Fiyu asked. "It is obvious that Esaire was responsible for the attack."

"They don't care." Theo dropped down to sit on the slope, his injuries and exhaustion finally catching up to him. "We could try to use their techniques as evidence, but they don't care about long trials here. I'm sure that Esaire hired them through a proxy and covered his tracks. Even if we proved a connection... they'd probably just tell us to settle it with a duel."

"Oh, I see."

"And now Esaire will know that I'm just an Archcrafter with a new technique." Realizing that he was being too self-absorbed, Theo forced himself to smile at Fiyu. "Congratulations, by the way. We couldn't have made it without your help."

She smiled and bobbed her head, but he could see the understanding in her eyes. Nauda dropped to the ground with a low groan and began checking her wounds and torn clothes. Soon Fiyu joined them and they waited in the quarry for a while.

Less than one month left.

Chapter 37

It went just as Theo had predicted: the Armeau family had plausible deniability, so the mercenaries were punished and no action was taken against the real culprits. He did hear from Blacksilver officials that House Teal was furious, and the House of Burning Leaves had imprisoned Esaire and his family until the duel. Apparently they'd set up the attack without permission, or so everyone would pretend.

So Esaire wouldn't be able to make another attempt, since he'd burned all his bridges in Norro Yorthin, but that didn't help Theo in the slightest for the coming duel.

When he should have been refining his tactics, he instead found himself soulcrafting desperately. He couldn't just throw aside five months of intense work, nor could he change everything about a finely tuned blueprint. His only path forward was to stick to his strategy and hope he had enough flexibility to pull it off without any element of surprise.

He had one great idea that he could manage in the remaining time: if he built a somewhat high wooden ceiling above his Archcrafter floor, he could send his cantae arcing up into it and then back down. It wouldn't be nearly as efficient as a balanced full third floor, but it was a good stopgap measure.

Theo also began to do something that hurt part of his mind: for the first time since returning to the Nine Worlds, he spent significant soulcrafting time on something that wasn't part of his blueprint. Gathering every last tornadogem he'd collected, he divided them into three windowed boxes to create a full three speed chambers, though a few were left over. That was an inefficient design that would eventually be replaced by other sublime materials, and it bothered him to be taking steps sideways instead of forward.

Though he wanted to direct his torsion strikes through the wormhole, he'd seen the limit of that against strong defenses. Instead of trying to blend those chambers, he reinforced the torsion chamber alone and added a ring of tornadogems around the rainhorn antlers, further sharpening it. In bolt form, the attack might not disable a Ruler, but it could inflict some pain on one.

Yet he needed a stronger edge against Esaire, and speed was his only viable defense. As he worked, he reminded himself yet again that progress meant nothing if it didn't help him survive the duel. It was a small comfort that he could at least throw the unnecessary materials into his singularity once he was done with them.

After unleashing his black hole at full strength, Theo was pleased with the result, and confident that Esaire would have no defenses against it. The problem was, Esaire would know the same thing and take actions against it. Against a slow and powerful opponent, Theo could definitely have kept away and completed the technique, but a fast opponent was a terrible matchup.

One central problem was unavoidable: he generated power beyond his tier by sacrificing flexibility. Once the singularity became a runaway process, his ability to control it was limited, which had been a problem at the quarry. He didn't see any way to make the singularity more flexible without sacrificing power, but that just meant he needed a better setup before he lost control.

If he couldn't buy enough time to generate a singularity, perhaps he could mask the cantae somehow... Theo was considering that problem while soulcrafting when he heard the door to the private courtyard open.

Not one of his friends, just Antha. The Blacksilver official waited until he stopped soulcrafting - and he made her wait until he'd finished his current carving - then nodded to him when he emerged.

"I will be honest with you: when you brought a foreign vendetta to our House and pitted us against the House of Burning Leaves, some wanted to cut you loose." Antha folded her arms in her sleeves, tone too light to be delivering bad news. "I spoke up for you, along with most of those you've worked with. To be honest, there is still some disagreement about whether or not this is an asset or liability."

"It sounds like it's useful to you politically."

"Ah, that is true. We come off as the injured party, playing fair against bullying opponents. The problem is, if we tried to intercede for you to stop the duel, that would be seen as cowardice. It would be beneficial if you won anyway, of course, but there are some who think it would be more beneficial if you lost and we used this injustice against them. Thus we are still in disagreement about offering you more House resources."

Theo didn't bother to hide his sigh. "It's a bit late to be deciding that, with less than a month left."

"I know." Antha at least had the decency to look ashamed. "I may administer House materials, but I cannot gift them on my own. However... I can offer you something else: the time of one of our most valuable soulcrafters."

"What do you mean?"

"One of our Authority-tier soulcrafters would be willing to speak with you about tactics or soulcrafting, to offer advice in these final days. No one can help you soulcraft, of course, but their wisdom is what I have to offer."

What she'd said wasn't actually true: Theo knew for a fact that starting at Dominion tier, soulcrafters could begin assisting one another. It was a type of advanced soulcrafting he hadn't been able to explore earlier, but he'd done plenty of preparation. The knowledge of the local Authorities wasn't all that useful to him... but if their time included their cantae, he did have an idea.

"If they're willing to help me trying something experimental, I accept the offer." He got to his feet and Antha gave him an uncertain smile.

"I'm glad to hear it. Normally I would say this is the wrong time for risk-taking, but if we're going to trust anyone with something experimental, I suppose it's you. Come this way, please."

They had only stepped out of the restricted courtyard into a larger one when a Fithan man snapped into existence beside them. It was Dhan, the same Authority Theo had spoken to the last time, his mask now hanging around his neck, frowning somberly at him.

"Honestly, kid, I'm pretty sure you're doomed." The Fithan man folded his arms over his chest. "I saw the Deuxan, and he's one of the best young soulcrafters I've ever seen."

"Then why are you here?" Theo asked.

"Because it's not a fair challenge, and it wasn't right of them to ambush you like that. I can't step in to help directly or the Authorities from the House of Burning Leaves might get involved too. But in a fight like this, every difference could matter, so just improving your soulhome's cantae flow might help."

"I think my cantae flow is fine, the problem is the positioning of some of my chambers." Theo knew that this might be a hard sell, so he walked forward with more confidence than he felt. He stood before Dhan without flinching, ignoring the impossible gulf between them. "I need a layout remodel, without disrupting the contents of the rooms."

The Blacksilver Authority immediately frowned. "If you mean moving a wall, you should be able to do that yourself."

"No, I want to switch the position of two rooms."

"As an Archcrafter?" Dhan glowered at him, while Antha shook her head. "So you want me to flood your soulhome with my cantae, to loosen it enough to move. But I can't soulcraft for you, so that will be up to your own focus and willpower. Do you really think you can manage to move entire rooms?"

"You already said I was doomed. Why bother trying if I can't manage something like this?"

Theo refused to let himself blink or back down as the two Blacksilver members glanced at one another. Eventually Dhan shook his head. He rolled his shoulders, gathering his cantae, and pointed to the courtyard floor.

"Sit down, then, and we'll see if you destroy yourself."

Smiling, Theo got into a comfortable position and entered his soulhome. Though he was mostly satisfied with his new blueprint, he'd made one error that had been beyond his power to correct. Of the four technique chambers in the corners of his first floor, he should have placed the mass and anti-mass rooms opposite each other.

It was hardly a fatal error, just the sort of thing that had slowed him down in his first life. With willpower, he could force everything where it needed to go, and he had plenty of raw cantae. The problems emerged when he needed to flow cantae in three-dimensional shapes: he wanted to form circles that passed from corner to corner, which currently mixed his gravity creation and gravity manipulation abilities. Putting the comparable techniques on opposite sides of the singularity would let him form a perfect loop between them.

"If you start to fall apart," Dhan said, "I'll withdraw my cantae. I admit, you have a solid soulhome, so it shouldn't do much damage. But if you collapse in the middle..."

Instead of answering, Theo walked up to his soulhome. He warmed up by touching a single cornerstone from his first floor and sliding it free from the wall. As soon as his soulhome stopped making architectural sense, his cantae began draining, and it required his full attention to hold everything stable. If he returned it to a logical structure before releasing his hold, all would be well. If not...

Moving one stone was an amateur technique compared to what Theo intended. He replaced the cornerstone in its position, then took a step back and grasped the entire corner chamber with his willpower.

Hostile cantae began flooding through him, shaking his foundation and making the grass in his soul field shake wildly. If turned toward malicious ends, the Authority could have reduced his soulhome to rubble. Instead, the steady scouring weakened the bonds of Theo's soulcrafting... just enough that he could manipulate it in ways that would otherwise be impossible.

Grasping the corner of his soulhome, Theo began pulling a chamber away from his first and second floors simultaneously. A full ninth of his soulhome slid free of the others in a column, the severed sections glimmering as his soulhome destabilized.

Having everything so out of balance gave him a fierce headache, but Theo pushed through it, dragging the two rooms over to the next corner of his soulhome. He left them standing free and grasped the next corner, pulling out another column of two rooms.

As soon as they came free, his vision began throbbing like he had a strobelight in his head. Theo grunted in pain both physical and spiritual, but forced himself on. His new soul might not be accustomed to this, but he'd once done such things on his own. He wouldn't let himself fail, not when he could force himself on.

Struggling through the instability, Theo placed his first chambers into their new position, pressing them until they touched the rest of his soulhome. Fortunately, his symmetrical design and consistent theme made his soulhome accept the repositioned rooms easily, sealing back together. He breathed a sigh of relief as the ache in his soul declined, but when he tried to move back to the remaining column, he staggered in the hostile cantae still raining down on him.

No, he wouldn't accept failure. This was one of the few times that he could fight with willpower alone, and he refused to surrender when faced with nothing but his own weakness. Theo forced himself back to his feet with a growl of pain and staggered to the remaining rooms.

The short distance back across his soulhome felt far too long, but eventually he pushed the rooms into place. They sealed almost immediately and he sagged against the wall, gasping for breath. Soon after, Dhan stopped forcing cantae into him and his soulhome solidified itself: still the same form, but four of the rooms had switched places to perfect his design.

Theo didn't intend to leave his soulhome, he just tumbled out as his mind gave in. He saw Dhan staring down at him with a strange expression. "Two rooms at once? Are you mad?"

"That's possible." Theo rubbed his forehead, finding that the headache had followed him into the real world. "But it worked."

"All for a slight improvement in flow." Dhan shook his head slowly and began walking away. "Maybe it might make a difference at higher tiers, but that's not going to save you from a sword through the chest. Don't make me regret this."

As Dhan vanished, Theo realized that he was "just" an Authority. At the moment, the Fithan man could crush him effortlessly, but he had a limited understanding of soulcrafting. It had taken him to a place of great power, it just wouldn't take him any further. Yes, the improvement might not be essential now, but when Theo reached Ruler, he'd be grateful to have perfected his design.

He'd also had a secondary objective, which he was surprised went unmentioned: by scouring his soulhome with such intense cantae, he'd strengthened himself against being overwhelmed in the future. After his soulhome had weathered an Authority's power, a Ruler's cantae wouldn't be able to crush him so easily. All in all, Theo was pleased with the backhanded gift that House Blacksilver had given him, so he dropped onto his back to recover.

"I hope what you did was worth it." Antha stepped beside him so she could look down at his face. "Because I welcomed the three of you into our House, I feel a bit responsible for you. Please don't die."

"Sage advice."

Theo remained on his back until she left, thinking about the next steps to take. The most obvious choice would be to begin practicing his new pattern, but after Dhan's cantae, it would be like shoving rocks into his eyes. Instead, perhaps it was time to consider alternate tactics...

Chapter 38

With his deadline impending, Theo accepted that the time for budgeting was over. He'd received his final month of salary, as well as his profits from the granitebile, and that was all he'd have. All he had left was 455 merits and 791 Fithan Discs, no more.

It was too late to do any meaningful soulcrafting, but Theo did have one final plan: he'd round out his capabilities with an armament. He'd developed his blueprint to never rely on them for multiple reasons. Equipment could be easily taken away, weapons could be countered, and he still remembered how his sword had shattered against a powerful demon in his first life.

Still, armaments were too valuable to be ignored. Most required him to soulcraft a chamber for them, which he had no intention of doing. He didn't need any help with offense and speed armaments were risky, but they could be useful for defense, even without a chamber.

His clothes especially could use an upgrade, since his current cloaks were mundane materials that didn't mesh well with his own cantae at all. Clothes made of even weak sublime materials would flow with a soulcrafter's cantae, making them more durable. Some could even turn aside cantae bolts or resist auras and other effects, which in a close battle could mean the difference between a fatal distraction and devoting your full attention to the fight.

So he'd used nearly every single one of his merits to purchase a bolt of a sublime cloth called lightweave. He'd then investigated the best soulcrafting tailors aligned with House Blacksilver and picked out one he thought was promising, a husband and wife team who had gladly taken his money.

Their names were Hessika and Oland, and their business-like focus had immediately impressed him. Both were Archcrafters themselves, their soulhomes dedicated to refining and enhancing sublime clothing. In exchange for seven hundred Discs, they told him they could produce a long coat, including all the secondary materials they'd need for its creation.

With only a few days left, Theo had grown concerned that they might not finish, but he finally received a message that they were done. He thought about inviting Nauda and Fiyu along with him, but to his surprise found they had left the complex on foot, without discussing anything with him. Setting that out of mind, Theo left to meet the tailors.

While driving the sleigh through the city, he heard Senka sit up and yawn. "What're we doing? Why are you kidnapping Senka?"

"Just keep sleeping there and it will be like nothing changed, by the time we get back."

"Okay!" Despite her agreement, Senka promptly scrambled up behind him, using his ear to pull herself up into a position where she could see. "What're we doing? Are we going someplace?"

"We're going to get the coat I ordered." Theo glanced back at the little imp, resisting the urge to shove her off. Since she had stolen so much money for him, he felt obligated to be kinder to her, but that didn't make her less insufferable. "If you stay quiet you can come along."

"Yay!"

Fortunately, it wasn't long before they reached the tailors' shop, which wasn't far from the Blacksilver complex. Theo stepped out of the sleigh and promptly had Senka clinging to the back of his cloak. Though she was a bit heavy, heavier than her size would indicate, he decided to just ignore her and walked into the shop.

"There you are!" Oland greeted him with a warm grin and gestured toward the back area. "We have your coat ready, and I think you won't be disappointed. We've really outdone ourselves with this one, if I do say so myself."

"Senka wants clothes!" She clambered up his shoulder to stare at the tailor. "Give them to Senka!"

"Oh my." His eyes twinkled as he turned away. "I don't know if our clothes will match your... accessory. But I suppose your style is up to you."

In the back room, Hessika sat at a table, quietly examining what was clearly his lightweave coat. She looked up and nodded when she saw him, only briefly glancing at Senka. Her husband bridged the distance to pick up the coat, then flipped it upright with a flourish.

"And here it is! Normally I'd tell you not to expect too much from it, but you clearly understand the limits of clothing as armaments. It should work perfectly for that flying around you need to do and this gravity business. If you soulcraft a complete chamber for it, the material will even repair itself slowly."

"This was well done." Theo took the coat carefully to examine it. He'd never really cared about style, in any of his lives, but he thought the white cloak didn't look bad, and more importantly the base strength of the cloth had been enhanced. Sublime thread for the stitches, buttons made from sublime stone, and many other details he'd expect from skilled tailors.

Wearing all white was a conscious choice, attempting to match his interior and exterior realities. He intended to wear his darkest old robes underneath, to represent the black hole at his core, with the white cloak flaring out as his accretion disc. That level of parallel wasn't strictly necessary, but since everything else was working together, he wanted to be consistent.

"We actually have something else for you." Oland skipped to the back shelves, oddly eager. His wife swatted his hand and his grin decreased marginally. "Okay... we actually went a little overboard. We know that you ordered just the coat, but it seemed a shame to put something so nice over such bland robes. So we made a few other things along the lines you discussed..."

Though she remained stern-faced, Hessika did seem eager to reveal several items from one of the locked cabinets in the back. The couple quickly assembled a display of smaller items: a black shirt, gray pants, a belt, and solid boots. None of them were made from materials anywhere as valuable as the coat, but they did appear to be all sublime materials.

"You see?" Oland waved his arms over the display grandly. "A complete set, all made to your measurements. Now, you could reject them and we'd sell them to someone else, but I'd be very disappointed. They can all be yours for just a hundred Discs."

A little more than he had, even if he emptied his pockets. Theo estimated that they were actually giving him a good deal, so it would hurt to reject the offer...

"Senka pays!" She dropped down from his shoulder and began pulling objects out of her sack. A yellow marble, half of what looked like a rat corpse, a large leaf... and eventually money. Hessika scowled down at the objects flying out onto her floor while Oland laughed good-naturedly.

She came up a little short, but Theo took some of his last Discs to equal the total. As soon as the payment was complete, Senka lunged up onto the table, trying to shove one of the boots into her mouth. Theo pulled her back and set her down, not sure quite how to react.

"Thank you, Senka." He saw no sign of intelligence in her eyes, but the fact was that she'd been helpful. "Please don't eat the clothes."

"They're not for eating, stupid fumpet! Go wear them!"

"You can!" Oland gestured him toward what appeared to be a fitting room with entirely too much glee. "You wouldn't rob a poor couple of the chance to see their handiwork, would you?"

Seeing that he was outnumbered, Theo picked up everything and stepped into the chamber. He heard Senka scrabbling around the door, which thankfully didn't have large enough cracks for her to enter. In relatively short order he discarded his old robes, which had been nothing but items he'd stolen to replace the clothes that had been created when he left Earth.

Now, at last, he was wearing clothes that suited the Nine Worlds. When Theo finally pulled on the coat and looked at himself in the mirror, he was satisfied by that, at least. It did look a little too bright and heroic for his taste, but it was all perfectly tailored and he could already feel it soaking in cantae.

When he emerged, he spread his arms to either side. "What do you think?"

Oland clapped loudly, apparently for his own work. Hessika gave a small smile of satisfaction and nodded to Theo. Senka made a terrible retching sound and vomited all over the floor.

~ ~ ~

The vomiting had ruined the mood, somewhat, but the tailors had still been pleased with Theo's business when they escorted him out the door. Senka thrashed around the entire ride back, muttering something about how he looked "blooky". By the time they got back, she seemed to have fallen asleep, so she really had come full circle.

On his way back to his room, he got a few glances, but no one tried to talk to him. That is, until he reached the male quarters and ran into Fiyu and Nauda emerging. Fiyu smiled just like usual, while Nauda ran her eyes up and down his new outfit and raised an eyebrow.

"Well, apparently you decided to duel Esaire in fashion instead of soulcrafting. I feel like we can't be seen with you anymore."

"Nauda," Fiyu said quietly, "they are sublime clothes."

"I'm aware, but I really am surprised." Nauda shifted her weight, leaning against her staff. "You purchased it too late to soulcraft a chamber, so it's not core to your strategy. That coat isn't bad, but it's not going to stop Esaire if he stabs you."

"It's an intentional redundancy." Theo folded the lapels back, since they weren't quite comfortable around his neck. "My soulhome has been highly optimized toward a single strategy, but there's a danger of over-optimizing. Systems built like that can become extremely fragile, falling apart when introduced to a shock they weren't optimized for. So I'm taking steps that are compatible with my strategy, without being a part of it."

"Oh!" Fiyu's smile returned and he noticed that she was carrying a bag in both hands as she squeezed it. "That is actually related to what we wanted to talk to you about."

"You were looking for me?"

"We were buying a few things," Nauda said, putting a hand on his shoulder to lead him back inside. "But that's done now, so we need to talk."

Once they reached his room and secured the door, Fiyu opened the bag and began removing sublime materials. He recognized the mistsphere she'd won months ago, apparently not yet drawn into her soulhome, and the potent bracers she'd purchased. There was also a skull made from pure black bone, plates of dark glass, a ring made of pearl, and a glowing piece of magma. The only connection he saw was that they all generated significant cantae and matched their blueprints better than his.

"We cannot fight alongside you, but we want to help." Fiyu pulled her bag back and then nudged the objects toward him. "These are for us, but also for you."

"Consider this a loan," Nauda said. "These all have a lot of raw cantae. I figured that they would help you fill out your empty rooms a little, even if they don't change everything. You can give them back to us when the duel is over."

Reconsidering them in that light, he saw immediate possibilities. The skull had raw power that could make him a bit more durable, the mistsphere could help fuel his overall design... yet for once he didn't want to think about soulcrafting and instead looked up to his friends. "You realize that I won't be able to return them right away? Removing sublime materials is a difficult skill."

"We want to help you, Theo." Fiyu again pushed the objects a little closer. "This will be a long journey, yes? It is okay to wait a little while if we can continue traveling together."

Nauda patted his shoulder in agreement and Theo felt something flicker in his blackened heart. It wasn't a replacement for those he'd lost, but he had something truly valuable with them. Or he would, if he survived the next few days.

"You know..." Theo looked up from the sublime materials with a smile on his face. "The optimal thing I need to do right now is relax, so I'm at my best for the match. There's a place in the city called the State of Rest, and we can finally all enter..."

Chapter 39

Zero months. Zero days.

Theo sat in the waiting chamber outside the arena where the duel would take place, attempting to put everything else out of his mind. There had been final gambits, final preparations, and final soulcrafting, all of it in the past now. He emptied his soul of everything except his objectives.

Only the fight remained.

~ ~ ~

Nauda had expected the duel to take place in the Yorthin Coliseum, though in retrospect she realized that it was a bit large for a single fight between two individuals. Instead their group had gone to a small arena owned by the House of Coin, officially serving as a neutral location. Though House Blacksilver had sent representatives, Nauda didn't feel that they truly counted as allies, since they were only there for the sake of the political balance.

They had been kept in their own waiting room at first, while Theo departed to prepare. He carried most of their sublime materials, wore Fiyu's bracers, and they had plans for her staff as well. Eventually they were allowed into the central arena chamber, so Nauda examined the room carefully. The Armeau family had already proved willing to hire mercenaries and attack outside the terms of the duel, so she wanted to be ready.

As soon as she arrived, however, she realized that she didn't need to be worried about that. An Authority from the House of Coin sat in a walled podium to serve as a judge, and there were many other soulcrafters present. Both sides had apparently agreed not to bring anyone above Ruler, but she saw another Authority in the crowd: Tythes sprawled across four seats, balancing an entire tray of pastries on one foot and occasionally shoving one into his mouth.

Looking away from him, Nauda analyzed the arena instead. It appeared to be a simple block of golden marble, though she noted several spheres along the edges that felt like sublime materials and could no doubt form a barrier to keep the fight contained. The platform itself was reasonably large and the ceiling was moderately high, which she thought was fair to both contestants. Of course, given that Theo's life was on the line, she would have preferred a bigger arena.

"I am worried," Fiyu said quietly, for perhaps the fourth time that day. She needn't have said it, given the anxiousness written across every line of her face. Nauda remained unsure how to comfort the other woman, so she just smiled back.

"We've done everything we can. We'll have to trust him."

Fiyu didn't respond, just shifted her head around as if trying to observe the whole building at once. There wasn't much to observe, since the building wasn't packed and the majority present were well-behaved House officials. With one obvious exception... who she just then realized was ambling in her direction.

"Here to make a profit in the aftermath?" Tythes handed the tray of pastries to a random soulcrafter moving in the other direction and they had no choice but to take it. He leaned against the seats beside them and smirked. "Surely you're not stupid enough to believe your little friend has a chance of winning?"

"Are you here to make a profit?" Nauda asked. "Or do you just need someone to bully?"

"I am an Authority! You will treat me with respect!"

"Of course, Lord Tythes. Forgive me for troubling your glorious mind with such questions."

He glared down at her, eyes twitching as if he wasn't quite sure about her tone... except there seemed to be something darker lurking underneath. Tythes abruptly brought his presence down on her, and Nauda winced, but she refused to look away from his gaze.

"I should crush the life from you right now." Tythes leaned closer, his face becoming sinister. "In fact, since we're already here to watch an execution, perhaps I'll-"

When he started to raise his hand in her direction, Nauda reacted first, thrusting her staff out so the forks caught his arm. She knew she had absolutely no chance against his strength, but with so many soulcrafters around them, she didn't think he would truly strike her. He certainly looked shocked, staring down at his arm bound in place.

"Oh, how quaint." Tythes began to move his arm, exerting only a fraction of his strength to continue moving it toward her. Nauda braced herself against the floor and fought back as well as she could, not giving up a single inch. "Why bother fighting? You know you'll never change anything. The powers that be can never be toppled from their perches, so you might as well begin groveling beneath them."

It required all her strength just to remain standing, much less speak, so Nauda just gritted her teeth and refused to give way. Tythes still forced her backward, driving her to the ground with deliberate slowness, watching for her to collapse. Fiyu hovered nearby, standing ready but aware that she couldn't truly help. Nauda's effort was equally futile, but she couldn't tolerate that smirk...

"Enough." The Authority from the House of Coin raised a finger in their direction, not containing any cantae. Tythes heaved a great sigh and stepped away, while Nauda dropped to one knee, keeping herself up only by leaning on her staff. "No fighting outside the duel."

With that, she turned away in perfect disinterest. Still, the House of Coin had enough political power to keep Tythes in check, and he seemed to have grown bored with their contest. Instead he dropped down into one of the seats nearby and stuck his feet up on the arena, which required quite an awkward stretch.

"You're confident in your friend, huh? Dumb. You are a dumb person."

"Why should I bother talking to you?" Nauda said. "You just want to amuse yourself."

"Oh, to the contrary." He sprang upward with alarming speed, eyes suddenly fixed on hers. "I'd like to see your spirit break. Why don't we make a little bet on this duel? When you lose, you'll have to break that staff of yours in half, lick my boots, and tell me that you'll never defy your betters again."

"Why would I agree to that?"

"Hmm, what meaningless prize would convince you to take such a stupid offer?" Tythes pretended to consider, then reached into the back of his pants, apparently to scratch. Just as Nauda curled her lip in disgust, he pulled his hand back out, revealing a pristine white piece of marble. "What about a Chasm Invitation? Your little friends seemed to be interested in those."

Nauda hesitated, looking for the trap within all the posturing. Was he really just a fool, using his House's wealth to humiliate others? It would be easy to believe, yet she always felt something slightly more sinister from him, just underneath the surface. His offer seemed to be real, and his smug confidence certainly was...

If she couldn't trust her allies when this much was on the line, who could she trust? Nauda straightened and stared directly back at him. "Then it's a bet. I'll collect the Invitation from you after the duel."

"Oh, I'm going to enjoy this!" Tythes gave a giddy little laugh, spun in a circle... and then flattened Nauda and Fiyu to the floor with an overwhelming flood of cantae.

Not prepared or braced, Nauda dropped immediately, and she felt her soulhome shudder. Tythes wandered off the next moment as if he'd forgotten them, taking the hat from a nearby official and placing it on his own head. Beside her, Fiyu released a small sigh and struggled to climb back into her seat.

Before Nauda had fully recovered from the sudden assault, another Authority stepped beside them. It was Tythes's supposed aunt, gazing down at them with sad eyes. When they focused on her, she gave them an unnecessarily low bow, considering that she outranked them by every possible standard.

"I apologize for this," she said softly. "House Crimson is... not what it once was."

"Can you not do something to stop your relative?" Fiyu asked. The older woman shook her head.

"I am the House's past, a foundation on which others should build. I... hope that you will not hate Tythes, despite his behavior. Please accept this as a small apology." The Authority handed them a small box, bowed again, and then departed as quietly as she came.

Though suspicious, Nauda decided that opening the box in this company was safer than opening it anywhere else. It proved completely ordinary, and inside, there was a powder... Nauda's eyes shot open as she realized what she was looking at. The powder was in fact a sublime spice, ground down to a fine form and refined by spiritual processes. Not only did it resonate with powerful cantae, it could easily be added to sublime foods to significantly increase their strength.

"Is it a trap?" Fiyu asked. Nauda handed the box to her, but though Fiyu tilted her head at it, she didn't seem able to sense anything other than its potency. It was a deeply wholesome gift, which just made Nauda more suspicious.

She couldn't understand if House Crimson was really so chaotic, but perhaps that was all a distraction. These antics gave them an excuse to have two Authorities present, more than any other House, with which they could... do what? As little as she trusted them, she couldn't come up with any kind of coherent plan for their presence here, so perhaps it really was just the whims of a powerful child.

Before anything else could go wrong, the sound of a ringing bell filled the chamber. Once everyone was silent, the Authority from the House of Coin rose to her feet. She stepped forward, sweeping her eyes across the audience with an expression of utter apathy, and spoke in a neutral tone.

"We have assembled here today to witness the duel between Esaire ai Armeau, hosted by the House of Burning Leaves, and Peanen of House Blacksilver. The duel will be until defeat, which I will judge as a neutral arbiter. If the House of Burning Leaves is victorious, they will be permitted to take their criminal from the city. If House Blacksilver is victorious, the Armeau family must answer for their vendetta and then be ejected from the city."

That seemed to be new, so Nauda perked up, wondering if Blacksilver negotiators had been at work, or if Theo himself had managed to push the terms. She wasn't sure, as there had been no sign of them since they arrived.

At that moment, the Authority rang her bell again, and the combatants entered from opposite sides. Esaire wore the same elegant clothes he always had, as well as his armament gloves and his new sword. Theo no longer looked shabby next to him, gleaming in his white cloak that didn't match the dark expression on his face. They stepped up into the arena, but remained silent.

"When the duel begins, this space will be sealed until its conclusion. Are both duelists fully prepared?"

Esaire snorted and looked away, but Theo shook his head. "Not yet. Nauda?"

She rose to her feet, letting everyone look at her, and then hurled her staff upward so that it spun end over end before landing in Theo's outstretched hand. It would have made more sense to just toss it over, but they'd practiced that move, and efficacy wasn't the point. Theo couldn't really use her staff... but Esaire spared a glance in her direction, a slightly troubled expression on his face.

"Now I'm ready." Theo gave a smirk that she would have thought was real if she didn't know him better, then spun her staff around rapidly before lowering it to his side.

Some in the audience sat forward with new interest, but the presiding Authority had barely even looked at anything that occurred. "If that is all, then we are prepared. The match begins now."

Chapter 40

At first they stood in complete silence, Theo still holding his staff ready. Esaire had yet to draw his sword or do anything with his glove armaments, simply staring at him. Eventually he raised his hands and placed them together in a gesture that would have been respectful if not for the rage in his eyes.

"This is no time for insults," Esaire said. "There is blood in our past and blood in our present. It ends now."

Theo had planned lines of his own, especially if Esaire had tried to push any kind of moral superiority. He'd also considered trying to bring up the attack at the quarry, to work against Esaire's position even if no one was ever prosecuted for it. But though the Armeau family might be planning other things, the man himself was focused on nothing but the fight.

Esaire drew his sword carefully, gracefully... and then he was already across the arena, his thrust a blinding silver flash.

The fight could very easily have ended in that moment, with Theo impaled through the chest. As it was, his speed was barely enough to leap aside. He didn't attempt to deflect the strike, knowing his opponent could tear right through him, and just put distance between them. Esaire whirled for a different strike, but Theo cast a bolt of gravitational torsion directly at his chest.

Before it could connect, a blue sphere of cantae lit up around Esaire. In a flash he was nearly on Theo again, a sweeping slash that threatened a shocking portion of the arena. Theo evaded it by reversing his gravity, then while he was in the air dropped several gravitational fields on top of his opponent.

Grunting, Esaire partially doubled over before he managed to straighten again, his cantae able to deal with even such multiplied gravity. But Theo came back down making a thrust with Nauda's staff and he barely blocked, moving sluggishly in the heavy gravity.

Nauda hadn't taught him how to use her binding ability, and it wouldn't have suited him in any case. But Theo was accustomed to fighting at high speeds from his first life, and he'd received staff training in his second, so he could easily merge the two and make himself appear like a real threat. Esaire had to play cautiously, anticipating a binding strike at any moment.

Under so much gravity, against a larger weapon, Esaire staggered backward until he switched to his cloak-like aura that nullified gravity. He did it faster than at the quarry, yet something about the switch... Theo leapt away and fired a few intentionally weakened torsion bolts, but Esaire blurred away from them. That speed... Theo had soulcrafted for more than he'd expected, but Esaire had surpassed even that.

Again keeping his distance, Theo repeatedly leapt away from his opponent, holding his staff back and instead firing more torsion bolts. As if he'd built his entire strategy around switching between those two different tactics.

"Enough running!" Esaire leapt into another blindingly fast thrust.

When Theo dodged, he realized that it had never been intended to strike him, just herd him into a corner. He desperately fired several more torsion bolts, but Esaire switched to his spherical shield and began advancing, the bolts deflecting harmlessly. Theo took a step back, bringing Nauda's staff forward and again applying gravitational fields to his opponent.

He saw a glint in Esaire's eyes before cantae flooded from him.

In that moment, Esaire sprung his trap. He'd been feigning the need to switch between two different types of shields from the beginning and now leapt forward surrounded in a brilliant sapphire aura. Even with his new speed, Theo barely had time to feel the shield negate his gravity, then Esaire was bashing the staff out of his hands to prepare for the finishing blow.

Theo didn't even try to hold the staff: he let it drop and then cast two torsion bolts in swift succession, one from each hand.

This time, he didn't hold back, and the energy pierced through Esaire's defenses. Fiyu's bracers were better suited to his skills than the staff, if not a perfect match, so they helped him penetrate. His opponent grimaced and staggered, blood blossoming under his shirt... but then he lunged forward, his free hand reaching out. Cantae flowed from his glove, nearly striking Theo.

Only a fall directly upward saved him, taking him just barely over the strike. Theo hit the ceiling painfully hard, though the barrier prevented him from smashing through. Beneath, he saw Esaire grasp his injured shoulder, which was still bleeding profusely. Unfortunately, he was a Ruler-tier soulcrafter with a reinforced body, so even the gravitational torsion within his body wasn't enough to completely disable him.

Esaire shook off the injury and raised his sword toward Theo, waiting for him to drop. So he didn't. With his gravity still reversed, Theo stood up on the ceiling, staring down at his opponent and smiling. He was faking the expression, but he needed to goad Esaire into making a mistake.

From the ceiling, Theo began firing torsion bolts down at Esaire. Of course, Esaire easily shifted back and forth to evade them, so Theo began to weaken his bolts, using barely any of his cantae. It worked for a few steps, Esaire still dodging wildly, but his eyes shifted to track one bolt, then he stopped moving. Theo fired off a series of bolts, both weakened and serious, and Esaire dodged some and let others splatter uselessly off his aura.

"Useless. I'll come to you, then." Esaire leapt upwards, as fast as before, his sword drawing a line of sparks against the barrier.

While he dodged, Theo tried to apply as powerful a gravitational field as he could to Esaire, to no effect. He'd hoped that Esaire's ability would only be able to negate a certain amount of the effect, but either he'd been cautious, or as a Ruler his limits were far beyond the cantae Theo could manage.

Still, his ceiling position was superior and his opponent was still losing some blood, so Theo concentrated on dodging. To his surprise, Esaire managed to pull out even more speed, his body starting to sweat as he leapt and slashed with even greater ferocity. If Theo hadn't soulcrafted additional speed rooms, many of those strikes would easily have taken off a limb, but he could just manage to stay ahead of his opponent.

As Esaire dropped to the ground after another missed slash, something shifted in his posture... Theo wasn't even sure what he saw, his instincts just forced him to move before his conscious mind could decide.

An instant later, Esaire hurled his sword in a brilliant beam of cantae. The silver streak tore through the edge of Theo's coat and actually cracked the barrier, embedding the sword deep into the ceiling. Theo's eyes widened as he realized the intensity of that surprise attack... but Esaire had weakened his aura by throwing so much cantae into that strike, so Theo immediately struck with another bolt, this one to the head.

Esaire managed to duck aside, but the torsion effect grazed his arm, tearing his clothes and some of the skin beneath. He was injured in both arms now, so-

Something tore through the back of Theo's leg and cut across his shoulder.

He hit the ceiling and rolled across it, pushing himself away from whatever had struck him even before he understood. When he looked back, he saw that the sword hovered in the air, now covered in his blood. Below, Esaire smirked and swirled one hand, sending the sword in a similar circle. His other glove glowed with cantae, and Theo realized that he'd had another trap.

All that had saved him was the fact that his discipline had made him maintain his gravitational fields. If he'd fallen to the floor instead of the ceiling, Esaire would have instantly closed on him. Even now, he could feel blood pouring from his back leg and shoulder. Without his coat it might have cut through his spine, and his leg shot agony when he tried to stand.

Before he could move, Esaire sent the sword sailing at him again. Theo dodged aside, but a moment later Esaire's other hand reached out. Cantae grasped him and slammed him down to the floor, knocking the wind from him. Theo saw the sword slide into position above him, then it plummeted as Esaire dropped him back up, directly into the point.

Theo desperately threw all his gravitational fields at the sword, and though Esaire's cantae tried to control it, at ten times its normal weight, he stumbled in surprise. In the process, Theo ended his reversed gravity, dropping back to the ground instead of into the sword.

The movement disoriented both of them, but Esaire wasn't as familiar with suddenly changing gravity. Before he could recover, Theo cast another torsion bolt that grazed his hip, making him stagger back.

One of Esaire's hands swept down, and Theo rolled to the side before the sword stabbed down in the same movement. Esaire tried to swipe at him, but now that Theo understood how he controlled it, he could dodge easily enough.

Yet when he tried to stand from his roll, his injured leg refused to cooperate. Recognizing how little time he had, Theo instead reduced his gravity to a tiny fraction of normal and pushed himself into the air. It was only a strange approximation of flying, but it allowed him to float over the arena without putting any weight on his leg.

"Come on, show me what you can do!" Esaire began striking from a distance, sending the sword to slash with one hand and trying to catch him with the other.

If not for the injuries to both arms, Esaire could well have finished him then. Theo could just manage to stay ahead of his speed, but now both of them were bleeding and Esaire would soon figure out that he couldn't easily move from side to side.

Theo began casting torsion bolts, but Esaire batted them aside effortlessly with one glove while trying to move his sword for a killing strike. This was exactly what he'd been afraid of: each bolt cost him cantae, but his opponent's superior force could simply overpower each one.

Putting a hand to his back, Theo pretended to be holding the injury... while beginning to generate a singularity with that hand. If he could keep his opponent confident for long enough, he could build enough of the proper cantae to finish his technique.

Esaire leapt at him without hesitation and Theo instinctively hurled the half-formed singularity. That startled Esaire, who barely managed to twist aside in midair. Theo was nearly as surprised, so all he could do while maintaining his gravitational fields and the half-formed singularity was kick off the ground with one foot at nearly zero weight to put distance between them.

As soon as he could, Theo began to generate another singularity, this time with both hands. Esaire turned and smirked at it. "You think I'm going to give you time for that?"

The sword flashed from the side and Theo released the partial singularity toward it. Esaire cautiously swept his blade back, then returned it to his side as he began to advance. He swept the sword back and forth across the arena, drawing sparks against the floor.

"You can hold me back by throwing those, but you'll never build up enough strength to stop me."

Grimacing as if desperate, Theo released his next attempt at a singularity before Esaire could attack again, this one aimed at his opponent's legs. Esaire easily stepped aside, but the singularity energy hovered against the arena floor, nearly invisible.

Falling back, Theo tried to form a singularity over and over, each time forced to release the energy to defend himself. Esaire laughed as he pressed forward, and Theo really was near his limits. His soulhome was almost empty, and his concentration was stretched to the limit maintaining all the partial singularities glimmering around the room.

Abruptly Theo switched tactics, instead casting a series of torsion bolts at his opponent's legs. Esaire dodged them one after another, but Theo tried to draw on Fiyu's intense storms and hammer him backwards. Slowly his opponent took one step back, then another, his foot nearly falling into the partial singularity...

And then Esaire stepped around it and laughed. "You thought you could leave these as traps for me?" He gestured around the arena, his eyes flickering to the glimmering specks of darkness. "I would have thought you'd learned by now, I can see through such petty tricks. I know where each and every one of your traps are, and they're no threat to me."

"Let's find out." Theo turned his hands toward one another and then pulled every partial singularity in the room back toward himself.

Esaire's eyes widened as he realized the truth, but it was already too late: all of the singularity energy around the arena gathered together between Theo's hands. The sword flashed out, surrounded by silver cantae, intending to tear apart his technique before it could be released.

When it touched the darkness, cantae and sword were both consumed.

As the black hole swelled between his hands, Theo needed a moment to catch his breath, his mind still reeling from the effort required. It had come very close, but he'd formed the true singularity just before the sword reached him. Though Esaire still had his gloves on the other side of the arena, for the first time there was a flicker of fear in his eyes.

"Okay, that was a good trick, but-"

Theo didn't reply, just brought his hands together and tunneled the black hole directly into his opponent.

Even then, Esaire managed to dodge back, his superior speed pulling him out of the way in between the moment the cantae started to manifest and when the singularity began to consume everything about it. But he was much too close, the black hole tearing fragments from his aura and growing rapidly.

Esaire let out a scream and channeled all his cantae to his gloves, creating a force that pushed him back, away from the all-consuming sphere. That effort kept him at a distance, but the darkness absorbed the cantae he used to do it, growing more and more powerful as Esaire began to weaken.

As his defenses fell, Theo got a clear view of his soulhome, all three silver tiers of it. There was an elegant defensive wall, but as the black hole grew in power, the wall cracked, then pieces of the rubble began to float away. His singularity had manifested on a spiritual level now, a dark sphere in the sky of Esaire's soulhome that continued to grow.

Leaves tore from his silvery trees, loose bricks lifted into the sky, and part of his foundation gave a loud crack. In the real world, Esaire stared at him in horror, recognizing what he faced.

Theo released the technique and the arena was still. The judge had risen to her feet and several other Authorities in the audience had begun to act as well. Their overwhelming power ensured that he never would have been able to ruin Esaire's soulhome or kill him. But Theo just stared into the other man's eyes and made sure that he knew that Theo could have gone further, and he'd chosen to stop.

Around them, he saw shock on the faces of all the spectators... except for Nauda and Fiyu, who were watching with a mixture of joy and relief. After so long being utterly focused on the fight, Theo let himself smile at them. He also started feeling his leg and back injuries, which were going to need treatment, but that could come later.

"The match has clearly ended," the arbiter said, "and House Blacksilver is victorious. The Deuxan party must now answer for their actions."

"I have a few questions." Theo looked past Esaire, who had collapsed, and instead focused on Arceon ai Armeau. The head of the Armeau family was a fully developed Ruler, stronger than his grandson... but there was a hint of fear in his eyes. "While on Deuxan, I attempted to do ordinary research on Deuxan history. In return, you declared me evil and tried to have me killed. Why?"

"This..." Arceon drew himself up with all the dignity he could muster. "This is not a matter to be discussed in such a public place!"

Though the expression on the arbiter's face didn't change, she let her full strength as an Authority settle over the room before she spoke. "The city of Norro Yorthin does not care for your local customs. You agreed to the terms of this duel and you must now obey those terms, or be considered in contempt of the House of Coin."

"You... you spoke of a forbidden matter." The old man's eyes flickered between Theo and the Authorities in the room. "Must I speak the name here?"

"I don't care, I just want you to explain why."

"Nearly a century ago, the small Deuxan family you researched was destroyed, root and stem. The exact circumstances are lost to history, but we know this: the destruction spread. Others in the same court wanted to acquire their lost assets and attempted to research what had happened, only for those families to be destroyed as well."

"By who?"

"We don't know. It is believed to be a foreign power that had passed beyond the known limits of soulcrafters, because the destruction was so swift and many demons crawled through in their wake." Arceon took a deep breath and shook his head. "Since that day, uttering that name has been forbidden. The riches of that family must still lie somewhere, and fools occasionally still die trying to learn more. So every significant court has agreed that the very knowledge of that name must die out."

For the sake of the audience, Theo snorted. "I don't know anything. This superstition is utter madness... I tried to do a little historical research and you persecuted me all the way to Fithe."

Judging from the reaction, no one else took it particularly seriously. A representative from the House of Burning Leaves rose to say that the Deuxans had comported themselves dishonorably and would no longer be considered guests of the House. Someone from Blacksilver argued that they should answer for their disruption, but the arbiter insisted they be simply exiled to their home world.

Theo ignored all of it. Despite his mocking reaction, the revelation troubled him deeply. Brigana ai Teraeves had been from a small but powerful family, perhaps a bit strange based on his brief meetings, but not deserving of such a reputation. He feared that it could somehow be his fault, that Vistgil and his demons had eradicated the entire family because Brigana had traveled with him.

Based on what Arceon said, however, there had been roughly a decade between Brigana's death and the destruction of her family. Theo didn't think he'd been lying, but the records might be inaccurate. It was possible that their destruction had nothing to do with him, but it felt too much like another one of Vistgil's traps.

If the Teraeves family had interacted more than usual with outsiders to the Nine Worlds, then it made sense. They'd been destroyed with their wealth intact, and anyone who had known them might try to retrieve it. When they did, they'd trigger the trap that had been woven into Deuxan culture itself.

The question was... had he triggered that trap? Theo didn't think that there was anything directly sinister behind the Deuxan courts, and the Armeau family didn't seem inclined to spread the knowledge. Here on Fithe, he had no doubt that the details of the fight would be forgotten, since everyone would focus on the fact that an Archcrafter had beaten a Ruler.

So he might not have brought his enemies down on his head, but he needed to be even more careful than before.

City guards pulled the Armeau family from the arena, gently but with the full threat of force. Theo saw hatred in the eyes of the grandfather, but as Esaire was carried out, he stared back with a strange expression. There was no time to address him further, so Theo would need to keep that in mind.

"Curse you!" An explosion of anger finally overcame the stillness and Theo turned to the side to look.

Tythes stalked away from the others representing House Crimson and hurled something white down at Nauda's feet. She picked it up with a smile, and turned it so Theo could realize that it was a Chasm Invitation. He could only presume that she'd bet on the fight and mentally thanked her for it, though he should also thank Tythes for being so careless.

"You may have won that, but you cheated!" Tythes jabbed a finger at her. "Duel me next!"

"I'm humbled by your assessment of my strength," Nauda said with a meek bow. The Crimson Authority hissed and took a step closer.

"I don't care that you're just an Archcrafter, I can wait to tear you apart! Let's set a duel, just like this! You'd need, what, ten years? A hundred years? Duel me or I-"

He cut off as the older woman from House Crimson grabbed his shoulder. "It's time to go home, Lord Tythes."

Though he hissed and glowered, more like a toddler than an Authority-tier soulcrafter, Tythes let himself be dragged away from the arena. With him gone, the atmosphere relaxed further. Theo saw Blacksilver representatives smiling at him, no doubt very glad for the fame he'd brought their House, but he ignored them to limp next to Fiyu.

"You require healing," Fiyu told him, her smile growing somber. "The sword cut deep."

"I do, but I want to know about that Invitation." He glanced at Nauda, who slid an arm under his shoulders to help him keep the weight off his injured leg.

"Not much to it, just a smart bet. We have three now." She grinned over at him. "That was remarkable, but I imagine you're hungry. Should we bring you something to eat while you recover?"

"Nothing too expensive. I have some serious debts to pay off." But considering that his debts were to his allies, Theo didn't consider that a bad thing.

Epilogue

The older she became, the more Gethyrue understood the limits of Authority. When she had been a child, growing up in the courtyards of House Crimson, the soulcrafters at such ranks had been her greatest heroes. She knew that Strongholds were supposed to be more powerful, but they were only stern figures at the edges of her life, and anything beyond that was myth.

Now, at nearly one hundred years old, she felt no wiser than that child. The Strongholds of Norro Yorthin fought one another bitterly, but she had given up all hope of a Dominion-tier soulcrafter rising from among them. In her travels, she had learned that there were soulcrafters beyond those heights, standing on the other side of a gap even greater than the one she had crossed to become an Authority. She had ascended as an old woman and knew she would go no further, her soulhome growing increasingly rigid with age.

Five members of House Crimson had reached Authority-tier or higher, and she was the eldest of them. Though at one hundred her body retained some youth, she had failed in her efforts to craft an Immortality Conduit. In time she would pass away, without ever ascending further, and her only remaining hope was to see someone else who could bring change to all she regretted.

At the moment, she dragged her nephew's wine-soaked body through their courtyard to his home. Tythes was no longer the boy he had once been, in so many ways.

Around them, members of House Crimson looked on with pity, but only briefly, because they didn't dare draw Tythes's wrath. He'd established that reputation quite effectively, thus leaving her in the position of being the only one to stand up to him. She no longer expected that he would be the leader she'd hoped for, but the boy scared her sometimes.

She dropped him into a lounging chair and turned back to the door. One servant carried new robes, but Gethyrue shook her head apologetically. Once the servant departed, Gethyrue closed the door and activated the defensive barrier around the room.

"Well, that's done." Tythes sat up and ran a hand through his hair, sweeping it back from his face. "As soon as they're exiled, track the Deuxans back to their court. Then come back here and get one of our better assassins."

"Tythes..." She preferred him like this to his drunken facade, but sometimes the two seemed to blur. "They may be no threat to the House, but surely it's senseless to kill them."

"You didn't let me finish. Have the assassin deliver a poison, all nicely boxed up. They need a reminder not to meddle here again." Tythes stood up sharply and walked to his desk, speaking more rapidly as he did so. "Have them steal a Deuxan poison in return, and use it for a weak attempt in the House of Burning Leaves. That should discourage them from using other worlds in their schemes."

"I understand." Gethyrue smiled as she understood his plan, regretting that she had doubted him. Tythes was not the man his parents or tutors had tried to make him become, but sometimes she hoped that something of what she had tried to teach remained in him. "I think they are already chastened, but a reminder might not be inappropriate."

"We need them on their back foot for what's coming. It will be politically delicate." Her nephew glanced over at her, a true smile on his face. "Do you think they took the sublime spices? As opposed to destroying them or handing them over to House Blacksilver, I mean."

"I suspect they will."

"Excellent. And thanks to the bet, they now have three Chasm Invitations. I think it might be best to leave them be for a time, or the continual meetings will grow suspicious. Hmm, that leaves me with rather a lot of time. There's other business to be done, but perhaps a few unwilling vassals..."

"Tythes..." She took a breath and stepped behind him, putting a hand on his arm. "I know you think this will make a difference, but I don't understand why you're so excited by a few foreign Archcrafters. Let me in, nephew, please."

He paused, the intense concentration on his face receding. The innocent boy he had been no longer existed, but when his eyes focused on her, she thought they were kind. "You know the problem with this city's balance, Gethyrue. Even the House of the Lost has become just another faction, and the cycle continues. I need young soulcrafters, ones who won't just become more House minions."

"They appear loyal to House Blacksilver."

"Not for long." Tythes swept away, grinning with a bit of the energy he usually faked. "I think they're the ones I've been waiting for. This Nauda has the spirit for it, even if her soulhome is a bit messy. The Ichili won her whole tournament handily and essentially just waited to ascend at will. I thought the boy was the least interesting, then he promptly does the impossible and defeats a Ruler. They're blazing upward, they just need a little guidance."

The way he said it, Gethyrue could almost believe, but that was just his way with words. He'd had a honeyed tongue from a young age, and when he got older it had transformed into something much sharper. She didn't believe that he would manipulate her, not when they had been working closely together for so many years, but she did sometimes wonder.

"Eight months left... I need to analyze them further during that time. They wouldn't push for the Chasm of Lamentations unless they had a reason, perhaps related to the House war over it." Tythes shook his head sharply and began to walk to his balcony. "Need more information. No point speculating."

"You seem inspired." She walked out beside him, smiling slowly. "I was beginning to believe that you really had grown apathetic."

"Hardly." Tythes leaned on the edge of his balcony and stared out over the courtyard. "Merely waiting for the people I need to destroy House Crimson."

X X X

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Acknowledgments

Thank you to all my alpha and beta readers for their feedback.

Thanks to Cultivation Novels, Western Cultivation, and GameLit Society for the community.

Appendix: Soulhome Architecture 101

(This appendix was originally posted on my subreddit, with character expressions and soulhome diagrams. These don't play well with many ebook formats, so they can't be included here, but I'm including the raw script due to reader requests. Here's the link to the full version:

https://old.reddit.com/r/TheBrightestShadow/comments/k6vxt8/soulhome_architecture_101_with_theo_nauda_and_fiyu/)

Soulhome Architecture 101

with Theo, Nauda, and Fiyu

Nauda smiling: Hello everyone!

Theo smiling: We're going to be explaining the art of soulcrafting from The Weirkey Chronicles.

Fiyu neutral: Are we self-aware now? Is this another meta-fictional story?

Theo neutral: This isn't canon; just go with it.

F smiling: That is better, but I do not understand why we are represented by heads.

T frowning: They're chibis, and I, for one, am personally insulted to be portrayed this way.

N grinning: It isn't canon; just go with it.

F neutral: Before we look at some soulhome designs, we will introduce the basics...

Basics

N smiling: The first part won't surprise you. Cantae is a form of energy that living beings can only use if they open up a space inside their soul, called a soulhome.

T neutral: You can use it to make yourself a little stronger, or shoot it as a bolt, but these things are child's play compared to building within your soulhome.

F neutral: Such people are called soulcrafters.

T frowning: You can't use just anything: only materials with spiritual properties - called sublime materials - can be pulled into your soul and used in construction.

N smiling: But inside, soulhomes follow simple logic. Bigger rooms can store more cantae. Physically sturdy rooms make you spiritually sturdy. Fancy rooms with valuable sublime materials crafted into patterns are more powerful than just throwing a magic rock inside your soul.

F neutral: Not everything is architecture. Usually you begin by creating a "heart chamber" that has sublime materials to generate cantae, which flows through the other rooms.

T neutral: The process rapidly gets more complicated, but we'll focus on the basics today.

F smiling: Let us look at some simple blueprints. I think that will make it easy to understand.

[Unplanned Farmguard Soulhome]

N neutral: We'll start with a humble village soulcrafter. They probably built one room at a time without too much planning.

T neutral: It's actually not terrible... squares are balanced shapes, and the internal doors will allow for strong cantae flow.

F question: Why do they have so many doors to the outside, though? Won't cantae leak out?

N smiling: That isn't obvious to everyone, Fiyu. They may have opened more to make soulcrafting easier.

T frowning: It's an inefficiency, but that's trivial compared to the fact that their design is lopsided. Feast rooms generate cantae, just not as much as heart chambers, so it should have been switched with the technique chamber.

N neutral: They were clearly doing the best they could with what they had.

F smiling: I don't think it's so bad. They have some cantae, a chamber to strengthen themselves, and room for a technique.

T neutral: I rate it 30/100. Thoroughly mediocre.

[Terrible Soulhome]

N disgust: Just... just what is this mess?

T disgust: This is what I meant when I said the previous one wasn't terrible.

N 06: I cannot imagine anyone in the Nine Worlds soulcrafting so haphazardly.

T neutral: They might have been from an outside world, just treating it like a game.

F neutral: ...I think I understand. They started with a plan to the west, then changed their blueprint as they kept building.

T smiling: Yeah, I think you're right. They began with a heart chamber, but after they built their first technique, they found some really valuable sublime material and built the circular chamber to take advantage of it.

N neutral: Young soulcrafters, take heed: valuable materials are better held for the proper time instead of thrown in at random.

F sad: Unfortunately, the cantae flow between the chambers doesn't make much sense. I think they would need to remodel to make this work.

N 09 minus the question mark: Looks like they just kept tacking on new techniques and a strength chamber as they needed them.

F smiling: The northern technique chamber is not so bad. It might be an upgraded technique, merging the flow from the heart and technique chambers. They are trying.

T disgust: 5/100, irredeemable garbage.

[Generic Farmguard Soulhome]

F 02: Oh! These were the blueprints they gave out at Myufuru!

N smiling: Yes, this is a common soulhome design for Farmguards. Note the extra large heart chamber evenly distributing cantae to every chamber.

F neutral: But this would be a soulcrafter at the peak of the first tier. Most of them have only finished some of the chambers and are thus weaker.

T neutral: The thing about common designs is that many generations have looked over them, so they're usually not bad, definitely better than the average hotshot with a random plan.

N neutral: I'm guessing you have some criticisms, oh wise one?

T frowning: Lining up the enhancing rooms and the technique rooms looks good on paper, but it's better to intersperse them. Strengthening rooms generate some cantae too, and that should flow into appropriate techniques.

N neutral: That's true. There's also no internal cantae flow within the soulhome, so the heart chamber has to keep up with every other room. But that's why it's larger than average.

F question: I am wondering... why is there an extra door to the west? There are already three technique doors.

T neutral: They probably built that room first and never closed up the door. If they did that... 50/100, serviceable.

F smiling: But they might reverse their blueprint on the second floor and send cantae upwards. That would improve efficiency.

N smiling: Archcrafter design techniques are too much for now, Fiyu. Let's move on to a more unique design....

[Generic Healer Soulhome]

T smiling: Good, we get to see a circular design. Circles are architecturally strong, so they can make soulhomes much more durable.

N 07: In my opinion, if someone can damage your soulhome, you've already lost.

F question: I have not seen a healer's blueprint before. Why are there so many chambers to generate cantae?

N neutral: Healing is complicated and extremely resource-intensive, so they need multiple sources.

T neutral: Yeah, you actually see designs similar to this everywhere in the Nine Worlds. It's a reliable blueprint.

F neutral: Hmm... I think they mix together different sources of cantae for different purposes? One pair for closing wounds, another for curing illnesses?

N 04: That's right, and each door is built as a sub-chamber so they can apply the cantae via specialized techniques!

T smiling: Healers are limited before they soulcraft multiple floors, but this is a solid 80 for a start.

Spoilers Ahead

F neutral: What is a spoiler?

T frowning: The next image contains minor details about how we soulcraft in the first book.

N smiling: You can skip the next part if you absolutely want to avoid all spoilers.

[Theo's Soulhome]

T smiling: My soulhome is a work in progress, but you can see the basic design.

N neutral: That vestibule to modulate cantae is seriously advanced stuff. Too technical to get into now, I think.

T neutral: Doesn't make a huge difference at early tiers, anyway.

F smiling: I like how the design is very orderly. All of the rooms are balanced and the connections are symmetrical.

N smiling: This is a good time to point out the subjective element. This would be a bad design for someone like a healer who wants fluid concepts, but it's effective because Theo wants many distinctly themed rooms.

F neutral: It is similar for me: I am better able to use light as a weapon because it is dangerous on my home world.

N neutral: It's worth saying that the sheer number of doors would be a weakness, if the heart chamber wasn't designed to set the cantae orbiting.

F neutral: That is true. It also loses some cantae space to the thick walls and pillars, but I believe our companion did this to support future tiers.

T smiling: You thought I was going to give myself a 100/100? No, the true strength of my design will barely be hinted before Archcrafter tier.

N 10: Your false humility is useless, when you've soulcrafted all this in just a matter of months.

F smiling: Can we see your soulhome next, Nauda?

[Nauda's Soulhome]

N neutral: I'm afraid my soulhome is rather modest, and my plans have been altered as I experienced a few difficulties in life.

F smiling: I like your heart chamber! Are the proportions based on the golden ratio?

N 04: Oh, good eye. Yes, I have powerful sublime materials in my heart chamber, so distributing their cantae effectively is important.

T neutral: The construction is solid, and you know I respect the craft on that telescope. But you're making poor use of the size of your soul, and it might not be easy to expand.

N neutral: I know, I know, you think I should build a tower.

T smiling: Separated soulhomes are rare, but there are legitimate reasons to design them that way.

F neutral: All of your chambers are mergers of cantae-generation, techniques, and strengthening. It is not how I was taught, but it is a consistent design.

N smiling: It's a more common model on Tatian than the previous Farmguard blueprint, honestly.

T neutral: Of course, the obvious thing Nauda has over either of us is that partially-constructed pyramid. When built high enough, it will make her an Archcrafter and unlock an entire second floor.

N neutral: I think ascension is probably beyond the scope of this introduction.

T neutral: Considering just the first floor... reasonably effective design, but with flaws. I'd say 65/100.

T neutral: Reasonably effective design, but with flaws. I'd say 65/100.

N 07: I'm humbled by your magnanimity, oh esteemable sage.

F smiling: I think that you are a 100, Nauda.

[Fiyu's Soulhome]

F 03: Umm... normally strangers shouldn't see this, but if this is non-canon, they can't tell anyone, right?

N smiling: I think you're safe, Fiyu.

T neutral: What's interesting about Fiyu's design is that it uses three different building materials, which would normally clash, but fuses them into several planned synergies.

F smiling: Yes. My relative said this blueprint was very difficult, but that it would be best for me.

N neutral: Which of the three materials is that entrance?

F neutral: ...

T neutral: Even though this breaks some standard rules, like having the walls and pillars not line up perfectly with the materials, in this case it's clearly done for a reason. You have to know when to break beginner rules.

N 04: I'm glad to see the window we helped you add to your sensory chamber!

F smiling: Yes, it is very helpful in these hellishly bright worlds.

T neutral: This is also a completely circular design, which makes good use of soul space and is highly durable.

N smiling: Honestly, the purity of the design doesn't do you justice, Fiyu. You have some powerful techniques in there.

F smiling: ...

T smiling: I'd say this is 90+, and only that because I don't know how well the blueprint flows into higher floors to justify the curve. It's clearly a design that's been refined over generations.

Conclusion

N 05: There you have it! A basic introduction to soulcrafting.

F neutral: Please follow precautions and obey your elder relatives when working on your soulhome.

T smiling: These principles would serve you well on every floor, but they're just scratching the surface of soulcrafting's complexity.

F smiling: But I think that is for future books.

N smiling: We'll see you in The Weirkey Chronicles!

(Again, if you'd like to see this conversation with full images, you can find it here: https://old.reddit.com/r/TheBrightestShadow/comments/k6vxt8/soulhome_architecture_101_with_theo_nauda_and_fiyu/)