The Weirkey Chronicles: Chapters 6-8 (Patreon)

Last weekend I asked if anyone advised using any websites other than RoyalRoad, and I don't believe anyone said anything. Are none of them worth using? I'd welcome that if it's the case, as I'm not fond of more work posting, but I figured I'd check one more time.

Anyway, these chapters try to move the plot along quickly while getting in a lot of soulcrafting and worldbuilding. Hope you enjoy them!

-

Chapter 6

When Theo woke up, he felt so good he immediately became suspicious. No aches and pains through his body and his soul only felt slightly overstretched. He sat up and found that there wasn't even a scar on his shoulder. It was almost as if the fight hadn't even taken place.

No, he couldn't think that. Not when his awareness of souls was alive and well. He looked around him at the other patients and could instantly tell which of them were soulcrafters, all of them first tier. The only non-patient was a young man moving between the beds, and he had no real defensive wall, so Theo could immediately gain a sense for his soulhome.

It wasn't a vision, exactly, more like an instantaneous impression. The injured soulcrafters had small wooden huts of a few rooms, a few reduced to kindling after the battle. By contrast, the healer's soulhome was a fully crafted building of stone pressing up against the clouds. His soulhome might be focused toward healing instead of combat, but he was the most advanced person in the room.

By contrast, Theo had nothing. He closed his eyes and went to his soulhome, ready to examine it more carefully now that there was no urgent danger. It took only a moment to find the familiar path in his soul, then he was standing within himself.

At the moment, his soulhome was nothing but potential... not even a home, really, just a soul. In his first visit to the Nine, he had begun with only a simple plane of grass. He bent down and ran his fingers through the blades, wondering why they were shades of yellow and brown now. At first he thought it might be dying, but when he pulled some out of the ground, the blades resisted as if firmly rooted.

What did that mean, then? Perhaps his soul knew that he was an old man, even if his body was younger. So long as it didn't prevent him from building the soulhome he'd planned, it didn't matter. The grass extended further into the distance than before, giving him plenty of room to build a large first floor that could support those above it.

Eager to get started, Theo returned to his body and sat up. He found that his pack had been placed beneath his cot, so it was finally time to make use of all the sublime materials he'd collected. First he began to eat the flamefruit: they tasted good, but instead of filling his stomach, they passed directly into his soul. Then he began breaking apart the boards of hearthtree wood, the splinters dissolving into spiritual matter. Finally he grasped the spirit chisel and returned to his soulhome.

Within himself, the sublime materials had far more substance. The flamefruit lay on the grass, resonating with power. Just sitting in his soulhome, they would generate a little cantae for him, but not very effectively. Theo took one of them, removed the seeds, and planted them in the center of his soul. He'd need sublime materials to water and fertilize it, but once it grew into a tree, it would generate a steady stream of cantae. That would be enough to support him as a young soulcrafter.

Of course, it would all just dissipate into the air, leaving him with only a small stream. He needed a chamber to gather the raw power, and that was the reason he had the hearthtree wood. Within his soul, he had an entire pile of spiritual lumber. Perhaps enough to build a small log room, but that would be a weak soulhome. Not only could it only contain a little cantae, it wouldn't strengthen him very much.

No, he needed a sturdier sublime material to truly craft his soulhome. The wood was needed for trim and all the other details that made the chambers he soulcrafted do more than simply store cantae. Theo sat down and began trimming one of the branches with his spirit chisel. He had several different ideas, but it would take time to regain his old skills at soulcrafting.

His blueprint had a simple layout, brilliantly executed thanks to Brigana's designs. The central chamber would generate cantae, flooding it through doors in the cardinal directions into four technique chambers. Then he'd add four corner rooms dedicated to stable traits, mostly increasing his stamina and defenses. With more sublime materials placed within them, they'd reinforce both his soulhome structurally as well as his own power.

He wasn't sure how long he worked, but suddenly he felt the grass beneath him lurch. Without more than a second of warning, he tumbled back into the real world with a hand on his shoulder. While soulcrafting he had no defenses or awareness... that was something he needed to work on as soon as possible.

"Are you alright, lad? Soulcrafting is heady work." A kindly-looking old Tatian woman stood beside him, patting his shoulder. Theo instinctively smiled and nodded back.

"Yes, I'm more than fine. Thank you."

"No trouble with your body? No more aches and pains?"

Though he'd assumed she was a healer, when Theo looked at her, he realized that she was more than that. She instantly struck him as an Archcrafter, and when he looked further, he saw that her soulhome arched high in two floors. It was a peaceful building without any physical enhancement, so likely all her chambers had been soulcrafted for the sake of healing. That explained why his physical condition was perfect.

"I feel wonderful thanks to your healing," Theo said. He rolled his shoulders as if to demonstrate, but then frowned just a little. "Did the demons cause any damage to my soul?"

"To fully answer that question, you would need a greater expert than I." The healer smiled warmly and patted his shoulder again. "But I didn't see any sign of it. You're just a bit shaken up from awakening as a soulcrafter in such a violent way. They intend to help you young things with that, so never fear."

"Help us?"

"Oh yes. The attack ended with only a few sorrows, but it could have been much worse. They called me in to save some of the wounded, but I would have been too late if not for you young brave ones. Stepping up when you're just children yourself... well, it warms my old heart! So they wanted me to heal you right up, and they'll be helping you become strong Farmguards."

Theo smiled and nodded, though he had no intention of actually becoming a Farmguard. It seemed that things had worked out, despite the huge risks taken during the battle. The seeds he'd laid before must have sprouted, which meant he was likely to receive training from the Tatians. Exactly what he needed.

Though the healer seemed to have finished checking up on him, he knew he wouldn't get a chance to talk to many Archcrafters soon, so he stopped her with a question. "Have there been other demon attacks on Tatian lately?"

"Well, I don't know about the whole world, but our lives were peaceful enough until a month ago." The healer shook her head slowly. "They say there was a battle between soulcrafters of terrible power. I think they're just guessing, because anyone can tell that the rivers between worlds are disrupted. That leads to more guests coming through... and yes, more demons. If you help protect our villages from them, I'll keep you in good health!"

With another beaming smile, the healer shuffled off to check on another patient. Theo sat on his cot, trying to decide if that information should change his actions in any way. He'd never met soulcrafters capable of causing damage to the Nine themselves, but he also knew he hadn't reached the limits, so it was possible that the rumors were true.

Even if that were true, it was so far above him as to be irrelevant. He couldn't fight a full first tier soulcrafter, much less an Archcrafter, much less... whatever unfathomable power it took to damage worlds. More information was useful, but for the moment he needed to stay focused on immediate priorities.

Though he could put more time into soulcrafting, investigating the aftermath of the battle would be more important. Theo pulled on his cloak, noting that someone had restored the places where it had been damaged. Then he headed out into the village and ran his eyes over the cheerful rebuilding process.

Whatever else anyone might say about Tatian villagers, they were definitely resilient. Most went about their work ignoring him, but those who recognized him always came by to stroke his arms or shoulders and give thanks for his help. He wasn't really a hero to them, just an outsider they wanted to welcome into their community. Theo put up with their pawing and looked for other travelers.

Navim was immediately obvious, but he was also surrounded by workers, helping them to restore a building reduced to rubble. Theo focused on him further and saw that Navim's soulhome was a vast mound of stone, filling the first tier. Not close to ascending to Archcrafter, but his soulcrafting looked quite solid, explaining his skill as a stoneshaper.

Looking on, Theo hoped to find Magnafor, but there was no sign of him. Instead, in the shadow of the largest building in the village, he saw Fiyu huddling with a cloak over her head. When he tried to examine her soulhome, he could see only shifting shadows. Though she looked like she was desperately trying to hide from all the cheerfulness around her, he headed in her direction.

Shielded soulcrafting, an obscured soulhome, and powerful techniques... those were not the work of a naive first-tier soulcrafter. He presumed that her relative was mentoring her well, preparing her for the rigors of life in Ichil as well as future tiers. Even her unreliable bolts of light were likely only a temporary weakness that would be smoothed out when she became an Archcrafter. Truly powerful soulcrafters often allowed temporary weaknesses for the sake of long term strength.

When he approached, Fiyu's head perked up. "Hello, Jake. The Farmguards who came with us are kind, but there are too many new villagers who keep trying to touch me. And if I hide, they come looking for me."

"They're grateful to you for helping defend them, and you did play a huge role." Theo leaned against the wall beside her, not too close. "Unfortunately, you may not enjoy the thanks they try to give."

"It is very confusing how they seem to call all soulcrafters Farmguards. Even those of the second tier are rarely called Archcrafters. I have not seen anyone on the third tier, but are they Farmguards too?"

"That's right. Tatian isn't very concerned with ranks, so their lower tiers are scattered across the farms by family and custom instead of military tactics. But it's a safe world, so it doesn't do them much harm."

Fiyu was silent for a time, lowering her head so he couldn't see her, and eventually spoke quietly. "I am sorry that I burned you. I aimed as carefully as I could, but the technique is difficult to control..."

"There's no need to apologize. The demons would have done much worse to me."

"You are not angry?"

"It's fine, Fiyu. Honestly." Theo smiled at her, though it seemed unlikely that she could sense it. He realized that he wasn't sure about the finer details of conveying emotion on Ichil, not outside of the lit cavern communities. Hopefully his words would be enough.

After another silence, Fiyu spoke up in a lighter tone. "They say that they will take us to a great city called Myufuru. I... do not think I want to see what a Tatian city is like."

"Don't worry, you'll be able to find privacy. In some ways, it's easier than in these little villages where everyone knows everyone." Theo glanced over at her, noting how she chewed on her lower lip. "They told me that their plan is to train us, but did they give you any more details?"

"I think they intend to create a... school, of a sort."

For a moment Theo's mind split between two realities: he had heard the word "school" but what Fiyu had actually said was something closer to "learningplace". Did schools not exist in her language? Usually the soul translation between worlds was perfect, but it did create strange words at times. If the new languages he'd learned let him hear both, that might improve his understanding, but it could also be confusing unless he could adapt to it.

"I am... coming to accept that my relative will not arrive soon." Fiyu toyed with the edges of her mask uncomfortably. "You are a soulcrafter now, Jake. Will you help me create the chamber you spoke of? I am tired of being blinded by this horrible light."

"No need!" The loud voice made both of them jump, then the tall Farmguard from the battle was striding up to them. He clapped Theo on the shoulder and raised a hand toward Fiyu before he remembered and pulled it back. "I've learned of this idea to have you travelers help us against demons, and I think it's a wonderful idea! You will have every sublime material you need to to adapt to our world, and we can give you more. For those who contribute most to the community, we even have some Archcrafter sublime materials to offer."

Theo tried to suppress any reaction, forcing his tone to mild interest. "Oh? How will you decide who contributes most?"

"I don't think that it has been decided, or at least it won't be by me. But other guests from far off worlds have already gathered at Myufuru, so I believe there is to be a good-natured competition. All for the sake of working better together, of course."

As much as the cultures of Tatian wanted to share everything, higher tier sublime materials simply weren't common enough to be given out freely. In his previous travels, Theo had mostly seen them given to Farmguards who defended less harmless regions, but apparently they could hold contests too. Even if the competition wasn't cutthroat, the chance to receive superior materials couldn't be ignored.

"Now, I already know the two of you, both your identities and your true natures." The man lowered his head to them with a broad smile. "My name is Famaj, and I am happy to meet two young soulcrafters who would risk their lives to save communities far from home."

"Hello, Famaj." Fiyu dutifully reflected the greeting, while Theo just nodded. "Will you go with us to Myufuru?"

"Yes. I have felt my own limits, so if I am to better serve my community, perhaps I must ascend." Famaj waved a hand as if it was no concern. "Never mind such things! Please, enjoy yourselves tonight. I have arranged a faster method of transportation for us to reach the city, so you will not have long with your new friends."

With that, he departed cheerfully. Fiyu sighed and pulled her cloak lower. "If I will be traveling with everyone, I need some time to reflect alone. We can discuss soulcrafting when we arrive at this school."

"Of course, Fiyu." She couldn't have given a more obvious cue to leave, so Theo nodded and pushed off the wall. "I'll see you there."

In the community, however, he wasn't sure what his highest priority should be. Navim was still busy and Theo didn't want to waste time with empty offers of food and drink. He spent a while looking for sublime materials, but the village's hearthtree had apparently been destroyed in the battle, so all they could give him were more flamefruit and some lumpy green vegetables that weren't a very strong material.

Eventually he found a quiet enough place - not occupied by Fiyu - and sat down to think. It was too noisy to soulcraft, but he could consider his next step. Before building too much, he needed to develop his foundation as he'd been planning for so many years. That limited his options in the short term.

Perhaps the first thing he should create was a door. He could carve the frame out of hearthtree wood and attach it to whatever he created later. More importantly, that door would allow him to remain conscious of the real world while he was inside his soulhome. No matter what steps he would take, that was an essential precaution.

Before he could step into his soulhome, however, Magnafor showed up in front of him. It looked as though he had become a soulcrafter as well, and his soulhome was already obscured, nothing but a blank wall. The other human gave him an odd glance as soon as they were alone.

"That was worse than usual. Much worse. I think the two of us being together is causing some sort of reaction. So from now on, I'm staying as far away as I can."

"Are they taking you to the school too?" Theo asked. Magnafor immediately winced.

"Damn, I was hoping you wouldn't go. I don't like it, but we'll just have to keep our distance. Those sublime materials they're offering are too good to pass up... and don't expect any mercy in the competition for them."

"Fine with me." Theo pushed his mind against the blank wall again, but couldn't get anything except that his opponent was a first tier soulcrafter. "I guess the battle awakened you too, huh?"

Magnafor immediately snorted. "Battle? More like an opportunity to take the sublime materials they were wasting. Don't be so soft, Jake. This world may seem harmless, but it's the softest trap of all: coddling you into stagnation. Never forget that we have targets on our backs."

With that, he moved away, not looking back once. Theo remained seated, just thinking instead of soulcrafting. The competition would be difficult enough without another experienced person from Earth. Magnafor had gotten even further in his first life, he had plenty of knowledge, and more importantly, he was ruthless.

Theo took a deep breath and decided to find out how ruthless he could be.

-

Chapter 7

Their method of traveling to the city arrived the next day in the form of a monstrous furry centipede. Just the head was taller than a person, and given the length, it weighed thousands of times more. Though the sections were somewhat insectoid, it had a furry face that managed to be insufferably cute. Theo had seen them before, but couldn't remember what they were called.

Famaj stood beside it, rubbing the fur while it licked his shirt and face. When Theo approached, he turned to greet him. "Jake! I hope you are prepared for the journey."

"I don't really have anything to prepare," Theo said, keeping his distance. "What's the name of these creatures?"

"Packbeasts."

"Of course it is." Theo avoided rolling his eyes, but it was a close thing. "Do we leave soon?"

"Just as soon as everyone who is coming with us to Myufuru is ready!"

Given the usual Tatian sense of timing, that wouldn't be very soon. Theo sighed, sat down in a secluded grove, and entered his soulhome. He carefully began using the chisel to carve one of the heavy branches into thinner boards that he could use to make his door. The exact craft mattered as well as the strength of the materials, but fortunately his soulcrafting ability exceeded his skill in the real world.

Before he could finish, someone interrupted him to say that it was time to go. Theo headed back to the packbeast and found that a relatively small group was going to the city - it couldn't be accidental that it included mostly soulcrafters and few local Farmguards.

Navim was most obvious, being fitted with a special harness so he wouldn't fall from the packbeast. Near the front he also saw Fiyu and Famaj, and intended to join them soon, but not yet. He eventually spotted Magnafor at the back and received a glower for his trouble. Otherwise, there were some Fithans and Tatians he didn't know, plus a Deuxan soulcrafter who had apparently decided not to return home.

They all took their places on the packbeast's back and began a swift but uncomfortable journey. It trundled along the dirt roads with surprising speed, all its legs levering it forward. Local villagers waved to them cheerfully, but no differently than they would wave to wagons, strangers, or particularly friendly animals. Though Theo tried to hold a conversation with a few others, it was difficult with all the dust and the odd squealing noises from their mount.

Instead he retreated inward, no longer troubled by the lurching movements once he sat within his soulhome. There, he continued working on fashioning the hearthtree planks into a door: not just an adequate arch, but a construct he could keep for a long time. Eventually he set it up, an entrance to nowhere, and let the scarce wisps of cantae flow through it.

It worked on the first try, though that was no accomplishment with such an easy bit of soulcrafting: when he looked through the door from within, he saw the packbeast instead of his soulhome. Even when he wasn't looking, he felt a solid connection to his body. Now if anyone attacked him, he could simply fade out of his soulhome without any delay.

Of course, his awareness was still limited. If he had better tools, he could carve elaborate patterns on the wood that would improve it further. But though any effort would help, the best results required specific techniques, and he hadn't studied those very far. Just having a door so he couldn't be ambushed was good enough for now.

As for the rest, it was difficult to know how to proceed. The flamefruit tree hadn't begun to grow without support, which was unsurprising, yet the seeds themselves seemed to have died. That might be natural, or he might need to put more work into getting the foundation right. Fortunately, all the other flamefruit sat in a pile, pristine as the moment he'd eaten them. Trying again would be simple, but better done in a school environment.

So instead he merely worked on the remaining pieces of wood, shaving off splinters and knots. The resulting pile of boards wouldn't grant him any power or accomplish anything whatsoever, but when he tried to construct something more elaborate, it would be good to have that work already complete.

At the pace of the packbeast and without stopping for many feasts, they actually reached Myufuru before he finished even half of the task. When he glanced through the door and saw they were near the end of their journey, Theo faded back to reality and looked forward.

He had never visited Myufuru before, but he might as well have. Like all Tatian cities, it had the rustic look of their villages expanded to giant size. It spread out in all directions, but the heart of the city was clearly a region of several vast hills. Where the elevation might have led to social stratification in other worlds, Myufuru was swarming with staircases with no walls in sight. Tiny huts stood beside vast houses formed from tree trunks both above and below. Ropes dangling wooden gondolas constantly flowed between the different levels, ferrying the youngest and oldest.

Of course, the entire city was filled with Tatians, living packed even closer together than in the villages. With that many people, Theo knew that the character of a place changed. There would actually be thieves and swindlers there, though along with them came industry, foreign goods, and services that simply didn't exist in the dull villagescape outside.

Some of the Tatians seemed utterly shocked, as this might have been their first time seeing a city. Famaj started giving them warnings about not greeting everyone on the street and not being able to trust people, but Theo ignored him. Instead he looked to Fiyu, who was wincing and covering her ears even though they had only just entered the outskirts. He really needed to teach her to soulcraft that defensive chamber.

They left their packbeast by an enormous gnarled tree with other packbeasts twined around it. Though some in their group wanted to explore and others looked shocked, Famaj led them all forward without any delay. Theo thought that was just as well, since he wanted to get his bearings and understand the terms of their school, but he soon found Fiyu shadowing him. She flinched away from the cheerful crowds but also didn't want to touch him.

After a moment of thought, Theo undid one of the straps on his pack and extended it to give her something to hold. It was little more than a safety blanket, but she clutched the strap and followed him closely, as if he could shield her from the exuberance of the crowds around them.

In a city the size of Myufuru, they weren't greeted aggressively, yet it was still an explosion of humanity far beyond any of the small villages. Theo was glad when they soon reached one of the wooden gondolas and headed directly upward. With the wind whistling around them, he felt slightly cool for the first time since entering Tatian.

Their path took them arching over the entire city to one of the highest hills. It broke the usual pattern of mixed equality, surrounded by a wall of living stone that looked like it could actually repel an assault, for all its gentle curves in the patterns of trees, plants, and flowers. There was an inscription over the entrance archway below, and fortunately he could read the looping characters: Myufuru Landguard Village.

Only one word of that mattered: Landguard. As little as Tatian focused on soulcrafting tiers, even they couldn't deny the huge gap between the third and fourth. Theo had met a few Landguards and none of them had been fools: if there was a serious attack, the Landguards acted as the military. In other worlds they would have been a ruling caste, but on Tatian they simply served all nations and villages equally.

There was one problem: he'd been told that the nearest Landguard was months away. At first he'd wondered if "Village" was a euphemism for a fortress, but as they slid over a mostly empty compound he reconsidered. Perhaps this was a headquarters and storage facility used by Landguards without any currently being in residence.

Before their gondola landed, he made sure to build a mental map of the area within the walls. The front gate had a normal village square surrounded by stacked huts that likely served as housing. Staircases led from it to clusters of kitchens, orchards, and stonesmiths, but also downward into what appeared to be a tunnel. Their gondola led them to an upper square with fewer staircases, some leading to a fortified building... and one to a vast tree.

Their gondola was attached to the middle boughs of the skyscraper-sized tree, which cast shade over the entire compound. They stopped before drawing too close, but he could see staircases had been carved into the side, leading up to a softly glowing peak. Lines of sealing staffs had been driven into the lower trunk, generating a Landguard-tier barrier. None of them would be walking in there... that barrier could probably endure a full assault by an army of Farmguards.

He had no more time to examine the landscape as the gondola rapidly descended to the upper courtyard. As the door opened, he was surprised to find the area empty, but a bright head of hair began bobbing from one of the stairs as an old man approached.

Immediately Theo hesitated, letting others go ahead of him, but he couldn't say exactly why at first. The old man coming to greet them appeared to be simply a first tier soulcrafter, yet something wasn't right. Glimpsing his soulhome was a little too easy, slightly too straightforward. He might be a simple Farmguard... or he might be a soulcrafter powerful enough to have built a shielding wall.

"Welcome, welcome!" The old man spread his arms wide as if to hug all of them, and followed up on the threat with a few of the Tatians. His arms made Theo think of tree trunks despite being in the shadow of building-sized trees. "Oh, we're so glad to have you here! This place has been empty for too long, but all of you are changing that!"

"I'm glad to see you well, uncle." Famaj matched the old man's hug, then pulled back, all smiles. "Friends, please meet my dear uncle, Nanjuma. He is the head of Myufuru Landguard Village."

"Which isn't as much of an honor as it once was!" Nanjuma laughed at himself and turned to all the others, his hands on his hips. "But when we heard about all these brave soulcrafters and hopefuls, everyone agreed that we would be best able to welcome you. With your help, we should all be able to defend our communities better, and you should find a way back to your own worlds soon enough!"

"Why isn't this fortress in active use?" one of the Fithans asked. Nanjuma shook his head, then began to walk, demonstrating vigorously.

"You see these grounds? This village was established for the sake of some very valuable sublime materials, but those have fallen out of favor, just a bit. Everyone wants flamefruit these days, but our orchards are mostly duskfruit. Not in high demand, but too valuable to replant. But over that way, we have a mine growing perfectly serviceable stones, perfect for beginning Farmguards. I'm glad they won't go to waste."

Theo tucked away those details for future consideration, as he still had no way to sense sublime materials himself. Duskfruit were one of the few sublime materials on Tatian that weren't as warm and friendly, so while they didn't fit into his immediate plans, they were worth keeping in mind. A supply of stone would also be essential for building a solid first tier, so those were encouraging facts.

Nothing at all about Archcrafter materials, however, and though not many noticed the absence, he could practically see the thought in the way Magnafor shifted his weight. The other human managed to hold back at first, while Nanjuma continued to show them around the enclosed village grounds. It seemed that they were the fourth group to arrive, with several more expected, but most of the others were currently in the city itself.

"Though you are free to explore the orchards," Nanjuma said, "we ask that you take few sublime materials. We will give you plenty of them in time, but there aren't enough for any to be wasted. Please take a Farmguard with you if you enter the mine, simply so you don't accidentally damage any of our stones. Nowhere is off limits except the upper offices of the main building... we keep the Archcrafter materials there, and you'll be winning those soon enough!"

Normally Theo would have been incredulous that the old man would reveal the location so naively, but he suspected that Nanjuma was more than he seemed. Behind his barrier wall, Nanjuma was likely a Ruler, and not a newly ascended one. If he began releasing his cantae, he could likely flatten all of them instantly. The fact that he'd been put in charge of the facility by Landguards meant that he couldn't be naive about other worlds, either.

"What about the big tree?" Magnafor asked. His tone was utterly casual, but there was something hard in his eyes. Nanjuma met it with a smile.

"Those are the Landguard private quarters and vaults, and they sealed it after them when they moved. For your own safety, please stay away from the barrier. There isn't anything dangerous within, but sublime materials that are too potent can be dangerous on their own. If you don't already know that, well, heh, we'll have classes for that soon enough."

"Right, got it." Magnafor turned away, still too casually. A few of the Fithans stared toward the tree as well, but Nanjuma's twinkling eyes observed them all carefully. Theo turned away as if more interested in the mine.

He had to admit that he understood their interest in the bound area. The Archcrafter materials offered as prizes were still valuable, but they were nothing compared to the third or fourth tier sublime materials that might be within the Landguard area. Of course, none of them had a way to take down the barrier and it would instantly alienate their hosts even if they managed it.

In an ideal world, that might make sense to do in time. Fully soulcraft a foundational tier with the freely given materials and become an Archcrafter, then steal the rest. Higher tier materials could be converted down, but one lesson Theo had learned previously was that this was ultimately inefficient. Even Stronghold materials forced down to the very first tier weren't quite as good as the right materials native to that tier. But taking everything found within would pave the way through later tiers in a way that was normally impossible.

The presence of someone else returning from Earth, and potentially thieves from other worlds, made him reconsider that plan. Others might be making the attempt and Nanjuma would be alert for the potential attempts. Getting out with the sublime materials wouldn't be easy.

"We won't begin classes until all the groups arrive, so you have some time to adjust to Myufuru." Nanjuma led them into an office, but only long enough to pull a set of sacks from a desk. He began tossing them to each student as he continued speaking. "You'll be given food, lodging, and sublime materials, but we want you to be comfortable here. Consider this stipend thanks for your work with us so far. Please, use it to enjoy the city!"

Theo caught the sack and nodded thankfully, resisting the urge to count his money, since that would be seen as contrary to the spirit of generosity. Many of the others immediately checked and compared, and though Nanjuma continued to smile cheerily, those eyes seemed to absorb it all... he definitely wasn't a man to cross.

With the money distributed, their orientation seemed to be over. Famaj led them to some of the empty rooms and invited each student to choose one that suited their fancy. Since they all seemed identical - bed, desk, cabinet - Theo picked one that was defended from exterior attacks but also had a nearby exit. He left his pack to claim ownership and headed out.

Now that he was finally free, it was time to take what he could from the city.

-

Chapter 8

On his way out, Theo scouted potential allies. As usual, Navim required special accommodations, though it seemed like the Landguard village actually had a special place near the mine to house Mundhin. Famaj had taken a room near Theo's, but seemed mostly interested in talking with relatives in the city. That left him free to explore the city, though he decided to track down Fiyu first.

Predictably, she had chosen a room deep in the women's building, far from the others. When he arrived, she was pinning sheets of fabric over the windows to block out as much light as possible. As soon as he neared the door, she shifted toward him and smiled.

"Hello, Jake. Are you going to go into the city?"

"I was thinking of it." He stayed outside of her space and just leaned against the door frame. "Do you want to come?"

"No, I do not. Would it be possible for you to purchase something for me? When I was thrown here, I lost a tool called a spirit lantern. It is designed to store and repurpose cantae from sublime materials, do you know it?"

"Yeah, I think I've seen those before. They should have something similar here, so if you'll just give me the money..."

Fiyu frowned and regarded him as if puzzled. "If you return with the spirit lantern, I will give you the money then."

Though he felt a flash of irritation that she didn't trust him, Theo realized he was being too human. In Ichil, his offer would never have been taken at face value, and he was asking her for a level of trust that wouldn't be given even to some family. The fact that she had asked him at all was a positive sign, or at least he tried to take it that way.

"Alright, I'll look for your spirit lantern. I'll be back later this evening."

"Thank you, Jake. I will be here in my chambers."

He nodded and turned away, almost wishing that he'd given her his real name. It didn't really matter, though, especially given the limited trust between them. Instead of worrying about that, Theo counted his money and considered his highest priorities as he left the village.

The amount of money he'd been given was limited, and even combined with what he'd earned on the journey, it wasn't enough to buy sublime materials, at least not those of the quality he needed. That meant he'd need to rely on what he could earn directly from the Farmguards, which was more or less what he'd expected. He'd spend part on Fiyu's spirit lantern, pick up a few items he could use himself, and otherwise save the rest.

There were Farmguards at the entrance gate to the Landguard Village, ordinary soulcrafters but with fully built first floors. If demons attacked, he doubted any of them would falter in confusion, though they likely dealt with more ordinary problems in the city. They checked everyone, but already knew him by sight and merely waved to him as he went through.

A large Tatian city included countless potential diversions, none of which Theo had time for at the moment. Other potential soulcrafters from the school were also leaving at the same time and they might well take the tools he needed. Theo asked a few people on the street, focusing to use the local dialect, and was soon directed to a soulcrafter district not far away.

Once there, he looked through several stores and eventually found one that struck him as professional. They sold a gourd lamp that would serve as a spirit lantern, as well as a high quality spirit hammer. His chisel was better for wood or detail work, but he'd be working with heavy stone soon. The two cost more than he'd intended, and the customary bargaining process was aggravating, but his old instincts came back and he managed to get out of the store without being robbed.

As he started to return, he noticed a group of Fithans in the street. They weren't the ones who had come with him from the village, and beyond that they were a different species. Theo wasn't an expert on Fithe, but he knew the world had at least two major species. Those he'd met before had bluish horns, whereas this group was hornless with a reddish coloring.

What those differences meant, he didn't know, but it was clear enough that they were potential soulcrafters at the same school. More importantly, they drew his attention to a building that he'd completely ignored on his trip out. It was a finely crafted wooden structure with three stories, filled with windows to draw the eye to its real product.

Prostitutes framed themselves in the windows, both women and men. Their robes were more form-fitting than scanty, and the overall atmosphere was more warm than alluring, but the intent was obvious. This had clearly been what the Fithans had been looking for, so they crowded in, receiving a warm reception.

"You're an outsider too, aren't you? You don't look familiar..." A young woman leaned out from one of the ground floor windows, her curious expression suddenly giving way to a beaming smile. "Wait! Famaj said there were a few travelers from really far away who risked their lives to save a village. Was that you?"

"Uh, yeah. I guess I was one of them." Theo realized that he'd mostly forgotten this aspect of Tatian: prostitution was essentially not stigmatized, so long as it was done in a way that supported the community. It wasn't considered as healthy as marriage - or lovebonds or whatever saccharine term they used - but it was common once you got out of the tiny villages.

"Would you like to come inside? I'll give you a good rate if you tell stories about your home world!"

Theo considered it for only a split second. He had limited money and time, and this would be a waste of both. Even if he had been tempted, he remembered that the word was "warmthgivers" which was so irritatingly euphemistic that it left him repulsed by the whole idea.

"Thank you, but I need to get back to the school to work."

"Okay! Have a nice day!" She gave him another cheerful smile and looked back to the street, humming a pleasant tune to herself.

With a quick shake of his head, Theo put the incident behind him and headed back. He realized that even though he had a young body, he didn't feel like a horny teenager. In fact, seeing the young woman just made him feel like a tired old man, which he was in a sense. As much as he tried to forget his years on Earth, they had included a few short relationships and a disastrous marriage.

It was easier not to think about that. He turned his thoughts back to soulcrafting.

Back within the village, he found Fiyu in the middle of soulcrafting, but her shadows faded as soon as he opened the door. Her mouth twisted nervously, so he simply tossed the spirit lantern to her. She ran her hands over it studiously, then she beamed.

"This will be sufficient. Thank you, Jake."

"No problem."

"What was the price?" Fiyu's face fell as she picked up her sack of money. "I... wish to be properly cautious, but I do not know what such a thing would cost in this world."

"When you're outside your home environment, you have to trust someone until you learn." Theo gave her the real price and she paid it with only a little hesitation. Though it seemed that she was busy, when he started to leave, she spoke up again.

"My relative had given me a number of sublime materials, so there is much work I can do. But when I have finished my current projects, I am... uncertain about the materials of this world. Do you think the teachers will be able to assist me?"

Theo shrugged, though he wasn't sure if the movement got through to her. "I'm sure they'll try their best to help you, so the real question is if they'll find anyone who can. I think they'll call teachers from further away, so maybe some of them will be experienced world travelers."

"I see. I am not familiar with these 'learningplaces' but I believe that my relative would want me to take advantage of the opportunity. I hope that we can study together, Jake."

"Yeah, me too. I'll see you tomorrow, okay?"

Fiyu bobbed her head and then closed the door in his face. Only a little taken aback, Theo turned away and headed toward the mine. The sun might be close to setting, but the city was still awash in an orange glow as lanterns and bonfires were lit. It occurred to him that they must have a method to avoid widespread destructive fires, but he wasn't sure what it was.

In any case, he didn't intend to rest just yet. Sneaking into the mine might prove an unnecessary risk, but that didn't leave him without options. Theo instead searched for a Farmguard or someone else who could give him permission. He didn't expect to run into Nanjuma, but since the old man seemed to be calmly sitting on a bench and eating nuts, it might be a good time.

"Welcome back, young man." Nanjuma beamed at him and offered the bag. "Want a little treat?"

"No, thank you. But I was wondering if you could help me acquire some sublime materials to work on before school begins."

"Oh, but it will only be a few days until everyone has arrived! Why don't you enjoy yourself in the city first?"

"That's kind of you, but I'm in a bit of a hurry."

"Ah, youth. I remember when all of that still stretched before me..." Nanjuma gave him a foolish smile, yet his eyes bored directly into his soulhome. "As I said, we have plenty of sublime materials, but you will need to convince me that you can make good use of them."

Deciding that simple words would be useless, Theo stepped into his soulhome, then leaned through the door enough to speak. "I may not have soulcrafted myself for long, but I know many of the arts. I would like to begin the long, hard work of processing stone."

"Ah, you do know a few tricks! How does a young man who has barely awakened as a soulcrafter know such things?"

"Are you going to make me answer before giving me anything?" Theo asked, stepping back out of his soulhome. Nanjuma regarded him seriously, then his eyes twinkled.

"Enjoy your secrets, then! You're right about the amount of work that stone takes, and I don't think you can hurt yourself just preparing it. What did you have in mind? We have plenty of our awakened stone, but perhaps something from the soil of a hearthtree?"

"Does the mine produce any solarstone?"

Nanjuma rose to his feet slowly and popped another few nuts in his mouth, looking down at him thoughtfully. "It does, but I think you're underestimating just how hard solarstone is. You won't be able to put a crack in it, much less form it into bricks suitable for a soulhome."

"You might be right, but I want to try." Theo hefted the spirit hammer he'd bought and gave what he hoped was a disarming smile. "Why don't you give me one stone? If you're right, all I'll do is waste my time and hurt my hands a bit."

"Hmm." Then Nanjuma was simply gone.

He appeared a second later, and this time Theo was just able to spot a blur. The old man now held a large chunk of bright rock instead of his bag of nuts. Though he smiled cheerfully and thrust it forward, the implicit threat was clear: someone who could go to the mine and back in a heartbeat could just as easily kill a person.

"Thank you." Theo accepted the chunk of rock, not looking at it directly - though it wasn't blinding, it was unpleasantly bright. Deciding that this was also a test of sorts, he gripped it in both hands and focused his full attention on it.

For several terrible seconds his hands hurt and he was afraid he'd be proved wrong, but finally the stone crumbled away into his soulhome. Nanjuma regarded him with a cheerful grin. "Well done, young man! If you really manage to do anything with that bit of rock, perhaps I can find a little more for you. I hope you'll make this school fun for all of us."

"I'll do my best," Theo answered, though he wasn't sure exactly what that meant. Not wanting to push his luck, he returned to his room and then drew the spirit hammer with him into his soulhome.

Within, the chunk of solarstone was a large boulder. It would be a great deal of work, but he could slowly break it into pieces, then shape those into bricks of stone. His foundation still needed work, but building the walls of his first tier from solarstone was as good a start as he could ask for. Now that he had a proper material, it was time to get to work.

His first swing deflected off to the side, his spiritual hands stinging. Several more attempts failed to leave a scratch as well, though he was slowly remembering the old art. Gradually he managed to draw the weak stream of cantae into himself, strengthening himself as a soulcrafter until he could bring his full force against the boulder in a single stroke.

A tiny crack appeared in the top of the boulder... the first of many. Theo smiled and pulled the hammer back.