Wakespire: Chapters 38-39 (Patreon)

Two more chapters, changing things up a bit. I've said this elsewhere, but though I try to keep the series focused, with such a long story I think it's good to include a wide variety. I'm glad that there's an audience who has been enjoying it.

FYI, I will be taking a trip next week. I have scheduled your chapters to go up next Saturday as normal, so just be aware I won't be around to reply to comments or messages. If for some reason it fails to post, don't worry, I'll return later to fix things.

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Chapter 38

Throughout his life, Guchiro had escorted and educated many wards. The process hadn't involved this much chaperoning until Ward Fiyu had pulled him into new complications across the Nine Worlds.

Guchiro didn't mind waiting by the sleigh, strictly speaking. He had been speaking to some of the guards working for the Wakespire, as well as some of the artisans who worked on the spire itself, and all of them had given him new information that required thought. His instincts told him that an essential fact was missing: the lineagegem was a powerful enough material to be worth sacrificing social bonds, but the strategies he observed remained irrational.

Currently Associate Nauda was meeting with Unknown Ractifus Terefilia, who was one of the uncertain variables. Guchiro had thoroughly investigated him along with the other princes when he had interrupted the judgment of his ward and his senses had proved Unknown Ractifus to be a competent but unremarkable Authority. It was entirely possible that he wanted nothing more than to acquire wealth and power. If so, Guchiro did not approve of forming an alliance with him.

Judging from the manner in which Associate Nauda walked from the palace, that was what had just happened.

"We have his approval," the young Tatian woman said. "He'll give us the key just before the last Wakespire starts, but meanwhile he's opened the city to us. I have an address for some soulcrafters who can do the work we need."

"Then let us go." Guchiro listened to the address and then directed the sleigh toward the artisan district. Bright as Noven was, he'd been impressed by how it managed to incorporate sublime material crafting even at lower tiers.

It was improbable that Associate Nauda would remain silent for the entire journey. Without turning his head, Guchiro examined her again while she sat nervously. She was a talented soulcrafter and unquestionably passionate about Ward Fiyu, but those factors could only make up for so much. Standing back and letting his ward make her own mistakes was one of the most difficult decisions he'd ever needed to make.

He could feel the question working its way out of her: it started by shifting her feet, clenched the muscles through her back, and wormed its way through her jaw. Eventually she overcame her intimidation and, as had been inevitable, started a conversation.

"Ractifus did say that his permission might not be enough," Associate Nauda said. "Apparently the best artisans won't work for anyone without a high enough ranking. Have you ever been given an Authority class?"

"I had no choice but to receive one during my investigations," Guchiro said. "I am labeled an Authority 3rd class."

"And what are you really?"

It was a sharper question than he had anticipated, one of many promising glimmers in Associate Nauda. Then again, linguistic ambiguity was a more common tool across the Nine Worlds than many Ichili believed. Or perhaps she simply had observed enough powerful soulcrafters to make her own estimates. In any case, the question was worth a real answer.

"I would be an Authority, 1st class by their scale," Guchiro said. "This is nothing to boast of. They have optimized their rankings to measure the progress of average soulcrafters."

"Well, all that matters for the artisan is your official rank." Associate Nauda looked over at him, as other species couldn't help but do. "I've never gotten a Ruler ranking here because it didn't seem worth it. Is that scale the same?"

"More or less."

"And how would you rate us? I assume Fiyu should be a Ruler, 1st class."

"She is." Guchiro could feel all he needed with his senses, but he made eye contact to investigate how she would react. To her credit, Associate Nauda did not flinch and appeared ready for truth. "You would be a Ruler 4th class. Your blueprint is superior to most of those here, so if you completed your current soulcrafting, you could potentially reach Ruler 2nd class."

The Tatian woman sighed and her muscles eased as if she had been expecting that. "I was hoping I could catch up, but I think even Authority won't be enough."

"If you do not rush your next ascension, it will amend much of the damage and you will be capable of facing most Authorities. But your soulhome delays its cohesion until higher tiers, so you will not reach your full potential until Stronghold. Until that time, you would not be among the elites of your tier."

"But I could?" To her credit, Associate Nauda didn't explode with effusive emotions. She also hadn't used the fact that he was an Authority against him, as some petty individuals might have.

Guchiro paused before answering. In his role as a guardian, he did not want to encourage the Tatian woman, since she would only rush in order to remain closer to Ward Fiyu. But as a relative, he had pledged to Ward Fiyu that he would assist her companions. To give anything other than an honest answer would be to betray her trust.

"You might," Guchiro said simply. It wasn't flattery, but Associate Nauda understood his manner of speaking enough that she was very pleased. Unfortunately, it seemed like she took this interaction as a sign that their relationship had become closer.

"Is it okay if I ask you a question? There's something I've been wondering about, but everyone else already seems to understand and I feel bad not knowing."

"You may ask."

"How does an Ethereal Floor function, on a soulcrafting level? I was taught it's the counterpart to a Corporeal Floor and I saw a few, but they were never explained. After seeing Nifanos use hers, I can't believe they're not more common."

"They are not widely explained because soulcrafters do not wish to reveal their downsides." Despite himself, Guchiro immediately slipped back into the role of an elder relative teaching a ward. "The cantae of an Ethereal Floor is isolated from the rest of the soulhome and richly saturated. It cannot be accessed normally and is difficult to control. When it is tapped, it produces a temporary state that greatly amplifies a soulcrafter's abilities."

"How? You mean like the more intense cantae we've seen Nifanos use?"

"There are many effects depending on what the Floor's chambers contain. A different soulcrafter with defensive chambers might instead enter a nearly invincible state. But regardless of the design, when those rooms are emptied, the state is lost and the chambers are useless. They require much longer to fill than other chambers and their cantae cannot be tapped for other uses, so they are also a limitation."

"So incredible temporary power at a cost. Huh." Associate Nauda sat back and considered it, but she was clever enough that it did not take her long. "Could someone just use the cantae from their Ethereal Floor for individual attacks? Only draw on it when they want to deal damage, I mean."

"This is a common thought, but is a mistake to attempt it. The process of tapping the Ethereal Floor is itself expensive, so each activation substantially reduces the amount of cantae you have available. It would be a very inefficient way to soulcraft a powerful technique."

"I see the downsides, but I'm still surprised they aren't more common."

"Soulcrafting always depends on sublime materials, thus their accessibility varies between worlds." Guchiro recognized that he had said more than was necessary, but he remembered his promise to his ward and decided to continue. "Some regions of Fithe have more ethereal materials, but the Norron continent contains few. They do possess more materials appropriate for a Corporeal Floor, which is a common trade-off."

"Is there anywhere that's rich in ethereal materials and scarce in corporeal ones?"

"Of course. But if you want an answer in the broadest terms, Corporeal Floors are very rare on Siata. I am not intimately familiar with your home world. Allies inform me that Tatian has some of both, but is severely lacking in sublime materials suitable to Immortality Conduits..."

They continued speaking on their way to the artisan quarter. Associate Nauda was an able student and Guchiro couldn't help but wonder what she might have been if she had been raised in a different culture. In any case, she was now better informed and a more capable ally for his ward.

In the end, his rank was not requested and so the entire conversation had been unnecessary. Just the reputation of the Terefilia lineage was enough for Associate Nauda to convince the artisans to accept her commission. She was able to collaborate with a sublime seamstress who appeared quite capable and greatly enhanced the exterior glove she wore. They were also able to purchase sublime materials to improve her soulhome chamber devoted to the armament, thus binding it to her more surely.

Again, a more capable ally. Guchiro had no investment in the matter beyond that.

With her improved armament, Associate Nauda was eager to train. Guchiro escorted her to an appropriate institution for such things and then returned to their current camp. He instinctively surrounded himself by a sphere of stealth, so he was unobserved when he approached and discovered that a conversation was already underway.

Associate Theo had just returned from another trip and, after a brief greeting to Ward Fiyu, focused on his soulcrafting. His work had been exceptional, and their conversations about higher floor designs had showed a keen soulcrafting mind. Guchiro kept the thought to himself, but he felt that Associate Theo would have been a less dangerous partner for his ward. The outsider was less likely to harm his ward accidentally... though the possibility that he would do so intentionally remained.

Unusually, it was Unknown Senka who was engaging his ward. Guchiro frowned and extended his senses to observe the conversation more closely.

"Anyway, I got you something!" Unknown Senka held a bundle containing a sublime material over her head triumphantly. "You can feel it through the cloth, right? This is a darkegg!"

"The equivalent from underneath the clouds? I understand." Ward Fiyu had been on her guard ever since Unknown Senka began the conversation.

"When I saw you couldn't use the lightegg, I knew exactly what would be more appropriate for you. You're growing roses in your foundation, right? If your foundation absorbs this, they'll grow much stronger, I guarantee it."

"It is a valuable gift. Thank you, Senka."

Ward Fiyu was making little effort to hide her feelings, even as she accepted the bundle. Unknown Senka was harder to read, especially given her unnatural body, but the shift in the position of her neck suggested she understood. After a short pause, the small creature left his ward alone.

Guchiro's senses tracked Unknown Senka closely. He was aware of many mysteries across the the Nine Worlds and beyond, more than an Authority would be expected to understand. But he had never witnessed someone who had been cursed in such a manner. All he had been able to glean from analyzing her soul was that it was an ordinary soulhome with the foundation distorted, crushing the rest into a compact sphere. A strange and devastating condition.

Beyond that, there was a distinct malice to her, especially when no one was looking at her. Guchiro was very familiar with his ward's dislike and he did not believe he was being unduly influenced. His instincts told him that Unknown Senka was perhaps a greater threat to his ward's personal development than any of the others.

The accident that had taken Ward Fiyu away from him had complicated her adulthood immensely. And yet, when he saw her working alongside her companions, he wondered if a solitary life on Ichil would not have robbed her of something.

Ward Fiyu could already have forced her way to Authority in an emergency, and she was drawing closer to the point where she was truly ready. Using the darkegg would be no great challenge for her. He wondered what she would think once he told her his true plans for her ascension.

-

Chapter 39

The Artisans' Gallery was the first time that Nauda felt like Ugustial actually had a community. She had expected a single palace to be converted to some sort of private event, but instead there were people dancing in the streets. Every part of the city seemed to be celebrating as a surprising number of artists brought out their wares.

They ranged from glorious statues of gold to amateurish wooden carvings. For once, despite the egos of the artists who vied for the top positions, no one seemed to care. Everyone was out celebrating, not just the princes of the city. From her conversations with Isorales, it was actually a public holiday and the Noveni equivalent of a festival.

Of course, Nauda and her allies needed to spend almost all their time in just a single one of the palaces playing politics. In addition to all the citizen artists, there were many professional soulcrafters looking to sell items that were both beautiful and powerful.

"There are a great many people," Fiyu said when they first entered. She had already placed herself behind Nauda and Theo.

"I think they must have been watching the Wakespire," Theo said. He was chewing on his lip the way he did when he was frustrated with himself. "I should have known that an event this expensive would involve everyone. This is a layer of the contest I hadn't considered because I was so absorbed with the scoring."

"Well, you win in the same way, don't you?" That was all Nauda could do to encourage Theo, so she turned to Fiyu. "If you don't want to be so surrounded, Fiyu, why don't you look for the more powerful artisans? There must be a few Authorities looking to sell sublime artifacts."

"I will do this." Fiyu nodded and then promptly disappeared. It seemed she planned to avoid not only attention, but even being seen.

For her part, Nauda wasn't comfortable being the center of attention, but wasn't too disturbed by it. Unlike Theo, she had expected that the lower classes of the city must have been following the competition. Even in the worst communities, everyone paid attention to the most powerful soulcrafters because they were part of the military. Noven was so concerned with status and glory that she'd guessed that everyone concerned themselves with the elites.

While walking through the streets, Nauda had spoken to some local Noveni and found out that the Wakespire brought a lot of guests to the city. Guests meant profits, so they were all very busy. Now it seemed like the artistic classes of the city had been busy as well, because they were coming out to try to give their best work to the contestants.

"Nauda!" A younger Noveni man gestured to her with a broad grin and beckoned her closer. "You've done so well in the Wakespire, we all wanted to carve you!"

She smiled automatically and looked past the young man. On the table behind him there was a life-sized statue of her made from gold. It was a bit exaggerated, and her staff had three tines for some reason, but it looked like he was very proud of it.

"It's very good," Nauda said.

"Would you like it?" The young man seemed a bit too eager and Nauda hesitated before giving her instinctive response.

"She hasn't seen everything yet." Isorales appeared beside her, looking resplendent in a blue wrap. Even his wings had golden armor running along their upper edges. He touched her arm and guided her away, and since she trusted him more than the random sculptor, Nauda followed.

"Was I not supposed to accept his gift?" she asked once they were out of hearing range.

"It wasn't a gift." Isorales glanced at her and shook his head. "I thought you might not have an Artisans' Gallery in your home world, but I guess things are even more different than I thought. He was trying to sell you the sculpture, or even get you to be his patron for future works."

"Oh." Suddenly the man's smile, and his sculpture's exaggerations, seemed much less benign. "That's why they're all here?"

"For those who don't have the ability to fight, this is their only way of earning the best sublime materials. Expect to receive more offers like that. Since you're foreign, you're not a good long term patron, but you might earn them more notoriety. Creating work for a famous foreigner would stand out compared to all the Noveni."

The sculpture proved to be the first of many. Not only statues, but paintings and vases and dresses and even crowns of flowers. Almost all of them were created from sublime materials and the artisans had made a decent effort of using materials that would match what they knew of her soulhome. A group of women offered Nauda a painting of herself carrying a baby and she no idea what that was supposed to mean or why they would consider it flattering. Regardless, they charged a price as high as all the others.

More than anything, the whole spectacle disturbed her. Nauda had wanted to enjoy a community coming together, not to be a public figure who others wanted to exploit for profit. Even though some of them seemed to mean well, she found herself refusing every offer.

It was a good thing that Fiyu had escaped, because she would have been dismayed by the chaos. Irritatingly, Theo seemed to be enjoying it. As the leader of their team, he received an unusually large amount of attention. He was soaking it up, easily playing the crowd with tales of the Wakespire. Well, he could handle it for all of them.

Just when Nauda was beginning to think the entire event would be a waste, they reached the end of one hallway. Isorales stepped into a little shop run by an old woman and Nauda realized that they hadn't been wandering aimlessly. He emerged carrying a necklace: a band of sublime leather with a bead of gold at the end. It seemed ordinary enough until Nauda saw the intricate carvings covering the surface: they were her own warding symbols.

"I, uh, I had this made to thank you for helping me." Isorales thrust it forward awkwardly. "I saw that you used armaments, so I asked Theo some soulcrafting questions. He said that you might want something to improve your warding technique, so..."

Unlike the dead gold that formed most of Ugustial, the necklace actually had an inviting warmth to its luster. The wards were all correct, too. Theo must have done more than simply provide suggestions: the armament would fit well on the third floor of her staff tower.

That hadn't been her original plan, but it was a good suggestion. Heart chamber on the ground floor, three technique rooms above, then three secondary armament rooms. This necklace could easily join her notemeralds and nullstone glove, which would be a nice balance. If even Theo approved, she must not be overloading on armaments.

"Thank you, Isorales. This is very thoughtful."

"Uh, may I?" He awkwardly held up the necklace and she wasn't sure how to refuse, so she let him clasp it around her neck. "I hope it's useful. If anything isn't right, just tell me and I can have the original artisans rework it."

"I think this will be fine. Again, I'm very grateful." Nauda smiled at him, but she thought she had seen something out of the corner of her eye. Fiyu, or just her imagination?

~ ~ ~

The Artisans' Gallery was an insidious lesson in who he really was. For a very brief time, Theo had thought that he might enjoy the praise and attention. For a little longer after that, he had hoped to meet talented young artisans who could be allies in the future. For the entire rest of the time, he'd realized that this was the opposite of what he wanted.

After interacting mostly with Fiyu and Nauda, or Navim and Krikree, or even House Blacksilver, he had thought he might have regained his old friendliness. Being surrounded by so many people proved how wrong he was. He hated how transparent they all were, how thickly they spread on flattery, how they wanted to leech at his time. One more old dream of the Nine Worlds that wasn't what he'd expected.

But Theo was also an old man and his misanthropy was shielded by layers of politeness. So he flashed a smile, welcomed the crowds, and played the game. They'd recently established that political allies might be more important than new sublime materials at this stage, so he didn't want to offend anyone.

Not that there weren't materials on display. Theo was offered some surprisingly well-designed armaments as well as crafted materials. None of them really understood his gravity blueprint, but they had apparently heard about his performance in the Wakespire and they made approximations. If he'd bought every single thing thrust at him, he could have filled two soulhomes with his own face.

Instead, Theo only gave funding to the artisans he thought displayed actual talent. They didn't try to flatter him, just offered up works of soulcrafting. Most likely, none of the sculptures or armaments they offered would take a real place in his soulhome. But they weren't charging that much, and he would have little use for local money after the Wakespire was over. Best to spend it making friends with artisan soulcrafters who might be useful allies in the future.

"Ractifus Terefilia has something for you as well." The voice that cut through the crowds was another messenger from the dark-winged lineage. With a flourish, the messenger unveiled a richly-painted portrait of Theo standing atop a mountain.

"That's... very good." Theo complimented it like all the rest, but he was actually taken aback. The frame, the canvas, the paints - all were sublime materials. Combined with a surprisingly good portrait of him, it was definitely the most powerful item he'd been offered. He should have been happy, but there was something a little off about his face in the portrait...

"The Terefilia lineage has no need for money," the messenger said, "so consider this a gift to congratulate you for your performance."

Which was a transparent way of reminding Theo where his loyalties should lie. Ractifus had gotten them into the Artisans' Gallery, but didn't want them getting swept up their celebrity. It was an effective gesture, so Theo withdrew for a moment to carry it into his soulhome along with all the other items he'd purchased.

Since no one could see his spirit's expression, he glowered at the pile of junk. None of it was strong enough for his soulhome except maybe the portrait, which still bothered him in a way he couldn't put his finger on. Maybe he just didn't want to devote his soulhome to glorifying himself. His ego was already big enough.

To sort through his thoughts, Theo began to dismantle the sublime materials. Most he simply threw into his singularity, making the whole process a slightly expensive way of feeding it. One young woman who had been pretending to be infatuated with him had given him a sculpture with ridiculously large sapphires for eyes... those were actually powerful. He didn't know what he would use them for, but they could be re-used. Piece by piece, he set aside the valuable remnants and consumed the rest until he was left with the portrait.

"You're enjoying yourself too much."

A harsh voice in the physical world. Theo snapped back to look.

"The only reason you've done this well is that the spire wasn't prepared for your foreign skills." It was one of the Dortorus Authorities, not one Theo had marked very clearly. A Noveni man much like any other, except for the scorn on his face. "If you ever fought us fairly, you'd lose."

"This is my first Wakespire," Theo said with a smile for the crowd. "I've done the best I could. Sorry about the dueling chamber, by the way."

"No more tricks!" The man grabbed the front of Theo's shirt. "Let's duel, here and now, and let them all see how well you do with your skill alone!"

More than anything, Theo just felt tired. He didn't want to fight this idiot child with a chip on his shoulder. It was crystal clear that this was one of the weaker Authorities in the group, desperate to gain clout with the assembled artisans. Most likely he was feeling a toxic mix of jealousy and envy as outsiders took all the glory he thought he deserved.

But the crowds were cheering and the artisans were watching, so Theo grinned and said. "Alright, let's fight."

He had assumed the duel would be scheduled for a later date, but the crowds roared and swept around them right then. Theo and the Dortorus Authority were nearly carried from the main hallway filled with artists, and they soon arrived at an empty room. It might have been a designated dueling chamber, judging from the circles inscribed on the floor, but it might also have simply been the first area free of artisans. Here they could fight without destroying months of work.

"You and me, just our cantae, no destructive skills." The Dortorus Authority stepped into the circle and began pacing. He withdrew a spear from his soulhome and thrust it in Theo's direction, which didn't seem fair at all. "I am Anglius Dortorus, Authority 9th class! Face me, if you dare!"

"I'm an 8th class Authority," Theo said mildly, "but I'll see what I can do."

Fortunately, his opponent was broadcasting his soulhome for all to see. It might have been intended as an intimidation tactic, but he shouldn't have been proud. He wasn't pathetic, just... underwhelming.

The man had truly ascended to Authority instead of cheating his way there. Some of his foundation had been a little scorched and there were signs of repaired cracks, but he had managed the ascension smoothly enough. His soulcrafting was simply adequate, no more. An inherited blueprint with decent but simple cantae flow. Assorted Noveni sublime materials that didn't follow any particular theme. Secondary soulcrafting that was more afterthought than supportive. The man wasn't a failure, but dozens of sloppy decisions he'd made were now coming due.

"This is your end!" The Noveni rushed toward him, spear held high, and for the first time since he returned to the Nine Worlds, Theo wasn't particularly concerned about an Authority-tier soulcrafter.

His enhancement chambers were nothing special, but they let him slide away from the spear thrusting at his face. Theo cast several torsion bolts at close range, rapid fire, using them like extensions of his fist. The Authority began burning cantae wildly and rushed at him, throwing all his weight into the charge.

Theo set his feet for show, but the real shift was his techniques: he cast an anchoring point and a mass point on himself. With the two combined, he might as well have been rooted in place. He probably could have stood still and just let the man crash into him. Instead, Theo grabbed his arm and hurled him overhead to slam to the floor.

Around the edges of the room, the crowds cheered wildly. Theo wasn't really thinking about his victory at all, just pondering that he should use the same combined technique on Nauda. If she could adapt to it, that would be a good match for her melee abilities.

The Authority groaned on his back and tried to get back to his feet. He might have been able to fight a little longer, but the crowd made it clear that the duel was over. An older man walked into the dueling circle and grabbed Theo's hand.

"Victory to the foreign Authority!" He raised Theo's hand for the crowds. "And I must say, 8th class is much too low. I'm a lesser judge and I'll see about having you raised to 7th class."

"That's very kind of you," Theo said blandly.

"Now, while I have your attention... my daughter is a spirit tailor and you really must see her work..."

As he stared at the cheering crowds, Theo abruptly realized what was wrong. He politely excused himself and retreated to the hallway before entering his soulhome. Soon enough, he was facing his brand new portrait.

The arrogant expression he wore in the painting might have been who he actually was, but it wasn't who he wanted to be. Surely there couldn't be any real pride in the painting itself. Even if his portrait looked contemptuous, the sublime materials would still strengthen him. And yet having this symbol in his soul felt wrong in a way he couldn't shake off.

Theo hurled the portrait into his singularity and watched as it was torn apart. A waste from a purely rational angle, but the right decision. He plastered on a smile and stepped back out to face the crowds.

~ ~ ~

The Artisans' Gallery was utterly horrible. Not only were there people everywhere, they all knew what she looked like. Being aware that others would watch her performance in the Wakespire was nothing like seeing her face all over the halls.

And they were looking for her. She wasn't sure exactly what they intended to do, perhaps force her to sit and let them paint pictures of her or something equally miserable. Fortunately, none of them were capable of finding her while she was wrapped in her stealth technique. So long as she avoided the busiest sections, she would not be found.

Since she could not help her companions with the crowds, Fiyu did her best to fulfill her promise and investigate more powerful artisans. It was unusual to see so many Rulers who had dedicated themselves to the arts; on Ichil such an artisan could have commanded incredible prices. But even here, the ranks quickly thinned.

Judging from observations and overheard conversations, Authority artisans could be found here, but wouldn't lower themselves to beg. Getting involved with the Wakespire at all was seen as slightly distasteful, a strategy for young and hungry artists as opposed to those best established. Beyond that, there were barely any works created by Strongholds. Some spoke in whispered tones about work by Acquaintance Isorales's grandfather, but it could not be purchased at any price.

So her efforts were mostly wasted. In the end, Fiyu was very grateful when the others finally emerged and they could all go home. To her surprise, Friend Theo floated several works of art along with him, all portraying her.

"These are the worthwhile ones," he said. "I don't imagine you want them, but they did their level best to use the darkest and coldest materials on Noven. Some of them might be useful to you if you want more diversity in secondary materials."

"That was thoughtful, thank you." Fiyu accepted the gifts, but she was more concerned about what she had seen while exploring the Gallery.

On their way back, they discussed the event and its consequences. Fiyu mostly remained quiet except to share her disappointing results. Once they finally got back, she was able to isolate Friend Nauda and speak to her in private.

"I saw that Isorales gave you a gift," Fiyu said. She had resisted staring at the necklace, but her senses flowed over the delicately carved lines. "Does it have a special meaning?"

"This? No, no!" Friend Nauda lifted it from her skin as if she'd forgotten about it. "Just thanks for our help."

"I wish to say... I saw that the two of you were close before. May I ask..." Fiyu wasn't sure how to finish her sentence. She was horribly inexperienced with such things. Fortunately, it seemed that Friend Nauda was more familiar with affairs of the heart, because she understood instantly.

"Fiyu, don't even think it... I felt sorry for Isorales and wanted to help him get through his personal issues. I don't feel anything for him. The necklace was just a gift, nothing more."

"Oh. That is good." Fiyu smiled broadly as she reordered her past memories. Friend Nauda was indeed very compassionate toward anyone struggling, and her Tatian mannerisms made her very familiar with them. But now she had told Fiyu that the gift meant nothing, so she could put it out of her mind.

Friend Theo had given her some sublime materials that could help her put the finishing touches on her soulhome. It was Friend Nauda who had helped her more by removing the doubts and conflicts in her mind. Fiyu began humming as she set to work. It would not be long now.