Though the terrible sun never moved from its position overhead, Fiyu's internal sense of timing reminded her that opportunities were running out. With each cycle of sleep that passed in Arbai, she had one fewer chance to find what she needed before they returned to Norro Yorthin. And so, though she knew that meticulousness was essential, her searching through the rocks became increasingly hurried.

Living in Arbai had not been as oppressive as she had initially feared. Her soulcrafted mask protected her from the excessive light, while the interiors could actually be pleasantly dark. Since the Mundhin seemed to enjoy light without requiring it, they had some rooms that completely lacked windows, and she had quickly moved to one.

"Next, we must examine to the west," Ally Navim said. Fiyu nodded her understanding and bent down, tracing her fingers through the dust as she extended her senses beneath them.

Her first impression of the landscape had been solid rock, with very few of the underground structures common on Fithe. As she had worked with the local soulcrafters, Fiyu had gradually fine-tuned her sense of density to differentiate different types of rock. It had never been a valuable skill in her home world, but her core capacities were equal to the challenge, once Ally Navim had helped her make the necessary adjustments.

Fiyu reached deeper, feeling the layers of rock, the gemstones, the veins of metal ores. Eventually she found one that extended some distance to the west and walked toward it slowly, maintaining her sensory hold. When she arrived just above it, she removed the stakes from her cloak and began defining the edges.

Though the Mundhin had many ingenious mechanisms to find the rocks they needed, her senses reduced the amount of trial and error required considerably. There was likely a great opportunity for collaboration between Arbai and Ichil, though it didn't surprise her that one had never been built before. Any sane Ichili who found a gate into Arbai would have immediately destroyed it.

"That will be sufficient for today." Ally Navim came to rest beside her, settling on all three of his upper limbs. "Thank you for your work, Fiyu."

"You are most welcome, Navim. Could we perhaps continue the search for the other materials we discussed?"

"Yes, I have been scrutinizing the manuscripts regarding excavations. I planned our route today to investigate a new region, so please follow me."

Ally Navim guided her to a large pit lined by jagged crystals, which Fiyu had only vaguely felt at a distance. It alarmed her at first, since sharp edges on Ichil nearly always meant a highly dangerous environment. But though these crystals were sharp enough to harm an ordinary person, a cantae-enhanced soulcrafter could resist them, and they held no sinister traps.

Judging from the hand-holds cut into the crystals, the local Mundhin were even less concerned, simply climbing their way up and down the pit. It extended far enough for the bottom to be consumed in shadow, which Fiyu noted only because it offered the possibility of shade.

"Why is this place filled with crystals?" she asked. Ally Navim began to climb his way down one of the sides as he answered.

"These gemshafts are created by concentrations of certain geological processes. It is my understanding that these processes do not occur on other worlds, so an explanation would require numerous digressions into foundational principles."

"I would like to hear of them, but perhaps we should focus on our search for now."

She followed after him gingerly, extending her senses over all the crystal spikes. The vast majority were composed of a familiar lattice that she presumed was not valuable to the Mundhin. There were a small number of denser crystals in the lower regions that she suspected had been their objectives, now too infrequent to be worth regular work.

Her own goal was a far more complex crystalline structure, one that strained her ability to distinguish. Its properties were allegedly among the denser materials, but unfortunately her senses were not equal to determining fine patterns within such density. Fortunately, Ally Navim was able to use other senses to help guide their path.

After several false paths that led them only to cantae-generating sublime materials, Fiyu began to look forward to working within the shadowed region of the pit. However, as they bored into one of the last sections in sunlight, she suddenly felt something that triggered a purely academic recognition. Perhaps...

"Navim... could we try this one?"

He thrust his hand into the crystal, ignoring the cuts to his mining limb. When it emerged, he held a large chunk that glittered like a diamond. Fiyu eagerly cut away the useless crystal, focusing on the complexity within. Soon even her visual senses could make out the dark gemstone within.

"Is... is this it?" Fiyu took the piece from him and stared into it, marveling at the complex lattice within. It was certainly different from the previous materials, not generating cantae but hopefully bearing other valuable properties.

"I believe this is pure undamaged darklattice. There is more than enough for a mask to meet your specifications."

"Actually, I have been considering my original goals and believe that they might be improved, in particular if the darklattice is integrated in my soulhome as an armament."

As they ascended from the pit, Fiyu explained her new intentions. A mask to shield her from light and noise was essential for travel in most worlds, but she sought a more absolute control. The Chasm of Lamentations held many dangerous sensations, according to Friend Theo, so she desired an armament that would ward all her senses from aesthetic violence.

Thoughts of Friend Theo made her wish that he was present, since his skills could easily have lifted them from the pit. By the time they had reached the top, she had finished discussing the details and had time to calculate the number of cycles. It was fortunate that she had discovered darklattice before they needed to depart, but there was insufficient time for Ally Navim to complete his work.

At the top, they stopped a moment to rest without verbal agreement, and Fiyu sat in Ally Navim's shadow. "Navim... I do not wish for you to rush this work. Could we arrange another visit so that I can acquire the completed armament?"

"After giving the matter a great deal of thought, I have decided that it may not be necessary." Ally Navim shifted his limbs to look at her closely with his central sphere, carefully maintaining his shade. "I have permission from Master Uvvah Ulim to return along with you. The world of Fithe contains a great deal of rock, and though it is not entirely unknown to us, a monograph based on those experiences would be quite popular."

"Oh! We would certainly welcome your presence. The city of Norro Yorthin is frustrating in many ways, but I will do my utmost to help you."

"I'm sure that you will, Fiyu." Ally Navim gave a low chuckle before going silent.

Now that their time together was no longer so short, Fiyu allowed herself to release some of the tension. There would be many opportunities to speak with Ally Navim. He had soulcrafting of his own to do, so she ventured inward and continued with her own work. The darkburn bonsai filled her second floor with cantae and she had nearly completed the mistsphere's altar, so she would soon need to collaborate with Friend Theo to complete her barrier wall.

As much as she was encouraged that Ally Navim would return with them, that return brought with it a different sort of tension. It was not so long now before all their preparations would be put to the test.

~ ~ ~

Moving between worlds had surprisingly little impact on Theo's life, since he was now obsessively focused on his soulcrafting. All the bricks he had been working on for future floors or walls had been set aside for later construction, because he'd found something much more valuable. He would need to make up for lost time, but the end result would be superior.

Acquiring such a material had been one of his secondary goals for visiting Arbai, but he hadn't been certain that he could find them, or that it would actually work. As he steadily worked the materials within his soulhome, Theo ran over all the details of the blueprint for the hundredth time.

His original plan for a solar blueprint had included a crystalline barrier wall that would enhance the light that passed through it. Getting more use out of a barrier was difficult, but he thought that he could squeeze a little bit more power out of his blueprint that way. Something similar could still work with his new soulhome, but it required modification.

Actually, it might have needed modification anyway. Theo was still frustrated that his original blueprint, pored over for decades on Earth, could have flaws. He wondered if, repeating his thoughts so many times through the lens of memories, he'd actually twisted the original design into something that appealed to him mentally but was actually less effective. The blueprint he'd thought of as so flawless might have itself reflected the flaws in himself.

The new blueprint did the same thing, but intentionally. And this time, he wasn't going to trust any theory, every single step of the process was thoroughly tested.

Lightcarbon was one of the more unusual sublime materials he'd run across, fracturing strangely when he tried to form bricks. Since he'd purchased more than enough of it, he'd been able to perfect the process and now had a large section of his wall built. Rather than compromise with a mortar that might not match, he'd used craftgems to fuse them all together. Usually he thought using craftgems was a sign of lacking creativity, but barrier walls tended to come apart if they weren't composed of a pure material. They joined with the lightcarbon and formed a perfect crystalline wall.

All the bricks had been tested on their own, but Theo retreated from his soulcrafting to test the assembly, just in case. When he drew cantae from his soulhome, it passed through his vestibule, then through the wall. Though the end result was a simple gravitational field that lifted him into the air, it used less cantae for the same result. The increased efficiency of the barrier wall would let him squeeze a little more gravity out of each field, too.

Though he'd intended to dive straight back into his soul, Theo found himself blinking in the darkness. Had it really grown so late while he worked? Since the return to House Blacksilver, he'd done almost nothing but soulcraft, except to earn merits with the others or take steps toward other sublime materials.

There had been a cost to that, he realized now. Even though Navim had returned with them, the two had spent relatively little time together. Theo told himself that he would amend that after they survived the Chasm of Lamentations, though he found himself wondering if another deadline wouldn't appear...

Even now, opportunities were slipping away. Many houses were focused on the upcoming Chasm event, but despite his focus, life in the city continued with many unaware of it. There was some squabble over mining rights, a major duel between Strongholds, a new war with factions of water Fithans, and more. Once in the State of Rest he'd seen a challenge for a type of sublime mold that fascinated him, but he had to pass on it: the risks of injury were too high for the advantages gained, especially when he needed to focus on completing his current goals.

Back in his soulhome, Theo checked the wall section's solidity, then began to move it outward. Sitting near his vestibule was good enough for testing, but not for a final location. He'd thoroughly tested the limit of his soul's diameter earlier and placed large lightcarbon blocks in a perfect circle for the wall's foundation. Binding the wall in place was going to be considerably more difficult.

Along the way, Theo formed obelisks of sublime materials. It was a trick he'd learned partway through his old soulhome, the temporary constructions resisting the pressure at the edges of his soul. They were useless otherwise, but he'd remove them all once the wall was complete. Though it existed a bit beyond his normal limits, the circular shape would resist the pressure well enough. More importantly, when he ascended to Authority, his barrier wall wouldn't require wasteful expansion.

Still, as he struggled past the obelisks, Theo felt like the bricks became heavier and heavier. Perhaps he needed some sort of spirit dolly cart... no, he could push through with willpower. Step by step, Theo managed to place the blocks into their position on the foundation circle. Bracing his shoulder against it, he fumbled the craftgems from his pocket and set to binding them in place.

When they were fused in position, the pressure barely lessened. Realizing that he might have been more overambitious than he'd calculated, Theo quickly gathered some of his other finished lightcarbon bricks and reinforced the wall into a flat pyramid. That would resist the pressure better until the construction was complete.

Theo let his focus slip and the boundaries of his soul practically rolled him back to his soulhome at the center. Compared to the stress of trying to work in space that barely existed, it was an immense relief. Slumping against one of the cool walls, Theo looked over his design again while he considered what work he could do while spiritually exhausted.

His core technique chambers had been largely finished in preparation for the duel with Esaire, and his singularity technique remained lethal. What he needed to do now was finish chambers that would strengthen him enough to use it. Old temporary materials were slowly being replaced with stronger sublime materials, though there was always more work to be done. Those old sigils from Deuxan still hung on his walls, weak as they were. Not a problem for the time being, but they needed to be replaced before he ascended to Authority.

Just in case the Chasm had somehow shifted and arrived sooner, Theo had focused on his emptiest chambers, but there were plenty of other improvements to make. He had created three bulk material speed rooms to fight Esaire, and condensing them down into one had produced a viable chamber, it just needed more refining. All of that came down to better sublime materials, and though he could purchase a few with merits or Fithan Discs, others would need to be harvested personally.

Aside from the barrier wall and strengthening chambers, Theo's primary concern was his sense of gravity. The abyssfluid had worked perfectly, suspended in the center of the chamber and giving him a much stronger feel for all sources of mass around him. All the walls were still blank, so he'd knew he'd need to put in a lot of carving time later.

In theory, it shouldn't matter at all. Theo knew what to expect at the Chasm and caution would do them more good than power. He still dedicated himself to the work as if his life was on the line.

~ ~ ~

"Grow, you insufferable twig." Nauda kicked at the surgestalk roots, which was not an established soulcrafting technique.

Even after days of pouring cantae into the surgestalk seed, and giving it sublime water imported from Aathal, it hadn't grown enough. The thick stalks had barely required any sublime soil, rapidly spilling out over the top of her soulhome, but they weren't stretching high enough. She wasn't sure if that was their natural form or if the sky's pressure prevented it from shooting upward.

It did grow, however. She could climb the largest stalks for almost half her height, and though they bent, they didn't break. If she could coax the surgestalk to grow higher, she might be able to climb it when she ascended.

Meanwhile, vines and stalks had begun covering the rest of her soulhome, which she'd fought at first and then realized wasn't necessarily a bad thing. All the vines strengthened the integrity of her soulhome and even generated a small amount of cantae. Once she had trimmed everything covering windows or creeping inside, they hadn't interfered with cantae flow.

In fact, it worked so well that Nauda was seriously considering adding more plants to her blueprint. They fit in her soulhome better than expected and she'd taken to the work quickly. Most likely the surgestalk would die in her ascension, and there was no space for it, but she could replace it with a more appropriate sublime plant. Most likely one that grew more slowly would also generate more cantae and blend with the rest of her blueprint better.

Not that she would get a chance, if she didn't advance quickly enough. There were only two more months until they entered the Chasm, and she needed time to work on her Ruler tier. No matter how many blocks she created in advance, crafting the third floor couldn't be done in a day or a week.

Since the surgestalk wasn't growing any more, Nauda turned away and began making her way down the side of her soulhome. The vines also served as a good ladder, now that she thought about it. Along her way, she considered everything she could do before she ascended.

By far her greatest success so far was her staff chamber. She'd crafted a perfect replica of her staff from Fithan metals and filled the rest of the room with an Arbaian sublime stone called immovalon that resisted attempts to move it. The result was a significant strengthening both of her staff itself and her binding technique. When she had time to build a Ruler-tier chamber over the top, they would grow even stronger.

Nauda hesitated on the way down and stared through the window of her sensory chamber, her greatest failure. Though Fiyu had done her best to help her, none of the methods she'd tried had been truly successful. Currently the room was filled with sensory sublime materials that made her eyesight and hearing a little sharper, but it was nothing like the extrasensory perception Fiyu possessed. At least Theo was too absorbed in himself to lecture her on how it should be constructed.

On the ground floor, Nauda wandered into her warding chamber. She'd carved some immovalon into the shape of her wards, but it clearly wasn't right, because it only strengthened her warding technique slightly. Soulcrafting was supposed to be intuitive, so perhaps her intuitions were simply muddled up.

She had time for everything, just not enough of it. Some of her objectives would need to wait.

Outside, Nauda walked to her tower and examined the storage chamber. It no longer contained any of the powerful sublime materials from home, since all of them had been integrated into her soulhome. Instead, it held only a series of gemstones from Arbai.

Those had been by far her most valuable find. She had worked together with Fiyu and Navim to track down two complete sets of emeralds, one in an ordinary green and others glowing strange colors. When bound together, they were supposed to generate great strengthening cantae, or at least that was what the Arbaian stories said. Apparently this construction was actually related to the name "Emerald Indulgence", though only in a philosophical sense.

The set in her soulhome worked well enough, but the parallel set that still existed in the real world refused to cooperate. They were meant to be collected in some kind of armament, and should have been very helpful to her. Unfortunately, when Navim had crafted a stone belt for her, it had strained her cantae as if she was attempting something beyond her. When she'd shown it to Antha, the woman had determined that the belt was high Ruler tier, and no amount of effort could force her soul to accept it.

Nauda ran her fingers over the gemstones again, wondering if she should ask Navim to recreate the armament. It could be given a less efficient form, temporarily, and that might weaken the cantae enough for her to use it. Later on she could correct the errors, so it would only be a temporary impediment.

Abruptly Nauda tossed the gemstones back into the chest and closed it firmly. No. If Fiyu could reserve an entire floor until she reached Ruler tier and Theo could make a thousand trade-offs, she couldn't let herself take the easy route. She'd begin soulcrafting both a chamber and an armament that she'd need to be a Ruler to wield and then rise to the challenge.

Returning to her body, Nauda stretched and then hastened to the main Blacksilver office. Antha wasn't present, but Nauda greeted the lower ranked officials and asked for a requisition form. There she described the type of armament she would need in detail. Navim could craft an excellent prototype, but for her real armament she needed something other than unfeeling stone.

When she left the office, finally feeling good about herself, Nauda was suddenly struck by an Authority's cantae. She desperately swallowed her instinctive panic and forced herself to look. It was only Janne, House Blacksilver's female Authority.

"Nauda." The woman folded her arms within her voluminous robes. "You and your allies are still determined to throw yourselves into the Chasm?"

"Yes, we are." An hour ago, the answer might not have come so easily, but now she was certain of her path.

"Then you will be coming with us. If you want your rewards, you need some skin in the game."