Through the Aether, I was aware of everything around me. I sat on my pallet, in Inrak’s apartment, upstairs from her bookshop. I was surrounded by its distinct tone, the comfort its familiarity brought to me. Far, far away, I could sense a vague shape moving through the Aether, gently disturbing its currents. My ability at Sensing had improved. The shape I felt was Inrak, rearranging her shelves, so close in the real world and yet so distant in the Aether. My other Skill, Influencing, could only be used in a limited area around me. Yet I felt something there, next to Inrak. Something that beckoned to me, calling me with subtle signals I could barely perceive. It only waited for me to understand. I tried. Gathering myself, I projected my consciousness over there. The Aether quickly became a fog, its flows clouding. But I had a goal. I knew where I had begun and where I wanted to go. I did not need to see. If only I could rea…

“Ah!” I exclaimed. “Damn it!”

I had lost my connection to the Aether. My head hurt terribly, though I hadn’t been practising for long. I sighed in exasperation. I was so close to a breakthrough, yet it still escaped me. It had been three days since my meeting with Louprak and Flyssa. The only news had been a quick note from the Schalass Financier, asking me to think of a name for our new enterprise. I had spent those days studying, but I hadn’t gained any level. I was starting to grow frustrated. And the only names I had come up with were lame. Also, it was raining outside. Not even a great pour, just a constant, drizzle that had no other purpose but to be annoying.

This was not a good day for me.

I got up and gave myself a few slaps.

“Allez Luc ! On se motive !”

Since I had no success with Aether magic, I would focus on my other project, enchanting. I had stashed my materials in a corner of the apartment to limit the mess. Inrak hadn’t complained, but I felt bad about taking up so much space.

I had gotten tired of simply grinding the same rune over and over on new discarded garments from Gygg’s store. I needed to challenge myself more if I wanted to actually make progress. To that end, I had bought a few things.

I set down my new sewing accessories on the dining table. I was going to try to weave a rune instead of simply magicking it. I had talked a bit with Gygg about it, though the Pix didn’t have have a lot of spare time at the moment. I at least understood the basic steps to the process. I would start with a soft linen shirt. What I wanted to make were holding bags, but the leather would be far more difficult to work with.

This was not the first time I had tried my hand at sewing. My mother had taught me and my sister together, so that we would know how to repair the smaller tears on our clothes. I regretted not having paid more attention. I took up a needle a some of that silver thread my Tailor friend had been talking about. It was expensive, so I had only bought a single small roll. I wanted to see if it worked first.

The lighting wasn’t the best in Inrak’s living room. That was obviously the only reason it took me so long to actually get the thread into the needle. I tied a quick knot and sucked on my thumb. At least that was done. How hard could the rest be?

Inrak came upstairs to check on me at lunchtime and found me sitting at the table, with my eyes closed and holding my head in his hands. A shiny thread was tangled around my arms. The tabletop was an absolute mess of cloths and sewing tools.

“Luc? Is everything all right?” she asked gently.

The sound I made resembled the grunt of a monster.

“Perhaps you should go out, get some air?”

“… raining outside...” I groaned.

“Only a little. And it can’t be worse than this.”

I slowly raised my head. I looked outside. The drizzle continued, just like it had all morning.

“Maybe you’re right,” I said.

“Of course I am. Why don’t you pass by Sirmy’s? They always seem to cheer you up.”

“That’s true,” I said, now more alert. “I haven’t seen them recently. I’ll go say hi. Do you want something?”

“No, I’m good. I’ll eat yesterday’s leftovers in the pot.”

“All right. Let me clean up a bit and I’ll go. Thanks, Inrak.”

“You’re welcome, Luc.”

As soon as I left the room, I heard suppressed giggling. I sighed.

I came back to the bookshop with renewed vigour. I had eaten well and played some skoga with Ripsile. And I had new ideas about my magic that I wanted to try out. I was also drenched.

“There’s someone upstairs waiting for you,” Inrak told me. “A Schalass lady, Flyssa. She was very nice.”

“She’s here? Yes! Finally. I hope she has some news for me.”

All thoughts of Aether magic disappeared as I climbed the stairs two by two. I found her at the table, my book opened in front of her. She turned her head as I entered.

“Ah, Mage Luc. You are here,” she said.

“Hello Miss Flyssa. I hope you haven’t been waiting too long.”

“No, it’s fine.” She closed the book and held it up. “This is very interesting. I don’t know much about the Aether. Aether Mages are somewhat rare. They are mostly employed as aides to leaders or as a second or third utility Class for Mages. I know that some of them sometimes take care of ferrying goods from Sturron to Winory, but I think that’s just to get their materials faster. I’m not sure a venture like ours, such a casual and practical use of Aether magic, has ever been attempted here.”

“Honestly, that’s what worries me a little,” I admitted. “You don’t think there’s a good reason for that that we just aren’t aware of?”

“I don’t think so,” Flyssa said. “I knew about Aether Mages and their abilities for example, but it never occurred to me to make use of them like that. Magic seems too noble. And I think any Mage would balk at doing what you are proposing to do. It would seem demeaning, in a way. I am actually surprised that you are considering it.”

I shrugged. I had no reputation whatsoever. I had only one goal and it wasn’t becoming famous.

“I need money. It’s a good plan, I think.”

“So do I.”, she said. “To that end, I’ve made a few inquiries. We’ll need to get together with Trade Master Louprak soon to register our company, but we have to settle a few things beforehand.”

I nodded and took a seat facing her. She continued.

“The most important things for the moment are a name and a location. The Trade Master has waived his right to participate in both decisions. He said it didn’t matter much to him and that he trusted us. So it is up to you and I. Have you thought of a name you would like?”

“I have,” I said. “But I don’t like any of them. They just feel weird. Do you have any idea?”

“Well, as you are the craftsman, we would normally put your name on your workshop so as to be recognizable, but I understand you would prefer to stay discreet.”

“That’s right. I’d prefer it. I don’t know how realistic it is though.”

“You will have to deal with your suppliers and customers at some point. I don’t think that can be avoided, though I will try to help when I can. But not publicizing your name will at least afford you some measure of privacy.”

I thought about it. All the ideas I had had for a name were either bland or terrible puns. But perhaps bland was the way to go.

“What about something simple like ‘Sturron Logistics’?” I asked. “Does it already exist?”

“Not to my knowledge,” she replied. “But calling it ‘Sturron Logistics’ implies that it is backed by the city and the Duchess. We may encounter some pushback from them.”

“Another one then. ‘Bordeaux Logistics’”, I said. It was the first name that had come to me.

The Schalass frowned.

“Bôrd-oh? I do not know it. Is it a place?”

“Not exactly,” I said, not wanting her to start searching for it. “But it should be distinct enough that the company will be easily recognized once we begin.”

She considered it for a while, but finally agreed. I had to spell it for her.

“Why is there an ‘x’ at the end?” she asked.

“I’m not sure actually. It’s just the name.”

“Can we remove it? It is confusing.”

“I’d rather we keep it that way,” I said. “It has a meaning to me.”

“I don’t personally mind, but you understand that everybody will ask you the same question?”

“Well that’s good, no? At least they’ll think about it and it will stay in their mind.”

“I didn’t think of it that way… Perhaps you are correct. I will verify that it does not exist elsewhere and if it does not, we will name it ‘Bordeaux Logistics’ then.”

“Excellent! What’s next?”

Flyssa finished scribbling on the papers she had brought with her. She had the same magic pen that Inrak used and that I often stole.

“A location for your workshop,” she said when she was done. “Have you thought about where you would like to be?”

“Well near the harbour, obviously. Close to crafters also. Smiths, coopers, weavers, leather workers. I don’t need much space, but we will probably rent out tools on a daily or hourly basis, so we’ll need some storage room. Apart from that, I don’t know. What do you think?”

I could see her gathering herself. She had been so self-assured before, but now she seemed almost embarrassed. I worried. I hoped I hadn’t said something stupid.

“I agree with the criterias you listed,” she said, her eyes looking downward. “I have actually found a place that fills all of them, but there’s a complication.”

“Is it too expensive?”

“It’s not. The owner did not want to charge us anything at first, I had to insist. But the thing is, the owner is my father. You must understand, I do not usually mix business and family. My father is a good, respected Carpenter and I owe him much, but I try to stand on my own. However, this is an excellent opportunity. He doesn’t work as much any more, so his workshop is full of empty space and he is there most days. And his place is perfectly situated for our needs. But obviously, I would understand if you would rather choose another place. I have found a few that may be suitable, we can go take a look at them if you wish.”

Having finished a speech that had probably been running in her head for a while, she finally looked up at me. I hesitated. Had she not mentioned anything, I would have had no trouble working in her father’s place. This world seemed determined to make a squatter out of me anyway. But her obvious reluctance made me second guess myself. I didn’t want family drama to put a damper on my plans. I needed more information.

“I have no problem with your father’s workshop,” I said. “I’d like to meet him first though. If we’re going to share a workshop, we’ll have to at least get along. And if it doesn’t work out, we can visit the other places. Is that all right with you?”

“Yes of course,” she said, nodding. “Are you certain that it does not bother you? I can assure you that my personal relationship with him won’t interfere with our new company.”

“To be honest, I wasn’t worried initially, but now you’re making me. It’s none of my business, but is everything all right with you and your father?”

She drew back, regaining some of her composure.

“It’s fine,” she said. “It won’t cause problems. Should we go now?”

“Sure.”

She got up promptly, collecting her papers and leading me downstairs. I wondered in what mess I had jumped into.

The conversation during our walk there was terse. I felt a tension in Flyssa that was at odds with the confidence she usually projected. I started asking her a few questions about how we would register the company, but I ended up settling for an awkward silence under the unending rain. It was worrying. I didn’t know what to expect. I prepared a dozen excuses in my head, about why I couldn’t work there and had to find another place. By the time we arrived at the harbour, I was ready for a quick visit of her father’s atelier and an even quicker goodbye.

We were not that far from the Harbourmaster's office when Flyssa made a right turn away from the sea. The street was paved and wide enough that two carts would easily fit side by side. We passed by a large smithy. Three adults and four children, mainly Schalasses, were working around two forges.

“This is Nolary’s foundry,” Flyssa told me. “She’s a very successful Master Smith.”

I nodded. There certainly seemed to be a lot of activity.

A few steps later, we came by an open hangar with a huge door. It was far quieter than the smithy, with Schalasses, Pterars, and a few Goblins and Pixes working in subdued silence on a huge white cloth.

“That’s Pomer’s Sails. The Duchess employed him for the mainsail of her last warship.”

This continued for a while. We passed by five or six workshops and Flyssa boasted about their accomplishments. I was waiting for the other shoe to drop when she led me into a side street. But, to my surprise, the door she stopped in front of didn’t appear too shabby. Perhaps it could have used a bit of cleaning, but it at least seemed sturdy.

Flyssa paused a second, her claw on the handle, before she pushed the door open. I followed her in.

“There you are!” bellowed a voice inside. “You stormed out without saying goodbye! How impolite! I don’t know who raised you! Who’s that with you? Is that the Mage you were talking about then? He looks Human.”

The voice belonged to a huge Schalass wearing a dirty leather apron. He set down the tool in his hand on a wooden plank and approached us. The magical lights were sparser in the entryway, but I saw Flyssa forcefully control herself. Her voice came out like ice.

“Dad, this is Luc, the Aether Mage I was telling you about. We came to take a look at your workshop, as we agreed.”

“Hey, I gotta meet the guy first.” He towered over me and held out his claw. “Hi, Human Luc.”

“Hello, Schalass Dad,” I replied, shaking it. My hand looked like a child’s in his claw.

“Ah! Name’s Faros. She’s the only one that gets to call me Dad still, unless I am forgetting a wild night in my youth? I hope not. I think I would have remembered a Human girl. I wasn’t that drunk that often.”

“I hope not too,” I said, chuckling. “Or there’s a tail I’ve been missing my entire life.”

He let out a roaring laugher.

“You’re a funny one,” he said. “So you want to use my workshop eh? Let’s talk, Luc. Say, do you like ipio? I’ve got a pitcher lying around, I think.”

“I do, thank you,” I said.

I threw a glance at Flyssa, but she had closed her eyes and was taking deep breaths, her closed fist laying against her forehead. I decided it best not to disturb her.

Flyssa joined us after our first drink and downed in one swallow the one he held up to her. In the end, the negotiation was quick. The rent Faros asked for was far cheaper than the alternatives, especially so close to the pier. Besides, he looked interested when I briefly talked about the designs I had in mind. Having a skilled Carpenter with me would help greatly.

I returned home with a promise to Flyssa to meet up on the morrow at Louprak’s ship to go register our company together. Bordeaux Logistics was coming to Sturron. I could not wait to get started.

It was almost as a habit that I went upstairs to study after I told Inrak everything that had happened. Closing my eyes felt natural, like the beginning of a meditation session. My mind was half with me and half thinking of all the possibilities that awaited me. I felt Inrak’s shape in the distant Aether. Free of worries, carried by a hope for the future, I did not concentrate very hard on her. I saw the store through the Aether, its shelves filled with books that had called to me on my first day in this world. They had been a refuge then and they had become a home. Why had I focused so hard earlier? I was home – not my real home on Earth, with Margaux, but as much as any place could be home so far from it. I did not need to stress so much over this. Upstairs at my desk or downstairs with Inrak, amidst the books, I was home. And so I moved.

I landed on my ass. Inrak stared at me with wide eyes. Then we laughed and danced and sang together. It was still raining outside.

What a beautiful day.

*You have reached the level 10 of the Class Aether Mage. You have gained the Skill Reaching the Aether.*