As he emerged from his study room, Jake scanned the Library in hopes of finding a Fairy nearby. To his surprise, there wasn’t one in sight. They had been so visible before when he hadn’t needed them. An inconvenience, but he would live. The boy sighed and began his search. He walked around the inner ring of the floor, checking each aisle and peering over the railing at the other floors for any sign of a Fairy. Not seeing one after a full lap, he took to the stairs and went up to the next level. He finally lucked out and spotted a set of fluttering wings down one of the aisles.

“Excuse me!” Not wanting to lose the book sorting assistant, Jake quickly called out and rushed over to get their attention. The Fairy jumped, spooked by the sudden voice. She turned with a smile and let out a huff as she regained her composure. “I need some assistance with something.”

The Fairy waved her finger to order her books to stack up neatly on the floor. She then landed neatly on top of them as she looked up at Jake. “And what may that be? Is it a spell or a type of magic?”

“Cultivation?” Jake was unsure of how to answer her questions. Was Cultivation a kind of magic? Or was it a spell?

“Oh, so neither.” Neither apparently. “You can find most books on cultivation on the lower floors. Floor two, Section A along the right. Lady Yir had us place them all there to make them more accessible for lower-ranking Mages.”

Jake blinked. “Is the Library organized by level and difficulty?” He glanced around at the books he was surrounded by. Books sharing shelves seemed to be focused all on the same topics, though there were dozens written in languages he couldn’t read. If he was right then they should likely still share subjects.

“It is,” the Fairy nodded and waved for Jake to follow her. She stepped off the books and guided the boy back to the inner ring of the Library. “Down below are your basic books. Cultivation techniques, introductory spells, foundational magic research, and a few books to help with learning new languages. As you ascend, the research becomes more intricate and specific..” The Fairy stared up towards the top of the atrium for a moment, then she sighed.

“It’s quite sad, but the upper floors are quite barren. Not many Magicians or Researchers exist that are capable of creating books for them anymore.”

Jake scratched at the back of his head a little and then stared up towards the distant glass ceiling. Indeed, there were dozens of floors stretching upwards. If each of those floors depicted a new level of difficulty like the Fairy said, then he had a long way to go. A long, long way to go.

“So?” She brushed off her little tangent and quickly returned to what Jake needed. “What about Cultivation is bothering you? I might be able to help.”

“Are you familiar with containing mana outside of a Magician’s body?” Rather than ask for a more direct helping hand, Jake first wanted to know if it was possible to even do what he was thinking. While Jake could temper his mana and increase his capacity- there was far too much in him and he wasn’t at a level where he could contain it. Thus, if he didn’t want to waste it, he would need to find an alternative way to store it for later use.

The Fairy nodded. Almost without pause, as if there was no thinking required on the matter. “There are ways, but most require physical tools to do so. Tools that we don’t have in the Library, but we do have books that can teach you how to build them if you’d prefer?”

It seemed the answer wasn’t quite what Jake needed. Mana storage was a thing, but that was likely to just drain mana for later use. Mages with those tools likely didn’t have an overflow issue but just wanted to increase their mana capacity more artificially. It was certainly an idea but he would need something to constantly drain and store his mana, with an infinite capacity as his Source would likely constantly replenish what was being lost. It was an answer, but not a solution.

“No, the issue is more… Me?” Jake pressed his lips together as he tried to find a better way to word his question. “I’ve tried to cultivate but it seems like I can’t keep it all in.”

“Oh. Are you experiencing an Overflow issue?” The Fairy tilted her head and peered at him. Jake looked up in time to see her eyes change colors. They shifted from purple to green as she stared at him. “Stay still,” she ordered. Jake listened and remained in place as she began to flutter around him. She circled his body, her eyes observing him in various places from his shoulders, to his arms, to his lower back, to his legs. She even got up close to his lower stomach.

“You’ve tried cultivating, yes?” Jake nodded. “And the issue has persisted. Your mana flow is neat and looks to be intact. I don’t see any irregularities or damage to it. It seems your vessel is the issue.” She tapped her finger to her chin for a moment and then let out a huff.

“Wait down below near the tables. I’m going to find Alba. She’s far more qualified for this subject.” She didn’t even give Jake a moment to acknowledge her request before the Fairy turned and bolted off. Jake’s mouth had just started to move before she was already five floors out of earshot. The boy sighed as he walked to the stairs.

Overflow was what she had called it, something he had used himself. It must have been the formal nomenclature for the problem. If it had a title, that meant also it wasn’t something new or unique to him. Someone else in the world, or other Magicians, must have also had a similar issue in the past. If that were true then Jake was hopeful that this other fairy, Alba, would be able to help him along. While it wasn’t something detrimental to his health, nor would it hinder his growth, Jake didn’t quite like the idea of just leaving his mana in such an inefficient state.

As he waited at the bottom floor, Jake leaned back against the chair he sat in and stared towards the high glass ceiling. Cultivation had proven to be the proper choice for a first step. Learning about his mana flow being in such a disastrous state and taking the time to fix it would likely help him in the long run. But, it was just the start. He closed his eyes and took in a few breathes- just a few and he could feel his mana tingle in his fingers. The connection was a lot easier to make now. It felt natural and easy. It still required concentration and focus but in time, it would become instinct.

Along with making that bond stronger and more personal, Jake had also begun taking steps to make the flow more efficient. By creating flow tubes and funneling his mana through them, Jake had been able to organize the flow and make it all nice and tidy inside of him. It was something already done but the raw state before was more of an open ocean. While now, he had neat rivers for the mana to flow through. He would need to work on further making use of those routes and would need to develop more flow tubes and increase their density in the coming few days.

Most of all, he was thankful for his stamina. The book had warned Jake of Cultivating for an extended period. It had warned him of potential physical repercussions that could occur if he fiddled with his mana for too long but with carefully timed breaks and a very focused mindset, he was only feeling a bit fatigued. The other side effects, like headaches and nausea, he had been lucky enough to avoid. Though he expected in time as his focus sharpened and his mana flow became easier to work with- he would need to be more careful about getting too involved.

Above him, suddenly two fairies appeared. The purple fairy from before and one with a reddish tint to her wings. They dive-bombed him, stopping their descent only a few meters over his head. Their rapid pace was quickly cut as their wings fluttered, and the two landed neatly on the table without even a sound.

“Mr. Furrow, this is Alba. She’s one of the better Cultivators within the Library.” Alba grabbed her skirt and performed a tidy curtsey as she bowed slightly. “I’m not much help, so I’ll leave you in her hands.”

“Thank you.” Jake hadn’t heard the purple fairy’s name but she didn’t seem to offer it, and he honestly didn’t think it too important of a question to ask. She didn’t seem to mind either as she excused herself rather fast and returned to the upper floors. Alba, though, was already on the job. Her red eyes were now green and she was staring at him rather sternly.

“It seems Fena wasn’t lying…” Alba stepped forward for a closer look. Fena? “...but this is quite a troublesome-looking case. Could you stand?” At her request, Jake pushed the chair back and stood up. He made sure to take a step away from the table to give her a better view. The fairy hummed slightly, her eyes moving from his head to his toes.

“Have you experienced any health issues recently?” Her eyes remained green as she looked up at him.

“Nothing that I’ve noticed?” Since his meeting with the Gods, he hadn’t felt any different. Alba’s lips pressed together as she lowered her eyes to his chest. She wagged her finger, ordering him closer. He stepped up to the table as she placed her small hand against his chest.

“Your mana source. It’s… not natural. Its color doesn’t quite match the rest of you.” She seemed perplexed, unsure of what she was looking at. Jake, on the other hand, had an idea of what she might be seeing.

“Uh, what if I say I probably didn’t have one until earlier today?” When he was born, Jake’s village performed an Assessment on him to check for mana. The Assessment was done twice- once at birth, and a second time when he turned six. Both times he came up null. He didn’t have any Sahar within him- no mana source. Lady Ferynith must have seen this and while he touched her, she likely implanted one in his body to gift him the ability to use magic.

Alba stared at him, confused. “That’s impossible. You don’t just suddenly get a Mana Source. It’s given to you by your mother as you grow in the womb.”

“I met with Lady Ferynith earlier today. She must have given me it?” Further explanation only made Alba even more confused. The Fairy’s hand fell away from his chest as she took several steps back. Her green eyes regained their red luster as she eyed him.

“You must be joking. A human? Given such a gift by our Lady Ferynith? The Goddess of Wisdom and Magic?” Alba scoffed and rolled her eyes. She folded her arms over her chest. Jake’s jaw tensed as she stared down at her. “You don’t have to lie, boy. If you’re having trouble with Cultivation and need assistance, you need not make up a story. It is normal to have trouble at first.”

Before Jake could retort, someone else answered for him. “He’s not lying, Alba.” A familiar voice touched his ears. Alba stiffened, her spine jerking as she straightened to attention. Yir popped out from a set of shelves, a row of books floating behind her. “Even if he was, he came to you for help. You should be ashamed of yourself.” The head Librarian set down her books in a tall tower before sitting atop it. She folded her legs neatly and smiled at Jake.

“Hello, Mr. Furrow.” She said calmly.

“H-Hi Yir.” He grinned weakly at her, uneasy now that she was here. Especially with that kind of entrance. Alba still stared up at him with a bit of scorn but it seemed she would play along.

“If that is the case, then it explains the odd coloration. Have you seen it, Yir?” Alba’s arms remained crossed. She was still doing her part but it seemed she wasn’t enthused about doing so. Yir stared at the boy for a long moment, her eyes changing to green as she too took a gander at his mana flow.

“You’re right. It looks like the Source Lady Ferynith gave you is quite strong. You’re lucky it isn’t poisoning you.” Yir’s eyes returned to their normal red as she smiled at him. Alba’s eyes had a fire to them, while Yir’s was more of a comforting blaze. He didn’t mind looking at them. Alba’s scared him.

Alba had asked him about his health- the excess was likely the reason why. From their concern, Jake figured the excess mana wasn’t normal in terms of amount. The high volume of it was probably enough to overwhelm his body if he was normal without Lady Ferynith’s blessing. Such a large pool of rampant mana would have eaten away at him from the inside out. In time, it would have killed him. While he was grateful for a strong Source, he would have settled for something a lot safer.

“Quite,” Alba sighed and her crossed arms fell apart. She grabbed her hips and eyed him closely. “From what I know, you have two options. Cultivate like hell until your body can support the mana. Or, you’ll need to utilize an external container to drain your mana. It’ll need to be a big one, too.” Alba hummed to herself for a moment before looking up at Yir.

“He would need one made by the Zeriths. I don’t think even the Uldyers could handle the task.” At her suggestion, Yir shook her head.

“No, there is another way. Jake, I assume you’ve already learned about Mana Capacity. Yes?” Yir slipped off the tower of books and lowered herself down to the table.

“I have.” Jake sat down in his chair again and Alba moved a bit out of the way as Yir stepped up in front of him. She held a hand in front of her, creating a small bowl out of the wood in the table.

“Good, then I’ll make this simple.” She kept the bowl connected to the table but ensured the inside was separate. Then, she waved another hand to create water that began to fill the bowl. “Our bodies are containers for Mana. Those born with a mana source are given a natural limit of how much mana they can contain and the mana source within them generally only produces enough mana to reach that limit.”

Yir paused for a moment and stopped the water at the halfway mark of the bowl. “However, not everything goes as planned sometimes. Some mana sources are weak and cannot fill the container. But through cultivation and regular training, the sources can be strengthened to where they should have been.” With her explanation, she filled the bowl.

“Some, like you, have sources that are too strong and produce too much.” She overfilled the bowl, pouring in more water than it could hold. Though rather than let it splash all over the place, she easily caught it and caused it to recycle up into the bowl.

“To help this, we cultivate.” She waved her free hand and the walls of the bowl began to thin. Small cuts appeared, giving more space for the water to fill. The level dropped until eventually, it could hold the excess water. “By cultivating, we increase our container’s efficiency and maximize the amount of mana we can hold within ourselves. Cultivating also has other positive aspects like bettering our casting efficiency and mana control. You can read about those more in your books.” Jake nodded to affirm but he held his tongue. He was already aware of those things, yet he kept quiet and let Yir continue to speak. Listening to her explanation as she also did her visual trick was helping the pieces of the puzzle fall into place.

“In your case, Mr. Blessed by Lady Ferynith, even if you cultivate your mana flow, your mana source will continue to produce more mana than you can hold. It will constantly adapt to the new vessel and grow stronger the more you feed it.” She dumped a large amount of water into the bowl, once more causing it to overfill. She continued to thin the walls and pushed the bowl to its limit but the water continued to flow over the edge. Jake frowned at the sight.

“So, how do you think you can deal with this issue?” Yir let the bowl visual continue, her hands controlling the water to keep the flow going as she offered up the question.

At first, Jake was going to suggest an external source. However, the visual was offering up something else. Something he hadn’t thought off originally- a catch. The water was indeed overfilling the bowl itself. But, whether it was a hint she had done on purpose or just something inadvertent, the recycling of the spilled water gave Jake an idea. What if he used some form of catch that collected the excess mana outside of his body and then redirected it back in? A secondary flow of the excess?

“An external container…” he muttered. Alba threw a glance towards Yir, who looked at him oddly.

“A what?” Alba asked for clarification as if she hadn’t heard him. Jake leaned down closer to the bowl and stared at it.

“I could create a way for the mana leaking out of me to collect into one spot, and then redirect it back inside whenever I need it,” Jake said in a bit of a mumble. “Not a physical container, but something… Something natural. A second mana flow?” Jake blinked and looked at Yir.

“Correct, mostly.” She nodded with a smile. She turned to face her visual aid and waved her free hand again. The bowl deformed slightly as a long tube appeared at its bottom, a tube that bent slowly until its point was directed down into the bowl. The water level balanced out once more, the excess water flowing into the pipe before pouring down into the bowl. “Not quite a second flow. More like an extension of it. You’ll need to create an outside container for the excess to leak out into. It’s done usually with more advanced fledgling mages or those with a lot of excess, like you. Though, in recent generations, the decreased density of mana has made such a technique rarer to see, if not entirely lost already. It has been a while since I myself have come across such an issue.”

Jake placed a hand on his chin and stared down at the cup on the table. He eyed the spout, the catch for the water, and then watched the water flow steadily from cup to catch to spout. The unending cycle was intriguing. However, the problem was making the catch. Mana once outside of his body was hard to hold on to, if not impossible. The first step would be creating something to capture the mana without such an object falling away.

“You said that the technique has been used already.” Jake tapped his finger to his chin and glanced over at Yir. “How? My mana disappears when it leaves my inner flow. I can’t keep ahold of it.”

“You’ve already cultivated your mana flow, yes?” Yir’s hands began to move as she started working on returning the table to its original state. The water was gathered up into a large ball first as she emptied the bowl.

“Yes, I have.” After the water was empty, Yir’s other hand moved and the wooden object began smoothly forming into a sphere before being pushed down towards the table. The material filled the gaps that had been formed as the bowl melted away.

“Continue to cultivate and create an extension off of your flow. Think of a tube or a cylinder. Cap it, and then stretch it out of you.” Jake tried to visualize what she meant and something quickly came to mind. He snapped his fingers at the revelation.

“Like a tail?” He raised an eyebrow and smirked.

Mana and magic were a balancing act. Between the proper use of Words of Power to the control of one’s internal mana flow- it all needed to be right and proper for the desired spell to be triggered. Uncontrolled mana or improper incantations could cause failure, injury, or worse. Death. And one of the first immediate things that came to mind when Jake thought of balancing acts was the dozen or so cats running around the village. Their slender, stout bodies made them nimble and agile. They jumped around the roofs of the tents, darted through the alleys and streets, and avoided capture from locals with ease. Helping them with their acrobatics were those long, slender, swaying, fuzzy tails of theirs.

Yir hummed for a second, her eyes rolling slightly as she thought of what he meant. In the meantime, she spread the water outwards and dispersed it violently into the air with a satisfying pop. “A tail would work, yes. Most simply created cubes on their lower backs. We called them Mana Bricks.”

That sounded both boring and unelegant. Jake couldn’t imagine such a thing stuck to him all the time. Then again, the expectation was for such a thing to be temporary. The mages would likely undergo a long trial of cultivation so that their bodies could eventually absorb the brick. There would be no need for such an object at that point.

“Interesting…” he mumbled to himself as he thought of the next step. Though, just before he let himself get too engrossed, he smiled at the two fairies. “Thank you for your help.” He bowed his head out of appreciation.

“You are most welcome, Mr. Furrow. Good luck.” Yir winked before her wings lifted her from the table. “Alba,” she addressed the other fairy before she could get away. “Check in on him in a few hours. Help if he needs it.”

The second fairy let out a tired sigh. “Yes ma’am.” The reluctant agreement didn’t ease Jake’s mind about her, but if she actually planned to help him at all- he would welcome it.

“Now then. Back to training.” Yir shooed him away and Jake quickly left the table and lower floor. The two fairies separated, scattering into the library to continue their duties.

With much to work on and his time ticking down for the session, Jake wanted to at least begin the foundation of making his Mana Tail. In theory, it sounded easy. Yet thus far, nothing about magic was proving to be easy. Learning to read was one hurdle. Conquering his mana flow the second. Now he had to make an invisible box essentially, one he would need to maintain a constant connection with lest he lose the balance of his mana flow. He hoped the connection would become second nature at some point. Thinking about it all the time would prove both distracting, and tiring.

Not wanting to think of that headache, Jake sat down and started solving the problem first. The side effects would come later. He steadied his breathing, adjusted his posture so he was comfortable, and then delved into his mind as he sought out his mana. The calm ocean inside of him was deceiving. On the outside, it was contained and directed. Inside it was a rushing rapid of power, with cracks and leaks throughout the flow.

To start, Jake studied his flow and continued to work on its efficiency. He tightened up loosenings in the flow tubes and strengthened the walls of them as he applied more standing mana to them. He began to think of the flow tubes as muscles. The more he tensed them up and added fibers to them, the more they would grow and stretch. The mana within the freshly girthed tubes would flow more freely, and the added space would allow more mana to travel within the arteries.

After an hour of additional cultivation, Jake honed in on the loose mana within him. It didn’t leak in any organized fashion. Wherever it could burst free from his flow is where it fizzled out to freedom from. He had numerous cracks and holes and the air around him felt thick with the haze of the loose mana. If he wanted to control it, he first needed to gather it into one place. With the visual of a cat in mind, Jake decided that place would be his lower back. Much like cats, he would have it stretch out from just above his buttocks. An added benefit to such a location was its proximity to his mana flow. The tubes which ran into his legs followed the same lines his blood did. Thus, all Jake would need to do was create the bridge from those tubes to his spine, and then outwards.

Easy enough to think of. However, creating that auxiliary lane wasn’t something he could just slap in place. Whenever Jake gathered up the excess and tried to direct it, he would find that his mana flow could not handle the additional pressure. It would crack elsewhere. Another hole would open. Or his stomach would twist. He grew a little frustrated but when he felt such a vibration shake his mana flow, the boy got himself under control. He steadied his breathing and instead began to utilize the mana already within the flow itself.

A little tug. A little twist. A pull. Jake nudged at the mana, coaxing it out as he slowly created a make-shift hole in the two flow tubes. Steady and patient, Jake began twisting and tightening. He first wanted to bind the mana, to cause the two sides to interlock and begin to flow through one another. A bridge of sorts. He pulled from both sides rather than just one to ensure both would feed mana into the auxiliary tube. The process was arduous. He felt the strain on his focus and his breathing once more became difficult. He felt sweat bead on his forehead and his muscles tensed as he worked on the simple task.

His mana was heavy and thick, the flow strong and still very much overwhelming. Without having utilized it to truly cast any magic, Jake was still growing accustomed to its feel. His lack of comfort made the mana slippery to hold and it didn’t react as accurately as he wanted. It felt as if he were tugging on strings in an attempt to tie a knot, but both strings were too short to reach one another. He stretched and stretched, his teeth grinding as he gradually increased the amount of mana within the area.

Until finally, he was right at the last gasp. The mana was just about to align, the two tubes ready to kiss and bind together. However the connection he made felt… sloppy. Loose. The mana within the flows didn’t cross into one another and instead, he created a dam of sorts. The powerful rivers raging didn’t merge and instead just pushed powerfully into one another. Jake breathed in and even though there was some resistance, he still sealed the gap and created the bridge he needed. The mana within pushed to and fro, neither side wanting to lose the push.

Jake grasped at the mana again, holding the meeting point of the two sides directly in the center of the auxiliary tube. Then, he turned them outwards. A bubble formed as the tube stretched, straining to contain the raging mana within it. It didn’t last long. The walls were far thinner compared to the thicker main flow tubes and the colliding rivers made easy work of them. The auxiliary tube gave way with a satisfying pop, but Jake didn’t let it snap or sever. He strengthened the remaining walls, reinforcing the tube as the mana escaped out of his lower back.

Jake then gather the excess once more, pushing it into his mana flow and forcing it all down the lanes into his lower back. The auxiliary tube came under fire quickly as Jake began sealing the surrounding gaps and cracks in his flow. The lone gasping hole turned into a geyser of mana. Jake continued to stretch the hole in the tube, ensuring it ripped it open carefully and in a controlled way to allow for more breathing room to be made. He utilized the excess mana to further strengthen the tube, enlarge it to match the size of the regular flow tubes, and then further reinforced the center space to ensure it wouldn’t rip under strain.

Jake then eased out of his focused state. His mind was becoming light and his breathing far too uneasy for his comfort. He was tired and needed a break. The boy relinquished his forced control, letting his mana return to its natural state. He observed it for a few short moments and searched for any new gaps or cracks. Finding none, and satisfied with his progress, the boy opened his eyes and checked the hourglass. It was ready to be flipped. Sitting on it, was Alba.

Her eyes were green and she was staring at his stomach.

“Interesting work. First time I’ve seen a mage utilize their flow like you do.” She adjusted her posture, her crossed legs flipping as she folded her hands atop her knee.

“Is my technique not natural?” Jake blinked a few times and then glanced down at the cultivation textbook in front of him. It certainly showed him a visual of the tubes and stuff. Or, that’s how he perceived it. Was he wrong?

“I wouldn’t say unnatural, but it’s different. I see lines of mana within you, rather than just an open flow of it. It’s controlled. Precise.” Alba leaned forward, her eyes tracing the lanes of mana flowing through Jake’s body. “Even my flow isn’t quite this controlled. It’s quite interesting.”

Jake pressed his lips together and took a moment to wipe off his face with his shirt. The sweat was dripping a bit. “When I read the book, it reads as if the mana is supposed to be contained within arteries. Like blood. So when I cultivated and tried to direct it, I aligned the flow with those blood tubes and formed a similar concept. It took a while, and a lot of mana, but it’s helped.”

“I can see.” Alba hummed. “When I first looked at you, I found it strange. Now that I’ve watched you it certainly looks far nicer. You said you made, tubes?”

“Something like that.” Jake found it interesting that his concept of cultivation and mana flow work wasn’t actually the right answer. Maybe he had just done too much or overthought the process.

Alba hummed again, her eyes lowering down to his abdomen again. “And what are you doing down there…?” She asked in an odd tone. It made Jake a bit uncomfortable.

“Making… a tail?” He found it odd for her to ask such a question. They had just talked about this, no?

“So instead of forming a coil of mana, you’re creating an additional tube of sorts for it?” She looked up at him, her green eyes returning to their natural red color. Jake nodded.

“Is this not correct?” After organizing his mana flow into the series of tubes like he had and finding its efficiency, as his mana was far more controlled and contained rather than just free-flowing all over the place, Jake figured another tube was the answer.

Though, rather than give a straight answer, Alba shrugged. “Your mana flow and method of cultivation are far different than my own. My method is compression and density control. One drop of my mana is worth far more now because of how potent it is. I do not have an additional circulatory system within me like you.” Alba’s wings fluttered as she lifted herself so she could instead stand on top of the hourglass.

“I personally would push the excess out and create a stiffened outer wall of mana, restricting the excess mana from fading off. Nothing so permanent like you are doing.” Alba leaned closer, her eyes changing back to green as she stared at his stomach again. “Your method is more like the growth of actual internal piping. Far more rigid and with actual integrity to it. It would take far more pressure to disturb your mana flow than my own, even in its infant-like state.” It seemed she was able to at least recognize how fragile the whole thing was. Even after all of his efforts, Jake felt like the tubes were about to burst.

“I’m going to continue to watch if that’s alright?” Alba looked up at Jake, her eyes once more turning red. The boy shrugged.

“Doesn’t bug me. Mind if I flip that, though?” Jake pointed at the hourglass beneath the fairy. She glanced down and then let out a brief laugh before lifting herself off it.

“You track your time here?” She asked, waiting for Jake to turn the sands before her little feet tapped down on its wooden top. Jake shrugged again before he got to his feet to stretch.

“It’s nighttime back home. Can’t be out long.” Indeed. There was still his Auntie to get back to. As he stared out of the threshold and into the main atrium, he grimaced at the thought of what kind of conversation he’d have when he returned. “Besides,” he brushed that emotion off and then made his way over to the table. “Holing myself up in here might be smart and will help with my training, but I can’t forget about the real world.”

Alba followed him with her eyes, her feet kicking slightly as she watched him. “Are you afraid that you might never leave? That magic will swallow you up in here?”

“A little,” he teased. He ran his hands over a spell book and then looked at the stack of books on his right. “There’s a lot of knowledge here, and I have a lot that I need to learn in a short amount of time. Spending much of my days here would help with that. But, I’ve got friends and people that I like to be with. Taking breaks, splitting that time up, and making sure I stay as rested and healthy will definitely keep me from going insane in here.”

Alba fluttered over to the table, landing on the far side of it. She looked down at one of the book titles, her lips pursing as she tapped her heeled toes against the thick cover. “A wise decision. Several mages before you have come to this place and allowed themselves to become a slave to the books within its walls. As much as it is a place of freedom for magic, it is also a dangerous prison.” Alba placed her hands on her hips as she looked at a few of the other books.

“Do not let yourself drown in your thirst for knowledge, child.” Alba gave Jake a brief glare, her face turning stern. Yet, Jake didn’t see it. His eyes were glued to the image of a magic circle, a sigil, on a page in the book he was flipping through.

“I wouldn’t say I thirst for it, but I know I need it.” Jake pressed his fingers down against the page, against the sigil. “None of this fascinates me.” He sighed. “It’s nice, fancy, and has an air of power to it. I know it’s a dangerous and strong tool. It is worthwhile for me to learn it and if I want to become an Adventurer, becoming competent and efficient with magic is something I must do.”

Alba furrowed her eyebrows, her lips pressing together.

“But at the same time…” Jake closed the book, his eyes drifting away from it as he looked towards the large shelf. “...I don’t feel excited to learn it. It’s tedious and difficult, and I’ve done nothing but struggle so far. Which makes it so odd that I haven’t given up on it yet.”

After a moment of pause, Alba began to laugh. Jake looked down at her, her chest bouncing as she heaved and hollered. Loud enough for her small voice to echo through the room and likely out into the main atrium. Jake’s jaw tensed. Was she mocking him?

“Something funny about that?” Jake rumbled. Alba collected herself and shook her head. Her lips curled into a wide smile as her wings carried her off the table, and into Jake’s face.

“No, it’s just that I understand you now.” She chuckled and her eyes narrowed on him. “You don’t seek power or knowledge. Those are the two reasons most people become mages. What you seek, is the challenge of it all.”

Jake didn’t understand. “The challenge?”

“Yes.” Alba reached out and touched her finger to the tip of his nose. “There’s nothing here for you. No glory. No money. Nothing fancy. Only a bunch of books filled with words that are too difficult for normal people to understand. Yet, here you are. Someone who’s never touched such a thing in their life. Fresh with a new set of strength that you can easily temper and begin to use.” She gave his nose a fair bit of pressure before pushing off his face and creating some distance between them.

“It’s the difficulty of the task ahead of you that’s driving you on. Not your motivation to learn or your desire to be the strongest and brightest.” Alba’s hands folded over her chest as she leaned forward. “And I find that very, very fascinating.”

“I mean, I guess?” Jake still didn’t get what she was on about, not fully at least. Sure, he agreed that it wasn’t power he was after. Not quite. He wanted magic for its power. It was capable of being used for a plethora of tasks and if he learned how to control it properly, he would be quite the strong Adventurer. But there were numerous other things that he could spend his time learning instead to be just as strong. Things that weren’t as annoying.

But the challenge of it? Something so hard to learn made him annoyed and tired. It didn’t energize him when he thought of how long he had toiled away at such basic problems. He didn’t feel accomplished whenever he made progress. It was more like he knew that after one task, there would just be another. It was an unending cycle of struggle, of difficult hurdles he needed to climb. A mountain of problems that he needed to ascend towards a far-off, almost impossibly distant peak he felt he could never hope to reach…

That was his motivation?

“You don’t have to think so hard about it.” Alba was staring at him. He must have shown his thinking on his face. “Tell me. Have you ever put any effort into anything in your life so far? Swordsmanship? Trade? Maybe a craft with your hands?”

“No?” Thus far in life, Jake spent his days helping his Auntie, serving drinks and food on occasion, and sometimes sitting in on lessons whenever a teacher came through with a caravan. Otherwise, Jake usually just spent his days running around the village being a menace or messing with Litchens he found in the sands.

Alba chuckled. “Your mind has been given something to focus on. For the first time, you have something you can put effort towards. Both physically, and mentally. You may not realize it but your body is thankful for it.” Alba fluttered up to his face again and peered into his eyes. “Don’t let it consume you.”

The two stared at each other for a long, silent stretch. Jake felt his breathing catch in his throat. It was as if she was waiting to read his mind. That look in her eyes. It was as though she had seen someone just like him before. She wasn’t just giving him advice. She was speaking from experience.

“I’ll try.” Jake blinked first and turned away. He returned to his seat and took a few breathes to reset himself. Alba had unnerved him a bit but it wasn’t to get him to stop. It was to make sure he remained focused for the right reasons and to not let himself get too engrossed in the power of magic. Or, well, that’s how he interpreted it. He was thankful for the advice and was happy to be given it.

Yet, stepping into the realm of magic was still a choice he was making. He would need to be dedicated and would have to go against some of Alba’s wishes if he wanted to make sure he was capable of performing his job. If he was a weak mage and a terrible team member, finding work would be impossible. To meet that end he’d read every book in the library if he had to.

The boy closed his eyes to close off the world around him. He started his breathing cycles, settled in, and eased his thoughts. Once more, he dove into his mana flow. The auxiliary tube he’d created was holding. The mana flowing into it continued to drain and expel out of his back, and the rest of his flow was stable. Well, as stable as it could be. He still felt uneasy about the new power within him but the leaks and cracks were all but closed up. Rather than continue with the tail, Jake once more began to cultivate.

The boy split his time between reinforcing the flow tubes and also began working on his control. The mana flowing within him was highly resistant to his touch and it took a lot of effort to get it to respond to his attempts to draw it out. Getting his mana to respond properly seemed almost as hard as winning an argument with his Auntie. Possible but only after a lot of yelling.

Thus, Jake began working on coaxing it to his hands. He tapped into the flow and utilized a soft pulling motion to lure some of the mana towards his fingers. It ebbed in his grip, like a wave of thick sand. With each tug, Jake was able to pull a small amount out of the floor and collect it into his palm. The amount was far too small to be utilized for anything. Just a few drops of the power. But he continued to pull and collect. There was quite a bit of resistance, though, so he decided to try and reduce it.

He utilized the flow itself, adjusting the tubes to create inlets and outlets. This allowed mana to flow more freely towards his fingers. That which he couldn’t use or grab would coil back and return to the flow itself. By opening the tubes, Jake made the mana more accessible. Similar to the auxiliary tube in his lower back, Jake created small holes in the flow tubes. With each breath of the flow, a small amount of mana leaked outwards and Jake found it far easier to gather the mana he wanted. He kept the holes small to also keep the amount of loose mana down. With his ability in just the early stages, he had little need for so much mana. For now, he would use the tiny holes as limiters.

The boy took in a slow breath and replicated the technique into both hands and both feet. He also applied the technique to his head, a few places within his chest, and in his core. The loose mana would provide a sort of cushion. Alba had mentioned attacking his mana flow. A rigid tube structure would be easy to target, he figured, so Jake would utilize the holes and loose mana to hopefully reduce pressure within the flow. To his surprise, the residual effect of opening up the tubes was a reduction in the squeezing he felt. His mana was moving at a much more smooth pace through his body.

While he wasn’t entirely satisfied with such a result, as his control was still limited, Jake returned to his work on the mana tail. He checked for any natural leaks and cracks to his mana flow, ones that he hadn’t made himself, fixed where he found issues, and then he directed his attention to the auxiliary tube. The mana bursting out of it was violent and wild. The pressure within the tube at the exit point was high so Jake started to grasp at it from within the tube rather than at the exit point.

He coiled the mana entering the tube from both sides into two thick ropes, condensing the mana and firmly locking it down as it flowed through and out. At the outpoint, Jake caused the two ropes to not combine entirely but to twist into one another. Under the tension, the mana remained together as it fired out in a straight line. Jake felt his muscles tense and his jaw locked as he held firm to the mana. It wiggled and strained against his focus. The outward force of the ropes trying to disperse was high, forcing Jake to put everything he had into just holding it steady. The boy sucked in a long, deep breath and extended the breathing cycle from four seconds to six. His stress skyrockets and he felt his focus waver for a moment.

But just as he was about to lose it, he felt something touch his lower back. A faint light illuminated the exit point of his auxiliary tube. Mana from another source coiled around his own and the mana thrashing around in his grip became far more docile. Taking advantage of the moment, Jake steadied the coil and began to reduce the number of twists. He compressed the outer layer of mana, stiffened it, and then applied more to thicken the walls. He capped off the end to stop any mana from within the coil from leaving and then hollowed out the inside. All of the mana which he had grabbed and pushed outwards was utilized to form that long, slender tail. It was about the length of his arm, if not a little longer. Yet it had the diameter of a large coin.

He let out a breath he had been holding and at the same time relinquished his grip on the tail. He expected it to evaporate, all of his work wasted in a moment. However, the second mana being applied to his back created a thick binding of the mana tail to his auxiliary tube. The boy felt a faint heat at the connection point and residual mana from the external source glowed in his mind's eye. It was a beautiful color. A deep red. Crimson, like the sky at the peak of dusk.

The tail remained in place and Jake’s excess mana flowed up into it without needing direction. Jake felt the tension in his mana flow further decrease and it no longer leaked in places he hadn’t chosen. Jake waited for a few moments to collect himself and steady his breathing. Then, he verified his work. Going through his mana flow, one tube at a time, Jake checked all of the progress he had made on his first day of cultivation.

He checked the tubes and the stable mana moving through them. He checked the breathing holes and access points he made, ensured they were tight and the tubes around them reinforced to handle the pressure of the exhausts. He checked the condition of the auxiliary tube, applied some reinforcement to the connection points, and then followed the mana up into the tail. The tail he applied additional mana towards, adding to its thickness and increasing its size just a bit to further increase its capacity. He smoothed out the tip and checked how much control over it he had- quite a bit. On its own, it swayed slowly back and forth. If he applied just a bit of pressure, he could make it wiggle and writhe. It wasn’t perfect but it would come in handy later.

The storm had passed.

The boy opened his eyes and let out a tired exhale. He felt exhausted. His muscles were tired, his eyes felt heavy, and his mind couldn’t quite focus on anything in particular. He was drenched in sweat and to say he was thirsty was an understatement. He looked down at the hourglass. It had once more long been empty. Alba was standing beside it, and Yir was standing on top of it. Jake gave them both a forced, shaky smile. Yir raised her eyebrows as she looked down at Alba. Alba just shrugged.

“Mr. Furrow. I would like to ask you a question.” Yir tilted her head slightly as she looked up at him. “Lady Ferynith. Your blessing came from her, correct?”

“Yea?” Jake was confused. When he had met the Gods, the Dragon Goddess was the only one who had given him a ‘gift’. The others seemed… hesitant. Sure, he was given the Finder Gem from Thaedraun, the Dwarf God, but that was a physical object.

“Are you certain?” Yir narrowed her eyes a bit. “I want you to think very, very carefully. Are you absolutely sure she was the one?”

Yir’s tone was firm. It wasn’t scary but she wasn’t being playful with her question. To respond, Jake made sure to put some actual thought into it. He nipped at his bottom lip and sought out his memory. It was recent, fresh in his mind. He thought of his interactions with each of the Gods. He thought of the Gate, and he thought of the riddle he had been asked.

“The gifts, are they given by touch?” Jake recalled something. A brief interaction he had brushed off. However, now that Yir was so keen on it he was remembering something.

The Fairy hummed for a second as she checked her knowledge. “Most, yes. I know Lady Rastua, Lady Ferynith, and Lady Syndir are both powerful in the Arcane so they should not need to touch you directly. The others will need to have a form of physical contact.” Yir crossed her arms, her fingers tapping her biceps as she looked up at him. “But when there is a council called- it is a rule that they must touch the individual.”

Jake nodded and his hands gently gripped at his knees. “The Daemon Goddess, then. Maybe. She touched me when I was solving one of Lady Ferynith’s riddles. The Dwarf God touched me, too, but his was more like a pat. I felt something when the Daemon Goddess touched me. Heat, maybe?”

Alba’s eyes opened a bit as she glanced between Jake and Yir. Yir grimaced and her eyes turned green. She looked at his mana flow, the tension on her face only increasing as she stared at him. “Did you feel my assistance earlier? Was it a similar sensation?” Jake nodded at her question. Yir’s jaw tensed briefly.

“Your mana is unnatural. Both in amount, strength, and feel. Lady Syndir, the Daemon Goddess who touched you, must have placed a seed within you. When Lady Ferynith gave you your gift, that seed must have fallen in place within your Mana Source.” Yir let out a sigh as her eyes returned to normal. Jake gulped.

“Is… Is that bad?” The way Yir worded things made him wonder if there was something wrong with him now. Maybe that was why he was having such trouble.

However, Yir shook her head. “No. Not right now, at least. Your mana is strong and very resilient. In time, as long as you continue to cultivate and refine your control, the side-effects of her meddling should be minimal. Though I cannot be sure of what she’s done exactly. Not until that seed she placed blooms.”

Jake let out a sigh and slumped forward a bit. He was far too tired to be dealing with this now. He just wanted a break. Yir must have seen that, as she clapped her hands loudly to get his attention.

“None of that,” Yir glared at him, picking up on the cue of his weariness. “It is not something that will get in the way of your progress. I doubt she would try to harm you in any way. Lady Syndir is a very powerful Mage and she is very kind to all Apostles. If she has given you a gift as well, then I assure you it is for your benefit.”

Yir stepped off the hourglass and fluttered up into the air. She waved her hand, her magic stretching outwards as she began to collect all of the books and the hourglass from the floor. She closed the books and herded them up onto the table.

“You are tired. I can see it all over you. Go home, Mr. Furrow. Rest and return later when you feel rested.” As Yir organized the books, Alba fluttered over to help her. Jake grumbled a bit and got to his feet. He approached the table to help but was quickly struck by a zap to the nose from Yir. The boy flinched and backed away. “Home, boy.” She snipped.

Jake frowned and lowered his head a bit. “Yes, Miss. Yir. Thank you for your help today.” He bowed his head and then hurried out of the room as Yir threatened to zap him again. He didn’t look around the atrium as he left it and practically stumbled onto the sigil to leave. Using barely a drop of mana, Jake triggered the platform and closed his eyes. A moment later, he was back in the Overworld. The boy slumped over and flopped over onto the wooden planks of the guard tower as he felt fatigue wash over him.

Seeing the boy alive and awake, Chul crept out of the corner and tapped lightly on his head. “This is not a place to sleep, boy.”

Jake grumbled and waved him off, but the Arachkin was persistent.

“Get up, Child. Let us return to your Auntie.”

While Jake wanted to just sleep where he sat, Chul was right. He needed to go back to the tent and speak with his Auntie. He doubted the conversation would be fruitful but he hoped he could make some kind of progress tonight. He was exhausted, though, so he hoped it would be short.

Jake forced himself to roll up onto his hands and knees, then he crawled to the exit trapdoor. He unlatched it before giving the handle a yank to pull it up. Chul crawled onto his back and made himself comfortable as Jake swung his feet through the hole. The boy descended a few rungs, yanked the door closed, and then returned to the sands below. The market had quieted down. Most of the patrons were gone and those left behind were either far too drunk or working to clean up the messes left behind.

“You went somewhere in your dreams, didn’t you?” Chul asked from the boy’s shoulder. Jake nodded.

“It’s a place called the Eternal Library. It’s where I met Yir.” Jake remembered he had mentioned Yir to Chul before but hadn’t told him where. Though, the Arachkin also hadn’t asked.

“Ah, the Hall of Knowledge made by the Dragon Goddess, I presume?” Chul let out a faint chuckle, his fangs chittering. “I should have known.”

“You’ve heard of it?” Jake raised his eyebrows as he walked through the bazaar and towards the lane of tents. Chul chittered a bit.

“Only stories. However, after you spoke of Yir and your sudden infatuation with magic, I suspected it was real. Ethereal in location but most certainly real.” Chul let out a faint hum for a moment. Then, he relaxed. “It matters not to me how you learn magic, or whom you learn it from. As long as you are mindful of its dangers. If the Library is real and you are capable of entering, I have high hopes that you will do fine.”

Jake smiled and reached up to brush his fingers over the Arachkin’s fuzzy back. Chul shivered a bit from the touch. “Thanks, Chul.”

“It is my pleasure. Fostering your growth is my duty, after all.” The Arachkin let out another soft laugh, and Jake’s smile broadened. They returned to his Auntie’s tent and Chul hopped away to slip into the shadows.

The boy paused at the flap of the tent, his face becoming tense as he took a few breaths. When he was ready, he grabbed the fabric and gently brushed it aside. Jake stepped inside, only to find that the candles had all been blown out except for a few. Auntie left behind a small bowl of soup on the table along with a cup of tea and another paia. There was a note beside the plate.

Dinner for the Wandering Thorn in my side. - Auntie

Jake’s jaw clenched as he looked towards the sleeping area. He smiled softly before sitting down on his cushion to eat. The tea and paia were still a little warm and though the soup was cold, the meal tasted delicious.