“What does it mean, ‘the Blood connects’?” Ril asked, when the Professor finished reciting the poem. “And what is the price for the Blood?”

“Ahh, the Blood.” The professor said, rapping his cane thoughtfully on the stone floor. “Remember child, that this is but a poem. Spoken by a Seer, but a poem still. It is not the truth, nor does it attempt to do so. It simply provides guidance. It is up to us to speculate on its meaning.”

“Ok, what are your speculations then?” Ril asked impatiently.

“The Bones are fairly straightforward. There are even several examples of such individuals, although few survived the transformation. The most notable of these is Grug Earthbreaker.” The Professor chewed his lip before continuing. “Grug, gained the so-called ‘thoughtless might’. Unmatched strength, in exchange for his intelligence. Perhaps literally, although it is impossible to ask such individuals since they are rarely capable of speech.”

“The Skin is also fairly well understood. Or perhaps the better term is observed. Those that acquire the Skin become resilient. Their skin blackens and begins to flake and powderize. As far as I know, all who acquire the Skin have achieved 10% warp, and so with the glowing eyes they look exactly like a powderbeast. Because of this, such individuals are often shunned. Or more often, hidden away by their loved ones.”

“According to the poem, acquiring the Skin makes one Wrathful. I cannot confirm this as I have not observed such an individual myself, but it makes sense. There are some who believe that powder beasts are simply embodiments of the Fragments. Creatures who have gained several pieces of the Chromagnum.”

“It would make sense, as nearly all powderbeasts are highly territorial, and typically attack on sight. Their skin is also highly resilient and they portray impossible strength for their muscle mass. All of this suggests that powder beasts either gain abilities from the Chromagnum like us humans, or they acquire the Bones and the Skin.”

“But what about the Blood? What does it mean that it connects? And how does it ‘heal the rest’?” Ril asked, slightly interrupting the Professors monologue.

“The Blood is interesting. Yes, and it is a prime example of why the poem is more a set of guidelines than a strict rule. It is unclear what the Blood connects to. It may be the other Fragments, but if that is the case then we don’t have a living example of someone who has collected both the Blood and another Fragment. Or perhaps it connects to society. But as far as I know, wielders of the Blood of the Chromagnum are no more connected than regular individuals. It is truly a mystery.” The Professor said with a wistful smile.

“There are others who have the blood?” Ril asked not really caring that he was revealing his ability to the man and to Hauke.

“Oh plenty. The Blood is the most common of the Fragments.” Then he frowned, “Although ironically one of the least understood. Similar to our understanding of the Heart and Mind.”

The Professor turned and continued down the hallway, “Come on, I shall be late to class if we don't hurry up.”

“Wait!” Ril said, hurrying to catch up to the man. “What about the Heart and Mind. What do they do?”

“No one knows for sure. There is some speculation that the heart relates to love or passion, although that may simply be people seeing what they wish to see.”

“And the Mind?” Ril asked.

“That I do not know.” The Professor said. Not elaborating further. They paused at a door inset into the stone walls of the corridor, which the Professor opened without fanfare. Inside there was a large group of children of varying ages sitting at and around desks diligently writing on pieces of paper. The only sound was the scratching of pencils on paper and the soft shuffling of bodies. When the door opened, some of the kids looked up at the Professor but most stayed focused on their test.

“Richard!” The Professor called into the near silent room. “I saw you look at Amelia's notes. This is your last warning.”

Near the back of the room, a young boy jumped up and reddened furiously, before he ducked down and continued working on his test. There was a soft chitter as the rest of the classroom laughed quietly before they too returned to their work. It seemed like a well disciplined school. Not nearly as rowdy as Ril had expected it to be.

The Professor closed the door, and continued down the hallway. “That was one of our main academic rooms. It will be one of the places where you take any written exams, and learn any academic pursuits while you are here.”

“How did you know that boy cheated?” Hauke asked worriedly from Ril’s side.

The Professor chuckled. “You are in my domain, boy. Don’t expect any action you take to be hidden from my sight.” At this he pointedly looked at Ril’s invisible clone that had followed them from the entrance. Hauke frowned at being called ‘boy’ while Ril’s clone smiled awkwardly and waved at the old man. The Professor nodded towards the clone before continuing on his way.

They continued on for a minute before Ril recovered from his embarrassment and asked the last question he had on his mind. “And what about the Stomach of the Chromagnum? Has there been anyone who has gotten the Fragment?”

To this the Professor shuddered and shook his head. “If you want to know so badly, then go find an expert. I do not wish to ever discuss the horror that is the Stomach of the Chromagnum.”

Ril mentally noted down the Professors reaction before moving the conversation back to a more mundane topic. “So, can Hauke come here every day to learn? There is no fee? And what is the quality of the education? Will he learn Economics, and uhm... History?”

“Hauke is more than welcome, the more the merrier. Although my power enhances the children, the children’s presence is beneficial to me as well. As for the cost, donations are always welcome, however I have taken it upon myself to try and raise the younger generation out of the rut that is the Root.” He cackled, before sniffing his nose.

“In any case, I would like to believe that the education here is top quality, although I will admit, due to the large number of children, I am not able to teach each one individually. Either way, Hauke will learn about Economics, and ... History as you put it. As well as other things. Ah here we are.”

He paused in front of another door, this time at the end of the hallway. It opened to reveal a large auditorium whose stone floor was replaced by beige sand. Spread out around the arena were hundreds of children of varying ages sparring with every type of weapon under the sun. There were kids wielding staves, swords, polearms, hammers, and axes, while in the back there was a veritable army of kids launching volley after volley of arrows and bolts at an array of straw targets.

Grunts and groans filled the auditorium as well as whoops filled with joy at a victory hard earned. Unlike the academic room, none of the kids turned to look at the newcomers when they opened the door. Spread throughout the space were hundreds of torches mounted on sticks that provided both light, and an increased sense of vitality that Ril could feel even from the entrance to the room.

“Awesome!” Hauke said, with starry eyes.

“Hmpff.” The Professor huffed. “The Combat Class. A waste of time if you ask me, but the children insisted. If you wish you can spend as much or as little time here as you wish, but if you are planning on staying here, I will insist you spend at least half your time in the academic sector. At least for the beginning. Fighting powder beasts is important but so is the ability to read.”

“Can I join them now?” Hauke asked, not taking his eyes off of the struggling combatants.

“If you wish.” The old man said. Hauke immediately dashed off, and joined a small group who welcomed him almost immediately. The professor smiled wanly after the boy, then he turned to Ril. “I send the children home at three in the afternoon. If you wish you can come then to pick him up.”

“Alright. ” Ril said slowly. “Wait. How do you know what time of day it is here?”

“A man’s got to have his secrets, no?” The Professor gave him a mysterious smile.

“Alright.” Ril frowned slightly. “This can be a trial run. I’ll pick up Hauke in a couple of hours and he will tell me what he thinks of this place. Could you make sure that he tries some of the academics to see if he likes it here?”

The Professors eyes narrowed. “Oh don’t you worry about that, I’ll make sure Hauke learns some respectable subjects today.”

* * *

After asking the Professor a couple more questions about the legitimacy of his operation, Ril left. The crowded streets and flat lighting were a shock after the quiet conversation they had conducted in the torch lit school, but Ril quickly got used to it.

Over the next hour, Ril walked around the streets around the school and asked any pedestrian that would entertain him about the school. The clone made this process more efficient but maintaining two simultaneous conversations strained Ril’s psyche.

It seemed that the overarching opinion of Erdell Bellington was that he was slightly deranged, but safe. No child that had gone to learn under him had disappeared or had gotten into trouble, and everyone that Ril talked to said they felt safe sending their children to the school.

Several did admit that it wasn’t the greatest school, since it was mostly run by the children themselves with only minor guidance from the Professor but they would usually shrug their shoulders afterwards and say that it was free so what can you expect?

After the hour had concluded, Ril felt confident that he hadn’t consigned Hauke to his doom. He then entered a Warrens side tunnel to rest from the noise and think about his next moves. He pulled out the bag of nuts that he had filched from Hauke and munched on a few. The claustrophobic silence of the Warrens was comforting. Only the sound of his heartbeat and his chewing reverberated in the space.

He had finished the first task he had been given by Eren for the day. That of finding Hauke a school to attend. And he had even made sure that the school was reputable. As a bonus he had learned of a way to traverse the city through the Warrens which was a massive quality of life improvement over having to walk the oppressive streets to get anywhere. Without the Warrens, Ril was sure that he would eventually lose his mind if he was forced to stay in this city.

Now that he had finished the task it was time to start the second thing that he needed to do. Eren had left early in the morning to get a job as a guard, so now it was time for Ril himself to try and contribute to their group's funds.

But what should he apply for? He wasn’t particularly skilled, and for all his Intelligence he hadn’t gone to school extensively.

Ril shrugged. He would do what he always does when he didn’t have enough information. Ask people.

And so, Ril finished off the last of the nuts and stepped out of his little alcove. He joined the flow of the crowd and sent his clone scouting ahead of him. Together they made good time through the city and managed to find several places that were supposedly looking for employment.

The first was a blacksmith’s shop that had recently lost its apprentice due to an accident, and was looking for another to help around the shop. The second was a tanner, who was getting old and needed a young pair of hands to take over for him. The third was a restaurant that apparently was always in need of more waiters.

If none of those options worked the Garden’s were always willing to hire, but they paid poorly for hard labor.

Smiling, Ril set off for the blacksmith’s shop. Memories of Dom’s shop in Anduin made him try it first even though it was unlikely to be a great fit.

When he arrived the shop was packed. Several people were all standing at the counter and shouting over it at a disheveled man with unreasonably thick forearms. The smith was thin, with a full beard, and seemed like he was the polar opposite of Dom in build. Despite this he looked fierce. Angrily shouting over the counter at each of the customers. Apparently an order had been late and the customers wanted their money back.

Ril waited patiently in the back of the room, while the angry customers concluded their discussion, eventually storming out unsatisfied. When this happened the smith turned to Ril with a glare.

“What do you want?” the smith snapped.

“Hello, my name is Ril, and I am new here in Sela and looking for work. I heard that you might be in need of an apprentice, so I figured that I could come ask if you would employ me.” Ril said.

The smith narrowed his beady eyes at Ril and sniffed, wiping away the snot with soot covered fingers. “You’re a stick. Useless around a forge. What I need is a burly kid. At least fifteen Strength if you’re awakened.”

The man began to turn away to the back room where the sound of a forge could be heard.

“Wait! I’m stronger than I look, and I have an ability that allows me to do the work of two people at once!” Ril called after the smith.

“Nice try kid.” The smith snorted. “I’ve got better things to do than listen to you tell stories. The shipment is already late.” He muttered the last part bitterly as he exited the main room.

“Give me a chance.” Ril called leaning over the counter to project his voice into the back room.

“Get out of my shop!” came the smiths voice as the sound of the forge revved up.

Ril stood there forlornly for several seconds as the rhythmic clanging of metal on metal came from the backroom. Then he sighed, and left, making for the next stop on his list.

He stepped into the tanner’s shop after nearly half an hour of struggling against the crowds. The shop was quiet, more resembling a home than a proper shop with a counter. When he stepped inside a small bell that was attached to the door tinkled brightly. From deeper in the house an old raspy voice called out.

“I’ll be right with you.”

Ril stood awkwardly in the vestibule while he waited for the tanner to join him. In a way it made sense that the tanner didn’t have a proper shop. How often does one need raw leather hides when other stores could process the leather to more useful shapes. It was likely that most of this tanner’s order came in bulk and were subscriptions.

Ril stopped his musings when an old man hobbled into the space. He didn’t look as old as the Professor, but definitely not as healthy. His skin was wrinkled, and his hands were scarred up to the elbow. He had a kindly face and smiled at Ril as he leaned on a cane.

“What can I do for you?” he said.

Ril smiled back, he was already liking the kindly old man. “Hi, My name is Ril, and I am new to the city. I am looking for work and I heard that you may be in need of some manpower.”

“Ahh! Wonderful.” the old man straightened up and smiled even wider. “Help would be much appreciated. As you can see, I am not as limber as I used to be. Have you ever worked with tannins before?”

“No I haven’t, but I am a quick learner, and I have deft hands.” Ril said hurriedly.

The old man’s smile slipped a little. “I see. Not a deal breaker, but it would be nice. Last question, what is your Constitution?”

Ril frowned. “Why do you need to know?”

“Well, I don’t need to know, but unless you have a Constitution above sixteen or a way to increase it temporarily with an ability, then I’m afraid you won’t last very long in my shop. The tannins can be quite corrosive, you see.” The old man said sadly looking at his hands.

“I can still give it a try though right?” Ril asked hopefully. When the old man started to shake his head, he continued. “I also have an ability that protects me and makes me work twice as fast, that should be fine right?”

The tanner gave a kindly smile. “Tanning is not about speed. It's about endurance. The long game. Don’t destroy yourself doing a job that is unfit for you. Find something that aligns with your skillset better. It is a big city, I’m sure you can find something.”

Ril sighed dejectedly, then straightened up and smiled at the man. “Are you sure that I can’t work with you? You seem really nice.” The old man smiled kindly, but shook his head. “Alright then, thank you for the consideration.”

Ril left the tanner’s house and made his way to a restaurant. Inside he said his spiel to the owner, but was almost immediately rejected. Apparently small bald kids are not the type of person that restaurant owners wanted to wait their tables.

Ril sighed in frustration and made his way to the nearest Warrens entrance. He paused at the entrance and grumbled to himself before forcibly perking himself up and heading deeper into the tunnel.

He made his way over to the center of the city, forced to use the main streets for the last bit because there were no convenient entrances to the Warrens so close to the center. When he arrived he made his way into the Garden’s but was almost immediately stopped by a worker.

“Hey kid, not allowed in here.” the man called to him, holding up a wheelbarrow full of dust.

“I’m looking for a job.” Ril called back.

“Oh, in that case make your way over to the bursar over there.” The man indicated towards a small wooden hut tucked out of the way of the main gardens. Ril nodded to the man, and walked to the hut. He knocked on the door, and heard a gruff ‘come in’.

He entered to see a small office with a single desk in it. It seemed that the entire hut was just a single room with a desk. Behind the desk sat a portly man who was busy organizing sheaves of paper.

“What can I do for you.” the man said, not even looking up from his work.

“I am looking for a job.” Ril said.

“Ok, yeah. We can fit you in sector A for five dekar an hour.” the man looked up. “Oh you’re small, can you climb? Yes. Great. I can place you on the ropes for seven dekar an hour. That sound good?”

“Only seven?” Ril asked. It didn’t seem like a lot of money to him.

“Hey if you got a problem with that you can find work elsewhere.” the man said, turning back to his pages.

Ril chewed on his lip. “Alright, sure seven dekar an hour. When do I start?”

“I can give you the night shift today, or morning and afternoon tomorrow.” the man said.

Considering when Hauke and Eren would be busy, Ril chose the morning and afternoon session tomorrow but the whole ordeal left a sour taste in his mouth. The man had explained to him how he would get paid. Basically he would enter the gardens in the morning and get a card from the bursar. Then throughout the day he could achieve a variety of different tasks that would accumulate points on the card. Then whenever he wanted he could go to the bursar and trade in his card for money and a new card.

What was annoying was that you could actually use the credit you get to buy things from the Garden’s cheaper than from the city. On the obverse, if you broke something, or otherwise damaged the property the credit was deducted from your card. It seemed fishy and overly convoluted to Ril.

He walked deeper into the city, when suddenly he couldn’t take the crowds anymore. He stepped into an alcove. Not connected to the Warrens as far as he could tell, but a quiet spot away from the people. Quieter at least.

His clone stood next to him, invisible, as he considered what had happened today. It hadn’t been a total waste. And there was no reason why he couldn’t keep searching for a job tomorrow.

He watched the crowd. Then his eyes hardened. His clone stepped smoothly into the crowd and within moments the clone managed to filch a purse from one of the passersby. The moment the clone had the purse in his hand, Ril immediately resummoned himself, then dismissed the clone. Resummoning it a moment later at his side. It maintained its invisibility throughout the transfer.

He hefted the small leather bag in his hand and opened it.

46 dekars in assorted currency and some kind of bronze ring.

Ril closed the bag, and glared into the crowd with flinty eyes.

“Absolutely ridiculous.” he murmured to himself, as he tucked the back into one of his pockets.

Behind him, the shadows coalesced. Writhing like snakes even though no light source was moving. From the darkness stepped a cloaked man covered in belts and knives. He put a hand on Ril’s shoulder and spoke.

“My, my. What do we have here?”