Ellen's first attempt to purify the crystals had failed.

After Jack had done a analysis on them it turned out that there was almost no difference at all, except for that their value had dropped . He had been slightly frustrated at her when he told her and almost scolded her.

The only good things that had happened her in it all as that he did bring crystals with him everyday so she could go on with her work, and that they had decided to sponsoring her with purifying gears while she did the best she could to help them.

After weeks of working on the problem she was called to his library by Alice.

He had worked late as usually and Ellen had walked to the workshop after the dinner as always, trying to do some work.

She had seen and heard a couple of things some days earlier that was bothering her and she needed an answer from Jack.

“You know I am losing money by letting you destroy the crystals right?”

He was clearly angry and stared right into her.

She knew that and she tried her very best to finish the quest. Or at least she had tried her very best earlier.

“Jack. May I ask a question?”

“What are the crystals I am trying to purify, they ain’t collecting objects, right?”

Jack looked even more angry at her and shake his head.

“A few days ago I overheard a conversation by two people that clearly was junkies. They talked about a drug they called crystals and described it. Everything they said fitted perfectly with the crystals that I am helping you to purify. I ain’t purifying a drug, right father?”

“Yes you are.”

He didn’t even tried to hide the fact of what he made her do. And it terrified Ellen even more, would he just spill the fact just like that if he was arrested to? What would happen to everyone if he was arrested, what would happen to Ellen and Alice? Could he even be arrested?

He tried to motivate the making of the drug with that they needed money to survive. And that money came from him selling that drug. Would he ever stop selling the drug they would be finding themselves at the street with all the other homeless people. Which was a situation that Ellen most probably wouldn’t be able to survive in, not Alice either for that sake. Not to mention that only the fact he was losing money put them in the risk to get thrown out at the street. So if she didn’t want that to happen, she had to solve the problem.

Alice looked angry at her sister, she wasn’t only slacking off when she would be cleaning. Now she was even being only stupid and ignored her own needs.

Ellen had left for her workshop as always after finishing the last house chores, but she never left the workshop. Not even when it was time for breakfast. Which was the reason Alice did bring some food and tea with her.

Ellen wasn’t allowed to even think about not eating, not during Alice watch at least.

Ellen was bitterly muttering while eating the food.

She really seemed tired, there was a high possibility that she hadn’t slept anything during the night.

Alice did feel very uncomfortable with the fact that Ellen had start to ignore her needs, if she didn’t stop it she was in risk of both disappearing and get badly harmed.

To avoid it so was either Alice forced to make sure that Ellen took care of herself, or Ellen had to solve the problem of Jack’s request. Neither of the problems was easy to solve.

If Alice only could have been as smart as her sister, it would have been so much easier. Then she really could have helped, somehow.

The table there Ellen had all her stuffs was a mess, paper was mixed with cogs and other stuffs. The thing that she seemed to be working at also stood there. Or at least Alice thought it was something that she worked at, because it didn’t looked like something anyone would worked on.

It was just a pair of plates out together, and some different cogs and stuffs set up. Just by looking at the thing it was impossible to tell what she was trying to do.

“Ellen, How are you trying to make the crystals from father better?”

She had only heard that Ellen had been asked to make the crystals purer, what it now could mean?

One of the reason that Alice always had idolised her sister was because no matter how bothersome Alice could be, Ellen always respected her. Just like this time when Ellen tried to simplify the answer so Alice easily could follow what her sister meant.

She looked sceptical at the purifying part, it felt unbelievable that a part like that could purify anything. And if it wouldn’t have been that it was Ellen that told her that, she would never had believed in it.

Alice looked a little closer at the cog that they said would make the cog better, if it wouldn’t have been for the propeller it sure looked like any other cog.

Alice left the workshop after given Ellen a worried look. She had already started to work again like if Alice never had bothered her, but she seemed to have a little more energy now then before Alice had forced her to eat.

She let out a heavy sigh, it had all become a mess after Jack given Ellen this task. He even seemed to start being a little worried for her. But it was mostly overshadowed by the fact that he show irritation because Ellen both was slacking off more during the cleaning and that Alice tried to cover up for her sister. Sure, he had a point when he said that she needed to learn to balance the house chores and work. But was he really someone to complain about that. When he worked as hardest, he never did any house chores. Not that he didn’t even try to do any of the chores afterwards either.

Ellen did at least try to balance it, even if it wasn’t going well.

Alice let out another sigh, it felt like it just was to swallow it. There probably wasn’t much that neither she, Jack or any friend could do to help her. At least she didn’t thought so.

Worried for Ellen she left the house after doing her chores. The only positive thing with day could be that she and Taija had decided to meet at the marketplace. But it was only because Taija had promised to help her with ideas for making Ellen a dress, which didn’t even seemed like a good idea anymore. At least not as long Ellen worked like she did. And who knew for how long she would work like that.

Taija started with a glad greeting when they meet, but stopped in the middle of it.

“And just how are you feeling Alice?”

She know that Taija meant well with the question, but it came out very rude because she stopped her glad greeting to ask.

“ I am just slightly tired, I didn’t got a good sleep last night.”

It was better to pull an innocent lie than to try explain the situation for her. The lie itself was also trustworthy, mostly since Alice already had been suffering from sleeping problems.

Taija let out a light sigh and tired sigh. It seemed like she had fallen for the lie, and it was probably for the best.

After a light conversation they began to search for a beautiful textile Alice could use for her next project. In Alice mind it was no longer sure that the project would be a dress to Ellen. But it was not easy to say it straight out to Taija, she was just as stubborn that Alice could be. So she would not only go on and nagging her to do it, she would probably also suspect that it was something going on.

And that was nothing Alice wanted to go through.

After looking at all the stalls had to offer and Alice had made up a couple of good excuses they walked to get some frozen cream that Taija had promised to treat Alice at.

Alice found it impressive that there was people that offered frozen cream since it didn’t existed any refrigerators in this world. But it could be because of cog technicians it all was possible to make it on demand.

“Can you please tell me what’s going on Alice?”

Alice took the frozen cream Taija handed her and gave her an evil look, “There is nothing going on.”

It didn’t seemed like she had been able to trick Taija after all. She maybe needed to learn how to trick Taija later on, otherwise it could turn out bad time after time.

Taija didn’t trusted Alice answer and continued to nagging Alice, she even did some bad guesses and pinched the problem.

“If you are worried about your sister, it only proves that you have a bothersome sister.”

Ellen wasn’t a bothersome sister, even if she didn’t made the life easier for Alice. Even if she was slacking off during the cleaning and made Alice worry for her... Maybe she was a little bothersome after all, just a little.

Taija patted her on the head as if she had seen her whole mind patter.

“Will you still make up excuses for not buying textile to make your sister a dress?”

“Even if I make her a dress, it isn’t a big chance that she will wear it.”

They ate the last of the frozen cream in silence, then when they were done Taija dragged Alice along to a stall. They had talked about how beautiful the textile was earlier.

“Pick a textile you wish for Ellen's dress, so will I help you make it.”

That wasn’t a request or offering, it was an order to Alice.

Being bossed around by Taija, she at last choose a textile. It was a textile in a darker blue colour with patterns of light blue wintertree petals. It was somehow fitting Ellen.

Taija took up the textile and looked at it for a short while,” May I please out an order at a new piece of textile, or have a big discount.”

She hold up the textile and pointed out a small hole in it, not even big enough to put a finger through it. But it was clearly more then enough to catch her attention.

Alice wondered why it was such problem with a small hole like that, it was just a tiny hole after all.

Taija first looked at her as if she just remembered how inexperienced Alice was.

“ Even if it only is a small hole, it don’t takes much for it to get bigger and bigger. If you only get your finger through it, it will be bigger and soon it can swallow you whole hand. All because there was a tiny hole to begin with.”

Alice looked at her own hand for a second, “Will the hole get bigger if I would press my clinched fist against it?”

Of course she know the answer herself, but she wanted to hear it from Taija to.

Taija had all right to look at Alice as if she was an idiot, which she also did. “It will still be bigger, but you will need push harder.”

Could it be the same thing with other materials, like the crystal? If that was the case she maybe could be able to relax soon enough. But before she did that, she needed to let Taija bosses her around for a while. She could have helped Alice and Ellen more then she ever could believe. Even if she could behave like a cuddle loving hag from time to time.

Ellen silently cursed the situation.

It wasn’t enough that her father had given her a more or less impossible task, it also turned out that what she did was horrible. Even if he tried to motivate it with that they needed to let other suffer so they could survive themselves. But would it really make it more accepted?

She had tried to change the machine for the better, but according to Jack there were no changes in the crystals. At very least not enough changes for her father and his co-workers to be pleased.

Which meant the first of the three week she was given to success had passed, a third of the time before they got thrown out at the street. And to Jack's advises she hadn’t told Alice about it. Her heart wouldn’t be able to bear the pain of knowing what could be waiting them if Ellen failed.

The worries had started to take out their rightful parts of Ellen life. It was bothering her when she was sleeping, when she actually took the time to get some sleep. Her thoughts was circulating around the task all the time, making it harder to do the cleaning or anything else serious.

After this was done, she would need to apologize to Alice for everything she needed to cover up for her. Even if things didn’t turned out well and they got thrown out at the street.

Ellen had been silently cursing her younger sister when she interrupt at the morning. She hadn’t felt like eating, but still Alice had forced her to eat. Maybe a part of her princess like heart had some good parts after all.

Ellen came to the conclusion that Alice didn’t trusted her anymore since she came to pick her up when it was time for them to eat dinner. Even if she probably only meant well with it, Ellen couldn’t deny that it was slightly annoying. She somehow felt that she was about to process with the task, but it wasn’t the first time she felt like that. And every time it had turned out to be wrong and she just was at the same place as before.

Ellen had just washed off herself and walked toward the kitchen. The annoying “princess” had ordered that Ellen would join her for a bath together, as a punishment for that she had helped less with the cleaning lately. If it wouldn’t have been because it was true, she would have ignored the request and walked straight back to the workshop after eaten dinner. But since Alice wasn’t meant to know about it, she had no choice to follow her request so Alice wouldn’t suspect anything.

She dropped a heavy sigh while washing, Jack had been looking irritated at her during the dinner, without saying a word to her. His message was clear, he wanted her to finish the request. But if he didn’t want Alice to know, he maybe should try to act normal. Instead of going to the library without a word directly after he was done eating.

Of course he needed to think about how to cover up the money he was losing at Ellen's work, but it could have been done in a smother way.

“Ellen, can you please start to warm up the water for the bath?”

The bath was more or less the same as last time. Alice had already decided that she once again would wash Ellen’s back, which she accepted without even trying to avoid it. She after all owed Alice a lot after being taken cared of and the fact that she did cover up much for her. Most probably it was enough so she never ever could pay it of.

“Ellen, will you get to sleep in time today?”

It really was clear that Alice didn’t trust her at all but, of course, who would do it after seeing how bad she acted since Jack gave her the deadline.

“I think I will.”

It maybe would do her well if she got a good night's sleep. At least it couldn’t do it any worse, not more then that she lost a couple of hours work.

She could hear Alice giggling from behind her,” That sounds great.”

“Ellen, about the work you do. Have you been thinking about the forms of the cogs?”

Of course she had, or she had at least giving it a small thought.

“If I push my fist against your back, you feel it, right?”

Alice pressed her fist against her sisters back and she could clearly feel the whole thing.

What was she up to, what should happen next. Was she about to hit her in the back?

“If I push my finger against your back you feel that to, right?”

Had Alice broken? What did she wanted to point out? Of course she felt that Alice pushed her finger against her back. Where there a reason why she wouldn’t feel that?

“You feel it even if I said that I am pushing less now then before?”

Yes?

“Do you think the form of propeller at the cog can affect how much it... purifies?”

Ellen started to understand where Alice wanted to tell. If the propeller of the purifying gear was the fist, it needs to push more to feel it. But if the propeller was like a finger, it could push less and yet be felt. Because it was a smaller area it connected with. Maybe it could help to purify the crystals, a part at a time.

“Do you think it could work Alice?”

Alice wasn’t sure, but did drag up what Taija had said about a small hole in the textile. Which meant it a whole hand easily could get through there if it started with a hole and a finger. Or, as Alice thought, and cone formed object.

That maybe could solve the problems, a cone formed propeller.

She had to make sure to talk about that with Chris. He had after all tried to help her as much he have been able to. Maybe he also know how to get a propeller like that?

“I hope it does, of course I don’t know since it isn’t my area of expertise.”

Alice went on cleaning her back, silently humming something unclear. Whatever it was about, she seemed to be happy. Maybe the “princess” praised herself for the idea, which of course she could do. Alice had come up with an idea that Ellen wouldn’t have found out on her own.

“Will you go to Chris's shop tomorrow?”

Ellen had been thinking about it, but was still hesitating since it wasn’t a free day. She had already made Alice cover up enough for her.

“Pardon me, I mean. You will go to Chris's shop tomorrow, the earlier the better.”

Ellen was surprised, was the “princess” a person to order her around.

“You will help me clean until I say otherwise. Then you will go to Chris and talk through the idea, maybe also get a real chance to solve it. So maybe you can help me with the cleaning later on, WITHOUT spacing out.”

Was that what she wanted? Was it just about that she wanted Ellen to get the request done, so she could start helping Alice with the cleaning again?

After remembering how intensive she had cursed that Alice was sick, it was clear that Alice would wish for that. It was a real pain to clean alone.

Almost instinctively Ellen started to walk toward the workshop. If it wouldn’t been that Alice grabbed her to drag her to the room, she had probably ended up in the workshop for the rest of the night.

Ellen found it easier to clean than the other days, maybe because she really was in debt to Alice now or maybe because she knew she could have an answer to the impossible task.

She however noticed how she seemed to surprise Alice, that almost didn’t even need to tell her what to do.

Ellen wouldn’t be able to deny herself that she felt very proud. She hadn’t done this well in a long time, or maybe ever.

The cleaning was done faster then usually and it didn’t took Alice long to tell her to get her stuff and leave.

Almost like last time Alice sent her to Chris, Ellen more or less ran to change cloths and grabbing a purifying gear and the money before leaving. Believing this could be the end of the horrific task.

If all future tasks was this complicated, then maybe she need to think through if she really should work with this. It was far more stressful then she ever could have thought.

For the second time since she got the request, she ran into Chris's shop screaming.

“Chris I need your help again.”

Once again he made a jump by the surprise, “Can you please stop doing that as long you ain’t dying?”

Against her will Ellen had to calm down for Chris to even listen to her. Finally calm she told him the idea Alice had come up with. He had never heard of an idea like that before, but it didn’t sound like an idea of a madman. It maybe could work, if they had the right tools that were.

“ Ain’t you knowing anyone that sells parts like that?”

Chris gave it some serious thoughts, “I don’t know anyone that sells parts like that, but I know a person that maybe can create parts like that.”

Someone that could create parts like that, wasn’t that both really difficult and expensive? And to begin with, did it really exciting people that made custom-made gears?

“ I can take you there and help you make an order.”

The left Chris's shop and headed toward the marketplace.

Ellen was nagging the whole time with the question if it would be expensive, of which Chris tried to tell her that it wouldn’t be that expensive. Still she couldn’t help but to worry the price.

When they had passed the marketplace they came to a shopping area Ellen never visited before.

Just by arriving there it was clear what it was for kind of shops there. All signs signified what they was working with, and it only seemed to be different crafts.

She found it very interesting that they all had gathered at this street. But still she didn’t had the time to think about that now. She could come back anytime, now she needed to think about the help she was offered to solve the task she was given.

Chris lead her into a shop that had a gear and a hammer at the sign.

Just by telling from the sign, it didn’t seem to be an exclusive shop. Which was good since she already had spend a small part of the budget she got from her Jack.

“Good day Angela, Where have you buried your father today?”

It stood a girl behind the counter, or rather a half dragon. She looked irritated at Chris with her red eyes, “He isn’t buried, and he is only here in the other room.”

She turned and looked at Ellen, moving some of her long and green hair. Cracking a small smile, “Do we have a new customer?”

Ellen took a step forward and curtsy to her, gently presented herself.

Angela broke out in a giggles, and soon after that a laughter from the room behind the counter could be heard.

“There is no need for you to be that formal Ellen.”

She just had ended her sentence when Chris pointed that out, and the person that had laughed in the other room came in.

“That’s is right, you don’t need to be formal at all here.”

That man was also part dragon. A bald, muscular dragon that looked to be a little shorter than Chris.

“Good day Sour, are you still alive enough to work?”

“As long I ain’t buried, I am alive enough to work.”

Ellen looked wondering at the men, but soon turned to the girl.

“As I said, you don’t need to be as formal as you are. As long you ain’t informal like them.”

Ellen nicked understanding as answer. It was most probably only in this company she ever would get away acting like that. In other companies she would probably ended up both hanged and burned.

“So what do little miss need help with?”

Chris seemed to have told him that it was Ellen that needed his help.

She slowly started to talk about to build a cone formed propeller for a purifying gear for a work.

Just like when she had told Chris about it he looked surprised, neither of them seemed to have heard about it before.

“ To start with, I did forgot to present myself. I am Sour, the owner of the shop.”

After a quick greeting he was on it again,” That propeller you want, shall it be in one piece or so you can build it after need yourself?”

Ellen didn’t know what was best. It could be a good thing if it was in once piece, but it was bad if it needed any changes later on. If it in parts it was easier to lose or break a single part, even if it was good that she could make small changes.

“She will have it in pieces since she still might need to do changes.”

Chris spoke up for her. Probably for the best since she didn’t know herself.

“You know that it will be expensive, right.”

That was just what Ellen had been fearing, yet Chris had told her not to worry.

“Sour, you greedy bastard. Do you remember that you owe me seven golds? We can cross that out if you wish.”

“Then you will get the parts for three gold.”

Ellen lost her breath for a second. If Sour was owning Chris seven gold and it still costs three gold, it mean it would have cost her ten gold. And even worse, why did Chris put out money on her. No less then seven gold.

She looked terrified at Chris, that only meet her with a smile.

“ See it like I am investing money at a future cog technician.”

She wasn’t satisfied with his answer, “Then it would only be fair that I work for you to make sure you get your money back.”

“Then you can tell me when you are done with this work and are ready to work again. So will I use your body from time to time.”

He burst out in laughter when he saw Ellen's surprised and shocked face. Use her body from time to time, wasn’t that a really bad way to say that he would take help from her with some works? As he expressed it, it sounded more like he would use her body for his own satisfaction. And that was only something she ever would allow Jack to do.

“Father, I do think your boyfriend are trying to cheat on you.”

Ellen looked even more surprised at Angela, boyfriend? Father and boyfriend? Didn’t that meant that Chris and Sour would be a pair?

“We ain’t even a couple, right Chris?”

Chris burst out in a laughter, “Not a chance. I prefer girl and not dirty old men.”

Soon all except Ellen was laughing, was that they kind of joke they could make in this group?

“But anyway, you wish it in pieces? Is there A special day you want it done to?”

Sour seemed to have gotten back in business mode. Just how quick could that person's mood change?

“If you can make it today, I will reward you with a kiss.”

Once again they seemed to be at it, If it only was that they were joking. If they was joking, they sure did put a lot of fake emotions into it. Which made it really difficult for her to tell.

Both Chris and Sour left to finish her request. As Ellen did understand it, they had worked together a couple of time when they had been owning each other money.

Ellen had been left alone with Angela, that still stood behind the counter.

“So, what are you working at?”

She was curious at Ellen's work, but it turned out to be because she aimed to be a gear smith like Sour. If Ellen was lucky, she maybe could do deals with Angela instead of Sour later on. She did seem to be a more serious person than her father.

The two girls talked a little about work, but mostly about their everyday life.

Ellen found herself really enjoying talking with her newfound friend, but the talk only lasted until Chris and Sour came back.

For being a complicated request, they seemed to finished it very fast.

“You gear parts are in the box.”

Sour walked to the counter, pushing Angela aside and looked greedy at Ellen.

After a light sigh Ellen walked up to the counter, it was no need for her to take him or anything he did serious.

After Ellen had paid the three gold they thanked greatly before leaving. Both if them seemed to have things to do.

Ellen felt she needed to get home as soon she could to try the idea out. The faster she finished Jack's request, the sooner she could stop the threat to get thrown out at the street. And the faster could Alice stop covering up for her.

Ellen had started put together the propeller she bought from Sour.

It was simple to put together and change. He had done a really good job, so she really needed to thank both him and Chris next time she meet them.

Ellen was checking over the last things before testing her new kind of purifying gear when someone knocked at the door. Just as Ellen thought it was Alice that came down to see how she was doing. Alice had curiously greeted her when returning home and wondered how it had gone. Ellen had told her that she had got the things she needed, and even offered her to join when it was time to try it.

The idea was after all Alice's from the beginning, so it was the least thing she could do for her.

Not to mention that Alice also had offered herself to bring some food to the workshop.

“I hope it work.”

It felt like Alice tried to bring them unfortunate, otherwise she wouldn’t have expressed it like that. Not like Ellen was sure that it would work out as they wished, but at least she didn’t say anything like that.

Ellen took a deep breath and wished for it to work before giving it a try.

It started out just fine, but soon a clinking noise began. Ellen ran to stop the spring from charging up again, she couldn’t afford if anything was about to break.

As soon the gear had stopped spinning Ellen began to investigate what could have happened.

Alice stood behind and wondered that had happened, seriously worried if anything had gone wrong.

All Ellen could find in the end was a small glass like lump. A closer examination of it began as Ellen had taken it to another table. The lump seemed to be porous enough to break into a powder if it was dragged against the table. Could this thing be a part of the crystal?

Ellen frantically walked over to the machine to take a look at the crystal, which had become more clear. Maybe this could be this, maybe the problem could have been solved.

“ I will give this another try.”

Alice didn’t seem to follow what just happened.

After lowering the speed she gave it another try, with almost the same result. The lump was bigger this time, but the crystal was more misty.

Ellen explained what she thought those lumps was the impurities in the crystal. But it was no way for her to know, so she could only document the speed and which number at the box the result was in.

That way Jack and the other could tell her which result they wished for.

This meant she soon had completed the horrible task, and that meant she soon could go back to her normal routines. Maybe even forgetting that it is a drug she is making stronger to avoid getting the whole family out at the street.

“Ellen, don’t you think it smells?”

If it as the same smell as the other experiments, Ellen had gotten use to it after all the time she spent in the workshop. So it was only natural that Alice would notice everything that Ellen had gotten use to.

According to Jack she had finally made some processes, and he wanted Ellen to try all different speeds she could to get the best result.

Ellen could finally calm down and do her normal routines during the day. Then at the evening she tried the different speeds.

It probably wouldn’t take her long to finish the request.