Noctus lounged against the doorframe, immaculately dressed in a silk shirt and form-fitting leather pants. His platinum-white blond hair was pulled back from his face and he wore a smirk on his lips that showed off a hint of fang.

The vampire took a few steps forward, his movement graceful and deliberate as he surveyed the room with a sharp eye, taking in every detail. His gaze settled on each of the people present, lingering on them for the briefest moment before moving on.

“Aren’t you supposed to be in Caruan?” I demanded planting my hands on my hips. “What are you doing here?”

Noctus' face grew taut, his gaze sparking with a menacing glint. "Something came up," he answered in a terse tone. "All of you out," he said, directing his words at the guildsmen and sweeping his arm towards the door.

Rainy hesitated for a moment before leaving out of the room, following the members of Roswyn’s hunting team.

Once everyone was gone, Noctus and I stood alone in the room, the silence hanging in the air.

“What’s going on?” I asked, watching the vampire as he inspected the materials stacked up on the benchtop.

"Darius and his group encountered a large contingent of fighters from Dreadmere on their jaunt to Rivera," he said grimly, his usual playful flirtations missing.

I cursed under my breath. "Were they killed?"

"Yes," he replied, "but Darius and Roan were able to break the revival tokens so that they wouldn't keep getting killed." He paused for a moment before adding, "It was a close call. If they didn't break the tokens, they would have kept respawning in the same location for Dreadmere to slaughter them each time."

My thoughts raced as I tried to take in all the information. "This is my fault," I whispered. “If I didn’t stir things up opening the temple-”

"Don't blame yourself," he said, cutting me off. "You did the best you could in a difficult situation. Dreadmere started this."

"I know, but I still feel like I'm at fault," I said.

"We've been at war with Dreadmere before, Kads. This isn't our first dispute with them." He shook his head. "They're like cockroaches, they keep coming back no matter how many times you stomp on them."

"Where did Darius and the others revive? And what happened to my wagons?"

"They ended up at the altar in Rivera, as it was the closest one. Darius has decided to take the portal back to Valonia after dealing with business in Rivera. Markion and Corvus managed to kill the Hydra, which means we have a good chance at getting back into Valonia. As for the wagons, you should check if they returned to you."

I nodded, feeling relieved. Then I opened my bag and found the crystalline figures of my wagons inside. "They're here." I said with a sigh. "I think I'll leave them like this for now to save on storage space."

Noctus nodded. "That is wise," he said. "However I suggest you keep the mana crystals needed to restore them on hand, in case you need them."

"Good idea," I said with a nod. "Speaking of things I need- what about the items Darius was meant to be getting from Rivera?"

Noctus shook his head with a wry smile. "Yuki will be passing Rivera on her way here and will collect them for you. Don't worry, Kads, you'll get your things."

"Good," I said as my gaze bore into the vampire. "Why didn't Darius just talk to me through prayer? After all, he is the leader of a guild sworn to Tris."

Noctus appeared to hesitate for a moment, his brow creased in thought. "Can we pray to you?" He paused before continuing. "I was under the impression that was only for disciples."

Rolling my eyes, I reminded him that the guild was a vassal and Darius its leader. "Darius is the equivalent of a priest and his disciples are the guild members," I added.

A wicked smile curved over Noctus’s lips. "Can I pray to you then?"

"Absolutely not," I declared firmly. "Only my chosen disciples and clergy members can speak to me in prayer. Which you are not."

Noctus seemed to be holding back a laugh as he gave a sorrowful expression. "But I'm the co-leader of the guild. Don't I count for anything?"

I shook my head. "Not at all," I replied. "But you think of all the fun you'll have being able to talk directly into Darius's head."

Noctus grinned. "Can he block me?"

"Yes," I laughed. "He will be able to sense you're calling and can choose to either ignore it or answer."

"Interesting," Noctus said, the mischievous glint returning to his eyes.

Folding my arms over my chest, I gave him an amused look. "Don't bother him too much, Noctus," I warned. "He can retaliate."

Noctus nodded in agreement. "Yes, I'm sure he can," he said with a grin.

"You still haven't told me the real reason you're here, Noctus," I said, changing the subject. "Yuki could have told me about Darius when she arrived or another messenger could have been sent."

He chuckled and nodded his head in agreement. "That was only part of the reason I came. I'm also here on behalf of the Whispers guild. Van has a request for you."

"What do they need?" I asked, arching a brow.

Noctus gave me a wry smile, his usual playful attitude returning. "They need your text copying array and for you to teach some of the Whisper's how to use it."

"Er- okay?" I said, a bit taken aback. Although I was taken aback by their request, the guild's need for a text copying array made perfect sense due to the nature of the guild. They dealt in information, so being able to duplicate texts would be incredibly helpful. "What is Van offering?"

"The Whisper's guild is offering you publishing space in The Whisper’s Scroll.” Noctus said, referring to the popular newspaper created by the Whisper's guild. The newspaper fused Earthly news with Kaledon world updates, details on dungeons, hunting locales and other additional topics of interest.

I nodded thoughtfully and considered his offer for a few moments. "How much space and how often?" I asked, gauging the offer.

Noctus seemed pleased that I was thinking it over. "Van is offering you one full page in the paper, twice a month." he replied confidently. "You will also be given an advertisement slot in each issue of the paper to promote any product, service or special offers you may have."

"The paper is released once a week, isn't it?" I asked, feeling more confident in my decision. "That means I'll be able to get two full pages and four advertisement slots a month."

Noctus nodded in agreement. "On top of that, you'll get a discount on any additional slots and be warned about any content that may affect you or the temple, with the right to veto stories about those subjects."

"They're using Letterpress printing, aren't they?" I asked. The process of Letterpress printing was an archaic technique that used metal or wood blocks to imprint text and images onto paper. It was a slow process and I could see why the text copying array would appeal to the guild.

Noctus nodded in response.

“It’s an interesting offer," I said after thinking it through. "But what is Eternia getting out of this? You wouldn't be here if Van wasn't offering something for the guild."

Noctus grinned. "I can assure you that Eternia will be getting a great deal out of this partnership. Convincing you to assist is simply part of our end of the bargain."

Letting out a soft laugh, I shook my head. "Those using the copying array will need to become transmutation disciples in order to use it," I said, making sure he was aware of what was expected of them. "I will accept three people, but they will need to spend at least two weeks studying under Brodel in the temple."

Noctus cocked a brow. "That's generous of you, Kadia. I'm sure they will be thrilled to receive such an education." He said with a smile.

I waved away his words. "Generosity goes both ways" I replied, shooting him a playful smirk. "The Whisper's are useful allies, and I'm sure this will be beneficial for both of us."

Noctus nodded in agreement, the corners of his eyes crinkled in amusement. "You're right about that," he said with a laugh. "It sounds like we have a deal then. I will tell Van to send his chosen guild members to the temple."

"Was there anything else?" I asked, raising a brow. "Or is that it?"

Noctus shook his head. "That's it for now," he said, pushing himself up from his chair. "Oh, and one more thing," he added, turning back to me with a smirk. "I'll be staying in the area for a while. Bron has matters handled in Caruan and with Darius heading to Valonia, we decided it would be best if I stayed to keep an eye on things here."

I groaned in mock exasperation. "Oh, great," I said sarcastically.

Noctus let out a laugh, his eyes dancing with amusement. "I'll be in Bovia and some surrounding towns for the most part. Networking and the like."

"I'm sure," I said, not bothering to hide my skepticism. "Just keep your 'networking' out of my temple, okay? I don't want drama because you've been flirting with the disciples.”

Noctus chuckled. "No promises," he said, with a sly smile on his face. Then, the teasing in his eyes fading away, he gave me an earnest look. "You need to be on your guard, Kadia, even inside the temple. The Dreadmere guildsmen who killed Darius weren't far from here. I will be scouting around, keeping track of their movements, but do your best to stay vigilant—you never know when someone is going to pop out of the shadows and slit your throat." His tone was serious, but his amiable smirk softened the warning.

I nodded in agreement, giving him a half-smile. "I'll be careful," I replied softly. "Your room is the same as last time. If you need anything, just let me know. Please don't simply steal it."

Noctus smiled. "I make no promises," he said, his eyes filled with mischief. He tipped his head in a farewell gesture and then turned toward the door, leaving me alone with my thoughts.

I let out a sigh and shook my head, sinking into a chair to ponder over all that had been discussed.

Perhaps it was time to speed up some of the projects around the temple. We needed to get the wall built and strengthen our defense. The Pyrthirío inhabiting the mountain might serve as a deterrent for some, but it wouldn't be enough.

I needed to find some way to increase our defenses and do it quickly. My intention had been to use the book Tris provided and create golems to act as guards, but I didn't have enough resources to create the advanced golems or automatons. Which meant I was going to have to get creative.

Automatons would be preferable, as they could perform tedious tasks and follow instructions without faltering, but golems would still be a useful tool. In comparison to Automatons, they were fairly simple to create and would only require basic components.

Taking a deep breath, I opened the book Dummies for Dummies and began studying what would be needed in order to make a basic golem. It didn't need to be perfect, it didn't even need to be able to fight.

So long as the golems were capable of basic movement, I could give the illusion that we were well fortified. That would be enough to ward off any potential attackers, at least for now.

As I read through the book, searching for the answers I needed, my plan began to take shape. It wasn't going to be easy, but with some resourcefulness and a little bit of luck I could make it work.

I had lost all sense of time as I worked on the task before me. The desk was a veritable mountain of paperwork and books, my fingers stained with ink from the pen I had been using for hours on end. My body was exhausted and my stomach ached with hunger - yet still I pushed forward, determined to make sense of the notes I had taken.

I stared at the information compiled before me, trying to mentally interpret the information I'd collected on golems and the components needed. The first step in the process was to obtain a mana core of a creature, which provided the necessary energy for the golem. After that would come the clay—a special type of clay composed of five ingredients; Alcianite, Quorite, Galtean and Solomite. Each of these had to be collected and pulverized, then mixed together with water in order to create the clay.

Once I had obtained all of these components, I then needed to craft several transmutation arrays that powered and controlled the golem using an alloy made from Kalitherium ore and Arcanium crystal. These arrays would be shaped into metal rings that would be encased in the clay and be what made the golem move.

Combining all of these ingredients was an art form in itself, with each component having to be in the right amount and combined correctly. This was the reason why so few people had been able to create golems, as it took skill in both alchemy and transmutation, along with the knowledge to do it properly.

"Alcianite, Quorite, Galtean, Solomite and Kalitherium ore," I said to myself as I made a checklist of the ingredients needed. My fingers moved quickly, scribbling down notes and ideas as I thought of ways to get the items I needed.

The Kalitherium ore was something my brother asked me to get for him from the Almer mines, and I was pretty sure the other items could be found in the mines as well. However, I was faced with a big issue. The main entrance to the mines was located in Airus, a city I was on bad terms with.

I sighed, feeling a wave of frustration wash over me. Darius was going to purchase what he could in Rivera, but it would be at least three weeks before Yuki arrived with the supplies. I needed something sooner, but how?

I leaned back in my chair and closed my eyes, trying to think of a solution. Offering a quest was the simplest option, but I didn't know which of the direct disciples were in Airus nor did I trust them to complete the task in a timely manner. Not many of my direct disciples had heeded the summons to come to the temple, so I had begun slowly replacing them. Tris told me he didn't care about the identity of the fifty disciples, so long as their number remained consistent. They didn't even need to be bound to me directly, as the disciples Brodel and Meissa guided were also included in the quota.

Suddenly an idea struck me, and I quickly opened my eyes. The agreement with the Whisper's guild was exactly what I needed. I would use the advertising space they offered to acquire the resources. My mouth curved into a smile as the details started forming in my mind. I had a plan, and now all I needed was to bring it into fruition.

After taking a moment to contact Kip, I was able to find out the market price of each item. Kalitherium ore was by far the most expensive, costing fifteen hundred gold coins per kilogram. Alcianite followed, coming in at eight hundred and fifty gold coins per kilogram. Quorite, Galtean and Solomite were cheaper, all costing around hundred gold coins per kilogram.

My next issue was gold. I had plenty of it, but I didn't want to spend it given the large sum I'd need to acquire all the ingredients. That's why I decided upon the idea of using potions and temple contribution points as a form of payment instead. I would use Kip as my outlet as previously agreed, with him accepting the resources and exchanging them for points which could be used to buy items in his store.

"This will need to be more than a simple advertisement, though," I said to myself with a thoughtful hum. It was going to require a bit more work, but it was worth it if it meant getting all the ingredients in time. "I'll do a full page promotion, something that will get people's attention and explain the process of the points. It also needs room for me to list the kinds of items we need along with what is on offer in exchange."

Kip and I discussed how to make the advertisement effective and eventually we decided on a strategy. It would take time for this plan to properly come into effect but I was confident that it would work. However, it didn't quite solve my short term issue.

My publishing space in the newspaper wouldn't be available until after I fulfilled my end of the bargain and Kip also needed time to get his store ready. In addition, I needed to make certain that the temple would be able to provide the items for redemption. It was a move in the right direction but I still needed something to help tide me over until then.

Gazing thoughtfully out the window, I saw a temple glimmering between the clouds on the opposing mountain peak.

"Icarus." Smiling to myself, I grabbed my pen and fresh piece of parchment, eager to start drafting the letter. I would ask Icarus if he could help facilitate my purchase of the items I needed in exchange for items from my temple. Hopefully, this would provide me with a more immediate solution and the resources I needed.

Once the ink had dried, I skimmed over the letter and sighed. How was I going to get this letter to Icarus? It would take ages for anyone here to reach the temple, and I doubted Tris would give me a power boost just so I could run over and deliver a letter.

My gaze drifted to the crow napping on the bookshelf. "Zosimos," I called softly. He stirred in response, slowly blinking his dark beady eyes. "Would you be willing to take this letter for me?"

He stared back at me, unblinking. Then, he hopped down from the shelf and peeked at the parchment. "Caw."

"It's a little big, isn't it?" I mused, staring at the rolled up scroll. "Ah, I know."

Humming under my breath, I carefully unfolded the scroll and began meticulously folding it into an origami square; each fold reducing its size until eventually, it was small enough for Zosimos to pick up in his beak.

"There," I smiled, satisfied with my work. "All ready to go." I opened the window, allowing a gust of cold air to rush into the room. Zosimos hopped onto the window sill, squeaked a muffled goodbye, then flew away towards Icarus' temple, clutching the tiny origami square tightly in his beak.

I watched until Zosimos was just a small dot in the sky, then I shut the window and returned to my desk, hoping that with a bit of luck, I would have what I needed soon enough.

Before I could pick up one of the discarded books and return to my research, there was a knock at the door. "Enter!" I called out.

The door creaked open, and in stepped a figure dressed in purple and gold robes. "Brodel," I said, inclining my head in his direction.

"High Priestess," he said bowing before me.

I welcomed him inside with a warm smile, indicating towards one of the chairs positioned in front of my desk. "Please sit down." I said, taking a moment to observe him or rather the human guise he wore.

Brodel appeared to be an old man in his late seventies or perhaps early eighties, he was also bald with a white beard and gray eyes that seemed to have seen too much in his life. "Do you merely wear the appearance of an old man, or are you one in truth?" I asked before I could stop myself.

Brodel smiled, and I felt a little embarrassed at my lack of tact. He sat down in the chair opposite me as he responded. "I am what I appear to be, High Priestess." He said. "I am an old man who has lived a long life and seen much of this world."

"I am honored that you have chosen to offer the temple your wisdom and experience," I said, regaining my composure.

Brodel nodded in acknowledgement. "It is the least I can do for our people," he said. "Our ways have been lost to time, very few of our race continue to walk the path. I hope that with your guidance, the kitsune race can be restored to its former glory."

I nodded solemnly before changing the subject. "I called you because I wish to discuss the future of this temple," I began. "In particular, I need your help with a very important task - building a wall around the grounds of the temple."

Brodel raised an eyebrow in surprise, and I quickly explained my reasoning. "I believe this is necessary for the safety of the temple and its disciples," I said, pausing to gauge his response before continuing. "After the incident in Airus, there are those who might seek to cause us harm, and I wish to ensure that the temple is safe from any threat of danger. This wall will be part of the plans to fortify our defenses."

"I see," Brodel said thoughtfully. "As a master of transmutation magic, I can certainly help with this task. What size wall were you thinking?"

"I was thinking of a wall wide enough to walk along and some observation towers that would provide shelter for the guards," I said, pleased that he was willing to help. "As for height, I was thinking a wall that is at least three stories tall should suffice."

Brodel nodded in agreement. "That should be more than enough to ward off any potential threats. After the needed preparations, I can easily create a wall that meets your specifications, and I can also create any additional defensive structures that you may require."

I smiled in relief. "How long will it take you to complete this task?" I asked, eager to begin work on the wall as soon as possible.

"It should not take more than a few hours," Brodel replied. "The building of the wall itself will be completed in a matter of minutes, however I need time to prepare the arrays."

"Understandable," I said, giving him a smile. "Please let me know if there is anything you require during this process."

"If that is all, I shall take my leave to start the task," he declared. As he went to rise from his seat, I motioned towards the book on my desk.

"Before you go Brodel," I said, "take a look at this book." I pushed it across the desk towards him. "Are you familiar with it?"

Brodel took a moment to read over the title of the book,"Dummies for Dummies." His brows creased. "An interesting title," he said. "No, I am not familiar with this book. What does it pertain to?”

"It details the process of making golems, automatons and alchemical constructs," I explained.

Brodel nodded slowly, taking in the information before opening the book and examining its contents. "These are-" his voice trailed off as he continued to investigate the book. After a few moments of silence, he looked up at me and said, "High Priestess, these arrays are incredibly complex and require a great deal of skill. As does the transmutation of the Kalitherium alloy, it is a very stubborn metal that resists change; be it magical or otherwise."

I nodded my head. "Yes," I said calmly. "It is a difficult process, one that requires not only skill and knowledge but also patience."

The priest stroked a hand over his beard. "It may be possible for me to aid you," he offered, "but I believe this might be best suited to another. Someone younger and better able to dedicate their time to the task. My duties here at the temple take up a good portion of my time."

I leaned back in my chair, considering his words. "Perhaps you are right," I replied after a moment of thought. "Do you have someone in mind?"

Brodel gave a thoughtful smile. "I suggest Nadir, my direct disciple," he said, his voice filled with pride. "He has a natural affinity for transmutation, and I am certain that this task will prove to be an interesting challenge for him."

"I am familiar with Nadir, he seems like an excellent choice," I said with a nod. "Will you send him to me?"

"Of course," Brodel said, rising from his seat. "I will call on him right away." He bowed his head to me before turning and walking out of the room, the door shutting quietly behind him.

I turned my attention back to the book, my mind already whirring with ideas for the creation of the golem and the complex transmutation arrays.

It did not take long for Brodel to return, this time accompanied by Nadir. As with the last time I saw him, he wore a purple tunic donned with transmutation arrays on the sleeves, and his shoulder length dark hair was pulled back into a neat bun.

I waved them both over, greeting Nadir with a warm smile.

Brodel stepped aside and gestured towards me. "High Priestess Kadia, I present to you Nadir, my most promising disciple."

Nadir bowed his head politely. "It is an honor to be here," he said in a respectful tone.

"It is an honor to have you," I replied, motioning for them to take a seat. "Nadir, I have a task for you that I believe will be well suited for your skill set. Are you familiar with golems?"

Nadir got a thoughtful look on his face. "Yes, I am familiar with the concept of golems, but not in the present world," he said.

I smiled, pleased at his response and pushed the book towards him.

Nadir glanced down at the title before looking back up at me. "Dummies for Dummies?" his lips twitched in amusement and I could see he was struggling not to laugh.

"Yes," I said with a smile. "It's an interesting title, isn't it? However, despite the humorous title, the author puts great detail into describing the process of creating golems, automatons and alchemical constructs."

"And you're planning on creating such constructs?" he asked, looking somewhat intrigued.

I nodded my head in confirmation and smiled. "Yes, I am, and I am looking for someone to assist me with the project. As with Brodel, my time is limited due to the duties I have as high priestess. Brodel has recommended you as a suitable candidate to take on this project alongside me."

Nadir nodded thoughtfully, rubbing his chin in contemplation. "I am intrigued by the idea, golems and such are an interesting concept, and one I would love to learn more about. If you deem me suitable for the task then I humbly accept," he said with a warm smile.

"Wonderful," I said with a smile of my own. "You can keep this copy of the book and I'll make copies of my notes for you to look over, which you can collect later. I am still waiting on some supplies before we start experimenting with making a golem - so take this time to read up on the subject and familiarize yourself."

Nadir nodded, tucking the book under his arm. "I'll get right to it," he said before following Brodel out of the room.

Once they were gone, I leaned back in my chair and closed my eyes. Now, I just had to hope that Icarus would come through with the goods. He was my best chance in getting the necessary supplies to complete this project in a timely manner.

I opened my eyes and sighed, turning my attention back to the loose papers strewn before me and began organizing them into some semblance of order so I could use the text copying array to convert them into a notebook.

"Notes, food, then sleep," I muttered to myself, setting about the task with a yawn. Lately, it felt like I was perpetually exhausted, no matter how much I slept or how many rejuvenating concoctions I drank, it was like my brain had to work twice as hard just to keep up with everything.

My mind was in a constant fog, but I was determined to work through my struggles and keep going. I wouldn't let anyone see me falter, especially not Marcus.

My brother had an uncanny ability to see through my walls, so I was desperate not to reveal what lay beneath my facade; I couldn't expose how fragile my spirit had become. I had to stay strong and keep my head up, even when everything seemed to be crumbling down.