Verdan spent the rest of his day of rest designing the magi-tech device that would detect if someone could channel Essence.

Ironically, the Word of Power he ended up using as a test was Hyn, the same one that had put him in that position to begin with.

The schematic for the physical side was sent to Elliot to work on, leaving Verdan to while away the last few hours with some general thoughts and notes on the changes in magic he’d seen.

When it did come time to sleep, Verdan felt the siren’s call to stay awake and work through the night, but he recognised it for what it was now.

Ignoring it and doing his best to sleep instead, Verdan lay awake on his bed, staring at the ceiling with tired, burning eyes. He was exhausted, but he just couldn’t sleep.

Verdan wasn’t sure how long he lay there, fighting with himself not to cast his energy spell and feel that rush of Aether clearing his mind and body.

Eventually, he gave in, though not wholly.

Natalia had left him with a fresh bottle of her sleeping draught that would send him to sleep but still let him dream. It had a comforting smell of lavender and mint that filled his mind as it went to work, soothing him down into the depths of sleep.

-**-

Verdan woke feeling tired the next day, though it felt like natural tiredness and not the bone-aching weariness that had been creeping up on him recently.

His single day of rest, such as it had been, was all that Verdan would allow himself, though he was oddly reluctant to move back into the mansion.

Making sure to keep himself on track, Verdan checked in with his various companions to see what had happened while he was away.

Elliot was hard at work with the new device but had ensured that the enchanting machine was delivered and installed in one of the three large below-ground storage areas the workshop had.

Thankfully, the design was intuitive enough that Kai and the others had already started working with it. The handle’s draining feature made it so non-Sorcerers could do a few here and there to start building up numbers.

Unfortunately, the Essence Sorcerers wielded was incompatible with such a generic construct, which meant that Verdan’s guards were picking up the brunt of working the machine.

Pawel seemed particularly excited about the whole thing, however, and now only carried enchanted bolts for his crossbow, which wasn’t a bad thing.

The shield breaker enchantment would work best against magical defences, but some of the intent would bleed through against mundane ones as well. Verdan pitied the person to try and hide behind a shield against one of those bolts.

New glassware, with the signature blue tint of local work, arrived later in the day. The glassblowers were still just starting to get going, but Councillor Varen had ordered that Verdan’s needs be met first and foremost.

Councillor Lessa followed suit with the blacksmiths of the city, and alongside the glass, they received a cart full of freshly made arrows and bolts.

It was a welcome show of support from the City Council, and it eased Verdan’s mind about some of the material problems they were having.

Verdan finished the day by returning to visit Natalia and having their third healing session. He made sure to focus on healing the areas he’d already cleared before working outward and removing a number of the more entrenched pockets of foreign Aether.

It was hard work, but Verdan was pleased to see that the number of the nastier-looking burns and scars on her arms and face were reduced somewhat. They were still there, of course, but they looked a lot less painful for her.

With the healing done, Verdan lingered for a time, enjoying some of the tea Tobias had sent with her as he answered some of her questions about the Imperium.

Spending time with Natalia was pleasant, and it felt good to finally talk to someone about his past. It was surprisingly relieving, and when he did leave, his heart felt oddly light.

Making himself stop working and go to bed was a challenging experience for Verdan, and another hour was spent in a silent battle with himself, unable to sleep but unwilling to give in.

When he did sleep, the smell of lavender and mint helped carry him away.

-**-

Verdan woke the next day with little change to how he felt. He knew it wouldn’t be an easy process, though, so he went in search of a more mundane form of getting an energy boost.

Coffee.

Tea was more common in the area, but small amounts of coffee were available, and Verdan allowed himself to indulge. The deliciously warm drink was everything he needed right then, even if it wasn’t quite as good as a spell.

Verdan finished his mug quicker than he would have liked, so he made sure to slip Adrienne a few extra silver and asked her to make sure to buy more. If Verdan had his way, he’d be drinking a lot more of the stuff going forward.

With some of his tiredness banished for the moment, Verdan headed down to the storage room where the enchanting machine was housed.

The bolts and arrows the city had provided were stored next to the bulky machine, with an empty crate next to it for whatever was enchanted that day.

Sighing to himself, Verdan picked up the first bolt from the pile and slid it into place, pulling the lid closed as he did.

The Aether drain from the construct was quite efficient, impressively so considering the state Verdan had been in when he created it. Still, it worked even better when he actively supplied it with energy.

Satisfied with the passive function, Verdan portioned a moderate amount of his Aether and did just that, settling into the monotonous action as he got into a rhythm, enchanting bolt after bolt at a steady speed.

“Verdan, good to see you up and about,” Elliot’s deep voice startled Verdan out of his thoughts. “How are you feeling?”

“Sorry, you made me jump,” Verdan said, tossing the latest of the enchanted bolts into the crate before turning to face Elliot as he approached. “Much better, thank you.”

“Good, I’m glad. We need you in good shape,” Elliot said, holding out a small canvas bag for Verdan to take. “Here, I brought you this as you asked.”

“Hmm?” Verdan took the bag and looked inside, his interest sparking as he saw the first model of his Essence-testing device. “Excellent, thank you, Elliot!”

“Oh, that’s a big reaction for such a small thing. Is it useful?” Elliot asked, one thick brow arching in Verdan’s direction.

“Maybe. We’ll have to see if it works first,” Verdan said with a half-shrug. He knew full well that the first iteration of something was usually not the best.

“Well, let me know if you need me to make some more or alter that one at all,” Elliot said, hesitating a little before continuing. “I’d just like to say thank you again, as well. Everyone has followed your lead on how to treat me after what happened, and it’s been a while since I’ve felt so included. So, thank you.”

“Not at all; I’m glad they’re keeping an open mind with you,” Verdan said, placing the device back in the sack before giving Elliot a companionable slap on the shoulder. “Now, come on, let’s head back upstairs. I think I’ve been down here too long.”

“Well, it’s just before noon, if that helps,” Elliot said as they headed to the stairs.

“That’s enough for today, then,” Verdan said, rubbing his tired eyes as they headed upstairs toward the makeshift canteen.

Kai and Gwen were the only people inside when the two of them entered, and Verdan noted how close Gwen was leaning to the stoic Sorcerer, her hand on his arm as they discussed something.

However, what truly caught Verdan’s eye was the genuine smile on Kai’s face as he looked over at the Witch.

Verdan knew that Kai had been through a lot, even though he didn’t know any specifics, so seeing one of the Sorcerer’s rare smiles was good.

“Verdan, good timing; we need to talk to you,” Gwen called out as she spotted them. She subtly shifted away from Kai as she spoke, her cheeks ever so slightly flushed.

“Of course; what do you need?” Verdan asked, sitting opposite them, Elliot joining the group a moment later. While Verdan didn’t want to interrupt, he could also see that the moment had passed, and both Kai and Gwen were switching to a more serious posture.

“We’ve been talking about what to do next, and if you don’t have any objections, we’re going to head down to Miyaka forest tomorrow. It will take most of the day to get there, so we’ll camp outside and return the day after. The group we had in mind was us Witches, Kai, Pania and Pawel.”

“I don’t see any issue with that. I know that you’ve been waiting to go, and hopefully, it should help you understand spirits and that side of your magic.” Verdan replied, weighing the benefits against the risks in his mind.

“My concern is that we leave enough people here to deal with any problems that arise,” Kai said with a complicated expression.

“All of you being out of the city simultaneously is a risk, but I think it’s one we can justify,” Verdan said, drumming his fingers on the table thoughtfully. “It’s only two days, and the potential gains for the Witches are quite significant. While the spirit can’t affect the world outside of the forest, it’s strong enough for them to commune with easily, and once they learn the process, they may be able to contact any that are local to the city.”

“Will spirits really make that much of a difference?” Gwen asked curiously. “The one at my family’s home is old and powerful, but it still simply manages a ward.”

“A ward that has lasted for countless years and kept that glade in perfect condition, despite the encroaching Darjee and local wildlife,” Verdan pointed out. “That is only one use of a spirit’s power, but I’m no expert. The best way to find out more is to commune with one.”

“I understand, but this is still quite a risk. That being said, if we’re subtle about it, we can make it manageable,” Kai said with a hint of reluctance.

“Good, make your plans and let me know what you need from me,” Verdan said, the conversation ending as Adrienne came in with a tray of sandwiches for Gwen and Kai. The housekeeper fussed over Verdan’s appearance and the lack of food to go around before returning to get Henry to make more.

Verdan let himself simply sit and enjoy his lunch, forcing himself to take the time to relax after a whole morning of powering the enchanting machine.

It wasn’t so bad.