While there was no real day or night within Ewana, one would still be able to tell how the city cycled as if there were a sun overhead. Whoever controlled the power to the mana lights dimmed them when it was time for the night to set in and then brightened them in the mornings. It was artificial and Jake couldn’t quite tell how accurate it all was compared to the surface. However, his rest always felt long enough and the days were consistent in terms of length. Thus, as the crystals dimmed, his trained mind told him it was time to head home. But, today he didn’t budge. Jake sat at the edge of the water and stared out into the lake. His eyes didn’t focus on any point in particular. The crystal clear water provided plenty of things to stare at. Dozens of crystals embedded in the walls stuck out, shining beneath the surface.

Jake’s mind was just as unfocused as his sight. He couldn’t wrap his thoughts around why he had been accelerated to graduating from the Hall. He didn’t question Mur or what Mur had told him. Mur never lied so there was no reason to doubt him. Jake knew that when Mur said he fought against the Elders, Mur likely had nearly actually fought them in the literal sense. Thus, Jake believed that the change came from those Elders. Elders Jake had never seen, never felt. They were like masked puppeteers behind the scenes, playing with the toys beneath them. Someone certainly was at the head of this operation down here, but who? Jake needed someone to direct his irritation towards. Pointing his emotions at just a word, “Elders”, didn’t seem quite right. Unlike the Elders of his home village, these Elders existed only in name.

Picking up a rock, Jake twisted it within his fingers for a few moments as he racked his brain over what to do next. Nuro would come for him if he tried to play the bad child and ignore the order. Mur wouldn’t let him back into the Hall without violence. Leaving the village right now still wasn’t an option. Jake had more work to do here and more things to learn. Returning home was the goal and the highest task on his list but abandoning Ewana to its fate against the Maedra and that Maudrake wasn’t something he would be able to live with.

Sure, he’d forget about this place eventually. Until then, it would rot him from the inside out. He would worry and worry, look off in the direction of the ravine, and he would see shadows in his eyes. The decision to abandon this place and fight his way through their skilled guards would leave a hole in his heart. For more than just the reason that he could do something to make this place better, and safer. Jake was no hero but he wasn’t selfish enough to abandon people.

The sound of rocks scattering brought Jake back to the ground. He gripped the rock in his hand and, without magic, skipped it over the surface of the lake. It bounced four times before crashing with a splash. A fresh, familiar scent filled his nose as Yae sat down quietly beside him. She curled up there, knees to chest and arms hugging them tightly. She didn’t say anything and stared out towards the water. Jake felt his chest suddenly tighten. She was always so patient with him.

“They’re putting me on a team,” Jake mumbled. Yae nodded. “It’s a red team.” She nodded again, wordless. “Pharos Squad. Know anything about them?” Jake picked up another rock and skipped it. It only bounced twice.

“Pharos Squad is a well-known team. They’re a bunch of misfits but they do well in the tunnels. Lowest casualty rate but they aren’t seen in a good light,” Yae said. Her voice was soft and low as she spoke, a gentle tone compared to the heavy ringing of his thoughts.

“Why not?” Unable to occupy his mind even with basic conversation, he at least occupied his hands with skipping rocks. He threw one more into the water, and then immediately grabbed another. This one he held for a bit, twirling it in his fingers.

“They fight the Beasts directly and the Warriors call them glory hogs. They aren’t friendly to the other squads and tend to work independently. Even though they go into the tunnels, no one knows what they do beyond fighting the Beasts but they tend to go further than most other teams do.” Yae sighed and lay her cheek down on her knees, her eye staring at Jake as he listened.

From how Yae spoke, it seemed the Pharos squad wasn’t an ordinary team. A fair assessment after his fight in the Hall. Nuro had a lot of mana leaking out of him. The girl was a Rock-mage and she could use physical enchantments. Her weapons also had enchantments, which told Jake there was someone capable of that work somewhere. Though, without those enchantments, Talia was the better fighter. The girl, Pari, needed those enchantments just to keep up.

A good thing about the team was that, from what Yae shared, they fit his style and what he wanted. Freedom of movement. Lack of oversight. Direct action against the Maedra. They were a far cry from what Jake had heard about the Scout teams, if what Yae said was true of course.

“Sounds like I’m going to a difficult place,” Jake huffed as he chucked the rock in his hand into the water. It landed with a clap and disappeared beneath the surface. Jake sucked his teeth. Not even a single skip from that one.

“I think you’ll be okay…” She paused, reaching over to poke at him. “...but you’ll be tired on your first day if you sit out here all night.” Jake turned his head to stare at Yae. Her lips curled into a sheepish smile beneath his gaze. She was right. Sitting out by the lake, thinking over useless details until his mind went numb, was a good way to start the next day exhausted. Jake wasn’t about to argue with her over it either. He knew he would lose to that stare of hers.

“You know a lot about them,” he pointed out, getting to his feet. She held out a hand lazily in the air. Jake huffed and grabbed it, helping her up.

“Healers are expected to know about the top few squads at a minimum, just in case we have to go out with them,” Yae said with a giggle. She patted her butt and brushed off the dirt from her skirt before they began to walk back to the village. “I’ve never had to go out with any of the Red teams but my friends chatter about them a lot. Ren complains about her always being exhausted after her missions. I guess it’s tiring work.”

Honestly, Jake had forgotten that Yae worked as a healer for the scout teams. She was always hanging around Tul and Xul during their practice and a number of the scouts knew her, but because she never actually went out into the tunnels he tended to forget why she was able to walk so freely around the compound. Healers generally wore green bracelets and different clothes to stick out should someone need their assistance. Yae never wore such a bracelet and her clothes were boring and plain to match her brother’s. Unless either she told an individual directly or they knew from some other way, Yae looked more like an outsider than a healer.

“What teams do you go out with?” Curious about her workload, Jake decided to prod a bit. Yae hummed a little at the question and squinted. Always the difficult one.

“Oh, now I’ve earned your attention have I?” Yae teased. Jake sighed and rolled his eyes. Up until now, Jake hadn’t asked any personal questions of Yae. Both to be polite and because he didn’t quite know what to talk to her about most of the time. He didn’t want to step into any traps and make her upset at him so he elected to either be silent or stuck to the boring everyday topics. Only when it benefitted him did he ever ask her more specific questions and she always teased him for it.

“You just know a lot about the teams and you never go out on missions. I was just wondering…,” he mumbled, his voice trailing off as he found himself on the edge of rambling. Yae smiled and nudged him with her shoulder. He felt flustered and couldn’t quite pin down the right words to spare himself.

“It’s fine. I don’t go out because my magic is too weak. I can tend to lesser wounds, scratches, and bruises. I can’t fix broken bones or excessive bleeding. Things like that are necessary when the Beasts are involved.” While she certainly was mentally tough and a bit more courageous than Jake had believed when he first met her, it seemed even she had her faults. Though, Jake found it hard to believe she was so weak. She had saved him from drowning and was more than willing to trudge after him in the tunnels. Then again that probably didn’t require a whole lot of skill to do.

“Is it your mana? Can you not use a lot of it?” If he could, Jake wanted to try and help Yae. If she was simply weak because she lacked knowledge then he could teach her. If it were a mental handicap or some kind of trauma, then helping her overcome that would be the next step. The only issue was if it were a physical limitation. Jake’s mana capacity was absurd and still growing. His cultivation techniques, his binding with Chul’s mana source, and the blessings from the Gods had allowed him to push his limits to the point that he was constantly struggling to contain all of his mana. The only thing saving him from having it constantly leak out again was its density and the fact that Chul’s mana source only produced mana when the current amount began to deplete. If it were a constant factory of mana, Jake would be in trouble.

“I’m not quite sure. I do have a lot of mana, maybe more than normal, but when I try to use it my mana doesn’t react the way I want it. When it does only a little comes out.” Yae frowned and held out her hands as they walked. She seemed to focus on them and shortly after they began to glow green. Unlike Jake’s spells, the glow was dim and weak. Jake couldn’t sense a whole lot of mana in her hands either.

“Have you tried cultivating?” He asked. Cultivating mana allowed him to truly feel and connect with his inner mana flow. It sounded as though Yae wasn’t able to do that if her magic use was so sporadic.

“Cultivating? What is that?” Yae canceled her magic and lowered her hands. The whole attempt looked difficult for her.

“Cultivating. It’s when you look inside yourself and sense out your mana. By cultivating your mana, you can control its flow and more readily use it. Maybe it’s because you haven’t been able to truly feel your mana that you can’t use it easily?” Jake didn’t want to rub anything in but he held up a hand and spread his fingers. His mana flowed to his fingertips at his call and he created a small orb within his palm. It was purple, smooth, and didn’t reflect light. A sphere made up entirely of mana. Yae stared at the orb with a frown, rather than delight or surprise. Maybe she was getting used to Jake being different.

“I don’t know how to do that.” Yae looked towards her feet, her fingers crumbling the bottom of her skirt as she gripped it. For a second, Jake found himself confused. Then he remembered. Access to the Library wasn’t a common thing. Very few people in the world even knew it existed let alone had access to it. Catching himself, Jake turned to look at Yae and almost immediately he noticed the mistake in his thinking.

Did Yae know how to read? Could she write? Was the vocabulary she knew something she only learned from listening or did she learn it by reading or some form of education? Jake couldn’t remember seeing or hearing about any kind of learning center or school down here. Was her magic taught or natural? She was young so maybe she was just coming into her magic and Jake’s experience and personal training were just inertly different.

For the first time, Jake noticed the fundamental difference between himself and someone who was “normal”. Jake’s overall knowledge of practically everything was different from Yae’s, but he had a feeling she had known about magic for far longer. However, even though she had more time with magic and had been using it for longer, Jake’s advantage of having the Library to read and practice had put him ahead of her in a far shorter period.

Privilege. No, that wasn’t quite right. Jake hadn’t achieved his skills out of some kind of entitlement or because he was born into a better situation- he’d earned them. He spent the hours and ground away within the practice room and in Mur’s Hall. He sweat, bled, and pushed himself constantly to his limit to test what his capabilities were and to learn new skills. So privilege wasn’t quite the right word.

Luck? Possibly but he wouldn’t consider his growth to be lucky. Jake nearly died to Chul, nearly died to the Maedra, and nearly died in the Mana Essence. He nearly died when the Maedra jumped him without Chul and he had to fight his way across the Essence Pool to get to Chul’s mana crystal just to fight the Maedra again. If anything, his luck wasn’t the good kind. The only reason he was alive now was because of his preparations and his taking advantage of Lady Ferynith’s blessing. If he hadn’t, then he would no doubt be dead.

Jake’s chest tightened and he felt his emotions sway, unsure and unable to truly explain the weight squeezing down on him. He wanted to try to reassure Yae, to tell her she could learn how to cultivate, but could she? Even if he taught and explained it to her, she didn’t have the same foundation Jake had. In every sense of the word, he was different, and he found himself struggling to understand it.

“I’m sorry,” he said. But he could feel it. The lack of empathy in his words. Speaking in general just seemed so wrong at this point.

“It’s okay,” Yae’s lips curled into a smile. A forced smile. Jake felt the pain in his chest grow. The lump in his throat grew and his fists squeezed closed. “I think I’ll get the hang of it if I keep practicing but it always makes me tired so I don’t really like it.”

No, Jake had a feeling even her practice wouldn’t do her any good. Her skill was impractical. She was using magic off feeling and guessing. There was no actual reason behind her magic use or any kind of method or technique. All she likely knew was that if she closed her eyes, focused on the wounds, and forced whatever mana she could into the wound, she might be able to fix it. Where Jake’s magic came from practical thought and actual knowledge.

“I wish I could help you, Yae, but I just don’t know how.” Jake felt useless.

“Even if you could help me, what would that do? Hm?” Yae bumped into Jake’s side to try and get his eyes to turn to her. Jake turned his head away. “I don’t need to heal anything that major anyways, so what I know is enough for me. Plus, if I learned more and became a better healer, that would mean I’d spend less time with you guys.”

True. Yae’s lack of ability kept her here in the village, within the Scout compound, and she was always around to play or talk to. Healers were limited in number so if her skills suddenly increased, the risk of her going into the tunnels would jump. There was no ranking for Healers either so any healer could be attached to the Red or Blue teams. It was more based on availability and timing with the missions, not so much training. With Yae always being around, she would be snatched up almost immediately. Maybe her normalcy was a blessing on its own.

“I guess you’re right,” Jake mumbled. Yae nudged him again and giggled.

“Sucks not knowing the answer to everything, doesn’t it?” Yae prodded at his arm a bit before she started to walk ahead of him.

“I never said I knew everything,” Jake spat, quick to defend himself. Yae shrugged and raised her hands above her head. Her fingers wiggled as she stretched them towards the ceiling.

“No, but you sure can act like it.” The stab hurt a bit. Still, it was a fair statement.

“Sorry,” Jake followed after Yae, his head tilted down a bit as he dragged his feet.

“Do you know how many mana crystals light the village? Do you know how many wires hold them up? Do you know how many tunnels surround the village? Do you know how many scout teams there are, or how many members there are on a scout team? Do you know the perfect amount of time it takes to cook the best, thickest gravy to be used with meat?” At each of Yae’s almost random questions, Jake shook his head.

“I do. I know just how long Tul sleeps and how many times Xul cleans his weapon in a day. I know the exact expression you make when you find yourself thinking too hard. I know that you always order the same soup and vegetables to make me think you’re eating enough. I know Xul always hides his vegetables beneath the meat and mixes some into his soup, just so he can pour the soup out without ever touching it. After you changed the bathtub, I learned exactly how much soap and how long the clothes need to soak for them to be perfectly clean. I know how to sew and stitch up holes in our clothes if they happen.” Yae rattled off a list of things she knew, things she was confident in, and things she had memorized throughout her daily life. Things Jake didn’t know and hadn’t himself tried to learn, especially the ticks of each of his friends. Those were odd to know but Yae was the most observant one when it came to the four of them.

“I know all of these things because they are things I care about, just like how you, Tul, and Xul care so much about being Scouts. You can tell me all kinds of things about magic. Tul can talk all day about different weapons and tunnel networks. Xul can occupy himself all day with different fighting styles and techniques. Not a single one of you can properly organize a meal or handle money.” Yae sighed and placed her hands on her hips as she turned to face him. Her eye squinted as she leaned up towards his face.

“You’re stupid when it comes to the basic skills. Stop thinking so haughty and maybe you can learn a few things yourself. Got it?” If she leaned any closer, Jake thought Yae might bite off his nose. He swallowed the lump in his throat and clenched his teeth.

“Y-Yea…” He muttered, unable to say anything else. Yae huffed and nodded her head.

“Good. Now let’s head back. The other two are probably playing Soho instead of sleeping.” Yae twirled on her heels and continued to lead the way. Jake fell in without complaint.

After being berated, Jake’s unease had settled quite a bit. It still bothered him that he wouldn’t be able to help Yae but her acceptance of her situation made it easier to swallow. Honestly, it wasn’t that long ago Jake was in her shoes. He wasn’t some old sage with a ton of wisdom. Jake had been a kid kicking up sand for skoros and flipping rocks for tulas. They were still both young, and she was right as usual. Jake still had a lot to learn.

Walking back to the home, Jake found peace in being with Yae. Even though they had their little scuffle, she was able to immediately turn her personality and attitude back around. When they walked into the market area, she returned to her normal self. She whispered under her breath, wondering about what she could cook for them and what ingredients she would need. She did the math on her fingers to calculate whether or not they had enough money to afford it all and made adjustments based on what unnecessary things she could cut out. As she began to haggle and buy things from the street stalls, Jake became the silent cargo holder, and he ended up carrying quite a bit.

Jake watched Yae and listened to her, letting her complain about her boring day, about the shifting prices in the market, about Tul and Xul getting into another scuffle, and she even complained a bit about one scout who kept pestering her for her time. All the while, her eye scanned the market for sweets and deals she might be able to take advantage of. Her expressions shifted and flowed with her emotions and her glittering eye bounced around just as much as her lips moved. For the first time, Jake felt like he was learning about who Yae was. She had told him about just a few things she had learned of him and her brothers, but Jake hadn’t ever quite tried to do the time. His attention and focus had always been elsewhere, even though she was so close to him.

After all this time, he finally noticed the small blemish under her right ear. It was a small splotch of faded skin and had a slightly different color to it than the rest of her skin. Her complexion was silky smooth, her cheeks a bit chubby, and her lips were glossy. Her eyelashes were deceptively long. Her hair looked very clean and smooth, but the tips of the strands curled stubbornly. Her nails weren’t very long but were cut perfectly and rounded off nicely just past the tips of her fingers. And even though her shirt and skirt were old and worn, they looked immaculate.

“Are you listening to me?” Yae suddenly said aloud. Jake froze, blinking a few times as he stared back into her eye.

“U-Uh, yea.” The words almost didn’t come out as he fumbled his thoughts, and she didn’t look deceived. Her eye stared at him, her face blank as he glared at him.

“Right,” she sighed, her eye rolling before she continued to walk along. Jake frowned and followed after her, gripping the handles on the bags as he opened his stride to catch up. Once he had, he slowed down again to match her pace. It was a slow, steady stroll. One that would extend their time together, no doubt.

Jake relished the extra time. Ewana around them buzzed. There was laughter, conversation, and a child crying. Two men argued over the beauty of their wives, and two girlfriends complained about their work as healers. One boy smiled as he fed a stray hound. Jake and Yae were silent next to one another but he found it to be the best moment. He felt something stir in his chest, a heat, and he smiled. It felt comfortable and safe. He felt like he could trust Yae with this kind of peace. All of the weight of his worries and the pain he carried since coming into this black pit seemed to slide off, if just for a moment. He couldn’t put a word to the feeling but he didn’t mind it.

The two walked in their quiet until they reached the ladder at the bottom of their housing tower. Jake shouldered the bags and began his ascent first. Yae followed after him. As they neared their own home, Xul’s voice boomed from the window. Tul’s laughter followed and then there was some bickering. Jake could feel the tension build. He stole a peak through the window and watched as Xul and Tul played their game of Soho. It was a dice and card game. Simple on the surface but the rules were a bit complex and could be confusing. Jake had tried to play once but found it too complicated for him.

Just from a glance, he could see Tul was winning. As always.

Yae tapped his foot irritatedly and Jake apologized as he hopped onto the platform. He held out a hand and helped her over, even though she didn’t need it. She pushed the door open first and lead the way in, with Jake pulling the bags off his shoulders as he stepped in behind her.

“Yae! Tul’s cheating again!” Xul whined, flailing his arms as Tul took more chips from his pile.

“You just suck,” Tul grinned greedily as he counted up his winnings. Yae rolled her eyes and headed into the shower space to clean up. Jake closed the door behind them and set down the bags. He dropped the large wooden plank over the door to seal it. Then, he used Rock magic to set the additional latches on the sides.

Compared to a month ago, the room was far different. Even on the outside, it was larger, wider. Jake had used rock magic to expand their cramped space and created segments within the rooms to make separate living spaces. The entryway was now a bit lower than the rest of the house, set down to ensure dirt and mud were kept within the small rectangle for shoes. The room was then cut into four spaces.

To the right, there was a living and eating area with a small table and four cushions for sitting. Behind it was the cooking and cleaning space. There was a small pot over a fire pit and Jake had made an addition to the piping so that water could be dispensed into a little basin. There was even a small counter space he had made out of the wall.

To the left and in front of the door was the sleeping area. There were now two beds and two raised platforms, all four of them had a square to sleep on. Yae had her bed, and the boys rotated through the other. Behind the sleeping space was the washroom. Two large walls blocked it off and Jake had made a sliding door that would provide privacy to the occupant. Inside, there was a pipe that would dispense warm water to be used as a shower. The tub was placed beneath it to catch the water and to be used for cleaning.

Along with the changed floor plan, Yae had gone out of her way to add some decoration. An old, tattered rug had been placed beneath the table and over top of the small fire pit which could be triggered if they wanted warmth. A few ornaments hung from the walls and she had placed a plant in the window. The countertop had several cutting utensils, a board for chopping things on, and a few bowls for mixing. Each sleeping space had blankets, pillows, and cushions for sleeping on. Most importantly, she made sure there was soap and lotion within the washroom along with a set of scrubs and sponges for everyone. Once Jake had given them the ability to clean themselves regularly, Yae made it clear that they would do so and they would do it right.

After just a week, Tul and Xul’s complexions brightened, Yae’s hair looked less stringy, and their clothes stopped looking so tattered. All of the grime dug into their skin and the layers of filth were eventually washed away. Their nails and feet looked significantly better and the smell in the house changed entirely. A little longer and a few of the other scouts began to question them as to how and why they were so clean. At first, Tul and Xul were teased for it but the two quickly turned that teasing into boasting. While everyone else was running around in their sweat and muck, they laughed and rubbed it in that Yae kept them fresh and clean. A few of the girls had asked Yae about it as well but unlike her brothers, she kept her mouth shut. Whether that was her way to get back at them for treating her as an outcast or because she wanted to savor that advantage, Jake wasn’t sure.

Girls were confusing creatures.

“Oh, food!” Xul finally noticed the bags Jake had brought in and was about to get up, but Yae shouted from the washroom.

“No!” She yelled. Xul grumbled and immediately sat back down, reluctantly returning to his game with Tul now that his excuse to leave was gone.

“You tried,” Tul cackled as he rolled the three dice. Xul groaned and shook his eyes, slumping over onto his arms as he watched Tul practically play the game for him.

Jake carried the bags into the cooking area and organized the ingredients neatly on the countertop. After eating Yae’s cooking every night, he recognized what she was going to make and knew what she would need for the night and what she was planning to use for another dish another time. He knew he wouldn’t be entirely accurate but he tried anyway. When he was done, he climbed up into his bed for the night.

“Meditating?” Xul said as he peeked up at Jake. Jake nodded and held out a hand.

“I’ve got some time.” Jake wiggled his hand and Tul leaned over to the right. He snatched up the seat cushion and then lobbed it up for Jake to grab. “Thanks.” Jake placed the cushion down on top of the sleeping pad and assumed his cultivating position.

“Yup. I’ll shake you when it’s time,” Tul said absentmindedly as Xul tossed the dice onto the table. One of them rolled off the edge of the table and just as Tul snatched it up out of the air, Jake shut his eyes. However, before he let himself slip off into the Library, he opened his eyes again.

Jake stared down at the room below and felt the heat in his chest settle. Xul and Tul continued their game, their voices filling the air with their playful banter. If Jake listened hard enough, he could also hear Yae humming to herself in the washroom. The water wasn’t running so she was likely soaking in the tub. Otherwise, with the door closed and the window barely noticeable because of the plant, for a moment- this was the world. This was everything Jake cared about right now, everything he needed. Everything he wanted. The room was warm and he felt safe here. His thoughts didn’t race or worry about anything within these walls but he knew if something came in to threaten his peace, he would fight like hell to kill it.

Then, he understood.

This feeling in his chest was the same feeling he had whenever he ran into Auntie’s tent. This warmth was the same he felt when he sat at her small table and watched her back as she cooked paias. The noise was the same as her humming and her peaceful voice as they talked during dinner. The laughter was the same as when Elana would come and spend the evening with them.

Home.