“What did you do?” Es asked, stumbling over an uneven cobble. “How did you do it? When did you do it?” he stared intently at Ranvir as they made their way down the wide thoroughfare outside Dovar’s home.

Ranvir shrugged at his friend. “He’s not fixed, Esmund.”

His friend waved his comment away. “I’m aware, but that’s still more than I’ve gotten out of Dovar in…” he gestured vaguely. “A year?”

“And how many times have you visited in the last year?”

Es’ mouth knitted shut and he took a step away.

Ranvir nodded. “I understand, Es. Dovar’s off putting. He’s become abrasive, annoying. He doesn’t take care of himself properly, poor hygiene and all that. It’s offensive, even to me.”

Esmund scratched absently at his chest. “Still, he’s my friend. And you’re right, I haven’t seen him as often.”

“Of course not. I saw the letters you’ve all written to him often enough. I assume that only started once he became tough to be around.”

“I guess.”

“It’s not surprising that Dovar’s tough to be around. That’s why he’s acting like this.”

They stepped to the side to let a carriage pass them by. Ranvir couldn’t help but give it a cautious glance. Es, however, was looking at Ranvir.

“How do you know?”

Ranvir gave him a gentle smile. “The last four and a half years have been all sun and rainbows.”

Es nodded slowly. “We’ll see you for dinner?”

Ranvir nodded. “I’ll swing by to grab Frija and Vasso. Give you a head start before we come rushing.”

“I won’t need it.” Es winked at him and took off at a jog.

Ranvir lifted the bracelet his mother gave him and activated the glyph of space. A small portal opened before it, just big enough to fit over a mouth. “Frija, Firehearth, I’m coming over.”

“Okay, daddy,” she replied cheerily.

“Careful,” Ranvir said, as he opened the door. Es stood in the kitchen, apron tied around his waist and toiling away at a pot. A rich aroma emanated from the food, promising a delicious evening dinner.

“Hi. Do you want to help with dinner?”

“No,” Frija said, rushing past him and towards the dinner table. She was already clambering onto a chair, reaching for the slate tablets, when Vasso spoke up.

“Sure,” Vasso said, giving Ranvir a look.

Ranvir frowned at him, but couldn’t otherwise parse the expression.

“I’m sure his cooking isn’t that bad,” Es said.

“I’m sure you haven’t tasted it.”

“What?” Ranvir asked, spreading his arms wide as he let his wings relax.

“You think he might’ve messed his taste buds up when he grew those wings?” Es asked in a stage whisper.

Vasso stifled a grin. “I think he might’ve had a bird’s taste buds before the wings.”

“I don’t appreciate this,” Ranvir muttered.

Es laughed and gestured towards a room to the side. “Kirs is in her office. She’s prepared an exhibition for you, I think.”

Ranvir chuckled and waved at them.

“Enter,” Kirs called half a second after his knuckle touched wood.

Pushing the door open, Ranvir found her already rising from her seat. Her desk was organized neatly with three folders arranged equidistant from each other nearest her seat.

“Ranvir! Hi,” she said, moving in for a hug. Ranvir jerked at the touch and nearly took a step back on reflex. “Oh? Is something wrong?”

He shook his head. “It’s nothing.” he cleared his throat. “Not a lot of hugging from non-family members on Korfyi.”

“Oh well,” she said, turning to look at the folder spread out before her. “I’m sure you’re excited to see what I’ve been working on!”

Ranvir nodded and followed her around. The office was small and Ranvir’s frame took up a lot of space. He couldn’t help but feel he was looming over her, though she didn’t seem to notice.

The first folder was labeled ‘Lesser,’ then second ‘Greater,’ and the third had no markings at all. He gestured to the first, and she nodded. The first pages, of high-quality bleached-white paper, detailed familiar structures. Intakes for ambient mana, the basin, and some of the other basic functions that she and Ranvir’d discovered in their time at the academy. However, the circles soon branched outside of his expertise.

Their construction stimulated his senses in a poorly definable way. Ranvir could tell they were significant, though he wouldn’t bet on what they did. Well, he would, but that wasn’t his tether-sense’s fault. It was his ability to read the basic descriptions at the top of the page.

“Direction circle?”

She nodded. “Pretty simple. The Ankirians have already figured this one out. They use it to channel a bunch of tethereds’ power together under the control of a single Master. It’s supposed to be really difficult, though.”

He nodded and browsed on. The circles soon diverged from specific purposes and into what she labeled as ‘meta-circles’. These affected the technique layered into the primary circle.

“This is how you controlled the space that took you to Korfyi,” Ranvir said. She nodded, grinning. His mind boggled at how she’d come up with some of these constructions. “Kirs…” he shook his head. “How did you even discover these?”

“At first I had to spray a water mist over Es as he worked through ways to use the same technique and note down how it changed,” she jumped slightly in place. “That’s when I discovered it, Ranvir.”

His eyebrows drew up.

“There’s reason behind the shapes. A logic…” she waited for him impatiently as her words worked their way through his brain.

His mouth fell open, his eyes narrowed. “It’s predictable?”

She smiled, self-satisfied. “I haven’t cracked it fully, but…” she tapped a finger at the last folder. “This might be the most interesting.”

Ranvir dropped the first folder like it was on fire, reaching for the one she’d indicated. The first circle in the book was named ‘Power.’ It was a partial construction, not even filling out a fifth of the space she’d set aside.

“These are theoretical, but that one marks the change in a pattern when a tethered draws more energy from the Goddess.”

Ranvir leafed through a few other scribbles. Each a piece of some puzzle Kirs was carefully building up. Until he reached the last page. His eyes widened and locked on to the scholar’s own.

“Daddy!” Frija rushed into the room and tackled Ranvir’s shin. “Can you let Menace out? Please? Pretty please?”

Ranvir had a befuddled moment of looking down at his daughter before Vasso came shuffling in. “Es—“ he broke off as Ranvir gestured him slightly further so the amulet also enveloped Kirs. “Right… Esmund’s gone off to the market. He’s missing an ingredient, but the food’s simmering now.”

“Oh,” Ranvir said, clearing his throat.

“What are you doing?” Frija asked. “Can you let Menace? What are you holding? Can I see? What is for dinner? Uncle Esmund just said a bunch of weird words,” then quieter. “I don’t even think he was speaking Elusrian.”

“Elensk, Firehearth,” Ranvir corrected as he gently put the folder on the table and picked her up. “Menace can’t come out, right now. He’s been very busy entertaining you all day and deserves a break.”

She pouted, but nodded. “What are you doing?”

Ranvir glanced at Kirs, who looked like she was about to rip off her own skin if she didn’t get an acknowledgment. “We’re looking at some very important work that Kirs has been working on.”

“Oh?” Frija asked, leaning her head forwards and peering intently at the scribbles. She could barely read Fiyan, let alone Elensk. Vasso too stepped a little closer, though his face held a carefully maintained teenage apathy.

“Did you know that not everybody on Vednar is a tethered?” Ranvir asked. “Only a few select people that go through the ceremony actually activate their powers.”

“That’s stupid,” Frija said, frowning exaggeratedly. “Why don’t they all just make powers?”

“That’s what Kirs’ work is about,” Ranvir touched on the folders. “These are circles that anybody can make. Circles that can fuel nearly any effect a tethered can achieve.”

“Why doesn’t the ceremony work on everyone?” Vasso asked, stepping closer. He couldn’t speak Elensk, so he had no way of parsing the strange symbols.

“I’m not entirely sure,” Ranvir said. “It’s likely that their innate energy is too small to get a firm hold on,” he glanced at Kirs. “But could you imagine the uproar it would cause in society if everyone gained access to power, like on Korfyi?”

Vasso’s eyes narrowed as he looked between them. “Then don’t let them into Korfyi?”

“If you’re careful,” Kirs said, looking at Vasso. “And you’re very deliberate with your decisions, then you could start expanding the amount of people with access. It’s only a problem if some controlling interest figure out how to do it and shuts everyone else out. If you get enough snow falling, then no one can stop the avalanche.”

“Avalanches kill people,” Vasso remarked, still narrow eyed.

“I don’t want people to die,” Frija remarked, from where she was bent in half and peering at the circles.

“I’m back!” Es said, he sounded out of breath. “Dinner’s on in five. But first,” he peeked into the room. “I’ll need help taste testing.”

Frija squirmed out of Ranvir’s arms. “Me! Me! Me!”

“Vasso, go help him set the table,” Ranvir said.

The teenager gave them a long look, eyes flicking between the two.