What is required to level? After many studies, it is conclusive that there is no single answer. Yes- yes, I know what you are thinking. Quests and experience are the catalysts for leveling, but the actual reaction is between energy and the body. Travelers need to level by doing quests and gaining experience in a world, but natives often level naturally. In some worlds, people struggle to level to fifty, and a few worlds see anyone below level fifty as disabled. This calls into question how quests or killing monsters affect leveling speed, if it is not uniform across worlds.

  -Traveler’s theory class

  In the three days of getting to know a little of each of my team members while camping in the woods, I also learned more about knights. I learned that Kurt, Lucian, and Benjamin are initiate knights. Knights are raised by members of the nobility to act as guards and soldiers. Kurt is training to become a knight protector, the proverbial tank with significant investments in constitution and strength. Lucian is trying to become a knight aggressor, essentially a berserker, with a focus on agility and strength. Benjamin is training to be a knight scout, investing points into dexterity and agility. He didn’t tell me this, but eventually Olivia told me around the campfire, much to Benjamin’s consternation.

  I also learn that most humans only get two stat points a level up. You can earn stat points the old-fashioned way, through hard work, but only to a point. Each additional point is harder to learn through training, so as soon as you start investing points from levels, it is almost impossible to earn them through training.

  Most knights are forbidden from putting in points in their stats until they’ve come of age and have a base of stats naturally earned to build off. It’s never a sure thing; most people spend points as fast as they get them, but the Knight Academy tries to keep them from spending the points, to stretch training for every point possible.

  I wonder if I should’ve waited to invest some of my stats, but after thinking about the chaos of the last few days, I feel that I made the right choice. I also get the sense that, as a team, they’re on the lower end of the noble adventuring teams. Most of the high-level noble adventuring teams are composed of multiple magi and would be decked with multiple expensive magic weapons. Olivia is a strong damage dealer, but the lack of flexibility in her spells and her team’s abilities means they must take dungeons slowly, using lots of potions along the way.

  I can feel Olivia’s excitement whenever they talk about welcoming me to the team. Kurt told me that healers are a strong addition to most teams, and with two dual-affinity users, their team is now in a different league. Two more dual-affinity users to round out the group, and we will be on par with a royal party, at least on paper.

  The other thing I learn is that most adventuring parties are groups of four, since many dungeons will limit entry to four people at a time. There is no limit for adventuring guild quests, but it’s hard to commit to a group of more than four if you need to temporarily kick someone out to run a dungeon. It just makes for a bad group dynamic.

  For knights is a slightly different story since you want a diverse group of knights with a noble at any time. Sure, Kurt, Lucian, or Benjamin might need to sit out a dungeon run but they would need to escort Olivia since they are honor and contract-bound to do so. Olivia will need to rotate knights depending on the type of dungeon. In the end, I thought one of the knights might be upset at the prospect of being left out of a dungeon run, but all of them are bubbling with excitement.

  Besides a little training and getting to know my teammates, the trip through the woods is uneventful. Aside from chatting and taking in the scenery, most of my time was spent putting mana into Morgana’s current vessel and working on my magic vision. Pushing more mana into her vessel is having interesting results.

  I’m excited to be able to see the results of the investing mana over a few days. The mana looks to have made her form stronger, stealthier, and even her movements are more fluid, but the real improvement is the preservation of the vessel. Her skin took on a porcelain-like quality.

  While at first her body enters the uncanny valley for me, it continues to morph into a more human, but without any imperfections. There are some general changes to the body and facial structure, so she looks like a halfway point between the way the elf looked in life and the way Morgana looked in life.

  A little before the middle of the day, we approach the gates of the city. There’s some foot traffic, but our wagon causes the guards to perk up. Olivia and Benjamin take the front seat as we get in line for the gate, so they can chat with the guards.

  A guard in studded leather armor, in his later years, with a well-groomed mustache, holds his hand up for us to stop for inspection. The city guards look pristine in their slightly dusty well well-fitted armor, and they are much more disciplined than the hodge-podge defense force I saw a few days ago.

  “Ho there, traveler, state your name and business.”

  Benjamin takes the lead, “We are a noble adventuring company led by Lady Olivia Heartbran, daughter of the lord and lady Heartbran. We’re returning from the south after repelling an elven attack on a town three days southeast of here.”

  At this news, the guards curse, and those who don’t only do so because they are spitting on the ground in disgust.

  “The elven menace shows no peace to any human. May they rot under their goddess’s cruel gaze.”

  Benjamin nods, “No truer words spoken, we come to sell some of their gear to the town before heading to the adventurer’s guild.”

  The guard heads around to the back of the wagon, lifting the canvas to see the elven swords, bows, and armor. He then walks around to the front and eyes Olivia and Benjamin.

  The guard stands straighter as he says with confidence, “I will remember your names. You’ve done the kingdom proud, go through.”

  Benjamin puts a hand over his chest, “I appreciate your words, but we are willing to pay.”

  The guard waves him off, “Keep your coin, I won’t accept it. You have already done a fine service.”

  Then he grins and winks at Benjamin. “Just do not go telling everyone, I don’t want to have traders buying elven arms just to avoid paying the entrance fee.”

  Benjamin nods his head in deference before pushing the wagon through the front gate.

  I look across at a box where Morgana is hiding. We had thought it best not to have to convince guards that I am a necromancer. They aren’t unheard of, but few learned the spell form as it’s almost useless by itself. The investments in multiple training stones needed to be a necromancer force; most shadow affinity users focus on stealth. The implications that I’m a necromancer with an affinity poised to make me an assassin mage are conversations better left avoided altogether. Beside her box, Kurt sits grinning at the guards as they fade into the distance.

  “So where are we going to sell the goods?” I ask Benjamin.

  “You and Kurt will go to the adventurer’s guild to get you registered, while Olivia, Lucian, and I sell the arms. We’ll give you a cut after we buy food and board at the inn.”

  The talk of “selling” and “cuts” makes me realize I’m broke, but the talk of a potential income in a city filled with magic makes me excited about the possibilities.

  “Will they sell for a lot?” I ask, already imagining a fat purse of gold coins to fuel a shopping trip. All the talk of training stones on the trip up had me eager to snag a few for myself.

  “We’ll see. They’re only mundane pieces of gear and are made for elves, but we’ll know more when we go to a few shops.”

  “Don’t forget, Jason, here is a wilder. He’s probably never seen or used money.” Kurt says in his traditional, jovial, and boisterous manner.

  Benjamin frowns at that, but it’s Olivia who answers, “Don’t worry, we won’t let them swindle our little wilder.”

  I just smile and laugh at the absurdity of the situation. In my past life, I had significant experience with wealth management, investing, and personal finance. I wasn’t wealthy, so I stretched every dollar I made. Despite my world’s vast knowledge and training in mathematics and economics, my new friends thought of me as little more than a witless pauper.

  I chuckle before saying good-naturedly, “I know they’ll try to swindle me, but I would appreciate it if you don’t swindle me either.”

  Olivia laughs, “We’ll think on it.”

  “Come, brother, you wouldn’t want to miss out on the full experience of being in the city,” Kurt pronounces.

  “-or the experience of buying your companions a few rounds of beer,” Lucian adds.

  I shake my head while chuckling. Kurt slaps his knees and motions for me to follow him as he jumps out of the back of the wagon.

  “Kurt, don’t get him into trouble!” Olivia shouts at him as the cart bounces from his jump.

  I exit more gracefully before following him as he leads me through the city.

  The streets of the city are paved with stone blocks. Wood homes and stores line the sides of the road. I marvel at how packed they are next to each other. There are also market stalls that pop up in front of or in the small gaps between houses. Ropes between houses create a spider web of drying cloths and plants. I enjoy taking in the character of the town, the craftsmanship of the buildings, and the busy streets full of life. The homes aren’t a work of art, but there’s a utilitarian beauty in the cozy boxy rowhouse style houses.

  Accompanying the vitality is an underlying scent of unwashed bodies and human waste, which reminds me that I need to take a bath. I splashed myself with water each morning, but I never scrubbed myself down with soap. I make a mental note to ask Kurt where to buy soap later.

  We continue to wind our way through the streets until it forks, wrapping around a large three-story building. The adventure’s guild stands out compared to the other buildings not only in size but also in its ornamentation. It is a free-standing building bigger than any other building I’d seen in this world. It has a Queen Anne style, with three stories, a tower, and even a porch, which seems extravagant for being in the middle of the town. We walk in through the front door to see the first floor filled with tables, drinks, and food like a bar.

  “The guild provides room, drink, and food to many for a cost. The cost is smaller for adventurers or at least that’s the sales pitch they’ll give you. If we were staying in the area for a while, we’d stay here to get a better idea of the political happenings, but as we are in a rush, we’ll try to find an inn that is more out of the way.” Kurt explains.

  Then he points across the way to a counter with a bored-looking young woman. She looks like one of the cosplayers I would see at a medieval convention, with her green dress, corset, and dirty blonde hair in a ponytail. We approach, and the woman gives Kurt a bright smile.

  “Hi, I’m Rosetta, the clerk with the adventurer’s guild. How may I help you, sir?”

  In his gregarious way, Kurt responds, “Hello Rosetta! I want to register our friend here. He’ll be joining our team before we hit the next dungeon.”

  She smiles a practiced smile and hands me a card. Then reaches for a crystalline quill. I look at the cold card that feels like a piece of obsidian, before Kurt takes it. “He’s new here and we want him registered discreetly.”

  I see an understanding flash across the woman’s face as Kurt tries to hint at something. I wonder if he is trying to convey my inability to read.

  The woman takes the card and pulls back a quill she was offering to me. “No problem, just a few questions and I’ll have you registered. What is your name?”

  “Jason Kelly.”

  “Where are you from?”

  “Um… the America?” I say lamely.

  “I have never heard of there; you will have to tell me all about it.” She says in a bubbly voice. I can’t help but smile at her welcoming attitude, though I can sense a calculating curiosity underneath. My empathy is a powerful tool that helps me see the truth of people’s motivations, but I wish, just this once, I could see a little less of the political machinations and more from a place of discovery and wonder.

  “What is your level?”

  “Um, ten.”

  Kurt looks over at me like he’d swallowed something sour. I can tell I said something wrong, but I’m not sure what. Rosetta and Kurt exchange a look. He scrunches his eyebrows before shrugging.

  “He’s newer than I thought.”

  “Are you sure you want to register him? He can always come back later with a few more levels.”

  “We’ll be sure to help him reach a more reasonable number before doing dungeon runs.”

  The girl looks a bit uncomfortable at the revelation. Kurt picks up on it and waves it away.

  “No need to worry so much; he’s a ferocious companion who has shown more worth than some twice his level.”

  Rosetta gives him an awkward smile back. “If you say so.”

  She then waves us to a room on the side. “Last is affinities. We take a drop of blood, and then it will show your affinities.” I stiffen as I realize the jig is up. I try to think of how I’ll explain my mind affinity that I kept secret. Now that I think about it, when choosing an affinity to keep secret, keeping a mind affinity secret was probably the worst one to hide. Would they think I’m doing nefarious magic?

  For the last test, she leads us to a side room with a table and four chairs. In the center is a marble; surrounding it are four jars. A bottle of water, oil, earth, and a jar covered by a cloth sit around. As she readies the room, she uncovers a window that shoots a beam of light in a circle at one part of the table.

  She takes a set of smaller vitals and puts them between the jars. I glance at them, seeing three containing metal, slime, and sand. After placing the smaller containers, she then lights the oil. She takes my hand and nicks the finger. I reflexively curse and pull back, but she keeps the finger firmly in hand, milking it for a few drops that fall onto a marble in the center.

  “It’s runite. It amplifies magic potential. It is not as strong as some of the gems, but it can enhance any type of magic, even non-affinity magic.” Rosetta explains.

  She places the stone in the middle of the table and watches as it sits still. Kurt looks confused, and the woman gives me a remorseful smile.

  “Sorry, but it looks like you don’t have an affinity. Too many cannot accept they will never have an affinity.”

  “No, he does have active affinities. I have seen him use magic.” Kurt says while squinting at the stone. I’m a bit confused as well. I thought the problem would be hiding all my affinities, not trying to prove I have one.

  “I’m sorry, but the stone tells the truth. You aren’t the first to have your dreams dashed. There are many who become great adventurers by using non-affinity magic.”

  “He is a dual affinity. Maybe that alters the test somehow?” Kurt asks almost pleadingly.

  “That’s true that dual affinities are harder to differentiate, but enough of the dual affinities are here that we’d see it. The light is focused enough for gleam, there is ash in the earth, and all the dual affinities have been accounted for here. If he were a dual affinity, it would be slow, but it would go in a direction.”

  “Maybe you should test him again, with a different stone,” Kurt says, gently urging the woman.

  She cuts her finger and lets it drip on top of the stone. The drop of crimson blood slowly flows over the runite coating the surface. She then takes a cloth to wipe away the blood dripping down her finger. The stone rolls to her and taps the glass full of Earth.

  “See, the marble of runite works fine.” She says while pointing to the jar. The marble slowly moves against the jar and circles around.

  “Why’s it still moving?” Kurt asks, not willing to let go that the test was wrong.

  “It can’t actually touch the Earth; if it did, then it would stop dead.” With that, she shoos us out of the back room. Kurt exits first, followed by Rosetta. I take one last look to see the marble finish rounding the jar before it rolls off the side of the table, landing on the blood-stained handkerchief Rosetta had put in her chair. Then the door to the backroom closes.

  She ushers us to the front before giving me my card that reads non-affinity.

  “What if I want to retest later?” She gives me a crooked smile that is more pitying than happy.

  “Honey, it won’t change. You can fool some other girl in another town, but face it, some of us just need to be happy with what we got.”

  When we get outside, Kurt looks dazed and confused. He checks my hand as though looking for how I cheated on the test. He sees my hand has healed, so not even a scab remains.

  “Should’ve shown her your healing so she’d at least give you water.” It takes me a moment to realize Kurt thinks I healed my hand, when really it was the blood affinity passive.

  “Will this be a problem?” Now that my secret is kept, I wonder if my spot on the team is in jeopardy. I enjoy being around people, and I want to go dungeon diving with the team. If they did leave, I’d have food for a few days and maybe some coin. I’m an adventurer now, maybe I can make some coin by taking quests.

  He sighs, “Right now? No. Long term? Maybe. Without being recognized as an affinity user, we may have trouble negotiating contracts or rights to dungeons. You could always just show your magic, but it’ll be an uphill battle until it’s resolved.”

  With my adventurer card in hand, we head to the inn to meet up with the rest of the team. We walk in to find Olivia, Lucian, and Benjamin waiting at a table for us. Olivia notices us first and raises a glass. “So how did it go?”

  Kurt scratches the back of his head and chuckles. “Well, he got no affinity on his card.”

  Olivia looks confused, Lucian is too busy chugging his beer to respond, but Benjamin jumps up and points a finger at me. “I knew there was something off about you! How did you do it? A magical artifact?”

  Stolen content warning: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences.

  Olivia playfully smacks him. “Artifacts only enhance or utilize existing mana.”

  She then scratches her chin as she eyes me lecherously. I’d never been openly looked at by a woman that way. I somehow felt strangely naked and just a bit uncomfortable, like a rabbit before a wolf.

  “Though if he does have enough artifacts to give him that kind of magic, he’s richer than the king.”

  Benjamin scowls at her while Kurt ignores them and heads to the bar.

  “So, what does this mean? Kurt says that it isn’t a problem, but could cause problems long term.”

  Olivia waves it off. “We’ve seen you in battle; even Benjamin won’t deny your abilities in battle. Runite is very expensive; only the bigger cities can afford a marble’s worth, but among the houses, there are better ways to test. Once we get home, we can request the royal tester. It’ll cost a little in political and monetary currency, but it’ll be worth it to have a recognized dual-affinity user in our party.”

  “So, you’ve told me that being a dual affinity user is special. What about those with one affinity or those with three affinities?”

  Lucian slams his beer glass down and laughs, “Wilder, you make it sound like they are handing out affinities on the corner.”

  Olivia rolls her eyes at Lucian’s antics, “Well, you can make a pretty good living as an affinity user, but they’re common. Being born an affinity user is a good way to get elevated into lower nobility or knighthood. Tri-affinity users are highly sought after. Most noble houses have marriages based on the chance of getting a tri-affinity. Many of the higher noble houses consider getting a tri-affinity mage as a golden goose, but it’s a double-edged sword for lower nobility.”

  “Why is it a double-edged sword?” I ask.

  Olivia answers, “Those with higher complexity affinities have a greater capacity to learn spells; however, to accomplish this, you need money, power, and resources. There was a case in the past where one of the noble houses intervened for ‘the protection’ of the tri-affinity user, the highest treasure for a noble house lineage. Since they couldn’t trust the affinity user to work for them, they locked her away before crushing the house backing her, so they couldn’t interfere.”

  “That sounds awful,” I say with a look of horror.

  She shrugs, “It gets worse, but that was centuries ago. It has faded into a cautionary tale.”

  “Well, that’s in the past, and we shouldn’t start our new journey on such dark stories,” Kurt says as he slides a tankard of beer over to me.

  Lucian gives me an exasperated look, “Wilder, you really have a way of summoning dark stories.”

  I shrug. “Sorry.”

  He grins, “No worries, it just means you need to buy us another round.”

  “I don’t have any money.”

  Lucian gets up, “Don’t worry, I know you're good for it.” Before bounding off to the bar.

  “Don’t worry, we won’t let him spend all your coin on booze,” Olivia adds.

  Lucian returns with four beers. As I go to grab one, he gives me an incredulous look. “What do you think you are doing?”

  “Grabbing a beer.”

  “These are mine. Go get your own.” Kurt, Benjamin, and Olivia all grab a beer as Lucian splutters. He marches back to the bar to order more.

  “So what was it like when you joined the adventuring guild?” I ask.

  Olivia sighs after a large gulp of her drink, then answers, “They sent a representative to test me and give me the card. I don’t interact with the guild often; house clerks and knights do almost everything from getting quests to dungeon runs.”

  Kurt chuckles, “I joined as part of the academy. We signed up in groups, and instructors moderated us for a while. Not really going to be of much help to you. Most independent magi hire mercenaries or find other free-roaming magi. Much better to stick with us. Better backing means preferential treatment.”

  “Though it’s always an option to go our separate ways…” Benjamin adds.

  “What were your first couple of quests like?”

  “Mine was to hunt a gober, a squat furry animal the size of a cat that likes to feast on farmers’ plants.”

  “Wait, I saw the highway lined with fruit. Why would you need farms?”

  “Wilder, do you want to spend the rest of your life eating tree fruit? It would make stews a lot less tasty. Not to mention, some of the magical herbs grown are worth a small fortune.” Lucian responds.

  “Ok, so it eats all the farmers' crops. What happened?”

  “Well… knight defenders are supposed to defend, so we were assigned to defend the farm. The little fur balls aren’t tough, but they are fast. So… after an hour of chasing them around, we ditched our armor.”

  Benjamin and Lucian try to contain their chuckles while Olivia hides her smile in her beer.

  “The farmer came out attacking us with his broom for running around in only our skin. When the teacher came back to get us, he made us run a mile every day. Still not as bad as Benjamin, though.”

  “Hey, it’s not my fault he couldn’t read a map.” Benjamin retorts.

  Lucian leans over conspiratorially, “y’see the scouts started off with a hunting quest, but instead of going out, they thought they were smart to set traps. They set the traps, went about their day, and came back to a complete extermination quest. Only thing was… none of them could read a map, so they made traps all over the place. Benjamin got tangled in no less than three leg traps.”

  “What about you?”

  “Eh, well, knight aggressors are a little…”

  “Crazy!”

  “Mad?”

  “Narrow-minded?”

  “Over eager.” Lucian supplies, “the instructors were afraid that if we were given an extermination quest, there might be collateral damage. So, we were given a gathering quest. Only thing was… There was collateral damage.”

  “Wait, what?”

  Benjamin, eager to share after Lucian told his story, says, “The aggressors forgot which plant they were sent to recover, so they just started chopping everything, threw it in the bag, and turned it in. They technically completed it but had to spend the next week off the field to review reports and books.”

  “Ugh, don’t remind me.” Lucian shakes his head.

  As we finish our beers, we head upstairs, Benjamin leading me to a small room with a bed for me to sleep in.

  The next morning, for breakfast, we are given some bread and fruit. Olivia gives me a bag of coins, and Kurt offers to take me shopping. The coins are divided into four levels. There are bronze scales, silver shields, golden crests, and platinum crowns. Each coin is built from twenty of the lesser denomination, so twenty bronze scales equal one silver shield. A meal is a few bronzes, depending on the food. My final tally is 7 shields and 5 scales.

  Kurt takes me to a few shops for camping gear, enchanted armor, and weapons before we return to the adventuring guild, which, it turns out, is the main procurer of training stones. I quickly learned that while my bag of coins makes it so I can live comfortably for a while, I can barely afford any of the things I want. Even the cheapest enchanted rings, which only give a few points of stamina, cost twenty-five shields.

  I return to the guild, hoping to get an ocular enchantment, so I can see magic. I’m making progress on my own, but a training stone will save me days, if not weeks, of training. Even the cheapest eye-sight enhancement is nineteen shields, and it only lets the user see farther away. A heat vision learning stone costs a full crest.

  I’m very fortunate that I already had some weapons and camping gear, so I only spent a few copper before returning to the adventurer’s guild. I do have enough to buy a few non-affinity stones and, after putting aside the ones that won’t benefit me, I have a constitution and strength stone to choose from. Each stone holds a spell form that will raise the stat temporarily. After much deliberation, I pick the strength stone, only to have Kurt put it back on the counter and put the constitution stone in my hand.

  Indignant, I ask, “Hey, why’d you do that?”

  He gives me a flat look, “Jason, you’re a mage. A constitutional enhancement stone will help much more.”

  To be honest, he doesn’t know how right he was. With my blood magic, constitution is a more useful attribute; however, I want to try to alter the strength buff to try to empower my attacks with my affinities.

  Kurt rolls his eyes when he sees that I’m not happy with the choice.

  “When we return to Olivia’s estate, I will lend you my strength training stone.”

  “Wait, is this just so you can use the constitution training stone for yourself?”

  He grins like a kid who was caught stealing a cookie but shakes his head. “It will take me weeks to learn this buff, and my pool is already small. If it were up to me, we would all have to learn it, but for Olivia, Lucian, and Benjamin, this buff would mean one less spell, empowered attack, or arrow.”

  “Then shouldn’t I be conservative with my mana too?”

  “Yes, but you’re already going to buy one. I won’t stop you from buying whatever you want. If you’re going to waste your mana, don’t do so by trying to become a front-line fighter. Leave the bashing to me, you should focus on, well… whatever it is you do.”

  I consider buying the Strength Stone. If I really want to, I don’t think he would stop me. Eventually, I give in. I pay the five silver and leave the adventuring guild.

  After getting the stone, I look over at Kurt’s half-plate armor. They had mentioned a few dungeons they took together. I wonder what kind of rewards they received and what artifacts they have up their sleeves.

  “What kind of magical artifacts are you carrying around, Kurt?” Kurt stumbles a little before catching himself.

  “It is not something that is discussed especially openly.” He whispers.

  “Ah, sorry, I was just curious what kind of magic your armor has,” I say apologetically.

  “It’s not actually magical. I can see how you would think that, after all the dungeons we talked about, but we trade in most of the artifacts. Training up a dual-affinity magus is a resource-intensive task. A shield that gives an increased poison resistance is good, but we don’t have enough money to use magical items that don’t contribute significantly to our battle strategy.”

  “Poison resistance sounds like it would be a great thing to have in case you are ever poisoned.”

  “Yes, if you know you are going to a dungeon with poison-type enemies, then it’s great. If you’re trying to protect yourself from thieves and poisoned wine, there are cheaper and better ways.

  “Most magical items we receive will be slight or minor. These will only give up to 10 percent resistance. Ten percent poison resistance will only make you die slower if you are poisoned without a healer. In a dungeon with a well-rounded team, it can slow the poison damage enough so a healer can stop it, or you have time to break out your medical supplies.”

  “What do you mean by slight or minor?” I ask. I had seen the modifier on my spells, but this is my chance to learn more.

  “I’m surprised your homeland does not teach this. You must not have many magical artifacts. There are nine levels to magical items: mundane, slight, minor, common, uncommon, rare, epic, legendary, and Artifact. Each item level has a range of bonuses and a number of enchantments. Even the staff Olivia has, which is a family heirloom, is only rare.”

  I contemplate his words, eager to get a magical staff of my own. After I realize that my windfall won’t be able to buy me all new magical gear, we return to the inn, and I am giddy at the thought of working with my new training stone.

  Kurt heads off to his room, but as I am about to go to my room, Benjamin snags me. I can feel contempt rolling off him, more than I felt from him before.

  “How’d you do it?” He asks, tone flat and serious. I look around and see he’s pulled me into a hidden area under the stairs so no one else can see us.

  “How’d I do what?” I ask, confused. Benjamin had always been a bit antisocial, but this felt different. This felt directed, and what confuses me most is why he is so angry when I felt I was just starting to bond with the group.

  “How did you trick them?” His gaze is fierce and unblinking.

  “Look, I’m not sure what went wrong with the test, but you saw me do magic. I am not keeping that a secret from you.” I feel a little guilty that I’m hiding my mind magic. If anything, I’m underrepresenting my magic affinities and not overrepresenting them.

  He grabs the collar of my shirt and pulls me down. “Look, you’re going to tell me how you did it, and then we are going to go up to Olivia’s room and tell her the truth.”

  He isn’t thinking. That’s what flashes through my head. The disorientation burns off like gas on a fire. He isn’t thinking, he’s feeling, and he won’t listen to a word I say. In this moment of clarity, I realize there is an underlying threat that he won’t relent from his delusion.

  “Let me go,” I say in as flat and low a tone as I can manage.

  “No-” He put his hand on his dagger. I slug him hard before he can finish his sentence. He tries to draw his dagger, but when he pulls us into the area under the stairway, he puts us in the darkest spot in the inn. The spot that has the deepest darkest shadows for me to pull on. His dagger sticks in its sheath as he’s unable to draw it, and the shadows on the ground wrap around his limbs.

  In the back of my head, I feel Morgana respond. She knows I identified a threat, and she’s making her way to me. I send messages of reassurance and that everything is fine. I think it’s fortunate she’s not here. Being dead made her unable to feel emotions in the same way I could.

  While I realize I might be hurt, I can also empathize that Benjamin doesn’t want to hurt me; he just wants to be right. I don’t think she’d understood that he doesn’t really mean me harm. If she were here, she might not have stopped at slugging him.

  I fall on top of him, kneeing him in the stomach. He grunts as the wind is knocked out of him. I back off from him so he can breathe, but then I see him struggle. Not the struggle of someone trying to breathe, but the struggle of someone trying to grab me and get to his feet so he can hit me back. I pin him until the shadows have a firm grip on his limbs.

  “I am not sure what your damage is, but don’t ever come at me like that again.”

  I let the shadows wrap over his eyes so he can’t see as I walk away. He struggles as the shadows continue to curl around him. While he struggles, I walk up to my room. Benjamin is not really in any danger. The shadows only bound him until I was out of sight. As it sinks in, he attacked me unprovoked, and anger builds in my stomach. Whatever his problem is, I’m not about to put up with it.

  I call out to Morgana, who makes her way up the side of the inn and into my second-story room. Not willing to deal with the fallout of the confrontation, I begin packing with the intent to leave. I would head over to the adventurer’s guild and take on a few quests until I have enough money. Maybe I will leave before that. With the amount of food and supplies I will have at least a week before I want for anything, and with the ever-growing fruits in the woods, I can probably last far longer.

  A knock comes at my door. I pull water from one of my skins, and Morgana moves just behind the door, so she can surprise whoever might attack me. Slowly, the door opens, and Kurt’s eyes widen when he sees me wielding water.

  “Peace, wilder, peace. Benjamin told us what he did.” He says, holding up his hands like he’s talking to a wild animal.

  “He told you he cornered me and was about to try to beat a confession out of me?”

  Kurt sighs and combs his hand through his hair.

  “Aye, he did, but now with those words. Olivia sent me to check on you. We thought you might be feeling a bit cornered, so I came to talk to you. Then we can go over to the other room, so he can apologize.”

  I stop channeling the water as aggressively, allowing it to return to the water skin as a show of peace, and Kurt sighs in relief.

  I decide to address Morgana out loud so Kurt does not get spooked. “It’s ok, Morgana.”

  I feel an echo of incredulity from her. As if I were in the wrong for revealing her instead of allowing her to continue sneaking up on him.

  Kurt turns around in surprise and lets out a very manly high-pitched yelp, but doesn’t draw any weapons. It brings a smile to my face, and Kurt looks chagrined. We both sit, and Kurt begins.

  “So Benjamin is the son of the Heartbran estate’s healer. Benjamin is also Olivia’s half-sister.”

  “Wait, I am confused, Olivia’s dad remarried Benjamin’s mom?”

  “No, Olivia’s parents are the head of the household, but their only child is Olivia. Lord Heartbran was looked down on for not siring more children, so he had a child with the estate’s healer. She was chosen since she wouldn’t pose a threat to Lady Heartbran, but is also an affinity user. Having children represents stability and power in the estate. If something happened to Olivia, we’d have another heir, and more children means more affinity users for the next generation.”

  He pauses, letting it sink in before continuing. “After Benjamin was born, he was tested at the age of five and found to have no affinity. This was unfortunate, but the ramifications of this union had far-reaching implications. Not only did the lord have only one daughter, but his only other child was born without an affinity despite being born to a parent of noble lineage and a parent with an affinity.

  “Had he been an affinity user, he would have been a lord; his mother and other half-sister would’ve had a higher standing, and he would likely have elevated the Heartbran family to a higher standing. Since he didn’t, it was publicly said Benjamin was a bastard, to try to mitigate the damage to Heartbran's reputation. His father isn’t cruel. In the estate, Benjamin has an amicable relationship with his father, but there are many who blame and whisper about him.

  “That pressure pushed him to be one of the finest knights of the state, but there are many who don’t see a man who has become one of the finest knights. They see a failure who has shamed the house.”

  The story is sad, but that doesn’t give him the right to attack me.

  “I still don’t understand. It must happen from time to time that some are born without an affinity.” I ask.

  “Yes… But they are not the child of the lord of the house, who already had trouble producing an heir. At least that’s what is said publicly. Fewer houses want to ally in fear; children bound to House Heartbran will have a weaker or no affinity at all. In the noble world, magical talent isn’t always the defining feature of house nobility, but a significant number of affinity users to marry away for connections is.”

  “Right- so that is horrible, but what does that have to do with me?” I ask, starting to see the complexity of politics.

  “So Benjamin is a great knight and protects his sister zealously, but is also deeply envious of affinity users. He tries to hide it, but he has internalized some of the cruel things others have said. I know what he did wasn’t right, but I ask you, please give him the chance to apologize. What he did was wrong, be we all lose our way sometimes.”

  I frown. A part of me wanted to leave, but Kurt is right. I have my own struggle with family. My own father was always the voice of reason in our family, always the one pushing us to be understanding of others. Now that he’s dead, I find it a lot easier to be callous without meaning to. At least until the ghost of his memory reminds me to be more sympathetic. I shake my head as the familiar pang in my chest comes back.

  “Ok, Kurt, you’re right. You’ve been good to me, so I’ll listen.” Kurt leads me out of the room to Olivia’s room.

  I see Olivia staring down at her half-brother imperiously. On the wall, Benjamin sits with his head in his hands. He briefly looks up at me before looking away. I feel overwhelming shame, hurt, and anger, all of it directed inward.

  “Benjamin,” Olivia says sternly.

  The normally composed Benjamin looks manic as he sits in the chair. He pulls himself together before turning to me. “Look- I’m sorry. I spent my whole life training to protect Olivia, and now that we are in the field, I overacted. There are some, frankly, suspicious things about you, but you have helped save my sister. You deserve a little trust. I want to apologize and ask if there is anything I can do.”

  I don’t feel vindicated or have a sense of relief; I want to leave. I want to accept his apology, take Morgana, and hit the road. My gut reaction is to cut ties and distance myself from anything that might hurt me. Despite that, I again think back to my own father. He was the most considerate and empathetic man I ever knew, because he had made mistakes and learned from them.

  I look at Benjamin as a man who wants to do good. He could learn from this, but that isn’t a reason to subject myself to abuse. I won’t say it had gone that far, but I know I need to consider it. It would be too easy to wave it all away because no harm was done this time. If I had done more when I saw the first signs of emotional instability, my dad might still be alive. I promised myself this time would be different.

  “Benjamin, we all make mistakes. I think it’s important to be able to make mistakes. If we cannot make mistakes, we cannot learn. At the same time, I’m not going to take everything on the chin, so you can learn. Don’t let this happen again, and let this be the end of it. Deal?”

  Benjamin looks up and gives me a genuine smile, the first I’ve seen on him. “Deal.”

  I could tell he still needs to deal with his issues. A late-night talk at an inn won’t undo years of what he internalized, but I hope this will lance whatever bile he’s been harboring unseen since he first met me. I hold out my hand, and he shakes it. I feel relief from Kurt and Lucian while Olivia radiates satisfaction.

  “It’s late, so I’m going to head to bed,” I say, but Lucian stops me.

  “Hey, Wilder, tonight has been a bit tense. Kurt mentioned you wanted to take a bath. I know a place. Give you a little bit to unwind from all this.”

  When I look a little skeptical, he leans in, “Don’t worry, it's on Olivia.”

  I chuckle. Through my empathy, I can feel he has no ill intent, so I follow him. A few minutes later, he leads us to a bathhouse.

  He points at the door, “been a rough week. It will feel nice to have a good soak. They keep the water hot, and when I asked around, they have a few private baths, so I reserved one. Maybe this will help ease some of your worries.”

  I chuckle at his comment, as if I don’t have a whole list of reasons to worry. After thinking it over, I shrug. “Sure, it sounds nice.”

  He opens the heavy wooden door, and inside, a young woman sits behind a desk. “Welcome to the lotus pad, how may I help you?”

  Lucian thumbs to me, “My friend and I want a private room.”

  “I apologize, but rooms are reserved for-”

  “Yeah, yeah, I’m a knight.” He says, waving her away. Lucian and I are both in traveling clothes, so her mistake isn’t that surprising. Still, I notice the way her face pales and her shoulders tense.

  “Ah, my apologies, sir, but only nobles may-”

  Lucian cocks his head, “We are here for Lady Heartburn. She made a reservation for us. Just hurry and get us a room.”

  The lady bows and sprints off. A minute later, a man walks forward and leads us to a small room where we can remove our clothes and put on the robes provided by the spa. Lucian leaves the robe, walking butt naked into the steamy water.

  The bathing area is a ten-foot area, and the steam is enough that I can’t see more than a few feet in front of me. It feels a bit weird getting in a bath with just one other man, but back on Earth, I had the luxury of being able to bathe alone. In a bathhouse, having a bath for just two people is extravagant. I keep my robe on and ease into the warm water, feeling it soak the tension I didn’t realize I was carrying. I sigh, relaxing and leaning my head back against the wood.

  Lucian snaps his fingers, “Bring us two beers.”

  In the steamy room, I can’t see there is anyone else, but I hear the thump of footsteps as someone leaves.

  “Ah, I don’t need a beer, thanks though.”

  Lucian chuckles, “You thought that was for you?”

  I rest, drifting in the water until I feel the return of footsteps. Two beers are laid between us. Lucian grabs a beer. I go to grab the other beer. He pulls it back, raising an eyebrow.

  “It is bad luck to drink alone,” I explain.

  He chuckles, “Then you should order one, wilder.”

  He slides the other one to me but calls out, “Bring us one more beer, please.”

  Again, the footsteps recede, and I relax into the enveloping warmth of the water. When the footsteps return, I don’t open my eyes, allowing myself to float. The figure bends down and then puts their hand over my mouth. I feel a cold pressure across my neck and then a foot on my head, before I’m shoved into the water.

  I flail in the water and reach up to my neck, the warm water stings where I feel the cut flesh. My heart hammers, and the hot liquid running down my throat makes me want to burst from the water, gasping for air. In a moment of clarity, I realize that the path leads to death. Instead, I focus on the water around me and the blood dripping down my throat. I focus on healing the wound and pulling the blood dripping into my lungs.

  The process is agonizingly slow as I feel my lungs start to burn. I pull blood into my mouth and try to spit it out into the water while the water of the bath works the flesh of my neck together. After what feels like forever, but after only forty seconds, my throat is repaired. I wait under the water. Someone is in the bathroom with me, and I feel out with my empathy, sensing someone else is still in the room. Someone wants me dead, and jumping up naked in the middle of the bath is only going to make me a target.

  I pull the water around me, and in a burst, I jump forward, the water propelling me. I can’t see, but I can feel the presence of the man who cut my throat. I slam into him with my body and a rush of water. He slips on the floor, and I drop on top of him. I put a knee is his back, grab his left with the knife, and my other hand curls in his wet hair. I pull his head up before I start slamming his head into the tiled floor of the bathroom. Each time I slam his face, I feel a crunch as bone and tile shatter.

  After years of honing my ability to feel for breaks, I can feel the broken bones of his face grinding against each other, each time I pull his face back up. I slam him down two more times before wresting the knife from his hands. I can hear the burbling of blood and broken teeth as he tries to breathe through his broken jaw, so I return the favor from earlier and finish him with a slice to his neck. With the enemy dead with I look over at Lucian.

  Through the haze, I see Lucian, eyes listless, face pale, and both hands clasped around his neck. I grit my teeth and feel out with my empathy just in time to feel someone behind me. I tense, ready to pounce, but instead of another assassin, it’s the server holding a beer. He lets out a cry and runs from the room.