Christie had to admit that the novelty of the academy quickly wore off, and soon she found herself trapped in a routine. She was quickly building up her stamina by training each day in the afternoon once classes were over, but between that and the homework, there wasn’t much in terms of free time currently in her life. The third week of class was almost at an end, as it was the last day of class. Though at least it was everyone’s favorite: Agatecraft.

  “I have to give it to you all, a couple of weeks have gone by, and no one has killed themselves after having unlimited access to commands.” Teacher Dago had the tendency to make grim jokes that no one laughed at. A boy raised his hand; it was Mateo Librar. “Yes, Master Librar?”

  “Are the commands in the textbook all that exists?”

  “A valid question,” the teacher nodded. “Alas, I think you already suspect the answer. No, that textbook does not contain all the commands. And thank you for asking that question, it allows me to explain a fact about lithorica that I had yet to share.”

  The black-uniformed soldier summoned his best agate – the one he uses to grab chalk with – and started writing on the slate with it. He wrote the words ‘Heat’ and ‘Warm’ on the blackboard before speaking.

  “As you all know, the Heat command makes it so an agate emits heat. But for that fact, I propose a question. How is it that the Heat command does indeed warm up an agate, but a hypothetical Warm command does not? Anyone?” René Dago’s eyes shot forward detecting someone’s hand, though Christie couldn’t see it as it was behind her. “Go on, Master Trastar.”

  “Is it because… the agate does not understand that word as a command?” The student proselytized doubt at his own answer.

  “Not at all,” the teacher swayed his hand in negation. “Does anyone else have a guess? Come on, students, you might not be philosophers, but you will find out that exercising your brain is healthy.”

  Why do some commands work whilst others do not? Christie pondered the question more closely. Heat heats an agate, but Warm, if it were to exist would… The girl with bicolored eyes raised her hand, and the teacher acknowledged her with a nod.

  “Is it about redundancy?” She proposed.

  “Interesting guess, I cannot say I have not heard it before, but sadly no. If you were to be right, then please answer me, why does the Combustion command even exist if it produces fire? Is that not redundant with Heat?”

  “Uh…” Christie tried to look for an answer, but whether it was for the nerves of being asked by the teacher or an outright blank mind, she couldn’t find one.

  “Let us revisit the theory Master Trastar proposed for a moment,” René Dago’s agate started moving again, and it wrote on the board with an alphabet Christie couldn’t read but recognized nonetheless. “The following word reads as ‘skopelecos’ and it is the Heat command in Grwcian. Now, linguistics are a very complex subject, one that is manmade, yet it holds as many intricacies as the natural world, so in Grwcian ‘heat’ and ‘warm’ are one and the same. The term can be used interchangeably to mean both things. So we could argue that, in a way, Grwcians do not use the Heat command but the Warm command which you know does not work. Why is that the case?”

  No one responded this time. Some students even made grimaces of confusion as their eyelids blinked asynchronously.

  “Really? No one? Oh, well. The answer is quite simple,” the teacher chuckled. “We do not know.”

  Those same students who were one step away from being declared brain-dead instantly switched up their attitudes and started whispering amongst one another.

  “Yes, Miss Belkadi?” The soldier’s voice broke through the cacophony.

  “What do you mean we do not know?” The Intaksolfani girl asked.

  “Exactly what I have said. Like other disciplines and sciences, Agatecraft is not a completed field. There are many unknowns that we have no clue how to tackle. The question of commands is the biggest one in lithorica. Why do some work whilst others do not? Is there a key property to make commands work? Are commands created, or do they exist in the wild? If any of you manages to answer a single one of these questions, you will become one of the most famous lithorists to have ever existed.”

  Christie didn’t hunger for fame, even if her dearest father highly encouraged her to eat the world, yet being one of the most famous lithorists to exist was a tantalizing prospect. Let us be honest, Christie, if you manage something in lithorica – Agatecraft as a whole – it will be through the theory lens rather than practice. She was well aware that no matter how she trained, her body was too weak to become a legend. But out of respect for her dearest father, she would still try her best.

  “There are many studies, independent and state-sponsored, around the world focused on finding new commands. And as I have stated when I was explaining Stratums, mindfulness is a key aspect of Agatecraft. Thinking random words in the off-chance that they materialize into commands is not a thing that happens. There needs to be a definitive intent, and even if someone fails trying a word, the same might not happen to the next person, as they have a different point of view and internal imagery.”

  René Dago summoned another agate, this one far bigger than the one he used for writing, and left it floating in the air. It soon became apparent, however, that the agate wasn’t floating through Control, but something else, as the man tapped the mineral with his finger and it didn’t move a single millimeter.

  “A perfect example of this is what your classmate Miss Malachite did during the first day of class when we sparred. Miss Malachite replicated the Anchor command you are seeing here, even though she had no previous knowledge of the command.”

  Many gazes in the classroom, Christie’s included, directed to Agatha. The mock sapphire blushed softly, but she kept her head forward, acting as if nothing had happened.

  “So, this indicates to us that maybe the linguistic component of the command is not strictly mandatory, as your fellow classmate was able to perform a command with just the knowledge of its existence. But mistake my words not, the linguistic component is mandatory. What Miss Malachite did there was substitute it with an imagery component, but as you can guess, one cannot have that component when researching new commands. Now…”

  The high-quality agate holding the chalk started writing on the board as the teacher recalled the other agate bearing the Anchor command. He wrote a simple diagram with the word ‘command’ encircled and other words pointing at it.

  “By deduction, we can state that we need components to operate commands. The linguistic one is the most obvious kind, but there are several others. The imagery component I have previously mentioned also works to boost your personal mastery of the command. The more you execute a command, the clearer your subconscious imagery is. Subconscious is the keyword here. Do not try to push imagery of a command inside you; it must happen naturally, or you will not be able to progress with it. Having stated so, I want to talk about another component: restrictions.”

  This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road. If you spot it on Amazon, please report it.

  Teacher Dago wrote the word on the board by using his agate as a proxy, and yet he was able to perfectly recreate the emphasis of writing manually as the chalk screeched against the slate.

  “If you have paid minimal attention to classes, you will have realized by now that there are many commands with restrictions. The Gate command will surely pop up first in your mind as it has a handful of them, requiring two agates and perfect spheres, and those are only the surface-level restrictions. But there are others, like the Amplify command, as it requires an agate of Second Stratum to do something in the first place and a proper programming of the sequence of commands. But forget about that last point, we will not be seeing command programming until a handful of you have reached the Second Stratum at the very least.”

  The sketch on the board ended with the word ‘command’ linked by the components ‘linguistic’, ‘imagery’, and ‘restrictions’.

  “The components of commands are many and not even that well understood, but this should help you as a starting point in the case you want to try finding new ones. Which you are more than welcome to do so. The kingdom offers a reward for anyone who discovers a new command, so go for the throat. Do not let people discourage you by telling you that you are just a student. Even the youngest of people can change the world with luck, talent, and timing.”

  The class ended in a surprising light tone, which wasn’t always a given considering Teacher Dago’s grim proclivities. The students started flocking out of the classroom with the usual frenzy of the last class of the week, but before Christie could reciprocate, she was stopped by a classmate.

  “Hi, Christie,” Shayla placed a hand on her desk.

  “Hi, Shayla,” the redhead replied with a smile. “To what do I owe the pleasure?”

  “Veronica is going to organize a tea party in a bit, and I was wondering if you wanted to be in.”

  “That sounds lovely, but what is the real reason?”

  “What real reason?” The Intaksolfani beamed a smile.

  “Shayla, you have not looked out for me these three weeks, so I highly doubt you invited me out of the goodness of your heart.”

  “Considering we only exchanged gazes when we shared a room, I am surprised you know me that well,” the bronze-skinned girl sighed. “Yes, I did not invite you out of the goodness of my heart. Veronica is basically forcing me in the tea party as she has my hand twisted, but I do not want to go alone, considering everyone there is a noble. So…”

  Christie pondered it for a moment, then turned to face her roommate. “Do you want to go?”

  “Is Veronica the girl who tried to steal my bed?” Christie nodded to Agatha’s question. “Then fffffffu-forget about it. I would rather advance with my homework and continue working with your clothing.”

  “So,” Shayla interjected the moment Agatha stopped talking. “What do you say?”

  “I guess I could participate in one. I have been taught tea party etiquette, but I have never had the honor of participating in one, so I suppose this could be a good way to check my knowledge and skills.”

  “Yes!” The citrine-eyed girl jumped in glee. An act Christie would have considered uncharacteristic of the stoic girl if it wasn’t because she didn’t really know her. “We meet at five at the gardens. Bring nice clothes.”

  “Always,” the redhead chuckled, and her former roommate dashed out of the classroom. “So,” she directed herself to Agatha, who was still there, “do you want to help me choose clothes?”

  “Really?” The sapphire-eyed girl’s eyes lit up as if commanded by Light.

  “Are you not too eager? It is just choosing an attire.”

  “Oh, dear Christie, it is far more than choosing an attire,” Agatha said with lithic seriousness.

  “Right…” Truth be told, her cheeks got a bit hot when she said ‘dear’, though she couldn't tell the reason. “Let us get down to business then.”

  ***

  After having had lunch at the mess hall, the two girls found themselves at their dormitory, and… Agatha’s seriousness hadn’t been a one-off thing. At least she constantly alternated between joy and seriousness, but it was a curious sight to say the least.

  “Have we not tried enough dresses already?” Christie said with a tired tone. Her roommate’s enthusiasm was so elevated that she had forgotten about her second-hand embarrassment and had no problem looking at Christie undressing, as she only had dresses on her mind.

  “Ye-no! I mean no! Not at all! You need to try more dresses, Christie!”

  “Are you having fun, mock sapphire?”

  “Yes,” the single-agate lithorist responded without thinking or a hint of shame.

  “You are here to help me choose an attire, not have fun,” Christie responded with an unserious scowl.

  “Who says I cannot do both at the same time?” Agatha smiled at her. “And technically, I am working. This is seamstress duty. Clearly.”

  Not even she believed her own words for a moment.

  “Right…” The half-naked girl caressed her temples. “Then I must put a stop to this.”

  “Why?” The petite girl shouted in pure despair.

  “First, there is no need to be so dramatic. Second, we are getting in formal dress territory, and I am attending an informal tea party.”

  “How informal is it really going to be if all attendants are noble girls?” Agatha squinted at her after recovering her composure.

  “I will admit that it is ‘informal’ in a different manner from the one you are acquainted with, but if I remember correctly from my etiquette lessons, over-dressing in such a gathering is far worse than under-dressing?”

  “So you are telling me that dressing all gorgeous is frowned upon, but going on rags is not?” The villager crossed her arms.

  “I do not think anyone would attend a tea party wearing rags, but yes. If you underdress, you make the rest look better…”

  “But if you overdress, you make them look worse,” Agatha finished the sentence for her and sighed. “Depths, how moronic.”

  “I… will not deny nor affirm that claim. But I really should get going, so can you stop having fun and help me pick a dress?”

  “Okay…” The seamstress groaned in disinterest.

  ***

  “Oh,” Shayla gasped the moment she saw Christie. “You are taking this more seriously than I thought.”

  “It is called etiquette,” the redhead responded with a mocking smile. “Though I must admit your attire is quite interesting.”

  The Intaksolfani wore a dress that left her arms and shoulders exposed yet covered her forearms, a type of clothing choice rarely seen in Crochetan fashion, especially high fashion. The dress boasted white, ochre, and yellow colors interchangeably and deliciously. It was also quite a cultural shock considering how Shayla had her chest partially exposed – only the sternum really – yet her legs were fully covered by a long skirt.

  “Thanks,” the bronze-skinned girl bowed in Intaksolfani fashion, where they put a leg before the other and slightly flexed it forward. “It is a traditional dress from my ancestral lands, and I really have not had the chance to try it before. I thought this event was formal enough to merit it, yet informal enough that no one would comment on unsavory things.”

  “I am obliged to agree there.” Christie had become aware of the unsavory things people would say about Shayla just because of her blood when she was her roommate.

  “But your attire also interests me,” Shayla took a step forward and examined the nouveau riche. “Sophisticated yet simple. Also very much red. But what is the deal with the agates?”

  Christie didn’t wear a complex attire. Just her feathered, wide-brimmed, red hat; a white blouse; a long, red skirt; red moccasins; a red shawl on top of the blouse; and finally, agate bracelets. These ones weren’t jewels from her wardrobe, but recent creations she had made with Agatha. It had taken a bit of trial and error, but after carefully wielding Shape, switching to Sleep, and finally recalling agates, they had been able to make permanent jewelry.

  Well, as permanent as Christie’s recalling range allowed. Which was next to none.

  At least Agatecraft jewelry had the advantage of being renewable, even if it took her a lot of work. Her roommate could instantly create a bracelet with an afterthought and her lone agate, but for Christie, even a single bracelet was a painful, sweat-ridden, and long endeavor. She also wore agate earrings, but those didn’t highlight as much, though they combined perfectly with her eyes as both had red and green layers. People usually didn’t wear their agates as earrings for the reason that harming one’s agates was painful – and the fact that people couldn’t separate chunks of agate like her – but Christie had so many agates that perforating one didn’t faze her in the slightest. Which was highly amusing considering how much it hurt to keep them inside her body.

  Agatha was also working in incorporating more agates into her wardrobe by making pouches and whatnot for Christie’s dresses, but that idea was still very much early in development.

  “These agates are just my take on the Stratum homework Teacher Dago gave us,” Christie addressed the question. “Most people are carrying them in their pouches these days, but I fear I have too many agates to do so.”

  “Are you even making a dent with those bracelets?” Shayla arched a brow.

  “Not in the slightest.”

  “I guessed as much.”

  “But I have to try. The Second Stratum is far more significant to me than to other lithorists. I do not care if it takes years, I do not care if I become a soldier or not, but I need to achieve the Second Stratum.”

  “Yes, yes, I get it.” Christie doubted she did. “But that is enough morosity for now. We have – unfortunately – to attend a tea party.”

  Patreon to support me and read 20 chapters ahead of time!