How were there this many people in Verilia? Rebecca had lived here her entire life, in the crowded confines of the Flats where there was always someone else nearby. Not like the estates up the hill with their fancy gardens and extra rooms. This was more people than she ever realized lived here. They were flooding the streets and public squares to visit the events. Or just get drunk during the city-wide holiday. The mana pillars Laurel had spent months creating were festooned with ribbons and flowers, kids playing around the base or else being used to anchor a stage or service booth. People shouting about whatever it was they were selling, kids sprinting away from their parents, guards dragging away the worst of the drunks to an area where they were supposed to sit down and sober up.

It was too much.

Panting, she ducked into an alleyway, dragging Gabrielle behind her. Everyone else filed in, making a wall between Rebecca and the rest of the crowds.

"What is it?" Gabrielle asked.

"Just need a minute," Rebecca bit out. She hated that she got like this. Hated it. Nothing in the world would make her go back to the meek little girl who hid away from people who might hurt her. Or give up her connection to Flint. The best member of the sect was sitting nearby on top of Leander's head, looking at her and chittering for comfort. But it wasn't fair! No one else had this kind of thing happen with their cultivation. Deep breath in, hold it, deep breath out.

"Okay, I'm fine now."

"Umm, no. What was that?" Gabrielle was staring at her like she was some sort of alien.

"The city has been overwhelming since I aspected my mana. I got headaches for a while and I would have to go out into the countryside to relax. It got better. But with all the people out today it just came back."

"Does Laurel know? It feels like a big deal." The older girl wasn't dropping it.

"I mean, I haven't told her." Rebecca couldn't meet any of the other's eyes. "I'll be fine."

"What about the library? Have you looked up anything about past cultivators?" Gabrielle in problem-solving mode was not someone who backed down.

"I looked up a few. But it was mostly about how they would hunt or travel. Not so much about how to stay in a city. Can we just leave it now? I'm feeling better."

The wall of frowns said they would absolutely not drop it.

"Please? It's a festival."

"Ugh, fine. But we're talking about this later."

At Gabrielle's pronouncement they shuffled back out into the bustle en masse and continued on their way. The whole sect had been given free rein to enjoy the festival, with the promise that if they missed any of their scheduled events there would be some creative punishments in their future.

As she walked through the streets, her senses picked up on the pockets of life hiding amongst civilization. Weeds growing through solid rock, pigeons and rats and the cats that preyed on both. Each anchored her, pushed the overwhelming feeling of being trapped back down to manageable levels. In its wake there was plenty of room to be nervous about their destination.

One of several demonstrations scheduled for the three day party that sect members were going to participate in, they would need to conjure mana stones to be auctioned off to the crowd. It would be fine. They were just supposed to remind people that they were nice and helpful.

They found a cluster of guards and palace officials when they reached the designated square.

"Good good. Line up on the stage. You have instructions, yes? I've been told you can all at minimum make a stone that will glow on command and last for one year. If that's not the case tell me now." The pause he left wasn't long enough for a worm to slip through, let alone a person. "Good. Now I need you to line up on your marks on the stage at my say so. We will introduce and explain to the crowd. You will each create the item, then present it to the crowd. Those that are present and have bound themselves to the city will be entered into a raffle to take the items home. Any questions? Good. Up you go."

With absolutely no time to get any clarification, Rebecca found herself on stage sandwiched between Eric and Helene. In front of them was a low table. For whatever she made, presumably. She leaned forward just enough to see what Gabrielle was doing. Smiling and waving to the crowd. At the other end, Leander had puffed up his chest in what was probably a 'proper cultivator' pose.

The talkative official started explaining to the crowd but Rebecca tuned him out. She was far too busy forgetting her plan. What to make? A glow stone would work. Gabrielle would make a firestarter, that was obvious. Helene might do something that purified water. After aspecting his mana, Leander had been able to make a stone that gave off puffs of air. And one that made a horrific screeching sound that Laurel had been forced to dissipate when he realized he forgot to make a way to turn it off. But she couldn't make something wild. Could she? No, it would probably make a plant grow too fast or something like that.

The cadence of the speech reached a crescendo and she felt the mana move as the others drew it in towards their own stone. Panicking, she reached for the one magical item she always carried around. Slowly, the mana in front of her crystalized, becoming something fully real in a way it wasn't before. As the magic solidified, she pressed her will into it and thought "lead me home".

Making mana stones was surprisingly easy. It didn't seem like anyone at their level should be able to make something that had an actual effect. But with an effort of will, the mana almost wanted to be used. It jumped at the effort to be crystalized. They wouldn't be making anything that couldn't be done by a different tool. And all of these would fade within the year. Nothing like the more involved options that Laurel or Martin could make if they ever bothered. And they were continents away from what Devon could do. But still. In front of her eyes she was making something out of nothing.

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Time lost its meaning, the dull roar of the crowd fading back as she concentrated. This was the tricky part. Lose control here and the whole thing would dissipate. Way too embarrassing to happen in front of all these people.

As the magic stabilized she opened her eyes and stepped back. There on the pedestal was a clear crystal, tinges of blue around the edges. A quick look up and down the line showed Eric and Gabrielle were still working, but everyone else was done and waiting. The noise of the crowd filtered back in. Shock and side discussions she could barely make out. For most, this would be the first type of magic they had seen up close. Not as impressive as a giant blade made of lightning, but actual real magic they were only a few paces away from had its own kind of appeal.

As they were warned, once everyone was finished they were forced to present to the crowd. It went well, most of them choosing to say a few words and then turn on the effect. Leander's turn was just him blowing air at the crowd, but they cheered it anyway. Then it was her turn.

"This stone will help point towards home, once you let it sit for a while in the same place. Umm, you tap it to turn it on and then again to turn it off."

She stepped back to polite applause, cringing on the inside. Rebecca had picked something that was invisible and uninteresting for a public display. Not her best moment, but the others were picking up any slack she had dropped.

"One more hand for our volunteers," the announcer stepped back up to continue the event. "Now we will be raffling off the creations in one hour. For those interested you must have attested to your residence in the city via one of these pillars, and get a ticket from our desk. Further, the members of the Eternal Archive have agreed to stick around and answer any questions."

When he stopped talking the tide of people surged forward. Rebecca almost flinched back but mastered herself. She reminded herself that she was an embodiment of the wild, and she had no need to fear regular people.

The questions came thick and fast. Most were answered by Gabrielle, who liked being the center of attention, or Cooper, who had been forced to practice growing up. That left only a few that Rebecca and the others had to answer, though even that small trickle seemed unending. She talked about life in the sect, learning to cultivate, exploring for magic treasures. How they wanted to defend the city, but it was hard. Why they joined the sect and how else to become a cultivator. The hour flew by, actually a bit more than an hour to get the whole crowd to be members of the city, and then the raffle kicked off.

A box full of paper scraps was placed on the table. Then each of the cultivators was asked to grab one and announce who had one their prize. At her own turn she stepped up and plunged her hand deep, pulling out a scrap with a name and number written on it.

"Cantrel Dartisse?"

A middle aged man walked up and was presented with the stone. "Perfect for the kids, eh?"

She smiled, glad her work was going to someone to appreciate it.

Then, with the relief so potent she lost her breath, they were allowed to leave. The echoed shouts of other events around the city chased them out of the square.

"Where to next?" Helene asked.

"The University is doing something up the hill, if you all don't mind?" Cooper offered.

They dutifully turned their feet and began the long walk. Sky cabs were in much too high a demand today to bother waiting around, and carriages would be slower than walking with all the traffic clogging the main thoroughfares. It was a ploy to advance the Core and make it stronger, but maybe they could convince someone to make the holiday happen every year.

********

Adam leaned back against a wall, Martin to his left, blocking most of the glare from the afternoon sun. The rock at his back felt good, solid. Safe. He took a deep breath. Yes, he was safe here.

It was getting better. He still woke up a few times a week, drenched in sweat from a fading nightmare. Could still visualize the slightly shocked face of the man he'd killed with his own hands. But ever so slowly, he was beginning to breathe again. All thanks in no small part to the man standing next to him. Adam's own idea of recovery looked like burrowing beneath a pile of books, safe behind the warded doors of the sect house and the library. Martin was not having that. Every few days he appeared with tickets or reservations or some other reason they had to go out and explore. Experiencing the best parts of life, and not lingering stuck in the evil, as Martin assured him. Adam was profoundly grateful, not that he could put that in words.

Today they were appreciating the fruits of the last month's labor and enjoying the festival they had helped craft. Both of them had their own events in the following days, but for now they were exploring like all the rest of the Verilians coming out to appreciate the spectacle of it all. If there was a question before if Martin cared for him, it was answered in their current location. The man had scoured the schedule for something Adam would enjoy. On a raised dais in a public square of the University District was the new Head of Magical Studies. The robe was a brilliant lapis, accented with gold. Obnoxious. And of course the man was holding forth in a ponderous lecture about magical theory. All of which was utterly, entirely wrong.

"Thank you for this," he said to Martin.

Adam received a wink in return as he stepped up to the stage. This was a very old type of public lecture that offered open debate and Adam was well-prepared to metaphorically smack this professor around. But really, a head of magical studies that couldn't do any magic?

It took a few moments to come back around to something truly egregious and then it was time for Adam to step in.

"What do you mean those born with the innate gift of magical ability? Most people have the capacity to cultivate, if they have the time to do so."

"Well, sir, that is not quite correct." The condescending smile he flashed at Adam was catnip to his argument-starved soul. "I have spent many hours combing through legends and myths to sort out the seeds of truth. While many people have the ability to do magic, ahem, the modern term for the art and science of matter and energy manipulation, there are large swaths of people who simply cannot fathom the truths needed."

Adam had made his way onto the stage at this point, standing a half dozen paces away from the podium as though they were about to duel.

"I can see how you would come to that conclusion, with mostly recordings of myths to go by, but it is largely incorrect. Magical nulls are not unheard of, but they are rare. More so are sinks, that can absorb energy but not use it in any way. The vast majority, however, have the ability to do magic, latent as it is at most times. Even more so in a city like Verilia. Those bound to the Core, or even just living in the city for long periods, might spontaneously connect to their internal magic and gain the powers associated."

That rippled through the polite crowd in a wave of astonishment. In the parties further down the hill, there might have been jeering or shouting. Here, amongst so-called polite society, he heard a few exclamations and saw some people shuffling towards the nearest anchor pillar.

"Such claims, wholly without evidence, can be used to support any argument. Those of us who have dedicated ourselves to pushing forward the boundaries of knowledge require greater rigor in our thoughts and actions."

Absolute, unfettered glee rose up in Adam. A smile split his face wide. It wasn't kind.

"As the Loremaster for the Eternal Archive, and member of the Magician's Guild. Let me assure you my claims are not unsupported. While I appreciate the difficulty working with separating fact from fiction, we have access to a large array of primary sources along with treatises on the history and theory of magic."

An even louder susurrus whipped through the crowd. How sweet it was to know you had the upper hand, and the ability to play it.

"Historical records do not mean modern populations follow the same trends."

"True," Adam conceded. "But they are stronger evidence than an analysis of mythology. Though I would be interested in reading the latter. Is there a paper forthcoming?"

The old professor took the lifeline with ill grace. Adam might have felt bad if he didn't recognize the man and his very limited opinions on what constituted valid areas of research.

"Indeed. I will be presenting it at a colloquium next month. I will ensure you get an invitation. As is tradition I now cede the floor to the victor."

Nothing was sweeter than being right. He took his place at the wooden podium at the far end of the stage. Faces he recognized from his own schooling were peppered through the crowd, plenty of student uniforms filling out the spaces between. This was a fantasy of his young adulthood come true. A wizened old man in the maroon robes of a university provost nodded to Adam as he turned over a large hourglass filled with pure white sand.

"As my colleague hinted, cultivators, or magic-users, have always made up only a fraction of the population. This is due to the time and resources needed to excel in the art. The benefits, however, of even a hobbyist's level of commitment are well-documented. Longer life spans, better health, increased strength or mental acuity are all benefits of a regular cultivation practice. Some of these benefits are achieved through bonding with a City Core, as the Eternal Archive stewards here in Verilia. Such action also has the potential to spontaneously awaken an individual's cultivation, as we have seen several times throughout the city already. For the remainder of my time I will discuss methods of achieving active cultivation, what we call the novice stage, throughout history…"

Martin was watching him, smiling softer than the man would ever admit if confronted. He was frustratingly good at thoughtful gestures. Adam would have to try harder on his end.

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