George found himself spending the first day of the festival alone in the crowds. Without beating around a bush or hedging, Laurel had directly asked if he wanted to participate in the showcases with the others. And been generous when he declined. His accent still marked him as a foreigner. Most of the time he could get away with it, or no one cared. Standing in front of a crowd, during a holiday that was not-at-all-secretly an explicit strike back against Laskar was not one of those times.

Instead he wandered. The festival was like nothing he'd seen before, not that he'd ever spent much time in the cities until he joined the sect. There were people everywhere, spilling out of doors and loitering on the streets. Almost everyone had at least one of the days off work, the usual industry grinding to a near halt so everyone could experience the crown's largesse.

Over a year since he got to this country and he still felt like an outsider. He could see the edges of it, slowly being whittled down by Annette's wit and Cooper's awkward kindness, and the rest of the sect members welcoming him. Even Laurel's freakishly accurate understanding was eating away at that isolation. It was an odd feeling. He knew eventually it would be like he'd been born here. So enmeshed in the sect that new members would be surprised he hadn't been there the whole time.

He wanted that. A stable home, where he could actually do something good, where he could be safe, and start exploring what that meant for who he was and who he wanted to be. But part of him was afraid of it too. What if, after the suspicion and deep-seated anger was all worn away, what if there was nothing left? It was stupid. Plenty of people found new roots after being torn from where they thought they should be. His Sectmaster among them. Unfortunately stupid didn't stop him from feeling it.

"George! There you are! He's over here!"

He turned to find a rosy-cheeked Cooper, walking the stumbling gait of the well-liquored. Behind him staggered the rest of the usual suspects, all with the loose sway that said they had enjoyed the party thus far. Even Leander, who brought up the rear, was looking well-sauced. The fact confirmed when, after the rest came to a halt, the boy walked right up and threw his arms around George in a hug, face mashed into his chest. Returning it with a few strained back pats, he surveyed the group from up close.

"Having fun then?"

"So much fun!" Rebecca tossed her hands into the air, to emphasize the fun, he guessed, and Flint mimicked the action from her shoulder.

"But then we realized we hadn't seen you all day. Came to find you," Gabrielle said. The young woman had passed through the excited stage and moved on to sleepy, leaning against a wall as her eyes fluttered closed.

"And how did you find me?" That was somewhat disturbing. You can't just find someone in a crowd of thousands, in a city of over a million, during the most chaotic day of the year.

"We are very clever. The cream of the youth, the protectors of the city…," so Gabrielle wasn't that sleepy then.

Leander unlatched from his hug and made a cutting gesture, slicing his hand from shoulder to hip. The boy had a few gestures he used for each of them, and George recognized the one for Laurel.

"Didn't find you," Cooper explained. "Found Laurel. Asked where you were and she did a magic thingy and told us. Still took forever since you kept moving around."

"Why?" he asked. It was the most mystifying part of this whole moment, though it was good to know any random cultivator couldn't pick him out in the crowds.

Cooper looked sad and Leander glared. Eric finally answered.

"You are our friend. This is a festival. You are supposed to do those with your friends, not alone."

"Right. Well." George found himself actually getting slightly worked up about the fact they'd come to find him. That they considered him friends at all. He blinked away moisture in his eyes. Maybe he'd had a bit too much today too.

"Come on." Helene rarely spoke up but they all listened when she did. "The Kitchen is putting on one of the displays. If we go they might have samples."

Before he entirely knew what was happening, George found himself in the middle of the group, Flint on his shoulders for the taller vantage point as they started off down a busy thoroughfare. Having friends to explore with was kind of nice. He cracked a smile as they searched out the restaurant displays.

**********

"The whole world will be watching today. I expect perfection. Am I understood?"

"Yes Sir!" The chorus of pilots barked back to Ridge where he was standing at the front.

"Twenty minutes, do any final checks and be ready for formations one, six, seven, and nine."

Another shouted affirmative and the pilots dispersed. Laurel saw Trip looking a bit green but Kat was already walking to intercept him, making it look like a casual accident her path led in his direction. Seeing that well in hand, Laurel meandered to where Ridge was doing his own final checks.

"Rousing speech, General."

"Stars above woman," he said, jumping halfway off his step ladder. "Warn a man. Or no, how did you even get in here?"

"I just walked in." she said.

"Past trained guards. And several layers of security."

Laurel smiled winningly.

"Whatever. Too much going on today to follow up on that, though I hope you know whoever was on duty is getting a drill refresher later. Did you need anything?"

"Just stopping by to say hello. Wanted to see what all you had planned."

"Stick around for the show." He flashed the smile usually reserved for the newspaper photographers. "You'll be impressed. Trip there has something special planned."

"I'll look forward to it. Clear skies."

She left him with the blessing and walked back out of the hangar. A quick survey showed her Trip was doing better, and Kat sent her a wink as well, perfectly at ease. Ducking outside, she scurried up a pipe on the side of the hanger to reach the roof. Yes she had been here to check on everyone and say hello. It was just that she was also here to get the best view for the show. Martin was already up there, having had the same idea, but no desire to stop in for a chat first.

"Mansfeln isn't down there, you could have said hello."

"Eh, no need to remind the man I exist when they mention it later. He'll already be up all night trying to figure out how you got in."

They settled down, ground pillows and snacks pulled out from both tattoos.

The narrative has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.

"It's working," Laurel said.

"Really?"

"We blew past halfway, rounding in on two thirds."

"Huh, I'm surprised. Should have started with the party then." Martin squirmed into the nest he'd built, reclining to get a better view as the pilots took to the air above the city.

"You shouldn't be, it's your fault. They were dragging their feet about pressuring anyone into binding until you got back with news that Laskar is so far ahead."

"Then I guess we owe thanks to the Order of Decorra." Martin quipped.

"Sure thing. If one of them shows up I'll be more than willing to make it clear exactly how much I appreciate what they've done."

Martin chuckled and turned to watch the show. Always nice to be able to let the bloodthirst out around someone who understood.

Planes buzzed into the air, five small vee formations, each with five pilots arcing in different paths over the city. The squads wove around one another, diving and flipping in an impressive display of coordination. On it went, tight spirals and daring passes drawing cheers from all corners of the city.

In the final crescendo, five planes swirled together as they climbed, near vertically, over the city. Four split off, leaving the final one remaining. Higher and higher, Laurel recognized Trip by his mana signature, and the infusion of power into the plane.

Something shot ahead of the plane, too small for the mortals below to notice. Just as the plane caught up, it exploded.

Motes of light spread out surrounding the plane in a rainbow that morphed into the shape of an eagle before fading away. Trip's plane joined the others in a lap around the city, before they returned to the hangar, back in their formations.

"Impressive control. No way you taught him that."

Laurel just laughed. "He's a natural, more than most of the others. Devon will be pissed he can't dig his claws in."

"I'm sure Devon will have enough to deal with after today. If nothing else, every machine shop and merchant house will be slavering away to get some of the enchantments."

"Good for him," Laurel murmured. She was very much looking forward to seeing how the eccentric man dealt with Meristan politics.

***********

The second day of the tournament was just as busy as the first, but less of it needed Laurel's active attention. No, her big show would be the finale. Today, her only job was to show her face at the different events, meeting and greeting everyone from the common laborers enjoying a day off to the nobles looking to gain an advantage. It was fodder for an excellent mood. Even more so, they were so close to their goal. Months of effort just to get a trickle of Citizens had set them up for a long, slow rise to power. A few weeks of planning and the concentrated support of the crown and they had skipped those years to find themselves at the brink of ascension.

A pep in her step propelled Laurel through the city. She grabbed breakfast from one of the nigh-infinite street vendors taking advantage of the unusual amount of traffic. Inferior to Esther's usual quality, but somehow perfect for the atmosphere anyway. Her destination was a park in one of the residential districts up the hill. Well-off but not wealthy, it was usually empty during the day when the residents went elsewhere for work. Today, it was hosting a quieter competition that Laurel heard on good authority was going to be the site of a series of fierce battles.

Tall elms leant shade to the area, spread out amongst well-manicured lawns and stone-lined paths. Following her instructions, she found a wide area, set up with a series of stone tables and chairs. On the top of each was an engraved game board, worn down by years of exposure but still defined enough. Each was lined with a sequence of old men facing off with looks of utter concentration on their faces. The preliminaries.

After a quick survey, she ducked around the active participants and plunged into the crowd surrounding them. Instinct and keen senses brought her face to face with her quarry.

"Aye lass, very impressive," Beram grunted out.

She forced him into a hug, short but no less heartfelt for it. "I just asked around for what the old men with too many stories were hanging around."

"You're not entering? Not confident in your skills then?"

"Sorry to disappoint old man. I have to be the ever wise and capable sect leader. Just here to cheer you on for moral support. Tell me how you've been. I can see the cultivation is coming along."

Scratching his beard he pondered how best to answer. "You were right that we were in store for some interesting times. A few monsters have shown up but nothing too bad as long as we don't stray too far up in the mountains and keep a good eye on the herds. No great loss.

"As for the magic, well that's because once you retire people think you aren't capable of doing anything on your own. My brother's oldest keeps me well-coddled. Can't so much as fetch my own water without her sending one of the little ones off to do it for me. So much time on my hands, figured I might as well learn to meditate."

"Sure, whatever you say. I'm glad you've tried. Are you planning on joining the guild while you're in the city?"

Another grunt. "Not sure. I'm too old to bother with running around after guild dues."

"Ah, but then you get easier access to advancement resources. Or you get the crown to pay you as the protector of Gulronne."

He waved the idea off, focus shifting to where the main event was about to start.

"Either way, you'll always be a friend of the sect Beram. Don't forget it. I expect you to join us for dinner, bring whatever family you're here with."

Before they could get any further, Beram was called over for his first bout. Laurel took up a position from which she could see the board. Which put her right at the front of the crowd, unless she wanted to hover above like the most obnoxious possible bystander.

The game was rapid-fire. Byd was an interesting blend of strategies, and this tournament included a time limit on each move. The result was a reliance on instinct and decisive action that Laurel suspected the old mercenary would be well-accustomed to.

Like any of the competitions of the last few days, the crowd became involved. Shouting in approval or hissing at particularly poor moves. Beram won his first bout handily, his opponent quickly replaced when victory became inevitable.

In the third round, the pace slowed. Each player took more of the allotted time to consider their options. Still, Beram was victorious.

The fourth round was harder fought. More pieces exchanged, more territory gained and lost. Her friend won, but Laurel's instincts said they were nearing the end.

She proved correct. After a slog of a game, taking a full half hour, Beram was defeated in his next round. The victor was an even older, even more weather-worn woman that had handily trounced all comers. After some exchanged congratulations Beram made his way back to Laurel to the sound of polite applause from the crowd.

"Well fought," she congratulated him.

"Thank you, lass. That last one was one of the best games I've had in some time."

"And?"

"And you'll see me at that monstrosity of yours down the hill for dinner. Now get going. I'm sure the 'wise sect leader' has plenty of places to be today."

She laughed and set off after one more awkward hug from the man, and a polite conversation with the organizers, she plunged back into the chaos of Verilia. On to the next event.

***********

Cooper jolted as Laurel dropped into a seat next to him. They were at the top of the University amphitheater, which was filled with a mix of students and public intellectuals. A stream of lectures had filled the days of the festival, every academic taking the chance to espouse their own work. Though without the excitement of the debates they had been less well-attended. Except, of course, for the well-publicized magic events.

"Couldn't convince any of the others to join you?" his sectmaster asked.

"Ah, no. I believe there was a display of bakery prowess at the same time and a lecture on magical fauna couldn't quite compete."

"Fair enough. Good on you for showing support to your guild mate then."

"I'm actually quite interested in the topic as well," Cooper said. "Pavan promises an overview of the beasts of southern Merista. Fascinating on its own. But I figured with my new aspect, I might find some inspiration."

Laurel beamed at him. "Excellent idea. There are some rather potent poisons down there. Hmm. We should see if we can't find a knowledgeable herbalist for you to work with as well. Lots of ideas. I'm glad to see you trying with your aspect. You should be proud of how you've adapted."

She bumped him gently with her shoulder. Luckily the lecture started, saving him from having to respond.

The content was interesting, if somewhat dry. Pavan was not a natural orator. But it seemed the man was a natural at hunting, or wilderness survival in general. He presented each animal with a large illustration, discussing the habits, and dangers presented. For a few he pulled out claws or pelts to make the size or some other facet clear to the audience. Looking around, he saw most had their attention held rapt. Especially by those in the green-trimmed uniforms of the natural sciences department. If he was any judge, the Hunter's Guild would have several new bounties after the festival, for specimens to study. At least if the new magical studies professors didn't get to them first.

The lecture broke up after a lively question and answer session. There would be a short break before the next speaker arrived, enough time for a graceful exit or for new audience members to slip in. Laurel stood and approached Pavan while Cooper was paralyzed. Was he supposed to go with Laurel? They hadn't arrived together. But would it be rude to leave? There was probably still time to make the bakery event as well…

His hesitation was solved when Laurel backtracked to grab his arm and tow him towards the wild man he had only met once before.

"Fascinating lecture Pavan. I'm impressed with the variety of beats you encounter down there. Though I suppose it's quite a wide area you've taken responsibility for. Have enough support?"

"Thank you, Madam Stormblade. Yes, my brothers all have the gift as well. Together we are able to cover a great range. Though it is not without constant effort. I would not have left except I am hoping to purchase materials from the guild for them while I am here."

"Glad to hear it."

A pause lengthened towards awkward when Laurel nudged Cooper with an elbow. "Oh, yes. Are any of the beasts you've come across particularly venomous? My own aspect can interact with such specimens."

"Not that we've yet noticed, thankfully. At least none of the newer animals. The more dangerous snakes and insects are only made more so by the influx of magic."

"I would appreciate a heads up if that changes."

"Very well, young man. I will keep you in mind if we encounter such."

After another few minutes of pleasantries, Laurel gave her farewell and they walked back out of the University campus.

"Maybe we should send you to the forest monarch's domain," Laurel mused. "I believe the army has sent some people to investigate and do some light harvesting, but such places tend to be good for the various natural aspects. "

"Yes, sectmaster."

"Then again. Trees are not known for their speed. It might need more time."

"Of course."

Laurel looked at him then, pausing them both in the middle of the street until he was fidgeting and glancing around.

"Go have fun. We'll have company at dinner so make sure you and the others don't skip it." Her eyes glazed over for a minute before she continued. "They're still at the baking thing, you'll meet them there if you hurry."

Star-blessed freedom came after that as Cooper hurried down the hill. He took the time until he met up with the others to contemplate these new avenues. No more letting fate happen to him. If there were resources for advancement near the forest monarch then he would find them.

If you find any errors ( broken links, non-standard content, etc.. ), Please let us know < report chapter > so we can fix it as soon as possible.