Radiant spell glyphs floated in the air before her as Arizar started her day. Only visible on the inside of her eyelids, her glyphs reported back on the many enchantments she had placed within her domain. Far fewer than she was used to seeing when dwelling within realspace.

The Shapers arriving was a boon to be certain, but until the cargo ship bringing the rest of her enchantments arrived, she would be half-blind and only a tenth as versatile in her casting as she was used to. 'Roughing it,' as her father would say.

One of the glyphs that had been dark lit up causing her to pause even as her dress continued to wrap itself around her. It seemed the ship had moved into range. If her calculations were correct - and they most often were - it would soon be hoisted into the air near Verdant Point.

Hustling through the rest of her preparations, Arizar strode out of the building she'd refurbished into her temporary home towards the Waygate. She gave a nearby Shaper a nod as she passed, then allowed herself to be whisked away.

Such wondrous magitech, used by even mundane workers. If that wasn't unbelievable enough, Perry claimed it had once been used to move water of all things.

Transdimensional gateways used for water.

Water!

Arizar had enough self-control not to shake her head, though she did allow herself a gentle flick of the tongue against the back of her teeth as she strode towards the hanging docks. Docks which had been a pleasant surprise, reminding her somewhat of Spellford in their combination of elegance and utility. Designed by Master Shaper Xoth, who was another departure from the Shapers she was used to. Another pleasant surprise.

A significantly less pleasant surprise were the Sahevin sprinting up the trees, chasing after the ship carrying her enchantments. Frowning, Arizar laid one hand on her grimoire while using the other to lay the foundations for the following spell. Her father had long drilled into her the importance of an ensouled being capable of drawing on combat magic even when they didn't have any slotted.

Ten seconds after she'd sighted the first of them, birds of fire shot forth from her hands. While Fire was hardly the most effective magic against such creatures, her Firebirds had shaped explosive charges built in, which allowed her to dislodge most of the attackers.

The few who made it to the deck were easily dispatched by the defenders aboard.

She'd have to talk to Tamrie, let her know the Sahevin weren't solely occupied on the northern coast. Perhaps, if she were lucky, Perry would be there.

Arizar felt a flush of embarrassment at the thought, trying to school her complexion. Something that would've been simple with the right spell. But for all that she'd learned from her father, there had been few men she'd actually found herself attracted to over the years, and thus she'd had little cause to temper her reactions or find alternative solutions.

Just as rare as those men were the women she could call friend.

It was most vexing, that each was attached to the other.

Still, two friends was a far greater bounty than she'd expected from this endeavor. Not finding a romantic partner was no great loss.

With the Sahevin dealt with, Arizar watched the workers unload her enchanted wares into a nearby warehouse. The airship would deliver them to Overflow City, ensuring the enchantments wouldn't be disrupted by passing through the Waygates.

Her eyes drifted towards the impressive feat of magitech engineering, the airship floating over the southern coast on its daily patrol. She'd read over the design, freely offered by Perry and his Forgeborn ally, a sign of trust she felt she hadn't truly earned. The fact that he'd waved her concerns away on account of it being 'not-that-critical' had been terrifying in its implications. A magecraft of that size that didn't rely on the manastreams. She'd read of such, but each had held the secrets of its construction close.

They hadn't spread them around to be built en masse.

Once her enchanted furniture was safely stowed, Arizar made her way through the Waygate to Vendil, who always knew the location of Tamrie. Despite officially being assigned to Perry, it often felt to Arizar as if the young elf instead served as a contact point for all the important movers of the young empire. And it did strike her as an empire, if a benevolent one taking its first breath. There was a great deal of evil and suffering spreading and she doubted either of her new friends would want to simply watch Ro'an get torn apart.

As expected, Vendil had her talking to Tamrie only a few short minutes later. Whatever they were paying the young elf, they really should increase it. Keeping track of people whose schedules changed as often as Arizar and her friends did was an impressive skill, especially when done without a single enchantment.

Tamrie was with the very Forgeborn Arizar had just been thinking about, talking through the cloaked translator.

"-doesn't matter none. If'n they're gonna fight over the privilege, then we'll make it a competition. Let 'em prove they're better in their free time. Lots to set 'em to in meantime."

This book's true home is on another platform. Check it out there for the real experience.

The Forgeborn let off a huff of steam, nodding her large head.

"Inertia agrees with the sentiment, though she doesn't intend to arrange prizes. Unless one of them wants to be… no, I know it's not how you mean it, but you shouldn't offer to step on them," the cloaked figure said, shaking the hood back and forth.

After another huff of steam, the pair started making their way across the plateau to another one of the many ongoing projects.

Arizar had barely approached, raising an eyebrow when Tamrie turned to her with a crooked grin, messy hair tumbling about her face. Truly a kindred spirit. Arizar preferred her hair free and unstyled. Yet she knew that such frivolity wasn't for realspace. She longed for the freedom of her father's Palace, where she could be as free as her friend. Maybe she could start letting her hair out in Perry's space. Neither he or Bevel were likely to complain. Once she helped the dear child figure out how to create a Memory Palace of her own, of course.

The possibilities presented by her unique mana-body! Oh, how Arizar envied the opportunity to explore something so unique.

Not enough to give up the versatility of being a traditional ensouled, but such was the nature of the heart.

"Problems?" Arizar asked, gaze drifting towards the gathered Shapers. She recognized no less than three of the Master Shapers, with at least a dozen apprentices spread behind them.

"Nothin' too mucked up," Tamrie said, waving a hand in the direction of the slowly dispersing cadres of Shapers. "Inertia was setting them about making explosives with next to no budget. That got their lines twisted into a knot, each of 'em declaring how their designs're better than the rest."

"So you have made it into a competition between the three of them," Arizar said, nodding with approval.

"They wanna blow things up so much, let 'em prove it, I figure," Tamrie said, eyes narrowing as a new Master Shaper approached. "How much you wanna bet this one's half-drowned 'cause I didn't invite him and his?"

"No bet," Arizar said, smiling as the Shaper did exactly that, demanding that his cadre be included as well. Tamrie hemmed and hawed for a minute before finally 'acceding'. After extracting a promise for extra labor for the next week in exchange to make up for the extra hassle.

"So, I 'spect you didn't come 'round just to watch me herd Shapers," Tamrie said as said herded Shapers went directly to the task the young woman had set them to with renewed purpose.

"There were a couple things I wished to discuss, as time makes itself available," Arizar said, falling into place beside her new friend.

"Need to sort the bones of this contest, if'n you want to help while we talk," Tamrie said, gesturing towards one of the many tables that were scattered about the open work area that sprawled outward from Tetherfall.

Soon they were settled at the table, discussing the logistics, potential rewards and criteria of the contest. To be a valid entry, each design needed to be capable of pulping at least ten Sahevin per pound of base material. After they'd gotten several ideas specified, Arizar brought up the attack on Verdant Point.

"Near as I can tell, Perry expects bombing them to the Front and back'll draw even more to the false cliffs above the Halls," Tamrie said while jotting down notes. "Those that're left, that is. If'n they're even half as powerful as those Shapers are claimin', won't be a single fin to scrounge off the rocks, time they're done."

"Considering they will be limited to working with Water essence materials, I imagine their explosives will be less effective than they're postulating," Arizar noted, though she found herself pondering how she might create one herself.

"Can't help but note this's an issue you should've brought up with Perry," Tamrie said as she noted down one last note. Judging would be done during the actual bombing run. Inertia, Perry and Arizar herself would be the judges.

She'd tried to avoid such, but Tamrie had insisted that they were the only ones with the ability to clearly judge the success of the explosions. Including her and Perry's ability to use Memory Palace.

Which led directly into why Arizar was there.

"Are you certain you're okay with Perry and I spending so much time together? You are aware of our mutual attraction," Arizar said, feeling her cheeks warm as she glanced around for anyone who might be listening in. Not that anyone could, unless they were also capable of piercing the third Order privacy enchantment of her bracelet. Something a glowing green and blue glyph in the corner of her vision informed her hadn't happened.

Yet that didn't remove her nervousness over talking about such a personal subject in realspace. Private conversations were meant to be private, held in the safety of one's Palace.

"Ain't neither one of you taking a single step down that path without me giving my approval," Tamrie said without even looking up from her notes. "You, me and him all know it."

"I… you are correct, yet are you not worried?" Arizar asked, pressing her thumb lightly against the other.

"If'n you'd asked me two weeks ago… aye, I'd have been terrified of you stealing him away, sure as the sun rises over the Everstorm," Tamrie said, hand held firmly against the paper, no longer moving. She took a long shaking breath. "But there's a lot more to life than my love for one man. I… something's not right with my magic, Ari. And I… I'm terrified Perry's gonna find out and lose his ability to focus on what's important. Can't be havin' him flipping Ro'an on its head every time things don't work out perfect."

Arizar reached across the table, taking her friend's hand. "I can talk to his sister. She seems like she'd keep it to herself."

"Aye, next time she's around, I'm hoping to. 'Cept she's as busy as the rest of us," Tamrie said, letting out a long sigh. "It's just… I been havin' this feeling. Something… something is callin' me. Ever since my awakening, it's been getting stronger. What we've been doing? It's wrong fer me, in a way I don't rightly understand. I think… I've half-drowned myself with worry, not knowin' if'n I'll have the strength to do what it takes to stand at his side when he needs me."

"Listen to me, Tamrie, daughter of Tamarah, Lower Hold Azure-Three," Arizar said, grabbing her friend's full attention along with the hand she already held. "You are stronger and smarter than Knights and Shapers I've known twice your age. Whatever comes, you won't face it alone. Perry and I will both stand at your side."

"Right," Tamrie said, wiping at her face, nodding as she shuffled her papers into order. "Right. Mayhaps, you can see why I know I can trust you and Perry. Even if'n you did… you know, start tumbling, you wouldn't take him from me."

"Oh," Arizar said, face flushing. "I couldn't. Not while you're… oh, Tamrie." Arizar stepped around the table hugging her friend.

"Just a little tumble, no reason to get so excited," Tamrie chuckled, returning the hug. "So, if'n I can't go on this little trip, next best thing is for you to. And if'n my understanding of this feeling is right… well, we'll deal with that when it comes."

"Together," Arizar promised firmly, giving her friend another squeeze.

Voice quiet, Tamrie nodded into her shoulder. "Together."

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