Kai placed his hand on the gleaming white stone of the Tower.

The Tower of Alea remains dormant.

The tower is set to open in Four years and ten months time.

This tower is set to help the denizens of Alea learn to progress through the tiers. Other challenges remain within for those who do not need such assistance.

The challenge of this tower consists of floors that get progressively harder with each level. Each floor presents a unique instanced challenge with a reward at the end. Every fifth floor presents a 'boss' challenge with superior rewards. Every tenth floor will not be instanced and will instead present a community challenge which will need to be completed for anyone to progress higher.

All floor themes and chalenges will be changed on a weekly basis.

Reaching the top floor will allow for the Tower to be fully activated and the world of Alea to be connected to the multiverse under the Tower of Destiny Act with all rights and privileges associated with the Act.

Climbers may exit the tower at the end of every floor, using the exit portal. Exit stones, return scrolls, emergency rout and other such items are not restricted and may be used to exit the tower, however progress will not be saved.

Climbers re-entering the tower may progress from any floor they have reached or their lowest uncleared floor.

Master of the Tower detected. You may enter the Tower while it is dormant.

< WARNING > The lowest level of this floor is set to beginner difficulty and cannot be set any lower. Beginner difficulty is recommended for people at a minimum level of 50 and a team of at least 4 other participants.

Do you wish to enter the Tower? Yes / No

Challenge stone detected.

Do you wish to challenge the Tower for greater rewards? Yes / No

Kai lifted his hand and stepped away. "I know I'm stupid, but I'm not that stupid," he sighed to himself.

He had five years to reach level fifty, find three team mates he could trust with his life and return to El'alora.

Reaching level fifty and advancing his core should be the simple part.

Expanding his team, however, would be difficult, he just had too many secrets now.

Problems for him to ponder in the future. He shrugged and turned round to see a wide-eyed human girl standing at the end of the path from El'alora. She was standing at the edge of the tower had cleared the area of vegetation to place a pedestal of the same solid white stone to circle the whole tower.

"You touched it. I don't think you are allowed to touch it yet. They say it's not active and that it might be dangerous," the young woman said softly.

She was right. The tower wasn't active, but saying it was dangerous was probably a bit much. That and he had not heard of any embargo on people touching it. How would they even police that? Station guards here twenty-four hours a day, six days a week?

Hmm, that might actually be a good way to create some jobs, a tower guard was a start, he thought to himself. It would probably be an honorary position, as they wouldn't have much to do for the next five years. But if they started now, they should at least have a structure in place…

"Are you okay? Did the tower do something to you?"

Kai shook his head as he examined her.

Bria Highstock, Lv.0 Human Gnomel Hybrid, Age: 18

Spectre's Orphan.

Shit, he cussed inside. There was a title for the orphans now. Why had no one told him?

Seeing her last name, plain clothes, and her short cropped hair that looked like it was just growing back in, he had to repress his anger.

"Ordail, Santria, or Kimlick?" Kai asked carefully, he had heard terrible things of all three.

Bria immediately clutched her silver scale pin. "Kimlick… M'lord."

Kai raised his hands and asked, "Bria, do I look like a lord to you?"

Bria looked him up and down, then nodded.

He looked down at his smart but functional clothing. "Well, I guess I am, but I would rather people don't call me M'lord."

Bria's eyes widened in fear. "I'm sorry, I meant My Lord," she said in a panic.

"No, no," Kai said quickly, trying to calm her. "Sorry, it's not that. I just prefer not to use any variation of Lord or master. I'm not used to it. I'm just a person, like you."

Bria nodded slowly as he gave her a good look in the early light of a new dawn. He realised once again he would never get used to the way people aged with mana. According to the examine he did, she was eighteen, but his mark would have been fourteen or fifteen, maybe sixteen. Anything older than that and he would refuse to believe it.

Bria fidgeted under his gaze and he noticed her feet were bare and covered in dirt from the long hike through the valley.

"No shoes?" he said, half to himself, annoyed that such a thing had been allowed to happen.

She just looked at him in confusion.

"Sorry about that. Too many people too fast. I heard there were shortages. There's even talk about starting work on rebuilding some historic towns and villages early to open up space and even some work opportunities for those that are willing."

"I have shoe's… two pairs " Bria said, her voice back quiet and unsure now that her panic had eased. It was almost as if she wasn't used to talking. Or more likely, he thought, talking to someone like him.

"Then why aren't you wearing them?" he asked her as he rubbed his chin, puzzled.

"Pilgrimage… this is a tough land the Spectre has invited us to. They- the others, they say we need to toughen up, show the Spectre we're worthy."

"So you walked all the way here, barefoot, just to toughen yourself up? I mean, I suppose it's wonderful exercise, but I don't know if it's safe. Though the valley should be safe, they cleared it out weeks ago. And the amount of dragons making dens in the hills is keeping anything remotely dangerous away. But still, there are other dangers."

He thought for a moment about what he could do to help the orphans toughen up. "There has to be a better way than walking here barefoot. And the pilgrimage part is troubling too," he mused quietly to himself.

"We were told we could no longer go to the palace… we were told it was disrupting the work of the Imperial Trinity too much…" she spoke hesitantly. "So some of us, we decided to walk to the tower each day and thank the Spectre that way," Bria said in explanation.

Kai groaned. Sure, there were a lot of them coming to the palace each day, some even petitioning to meet Spectre. But there was no way they were actually causing any disruption. They let all the diplomats come and go, so far as he knew, but he had seen no reports of there being any issues related to the palace and the orphans.

"Did I do something wrong?"

Kai let out a weary breath, "No. you have done nothing wrong. It's just Spectre… He doesn't want your thanks."

Something changed in the way Bria was standing, her posture. It hardened.

Kai continued, "He just wants you and the others to thrive, to help each other and overcome, to start anew. Everything the orphans are starting to do and say, his blessing this, thank the Spectre for that. It frightens him. Feel's too much like worship to him."

Bria frowned as she stepped onto the pedestal as she asked him in a firm tone, "You know the Spectre. You've met them and you say they are a him?" She came closer, her curiosity and fury overwhelming her previous caution, "No one's met the Spectre. Some say he is a fabrication of the Imperial Trinity. A Tool for the Emperor and two Empresses of Dawn."

Kai coughed into his fist. "If it helps, I know the Imperial Trinity, too."

"You say he doesn't want to be worshipped?" Bria continued her questions as she tried and failed to examine him. "And you say we- we frighten him."

Kai nodded. "He's just a man who wanted to give you a second chance, like he received when he came to Alea."

Bria got to within four feet of him, so close she was having to crane her neck to look up at him.

"I don't believe you," she said as she laid her hand on her flat belly. "I know the blessing is real."

Oh, Kai thought, one of those Orphans. Just over half of the reported pregnancies were male, and the mothers made up some of his, or should he say, Spectre's, most avid supporters.

"A Son?" he asked to confirm his suspicion.

She nodded firmly. "No one on Alea can do what he's done."

Looking at her, the certainty, the conviction that was burning in her pale blue eyes, he got a bad feeling about where this could go. If he didn't do something drastic, these orphans could actually turn his praise into worship.

Thinking fast, he said, "That was nothing special, just an ounce of knowledge from my homeworld and the work of an enthusiastic scientist."

"It was a blessing!" Bria said firmly, completely missing his admittance.

"You may see it that way, but I promise you it was nothing special," Kai said, not backing down.

"How can you even say that?" Bria said, with tears threatening in the corners of her eyes.

He lowered his mental guard and focused on letting just one piece of information through.

"Examine me again," Kai said firmly.

Bria looked at him, squinted, and then gasped as she took a step back as she saw the one bit of information only he could convey, his Spectre title. or at least he hoped it was just his Spectre title.

"You see Bria," Kai said as he channelled mana into his arcane eyes to make them flare and he opened a portal to the domain just behind him, "I am Spectre. So I know I've done nothing special. And please, for the love of all the spirits of Alea, don't worship me. In fact, spread the word. Tell all that you can that I am an ordinary man who wants no worship, praise or thanks. Your future is your own, and it's going to be hard if all you do is rely on me. All I ask is that you work hard to better yourself," he pointed at her bare feet. "And please take better care of yourself. Help one another. Enjoy your freedom."

Kai watched as her lips worked quietly. She must have had so many questions.

He stepped back through the portal.

"Why?!" Bria blurted.

He paused before closing the domain and asked her, "Why what?"

"Why us? The Orphans, me."

"Because I'm selfish. I wanted to... and I could. They told me not to, but I guess i did it because I know what it feels like to be lost and forgotten?" he hesitated, "I don't actually know. Find your own answer. You figure out why Spectre brought you here. Find your own reason for being and make it a good one. You don't need my permission to be free."

Bria blinked in confusion, and he closed the portal.

Spectre title revealed. Spectre title not linked to identify, title remains hidden.

Kai relaxed. He had only meant to check the tower one last time. Not preach to some innocent young girl. Still, it could have gone worse. He kind of kept his title hidden, and who knows, maybe Bria would be able to talk some sense into the other orphans.

One true follower gained. rewards increased.

"Shit!" Kai cussed as he mentally read the new notification that came in just five minutes after he closed the portal. That hadn't gone as planned.

…

"What do you think, beautiful isn't she!?" Orrick said a little too eagerly, as he pointed to the small airship docked behind him.

"Calm down, Dear. You're speaking to an emperor and our largest contractor," Estelle said from where she sat off to the side, where she, her son and her daughter waited patiently.

"Bah, he's family," he said as he turned to Kai. "Isn't that right, little brother!?" Orrick asked in a thick accent.

"Tallest of the lot of you," Kai joked back in a similarly thick accent. The fact Kai could recognise he suddenly had an accent told him he was getting a little better at distinguishing when he used different languages.

Orrick chuckled, "See, Dear... only family would make such an insulting joke in the thick tongue and get a laugh out of me."

Estelle just rolled her eyes, her daughter giggled to herself, and her son made a point of fixing his gaze on the floor.

"Now, Kai, this is all yours. Er, more accurately, your team's," Orrick said. "This ship is the first of her kind, agile, manoeuvrable and stealthy. You see, the sails can be set on all sides to expand the area that the ship can collect atmospheric mana to that of a vessel three or four times her size. The result is she can travel at speeds faster than anything in her class, longer than anything far above her class."

The ship was beautiful, its sleek hull shimmered in shifting colours as it bobbed silently next to the platform. It was the first ship he had seen that seemed to take some amount of aerodynamics into account when she was developed, instead of just relying on an arcane air frame to avoid air resistance. There was no top deck to be seen. The shape of the hull didn't allow for it, but there were walkways that looped the ship that seemed to provide access to critical systems implanted into the scale like armour plating here and there. Such as a series of crystals that were in strategically positioned spots to provide a full coverage of the outside of the ship.

The tale has been illicitly lifted; should you spot it on Amazon, report the violation.

"I thought ships were traditionally male?" Kai asked as he looked it over.

"The designers wanted to make a point. She is durable and reliable," Orrick grumbled. "Traits that are not usually associated with men, I am told."

Orrick rubbed his beard for a moment before he continued. "This one is special. We gave them an unlimited budget. The original concept was for something to serve the high ranked adventurer market. It's a slim market admittedly, small profit margins, but sometimes progress is a worth any price. She has all the bells and whistles of a modern warship rolled into luxury craft and then some extra things that would be too expensive for anyone else. Was supposed to be compensation for allowing us to take limited control of the tower, but we all know how that went." He pointed to the crystals dotting the hull. "The Sage even made some suggestion."

Kai wanted to ask what they did, but he also didn't want to interrupt the man while he was in his stride.

"The next ones on the production line won't be as nice and will cost a fraction to produce, but I'm told a lot was learned from building her. The main thing that was sacrificed was storage, but most high ranked adventurers have ample storage, so that shouldn't be an issue. Especially if we can learn anything from all the little spacial tricks you have put all over the palace, if we can figure out the time dilation, that alone…" Orrick said as he shook his head.

Kai gave Orrick a long look as he remembered the boxes they had asked him to spatially expand. It wasn't much. He had grown far more proficient with his time distortions. With the way they were now remotely powering his spell constructs, the hope was that they could figure out how he did it and reverse engineer it into a repeatable spell the people of Alea could learn.

"She has ten separate rooms, but should be able to berth just over twenty, if needed. There is a kitchen, and a dining area that doubles as a communal space. Not that you'll need any of that, but appearances can be important. Then, of course, there is the bridge, drive access and a few other standard systems. Anything else you need, there is your domain," he coughed into his beard. "The Houses, of course, ask you to please act responsibly and not use the ship and any other abilities you might have for smuggling. I'm just going to say an empty storage area will be highly suspicious to anyone that carries out an inspection."

Kai caught the implication of using his domain to smuggle things but said nothing, instead asking, "What is she called?"

"The T.S.S. Dawn of Hope," Orrick grinned.

"T.S.S.?" Kai asked as he looked past the Dawn of Hope to the Spirit of Exploration that was floating quietly by the city's first new docking platform that was still under construction on the far side of the city.

Following Kai's gaze, Orrick sighed, "Aye, The Exploration is being decommissioned, mothballed pending the Independent investigation into the attack that…" he turned back to give Kai a knowing grin, "The attack that killed you, actually. Glad the Houses aren't involved in that mess. Besides, with The Sage taking up the Regency, the ship lost his purpose. He was old and slow by the standards of the ships being produced today. There are already plans being drawn up for his successors. They'll actually be two or three of them to help survey and protect the Dawn territory that has suddenly opened up. But the T.S.S. title may have to change as the new ships were commissioned by the Union. Big fucking things, with large flat decks…"

"What's going to happen to him once the investigation is over?"

"Hard to say. The Exploration is over two centuries old. Despite all the prototype and experimental systems, there is little worth in upgrading him. He takes a large crew to run and maintain. My guess is he will be salvaged for parts. With old Captain Bell's permission, the transponder has already been transferred into the Dawn of Hope, so that he will live on.

There is a tradition of taking a part of ship and putting it into another. I don't rightly understand as I'm no shipwright. I just hit things, talk a lot, and make sure the ladies tug on my beard and scream my name in satisfaction!" Orrick said as he played with a little bead woven into his beard. "But, I suppose it will make the T.S.S. designation easier to explain, especially with The Sage's latest plan to give you some cover."

Kai looked over at Temra. She was standing off to the side, looking forlornly over at her old ship in the distance. Kardain standing protectively by her as she told him about her time on the old vessel.

"Buy the ship once the investigation is over, turn it into a museum, or even a training ship. Too much history there for it just to be lost because it was a part of some political ploy… because of me. It will create some job opportunities for the orphans who wish to either avoid the Adventure's life or pursue a military career," Kai said, the idea of revisiting the ship sometime in the future set in his mind.

"Aye, I will see it done, but who will I be doing this for, the emperor or?" Orrick asked, letting the question hang between them.

"I would like to avoid further expenses on the Empire's books… how much value is left on that scale I gave to Estelle?"

Orrick chuckled and ran his hand through his beard a few times before answering. "We're having a hard time auctioning it off… priceless is a hard thing to sell. But let us just say that with the public swimming baths you commissioned, the new tower guard you came up with this morning and everything else you are privately funding…" Orrick stroked his beard a few more times in thought. "Well, the internal bidding on that scale is still ongoing but even some of the old holds are still pulling out long lost ancient treasures that could fund everything you have asked us to do and more. It doesn't help that the dragons heard of your cause, found it noble, and submitted their own scales to fund things."

"If that is the case, Spectre. On behalf of the Imperial Trinity. And please, nothing fancy."

"Another dedication plaque it is," Orrick said triumphantly.

Remembering the follower he had gained this morning, he said, "And by the spirits, Orrick, keep the plaque small, and don't be afraid to credit the Houses, too. I know you're taking a massive loss regaining those mineral debts for the empire."

Orrick scoffed, "That was our oversight. We called The Sage our friend for centuries, but even we never thought his ancestral empire would be reborn. Lessons were learned. Besides, when all this is done, and the Tower is open, we'll be able to say we rebuilt the greatest empire on Alea."

Liking their motivation, Kai nodded. But then he realised something, "You still haven't explained the T.S.S. is it the Sages Ship, or Twilight Science Ship?"

Orrick fidgeted a bit before saying, "We want people to think it's The Sage's Ship…"

"It is The Spectre's Ship, though officially all the registration documents just say T.S.S. An oversight by the new government in a reborn nation," Syl said as she flared into existence and took Kai's arm to lean on him.

Kai resisted a groan as he pulled her in closer for a hug and a kiss on the forehead. "Was this you're doing? You've been pushing the Spectre narrative."

"Do you have any idea how hard it is to build a network of spies and informants from nothing? There's only so much I can do with the information I buy from the Houses and our connections with the Union. We agreed we wouldn't use the orphans despite them coming from every nation on Alea except the Shattered Kingdoms and the majority of their closest allies. The Spectre persona is more powerful than you know, and you would be surprised how many people will turn double agent just to find out who they are," Syl explained.

Orrik chuckled, "She ain't lying. How many spies with fake scale pins were there in this last week?"

"Twelve. I had to have two of them removed while the others are now under close watch. I'm just lucky Thanric's own spy network will take over and help make sure our secrets don't slip before we are ready to reveal them to the world stage," Syl said in a tired voice.

Syl had become their un-official spy master. Her centuries of observing people interact on both a macro and micro scale had made her unusually qualified for the task. Despite the cultural differences between Alea and Earth, she often picked up on things people missed and asked question people did not think to ask.

"Where is Alicia? Busy with more diplomats?" Kai asked her, knowing she kept a protective eye on Alicia at all times.

"Her parents actually. They're being awfully clingy. It was cute at first. Years of intentional distancing from her mother all undone when Sietra was forced to admit Alicia was the daughter of The Sage."

"Yeah, Alicia was pretty pissed up with us for a while for keeping the fact The Sage was actually her father a secret."

"Oh, come on, you enjoyed the make-up sex," Syl cooed. "The way she tore your shirt off in frustration had me going."

Orrick coughed quietly to remind Syl he was still standing on Kai's other side.

Alicia, for her part of their little Trinity, was the only native Alean and the only one already versed in Alean politics, so she had naturally become their political face. Dealing with diplomats and establishing a system of government that was both traditional and modern. Her mother Sietra watched over her as a seasoned advisor, making sure the other diplomats didn't overstep or push the new empress beyond their station.

Apparently, Seitra had been distant with Alicia in the past, her concern that favouring her beloved daughter would bring undue attention down on her. Possibly even expose the tenuous nature of her heritage. But that was all exposed now and Seitra could shower her daughter with years of repressed love. The woman often revealing her years of concealed attention by revealing a toy or trinket Alicia had wanted as a child as one of the many gifts she showered her daughter in.

The best part, as Kardain had explained to Kai. Was, that Alicia was now completely removed from the line of succession for the Twilight Empire's throne. Which meant any attention, gifts or anything like that could be easily explained as a diplomatic expense. and diplomatic expenses shouldn't cause any issues with her older sisters, beyond some minor jealousy.

Things, however, had been tense since a week ago, when The Sage finally arrived. Alicia avoiding her former master for three days straight. The two of them only coming together for a meal and a talk at Kai, Syl and Sietra's combined insistence.

It hadn't been anything like a cold shoulder, or annoyance. Alicia just didn't know how to face the man who she had known for the last five years as her master. Like wise, Thanric was similarly tongue tied at the meal.

That night had been an interesting one.

A day later when Sietra and The Sage shared a mutual contract, and exchanged ear cuffs and rings in a ceremony that was oddly similar to the one he had with Syl and Alicia, they were back to normal, only with more hugging and fewer orders.

"Speaking of our little devil," Syl said with a smile.

It was then that Alica appeared out of nowhere, looking about frantically for a moment before visibly relaxing.

"Who are you running from this time?" Kai asked.

"The ministers. I told them Mas- Father was now officially acting as regent and to go bother him, but they kept insisting. I'm just lucky I was close enough and could jump into the domain to escape them," Alicia said as she grinned at her successful getaway.

"We barely have citizens. How do we have ministers?" Kai asked.

"That's just it, we don't. They are employed by the Houses. We are just renting them for the next century," Alicia said as she gave Orrick a long, tired look.

"Or at least until they break the contract, and we have to rush in our own government. Isn't that right, Orrick?" Syl asked as she detached herself from Kai to pull Alicia into their cuddle.

"Our best and brightest," Orrick replied. "Won't be any issues. You should see the clauses in the contract. Almost as strict as the system vows, everyone at the meeting had to agree to them. To think they got to witness three young upstarts become the wealthiest people on Alea, and they can't even blink in code without the system enforcing the secrecy of forbidden knowledge on them. The Sage was a genius when he put that one together," Orrick finished as he took one step away and bowed, "Now forgive me your, er, Imperial Trinity… I have to have a word with someone about their behaviour."

"Huh, I was wondering how we were keeping that information quiet," Kai said to Syl and Alicia as he watched the dwarf head off towards his wife and two children.

Syl chuckled, "You should know, despite what happened at the meeting, they're desperate to figure out who this wealthy all powerful Spectre is. They think they are the true power, the mastermind. They think she is the one that actually has the dragon's backing. Little do they know he's a humble level twelve with no world experience. One that is just trying to do the right thing, but is making things difficult for everyone else, as he is flashing dragon scales like pennies. And yes, the common speculation is that Spectre is a woman."

Alicia groaned, "Please Kai, no more scales. You will destabilise the economy before we have one."

"It was just the one scale. What harm could it do?"

"Twelve scales. What harm could just twelve scales do?" Talious said as she wandered over in her delicate red robes. She lacked her horns, her curly dark hair falling free around her now pale scaleless face.

Alicia buried her head into Kai's shoulder, where he felt her vent her frustration by giving him a light bite. He made a note to get her back for it later.

"There's been more donations from the other dragons?" he asked. The last count for scales donated by the other dragons was eight.

"They see it as funding their new homeland, a sort of tribute for someone finally recognising us as people and accepting us as citizens and as more than an exploitable resource. I'm keeping these new ones in a sort of treasury. They are already in your domain thanks to Syl helping to store them safely," Talious explained.

"How anyone could exploit a dragon I will never know," Kai said to himself.

But Talious replied, "It's our territories, we kept them clean and tidy of any genuine threats… for centuries people have been exploiting that safety with little thanks. Small tribute, sure, maybe even looking away while we pluck an old orruk from the herd. But nothing official beyond promising not to hunt us if we don't hunt them. Thinking about it now, it's actually a little insulting."

"If it helps, we can come to an arrangement where we pay you for hunting, set up an arrangement with the Adventurer's Guild. I'm not sure if you have any use for currency, but you could actually buy your orruks and other meals from the shepherds instead of taking them," Kai said as he walked through the sudden idea.

"Kai, do you ever think you're trying too hard? You already asked for a grand roost to be built for visiting dragons to use. You'll have problems if you concentrate every dragon on Alea here in Dawn," Talious said.

Alicia lifted her head from where she had been chewing on Kai to look pointedly up at him. "Do you have any idea how many people are complaining about losing their dragons?"

"We were never their dragons," Talious scoffed. "Did you tell them to make it worth our while and we might just return?"

Alicia nodded. "They didn't like that."

"Maybe other nations will work out their own arrangements, mimic us all over Alea. Simple supply and demand in action," Kai said defensively. "Its not like we don't have the funds. I'm just trying to improve relations and create jobs."

Talious walked closer. "Girls, give me room. I'm still only a little thing."

Both Alicia and Syl, somehow knowing what was about to happen, stepped aside as Kai was promptly poked in the chest by a perfectly manicured, long, black, pointy nail.

"Don't give out scales. I thought you were honouring me at the time, but you clearly dont know their worth. Trengor and Atheos have both asked me to make sure you keep them to yourself from now on," Talious said in a lecturing tone as she prodded him with each other word to drive the point home.

Kai had to take a step back with each prod, Talious compact form unusually strong for her size.

"Wait, you spoke to Atheos and Trengor?" Kai asked in confusion.

"Why wouldn't I? A boy shows up smelling like my ancestors and handing out dragon's scales. It was my responsibility to check up. I had to go through The Sage and become a champion for them both to get a decent line of contact, but it was worth it. They may be happy with what you're doing, but don't think I'm going to babysit you on their behalf. I'm here because I want to be, not because they asked me."

"The scales can't be worth that much?" Kai asked as he rubbed at the sore spot on his chest.

Both Syl and Alicia groaned.

"The scales of us mortal dragons are worth a fair bit, but Kai, Trengor told me he has bought planets with scales smaller than the one you gave me! They're divine for spirit's sake, a literal part of dragon turned god!"

There was a sudden coughing fit from the direction of Estelle and Orrick, as the one of them was suddenly choking on their beard while the other was saying firmly, "Cancel the auction!" over and over again into the communication crystal she held in her white knuckled grip.

Kai just ignored the outburst as Talious prodded him again to get his attention.

"Now, if you please Kai, I have an appointment with Gift and his little girlfriend Sicily. If they insist on learning to fly, I insist on teaching them to do it right. Who better than a dragon to teach the tricks of arcanely assisted flight?"

Kai opened a portal for the Talious and when it closed, he asked, "Kitsuné can fly?"

"They can take on other forms, but it's different than Gift. And Sicily is technically riding Gift. She figured out her humanoid form just to prove Gift wasn't the best young shapeshifter in the domain. They have a whole harness system rigged up based upon the dragon riders that came by to give their support and ask permission to scout the territory," Alicia explained. "Gift was with me at the time and he is fascinated."

"They asked me to put in a high platform above the lake just so they could practise," Syl said cheerily. "Good thing one of us has had a chance to learn to swim."

"But I thought he wasn't taking a dragon form until he could get it from the siblings when they hatch," Kai asked as imagined what Gift would look like as a little black dragon.

"He got wings from one of the Beastkin's familiars, a kind of strike, not like the one you saw though. His favourite form at the moment is this weird wolf, fox winged thing with a really sharp horn. Sicily is so small she can just about sit on his back."

"And Sicily's parents, they're okay with this? They panicked when Talious first entered the domain. Thought they were going to be pushed out. Which was weird because they're a lot stronger than her."

"Tier three to her tier one. They would decimate her. But it was more about what we would do. They love the place, but it's our domain and we could force them out in favour of someone else. I mean, they could resist, but it would be a battle of willpower, and we are weirdly stacked in that department. But yes, they are okay with Talious now that they have been properly introduced. They keep asking to meet you two at some point. They suggested having dinner," Syl said.

Alicia wedged herself between the two of them. "I'm good for that anytime, but right now, can we get going? The longer we stand around, the more worried I am that someone might find me and drag me into a meeting about something stupid again," she said as she looked about. "Temra and Kardy are both here," she said, using a nickname she had for her brother. "Talious is in the domain telling Gift off for smelling like a wet wolf. That is everyone. Let's go."

Kai was all for it. He had spent the last week making sure everything was in order, everything he had of importance was either here in his arms or already hidden in the domain.

"I'm afraid we are waiting on passengers," Syl said.

"Who?" Kai and Alicia said in unison.

Syl looked over her shoulder. "Those two are hitching a ride to Cibiale for the start of the academies' new term. They're team member prospects," she whispered.

Kai had wondered why they were both here. He had thought they were just there while Orrick showed off his gift. But as they lingered, Kai should have known something was up.

"Then there is the group of tower climbers, The Sage commissioned."

"My father commissioned tower climbers already?"

"Yes, and he asked us, I mean me, if we would take them to Cibiale so they could train and prepare for the tower opening. He is hoping they will be like our B team when we start the climb. Backup for the community floors or possibly even fill in if need be."

"Anyone we know?" Kai asked, as he got a gut feeling.

"Oh, you know them well," Syl said as she nodded to something over his shoulder.

"Kai? But you died!" Cillian said in confusion from where he stood behind The Sage and Sietra at the side door for the platform.

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