[Theo and Julia] The morning came on quickly, and Theo and Julia were greeted by Ordus and Kreldar. They all took a meal and began to eat.

"We started on a ramp ta' tha' basement." Kreldar said, "It's a wee bit steep. But with the mechanics' we talked about. Shouldn't be a problem."

Theo nodded. Kreldar had decided that if he was going to do this, he was going to do it right, so a cargo ramp that was ten feet wide was to be dug at the western end of the property with mechanized carts that ran on rails to move things from a small outbuilding directly into the basement, where it sounded like Kreldar intended to put a good amount of industry.

"Do you need anything from us?" Julia asked.

"Naw, lass, I'll have the ramp done soon, then it's just diggin'." Kreldar said with a smile. "But ye' an' the lad let me know if ya' need me to focus on somthin' else."

"Will do, Kreldar," Theo said, and the Dwarf nodded; his reporting completed, he rose and headed to the other Dwarves. Theo smiled; he could not help but find himself liking the older Dwarf.

"Now then, Theo, Julia, I daresay we should finish eating, then go and see how our other guests are," Ordus said, and Theo and Julia nodded. After all three of them finished their meals, they walked over to the cleared area, where it appeared that Varess was already at work.

"Good morning," Julia said politely, looking around.

Varess didn't even raise his head. Agara shook his head in disappointment, then smiled at Theo and Julia. "Lord Sorrenson, Lady Brahmin, how are you this fine day?"

Theo nodded to Agara. "I am good. Do you need anything from me, or am I free to go and work on other things?"

"I believe that Lord Varess has all that he needs," Agara said.

Theo watched as the man was bent over, his oddly long arms and hands with spiderlike fingers and claws scratched into the dirt with eerie precision. Wherever he scratched, a glowing rune was left. As he worked, lines began to form around runes and connecting others. Theo found it an interesting sight.

Julia, on the other hand, was looking around. "Where is Sylvi?"

Agara was about to speak when Varess spoke up. "Must you both keep bothering me? She was still over there when I woke."

Varess jerked his head to the north. "Now leave me alone. The quicker I can get done, the quicker I can leave."

Theo and Julia walked away, looking for Sylvi.

When they found her, she had carefully smoothed out a small patch of land and was practicing her own inscriptions. Julia approached her. "Hello, Sylvi! How are you?"

Sylvi looked panicked. Her eyes darted from the work she had been doing to Julia as she patted away some tears. "Lady Brahmin! I... I should have asked. I am sorry."

Julia looked confused. "Why are you apologizing? You look like you are practicing. That is good, right? That means that you are learning what you wanted, right?"

Sylvi nodded but looked hesitant. Finally, she let out a long breath. "Varess has made it perfectly clear that if I am unable to produce something impressive by the time he has finished. He will be using everything at his disposal to remove me from the family and return the resources that are being wasted to those who deserve them more."

Theo just listened as he was unsure if Sylvi had realized that he was there. Julia nodded. "So what are you working on?"

"The only thing I know how to make is a Mana Convergence Array. As far as runic inscriptions, it is rather simple. I don't have the Skills to do what Varess is doing, and I have no materials to work with... I feel as if I am damaging your land, and I am sorry that I have been nothing but a burden."

Julia smiled at Sylvi. "You worry too much, Sylvi. Have you eaten today?"

Sylvi shook her head. Julia smiled and pulled out a System Meal for her. "Eat this, and Theo, Ordus, and I will figure something out for you."

Sylvi looked like she was going to protest, but Julia had walked over to where Theo was standing, and Ordus was right behind Theo.

"So, Ordus, you have more experience with System things. Any ideas to help Sylvi?" Julia asked.

Theo chuckled. And Ordus looked thoughtful. "Actually, yes. But it will require my help and help from Kreldar. Lord Sorrenson, would you mind going and talking with Kreldar to see if he can leave the ramp to the others for a bit? We will head over to you in a moment and meet you in the middle of the Thronehold."

Theo nodded and went to chat with Kreldar. Roughly fifteen minutes later. Theo, Julia, Sylvi, Ordus, and Kreldar stood at roughly the center of the Thronehold. Ordus nodded, "Now then, Lord Sorrenson if you would please provide some of the bricks that you have."

Theo quickly walked along and produced loose piles of Runestone bricks from his pouch. "That enough?"

Ordus, who had been chatting with Sylvi and Kreldar, nodded. "Yes, now, if you would like to stick around, please do so, but we will begin working."

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Theo nodded. "Julia, do you need anything?"

She shook her head with a smile. "I am gonna stay here and help."

"Alright. Use Message if you need me." Theo said, walking away to start hauling water for his berry bushes, and then see what else he could get done at the Cabin.

Several hours later, closer to dinner rather than lunch. Theo wandered his way back to the Thronehold, working to make the path he had decided on a little better with his passing. As he neared the Thronehold, he heard elevated voices. Well, one elevated voice.

Varess was yelling. "Such waste! To waste such materials and the time of your betters! The family will hear of this."

Theo stepped around the last tree and saw Varess standing in front of a ten-foot by ten-foot plinth with five steps that elevated five feet above the ground. Atop the plinth was an artistic dragon's foot rose, clutching at empty air. It was all made of Runestone Bricks, cut precisely.

Theo looked at the array of people gathered. On one side was Varess and a rather awkward-looking Agara. On the other side were Sylvi, Ordus, Kreldar, and the rest of the dwarves, who all looked angry and were holding their mining implements in an aggressive manner.

In between these two groups was Julia, who looked like she very well might slap the pompous Varess. Varess opened his mouth once more. Before he could say anything, Theo stepped up. "Hey, everyone. So what's going on?"

They all froze for a moment. Then, several people started talking all at once. Theo sighed and then projected his voice with all his might. "Alright! Enough!"

A system notification popped up, but Theo ignored it, dismissing it for later. "Now then, now that we have all had a moment of silence. Julia, please tell me what's going on."

Theo listened, then he asked Ordus, then Sylvi, Agara, and finally Varess. Theo then recapped what he had understood. "So you completed the structure that you want to place the Homestead Core on, and then Varess saw it, assumed that Sylvi had stolen the bricks from their home, and began to threaten Sylvi. Then, when Julia tried to step in, he made threats to her, and that's when the rest of you jumped in and told him to leave, and he started making threats again, and then I showed up. Is that the short of it?"

Most everyone nodded; only Varess spoke. "My unfortunate half-sister has stolen from the family and brought materials that are not available to you here. Then your woman tried to say that you acquired the Runestone Bricks yourselves. It seems that the women here are incapable of telling the truth."

Behind Varess, Agara visibly facepalmed. Theo locked eyes with Varess. "See, now you are just being a dick. Julia, go ahead and send a message to Patriarch Karzun. Tell him that if we need to use his boon to get him here, we will, but his presence would be deeply appreciated."

Varess actually started howling with laughter as Theo felt a pulse of energy emanating from Julia. "You think that the Patriarch of the Karzun Family is going to answer to you? I don't know how you struck a deal with him for this array, but you expect me to believe that you, fledgling System users, have a boon from the Patriarch of the Karzun Family."

A voice sounded from behind the plinth. "Why is that so hard to believe?"

Varess froze, and his eyes, along with the eyes of Sylvi and Agara, went wide as they turned to face Patriarch Karzun in his humanoid form. Varess bowed low. "Great-Great-Grandfather. What... Why are you here?"

Patriarch Karzun's eyes had not left the plinth. "I was told that even if it required my boon to be called, I was requested here. Why would I not come? Sylvi, did you do this?"

Sylvi nodded, looking down. Patriarch Karzun sighed. "Look at me, child."

Sylvi snapped her head up, and Patriarch Karzun smiled. "You did well. I had hoped you would get some experience here. Now then, young Humans, what seems to be the trouble?"

Theo quickly explained what had happened and the accusations that had been made. Patriarch Karzun listened intently. Julia stepped in next. "We do not know you all that well, Patriarch Karzun, but the first time that we met you, you were, to my mind, playing the role of a doting grandfather, or at least your version of it. To me, that speaks to the fact that you care deeply for your family."

"That is true." Patriarch Karzun said with a smile, "Even though it gets harder with every generation to spend as much time as I would with everyone, I care for all of my grandchildren. And I see where you are going with this, Julia Brahmin. And it is a good point."

Patriarch Karzun looked at Sylvi. "I am sorry that I have not quashed the way that your siblings were treating you. I had hoped that they would realize that there is no reason to hate..."

Patriarch Karzun was interrupted by Varess then. "No reason to hate? She is the result of my father tearing our family apart."

Patriarch Karzun let out a long-suffering breath as if he were tired of explaining something a thousand times over. "Varess. You know your mother; how do you think that your father got away with it?"

Varess had no answer. Patriarch Karzun continued. "Your mother even treats Sylvi as one of her own, does she not?"

Varess nodded numbly.

"Do you know why you have not seen Sylvi's mother around?" Patriarch Karzun asked, and Varess shook his head. Even Sylvi looked interested. "She was your mother's best friend, and whether you want to know it or not, your mother and father had been including her in their relationship for quite some time. Since her birth, Sylvi's mother knew when she would die as her mother had been cursed while pregnant with her. Your very own parents spent a not insignificant fortune trying to save her, Varess. So when the end was nearing, she knew that she would not survive. Sylvi's mother approached her two oldest friends and lovers."

Varess looked sick, not at the thought of his parents having a throuple but at something else. Patriarch Karzun continued talking. "She asked your mother and father for one final favor. She asked your father to be the father of her child as well and for your mother to step in and take her place when she was gone."

Varess looked at Sylvi, his eyes softer than Theo and Julia had seen them before. Patriarch Karzun was not done. "When I learned that she had inherited the Morrakai traits, I sent her here with you to bond and to allow the two of you to make friends with Theo Sorrenson and Julia Brahmin. I had hoped that coming out here, away from the politics and games that some in our family insist on playing, you two might be able to grow closer. Instead, I receive a message from your hosts and come here, only to find that you have insulted them and been threatening your sister the whole time."

Varess was about to respond when they all stopped and read the box that had just appeared.

CORRECTIVE ACTIONS NOTICE Primordial Flight has been selected as the method of Error Correction for not less than 17 System Errors.

Primordial Flight will commence in 48 hours.

Prepare yourself.

Time to Primordial Flight: 47H - 59M - 47S

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