Olivia stood by, watching while Bronwyn set up the election on the Colony Stone. A few other people were around, but it was surprisingly quiet for the middle of the day. It seemed like most of the colonists had fallen into a routine of sorts. Some people had duties they needed to fulfill, like a guard rotation or working in one of the council-purchased buildings. Others were keeping themselves busy working on earning points on the leaderboard or improving their new System-granted skills.

While Bronwyn stared into space, her brow furrowed, Olivia walked over to the north edge of the hilltop. There was a walkway around the stone now, and it led to four separate sets of steps leading down from the hill in each cardinal direction. The walkway was similar to the cobbled streets in the colony - rectangular brick-like pavers laid in a perfect grid, so close together that no mortar was necessary. Standing above the northern set of steps, Olivia could see the smithy and the new general workshop next to it. Further on, she could see Morgan’s tower where, presumably, he was looking into gaining access to the next level.

Arthur had sent runners to all the gates, spreading the word that more Ardeni might arrive at any time and that they were to be treated as allies. Maria Rios had taken over the militia organization, and now there was a schedule that maintained one hundred guards on the wall in four different shifts. Combined with the new black powder weapons, it went a long way toward making the colony seem like a safe haven, ready to meet the threats of this new world.

“Hey, come here for a minute,” Bronwyn called from behind her. Olivia turned back to the Colony Stone and walked around to where Bronwyn was standing. She still had a hand on the stone, but she looked at Olivia. “So, I have everything set up for the election - I just have to hit the confirm button. It’s set to allow anyone to nominate themself for a council position. Each colonist can vote for nine different members; people with the top nine vote counts will win and be automatically granted privileges with the Colony Stone. I have it scheduled for dawn in three days. Does that sound right?”

“Yes, but what sort of privileges? Can you set it so that a majority quorum needs to be present for large expenditures of System Credits or changes to the colony structure?”

“See, I knew it was a good idea bringing you along.” Bronwyn laughed, and her eyes went glassy as she perused the menus some more. “Yeah, I guess it’s kinda crazy that all of us acting council members have full access right now. Smart to have a failsafe. Hmm, yep, there it is. Okay, I set it!”

“Let’s hope there isn’t an entirely new council right before the Urghat attack.”

“Well, that’s the problem - we don’t know when they’ll attack. They’re definitely on a war footing and have a couple of thousand warriors in camps out on the plains, but none of the Urghat I questioned knew when the order to attack would come. The Overclaw keeps his plans to himself, it seems.”

“It’s so weird that you have that Underclaw title. They just let you walk among them?” Oliva ran a finger along the band on Bronwyn’s bicep.

“Yeah, it’s weird, alright. I had to fight off a few zealous challengers while I was out there, but they’re only allowed to challenge me once per day. That rule saved my ass, I think. I’d just beaten a fairly weak challenger when a fucking huge Urghat named Guts rode into the camp on a giant lizard. He was furious that he couldn’t challenge me until the next day. He went off on a tirade because he couldn’t stick around - apparently, he was on an important task for the Overclaw.”

“You think he would have beaten you?” Olivia asked quietly.

“I don’t know for sure, but he wasn’t just big; he had a lot of power. I could feel his aura.”

“Well, I’m glad you didn’t run into him again before returning. Speaking of power, I need to talk to you about something; can we go back to the tavern?”

“Uh, sure. Let’s go.” Bronwyn started walking down the hill, Olivia beside her. As they descended the steps, she asked, “What’s it about?” Her voice was soft, and she looked nervous.

“Well, I got an opportunity, but I want to run it by you. Let’s get a drink and sit down; then I’ll go over it.” Bronwyn nodded at Olivia’s words, and they stepped into the crowded tavern, finding a space at the end of the bar where they could squeeze in for service. Alec gave them both a mug without asking, and Olivia leaned close to Bronwyn, speaking under the loud hum of conversations. “I got offered a spot in an academy for magic.”

“What?” Bronwyn raised an eyebrow, took a big drink of her ale, then continued, “Really? A school for magic? Where is it?”

“That’s the thing; it’s really far away.” She pulled the box with the teleportation token out of her satchel and showed it to Bronwyn. “This will take me there, and I have to go in the next few days. I guess the new term is starting soon.”

“Really? Um, well, are you sure it’s safe? Do you trust this token? How do you know it’s not some kind of weird trap?” Bronwyn’s brows had furrowed, and Olivia could see that she wasn’t really excited about the news.

“I do trust it. The old wizard that gave it to me seemed very genuine, and the people of Tarn’s Crossing all seemed to think he was legitimate. I want to do this, Bron, but I’m worried about the colony. I’m worried about you.” Olivia reached a hand out to rest on Bronwyn’s on the bar top. Bronwyn looked at her hand then she looked right into Olivia’s eyes.

“Hey, we’re going to be fine. We have the walls. We have guards; we have guns. I know a lot more about the Urghat now. Shit, we have the Ardeni coming to help, thanks to you. We’ll be fine. I’ll be fine. It’s not like you’re leaving for good, right? Maybe you get vacations and shit. Besides, I’m sure I’ll have to leave again to deal with this Urghat title.” She sighed heavily and turned her hand over so she could grasp Olivia’s. She squeezed it. “You’re important, you know? Your desires count. You want to go, and it makes sense; you’re the most talented human on this world, but even if you weren’t, you should be allowed to pursue things that are interesting to you.” Bronwyn’s face turned a little red, perhaps because she’d said so many words at once, and she hid behind her mug while she took another long pull of the warm, bitter ale.

“I love you, Bron. Do you know that? I don’t know why, you moody knucklehead, but I do! You better keep yourself safe and out of trouble while I’m gone!” Olivia leaned forward, kissed Bronwyn’s cheek, and pulled her into a hug. Bronwyn’s mug clattered against the bar while she tried to hug Olivia back. She smelled like dry grass and berries, and Olivia loved it. She squeezed her tighter, and Bronwyn sniffed; Olivia could tell she was on the verge of crying.

“You dummy. You’re the one that better keep safe! Don’t let those teachers talk you into doing anything crazy. If any other students give you shit, you better let them know about me…” she trailed off, sniffing again. They held each other for a long moment, and then they sat together, finishing their drinks. They talked about each other’s journeys; Olivia had Bronwyn laughing about how awkward Morgan had behaved around Issa and her father, and Bronwyn regaled her with tales of Urghat camps and duels. The hours stretched into the night, and before Olivia knew it, she was hugging Bronwyn goodnight and walking to her dark, lonely tent.

Olivia woke the following day with a slight headache, although it wasn’t nearly as bad as she’d feared it would be when she’d sprawled into her blankets in the middle of the night. She ate a pastry that she’d purchased in Tarn’s Crossing, washing it down with some very watery wine. After her stomach was satisfied, she summoned her new staff from her satchel and examined it:

***Stave of Prisma Foci: This focus item has been enchanted by a journeyman Artificer. Using two focus crystals to keep opposing elements apart, it is capable of focusing elementally attuned Energy, greatly enhancing the efficacy of the Energy used.***

The staff was a lovely piece of craftsmanship. The wood it was made from was smooth and dense - Olivia couldn’t see any grain or pores. It was a sleek, nearly black length of wood with white streaks along its length. The silver band in the middle of the staff was wide enough for her to grasp with both hands, and it seemed to automatically channel her Energy to the correct Prisma crystal on the top of the staff. Fire and earth attuned Energy went to one crystal, and water and air attuned Energy went to the other. She’d tried out her Icey Shards and Fiery Burst spells, and they were significantly more potent with the staff. It took her a second or two to send her Energy through the staff, though, and she didn’t know if that was normal or if it just meant she needed practice using a focus item.

Olivia had taken the staff out because she wanted to try something. When she’d woken in the early light of dawn, she’d lain in her blankets thinking; she often did her best thinking right upon waking. Sometimes it even felt like she thought of a solution in her dream and put the thoughts together while she lay in bed. In this case, she’d wondered what would happen if she channeled a complementing Energy affinity into her staff while she cast one of her spells.

She stood with her staff in her hands, pointing the end with the silver-ensconced Prisma crystals toward the grass, and she channeled her Icy Shards spell. Her ice attuned Energy surged into the staff, and after a second’s lag, a half dozen razor-sharp icicles about the size of a person’s finger formed in the air above her staff. She released them, and they shot into the grass with heavy staccato thuds. Olivia nodded to herself, then repeated the process, this time channeling air-attuned Energy alongside her water-attuned Energy for the Icy Shards spell. She could feel the different streams of Energy exit her hands, passing into the staff. A moment later, like before, the shards materialized, but this time, Olivia could see a current of electricity sparking and warping around each shard, almost like a tesla coil. She released the spell, sending the shards thudding into the grass, and Olivia could hear and see the electricity discharge a short way into the damp turf.

***Congratulations! You’ve learned the spell: Stunning Ice Shards - Basic***

Olivia laughed with glee. She’d been right! It wasn’t just a matter of whim, whether the System gave you a new spell or skill. It was different from the animal taming skill, also. There had seemed to be some chance involved with learning that skill, but here, she just used the correct combination of Energy affinities, and she’d unlocked a new spell. Her mind raced with possibilities. She was thinking of her next experiment when she realized motes of Energy were coalescing in the air above the ground where she’d sent her spell. A moment later, they surged into her. She felt a rush, like when Energy came to her from a defeated monster. “What the hell?”

Was the System rewarding her for innovating with her magic? If that were the case, she’d have to be careful; she didn’t want to level before leaving for the academy.