January 18, 2019, 6:29 pm.

Everyone is waiting, discussing attribute balance at a nearby desk. I've barely entered the room when Smoulder offers me her congratulations, knocking me back half a step with her enthusiasm.

Beth and Roberts both offer greetings as I join them while Josh doesn't say anything, though I notice his shoulders relax after he looks me over. Relieved that I'm okay. I think.

Rufka throws her arm around my shoulder as we walk outside. "So, what do you say to another race? Tipan claims she can set it up so all three of us can race."

I don't respond so much as start flying, pulling out of her grasp while blowing her a raspberry.

"Oh. You're going down," Rufka calls out as she flies after me. When we emerge, I find Tipan on the roof ahead of us, her legs gently kicking against the building while she gazes out across the city.

Josh starts struggling with his glider while Beth and Roberts draw theirs out as well. Considering how long it usually takes them to get ready, I float straight over to Tipan.

She sets up the race and the three of us blast through it. The course is similar to the first time and I note that the system boss seems to be on the move again though it's still keeping to the innermost areas.

Tipan wins by more than a dozen meters. She's faster than Rufka and has better handling than I do. Which means she's roughly average compared to either of us. The race should have been closer, but Rufka and I may have spent several corners sabotaging each other. Tipan suffered from no such drawback.

Though after her casual boasting, she's not going to enjoy that advantage for our next race.

Race completed, we return to Raz's, hunting down any Fallen we spot along the way, though we don't find many. It seems like they're already getting more spread out. We might have to head to new sections of the city, but we're already planning to do that for the other challenges anyway.

Once we're inside, Rufka, Raz and Tipan take over several tables, discussing modifications to the gliders. While they're doing that, we humans start talking about Luggett and what we learned about going home.

Or more accurately, not going home.

"I suppose we don't have to journey to the academy now," I offer.

"Depends on how long the trip is, kid. Especially with flight and teleportation as travel options? Who knows how quickly we can get around. A repository of information might be useful. He said his information might be out of date and they might have records that the system wouldn't show us," Beth counters, "but neither of those is an urgent reason to go immediately."

Roberts nods, as he agrees "Indeed. I believe our primary objective needs to be increasing our strength. We're hardly capable of opposing the forces that the system wants us to track down. Not as we are now."

"That's why I want to hit at least three challenges tomorrow. We know for certain that we can heal the side effects if we fail," Beth confirms, before pausing. Glancing over at me for a second, she adds, "No matter how awful those side effects are."

"Yeah. Thanks again," I give Roberts a nod in appreciation.

"Absolutely. Least I could do."

"You know, with how quickly we're getting around the city, we might be able to do all five challenges tomorrow. If we start early," I suggest while rubbing my fingers through Smoulder's fur. It's really nice and soft and a little distracting.

"Like I said. At least three. If we hit all five, even better," Beth reminds me while leaning back from the table.

"Right. Sorry," I apologize while idly brushing my cheek with Smoulder's tail. Which earns me a what-are-you-doing look from Smoulder before I stop.

"No problem, kid. If we finish on the first try, it'd be five easy. But we can't count on passing them on our first try. I nearly failed both challenges several times. I was only one wrong step from joining you."

As Beth finishes speaking, Josh suddenly rises from the table, his chair screeching across the floor. He doesn't say anything about the challenges. Or anything we've been talking about. In fact, I only just realize he hasn't said anything since we got back.

He just walks towards the stairs with a mumbled, "Goodnight."

We're all watching him leave but Beth is on her feet even as Roberts begins to rise, "I'll talk to him," she states.

Roberts nods, returning to his seat as Beth hurries across the room, making sure to catch Josh before he gets to his room. If he makes it inside, I'll be the only one who can contact him. The rooms are incredibly private. Other than the renter, only Raz can get in. Not only that, but they're also completely soundproof. This means we can't even knock on the door.

As I watch, Beth intercepts Josh leading him out to the garden.

Josh's behaviour reminds me of my own outbursts. Turning back to Roberts, I bump another two points into Resolve. It's getting up there, but I still have a way to go. I'm considering spending several mana essence to boost my attributes further. I'm also thinking I'm going to buy the pet interface tonight.

"Roberts. Could you give a user a second?" Rufka asks, approaching our table.

"Certainly, how can I help?"

"I've got an idea for the gliders. Might be able to modify yours and tall, dark and pink's to run off your resources. Need you to channel some of that barrier power of yours into the glider."

"Interesting." Roberts stands almost as quickly as Josh did.

I'm thinking about going to the change room when Rufka calls out to me. "Lexi, you should come check this out, you might learn something."

Moving to join them, I look down at the glider. It's a carved titanium rod with wings of rough leather. The wings emerge from the central rod upon command. Inspecting the glider more closely, I see that the wings are reinforced by narrow veins of titanium. There are also two supports for control and several fastening points.

"Okay, now Roberts. I need you to channel your resource into this crystal," Rufka explains as I approach. The crystal is connected to the glider by several strands of copper wire.

"Like this," Roberts checks, making the crystal glow.

"Yes. Perfect, now just hold it," Rufka orders as she starts making marks on the glider's central rod with a thick coloured marker.

"What do you think, Raz?" Rufka asks our silent host.

"I believe you're correct. The enchantment would require a significant rework to the underlying structure. I'd need to keep the gliders for several days to make the changes. It would also require at least one iron mana essence for each glider. Plus, payment for my labour of course," he offers with his toothy grin, his dark scaly eye-ridges drawing downwards. "Only four hundred emgee. Each."

It takes me a second to realize emgee is referring to the basic elemental essence.

Rufka's hair stands on end in shock as she stares at Raz. When she recovers, turning to Roberts, "it's really your call. The gliders work well enough already."

"Hmm. That sounds rather expensive. But I'll admit, I'm basing that off the price of buying your lesser gear," he hums, plucking at his shirt.

"Not expensive," Rufka whispers to Roberts.

"In truth, I prefer to create entirely new devices. I'd still require the mana essence, but I'd be willing to create a unique flight item for five hundred emgee," Raz responds to Roberts, not commenting on Rufka's whisper.

"That way you'd be able to continue using this glider. My designs would be far easier to use than these generic products," he adds with a sniff of disdain.

"What kind of item?" Roberts inquires while Rufka points out the rune work carved into the side of the glider. The runes here make the ones I use in my spells feel like the equivalent of a five-year old's crayon drawing. And I don't mean a talented five-year old either. I mean one that makes the sun blue and the grass black.

The only runes that come even vaguely close are the ones in my return spell. There must be over a hundred runes and I'm not sure where one ends and the next begins. So, of course, I pause time then start copying every unique rune I see into my spellbook. Again, it feels like the runes I record are a crude copy, but I'm happy to add them. Just copying them into my book is causing my brain to tingle strangely.

I don't get any notifications, so it doesn't seem like the tingling means I've learned a new skill or anything. Maybe if my mana manipulation wasn't already maxed, I'd be seeing some growth?

Coming out of pause I hear Raz respond, "for you, I believe a jacket or possibly a modified vest. For your friend Rose, I feel a scarf or belt would be best."

"Hmm. Will it be similar to the cloak?"

"Yes. The jacket would require an armour slot but provide protection in addition to flight. The vest would simply provide flight," Raz answers, "do you have an armour slot available? It would be unfortunate if you had to wait until your attributes increased to use the jacket."

"I do. What do attributes have to do with equipment slots?" Roberts wonders, asking my question for me.

As Raz answers, Rufka and Tipan put the glider away while moving to the big table. I guess they already know most of this stuff.

"Let us say you had ten in every attribute. Then you would have a total of eighty attribute points. Now, let's instead presume you have thirty in strength, not that it matters if it's strength. The point is you now have a hundred points. With at least a hundred you're able to bond a single iron-grade armour. Then you gain the ability to bond another piece of iron grade armour for every hundred points."

Roberts is about to ask a question when Raz holds his hand up, indicating he should wait.

"Now, a couple of other points. Negative attributes will count against this total. And once you advance to copper rank, you'll need a hundred points past your iron rank class limits to bond copper-grade armour. The same will apply for silver. If you ever make it that far."

"Since we're on the subject, how do copper rank attribute increases work?" I ask.

"They're basically the same as iron. Except you need more powerful essence or integration points. The system won't allow you to increase your attributes past their cap until you advance, but every point you invest is recorded by the system and will count as partial progress towards a copper rank attribute increase."

"Really? So, if you took your time you could save up enough points to increase your attributes in copper as soon as you advance?" I ask, surprised. I guess that's what happens if you try to invest your points into a capped attribute.

"Yes. In fact, I've met a couple adventurers who were stuck at iron rank so long, they were nearly capped in copper rank attributes when they finally advanced. That would have taken thousands of iron rank integration points, so you can understand why it's so impressive."

"So, it's similar to upgrading mana essence then," Roberts notes.

"Exactly so," Raz confirms nodding, "so, can I interest you in the jacket?"

"Do you have a design in mind?" Roberts asks. As they get into the finer details of the trade I move over to the 'meeting' table, placing my own order when I see Rufka and Tipan's are arriving.

"Well, I was right about him being faster," Rufka boasts before tearing a bite out of her juicy looking drumstick.

"I don't believe that was in doubt. It was clear he had his own workshop," Tipan points out while demurely cutting off a piece of her own bird. The large size of the slice is a bit of a juxtaposition when compared to the care with which Tipan cuts it free.

"Yeah, well. Still right," Rufka states, taking another bite.

"Yeah. Except Roberts is getting new gear instead of upgrading the glider," I point out, playfully stealing her plate and drumstick with a gust of wind magic.

Tipan nods, not acknowledging Rufka's attempts to retrieve her plate, "That is correct. And he's providing his services at such a low fee. I'm certain he's a copper rank crafter at the very least. To be accepting emgee for his services…"

"Yeah. Custom gear like that doesn't come cheap. Ha!" Rufka exclaims as I finally allow her to capture her drumstick. She doesn't bother with the plate, leaving it hovering in the air until I set it down.

I wonder, is the discount on custom gear another one of those benefits provided by Wyonna and the Forerunners? I can only guess. Why did they invest so much in us? Luggett made it sound like they were thieves or religious jerks.

Huh. Maybe if they're religious, this is their version of donating money to a bunch of starving kids. Wouldn't be the first time someone with good intentions has created chaos in another's life.

"Well, if he's offering his services at such a reasonable rate, I believe I'll ask to see if he can create a braiding. It'd be nice to have a proper battle enchantment," Tipan decides, pushing away from the table while running her fingers over the intricate leather woven into her fur.

"Oh. You don't use tattoos?" Rufka asks as she licks her fingers clean. I summon a ball of water in front of her. Rufka doesn't even pause, sticking her hands inside the floating ball the moment it appears as if she was expecting it. "Thanks, Lexi."

Moving her hand from the braid, Tipan traces a pattern of fur that doesn't stand quite as high as the rest of her arm as she answers "I have two. But I was unable to afford a third. With rates as low as he's offering, I would be remiss not to find out if he can create an enchanted braiding."

"True. Think he does tattoos?" Rufka wonders while gazing in Raz's direction.

"I don't believe we have the time for a proper tattoo. But I will ask," Tipan responds while moving towards Raz.

"Tattoos?" I ask, poking Rufka.

"Sure. Easiest way to make sure your enchantments last."

"Do you have any?"

"Of course. Like mum would've let me use anything as bulky as armour. Not when she was around anyway," Rufka answers as her face falls, looking at the table for a second before grinning at me.

"You wanna see?" Rufka asks excitedly.

"Sure," I reply, smiling at her enthusiasm.

The first tattoo is actually what I thought was a slightly discoloured pattern in her fur on her outer right thigh. When Rufka traces it for me, I realize this is another example of sophisticated rune work as she informs me there are over a hundred interlinked shapes within the tattoo. That's hundreds of runes in an area that's only slightly larger than my palm.

Not that I can see them, instead just the general shape of the runes is visible through the slightly discoloured fur. It's reminiscent of a biohazard symbol, but with the central circle replaced with a diamond shape.

Now that I know what her tattoos look like, she points out her second tattoo over her heart. I've looked at it a dozen times, at least, but I didn't know it had meaning. I thought it might be a scar. At a glance, it doesn't appear to be as fancy as her other tattoo, just a jagged line that crosses over her chest.

"This was my first. Mum said she was proud of me when I told her I was ready," Rufka tells me while gingerly tracing the tattoo.

"What do they do?" I ask, staring at her tattoo.

"This one," she explains while tapping the jagged shape over her heart, "is a basic health and stamina rune. It increases my edge and regen."

"And this one? This is an interface rune," she adds while tapping her thigh.

"An interface rune?"

"It allows me to slow my perspective of time when I'm aiming my bow. Mum says it's rare and that I shouldn't… uh."

"Shouldn't what?" I ask as Rufka lays her ears against her head while turning away slightly in embarrassment.

"I shouldn't tell anyone about it," Rufka admits with a shy grin.

"It's okay. Your secret's safe with me," I promise her while squeezing her hand.

"What secret?" Tipan asks as she returns to the table.

"Sorry. Can't tell. It's hush hush," I answer, letting go of Rufka's hand while shooting Tipan a smile.

"Oh-kay," Tipan responds slowly, looking from Rufka to me then back again.

"It's about my tattoos," Rufka explains without explaining.

"Ah. Sorry. A personal topic," Tipan acknowledges.

Glancing back to where Roberts and Raz are still talking, I ask, "So, what did he say?"

Brightening, Tipan flashes us a smile that practically answers my question on its own. "He said yes. And for only five hundred emgee."

"Does he do tattoos?" Rufka clarifies.

"Oh right. Uhm. I forgot to ask," Tipan answers with a shrug.

Rufka shakes her head with a grin, before dismissing herself while going to Raz.

"I think I'm going to hit the change room," I tell Tipan as I watch Rufka join the others.

Tipan nods. "Okay. Have good… Uh… change time," she stutters, to which I smile and wave before Smoulder and I make our way to the glorious bathtub and its stores.

It's time to unlock Smoulder's pet interface.