A detailed look at the Aether and what it can teach us about Magic began with a foreword by its author, Skra Rokel:

“Readers of my previous works will know that I aim, always, towards a determined goal.

I care little for the form, my only requirement that it serves as an adequate container of the substance. I will therefore refuse to weave the convoluted fog of sentences that some of my peers shield their ideas behind. Critics will not find me hiding behind their supposed lack of understanding of what I expose here – unless of course they show demonstrable bad faith.

This study concerns itself with the Aether. I will expose with meticulousness its peculiar properties and attempt to explore their significance in relation to Magic in the fundamental sense of the word, as well as its associated Classes and Skills. While this last part is, by definition, subjective and prone to debate, the first one is not. The Aether is a known entity. It has been often dismissed as too different from the rest of magical studies to be of any theoretical use. My goal in this treatise is to offer a contradictory opinion.”

As I read on, it became clear that Skra Rokel was as good as her word. Her writing was deliciously simple, axioms served as a base and logic was used as a cement to expand upon them. I did not have to read the same page five times to try to understand her reasoning. It was refreshing. I did, however, take frequent breaks to wrap my head around some ideas. The book was dense, but it soon proved fruitful.

*You have reached the level 8 of the Class Student.*

It took me some time to get used to the communal baths of Sturron, but I had to admit they were a decent alternative to a world without running water. Hydromancers paid by the city worked in shifts as a kind of public service. Few citizens – mages excluded, could afford a personal set-up. Even Inrak, who I estimated to be among the upper-middle class, did not bother. The baths were a tradition in Sturron. Everybody was welcome, regardless of gender, species or wealth. The entry was free, some wise ruler of old having realized that the expense was well worth the health and sanitary benefits it brought.

I went every day. I was too used to taking a shower in the morning. I felt dirty if I could not clean myself before starting my day. Ripsile made fun of me when I told her. Sirmy was more polite. She hid her laugh behind her claws. I took it in stride. It was a bit weird to be honest since the smells didn’t bother me as much any more. But the baths provided me with a break, a time to lose myself in the water’s warmth, to ponder this life, where I was, how far I had to go. It was a time of peace and reflection. All of this to say that I had become well-acquainted with the complete anatomy of every species in Sturron, so I barely felt any embarrassment when Ana came up to me with a male Schalass while I took my morning soak. They were both completely naked.

“Hey, Luc,” she said before high-fiving me. Xyl’s bad influence.

“Good morning, Ana. It’s been a while. How are you?”

“Fine, fine. I’ve been working on something to do with your proposal.” She sat down next to me and introduced her associate. “This is Piras, he works at the castle.”

“Nice to meet you,” the Schalass said, sitting next to Ana.

“Likewise,” I replied, decidedly not looking down. “So, what can I do for you?”

Ana glanced around. It was early morning. The few people present did not dawdle. Most quickly scrubbed themselves and hurried out to go to work. Nobody was close to us.

“We had a few questions about your Skills as a Portal Mage.”

I was not pleased by that. I remembered very clearly asking the three Messengers for discretion. I did not know this Piras and this all seemed a bit fishy to me.

“I don’t know what you mean,” I said, hoping she would take the hint.

She frowned and opened her mouth, but the Schalass laid a hand on her arm. His voice had a slight accent, stretching some of his vowels a little bit too long.

“Our apologies, Mister. We are aware that this approach might seem abrupt to you, but there is no better place than the baths to have a quiet conversation. Some of the capabilities of an Aether Mage are of interest to us, but your Class is not. If you are not able or interested, we will leave and your secret will be kept. I give you my word.”

His tone was gentle, but I did not trust him. I didn’t need this. I had a plan and it did not involve plotting in the nude. Still, I did not want a scene. Might as well hear them out and get this over with.

“What do you want to know then?” I asked Piras.

“Just a few things. Have you reached level 10 in your Aether magic yet? I only ask because the Skill we require is usually gained at that point.”

“Do you mean Reaching the Aether? I read about it, but I don’t have it yet. I can’t do much apart from enchanting bags with extra space.”

“That is already a valuable skill, but not what we are in need of,” the Schalass said. He bowed his head like Tork occasionally did. “Thank you for your time, Mister Luc. And again, please accept our apologies for any nuisance we may have caused you.”

“It’s okay,” I said while he rose. “Have a good day.”

“You as well.”

Ana looked torn between following Piras and staying, but in the end, she quickly ran after him.

“Sorry, Luc!” she said hurriedly. “I’ll make it up to you!”

My mood was somewhat spoiled after that. I knew I should have been more careful. Louprak told me as much before he left. But I thought I was doing so well. And between Inrak, Sirmy, Ripsile, Gygg, Xyl even, I was surrounded by genuinely nice people I had learned to trust. It was hard to stay wary. Was I even correct to be so paranoid? Aether magic couldn’t that valuable, otherwise everybody would learn it. After all, it had only taken me a few months of constant practice. Surely there would be some Aether Mages around. At least in rich people households. They could afford the resources it took to gain the Class and bring it to a useful level.

I did not think I would be followed going back to the bookshop, but I could not keep myself from glancing over my shoulder a few times. It was definitely time to find a new place to work in. Inrak had done so much for me, I could not involve her in my troubles, real or imagined.

When word came that Louprak’s ship had entered the harbour two days later, I practically ran down there.

I blew on my hands, trying to warm them while I waited for the two tugboats to pull the Siren’s Flight in its assigned place. It was still really cold in Sturron, probably around 5°C mid-morning. Inrak assured me that winter would not last much longer. I hoped she was right. I was deeply missing my mountain clothes. Also, a central heating system. Hot chocolate too. I hadn’t found anything resembling its comforting taste yet, though not for lack of trying.

I was not the only one waiting for Louprak. Three merchants were standing next to me, gossiping about a fourth that was absent. There was a Pterar, a Goblin, and a Schalass, but their talk would not have been out of place at any coffee machine back on Earth. It was reassuring in a way. People were people, and gossip was a fact of life.

When the ship finally finished docking, the merchants hurried down the ramp that was being set. I followed leisurely. I did not want to appear desperate. Louprak came over the railing, wearing a heavy coat and a brown hat. Seeing me, he shouted:

“Luc! I’ll come by the store later today.”

I nodded and he focused on the three gossipers, his jaw set. I did not stay to listen to their conversation. It would probably have been instructing, but I could not wait to get out of this cold. I wasn’t too disappointed that the Trade Master could not see me now. It would give me time to refine my pitch.

Xyl was waiting inside the bookshop when I came back, sitting quietly on a stool too big for her while Inrak dealt with a customer. She floated over to me.

“Hey Xyl, how are you?”

“I’m fine, thanks,” she said. Then she frowned. “You always ask that question, even if we see each other many days in a row, why is it?”

“I don’t know.” I shrugged. “It’s a habit where I’m from. We always say ‘Hey how are you? Good and you? Good, thanks’ every time, even if it’s not true. In a way, it does have its uses, because when your co-worker answers ‘I’m not fine’, you know they’re close to suicide.”

The Pix looked at me like I had grown horns. Which, I was pretty sure, were a thing on some sentient species’ head here.

“Where are you from, anyway?” she asked. “You never told me how you came to be in Sturron.”

“I haven’t? How weird. Hmm… So, did you come for a recharge?”

She snarled. “Fine, keep your secrets. Yes, I did. Should we go upstairs?”

“Yeah, come on.”

She landed on my shoulder and flicked my ear.

“Hey! What was that for?”

“What was?” she said innocently.

“You hit me!”

“I did? How weird. Hmm...”

I burst out laughing. They were small, but the few Pixes I knew definitely compensated by lacking subtlety.

“So anyway, what’s up with Ana?” I asked as I climbed the stairs. “She came to me with a strange Schalass two days ago and they asked about my Class. Then they left when I told them I wasn’t level 10 yet.”

“She did? Crap! I’m so sorry! She hasn’t been herself for some weeks. I thought by introducing her to you, she’d get a boost in her job. And you’re both Humans and young and single, so it seemed like a great idea. I didn’t think she’d try to use you.”

“It’s okay. They were polite at least and they didn’t insist. But it didn’t seem above board, you know?”

“Yeah, I can guess. I don’t know what they wanted you for, but it can’t be too good. I’m worried about her.”

I acquiesced with a sound.

“By the way, I’m not single,” I said, sitting at my work desk – Inrak’s dining table. “See this ring? It means I am married in my country.”

“Really?” Xyl looked skeptic. “What are you doing here then? And where’s your partner?”

“She’s home,” I sighed. “Why do you think I’m learning Aether magic?”

Xyl left quickly after I had refuelled her backpack, apologizing profusely multiple times. If I had to bet, I would have put money on Ana getting an earful soon.

I tried to get back to my book, but I could not focus. This encounter had left me nostalgic. I missed Margaux. I missed home. I missed only having to worry about what movie we were going to watch this weekend. I dearly wanted to get mind-numbingly drunk for a while and forget everything, but this was not productive. It would probably end up with me feeling even worse. I owed it to Margaux, to myself. I had to be strong, to keep working. So I slapped my face a couple of times and opened Skra Rokel’s book where I had left it.

Louprak came by the store in the middle of the afternoon. I was upstairs, engrossed in a chapter detailing the uses of Reaching the Aether, the level 10 Skill that Ana’s shifty friend had asked about. It was the third fundamental Skill of the Class, before it could specialize. I already had the two others, Sensing and Influencing the Aether. The combination of the three was what allowed Aether Mages to create portals out of thin air and teleport far away. In the most basic form of a portal, a Mage had to Sense where he was situated in the Aether and recognize the place where he wanted to go. Then he would Influence the Aether to contract in a thin line between those two places and, Reaching through, he would teleport. I could not wait to try it out. I was getting better with my two Skills, though I still had far to go. I felt that Sensing, or Reading, as it would apparently upgrade at some point, was the most important for me. I would need to develop an insane range if I wanted to find Earth somewhere in the Aether.

Hearing footsteps got me out of my thoughts. Louprak entered the room, holding his hat in front of him.

“Hey there, Luc,” he said and shook my hand. “Sorry for blowing you off earlier, I had to deal with those crooks. You’re working hard I see,” he added with a glance at my desk.

“Yes sorry, let me make some room,” I replied and started gathering all of my notes dispersed around the table. “And it’s no problem, I understand. Do you want anything?”

“No, thank you. I won’t be long, I have to get back to my crew. But I was curious to know why you were waiting for me at the docks.”

“Oh, you’re already going back out to sea?” I asked. This was not good. I felt little chance of my plans working without the Trade Master’s help. He clearly saw my alarm because he laughed.

“No, I’ll be here a few more days. I still have some cargo space to fill with contracts. But the crew and I have a kind of tradition before I release them for their first night in port. So why did you want to see me?”

“All right.” I took a deep breath. I had prepared for this.

“You know that I’m an Aether Mage and an Enchanter. We talked about it last time. Currently, I’m able to enchant an item with a Magic Imprinting Rune able to hold Aether for about a day, with a space gain of about 60 percent at the moment. It grows to about 3 to 4 days if the rune is made by a good Enchanter. And that’s without actually crafting the runes in the item during its making. I’ve been working with some Messengers and it’s been great for them. Now, with your help, I want to expand to the harbour. The goal is to find a workspace other than Inrak’s apartment, preferably in the backroom of another business so I won’t be too exposed, and start proposing my services to you and other Trade Masters.”

“I remember our discussion,” he said. “A day isn’t enough for most sea voyages and there’ll still be problems when a barrel loses its enchantment mid-travel because the waves tossed it around too much. How do you plan do deal with that?”

“That’s the thing! I don’t!” Louprak leaned back at my outburst. I had been a little loud. But I was really proud of my idea. I settled down and continued. “Sorry. I don’t, because my enchantments won’t go on ships. You’re right, it’s too risky. You would need a Hardening rune on top, but that’s expensive because each barrel will need to be examined by the Enchanter after every trip. So I don’t enchant ship-barrels. I enchant basic crates and barrels, or even sacks, that never leave the docks.”

I looked at him with exhilaration. He just stared at me.

“Please explain, I’m not sure where you’re going with this.”

“Right. Well, these enchanted containers would be wider, but smaller than the ones ships use. And not adapted to sea travel, but to be easily moved and carried. And they would never leave the docks. Their only use would be to load and unload ships. You put a crate in its enchanted holder – I need a better name for them, and poof! It lost about 40 percent of its weight! It would speed up the process so much!”

Louprak was frowning, the feathers on his head pointing menacingly at me.

“I’ve never heard of this,” he said finally. “I didn’t know Aether worked like that. It seems strange. How sure of yourself are you?”

“Pretty sure. The books I’ve read all agree on the Aether properties, and I’ve even tested my idea. I still have to improve my designs for the holders to make them as easy to move as possible, but the theory is sound.”

The Pterar stood up abruptly.

“Good,” he said. “Then come to the Siren’s Flight tomorrow, just after noon. Prepare a pitch and a demonstration if you can. I’ll need you to explain it in details to some people. Then we will see what we can do.”

“Really? Excellent! I’ll be there! Thank you, Louprak.”

“Don’t thank me,” he said, patting me on the shoulder. “It’s not done yet. But if it works as you say it does, we may have something. You’ve done good work, Luc. Inrak has nothing but good things to say about you. I think it’s been nice for her, having you around.”

“I would have never done anything without her,” I replied truthfully. “If this works, I’ll be able to give her back some of her space and try to repay all that I owe her.”

“Perfect. Don’t forget. Tomorrow, just after noon.”

“I’ll be there.”

As soon as Louprak left, I jumped up and silently yelled. I was in. I just needed to nail my presentation tomorrow and I could start my business.

I took a blank page and started scribbling. I had to buy two jugs.