Not everyone sat on tables to eat. The sheer quantity of people that gathered here to eat was far greater than the seats at the table. Some ate standing up, others had tables for themselves, even a few carriages were repurposed like a counter for people to eat around, but most sat on the ground. They would place blankets in the ground as if they were on a picnic, a daily picnic at that.

“I can only offer your bread and fish soup.” Castor came back with a bowl of soup in each hand and loafs of bread on the forearms. “If you aren’t satisfied maybe there are some leftovers after everyone has had their ration.”

“No worries, I have survived with far more less.” Nido stood up and took the bread out of his arms and placed it on the table.

“So, I take that you have traveled, right?” The Wanderer cut the bread with his hands.

“Far and wide, yes.” The enchanter nodded, picking a piece of bread and soaking it in the soup. “It gave me great insight in enchanting.”

“Doesn’t it anymore?” The man asked picked a nearby jar of water and pour it in two cups. “I feel like there’s always a lot to learn from just wandering around.” He smiled innocently, proudful of his simple word play.

“I still have a lot to learn, but I fear discovering the world won’t bring those insights anymore.” Nido sighed and tasted the soup. Delightful. “I have reached a breaking point where other people cannot simply reach, and investigation is the only way forward.”

“You prove certainly more knowledgeable than others of your age, but I still think you can discover at least one small thing by traveling.” It amused Nido how Castor thought he was a youngster. The man before him had forty at most, and he was trying to lecture a centennial if only counting the time before he put the ring on.

“I don’t say that you are wrong,” Nido put the bowl down, “I just say that it’s greatly unlike to stomp upon an important discovery. But I keep my hopes up for the time being.”

“Well, hope is the last thing to be lost, so you’ll maintain that sentiment for a long time.” The enchanter couldn’t deny that the acolyte certainly had charisma.

The conversation died down as they centered themselves on the food before them. There were things to be told yet the cacophony of the caravan drowned them. In a non-talked agreement, they decided to wait until lunch time ended so they could at least hear their own thoughts.

That’s what the enchanter, though. The Wanderer seemed to believe otherwise as his characteristic smile became more pronounced. The instant most people had finished their rations, some of them took out instruments and began playing around the campfire that had been used to cook the food in the first place.

Most common artists where the flutists, the simple wooden instrument was played by everyone, ranging from elders to children. More knowledgeable musicians opted for a lute, or even, a person was playing an accordion.

Nido couldn’t recognize the song, which didn’t surprise him that much. His musical knowledge was limited to his five first centuries of live. By the time he closed himself in the tower, most of the plays he knew had already disappeared from the annals of history.

Castor eyed him as if he was asking “Are you enjoying it?”, though before the enchanter could make a motion in affirmation, the tall man began clapping in sync with the melody. A chorus of elderly chanted the lyrics in a deep voice, the singing proved even more complex than the instrumental play.

The experience was almost ritualistic, or perhaps even a ritual itself, as the hundred members of the Wanderers joined in a play. The act was so powerful than the ether net trembled upon the sounds.

Life and Air ether bloomed in response to the soul and potency of the song. Chaos was also empowered, but that didn’t faze the enchanter. As long as there where humans, Chaos would follow. It was an old saying from a certain elven tribe, which proved more of a statement than a metaphor, in reality. While the play itself had an order - a partiture - in its core, the result was rather chaotic. People followed their own rhythm, especially the children. As if the song itself didn’t matter, just the sentiment.

But what truly made the enchanter flinch was the presence of Space in the ether. What the… This wasn’t a merry familiar sing-along, but a prayer to the Traveler. They have the power to summon Space at will! Nido almost busted out laughing after acknowledging the fact.

Void, Space, and Time were the elements which the ether had more problem conducting, in a matter of speech. The fact that a group of people could invoke it at will, wasn’t just incredible, but plainly stupid. The enchanter was truly, truly surprised for the first time he came back at the physical plane.

The loss of his core was a tragedy, the presence of the Arcane Records was a common divine eccentricity, but this, this changed everything. He had never enchanted items with that trifecta of elements because its notoriously difficulty to make them appear. Chronomancers were a myth, locumancers a legendary kind, and voidbringers just a fantasy.

Without the presence of a mage which could manipulate one of those elements, it was almost impossible to craft a real item aligned to the element in mind. Nido had managed to make the void rune because a rift in the space-time continuum had spawned amidst his tower out of sheer causality. A nigh-impossible probability that just happened to happen.

So, when the millennia-old enchanter said that the fact of imbuing the ether net with spatial affinity was unheard of and game-changing, it was true.

“You like it that much that your jaw has dropped?” Castor’s tease was almost inaudible before the potent melody, but it still reached the enchanter’s ears.

Nido put a hand in his jaw, noticing that yes, he had in fact his jaw dropped. He was that surprised from the events unfollowing before him. He could enchant Space-aligned items!

He had just said a few minutes ago that he didn’t think he would discover a new facet of enchanting when he was going to travel with the Wanderers, yet he was promptly proven wrong and metaphorically slapped in the face.

“Yes…” He was lost inside the ether maelstrom. “I mean, I haven’t seen anything like this.”

“Then it’s good you’ll be coming with us, we do it every thirteen days!” The man shouted next to the enchanter, still clapping to the music’s rhythm.

“Every thirteen days?” Nido was ecstatic. Being able to experiment with Space-imbued ether every two weeks was an incredible boon.

“Yeah, I know, I’d also like to do it more often.” The Wanderer misinterpreted the enchanter’s reaction. “But tradition is tradition, amirite!” He chuckled to himself, as the song became more and more loud and bombastic, readying itself for a grand finale.

The loud music proved nectar to Nido’s ears, though he wasn’t really listening to it. He was drowning in the cumuli of ether that cycled around the pyre, following the people who danced clockwise. Marvelous, magnifique! The ether net was composed of Life, Air, Chaos, and Space. And though the spatial element was only a tenth of the full composition, it was the greatest treasure trove to the enchanter.

His mind was found in bliss, thinking in a thousand items for a thousand situations that could be upgraded with the presence of Space. A glorified intellectual erection, one could say.

Nido had loosen himself to the music, dancing along with Castor and the Wanderers, without even being conscious. That was his state of euphoria. So, he was indeed full of regret and dismay when the song finally ended.

“It’s over?” The ancient youngster couldn’t believe it.

“If it is over? I don’t really know how you do have this much energy.” Castor panted as he talked. “But we have been dancing here for a quarter of an hour.”

“Really?” Nido couldn’t help himself but chuckle.

So, I have around half an hour to craft an item every two weeks, counting on the dissipation rate of the ether. His mind was already running the calculus for the preparations needed to undergo such a task.

“I have to tell you, Castor. If I wasn’t committed to join your caravan before, now I even wish to form part of your community.” He told half-joking, half-serious. Whilst free, unlimited access to the spatial plane was tempting, the enchanter wouldn’t tie himself to the divines never again.

“That’s incredibly nice!” Sparks shone in the Wanderer’s eyes. “People often feel intimidated by the Freedom’s Calling, but if you enjoyed it this much, then your stay at our caravan will be pleasant.” The tall man was more than satisfied. “We have to celebrate this. Here.” He took out his alcohol-filled waterskin and climbed on top of a table. “Wanderers! Please here me!” He shouted to the exhausted yet joyful multitude, and he instantly got their attention. “I would like to make a toast to our new caravan enchanter.”

Castor offered Nido a hand. Though the situation was embarrassing, and he really didn’t want to make himself on the spotlight, the enchanter accepted the offer. He wouldn’t be intimidated by a small public.

“To Nido Risea, Enchanter and our honorary member!” His shout was heard by every member in the tent city.

“To Nido!” The multitude responded fiercely, and they drunk whatever they had in hands.

Castor followed, making a deep sip onto his waterskin. Then he offered the drink to the enchanter non-verbally. To which he grabbed and made the greatest chug in his life, depleting the whole waterskin in a single motion.

“Yeah!” The crowd erupted with emotion after the youngster’s feat.

“In the case I don’t enjoy my stay here, I can objectively affirm this won’t be a boring experience at all!” Nido shouted with juvenile attitude.