Spelled Grains

*************

Wyatt Graves

In our dimly lit cellar, I observe with keen interest as Elizabeth trails her finger over the map, her movements deliberate and purposeful. The atmosphere is tense, charged with an uneasy alliance born out of necessity. Elizabeth, Earl, and I have argued a dozen times over what should be done with Maddox.

We don't fully trust the pirate captain leading us to perform this covert assault on the Estates, but desperate times call for desperate measures. The enemy of my enemy is, for now, our reluctant ally. Even... even if what he might be doing on his way here is heinous, we don't have much choice.

I'll deal with the heartless bastard when the time comes.

The map sprawls before us, detailing the nearby Territories in-depthly. Aniwye gave me the map before I left the Shaw Estate, knowing that I had little knowledge about this section of the world.

The Horde, as the people of Onyx Gate have been calling Maddox's crew and allied bandits, have traversed halfway through Qune on an expedition to Onyx Gate, where the Estates lie.

I listen attentively as Elizabeth's finger hovers over a particular region, marking the invasion route of our tenuous ally. Her touch is light, yet there's a gravity to her gestures as she points to the area that will soon be under attack.

"Maddox was last seen in Kindred. Since he's heading straight for Onyx Gate, only stopping to invade cities within five miles or so... He should be going for Tillend next. From there... we won't have any more updates as there are only small towns, places with too feeble a population have escapees to relay this information."

Much of her information comes from the fruits of my labor of using Insight to control other people's bodies and listening in on the news or reading the newspaper since we can't effortlessly leave.

Yet, at Elizabeth's words, Primrose's nose curls with disgust. She stares right at the tiny dot that Elizabeth has labeled as 'Horde' with her hand clenched.

"Are we really just going to let him through like that? Elizabeth? You, better than any of us, understand what is happening in Qune right now. They are not simply passing through. To keep his 'men' in check... Maddox must be willing to let them do whatever they please to those they conquer."

Silence falls in the room as I can't bring myself to look at Primrose. She's right. Maddox is vile. Yet...

The five of us in the room share a common disdain for Eli Weiss, the proclaimed Prime and leader of the Estates, a mutual hatred that transcends any reservations we might have about joining forces with a pirate. Maddox, with dozens of ships at their command, is a necessary evil.

Though, even if we wanted to, it wouldn't be easy to dismantle Maddox's brigade of death. He might be the only Angel, but each of his many ship captains under him can easily tie Primrose in strength. Several of them would bear a threat to me.

I open my mouth, finding my voice to answer in Elizabeth's stead as she doesn't seem able.

"We will deal with him, Primrose, only after. We can't deal with two enemies at once like that. I doubt we can bring down Eli without Maddox's aid. We need him. But the moment Eli is dead..."

I leave the rest of my words unsaid, letting her finish them for herself. Me reassuring Primrose seems to calm her down. Those Forerunners beneath him may not be as extensively trained as a Hunter of the same stature would, but they've indeed survived worse than those Hunters due to their rough lifestyle.

Elizabeth nods to me with thanks and returns to her speech. As the woman continues to trace the invasion route, her gaze flickers with a mix of determination and caution.

"As I was saying, Maddox will be here soon, and we won't even know the exact time. Therefore, we must be ready within the week."

The room buzzes with palpable urgency as Elizabeth, under candlelight, meets each of our gazes. She's been putting this whole thing together like the most intricate puzzle in the world. Yet, she's not the only one. Alongside Elizabeth are two far more experienced strategists, Eli Weiss and Aniwye.

Now, my mother might not be against us, but her plans are challenging to pin down. She hardly elucidates anything to me, too, leaving me in the dark for most of it. So, we have to work against two instead of one. Plus, there is no telling who else might show.

Humans are not the only race in the world. Additionally, I won't take Aniwye's warnings lightly about the hidden humans.

The Wastes might have separated us from the other races, but it won't work forever. There are ways around it and even paths through it, though none are safe.

My close friend takes a deep breath, her ponytail bobbing along with her motion. Then, she places both her palms on the table with enough force to shake the object all of us are resting against.

"We have the bombs ready within the factories. Earl has devised enough weapons to aid in the physical conflict while Wyatt has made contact with Aniwye. From here on out, the two most essential parts are to have an agent within the bounds of Primary, the region where most of the Estates live in the north, and to make contact with Tomas. He should be on his way or nearby. I am bringing this up to everyone because whoever will enter Primary will be under the most risk possible. If you are found, not even Wyatt could escape alive."

Elizabeth's eyes slide against each one of us, first landing on me, then moving on to Primrose, Earl, and Silas. We all remain quiet for a few moments as I realize just how hardened her gaze has become. A year ago, none of us could have possibly imagined she could be doing this.

As if responding to our silence as agreement, Elizabeth continues.

"I believe Earl stands the best chance of staying hidden within Primary. Between his tools, wit, and ordinary appearance, I think he could remain undetected long enough to do what we need."

Primrose pipes up almost immediately, throwing her arm in front of Earl to propose a question.

"And what would he need to do? How would he be better than me?"

If I didn't know her better, I would have thought she was hurt by Elizabeth's decision not to pick her—that her pride was damaged. But I know better after spending many months with her. Primrose is defending Earl, not her own ego. She's venomous, not arrogant.

I glance at Elizabeth as she scratches one hand with another, a tell-tale of her nervousness. Regardless, I merely watch, believing in her to stand up for herself.

"Someone must investigate the surroundings, traps, tools, weaponry, artifacts, and manpower within Primary in detail. The information we have as of now is only speculation. The start of any attack begins with knowledge. If we know where to strike best, we can be twice as effective with half the work. Earl is ideal for this."

Primrose nods along with Elizabeth, but she still isn't convinced.

"I get that, but why is he ideal?"

Elizabeth, patient as always, points to the side of the table where a dozen recent inventions of Earl lie. She uses the pile as proof of her claims.

"Because he will be able to make a plan to do it once he is there. I cannot create it as the landscape and situation is beyond me, nor can I do the job with my meager skills. Earl is a trap-layer, a forward thinker, and that makes him best for this. As for reuniting with Tomas, I think you and Silas should go, Primrose."

The venomous woman finally seems to calm down as Elizabeth continues to explain herself. I nod along and find that she makes perfect sense.

We need people to meet with Tomas to prepare his group to fight, no matter how many he brings, but we need to guarantee that at least one will make it.

And... Silas, said by himself...

"If a pawn is needed to be sacrificed, I am willing."

I tried to talk him out of it, but he refused to relent. If a situation arises where they cannot both escape, Silas will stay behind to buy Primrose time.

The Undead sure are stubborn. I do suppose that he has been with the living long enough, though. He has even told me that he is growing less and less fond of this world. The dead are not meant to be with the living. His time up here is making him more irritable, more annoyed, and more... lonely.

Our differences make him feel desolate and empty. Or perhaps it's simply the Gift that does so while simultaneously providing him with undeath.

Elizabeth continues the plan, detailing the beginning of the actual stages of the siege to the Primrose to give to Tomas as Earl prepares to leave. I hardly have the spare focus to observe him collect his tools, decide which are needed, and then depart in a hurry. There is no time to waste.

I have profound difficulty in understanding the details, however. All the specifics of war and battle fly right over my head. I'm never good at the big picture. At least Elizabeth knows that, though.

"You have a single job, Wyatt. You must grow stronger this week, but you have to do it silently. You cannot be spotted. Eli Weiss can, absolutely, under no circumstances, even at my or Earl's peril, find out you are here. I know that is harsh, but it is the case. If we are to do this, it cannot be half-cocked."

I nod slowly at her, finding little reason to argue, even if doing so hurts. Still, I ask her what she will be doing as Silas and Primrose sneak out, heading toward the river that goes under the wall. With her Gaseous and Silas' lack of a need to breathe, they can simply go under the river's rushing waves to escape Onyx Gate. Only the journey there will be rough.

Elizabeth's reply is simple, yet it contains even more information than I expected when I thought of the question.

"I am going to find a place to set up my rifle. With some extra tuning from Earl, it can reach up to two and a half miles away. At the same time, I am going to consistently check Earl's deaddrop for any new information using one of the children in the city. A few dollars can get a kid to do just about anything that isn't obviously harmful."

I nod to her plans, only worried that she might get caught. But I can't really blame her or ask her to change the plan. She made it. I just have to trust her.

And so I do and simply get started with training my Ether. After all, I still haven't mastered Living Strand or Plasmic Ether. I help Elizabeth prepare her things before waving goodbye as she sneaks out from the cellar, leaving Dakota and me alone here.

Well, not entirely alone. The family above us in their house is still there, none the wiser that we've been down here the past week. Plus, Bonfire is passed out in the corner over there.

The fox, who is no longer the tiny little guy he once was, lies down beside me, watching me curiously as I retrieve a cushion from the ground and sit on it. Dakota raises his head, seeking me to pet him, and I do so with a smile.

"I'm glad you're still here with me. A few more scratches, then I have to get started, okay?"

I keep my voice down like always when we are inside the cellar. I hope the others are able to remain undetected. We aren't as overzealous with caution as we were when we first arrived, as the Hunters and Sigiled within Onyx Gate seem far too preoccupied preparing for Maddox than searching for any insider threats.

Still, we are all careful nonetheless.

Earl gave everyone a variety of tools to help us traverse Onyx Gate unseen, like his Jumpers. Still, we each also have smoke bombs, canisters of sleeping gas, and clothes that can mimic our surroundings partially, making it harder to be found with the naked eye. Not that I have many of them, as most are redundant for me.

A moment passes, and I pull back my hand from Dakota. The fox whines quietly, knowing better than to be loud, but I shake my head. I need to get this show on the road.

For the first time since getting the hourglass from Aniwye a week ago, I hold it up to the air. And I dive within it, letting my Ether flow toward it as I sense it as profoundly as I possibly can.

I've been told that the hourglass is crafted from near-invisible Ether by Aniwye, the bits of the substance so minuscule that they are almost impossible to detect. Armed with this knowledge, I allow my mind, soul, and Ether to flow over the object. Yet, with every passing second, my confusion mounts. This is no ordinary artifact or naturally occurring phenomenon. I can't sense any Sigil within this thing or coalescing Ether like a Crossroads might have.

The hourglass is simple. It is made of raw skill crafted with precision and mastery of Ether far beyond anything I've ever seen. That is, if Aniwye is telling me the truth, as, even an hour later, I still can't detect even a whiff of Ether within this thing. It's almost as if this object is a real thing, a genuine item.

Not having any other options, I start to follow the tiny grains of sand within the hourglass, my mind navigating the intricacies of this peculiar object. As I delve deeper, my sense of time begins to fade. The hourglass becomes a macrocosm of sand, a captivating world that draws me in. It seems to extend forever, the sands having unending clarity and depth.

The grains of sand offer no apparent power or effect, yet I persist in my exploration. My focus intensifies as I plunge into the minute details. Just as I would focus on my Ether to separate tiny bits, I narrow my gaze even further on the sand like that of a magnifying glass.

Still, the individual grain of sand I focus upon grows in size until it, too, becomes a world of its own. It has limitless dunes and rifts. It continues seemingly forever.

My confusion only heightens as I plunge even more profoundly. Time loses its hold on me as I become enraptured by the mysterious worlds contained within the confines of the hourglass. They don't have stars, suns, moons, or life, but they are worlds of their own, vast, unique, and beautiful. After an untold and unknown number of magnifications, as I let Temper isolate more and more of my senses, I detect a hint of Ether. This faint pulse is almost imperceptible, yet it is there nonetheless. It is so tiny that I can hardly feel it, but it sparks a new wave of curiosity within me.

I had no idea Ether could be used like this. I thought it had to be controlled in streams or threads, continuous motions that would create effects. This... this seems to be tiny, individual motes of Ether that have been separated from each other to harmonize and create a new phenomenon.

Finding this tiny mote of Ether, I latch onto it, pulling it with my mind, and the moment I do, I feel something shift within the depths of my soul. It's impossible to describe.

Truly.

But if I were to...

It feels like I have jumped into a vat of swirling syrup, the entirety of reality slower and more fragile than I. Figuring that the hourglass is working, I begin to rotate Ether within myself.

As I do so, I am pleasantly surprised to find Blodwyn is affected by the motes within the hourglass in the same way as I am.

Desiring to learn Excavator, I follow along the guides that Johnny gave me in the past. I push Ether into my bones, letting it settle, yet I don't give it any old command. Living Strand is not all that dissimilar from Instinctive Ether. Time passes as I wait, letting the Ether calm, hoping that it grows a life of its own with my will pressing upon it but not ordering it.

Alas, it does not. Still, it is as expected. I repeat this dozens of times, doing precisely as Johnny did to learn the Strand.

After several hours, I feel a tug on the sand I made a connection with. Returning my focus to it, I find the granule of sand vanishing into nothingness as the Ether that composed it rejoins the firmament.

I sigh as I realize something about this hourglass as I search around, discovering the clock to have only moved a single hour in the four or so I have spent.

The time it can accelerate is not infinite, and much of it has already been used. If one mote gives me three extra hours, then I should have tens of thousands of hours remaining at the very least. Still, the idea that it would run out eventually hangs on my shoulders even as I find another mote.

I need to master this damned thing, and then, I must move on to Plasmic Ether, as well.

So, I close my eyes and get to work.