All stories have a beginning.

  And this one begins with metal.

  Every story in Alloy begins with metal.

  All stories have a beginning and this one begins with Iron.

  Early Spring

  Clover

  1911 SC (Skyfall Calamity)

  In the cool evening air, four children play in front of a house on the village main street. Only one can sense what the child seated upon the porch is doing. The thick-set boy stares intently at an Iron ingot, all his will bent upon lifting it.

  “What are you trying to prove, Heph?” Theresia teased. “We already know that you will complete the Rite without trouble.”

  Hephaestus ignored Theresia's cajoling, focused on the Iron ingot. He could feel it, sense it, his mind knew its form without even looking at it. For someone so young, Heph was skilled. He could use his far hand and far sense the same with minimal difficulty, able to pick out the finer details. Heph stared at the Iron ingot as though facing a foe and carefully wrapped his far hand around it, judging the weight. He could feel the power tingling around his fingers.

  “Give it up, Heph; that’s far too big to lift on your own,” Theresia advised.

  Hephaestus brushed off Theresia's teasing and gathered all his strength together. Reaching out again, he grasped the ingot with his far hand, spreading his strength around the base and keeping it even. Heph could feel the Aether flowing through him, just enough to keep the technique together. It was like his father had taught him; control the flow or it would drift away.

  Gritting his teeth, Heph set his shoulders and began to lift. The ingot shifted and shuddered as though a ghost were raking it with ephemeral fingers. Heph increased the flow and put more energy into the lift. The ingot rocked on the spot his far hand slipping over the edges and dissipating. With a quiet thud, the Iron ingot stopped rocking.

  Face beaded with sweat, Hephaestus leant back and sighed slowly.

  “It was a gosh-darn good effort,” Maria said aloud.

  ‘But not quite enough’, Heph thought to himself.

  His tormentor from earlier stood a little father out in the street.

  “Is there any particular reason you are exhausting yourself trying to pick that up?” Theresia asked.

  Heph looked up to Theresia and smiled. He wiped the sweat off his face and sat back on the porch. He wanted to evade the question, keep the secret for tomorrow. A strange sensation coursed through his mind and he spoke for reasons of which he was not quite sure.

  “I want to prove myself to everyone- to Gailan.”

  “And there's the reason,” Theresia crowed exaltedly. “You want to show off to the metalsmith.”

  Heph rolled his eyes and stood up, doing a quick knee bend. His body was sore. One of the older boys in the village had warned him against using his far hand too much. It could be as strenuous as lifting it with his actual arms and muscles. Theresia giggled at the discovery and rolled her eyes. Heph was normally very cautious; once he set his mind on a goal, it wasn't revealed until he succeeded. The young boy, barely eleven, narrowed his eyes suspiciously. Theresia stood beyond the porch light, the dusk casting her in shadows. Hephaestus knew what she looked like; he could reach out with his far sense and feel her features. A little taller than average for her age, slightly chubby, baby fat not yet gone. Theresia wore her light brown hair to her neck, curling at the ends, her eyes the same colour. It was the lock of Silver that flowed from her brow that marked Theresia out as someone quite unique in the village.

  Theresia had chosen to wear blue that evening, wanting to show off the new dress her mother had sewn, belted at the waist under her favourite vine-patterned blue shawl. Like all the other villager girls, Theresia wore leather shoes. It was a cool evening, so she wore her blue stockings, too.

  Heph pointed an accusatory finger at Theresia.

  “You used a suggestion on me, didn't you!” he barked.

  Theresia stepped forward into the light beaming down from the windows. Framed by a yellow glow, she giggled, face lighting up.

  “Theresia, you didn't!” Maria exclaimed.

  “Well, I didn't expect it to work,” she tried to defend herself, giggling all the while.

  “You know you can't just use your affinity on someone,” Maria chided her friend.

  “Well, it just... I don't know... He's just so stubborn sometimes...”

  Theresia tried to compose herself, but giggles and small snorts of laughter escaped her mouth. Heph let out a growl and sprung towards her, hands reaching out as though he were going to strangle the giggling girl.

  “When I get my hands on you!” he shouted.

  Theresia let out a squeal and danced away, before dashing down the street, shawl flapping behind her. Heph followed, running as fast as he could to catch up with his nemesis. A few doors in the village opened, curious townsfolk wondering what the squealing and childish screams were about. Upon seeing the two children running around, they rolled their eyes and retreated, going back to supper. Maria giggled into her hand, watching the pair running up and down the town, both screaming with laughter. She tugged her own green shawl close to her head as the cool spring evening drew in. Looking across the tops of the tiled roofs, Maria could see the Four Suns dropping below the distant horizon. It was spring and the Emerald Sun was dominant, bringing new life and change to the world. Even the stars seemed brighter against the evening sky.

  The young girl lowered her eyes to the village. As she turned back to the porch, Maria could not help but let her gaze linger on the house at the end of the street. It was a little larger than the others, two stories instead of one. The house was built from solid brick. Brickvine grew on all the walls. Small pots, some on the ground, others hanging from chains, lined the perimeter. Various plants and herbs of all shapes and sizes lived in the pots, well-tended and watered. A feeble pillar of blue smoke rose from the chimney, gliding into the evening sky. Light shone from the windows, a shadow sometimes passing in front as someone bustled along indoors. It looked as though Ms Perenelle had a guest that evening, a second shadow passing behind the first.

  Maria shivered, not quite in fear, not quite in shame. Maria was in many ways the opposite of Theresia. Average height, a little ganglier than the other girls, less petite and more tomboyish. Maria preferred her red hair kept short so it didn't get tangled when she was trekking out in the green fields and forests with her friends. Maria had always liked green, it matched her eyes. Today she wore a simple brown skirt, unbleached blouse, and her favourite green shawl. Like Theresia, Maria wore leather shoes with her brown woollen stockings.

  The light from the window was blotted out for a moment. The redhead's eyes looked to the shadow. Maria's father stared through the window back at her, reddish-brown hair and a scraggly beard shining in the light. Alexander Thatcher was dressed in the plain brown woollens of a carpenter, leather vest and cuffs well-oiled and tended to. He looked down at his daughter and smiled, but the warmth didn't quite reach his eyes. Alexander walked away and joined the rest of his family.

  “You are thinking about it too,” a voice spoke from behind her.

  Maria tore her eyes away from the window and peered into the gloom. Sitting with his back against one of the beams that supported the front porch was the invisible fourth friend. He hadn't said much the entire evening. Puzzle was dressed in simple greys and blacks. Trousers, long-sleeved shirt, short sleeved coat, leather boots. It was the attire of someone who didn't have much but made do with what he had.

  “You can't keep avoiding it, Puzzle. The Rite is tomorrow.”

  Puzzle looked up from where he was seated, knees up around his chin, eyes staring off into the distance. Finally he lifted his penetrating grey eyes to meet hers. The young boy's black hair seemed to spike out in all directions. Even at the age of eleven, he was developing a sharp widow’s peak.

  “Do they even need to bother, Maria? You and I both know what is going to happen.”

  “Sulking won't make it any easier,” she replied.

  “I am not sulking; I think it unnecessary. It is like they want to gloat over our failures.”

  “And who is they, Puzzle? Everyone in the village you grew up with? All the people who have raised us? How about the village folk that saved you when you got lost in the forest two summers ago?”

  “Alright, you have made your point.”

  Maria shook her head and moved over to where Puzzle sat. Like him, she pulled her legs up around her chin then rested her head on his shoulder.

  “You're not the only one who's scared,” she muttered.

  “Sorry, Maria, I did not mean it like that. I know your family loves you.”

  Maria tussled Puzzle's spiky black hair.

  “I know that, you dolt. And besides, it isn't that bad. Perenelle has been teaching me the basics.”

  Puzzle raised an eyebrow.

  “You went to her home?”

  Maria giggled into her hand.

  “We've all been there before, Puzzle; it's nothing new. I asked to stay behind after Father bought some potions to help with Mother's cold. Kind of fun, actually.”

  The sound of laughter approached Maria and Puzzle. Theresia arrived first, skidding to a halt. Heph was seconds behind, running into her and nearly bowling her over. He put his hands around her waist and started tickling. The brunette doubled over, laughing.

  “Gotcha!” Heph shouted triumphantly.

  “Mercy, Heph, mercy... mercy,” Theresia squealed.

  Puzzle and Maria exchanged a smirk. Heph finally let his nemesis go and trotted over to the porch. Sitting down, the dark-haired boy caught his breath. His loose leather vest hung over the sweaty short-sleeved shirt, brown trousers, and calf high boots dusty from running up and down the main road.

  “So, what are you conspiring about?” Heph asked.

  “Yeah, whatcha talking about?” Theresia chimed in.

  Maria looked up at her friend and wondered why she was staring so intently at her.

  “Theresia, don't try it on me, too!” Maria exclaimed.

  “What? I'm not doing anything.”

  “Balderdash,” Puzzle muttered. “You have got that same intent look in your eyes. Of course, it will not work on us; even a little magic trick fails on a Null.”

  The mood of the friends cooled. Puzzle shifted his eyes between the three around the porch.

  “Puzzle,” Maria hissed under her breath.

  “I am sorry, but someone has to say it. It is like nobody wants to talk about it. Our Rite of the Elements is tomorrow. We are going to stand before the entire village and show what we are capable of, prove once and for all what Element we have an affinity for. And two of us are going to show that we are not capable of using magic. I might as well start talking about myself as a Null now.”

  Theresia walked over and sat on the porch with her friends.

  “Puzzle, I don't care what anybody else has to say. You and Maria are my best friends; being called a Null doesn't change who or what you are. The two of you are great people, and we're going to grow up and grow old together.”

  “Same here,” Heph agreed.

  The porch door swung open and Alexander Thatcher stepped into the evening air. He looked over the four gathered and folded his arms.

  “Okay, you gremlins, it's getting late and I'm sure all your families are missing you. Time to scoot off and have some supper.”

  “Yes, Mr Thatcher,” all four children sang in tune.

  Alexander pinched the bridge of his nose, certain he was being teased by them. Maria stood up first and walked over to where her father stood, turning around and leaning against him. Alexander protectively set his hands on her shoulders and tussled her hair.

  “You too, little Gremlin; big day tomorrow.”

  “Yes, Dad,” Maria drawled.

  Alexander raised an eyebrow.

  “I don't know where you learned that word, ‘Dad’, but it's very strange. I'm your Father; not your Dad.”

  “Sorry, Father. Perenelle taught me it.”

  “The things you learn from city-folk.”

  The other three stood up and dusted themselves off. All three left, waving to the Thatcher family as they disappeared down the village street. Maria walked back inside the house where she was suddenly whisked off her feet, Alexander carrying his daughter under one arm to the family table. She let out a small squeal as he manhandled her. Alexander was known for his pranks and almost rough way of playing with his children. But they enjoyed the attention he gave them, certain he was never serious in his teasing or pretend-fighting.

  Setting the child on his knee, Alexander gave his daughter a hug. Maria's two older brothers were briskly cleaning up, her Mother in bed at the back of the house. None of them looked over to Maria, seemingly intent on their own work. Maria heard the faint sound of coughing; Harriet was still recovering from the nasty cold that had felled her earlier in the week. Maria wished she could feel more empathy, but her mother had been distant towards her for some months. In the back of her mind, Maria suspected why; she could feel the anger, fear, and disappointment Harriet radiated. It stung, and some nights Maria slept with tears staining her pillow. During the day she kept her chin up, smiling for everyone.

  Even her Mother.

  “I didn't mean to snoop, Maria, but I did hear what your friends were talking about.”

  Maria nodded solemnly.

  “And young Theresia is right. Tomorrow doesn't matter; your friends do. I'm proud of you, no matter what.”

  “I know, Father.”

  Alexander gestured over to the table and drew a spoon over with his far hand. Maria watched her Father's simple trick with envy. Something she would never do. Alexander then picked a small clay bottle up with his other hand.

  “Your Mother is on the mend because of people like Perenelle. And you'll learn to do what she can. Save lives. Picking up a spoon or a scythe is a nice thing, but saving lives is better.”

  Alexander shook the bottle, the contents sloshing inside.

  “You're going to grow up to be a great alchemist, Maria. You're going to save lives and help people.”

  “Thank you,” Maria whispered, smiling up at her Father.

  The warmth never reached her eyes.

  “Not too bad hunting today, Leonard,” Russell Bulwer mused.

  “Perhaps we'll find that blasted animal tomorrow. Alan won't stop complaining about all the sheep he's missing,” Leonard replied.

  “You mean sheep he's borrowed from others and now can't find himself?” Russell smirked at his own joke and ran a hand through his short beard, dark hair curling beneath his fingers. The hunter looked down at Puzzle, waiting politely in the shadows of the Bulwer house porch. Heph had already gone inside to wash up, readying dinner for his late-working Father. Puzzle had never asked about Heph's mother, and the stocky boy never brought her up. Nobody in the village spoke of her either. The two both understood what absent family felt like. Since their earliest days, they’d had a silent agreement never to broach the subject.

  The boys had left Theresia behind with her parents ten minutes ago. Theresia's mother, Lana Mesmer, wished them both well. There was an air of excitement; the Rite of the Elements would be conducted the following evening. But Puzzle didn't let any elation reach his heart. It seemed a cold evening with cold company.

  “You seem quiet tonight, Puzzle,” Russell observed.

  “It would be rude to interrupt adults when they are talking.”

  Russell raised an eyebrow at Leonard.

  “I'll see you tomorrow, Leonard. I've a nagging thought it's a wolf. Or a pack.”

  “Could be a gryphon; that would explain the lack of tracks and why so many farms were struck so quickly.”

  “Doubtful this far down the mountains. Anyway, try not to slash your hand open again. Ms Perenelle doesn't like working late. Especially when you're bleeding everywhere.”

  “I wasn't the only one bleeding. That bottle just shattered in my hand. Hurt so bloody bad I didn't even notice the glass until Perenelle pulled it out. Cut her finger in the process.”

  “Well, when you're finished bleeding our resident alchemist, try to get up early; we've a wolf pack to hunt down, methinks.”

  Leonard nodded in agreement and Russell stepped inside, closing the door behind himself. Turning on the spot, Leonard left the porch, Puzzle following behind. The two said little as they picked their way along the thin woodsman's track that ran between the tall trees. Puzzle looked up at his uncle and couldn't help but respect the man as he carefully made his way through the dark. It was like he could sense everything that lay ahead of him, even in the night. Sometimes Puzzle wondered if his uncle were more than human. But he had seen how skilled Uncle Leonard's hunting partners like Russell and Garvin were. They were men who knew all the signs, the smell, taste, and touch of the wild. They knew which way plants should grow, what the sounds of the wilderness meant. It was a skill. One Puzzle admired.

  Looking up at his uncle, Puzzle wondered where he originally came from. Leonard was tall, but no giant amongst the villagers. He had a wiry build, a traveller and tracker, with scars from past battles. His dark hair, slashed with grey, was cut short. His eyes were a dull green like the forests he patrolled.

  The older man was dressed in his woodsman's greens and browns. Coat done up against the cold, calf-high boots strapped at the front, and a long Chameleon Cloak billowing behind him. It was mottled in shades of green, brown, and even grey. Enchanted by the skilled Magi of the city, the Chameleon Cloak was an irokane of great use and great expense. Only the best and most successful hunters could afford them. Leonard alone possessed one in the area.

  “You're even more quiet than usual,” Leonard observed as the two picked their way along the track towards their house.

  “Please, Uncle, not you too,” Puzzle muttered.

  “What, I'm not allowed to care about my nephew and only family?”

  Puzzle looked up, Leonard smiling in the shadows. He smiled back at his adoptive parent, happy for the concern and glad he wasn't pressing.

  “Okay, Uncle Leonard... I just...”

  “Speak your mind, Puzzle; you know I've always insisted on that.”

  “Why do we go through with this? What is the point? We already know what the result is going to be. Maria and I are Null. Some of the other children will get to show off their Elemental Techniques to their parents. Those of us who cannot are paraded in front of the village, made outcasts, and sent to the nearest Alchemy Hall. It lets everybody sweep under the rug the dirty little secret that not everybody can use magic, and they want to laud it.”

  “Puzzle, it's not quite like that.”

  “Then what is it, Uncle?”

  Leonard let out a resigned sigh and slowed down. The two were a hundred paces from their home. A clearing marked the perimeter of their land; the small, tiled wooden house could be seen around the bend. The older man chose instead to stop and lean against an Oak, threads of Iron weaving in and out of the bark. Puzzle stopped next to his uncle, not sure what he was doing.

  The woodsman gestured up towards the sky, hand brushing in front of the multitude of stars and the Fifth Sun.

  “What do you see up there?” he asked.

  Puzzle looked up and gazed at all the stars.

  "Stars and the Fifth Sun.”

  “We go through the Rite of the Elements, Puzzle, because we can't assume what affinity people have any more. It's a very old tradition. One that, yes, may seem unfair to you. But it does serve a purpose.”

  “Like what?” Puzzle asked, exasperated by the unwanted lecture.

  “It lets children prove to their parents how much they have grown. In times long passed, there was a tower that shone in that night sky. They say you could see the tower even from the far southern coast of Axiom. And then something went wrong and it collapsed. We'd always assumed that everybody born could use magic. So what would happen when you start having children who are blind to magic, untouched by it? Rich and poor, man or woman of any nation, there was no distinction.”

  Puzzle sat down on a small pile of rocks and thought it through.

  “I guess you start panicking when people are born that... Well, the blind description is appropriate.”

  “Exactly. All of a sudden people aren't able to make assumptions about what their children are capable of. Four hundred and ninety-nine in five hundred might have an affinity, and that's something to be celebrated. So we have an evening of festivities. It's a coming of age, a rite of passage.”

  “But what about myself and Maria? What about that one in five hundred born different?”

  “Come now, Puzzle. Don't break down into histrionics.”

  Puzzle smiled. He'd always enjoyed the conversations with his Uncle. Leonard did not speak like the other men of the village. He was cultured, articulate, and used complicated words. Words with which the villagers, though good people, were not familiar.

  “I am merely pointing out that it does not take into account the feelings of those few who will be left out. It is not like coming last in a running race; it is literally being unable to walk. We cannot compare with the rest of you. So why put so much emphasis on it?”

  Leonard gestured to his nephew.

  “Because the Rite of the Elements is all about you, Puzzle. It's about the Null. It started because of the Null. People had to know if their children were different. Every child is born an unknown. In that first decade all children are the same. Unable use magic, to sense it and vulnerable because they cannot protect themselves from it. As time wears on almost all learn how to sense and then wield their affinity. Eighteen months ago I could touch you with my far hand. Now I cannot. As time wears on a Null acts in contrary to their peers. They never learn to sense magic and their become steadily immune to it. The Rite of the Elements is a vital ceremony for the community to assuage fears and concerns.

  And after the Amnesty began, its importance only increased. To you it may seem as though the village is content to celebrate those who have their Elemental Affinity finally recognised. But for some parents, it's one last chance to spend a happy day with their children. After this, they leave for an Alchemy Hall and may not been seen again for many years, if at all.”

  Puzzle let out a resolute grumble of approval. He wasn't going to admit it to anybody except his Uncle, but Leonard was right. He was trying to see the worst in the situation in hopes of vindicating his own feelings of emptiness and loss. It was easier to say he felt left out of everything rather than face a deeper and more complex issue. Leonard walked over to where Puzzle sat and knelt down behind him. Putting one hand on his back, he pointed back to the stars.

  “Things aren't always what they seem. Think of the sky, for example. By day, the Four Suns burn brightly up there. But by night, it is dark to us; they are on the other side of the world. And it is in this darkness that we finally see the truth. The Fifth Sun, Amethyst, is hidden during the day, only visible by night. Its pale light shines down on us when we most need it. The same may be said of the alchemists. They are almost never mentioned in this village; Perenelle isn't a topic of conversation. But when they need her the most, the villagers go to her for assistance and counsel. You'll learn sooner or later that everything has its place, even when that place isn't readily apparent.”

  Puzzle nodded in agreement and touched his Uncle's hand.

  “I know Uncle Leonard, but... Well, I guess I am a little jealous of what they can do.”

  “Everybody has different skills and different abilities. You're born with the basics; it's up to you to do the rest.”

  “Even if Heph is lousy with his far hand,” Puzzle said with a chuckle.

  Leonard gave Puzzle an unimpressed flick over the ear.

  “Well, that isn't fair. A blind person criticising the painter.”

  “Still, he was doing it all wrong. You do not spread your weight around and ever so slowly try to lift something heavy like an Iron Ingot. You must grip it firmly and put a lot of energy into the initial lift, then go with it. Once you know how much energy you need, all that excess energy goes into actually bringing it higher.”

  Leonard stood up and gave Puzzle an odd look.

  “What do you mean?” he asked, concern tingeing the question.

  “I was watching Hephaestus try to pick up an Iron ingot with his far hand. He has been practising, you know- wants to impress Gailan. Though he only admitted it when Theresia used her own suggestion on him. You should have seen his expression, Uncle; he nearly turned red with embarrassment.”

  Leonard's level gaze was unfathomable, not sure what to make of this new admission. Puzzle watched his Uncle walk forward and clear the bend before realising he wasn't asking if they should move on. Puzzle scrambled to his feet and jogged until he was walking side-by-side with his Uncle. Puzzle looked up and saw that Leonard's eyes were distant, vague half-expressions crossing his face as he thought something through. As the two reached the small house, more like a cottage, Leonard came to halt. Looking down at Puzzle, he had a strange expression on his face somewhere between pain and concern.

  “Are you alright, Uncle?”

  “Sometimes you astound me. There are days I'm not sure what to make of you,” he replied in a distant voice.

  “I've always been your little puzzle,” the young boy teased.

  Leonard's eyes went distant again and Puzzle felt an odd itching on his palms. Suddenly a small ball of light flickered into existence before his uncle, a glowing spark of purple-grey fire. Puzzle could only gape as Leonard directed the ball with small flicks of his fingers. The dancing fire raced around the house, striking the small candles that Leonard insisted on having placed around the perimeter. It snuck through a crack in a window and entered the house, rebounding off the fireplace and igniting the log that had been lying there.

  The purple-grey spark left the house and floated over to Leonard's outstretched hand. It rested in the crook of his palm, spluttering away. For the first time, Puzzle realised that his uncle's right hand was bandaged. And in it he held something small, like a vial. The boy guessed it was something Ms Perenelle had given him for the graze. But it was only a fleeting moment of distraction, the enormity of what his uncle had just done pushing the thought to the back of his mind. Puzzle stared up at his uncle in astonishment, not sure what to make of what he had seen. Leonard walked over to the front door and opened it before looking over his shoulder at Puzzle.

  “Are you going to gawk at me all evening, Nephew, or shall we retire inside?”

  Nodding in agreement, Puzzle ran indoors and sat down at one of the two chairs that lay around the table they always ate at. Leonard closed the door behind himself and flicked down the latch, though it was more of a symbolic gesture than anything else. Long strides carried him over to the other chair, but Leonard pulled it away from the table. He dragged the wooden chair before the log-fire and sat with his back to the spluttering flames.

  Puzzle stared at his uncle, not sure what to make of the sudden demonstration. The small cottage was lit by the orange of the log-fire and the strange purple-grey of the candles outside. It cast the dwelling into fluttering shadows and smoky fixtures. Herbs, some potted, others cut and left to dry, hung off all the walls. The kitchen doubled as the living room. To the side, a cordoned off area held the beds. Cooking utensils and knives hung from a rack near a sink used for food preparation and cleaning.

  “Uncle, how did you do that?” Puzzle mustered up the courage to ask.

  “We all have secrets; things from our past that we like to keep tucked away. I came to Oakdell with you as an infant to try escape what I had seen and experienced. But you're getting older, and soon you'll be leaving here. It's time I explained some things.”

  Leonard opened his bandaged right palm and displayed the small burning spark.

  “Here, catch,” he announced.

  Puzzle's eyes went wide as Leonard threw the spark at him. Instinctively, Puzzle opened both hands and caught the spark like you would a ball. His hands wrapped around the tiny spark, not sure if he had snuffed it out or not. Finally curiosity got the better of him and Puzzle opened his hands. Cupped inside, nestled against both palms, was the small spark of fire, crackling away. Puzzle's hands seemed to glow purple-grey against the strange gloom.

  “Not bad. Most people have to practice for weeks before doing that,” Leonard praised.

  “What is this? Is it magic?”

  “In a manner of speaking; yes, it is. What you're holding is a very simple light cantrip; nothing more than a flicker of Aether. But it's still magic.”

  “But I always thought...” Puzzle trailed off.

  Leonard laughed and stood up, walking over to the kitchen bench as he finished chuckling. The older man picked up a knife and began cutting some dried beef, cheese, nuts, dried fruit, and a loaf of bread for dinner. Leonard spoke as he prepared the food.

  “The folks of the village assumed that my Elemental Affinity was so weak it wasn't worth mentioning. I was not one to argue against their views. I prefer to keep to myself, Puzzle, much as you do. But yes, I know magic; enough of it to know that I would prefer to have lived in ignorance. But, like all truth, it cannot be contained. It will escape and announce itself to all with ears to listen.”

  “So if this is magic, Uncle... what does that mean about me?”

  “It means you may or may not have the spark of potential. But sometimes events don't progress in the way that you had planned.”

  Leonard looked up from his cutting to the blade that hung over the lintel of the fire. Puzzle looked to the single-edged weapon, the pitted blade drinking in the light. The style of sword was unlike that wielded by the locals, usually double-edged and straight with a simple cross-guard and hilt. Leonard's blade was curved like the scimitar wielded by the Kwalu of the northern hemisphere. The cross-guard was curved too, a broad bar of metal protecting thumb and fingers. The hilt had a strange, textured pattern to it, as though half-corroded symbols had once been chiselled there and then worn away by countless hands.

  “You are thinking about the old war, aren't you?” Puzzle inquired.

  “There are some things we all prefer to forget. And the siege of North Greywater is one of them.”

  “I know I have asked before. Just... what happened?”

  Leonard turned away and finished preparing dinner before bringing two plates back to the table. He laid one down for Puzzle then walked back over to his chair by the fire, sitting and eating.

  “Your teachers haven't told you much. Likely few in this village were themselves involved in the conflict. But to understand that war is to understand the background of the nation we live in.”

  Puzzle ate in silence, soaking in everything his uncle was saying. Leonard had always carefully spoken about his travels in the past. He was happy to educate and lecture at length on the various nations and cultures of Alloy. Puzzle sometimes wondered if there was a patch of dirt that his uncle hadn't set foot on. But his last journey, the one that led up to their arrival in Oakdell, was always something of a mystery. Uncle Leonard skirted around those specific details. Until now.

  “This fair nation we live in wasn't always so, and it is hard to maintain the sometimes-fractious states. When Jules Sardan the First united the smaller fiefdoms into a greater nation, not everyone was willing to fall under his banner. Some, like Draad Keep or the Borderland Duchies of The Cradle, chose to remain independent, though only in the loosest sense. Other places, like the Wylds, are beyond control of even that of the Sardan Empire. And some, like the Necromancers of the Gloom to the far east, are not citizens you want under your banner.

  There are some that say the Restless Legion were rebels from the Gloom of Necros; Necromancers who did not wish to bow to the whims of the ancient Lich. They left his domain and moved steadily west, raising an army of the undead to help carve out their own nation. Somehow, they found ancient passages that wound beneath the Skyrakers and, to the shock of the border patrols, appeared at the foothills on the eastern edge of the Empire.”

  “That was where you fought them, right?” Puzzle asked.

  “It's rude to interrupt, and yes; that's where I encountered them. The armies of the Sardan Empire deserve their reputation for being amongst the finest military forces on this continent. But it's hard to fight against an innumerable tide of the living dead. It's hard to fight against former allies now reanimated to kill you.

  “They were pushed back farther and father, with each skirmish losing more to the Restless Legion. Finally, the Legion found themselves at the walls of North Greywater, sister city to South Greywater, and perhaps the brighter of the two jewels. It was a long and bloody siege, the Restless Legion never stopping or yielding. They fought primarily at night, when the darkness gave them an advantage. The Undead have no fear of darkness and can see through it clear as day. And the living should be sleeping and resting, not fighting against the dead.”

  Puzzle kept the small flicker of purple-grey light in his right hand and picked his dinner out of the plate with his left, fascinated by his uncle's story.

  “By this time, the Emperor had been informed of the siege. He took drastic measures and sent his finest Magi to survey the scene. When they reported to him that North Greywater was going to fall without immediate aid, he took action. Jules Sardan the Third had his Magi complete a very complicated and powerful ritual, translocating ten legions across the continent to engage the Restless Legion.”

  “But, Uncle,” Puzzle interrupted, “I thought North Greywater was lost.”

  Leonard nodded.

  “It was.”

  “I don't understand.”

  “Jules Sardan the Third did what he had to do. The Emperor allowed North Greywater to fall. He allowed the city to be ransacked and destroyed by the Restless Legion. Who knows how many thousands lost their lives that day. But the Restless Legion crushed the city and moved in to occupy it. Those who had not already died during the siege were put to the sword or worse. The official histories deny this fact, but take it from someone that was there. He waited until the city fell before acting.”

  Puzzle could almost hear the wails of fear and panic. He felt like the shadows of the house were shimmering in the dark.

  “The Restless Legion raised a new army; everyone that had died within the city became a new soldier. Men, women, children; nothing was sacred. The Necromancers knew what was coming; they knew that the Sardan Empire would bring swift justice. But their hubris was their downfall. Ten Legions were translocated to the outskirts of North Greywater and surrounded the city. Now the Restless Legion were the ones besieged. They could not escape; they could not flee and attempt to raise another army.

  “It was a brutal tactic, but it worked. The Necromancers of the Restless Legion were forced to fight to the bitter end. The siege was short, lasting a little over two months. But in the end, every last undead creature was destroyed and the Legion's power broken.”

  “Could they not escape?” Puzzle wondered aloud. “I mean, a Necromancer looks like you or me, right?”

  “Yes and no. They are still Human. But they also have their own unique style of magic. You could think of it as a different sounding melody of music. If you have the right ear for it, you can pick out that melody in a crowd when they use it. Magister Balthasar, one of the Three Gurus of Uwajika, assisted the Empire. The Magi of the Empire are skilled, however it was the Uwajika that taught us Mage magic, and they still hold some secrets dear. Their final gift was a set of powerful Scrying Matrix; living spells that can sense a Necromancer's unique magic. If a Necromancer fled, it mattered not. The next time he used an Object Module and brought forth his twisted magic, the Empire's Magi knew of it. They would dispatch soldiers and Magi to find and detain the Necromancer. Few allowed themselves to be captured alive.”

  Puzzle sat back and cradled the ember of light in his hand.

  “So that is why you came here with me. My parents...”

  The question was left to the empty air. Puzzle could see guilt flickering over his uncle's face.

  “I was the only one left?”

  “Yes. I'm sorry. I grew tired of violence, of war, of magic. I wanted to put all of that behind me; forget my life as a soldier. North Greywater was still a fresh wound. I wanted to forget everything that happened and focus on the miracle that was you. You shouldn't have survived. But you did. I took it as an omen. I sold almost every possession I had and travelled here, to Oakdell, the farthest place from war I could find. I left behind my past, my battles, and everything I had seen.”

  Leonard stood up and carried his plate over to the sink. He picked up the kettle, checked it for water, and moved back to the fire, hanging the kettle from its hook. As the kettle came to a boil, Leonard began fishing herbs out of the cupboards, mixing them with a mortar and pestle. Some were in simple bushels, others were held in sealed clay jars, the Lead and oil lining preventing contact with the air until opened.

  “Tomorrow is a big day for you, Puzzle; an important day for all of us. It will decide the fate of yourself and your friends in ways you can't even imagine yet. The Rite of the Elements is always like that.”

  Puzzle looked at the ember of purple-grey light in his hand and wondered.

  “Uncle, if this is magic I am holding, if this is what real magic looks like, then what does that make me?”

  Leonard let out a small chuckle.

  “Try throwing that cantrip back to me,” he offered.

  Puzzle held the small orb of light and concentrated on it. He could feel it dancing in his right hand, feel it faintly drawing on the aether around him. He lifted it up, tossing the ember to his uncle. Leonard looked surprised as the orb sailed towards him, but still caught it with his free left hand.

  “Not bad, young man; not bad at all. This ember is exactly that. An ember of hope.”

  Leonard clenched his left hand, snuffing out the light. Small wisps of smoke escaped between his tight fingers. Leonard lowered his hand and opened it over the mortar, smoke falling into the stone bowl. Unstopping some jars, Leonard began mixing more strange-looking herbs into the bowl, crushing them with the pestle. Others he neatly sliced open, mixing them with water or oil and adding only the solution.

  “What are you making?” Puzzle asked.

  “What any good uncle should the night before his nephew's big day. I'm making tea, of course,” Leonard answered.

  “But we have tea-leaves in the clay jar in the cupboard to the left,” Puzzle pointed out, voice going up an octave as a creeping dread spread over him.

  “Ah, yes, but that is tea for guests, not tea to make you healthy and strong.”

  Puzzle stood up and walked over to the fire, putting his hands out to warm them against the chill of the night. Looking over his shoulder, Puzzle could see Leonard was very focused on what he was doing. A Silver knife flashed as he cut and prepared the leaves for the tea. Puzzle tried not to shudder.

  ‘Uncle Leonard's tea!’

  “If I didn't know any better, I'd say you didn't want to drink my tea.”

  “Well, Uncle, your tea can be a little...” Puzzle let out a nervous titter of laughter.

  “A little what?”

  “It's not Mr Thatcher's tea.”

  Leonard let out an exasperated sigh and stopped his preparation.

  “My tea is perfectly reasonable. It will leave you refreshed, strong, and feeling better than ever.”

  Puzzle couldn't think of anything scarier than Leonard's attempts at tea making. They were the stuff of legend in the village; one man's brutal effort at trying to make something palatable.

  “What's in this tea?” Puzzle asked, not sure he wanted the answer.

  “Some rare herbs I collected when I was younger, probably contraband in parts of the Empire. But if you’re interested; arcing conduitweed, chromatic lotus, dragon veil, eternity leaf, golemroot, and sun rose. Should help you sleep well, too.”

  ‘I've never heard of any of them before. I hope I don't wake up with a blue tongue or missing my teeth.’

  Hands enjoying the warmth, Puzzle stared into the flames, wondering what to make of tomorrow. If nothing else, he wanted to distract his mind from Uncle Leonard's tea.

  “Will you be there?” he asked, changing the subject.

  “I want to be,” Leonard answered evasively.

  “But you will not be.”

  “I cannot guarantee how long Russell and I will be out hunting. Whatever predator is haunting the outskirts, it is making a nuisance of itself. And the number of sheep being killed has increased. We need to find and deal with it. Russell doesn't want to be late either; his son will be demonstrating his skill, too.”

  Puzzle nodded.

  “I understand, Uncle. You have a duty to do.”

  “We always do. But don't always let duty get in the way of what is right.”

  Leonard finished his tea preparation and carried the mortar over to the kettle, carefully pouring the contents into the bubbling water. Taking the kettle off the fire, Leonard poured the hot liquid into a waiting porcelain cup. The water shimmered like a rainbow as it drained from kettle to cup. Leonard walked over to the wall where he kept his soldier’s blade and took it down off the mantle, sheathing it in a scabbard that sat beside the fireplace. Carrying the sword and the cup over to Puzzle, the man had another strange look on his face.

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  “Even if I can't be there for you, Puzzle, I have something that I think will help.”

  Leonard offered the sword to Puzzle. Eyes wide in surprise, the boy took the weapon, not sure what to make of the unexpected gift. It felt oddly light in his hands, as though the metal were taking the burden of its own weight. At the same time, it was comfortable, like he knew the weapon well. The balance seemed right; the hilt, though built for larger hands, was firm and sure in his grip.

  “Here, let me help you.”

  Leonard set aside the cup of tea and began rummaging around the cupboards. Finally, he removed a baldric and adjusted the belt to fit Puzzle. Walking back over to the young boy, Leonard fixed the strap to Puzzle's back and fitted it through the scabbard. Puzzle reached over with his right hand and grasped the hilt of the blade.

  “Thank you,” Puzzle managed to whisper.

  “It's the least I can do, young man. That blade brought me a great deal of luck when I fought all those long years ago. I suspect the reason I may have survived when so many of my compatriots did not was because of that weapon. You won't be able to draw it from your back without a far hand. Keep it on you always. Never let it leave your side, save for when you sleep. It served me well, and I can only hope it does the same for you. A good luck charm for tomorrow, if nothing else.”

  Puzzle beamed up at his uncle, awed at the gift he had been given. Leonard offered the steaming cup to his giddy nephew. Before Puzzle could even realise what he was doing, he had taken his first sip. The hot brew tasted far better than he expected, though still pungent and strong. It raced down his throat and hit his stomach before settling. Puzzle raised an eyebrow and looked up at his uncle. Leonard was looking at him expectantly.

  “Well?” he inquired.

  Puzzle chose his words carefully.

  “It is... palatable.”

  Leonard let out a bark of laughter.

  “Palatable... where did you learn a word like that young man?”

  “Mrs Mesmer used it one time when... when she mentioned your tea.”

  Leonard chuckled to himself.

  “Drink your tea and enjoy your gift, you little monster.”

  Puzzle smiled and continued sipping the tea. As he gazed into the fire, he could finally accept what was coming. There was going to be change; he and Maria were going to have to leave the village. It was scary and exciting. As always, Uncle Leonard had a way with words, lifting Puzzle's spirits when they were at their lowest. The eleven-year-old mused on the future. Everybody would start their apprenticeship with various teachers and masters. Being a child was a thing of the past. Some would remain in the village. People like Hephaestus could apprentice themselves under an older mentor, in his case the Metalsmith, Gailan. Others would continue to work on their parent’s farms and attend the village school for a few hours a week to hone and train their knowledge and their Elemental Affinity. Some would even choose to become hunters like Leonard and Russell. Learn how to travel and track the wilds, leaving no trace of their passing. Puzzle wondered if he could learn those skills anyway; they weren't based on an Elemental Affinity, just a dedication to learning and honing a specific skill set.

  Finishing the cup, Puzzle blinked twice and felt quite drained. It had been a long evening and his body was starting to tire. He placed the cup on the table and unhooked the baldric from over his shoulder. Setting the blade on the table, Puzzle walked over to the chair near the fire and slumped into it. Eyes feeling heavy, he leant back and listened to the crackling of the flames behind him. The bustling sound of Leonard clearing the kitchen and cleaning the dishes filled the house. Puzzle sat in the chair, letting the warmth of the fire lick over his body. It wasn't long before sleep took him, warmth and darkness shrouding his body.

  Leonard eased the young boy into bed, smiling down at the sleeping young man. Pulling the thick woollen blankets up to his chin, Leonard made sure Puzzle was tucked in tight. He'd checked the cup and, as expected, Puzzle had drunk the entire potion. Standing, Leonard picked the sword up from where he'd left it leaning against the door. He laid the weapon down by Puzzle's side and gently picked the young boy's hand out from under the blankets. Laying the weapon parallel to the sleeping boy's body, Leonard placed the boy's small hand over the hilt. As he did so, a small thread of guilt winnowed through his heart.

  “I'm sorry, Puzzle,” he whispered. “You won't understand now, you won't understand in five years. But one day you will. And you won't love me. But you may stop hating me.”

  Leonard stretched out his senses and felt the corpse-candles still burning around the perimeter of the house. By now, the threads of magic he had woven would have been detected by those with an ear for such things. It mattered not to Leonard; he had a task to do and a boy's life to save, even if Puzzle wouldn't understand why it needed saving for years to come.

  Fishing the vial out from where he had hidden it in his coat, Leonard poured the contents into the second cup of tea he had brewed, one requiring his own alembic, hidden until Puzzle had fallen asleep. He unstopped the cap of the vial and poured the trace liquid into the cup, swirling it around until the surface was the colour of fresh blood. Cupping the boy’s mouth, he carefully poured the contents down, making sure not to rush or choke the boy. Once it had been swallowed, he set aside the second cup and sighed, looking over his ward's sleeping form one last time.

  Waving a hand over Puzzle's body, Leonard began intoning ancient words in an even older tongue. The air around the boy began to hum, darkness and shadows crawling off the walls. Strange hieroglyphs winked in and out of existence. More began flowing along the blade at Puzzle's side and then up his arms. They fell into place on key points of his skin, smaller bars of shadow linking the larger hieroglyphs together. The strange marks flowed up his arms and soon covered Puzzle's body, his sleeping face awash with winking symbols.

  Leonard's face was a picture of concentration, intoning the correct words, writing symbols into the air with both hands while he continued with the ritual. The flow of aether swimming around the house increased, carried through the corpse-candles and into the room. Various markings and engravings in the walls, wards against detection and interference, flared into life. They flashed and glowed as casual observers began testing the defences around the building. Leonard did not let the intruders distract him, intent on completing the ritual.

  All through the night, Leonard wove his magic, Aether rushing through the house.

  Puzzle awoke to the morning calls of birds and a silent house. Climbing out of bed, he fixed himself a quick breakfast of dried fruit and the leftover loaf of bread from last night's dinner. The house felt cold and unwelcoming, as though all the warmth and life had been drained from it. Puzzle was accustomed to awakening to find his uncle already gone; Leonard often went hunting before the Suns had crested the horizon. But this morning it felt strange, almost alien. There was no warmth from the herbs hanging on the walls, nor the candles and strange pots and pans that Leonard insisted on keeping, even when they appeared to serve no purpose for cooking.

  Setting aside his morning dishes, the young boy was quick to note that several of his uncle's favourite herb bushels were absent in addition to some of the pots that contained various oils and unguents. Walking back to his room, Puzzle saw that Leonard had set aside his best clothes to be worn for the day. A small note was attached to the sword that he had been gifted with, blade resting in the baldric.

  Pulling on the black trousers and bleached long-sleeved shirt, Puzzle ran his fingers over the baldric and felt a swell of pride. The weapon was his for the day, to give him strength during the celebrations, and the Rite itself. Smiling, Puzzle found his black coat, slipped it on, and did up the buttons before grabbing his cloak and flinging the grey wool over his shoulder, pinning it with a simple brass clasp at the neck. Finally, he slipped the baldric over his shoulder like Leonard had done the previous night. The weapon felt natural sitting on his back, as though it had always belonged there.

  Puzzle picked up the discarded note and read it as he walked to the front doo. Leonard had been teaching him letters and words, filling in where the local teachers had left gaps.

  'I'm sorry I can't be there today, Puzzle. But I'm proud of you and all you've accomplished. Don't let the stares of the other villagers turn you away; be courageous and strong. And don't let any setbacks break your spirit.”

  Puzzle set the note down on the table and left the cottage, closing the front door behind himself and following the track that lead towards Oakdell. The morning looked to be building up towards a glorious day. Already the Four Suns were high in the sky, Spring bringing new life and colour to the land. Trees with Copper- and Iron-laced foliage swayed in the cool spring breeze, leaves hissing and rustling, providing a pleasant background to the calls of wild birds.

  It only took an hour for Puzzle to make his way to the main road that led from the mountainside villager’s farmsteads. The road was simple, compacted earth. The hinterlands of the Empire had no need of cobblestones or paved roads. The morning Suns at his back gave Puzzle plenty of strength and energy. Some would have thought it strange to leave someone so young to walk all alone into the village, but the villagers of Oakdell trained their children at a young age to be self-reliant. By the age of seven, most could navigate the hills and forests surrounding the village with ease. By nine they could avoid bears, wolves, and worse.

  Cresting a hill, Puzzle spied the small farmstead that was Hephaestus Bulwer's house and noted someone sitting on the porch, juggling something small and shiny. As he got closer, he recognised the heavy-set build of Hephaestus, wearing his best dark breeches, shirt, and leather vest. Heph looked up from his juggling and waved furiously at Puzzle, before catching the small object in front of him and sprinting towards the front gate.

  “Hullo, Puzzle!” the dark-haired boy shouted.

  “Hullo, back!”

  Puzzle waited at the gate for Heph, leaning against the wooden fixture and gazing up at the morning clouds. The Emerald Sun shone high in the sky, the other three floating a little farther behind it. Panting from the run, Heph made it to the gate and vaulted straight over it. Landing before Puzzle, he began speaking before he had a chance to catch his breath.

  “Look what I've managed to do!”

  Heph fished three small Iron nails from his pocket and threw them high into the air. Before they could fall down the young boy gestured at the nails, fingers dancing in the air. Puzzle could only stare as the nails began to sail in a figure eight pattern above Heph's hands, zipping back and forth as though juggled by invisible hands.

  “It took me all last night, but I finally managed to... Whoa, where did you find that?”

  Heph strode around behind Puzzle and began tapping the leather baldric.

  “That's amazing, Puzzle. I have never seen anything like that in Gailan's shop. And he forges fine swords, stuff that we sell onto merchants or ones the villagers buy for dealing with monsters or worse.”

  Heph stepped back around to face Puzzle.

  “But this is something different. Where did you find it? Who did you buy it from?”

  Puzzle raised his hands, trying to slow down Heph's rushed questions.

  “Ease up, Heph. I neither bought nor found this sword. Uncle Leonard gave it to me. To lend me a bit of courage,” he said.

  Heph slapped Puzzle hard on the back, the blow forcing the blade between his shoulder blades into the meat of his spine.

  “Yeah, Father seemed a little worried about me, too. He thinks they may be late for the Rite; something about a monster hunting around Alan Walker's farmstead. But I didn't receive a sword for luck. That's amazing, Puzzle!”

  Puzzle absently scratched his neck, embarrassed by the sudden praise and awe Hephaestus was showing. To Puzzle, today was meant to be a day about those who had an Elemental Affinity, not about the Nulls.

  ‘Assuming I am a Null. Somehow, I touched magic last night.’

  “Come on, Heph; race you to the village.”

  Heph gave Puzzle another slap on the back.

  “With you carrying that heavy weapon, it's a sure bet. I'll have your drink waiting for you when we arrive.”

  The entire village was abuzz, the celebrations in full swing by the time the two boys arrived. It looked as though everybody was present to celebrate the day. Dressed in their finest clothes, the villagers made the most of meeting up with old friends. Those that lived within the village had friends and family on their porches, sharing food and drink. Some even offered small gifts and sweets to passers-by, a way of sharing goodwill and cheer. Still more crowded the busy main street of Oakdell, jostling between each-other as they tried to make their way to the various merchant carts.

  During the Rite, numerous merchants and travellers would make their way to the village, using the opportunity of so many present during this time to peddle their wares. The Rite was not only a community festival, it was one of the few times in the year that someone could buy almost anything they needed. Clothes from the Chroma Plains, weapons from Draad Keep, pottery from distant Sharathun, and even silk from Xuthra. Whatever rare or exotic product a person could want, this was the only time to find it. News was brought into the village as well. Most of the merchants travelled all the major highways of the Empire and beyond, carrying word from distant lands and revelations from closer to home. Though couriers of the Empire were meant to deliver all major announcements and proclamations, Oakdell didn't exist on many maps. It meant that the only way to learn what changed in the last twelve months was by bending the ear of an understanding merchant. Puzzle marvelled at all the carts that lined the outskirts of town, some bold enough to try setting their stalls on the small side-streets and patches of green that dotted the village. They had heard rumours of an Engineer with firearms attending this years Rite.

  “I doubt an Engineer would bother to travel all the way up to our quiet village,” Puzzle said. “And Chemistry Majors are not going to waste their time with us. They have armies and mercenaries to sell to instead.”

  “But there could be one; my father thinks they might actually make their way up here this year.”

  “I still prefer a bow and arrow over some unreliable compressed explosion.”

  Heph gave Puzzle a friendly jab in the shoulder.

  “I never know where you learn half those words. Besides, afraid of the future?"

  “No, afraid of a neighbour with a bad aim.”

  “Fine, then. I'll go find them; you can wait here.”

  Heph snuck between two talking villagers and disappeared into the crowd. Before he could say anything, Puzzle had lost his friend. Letting his gaze wander through the milling people, he tried to pick out the familiar, stocky silhouett, but nothing caught his eye. Grumbling in frustration, Puzzle began pushing through, trying to find Heph.

  “Oi, this way!” Puzzle heard from a short distance ahead.

  Looking between shoulders, Puzzle saw Heph's dark hair before it blended back into the crowd. Sighing at Heph's lack of thought, Puzzle rushed forward, trying to catch up with him. It wasn't easy for the short boy to make his way through the crowds, but Puzzle did his best, ducking, dodging, and weaving between legs. When it seemed to clear somewhat, Puzzle broke into a half-run, seeing a break in the crowds. He dashed forward, hoping to make it through the gap.

  Instead, Puzzle ran straight into the back of a woman and bounced off, landing hard on the ground. His chest and face hurt, like he had collided with a stone wall. Blinking away surprise and confusion, Puzzle looked up at his accidental victim. The woman turned around and glared down at Puzzle, brow furrowed in annoyance. She stood close to two metres tall, skin pale and scarred from past conflicts. Her hair was dark red and worn in a ponytail. Cold blue eyes stared down at him, unflinching. But it was the tattoos on her face that marked her out as a foreigner. Starting above her left eyebrow were two blue lines with a large gap between them. The lines ran in parallel as they swept across her brow before plunging down her cheek just after to the end of her red eyebrow. The two unbroken blue lines ended above the line of her jaw. Three blue lines closely spaced together started above her right eyebrow and followed the same pattern, flowing above her right eyebrow before racing down cheek to her jaw.

  The tall woman was dressed in the largest amount of metal Puzzle had ever seen. Her chest was protected by metal, forearms and biceps sheathed in metal, waist, thighs, and even calves, the same. Even the tops of her leather boots had metal strips running over them. Puzzle had heard of the armour before. Master Gailan had once described it as Full-Plate. Seeing it was another thing.

  ‘How can she even walk in that? And what would be so dangerous that she would need to wear that much?’

  A sturdy traveller’s backpack hung on her back. Strapped over the woman's shoulder was a heavy-looking kite shield, and looped on her belt was a large one-handed axe, both well-worn veterans of combat.

  Puzzle felt himself locked in the woman's hard gaze, eyes staring intently at one another. But it was the woman's gaze which wandered first. Her eyes shifted up to behind Puzzle's head, trying to peer around whatever he was blocking. She cocked her head to one side, frown replaced by a discerning squint.

  “Is that the...” she muttered to herself.

  Puzzle could sense that something beyond his control was happening. Afraid that he might have angered the dangerous-looking woman, Puzzle made to stand up, hands pushing up off the hard-compacted ground. Looking up, he saw the woman had knelt a little and was offering a hand to him. Unsure whether refusing would be rude, Puzzle took the hand and was hauled to his feet by the woman effortlessly. Dusting his back, Puzzle tried not to stare too much.

  “Do you know what that is you're carrying on your back?” she asked in a neutral voice.

  “My uncle's sword,” Puzzle managed, trying not to squeak.

  She smiled and tousled his hair almost playfully.

  “And you're every bit your uncle's nephew, I am guessing.”

  “I do not look like him, ma'am, but I try to make him proud.”

  The warrior woman nodded her head in agreement.

  “Oh, I'm certain you do. So, today is the Rite of the Elements for your village?”

  “Yes, ma'am.”

  The woman hooked her thumbs in her belt and let her gaze wander over the village.

  “How old are you, young man?” she asked.

  “Old enough to undertake the Rite, ma'am.”

  “Ah, well, in that case, congratulations are in order. Did you know every country has their own customs? We all celebrate the Rite, but even between towns there are small differences. Unique and quaint little customs we undertake.”

  “And where are you from, ma'am?”

  The warrior woman let out a dry bark.

  “Brave little thing, aren't you? Even a little bold. I'm from Draad Keep, far to the north. But events have led me south, to this place and time. I thought I'd watch the festivities; enjoy the experience.”

  ‘Draad Keep; that's hundreds of kilometres away,’ Puzzle realised. ‘Why is she so far south?’

  Puzzle wasn't sure what spurred him to keep asking questions, but some unconscious gut feeling told him he should talk with the woman.

  “What do you do that is different in your Rite of the Elements?” he asked.

  “Well, amongst other things, we gift our children with a small amount of money. Often, they will leave for apprenticeships and other vocations. That takes them far away from their families, so the money is put to good use.”

  The woman set down her backpack and drew out a coin-pouch. Rummaging through the heavy looking pouch, Puzzle heard a metallic jingling. Finally, she drew five silvery-gold coins out and offered them to Puzzle. Eyes wide in surprise, the boy took the coins, feeling their weight fall into his outstretched palms. The five Electrum Crowns were huge, each stamped with the symbol of the Empire, a Phoenix with its wings aloft, the other side showing a stylised laurel crown. Licking his lips, Puzzle lowered his hands and gazed down at the money. Never before in his entire life had he beheld so much money; his uncle barely had a few Electrum Marks to scratch together.

  “You might want to close your mouth lest you swallow a passing fly,” the woman advised as she shouldered her backpack.

  Puzzle snapped his mouth shut and put his hands by his sides, right palm heavy with the five coins within.

  “Thank... thank you,” he stammered.

  The woman smiled.

  “As I said, it is a custom in my land to do such things during our Rite of the Elements. I can tell that you will be travelling very far shortly, so spend that money wisely. It will be of much use to you.”

  Puzzle, for the second time since meeting the woman, felt his mouth fall open.

  “How did you... How can you...” He fumbled with his words.

  “When one travels for as long as I have, one tends to develop an eye for such things. Take heart, young man. Your life is only beginning and your possibilities are endless.”

  Without pause, the woman turned and began making her way through the crowd, beginning to blend into it. Panicking slightly, Puzzle called out,

  “Wait!”

  The warrior woman stopped in her tracks and looked over her shoulder towards Puzzle.

  “Yes?”

  “I... Well, I um... I do not even know your name, if I were to thank you properly.”

  “Your uncle did teach you manners. If you must know, it is Joan, just Joan. My family name is my own business.”

  Puzzle bowed his head.

  “Thank you, Joan.”

  “You are welcome, Puzzle.”

  Taking another few steps, the woman melded into the press of villagers moving throughout the town square. Puzzle lifted his right hand and stared at the coins.

  ‘Amazing,’ he wondered, ‘but... how did she know my name?’

  Puzzle looked up into the crowd, many unanswered questions rushing through his mind.

  ‘I need to talk to her; she knows something.’

  Shoving the coins into the pocket of his trousers, Puzzle pushed forward into the press of people. Many of the merchants present were shouting prices for their wares; pots and pans, needles and thread, ceramic containers, and even jewellery. All seemed eager to sell to whoever had enough coin to pay. Puzzle was jostled out of the main street and onto a small side-field. Letting his gaze wander, Puzzle saw that a bowyer had set up his caravan. The side had been opened up to display a large selection of bows of all sizes and shapes. Short-bows, long-bows, recurve, and even designs Puzzle did not recognise. Most were a combination of yew and Silver with spider-silk Silver drawstrings. The metal running through the limbs reinforced the structure, allowing for more tension in the drawstring and, consequently, greater projectile speed and penetration. The merchant was vocal in his desire to prove the strength of the bow. He had placed several scarecrow targets at the end of the field and provided free arrows for anybody to test his weaponry and determine for themselves if his bows were of high quality or not.

  Squeezing his way between a throng of people eager to demonstrate their archery skill, Puzzle kept searching for Joan. It looked as though the entire village was here to celebrate the day. The young man had never seen so many people in one place at any one time. Travellers from as far away as the edges of the Dells had chosen to make the long journey into the village. Men and women with accents he did not recognise slapped each other on the back like old friends, faces laughing and joyous. It had to be at least one hundred, maybe even one hundred and fifty people present.

  Smiling at the thought of being present, Puzzle skirted around a woman in a headscarf and her travelling cart. She had brought bolts of cloth, wool, linen, and even silk into town, the back door of the cart brought down to display the wares within. The young boy tried hard not to gape at the dazzling patterns and impossible colours she had. Threading so small he had to squint, patterns so fine it would have taken years to complete a single bolt.

  “I never picked you for a dress-maker, Puzzle,” a cheeky female voice quipped from behind the young man.

  Letting out a small shout of surprise, Puzzle half stumbled forward, bumping into one of the customers inspecting the merchants’ wares. The man looked over his shoulder and muttered about children being always in the worst places before he continued his discussion with the female merchant. Stammering an apology, Puzzle spun around and fixed his best glare on Theresia. She was wearing her blue dress again, shawl hanging loose over her shoulders. Puzzle could see her cherub-like features light up in the cheekiest grin he could imagine.

  “I swear, young lady, you must take great pleasure in scaring the wits half out of me,” Puzzle muttered, putting on his best adult-sounding voice.

  “That would require wits to scare, which seem in sad absence in you, young man,” Theresia jabbed back.

  There was a challenging glint to Theresia's eyes, as though she were avidly awaiting a rebuttal. Instead, Puzzle let out a loud bark of laughter and embraced his friend, happy to have a close ally nearby.

  “You seem well,” he teased.

  “I never thought I'd find you in front of a tailor's cart,” she replied. “Maybe over with Heph gawking at all the shiny new swords brought in by a weapon-smith merchant. But clothes, Puzzle; that doesn't seem like your style.”

  ‘So that's where Heph got to.’

  “Well, I thought I would try to get an edge on you. It is hard to keep up with your whirlwind style,” Puzzle mocked.

  Taking his arm under hers, Theresia led the still embarrassed young man towards the merchant cart where Hephaestus was busy trying to sneak through the tight press of villagers. Puzzle could see his friend doing his best to duck under or through the packed group of men and women.

  “So, why aren't you with your weapon-crazy partner in mischief?” Theresia teased.

  “Some strange woman wanted to have a talk with me. She even gave me some money; said it was a tradition in her homeland during their Rite of the Elements. I have never seen so much money in my life, Theresia. It felt rude to refuse, so I did not."

  Theresia frowned.

  “What did this woman look like?”

  “Tall, taller even than most men. Dark red hair, very long, in a ponytail. Blue eyes, pale skin, and athletic. And what she wore; it was unlike anything I've ever seen. It was armour, I could tell that much, but so much metal and so many straps. It looked uncomfortable, but she moved as though it was barely there.”

  Theresia nodded in agreement.

  “I've seen her moving through the crowds this morning. She has those strange tattoos on her face, correct? Two blue lines running down the left side of her face, three all-together down the right side?”

  “Yes, that is her.”

  “Be careful, Puzzle. Father seemed very cautious around her; so did my mother. They know what those tattoos mean, and it wasn't good.”

  Puzzle shrugged.

  “She was nice to me, and besides, look what she gave me.”

  Puzzle reached into the pocket of his breeches and drew out the five Electrum Crowns. He'd never held so much money in his entire life; it felt as though it might leap out of his hands and run away. Theresia gasped and reached out to touch one of the coins, fingertips gently running over the polished surface, tracing the Phoenix symbol stamped into it.

  “Puzzle, do you know how much this is?” she whispered.

  “Enough to treat my friends to some lunch?” he replied.

  Theresia gave Puzzle a half-hug around one shoulder.

  “Come on, let's go find Heph and Maria.”

  Joan watched the two children making their way through the light crowds and smiled to herself. The irony of having the ability to return the favour was not lost on her, leaving the warrior woman in high spirits.

  “I guess if I have a little time to spend here,” she spoke to herself, “I may as well enjoy myself.”

  Checking the axe at her belt, Joan adjusted the strapping for the shield slung over her shoulder and walked through the crowd. Her exotic appearance cleared an easy path away from the Village Hall. The Rite was to begin in the afternoon, and Joan had every intention of missing the event.

  “I can't believe she gave you five whole Crowns!” Maria exclaimed as the four of them enjoyed their meal together.

  Puzzle had elected to buy them all lunch, finding the most expensive pies he could, and several small bags of sweets too. Even after such a hefty purchase he still had four crowns, plenty of marks, and some pennies, too. He had chosen to purchase a wallet from a leatherworker to help carry all the money. It felt strange in his pocket. But to Puzzle, it was also something comforting, something reassuring.

  The four children sat on a spare patch of vibrant green grass, consuming their lunch with relish and exchanging tales of the sights and sounds they had experienced. Maria had spent ten minutes talking with a true Engineer, someone with a Degree in Chemistry. Her tales of travelling about the Empire selling various solutions, repairing firearms, and even being attached to a military unit protecting the southern borders, seemed fantastical. It had sounded like a story from an entertainer seated before a fire one night at the inn. Maria had seen the weapons she sold, smaller contraptions called pistols, and larger that she described as longarms. Heph carried on at length about the weapon smiths and everything Gailan had shown him. Puzzle was left wondering if Heph understood that metalsmithing consisted of more than making weapons. It was about constructing tools for craftsmen and shaping metal to suit the needs of carpenters and coopers alike.

  As they sat in the dwindling afternoon sun, it was left to Theresia to save the best for last. She had conversed with several merchants about the skills and needs of business, the life blood of the Empire. Trade was what kept the cities alive and bustling, moving wares from locations where they were plentiful to those in desperate need. Initially it had seemed a boring tale, at least until Theresia began to describe the various fantastic locations the merchants and traders had passed through, in frightening depth and accuracy. Crystalsong Valley, where the very stones sang a song as old as the world without breath or break. The Cradle, where the ruins of ancient people and places were still being discovered. The Twilight Lands, cast in a perpetual night by the tragedy of the Skyfall Calamity. On and on Theresia talked, describing the amazing world just beyond the edge of Oakdell, beyond the foothills of the Skyrakers, beyond the borders of the Empire.

  “Okay, now you're making this up,” Heph grumbled.

  “It's true, Heph; every word. They're called the Galvanic Range. The Grid is all twisted up- something about the magic warping the very metal in the ground, throwing mountains high into the air where they hover. Rivers of burning lava flow between the huge mountains, in mid-air, suspended by the same power that keeps the stones aloft.”

  Heph snorted.

  “Well, I spoke with two soldiers of the Empire. They're brothers, up here to see their nephew undergo the right.”

  “Plenty of gory stories, I expect,” Theresia butted in with a droll voice.

  “Actually, it was more about helping people. Travelling all around the Empire, seeing everything and protecting people.”

  “So my stories are made up, but the ones your soldiers told you are true?”

  “No, they just didn't talk about floating mountains of lava.”

  Heph gave a side-long glance and lowered his voice.

  “They did talk about a group of ancient towers that push up from the earth, with beams of light strung between them. Meant to be from before people lived there.”

  Theresia fell over cackling, flopping onto the grass and covering her mouth with both hands. Maria placed a supportive hand on Heph’s shoulder.

  “I'm sure they've seen and done wonderful things. And you will do wonderful things for the village.”

  “Well, that's the problem,” Heph said in still quiet voice. “I... I don't know if I want to be a metalsmith anymore.”

  Theresia stopped cackling, looking up from where she lay. Maria and Puzzle exchanged a confused look.

  “It's all you've ever talked about!” Theresia said.

  “I know it is. But after speaking to those soldiers... I'm not sure if it's the right thing.”

  “Why the indecision?” Puzzle asked.

  Hephaestus gestured towards Puzzle.

  “See, that's the thing. I don't know what that word means, Puzzle. You always speak so well, Theresia, too. And Maria is always kind and very bright.”

  Maria blushed, looking away.

  “And you doubt yourself,” Puzzle finished off.

  “Being a metalsmith is more than hitting bits of metal. Gailan has shown me some of the basics, and I'm struggling with those. You have to do large sums in your head. You must know exactly how hot to get the forge. You can't get it wrong; if you're off just a little, you might as well give up. What to quench or anneal with, for how long. What you need to add when tempering or annealing, how to bend the metal and keep it from shattering.”

  Heph took a breath slowly. He shifted his gaze across his three friends.

  “But I know I'm good with my affinity; real good. Give me a task to do and I'll do it. I'm not saying all soldiers are stupid; some of the best are also the brightest. But being a soldier; it's something I can do, do with my hands and work on my skills, my affinity. Plus, I get to help people.”

  Puzzle felt for Heph as he spoke freely, the normally reserved boy being open and honest. He was all the more surprised when Theresia crawled over to where Heph sat and gave him a hug, patting his back gently. Heph returned the hug, happy the two had called a truce for the moment. Theresia unwound herself and shifted back a step. Heph gave her a squinting look.

  “The merchant was pulling your leg.”

  Theresia rolled her eyes, about to continue when a polite cough caught her attention. Looking up, she saw Mr Thatcher standing before the group, hands clasped behind his back. He was dressed in his best clothes- dark trousers and a long-sleeved shirt beneath a black waistcoat, metal thread woven through it.

  “You'll have plenty of time for stories afterwards. Right now, the four of you are needed somewhere else.”

  Smiling, Mr Thatcher looked towards the centre of town. A hush fell over the children as they grasped what he meant. The daunting task they now faced finally came into sharp focus. With nervous limbs, they stood as one, dusting crumbs from their clothes and loose grass from their backs. Mr Thatcher laughed and gave Theresia a warm pat on the shoulder. His eyes never seemed to leave her, never so much as flicking towards his daughter who stood to one side.

  “It's not a time to be serious; it's a time to celebrate. Smile and enjoy the moment; it goes downhill from here. Soon you'll be full of responsibilities and duty.”

  Theresia gave the man her best winning smile and bobbed her head. Following from her lead, the children made their way towards the centre of Oakdell. Even now, as the suns began to set, the streets were starting to clear, more and more locals making their way towards the evening's main event. Merchants packed their wagons, most interested in watching the soon-to-be-conducted Rite.

  Heph and Theresia walked with confidence, looking to each other and grinning. They knew what was coming; they had been practising long and hard the last few months for this night. Maria and Puzzle walked with heavier steps, giving each other nervous glances. Puzzle reached over his shoulder and gripped the hilt of the sword that poked up from his back. Though his uncle wasn't there, it was still a reassuring feeling, the cool metal beneath his hand. The other hand was grabbed by Maria, who hid the blush on her cheeks by dragging Puzzle forward. Normally the children would have had a hard time pushing through the crowd. But this night was for them and everybody stepped aside. Idle whispering behind hands, smiles and nods approval, scowls for Puzzle and Maria, it was a pell-mell of emotions and words. As the crowd pulled away for the four, they saw the doors lay open and ready.

  Destiny awaited them inside.

  Joan was glad to have finally made it to the edge of the village. Her chance encounter had been all too unnerving. To her mind, it was the right thing to do, to move away from the village. She was certain her own special meeting would be held away from awkward questions and prying eyes. The centre of the village was now the focus. Out here, past the fences of the last houses, this was where Joan was to meet.

  At least, that's what she would have done.

  A polite cough announced the location of her waiting guest. Standing in the shadows, barely discernible, was a figure. Quite a great deal shorter than Joan.

  “You know, you could do something about your height; at least be tall enough to look me in the eye,” Joan teased.

  The figure shrugged and pulled out a strange-looking contraption from a pocket in their waistcoat. A round metal bauble, like a flattened bubble. The figure depressed a button on the top, flipping open the lid to reveal the complex gear-work heart beneath a skin of glass. Various clock arms spun out at odd angles from the gears, though there were far too many for any normal timepiece.

  “I did not study under Io for vanity’s sake,” the figure replied.

  “Very well. Shall we depart? I'm certain we both achieved our goals in this random sojourn.”

  The figure shrugged, shadowy face still staring down at the odd timepiece.

  “It never ceases to amaze me how casually you can take such twists in fate, as though it was another ordinary day.”

  “It was another ordinary day,” Joan replied.

  The figure shrugged a second time.

  “I have come to believe that nothing is ever ordinary.”

  “At least where you are concerned. Besides, aren't you worried someone is going to notice the thunderous boom of aether?”

  “Unless yet another were born with an affinity for Aeon, I very much doubt it. Besides, I have faith in your skills to guide us; you have managed it twice already now. Come, already have we skirted disaster far too many times today. Let us leave before someone's grandfather gets involved.”

  Joan smirked at the thought and walked into the shadows, taking the arm of her friend.

  The Town Hall of Oakdell was the largest building in the village. Though only a single storey, it was twice the size of any farmstead or cottage in the village or surrounds. It was built from solid oak reinforced with Iron that ran through the grain. The roof was held up by thick beams, slate rather than tile, a mark of how much money had been invested into its construction. Four great double-doors were spread at cross points from the centre, allowing any wall of the building to act as an entrance. Large windows with beautiful stain-glass work let light flood in during the day, shutters allowing them to seal out the cold during the winter. The edges of the hall rested at ground height, the centre on a lower tier to give a greater impression of size and depth. Weddings and feast-days, major holidays, and sometimes simple dances were held within. The Hall was the centre of many social events for Oakdell, and built to last.

  The centre of the hall was cleared for the children who were to undertake their Rite of the Elements. Packed around the walls were villagers and neighbours from surrounding areas. There was not nearly enough room in the large building, some crowding around the four double doors that provided access to the structure, others straining their necks to peer through the windows. Aside from the children, there were two people present in the centre of the hall. The first was mayor Phillips, the elected head of the Village Council and nominal representative of the people if an official of the Empire ever asked. Mostly it fell upon the man's shoulders to make minor speeches and lead the ceremonies as various events of the year unfolded.

  The man was of middling height, muscle slightly turned to flab. Like most in the village, his hair and eyes were dark, his skin a touch tanner than most. Though his hair was thinning, the mayor still maintained a moustache and was fond of knuckling it when troubled or thinking hard. Today, the mayor wore his best clothes; dark trousers, a bleached linen shirt, and a black waistcoat with metal threading like most men in the village. Mayor Phillips wore no signs of office, not believing in fanciful decorations or regalia. But the way he spoke and commanded someone's attention was enough to single him out as a leader among friends. The steel longsword at his side was not unfamiliar; the way the mayor walked revealed someone who knew how to handle themself in a fight.

  The person present with the mayor was his complete opposite. Standing towards the back of the hall and behind the mayor was the alchemist, Perenelle. She was a touch shorter than most women, with kind brown eyes hidden behind glasses and blue-black hair, worn short in a ponytail. Perenelle's clothing marked her as someone from outside the village; black trousers and a grey long-sleeved blouse. Over the blouse, Perenelle wore a long maroon coat with short sleeves, cut to the knee. The coat had no buttons, instead left open, the gap as wide as the alchemist's neck. Over her back was a short dust cloak. Today she had chosen to wear knee-high, lace-up leather boots. A leather bandoleer ran diagonally across her chest from shoulder to hip, small pouches and catches holding ceramic flasks and vials. The only weapon Perenelle wore was a Silver dagger sheathed at her hip.

  ‘If she possessed an affinity, she could pay a Red Transition Mage to heal her eyesight,’ Puzzle thought to himself. ‘But she is like me, a Null. So instead, Perenelle relies on glasses. I wonder how much of an inconvenience it is for her. I wonder if other people realise how hard it is for someone that does not have magic.’

  There were eight present at this year’s Rite of the Elements. Puzzle looked to his left. The three girls and boy at the start of the row were unfamiliar faces to him, children from the far outlying settlements of Oakdell, and even beyond. But the looks of confidence in their eyes, faces shining with pride, spoke volumes. They were proud to be present at this coming-of-age ceremony, proud to demonstrate to their parents what they had trained so hard for. Puzzle flicked his eyes over the crowd and wondered where his uncle was. He could not see the dark hair and green eyes anywhere in the large hall. Puzzle reached up and touched the blade over his shoulder, adjusting the baldric.

  ‘Even if he is not here, I will make Uncle Leonard proud.’

  Puzzle looked to Mayor Phillips and set his shoulders. He knew the man would conduct the ceremony with no mind for interruptions or time-wasting.

  “We are gathered here this fine day to see the next generation,” Mayor Phillips began. “We are gathered here to watch with pride as our children become adults, girls become women, boys become men. We are gathered here to see what our children are capable of, and what the future holds for them. We are gathered here to acknowledge the next generation and be proud of them.”

  The mayor gestured to one side and Gailan the Metalsmith appeared. The muscular man carried in both hands a small chest, bound with steel and a Copper lock. Gailan walked over to the centre of the hall and placed the chest on the ground, taking off the lock and propping the lid of the chest open. Leaning forward with the other children, Puzzle saw what lay within. Contained inside were a large assortment of coins, each the size of a child's eyes, piled one atop the other. They sparkled with all sorts of colours, familiar grey and Copper, shining Gold and Silver. Some even had an odd luminosity to them, silver with a reddish sheen and faint glow.

  “The Rite of the Elements has always been about testing and determining what Elemental Affinity a child has,” Mayor Phillips explained, walking forward and standing behind the chest.

  With a casual gesture downwards, an Iron grey coin floated up out of the pile and into the mayor's waiting hand.

  “In the end, the test is a simple one.”

  The mayor let his gesture pass over the eight children before him.

  “I am sure all of you have been practising for months now. For some, this skill comes quickly, for others it takes many hours of sweat and effort. Strength is not important, children, only the demonstration of what you can do.

  “Each of you will walk up and pick up the coin that corresponds with your Elemental Affinity. You will be unable to pick up a coin that does not match, so do not be troubled. Reach out and find the coin that calls to you, the one that you can touch and control. Take your time. We are in no rush.”

  The mayor chuckled and winked to some of the older villagers of Oakdell.

  “Many years ago, there stood here a young man who took no less than forty-five minutes to draw up an Iron coin.”

  “And why did we elect you mayor again?” a man shouted from the back of the crowd.

  A ripple of laughter passed through the hall, the mayor smiling and nodding in agreement. Puzzle could see his friends relax, shoulders settling down and faces more confident.

  “As you can see, we have all been where you now stand. Take your time and do it right.”

  The mayor took a step back and nodded to the first child. The young girl walked forward and gazed intently at the chest. For Puzzle, it was an odd thing. He was certain he should sense something. It was as though an itch that normally followed him was now missing. Licking nervous lips, he watched the young girl slowly raise a hand, and with it an Iron coin, from the chest. A cheer rose from the crowd of villagers, filling the hall with mirth and life. People clapped and shouted as the girl drew the coin over to hand and walked up the mayor, depositing it in his hand. Smiling at the girl, he knelt and spoke some quiet words with her. She grinned and nodded before skipping over to her waiting family, mother and father embracing the girl.

  “We have an Iron affinity,” the mayor announced.

  Mayor Phillips placed the coin back in the chest and beckoned to the next child. One by one, the children from outside the village stepped forward. For some it was seconds, others several minutes. But all used their far hand, all drew Iron coins up from the chest and took them to the mayor. Each time the hall erupted with applause, laughter, and shouts of congratulations. Puzzle noted that each time the child took the coin to the mayor, he would lean down and talk with them for a short while. When the only boy from the outer farms picked up an Iron coin, Puzzle heard two keen baritone voices sailing over the edge of the crowd. Looking about the Hall, he spied two men, so similar in appearance that they had to be brothers. They were singing a festive song, rocking back and forth in time. The boy turned the deepest shade of red and walked over to them as they were joined by an older but similar looking man, likely the boy’s father. Turning back to those remaining, Puzzle saw Heph give a brief wave towards the singing men.

  “The two soldiers,” Heph mouthed.

  ‘I guess he was not joking,’ Puzzle admitted.

  Puzzle, standing on the far right, looked to the confident Theresia and gave her a surreptitious thumbs-up. She rolled her eyes, maintaining a serene expression.

  The Mayor gestured to Theresia, who appeared to almost glide forward. Stopping before the chest, she gazed down at it. For three whole minutes Theresia seemed to stare at the chest, as though confused by something. The hall was silent as everyone watched intently. There had been rumours that Theresia was something more unusual. It was one of the reasons why so many had turned out for this year’s Rite of the Elements. Hands by her sides, blue dress sitting perfectly on her, Theresia was the epitome of cool grace. The mayor gave Theresia a concerned look.

  “Are you alright, young lady?” he asked.

  Theresia looked up from the chest and beamed her most winning smile, hand absently brushing away the lock of Silvery hair from her forehead.

  “Just fine,” she announced.

  A faint metallic rustling echoed through the hall, several Iron and Copper coins spilling away as a mound arose from the centre of the chest. With a final pop, it broke apart, revealing a slowly spinning Silver coin. Without even looking or gesturing at the coin, Theresia lifted the coin with her far hand, bringing it up to her waiting hand. Grinning ear to ear, Theresia placed the Silver coin in the waiting mayor's hand and turned to face an elated crowd. People cheered and clapped, several pointing and nodding. Puzzle could pick out threads of conversation from the background. A Silver affinity child had not been born in several years. Others were amazed at how deft she was with her far hand, able to lift the coin without gesturing or even looking at it. Not even the mayor himself could do such a thing.

  ‘I never saw her practice once. Heph was at it every spare moment of every day. Theresia simply lifted her coin up casually,’ Puzzle pondered, finding himself in awe.

  “We have a Silver affinity!” Mayor Phillips almost shouted, having difficulty being heard over the near roar of applause.

  Theresia Mesmer gave the villagers of Oakdell her best curtsy and dashed over to her parents before being smothered by her mother. Puzzle smiled, noting that her face was going redder by the second. The young brunette enjoyed the crowd and the attention, but sometimes it was a little too much. Puzzle's heart shuddered a little. Maria was next, parents standing behind her. Looking over her shoulder, she smiled at her family before stepping forward. Up until this point, the Rite of the Elements had repeated itself in the same pattern. Each child stepped forward, used their far hand to pick up a coin, gave it to the mayor, received some advice from him, and then left. But now Perenelle, who had stood unnoticed in a corner, took a step forward to flank the mayor. Puzzle was intrigued that the alchemist seemed to be sharing a position of equal authority and power with the mayor of the village. Maria stared down at the chest, eyes intent and full of purpose. In that moment, Puzzle almost wanted to shout out encouragement. He knew what she felt. He knew that, like himself, she deep down wanted to manifest an Elemental Affinity, any Affinity. Maria just wanted the chance to demonstrate to her parents that she was like them. She wanted to use magic.

  The hall was again silent. There was no sense of anticipation this time. The place felt cold. Looking around, Puzzle could see the expressions of the villagers. Most shook their heads or whispered behind hands. It was as though Maria had done something wrong rather than nothing at all.

  After five minutes, she closed her eyes and shook her head.

  As one, Mayor Phillips and Perenelle stepped forward, each placing a hand on the girls slumped shoulders. Puzzle could see the faintest glimmers rolling down her cheeks, light catching the tears. Perenelle knelt before Maria, giving her a warm hug while Mayor Phillips spoke some quiet words of encouragement. When Perenelle stood up again, she kept her hands on Maria's shoulders. The mayor looked over the assembled crowd and addressed them.

  “Maria Thatcher has found she has no affinity. After consultation with her family, she has elected to study under the village alchemist, Perenelle.”

  Perenelle took Maria's hand and led her into the corner of the hall. Some villagers took a step away from the two of them. Risking a glance over his shoulder, Puzzle could see the Thatchers’ averted attention. Harriet stared at her daughter. No tears stained her eyes. Her mouth was a thin line. Alexander seemed moved, face a frown and empathy clear. Maria's two older brothers appeared more shocked, one leaning on the other and blotting his eyes with the corner of a sleeve.

  ‘What are they so afraid of?’ Puzzle wondered.

  The loud whispering that rustled through the Hall was brought to silence when Mayor Phillips lifted one hand up.

  “We have two children yet to undertake the Rite, so let us not keep them waiting.”

  Hephaestus walked up to the chest. Giving the mayor his best grin, Heph squared his shoulder, clenched his hands by his sides and glared down at the chest. A few half-heard whispers rustled through the crowd. Most talked about how it was yet another Iron affinity. Some voices acknowledged they were surprised Heph was an Iron, which left Puzzle wondering what they meant. One boy not yet sixteen summers spoke so loud as to get a raised eyebrow from the mayor. Heph instead turned to look at the rude villager and shook his head.

  “You think I have an affinity for Iron?” he asked.

  “Of course you do. We've seen you playing with that ingot all month,” the older boy replied, unimpressed by Heph's boldness.

  “Well, that's where you have it wrong. I don't have an affinity for Iron.”

  Hephaestus stared down at the chest and began to raise his hands, clenching them as though lifting a great weight.

  “It's steel,” he muttered.

  A collective gasp came from the crowd as the chest began to shake and jostle. Skittering around, it seemed to hop across the floor before coming to a halt. Sweat pouring down his face, Hephaestus quickly lifted his hands up. Following his movements the chest rose, steel bounding lifted up by his far hand. It took ten seconds for Hephaestus to lift the chest up to the mayor's waiting hands before he let go. Mayor Phillips slumped under the weight of the metal, getting a proper grip before placing it back down on the ground.

  A roar of applause filled the Hall, shaking the timbers as people cheered and hollered. Heph kept his grin and walked over to Gailan, who patted him on the back and began talking with young man. Many of the villagers walked over to shake Hephaestus' hand and offer their own words of encouragement, impressed by his display of raw strength. Puzzle smiled for Heph, glad all his hard effort had been rewarded. But when Russell joined his son, things changed. Heph was gesturing at Gailan and then across the Hall, back to where the three brothers had been singing. The metalsmith shook his head and Heph continued to speak. He was silenced when the man spoke again, displeased as he whispered something. Russell nodded to Heph before leaving the building with others to prepare tables outside for the evening meal. Heph gulped slowly and turning to watch the final Rite.

  Two loud shouts from Mayor Phillips managed to bring the Hall back under control. Eventually, the villagers stopped their talking and gazed towards Puzzle. Without prompting, he stepped forward and touched the pommel of the sword over his shoulder for good luck.

  “You are the last one tonight to conduct the Rite of the Elements,” Mayor Phillips addressed Puzzle.

  Puzzle nodded and gazed over at the chest. He tried to remember the sensation he had felt yesterday when Hephaestus had tried to pick up the Iron ingot. He tried to remember the odd itching when Uncle Leonard had used magic, when he had caught Uncle Leonard's light cantrip. It was like oil and water, the memories clouding over, the feelings scattering away from his mind. Puzzle glared at the chest, feeling nothing. Looking up, Puzzle saw rest of the village staring at him. Flicking his eyes to the right, the young man saw Perenelle had left Maria in the corner and was making her way across to where he stood. The boy shook his head, disappointed in himself.

  “It has only been a minute, you can take your time,” Mayor Phillips said quietly.

  With those words, Puzzle's opinion of the mayor improved. Puzzle shook his head and gave the man a grim look.

  “We both know what I am, Mayor,” Puzzle said, loud enough for everyone in the Hall to hear. “I am a Null.”

  What little conversation that had been going died away with those words. Puzzle could feel the searching eyes of every man, woman and child. But he strode up the mayor.

  “I ask to be apprenticed under Perenelle,” Puzzle said.

  “This is a grave thing you ask, Puzzle. Are you certain you do not wish to take more time for your Rite?”

  Puzzle shook his head.

  “Why waste everybody's time? I am certain family and friends have celebrations to commence, and there are other festivities to come. I know I am a Null, Mayor. I have never been able to do the things the rest of you can, the simple daily tasks that mark you all out as having magic. I am not like you, Mayor; not like any of you.”

  Mayor Phillips bowed his head solemnly.

  “Then I recognise and approve of your request to be apprenticed as an alchemist under Journeyman Perenelle.”

  The background buzz picked up again, people surprised that someone would so quickly choose to give up on the Rite. They considered it very unusual. Puzzle was about to turn and leave when something tugged at the corner of his mind. He had done everything he was certain his uncle would have wanted- been quiet, demure, and responsible. But one last niggling question dogged his thoughts.

  ‘Sorry, Uncle. I recall our talk last night. But I cannot let these feelings go unexpressed.’

  In a quiet voice, Puzzle spoke to the mayor.

  “Traditionally, you would give a child who has completed their Rite of the Elements some useful advice, correct?”

  “Yes,” Mayor Phillips replied.

  “Well, then, may I ask a question of you?”

  “Certainly.”

  By now, Perenelle was standing beside Puzzle. She tried to put a compassionate hand on his shoulder, but Puzzle brushed her off and walked over to the chest. It was a simple gesture, but its rudeness spoke volumes of what the young boy was really feeling. Looking down at the chest, Puzzle frowned.

  “The goal of the Rite is for someone to pick up a coin from this chest, right?”

  Mayor Phillips gave Puzzle an odd look, not sure where the avenue of conversation was going.

  “More or less.”

  “And you yourself said that was our only goal, correct? To pick up a coin? The only reason for the Rite?”

  “Yes.”

  Puzzle knelt down and picked up one of the stranger looking coins. It was silvery with a strange blue finish to it, as though the air around it glowed azure. Flipping the coin once, Puzzle caught it and looked up at the mayor.

  “Why not permit the Null to remain quietly apart? Why must they be paraded in front of the entire village?”

  “That's not a kind thing to say, young man.”

  “And neither is saying someone is a Null. But we all knew Maria and I were. Everyone in the hall has for at least the last year now.”

  The mayor gestured to the chest.

  “Did we wonder? Yes, young man; we did. That is why the Rite is conducted; to give you one last chance to test your magic.”

  “For those with magic I understand and respect the Rite. However for those without magic, it is a foolish parody of a ceremony.”

  “Puzzle!” Perenelle interjected.

  “It is, Ms Perenelle. You do not need the coins here to know if someone has an affinity. You can feel if a person is drawing on the aether around you. If I described this ceremony generously, the Rite helps affirm which metal someone has. Certainly, they may not know if they have not walked by a single plant, building, or person and sensed their affinity for eleven years.”

  Mayor Phillips seemed to be losing his patience.

  “As I said, young man, some people were late bloomers. I myself was one; you heard my admission.”

  “But you could feel the aether and other people could feel you trying, right?”

  “That's beside--”

  Puzzle interjected with a frustrated voice.

  “In your lifetime, Mayor Phillips, how many people have you known actually manifest an elemental affinity at this ceremony suddenly? Surprisingly, even?”

  The older man tugged at his moustache, looking uncomfortable.

  “I thought as much,” Puzzle said in a cold voice.

  Puzzle had said his piece. He looked to Ms Perenelle, curious to see what she had to say on the topic.

  “Fire!” a deep voice shouted from outside the hall.

  Perenelle never had a chance to finish her sentence. There was a commotion at the double-door entrance to the village Hall. People stumbled back as a man pushed through. Spinning around, Puzzle recognised the curly hair and beard belonging Russell Bulwer. Leonard was not to be seen. Pushing through the crowd, the wiry man came to a halt before the mayor, face red, chest heaving as he gulped down air.

  “We have a fire on the outskirts of the village, Mayor,” he blurted between strangled breaths.

  “Damnit, where?” Mayor Phillips demanded.

  Russell's face flashed a guilty look, eyes flicking down to Puzzle for a moment. Ice flushed through Puzzle's veins. Before Perenelle or the mayor could even say anything, Puzzle was running through the crowd of villagers, panic and adrenaline carrying him out of the Hall and into the starry night.

  ‘Please, no!’

  It was the smell that dominated Maria's mind more than anything else. She knew that everything smelt different when it was burning, knew that the burnt smell of something like wood or grass could easily be picked out. Just by smelling you could tell what had been burnt. Even scorched metal had a unique tang that could be picked out from the air.

  As she stood before the smouldering ruins, Maria wondered at all the incinerated smells her nose picked up. Even the collapsed stone chimney smelled different. It was a surprise to know that not only could stone burn, it had its own unique scent when set alight. The kind of heat necessary to set stone alight was something not even Master Gailan, with his great forge bellows, could manage. Yet all that was left of the cottage Puzzle and Leonard had called home was ash, the charcoal remains of some roof beams and the still smouldering stone chimney. Nothing else had survived, the crackling spot-fires consuming everything with a hunger that was unnatural.

  Maria stood with a large throng of villagers on the edge of the destruction. Many had chosen to follow Russell as he led them with grim purpose towards the ashen remnants. Running ahead of them all had been Puzzle. Maria had not been far behind, breaking into a sprint once she realised that was going on. When they had finally crested the final hill, it had been too late. Puzzle stood alone amongst the crackling ruins, oblivious to the danger that the remnants of the blaze presented. He simply paced through the ash, as though retracing unseen steps.

  ‘Oh, Puzzle, what's happened?’

  Maria surveyed the ruins and felt a rush of fear ripple through her stomach. The last of the blaze crackled, unnatural purple-grey fire spluttering. Many of the other villagers had chosen to remain at the edge of the devastation. But three figures picked their way through the grey ash and seared beams. Russell crouched before the cremated remains of ceramic kitchen pots, inspecting them for signs of what had started the fire. Mayor Phillips seemed determined to understand what had taken place, pacing through the soot and scuffing his best black boots. Cutting a lone figure at the other side of what remained of the cottage, Puzzle knelt where the beds had once been. With timid fingers he slowly scraped away the layers of charcoal, ash and broken debris. Though she could only see his back, Maria could see his small shoulders shaking, and it broke her heart.

  Finally, Puzzle pulled away one last beam and let out a chocked back cry. Half stumbling, half standing, the boy backed away from his grisly discovery and into the waiting arms of Russell. The older man looked over Puzzle's head.

  “Mayor... you're going to want to see this,” Russell called out.

  With brisk efficiency, Mayor Phillips strode between patches of purple-grey fire and over to where the two stood. Taking a step closer, he crouched and stretched out one hand, before pulling it back. Letting out a low sigh, Mayor Phillips stood back up and turned to the villagers that milled around the edges of what remained of the inferno.

  “Call back the search parties,” he advised them. “We've found Leonard.”

  Maria couldn't help herself. A gasp escaped her lips and shock rushed through her heart. She turned back towards Puzzle, mutely standing in front of Russell. The young boy moved away from the hunter and made his way through the charcoal ruins to Perenelle. Grey ash covered his body, coating his face, staining his best black clothes and cloak. All that seemed clean were his eyes, inscrutable and distant. He looked like a wraith, each footfall kicking up small clouds of ash. The alchemist had chosen to stand a little away from the burnt remains, her calm gaze watching the scene. Before she knew what she was doing, Maria broke free from the main group of villagers and dashed over to where Puzzle and Perenelle stood. Coming to a halt, Maria looked up to her newly appointed guardian for guidance.

  Perenelle put a hand on Puzzle's shoulder and gently squeezed it. Maria took another step forward and hugged Puzzle from behind. The young man was shocked at the sudden display of empathy, body going rigid. But in a few seconds, all pretence of self-control broke down. The boy began to sob, body shaking with each small gasp. Maria said nothing. She held her friend, her fellow Null, and let him cry.