The light of morning was dimmed by gray skies that spoke of rain. A gentle mist had settled over Karthos Valley last night. I took these sights in over a review of the spells I had learned recently, a fork in one hand and a capped pen in another. Sekvi had explained to me this morning, already fully dressed for the day, that they had had an ingenious idea for a new spell while dreaming. I would have joined them if I could adequately invest myself in what was going on, but I had matters of business and my own magic on my mind today. A crunch of jam-covered bread filled my silent hollow as I considered the principles of the spells I had mastered to inform those I planned to learn tonight. Three Abjuration spells and one Evocation spell had been the selection my teacher deemed most important, and I'd started to wonder how many practical applications Transmutation spells may eventually have. Comprehend Languages was the focus of my expectant enthusiasm, as it would soon let me read all the signs, documents, and books of this world. I still held learning Common properly as a long-term goal. That was something that magic could never truly replace.
I was chilled by the morning air as I made my way to the smithy. The halos of light that shone through the mist were a gentle marvel, a domestic wonder that invoked far more emotion than expected. A pretty thing to look at felt like a simple joy in the world. This brought me peace. There was beauty everywhere if I could simply remember to stop and consider things in a bigger picture. It was so easy to get wrapped up in the minutiae and struggles of everyday life, like matters of business, or even spell preparation. I noticed that I had seen fewer guards ever since Betiara's innocently misguided accostment of me. It could be chance, coincidence, of course, but I had to wonder if they had been told to keep an eye on me. I was grateful either way that their presence had relaxed. The feel of the morning made the town feel more open to me than I had ever felt on Earth. I paused my walk to appreciate the atmosphere of the moment. Wonder, possibility, openness... these were things I felt I had been sorely missing before I was pulled into this world. Were these things I couldn't find on Earth? Had I not tried hard enough, looked closely enough? I reflected on my life in Lancaster to see if I could find something that I'd missed.
The townhome I had lived in was split with four people among two bedrooms. Being the primary lessee, one of the bedrooms had been mine. Michel, a French expat and the oldest of us at 38, stayed in the living room. He was a chronic and terrible liar, but his rent was always timely, so all the ridiculous stories he had told of his fictitious trips to Paris were taken in good enough spirit. Cheap red wine and Winston cigarettes were his calling cards, which he paired with a black and yellow Meineke uniform. Curly brown hair tied back into a ponytail, impeccably groomed eyebrows, and a gold tooth reminded me of used car salesman caricatures from the 70s. Part of me always wondered if he was faking his accent was as tall a tale as the others. Aaron and Elijah, both blond and often dressed in loud mid-80s colors, rounded out the oddball household; they were an Amish couple that had stayed in the 'English world' after Rumspringa in 2015. They had found jobs and gotten married as soon as possible, and seemed to revel in living as fully as possible at all times. Impromptu parties had been the norm in the house while we pretended to enjoy each other's company. Much to my chagrin, they mostly used these opportunities to talk about topics ranging from conservative politics to how various other types of people should live their lives behind closed doors. The COVID-19 lockdowns had made me desperately miserable, but I was afraid to rock the boat in fear of them turning their upset toward the supposed crossdressing woman that was younger than the rest of them. One incident in particular had weighed on me for some time.
"We just think it's a slippery slope to, you know, other moral failings," Aaron explained in that condescending tone he was known for. I had never met someone named Aaron that wasn't a fucking asshole.
"You know that's a logical fallacy, right," I had countered, wondering how Blond and Blonder could be talking about moral failings while wearing shorts that were suggestively tight. "It's just a skirt, it even goes down to my ankles; what does it matter?" Elijah looked at me with disapproval, but said nothing. It was then that Michel decided to add his own sludge to the conversation.
"America is too new a country. My mother come here, say, 'Michel, these people think too big ideas, they do not leave things be as they should.' 99 per cent full of shit, but this, one."
"It's a skirt, come on." I couldn't believe all the upset had been caused by me trying to be comfortable in my own living space through inoffensive pieces of fabric. "How does this affect you all? You're not the one wearing it."
"You lack uh, propriety trying to be something you're not." Michel lit a cigarette despite knowing that we could all get evicted for doing so. Dick.
"Propriety is working at Meineke now?" Aaron quipped, leaning back with his hands behind his head.
"There is a phrase where I come from, it goes, 'fuck you, Aaron.'" Aaron grinned, and Elijah rolled his eyes. I wondered if this would spark yet another argument between the three of them, which would allow me to escape back up to my room without any further nonsense being thrown my way. This was my plan until Elijah chimed in with aforementioned further nonsense.
"Look, dude, we're putting it to a house vote and it's three against one. Keep the crossdressing to the bedroom."
"I'm not a dude, and I'm not crossdressing. I'm on the lease, you're not, maybe you should stop picking fights." I wasn't proud of what that environment and those people brought out of me. Feeling like I had to fight fire with fire like that... ugh.
"Whatever, man. Have fun affording somewhere else while working at Taco Bell." Aaron, again, lived up to his reputation.
"You two of all people should get what it's like to be harmlessly different while people give you bullshit about it. Fucking jackwagons." I felt I had a strong point, but I realized now that the whole conversation was a farce. I should have just left.
"Oh there is always insults with you people," Michel attempted to observe. "The fuck is even a jackwagon? Sounds like an insult said by wagons with donkeys in the back."
"Do you really not see how you're being a hypocrite?" It was clear as day to me.
"Mon Dieu, Aidez-Moi. You wouldn't understand."
"I'm gay, but I'm not pretending to be a woman. What's next for you, sports?"
"It just makes me uncomfortable, man. At least you're being unreasonable, like a woman." That was the straw that broke the donkey's back.
"It's 2023, I can probably find roommates that aren't bigoted pieces of shit," I said, tossing my hands up and heading back upstairs to my room. The next day, after returning home from a double shift, I found pictures of men in dresses hanging from my clothes hangers instead of my clothes and homophobic slurs carved into my computer monitor. I felt like I was going insane with anger as I took pictures of everything and sent them to the property manager. They sent me paperwork to fill out and we got the eviction process started. I remembered how it felt to brace my locked door before going to bed. There was no way to know that I would be gone in the morning, too, but to a very different place than the rest of the 'household.' I felt the same adrenaline now that I had felt that night. The cold air met the flight of blood from my limbs to my torso; my body had always known what survival was. The argument had only happened around two weeks ago, but it felt like much longer. My time in the Cradle had been so unlike what I was used to, even if some of the buildings of downtown Lancaster had vaguely reminded me of the construction I saw around me. As long as I was here, the bad memories were only that: memories. Even my luck wouldn't be so awful that those people had come here with me. I wondered, of anyone this could have happened to, why me? Had I needed an escape so badly that I had indeed cast a spell to give myself some distant haven to nest in?
It was too cold outside for me to be standing here like this, staring off into the mist. I closed my eyes and took a breath in an effort to focus on the chill settling into my very bones. That would ground me to where I was now. I didn't have to fight anymore. I was... beautiful, now. Betiara had said it herself, and reciprocated a very personal revelation to me. Keff had said I was a worthwhile person simply for existing. Sekvi considered me the best person to learn from their accomplished expertise. Lilika, though still an unknown, was willing to believe in my kindness enough to reward me for it. I wondered if the people here were just better, or if the freer socio-economic structure of this place only made it easier for people to be kind. I wouldn't be hated for being what I was here, so it could simply be all it accounted for: my business, and no one else's. In a world full of magic, I imagined transitions were a much simpler and shorter matter in this world. What a place. Why couldn't I have found Karthos Bend sooner? I wondered if I really deserved to be here, with how I'd acted before. It sounded to me like I was trying to cope with the situation and reason my way through an unreasonable position. People here didn't refuse my presence; that was enough for the time being.
"Morning," I said to Keff as I retrieved my tools. The dry heat of the forge was a merciful boon to my scales and to the visibility of its immediate surroundings.
"Morning." The smith's tone piqued my interest; I could tell he was in a good mood today. His usual gruffness could give one the idea that good moods were rare for him, but that was simply his style of communication. Something positive was afoot for him today. I was beyond ready to share in that state.
"Are you that happy to see me?"
"Of course, but I also managed a discount on the week's iron and charcoal. I called in a favor with the smelters on 7th," he explained with a keen look in his eye. "Good money this month!" His excitement was infectious; I couldn't help but smile along with the telltale movement of his beard.
"That's fantastic! It seems like the wall's going to help everyone out."
"That's the idea. There's been a lack of construction in town since Sekvi's eyes-, tower, their tower. Everyone's fired up. So am I." The tower definitely clashed with the architectural style of the rest of the buildings, but I felt 'eyesore' was a bit strong. It was in good humor; I let it go. Sekvi and Keff were clearly on good terms with each other.
"That'll bring in plenty of jobs for the year... and plenty of outfits that need cleaning," I mused aloud as I set my hammer to thick timber bracings that were clearly meant for the aforementioned construction project.
"Your head's in the right place."
"I hope so. I got a little lost in some unpleasant memories on the way here."
"Why'd you do that?" I chuckled. Keff had a great way of cheering me up when I needed it.
"I was thinking of how far I've come since I got here, I guess. At least, it feels like I have. And how different things are, you know?" Keff didn't slow his work as he carefully placed his strikes against waiting metal.
"Seems like you smile more every day."
"Really?"
"Really. Good work will make it wider. And don't worry about all that with Betiara, that'll all sort itself out."
"Actually, I think it already did. I went and saw her last night. What you said about having worth as a person... something about doing that just felt right."
"Just goes to show everyone deserves a second chance. Look at you, paying it forward." There was something weighty about the way Keff expressed his sentiment that caught me off guard. "Good to hear."
"I... told her the truth." That news stopped his hammer. I felt my face sink with worry. "No, I know it was a big risk, but it went really well. You're right, she is a good person."
"Mm." The moment hung in the air while uncertainty grew in me during every second that passed. Keff shrugged and returned to his work. "I don't talk unless I know something, huh?"
"No. You don't, and I'm glad you don't. I respect you a lot for that." The taper of this brace could be made smoother. I felt satisfaction in the hammer blow that followed, seeing that it had the exact effect that I had intended. My progress with magic was exciting, but I enjoyed my time working with Keff just as much. "I think you're right about this place being good for me, too. Back on Earth I lived with some, just, not very good people. Here, human or not, I feel like I can exist without everyone taking exception."
"Sounds like healing to me, Madison."
"It feels like it. Thank you again, for everything."
"Mhm. Focus on your brace. Best work you've done yet." I was happy to follow this advice. My finest work yet still required touching up from Keff to reach his standards, but he spent little time on it compared to my attempts at shaping more nuanced pieces like weapons. It was nice to work with thicker material in spite of the harder work it required, as it gave me more opportunities to practice. My eager mood, uplifted by Keff's encouragement and understanding, saw me process more material than usual by the time we reached lunchtime. It was time to discuss the matters of taxes and permits. "A merchant's permit is a gold to file. Monthly renewal payments are a flat percentage depending on the type of business you're doing. Service is low. Payment's due at city hall on the last Firsday of the month, but you can pay early to avoid the rush."
"That sounds pretty easy. okay. I just do that and fill out some paperwork?"
"The first time. Town treasurer keeps the records and marks you having paid. That's about it."
"Does it take a long time to get that done?"
"No, it's easy. The treasurer's office here is good. You can take care of it tomorrow; I need to head out and get my iron from the mine. Depending on how long it takes me to get back, we might even have two days' rest." I liked the sound of that. If my visit to Lilika was above board, then I'd be able to take my time coming back.
"Well that's simpler than I thought." My anxieties addressed, I let my tail return to its natural position. I felt that I was slowly coming to rely on it less and less.
"Uhuh. Helps the economy to keep the entry price low, and taxes as a flat percentage. You make more, you pay more. You make less, you pay less. Easy."
"Definitely. Will you need someone to go with you tomorrow?"
"Thanks, but I already paid Betiara. You got any plans?"
"Well, filing for a permit, seeing Lilika, and I was thinking of getting some warmer clothes. I know it'll be getting warmer but I feel heat and cold differently as a dragonborn," I explained, and took another bite of my sandwich.
"Mm. Not a bad idea." Keff nodded his head. "Sounds like a nice day."
"I hope so. I'm looking forward to finishing my initial studies tonight."
"Already?! You sure you're not cheating," he asked in jest with a matching laugh. "That's impressive. I bet Sekvi's thrilled."
"They are. No, I'm... I think I might have found something I'm really good at."
"Good. You're not the worst shake I've seen at smithing, either. Anyway, finish that, we've got wo-"
"Excuse me," interrupted a voice. Keff and I turned to see a red-haired halfling woman carrying a multitude of painted canvasses, each of different size. "Good Foursday! I'm passing through and selling these paintings of mine, one copper each. Have you any interest?" She proceeded to show off several different paintings. One of them, a smaller one whose canvas could fit in a pocket, depicted an impressionistic view of the Eastern Karthos Valley during sunset. It was a pleasant likeness of the views I had enjoyed during my evenings in town.
"Could I buy this, the little one?"
"Absolutely! A copper, please." I paid two. The currency was readily exchanged, and I received a sentimental keepsake in return. I took another moment to appreciate it further before I put it away. Keff purchased a larger painting of a stormy Nerevan Sea with an added silver, placing it inside to be hung up later. "Bless you both, thank you so much. Good business to you!"
"You too," Keff and I replied in unison, and we returned to our work. I wasn't the type to spend money on impractical things, as I had so rarely had any to spend. This, however... this was practical, too. Travel was always something I had wanted to do. It was considered an escape at first, but now I knew that I would eventually itch to see more of the Cradle. Nereved could give me a chance to meet another dragonborn, or even aarakocra. It would be nice to carry a reminder of Karthos Bend with me wherever I would go in the future. In the case of being sent back to Earth by whatever force, if I kept the painting in my pocket, it may make the journey with me. My pajamas had come with me from Earth, thus I assumed that the same would be true in reverse. I hoped so. "Do you know why aarakocra touch their beaks when they see me?"
"Well, I've heard they're real interested in their family lines, since there's so many different kinds of them. Sekvi told me it's a cultural thing for them to recognize, uh, that they all have something in common, no matter what kind they are." Keff wiped his forehead with the back of his hand, then quickly gestured to me while he wound himself up for another strike of the hammer. "They probably think you have aarakocra in your family because of your beak."
"Oh. That's really cool, actually. Do most dragonborn not have beaks?"
"The few I've seen don't. Maybe you're just a weird dragonborn."
"Oh I'm definitely that," I laughed. "Definitely." There was no denying it. For the first time, I felt safe to embrace the inevitable individuality of myself among all people. I wasn't stifled in my environment, not that I was aware of. People accepted and even welcomed me here. It felt okay that I didn't know who or what I was; I was allowed to figure that out now. My future felt open-ended for the first time, and I had purpose through magic and possibility through friendship. I thought a daring thought indeed: one day I may be okay. How much that would hinge upon my continued existence in this world was another thought entirely. Some time passed before the silence was broken again.
"I wonder what goes on in that head of yours," Keff mused aloud. "Better be thinking nice if you're thinking about yourself." This caught me by surprise. No one had ever asked me what I was thinking about before.
"I am, actually. The future, my place here... how much better I feel after such a short time living where I'm not an enemy of everyone around me. I was in a pretty bad place before." I didn't slow my work as I spoke. It felt good to observe a consistent rhythm. "Have you ever traveled?"
"Here and there, as a child. Been as far south as Letvel. Why?"
"How much like Karthos Bend is the rest of the country, or the world?"
"Mm, this is a nice place to live. Not everywhere is, but there haven't been any wars in a while, not that I've heard of. If you're worried about Sekvi's work, it's mostly, uh, internal reforms, trade contracts, magical treaties. That kind of thing." He made it all sound livable enough. I decided to get a little more specific with my assessment of widespread social dangers.
"Are there any big problems with, like, racism or slavery or big structural oppression like that?"
"Noooo, not for a long time now. Not legally, anyway. There's some people out there that will have their own little ideas of you, but not economically, no. Is that something you had to worry about on Earth?"
"Sometimes." I was white, but ableism, sexism, transphobia, homophobia and classism were cornerstones of American society. Racism was something I was thankfully lucky to never experience, but not everyone was so lucky. I prepared myself to possibly experience it for the first time here, even on an individual level. No place was perfect. "Will anyone give me trouble for being a woman, you think?"
"Some people might, but they wouldn't play with a wizard. You're worried. I know. Just keep your wits about you and you'll be fine most of the time. I'm sure Sekvi's teaching you spells that'll help you stand your ground." They very much were, and I was grateful for that. "You're not a bad smith because you're a woman, it's because you have no experience and no muscles. Betiara, for example, has muscles but no skill."
"Ouch," I commented, only a little hurt.
"Oh you're not a bad smith. You're just new. Sorry. I put my foot in my mouth sometimes."
"How's it taste?"
"Like soot and sweat," he answered, and we shared a laugh. I knew he could tell that I didn't hold his evaluation against him; I was just happy to know that I was indeed progressing in my ability. It was nice to not be the heaviest burden on his workload. We passed more time by discussing the purposes of the construction materials we were making. Keff wasn't the most well-versed in the subject, but he knew a lot more than I did. The wall was to be a palisade, reinforced by metal couplings and backed by stone. This would allow the wall's initial structure to be built quickly and cheaply. It would provide functional defense while the stone layer was built behind it, giving it rigidity and longevity as well as giving defensive archers more options than sloped rooves to stand on. The more I was told about this wall, the better it sounded for the town. I was looking forward to seeing its completion. Evening eventually came calling, and we answered by closing up shop for the night. I got my day's pay, but didn't receive off time pay because I was no longer staying at the inn. It was fair enough to me; Keff had to feed himself, too. We wished each other a restful night and retired to his quarters. I heard the rapping sound of a nail being hammered into wood as I departed.
The mist had cleared during the day, but I expected it to return tonight; I could smell humidity in the air as soon as I stepped away from the forge. Tonight was the night I would learn two more spells and complete my training as a wizard. The tools I had my sights set on would allow me to read and to quickly escape bad situations. I hoped I would only ever have to put one of them to good use. One uneventful walk later, I had returned to the place I was beginning to call home. Cold and wind were already flooding over the town from the nearby Eastern mountainside. My basic clothes were enough to keep me warm during the day, especially with the help of the forge, but walking directly into tonight's wind allowed it to cut through to my bones. Being a dragonborn wasn't all glamor. It was no wonder people like me didn't frequent this far North very often. The entry door to the tower was a welcome sight by the time I arrived at Sekvi's tower. I felt much warmer inside. "Hey Sekvi, where are you?" I looked around the common room only to see the rear end of a pair of sparkling blue robes sticking out of a large crate against the far wall.
"Madison! I'm locating that scroll of Expeditious Retreat that I believe I still have. I'll be, ow, right with you." Their legs kicked as they sunk further over the horizon of the box, and I couldn't help but smile at the sight. The world may know them as Sekvi the Seer, Wizard and diplomat, but I knew them as my friend and my teacher. They wouldn't dare let anyone else see them like this. I took a seat and opened my tome as I looked over the blackboard. "What. Am. I. Doing? I have Locate Object. Unbelievable," I heard from across the room.
"Are you okay over there?"
"Just dandy, my star student. Aha, there you are!" I heard the shattering of a glass vessel as Sekvi erupted backward from the box to hold a scroll aloft. They hurried over to me and slapped the scroll onto the desk, the hair they always wore in a perfect part currently mussed from their efforts. "Let's begin." Not a single moment was wasted. Sekvi was a flurry of inspiration as they provided meticulous explanation of everything involved with transcribing the spell into my tome. I wrote and drew slowly and deliberately, as while mundane ink was a difficult stain to remove, magical ink was even more of a challenge to correct. Expeditious Retreat wasn't the most complex spell in itself, but its application made up for that fact. It was a spell that would effectively enchant my body and allow me to move twice as quickly! This was indeed what I had envisioned when I asked about such a spell. Its effect would accrue some strain, however, and I would need to continuously concentrate on keeping the spell active. I believed that if I were in a dire enough situation to use this spell, I would be in a dire enough position to maintain it. It was already demanding the depths of my concentration in order to understand all the components at play!
Comprehend Languages was next. Understanding this spell required substantial input from Sekvi. It imposed a magical filter within my mind that would allow written and verbal words to be understood, very similarly to the way my pendant worked. Learning how to construct this mental filter took some time on its own, and applying the necessary magic to it took longer, but I eventually succeeded. It was as if a whole new world had opened up to me as I toured the library in search of books that interested me the most. I awed, with joy on my face, at all the possibilities that opened themselves to me like a book. It inspired a similar feeling that I had when I learned that I had traveled to another world entirely: the feeling that I was a tiny, tiny life in this universe. I took a piece of scrap paper and wrote something for Sekvi to read. They cast the same spell on themself and smiled, which brought us both to laughter. "It is beautiful, isn't it? All of this knowledge provided by authors living and dead... we are so small in the face of cooperative history."
"We are." My eyes welled up; I had never read for pleasure, but I decided that now, I would be. Gobbling up textbooks during my school days had been only a symptom of boredom, not out of any desire to learn. This all changed that. Comprehend Languages was not a Transmutation spell, but it was positively transformative in its experience. It would only last an hour with each casting, but taking occasional breaks to cast it via ritual wouldn't be the worst thing in the world. "That's how I've felt since I looked back on that dream. As big as life seems sometimes, being afloat in the expanse of the Weave feels... small. I like it."
"Why is that, if I may ask," Sekvi asked as they met my gaze.
"I've spent my whole life feeling different. Wrong, for being different, for existing in the first place. But one day I'm going to die like all the authors of these books, like you, like everyone we know. There isn't a person in existence that hasn't experienced that. I feel a thin sense of belonging that I never realized was there." I looked down at my hands, the way they were built of scale and muscle and bone. It felt so ironic to me that bones were seen as evidence of death, when it was they that provided the marrow that made our blood.
"It all comes full circle. We have time to do great things, Madison." My teacher's expression fell from one quietly pleased into one more concerned. "What great things will you do?" That wasn't a question that I expected to be asked. Me? Doing great things? Could that happen?
"I don't know. I think I'd be happy to die without accomplishing things people consider great, as long as I didn't have any regrets in the end." I answered honestly. There was no other answer I could give.
"That in itself is great," Sekvi assured me. We examined the expanse of books together in silence while we soaked the moment in. As with any moment, this, too, came to an eventual end. "You've completed your training. How does it feel?"
"Transformative."
"Ahah, very good. From now on, your discoveries will be entirely your own. A great many doors, ancient and modern, knowable and unknowable, open to you. For me... would you indulge me in some more personal study?"
"Sure. You've given me a lot, I'd be happy to give back." We took a seat together in the study. Instead of our usual arrangement of sitting across from each other at Sekvi's desk, we sat on a couch, facing each other without a desk dividing us. I felt a little intimidated, but it was amazing to see their tusks up close. They whisked a pen and a bundle of paper into existence, as well as a polished wooden board on which to bear their writing. I noticed some of the pages were already full; these were the notes they were taking on me.
"Can you write for me, there, all of the letters and numbers of your script?"
"Absolutely." I respected the request. It was likely that no one else in this world would ever get to study English to any degree. As vile a language as I found it due to its history of violent colonialism, I realized Sekvi could give it new meaning. Each letter and number were named aloud and recorded by my t-... my friend. "This is modern English script from the year 2023, Common Era. It's based in the Latin alphabet. The language itself is Germanic, I think. It used to have more letters and symbols but the mostly fell out of use in the past few centuries, at least in America."
"Fascinating. When you say 'Current era,' how many came before?"
"Well, it's hard to say. Homo Sapiens evolved into its modern shape around 250,000 years ago if I remember correctly... but a certain religion designated a certain event as the beginning of the adopted year one. We count backward from that year and label it BCE, before Common Era."
"They let a religion decide that? For everyone?" Sekvi cringed slightly at the idea. I felt much the same way.
"They decided it for themselves, but I think the Romans decide that for everyone else. The Romans had conquered a lot of land in Europe, West Asia and northern Africa around that time, but eventually split into two empires due to infighting. The split one lasted until the... 1400s? I think?"
"A storied and violent history. You see, as I come to understand the backdrop of Earth, I come to understand you, as well. Madison in context." Sekvi's pen scurried notes across the page at an astounding pace. I was able to read it with the aid of Comprehend Languages, but only barely. My handwriting wasn't much better. "You strike me as someone that was more along the periphery of society. A worker, but, not one accepted by your people. Perhaps a bit of a rebel."
"Something like that."
"Could I ask what alienated you so?" That was not something I wanted to go into. Given Sekvi's relative androgyny, Betiara's insistence of acceptance and the fact that I felt safe here... I decided it was time to take another chance.
"There's a few reasons. I was born with a neural condition that makes my mind work differently than most others. It's classified as a disability, but, it's, some people just consider it a difference. It makes social engagements difficult and tiring for me."
"Oh, I see. If the humans on Earth are anything like humans here, and by that I mean holding a culture that highly prioritizes social rituals, then I can see how that could put you at a comparable disadvantage." Sekvi's pen whizzed to life once more.
"That's probably the nicest way I've ever heard Autism Spectrum Disorder be described. There's that, and, I'm..." I took a deep breath to brace myself. "...transgender." The pen halted. Sekvi looked up at me, confusion in their eyes. Confusion gently bloomed into upset, though I could tell it was directed at the gravity of what I said. I hoped I had the correct read on that situation, at least. I watched as they ruffled their robes around the collar and pulled them down to reveal a pectoral muscle. A scar ran horizontally below it.
"Is this viewed as a problem on Earth?"
"It is by most. It's backwards. Awful. A product mainly of that religion I mentioned earlier." This assertion was met with a scoff and an intense roll of Sekvi's yellow eyes.
"Of course it is."
"That's what I've always said. I don't know. I'm sure you can understand part of why religion has always been a difficult concept for me. I was raised in christianity, but broke from it at an early age, to the, intense disapproval of everyone around me."
"What a choice that must have been. To feel that strongly about something so young... yes. I'm coming to understand you better now. I have a hypothesis." I wasn't sure I was ready to hear what Sekvi was putting together. An apprehension slowly took root in me as I prepared myself.
"What's that?" Sekvi finished a note and set their materials down before focusing intently on me.
"Have you ever wanted to escape?"
"You mean my life before? Earth?"
"Yes. That's precisely what I mean."
"Yeah. All the time. I'd daydream about having my own car and driving far away, anywhere I wanted to."
"You'll have to explain cars to me another time. That, though, that's it. I believe that's what happened." I wondered what they meant until I blinked my eyes, as one does, and the idea began to crystallize before me.
"My dream."
"You escaped," Sekvi urged, standing from the couch to begin pacing their study in thought. "There is a spell, a particularly powerful spell. It's both famous and infamous: Wish. It's famous because its monolithic magical power allows one to affect any desired outcome they wish, possible or impossible. There have been precious few in history that have harnessed it, and therein lay its infamy." They looked at me and stood tall, their hands behind their back. Sekvi was all business in this moment. "And I believe that was what happened when you touched your string."
"But I'm not some world-class mega magician." The words fell from my mouth before I could formulate them in my mind.
"Madison, there has only been one person in known history that has explored the Weave as you have. That person is the greatest Divination wizard who ever lived, the author of the picture I showed you, the wizard whose story inspired my focus of study. At the time she did so, she was casting the Wish spell." Sekvi's hands trembled, outstretched toward me. "That cannot be mere coincidence."
"Couldn't it be? Magic doesn't exist on Earth, how could I cast, like, the most powerful spell ever, one from some other world, without any observation of either? I'm not trying to say you're wrong, it just doesn't make sense to me. I'm not special, I'm not powerful, I'm not even knowledgeable of that kind of stuff." I felt a sinking feeling in my chest as I said those words. They would not be received warmly. Instead of excitement of any flavor, Sekvi turned to look away from me for a moment.
"Madison, we are only beginning to discover what an anomaly you really are."
"There's not much to discover about me." The moment felt to me like cold, hard reality. I could only imagine what it felt like for Sekvi as my eyes fell low. Maybe I was an anomaly, and, knowing Sekvi, they likely chose that word very deliberately. I was being an asshole. "I'm sorry. I don't know if you're wrong, it just feels-"
"So terrifying to you that you feel you need to withdraw to safer methods of coping, which to you is to water the dying plant that is the cruelty you didn't deserve to be shown?" I couldn't answer the question. We both knew what the answer was. Sekvi's tone softened as they spoke again. "Wish or not, magic or otherwise, you escaped a world that didn't value your contributions, and found a world that is helping you make only bigger ones. Keff and I watch you. We pay attention. You give money to those that need it more. Your first thought of how to use Mending and Prestidigitation -- before the metaphorical ink was even dry -- was to help others with a basic but crucial need in this world." Did any of that really matter? I was simply living, breathing, and doing what I thought was best to do. My entire life had told me that that was all wrong.
"What are you saying?"
"I feel you deserved the unique opportunity you were presented with, and I feel you used that opportunity well."
"You don't know the whole story, though."
"I don't need to, I'm watching you write it every day." Sekvi really knew how to drive a point home. I could see how their intellect, their wisdom and their social maneuvering had achieved them the position of a celebrated diplomat. It suited them well. Some truths were harder for me to believe than others, and this, if it was actually the truth, would be the hardest to internalize of them all.
"Say I did somehow cast Wish. ...what would that mean?" This question eased Sekvi's posture, and they resumed their pensive pacing without missing a beat.
"I don't know. It could mean so many things. The worst case scenario would be that your assumed Wish created this world and all its inhabitants and history... ten days ago." Their eyes went wide with a silent horror. Mine did as well.
"Well neither of us fucking like that idea, so let's look at others!"
"Yes. Other possibilities... you were merely whisked from one existence into another. You, no, that is another horrifying thought. I will not rob you of sleep. The best case scenario, hmm. What if...?" Sekvi disappeared into their library and returned with a book. My new spell, still active, allowed me to understand its title: The Will of Worlds. It sounded relevant to me. "Will, intent, magic, is metaphysically akin to gravity. That is the basis through which Graviturgy is done, actually. Some have theorized that a world, a reality, an existence can have gravity, as well. Do you understand?"
"The opposite of me casting Wish?"
"Precisely. The strings that comprise the Weave may not follow the usual physical laws of the universe, but for the sake of example, most strings have two ends. One end of your string could lead to Earth, and the other could lead here." I found this to be far more plausible than casting one of the most powerful spells in existence before I learned a single cantrip.
"That... I think you could be on to something there."
"I'm relieved we've found common ground," Sekvi announced with a vigorous smile, seemingly fully recovered from the weight of the rest of our conversation. "It could also mean you could return to Earth if you wanted to. ...is that something you want?" I couldn't answer that question. I didn't know. Neither choice would feel right to me at the current stage of things.
"I don't know if I want to know."
"Ah. I apologize. This has been as much a task on you as it's been on me, I'm sure. We can leave my study here for the night. Instead, there are a few matters regarding your graduation that we must discuss." I slowly sat back on the couch, grateful for the change in subject.
"Okay, what are those?"
"I am working on sourcing materials for an Arcane Focus. The trouble is that the mines' supplies of gemstones often travel directly to merchants to be cut and upsold, or to making tools. This will be tended to as soon as I'm able to locate something adequate."
"That's perfectly fine. You're giving it to me freely, and you've already given me a lot for my education. I can use components for a while." I could tell that my assertion eased Sekvi's guilt over the situation. Their care felt so encompassing.
"I appreciate your understanding. For the matter of a robe, however, I have materials on hand. You'll be presented with that tomorrow. Would you prefer a full set of robes -- like the ones you see now -- or a set of more travel-ready garments? A mantle, or perhaps a stylish coat?"
"I like the sound of a travel-ready one, if that's okay. What's that like?"
"Sleveless, hooded, can be drawn closed in the front. Worn over the shoulders."
"That sounds nice. Thank you again, Sekvi." I felt I needed to express a concern of mine, as well. "I hope it didn't seem like I was disregarding your first hypothesis out of not trusting your insight. I just... doubt that I could really deserve something like that." Their response was dignified and patience. It was very kind of them.
"I understand, Madison. I do hope you'll fully understand your worth one day. For now, I left a fried dumpling and a sparkdrop tart in your room, they need only be reheated. A busy, busy day awaits me tomorrow. See me before you depart for Lilika's house to claim your robe, and please, sleep well. A wizard's mind must be kept in the best shape possible," Sekvi explained with a wink. I thanked them again and we exchanged well-wishes for each other's success in the following day. My food tasted better than it usually did, thanks to the ever handy Prestidigitation cantrip. I added flavors of black pepper and red pepper flakes to the inside of my dumpling, which satisfied my stomach well enough to nearly forego the tart. The entirety of my willpower was required, but I made room for it. Full, warm, and with a heavy mind, I retired to bed in my pajamas. They still smelled a little like my old room. Scented candles and cheap paint... I could still see the off-white walls without a single adornment. I was never one for posters. Posters cost money, and money was ever in short supply, especially given the cost of maintaining my prescription for hormones. Ordinarily, if I had gone ten days without taking them, I'd feel awful. This body felt just fine. I wondered if I had been locked in endocrinological time as a dragonborn until or unless I made any further changes. That could be further evidence for the Wish theory, but I put that out of my mind. I closed my eyes and quickly drifted into my first night of sleep as a fully-fledged wizard.