I had been in Karthos Bend for a week now. Though I had been given a substantial amount of help along the way, it felt like an accomplishment. Three spells were at my disposal, I had a day job with a boss I didn't hate, and I made enough to survive well enough. A cut had been healed, social situations had been navigated, and now I had ideas for how I could give back to the town without sacrificing my wellbeing. I sat up in bed and rubbed my face with my hands to wake myself faster. The sun was already rising, which meant I had limited time for breakfast. Fried vegetable dumplings were again on offer today. I grabbed one of these dumplings on the way outside and hurried off to the smithy to put in another day's work. It was cold again today. There was less mist in the air than there had been last night, and I expected the remainder to burn off under the coming sunlight. I set my bag behind the inside counter and emerged with my smithing apron strings in my mouth while I situated the rest of the garment. "Merhrng."
"Morning," Keff responded in his usual manner. "Big day today, got some weekend orders in. You ready to work?"
"Let's get going," I confirmed. Without hesitation, a smattering of axe heads were dumped into my work area. There was no time like the present; I got started. I still wasn't strong enough to easily shape the material without warping it, but I was getting better. The system Keff had established was working efficiently: I banged out the rough shape to the metal, and he handed the finer details such as smooth curves and cutting blades. Each fall of the hammer sent a ringing vibration up my arm. Each vibration toned my arms that much more, and I told myself the work would eventually get easier. A cool, wet rag tied around my neck and consistent reptilian breathing kept me from overheating while I worked over the forge, which was kept at a higher temperature for longer today in order to keep up with the workload. New heads for axes, hammers, chisels and spikes accompanied pieces intended to be hammered into bracing plates or joinery. There must have been a big construction project in the works. I had to switch hands frequently while I did my best to keep the products moving. There were scarce little chance of speaking to Keff of my ideas and progress until we reached our lunch break. The customers hadn't given us a break, either; one man bought our entire supply of nails. Rest couldn't come quickly enough.
"A laundry and clothing repair service, huh?" Keff asked over a bite of his soup.
"That's right. I have cantrips that can take care of that in just minutes. It cost a silver at the bathhouse to get my dress cleaned in nearly an hour. I can do it faster and cheaper; think of how much time that'll save people." I felt I had a strong case to make. By my estimation, if I charged five copper per basic outfit, I would need to see 26 customers to make the same amount of money I made at the smithy. That could be done in one day... that could be done in half an hour if the demand was present and I worked diligently enough.
"The demand is there... I'd have to hire someone else to help me here." Judging by Keff's furrowed brow, he didn't seem to relish such a task.
"You could find someone better suited for it than I am," I offered with a laugh. "Or -- I thought of this, too -- I could fold my business into yours. Increase foot traffic, handle smithy customers in between..." Keff contemplated these ideas as he drained the rest of the liquid from his bowl of soup. A cursory scan over his workshop prompted a sigh.
"You'll have to take a pay cut."
"I expect that."
"And you'd owe me a percentage. My taxes would go up if we had two entities in the same space, and I won't be hung out to dry."
"Definitely not. You're the reason I'm able to think about this to begin with. I'm trying to return your investment." I was a manager at a Taco Bell after being a cashier for two years; I hated capitalism, but I was aware of how it worked. Keff had done much to help me on a personal level regardless of the economic system in place. "What do you want to call the percentage?"
"Slow down, we're not there yet. We'd see how much taxes will be and how much business you'd get. Until then, we'll have to figure space out and you'll need money for the permit. You're not that eager to get out of metalwork, are you?" We shared a laugh; it was certainly hard work, and I wasn't suited for it. I had enjoyed how straightforward it was, however, and Keff was great company when he wasn't stringing curses under his breath.
"Sekvi offered to move me into their tower, so I could save for that a lot faster if I accepted."
"The inn's nice, but a gold a day adds up."
"Even then I was doing well enough."
"But how long would you want to do this? You can't be washing people's clothes once you're a big shot wizard like Sekvi," Keff asserted. I had no idea, really. I imagined it could be something to keep my daily expenses paid while I found more lucrative work to put toward my education. Sekvi was taking on a task to help me, but I wanted to make it as easy on them as I could. The scope of spells I could come to cast would likely provide me bigger opportunities. It was a lot to think about. I sipped my soup while I considered how to answer a very good question.
"Until it's no longer worth the time. That's not the answer I'd like to give, but this is the first time I've been able to consider a future for myself. Smithing would be a good one. You're a good boss, you pay well, and I like the work when my arms don't hurt, but... I don't know."
"Nothing wrong with giving things a try. Magic comes easy to you, and you're one of the few I'd trust with it. I won't give you shit over what you do with your own life."
"I know. Thank you. And, I mean, I could disappear as easily as I got here."
"Maybe. But it does no good to talk like that. Finish your soup, I'll go over permits with you during lunch tomorrow." Lunch was over, and I risked choking to inhale the rest of my soup. As quickly as we were working, it still felt like the workload was getting away from us. It wasn't my first time handling a busy day in retail. Customers came and went in hurried flashes of traffic. I handled the store for most of the afternoon. Most of the customers were contractors chasing building contracts in surrounding settlements, having already bought the locals out as they gathered supplies. Others, however, were from town hall. A wall had been approved by the mayor and the town was abuzz with anticipation. Incursions from wild animals were commonplace along the edges of town, and as the settlement grew, the mayor thought it would do to give the town some additional safety. I was thankful that the inn was at the center of town; the thought of a bear taking exception to me was not one that I was interested in. There was an odd feeling in the air today, but it was hard to find a specific cause. I saw more guards patrolling than usual, often on their own. Their eyes were out as if they were watching for something. Keff told me there was nothing more to worry about than local farmer drama.
Three silver, one gold: my usual pay was offered to me at the end of the evening. "We put a dent in it," Keff announced as he wiped a band of soot over his forehead with his forearm. I couldn't prevent myself from smiling at his obliviousness to that fact. He was probably used to it. "How about you show me the magic you're talking about? I caught my pant leg and I'd rather sleep than sew tonight."
"Oh, sure. Practice is helpful." We sat down so that I could get a better look at the damaged clothing. There was a tear a few inches long not far from the ankle of Keff's pants, and the cuffs were gray with soot from the day's work. This repair was perfectly within my ability to mend. I cleaned the material with Prestidigitation first and took care of his shirt for good measure. Now it was time for my first real-world cast of my most complicated cantrip: Mending. I fetched the lodestones from my starter component pouch and began my work. The fibers of clothing were woven in an organized fashion, the dye and structure consistently spread over the entire garment. A two-pronged approach was required: I would have to simultaneously draw the separated materials together while painting over it with my intended result, with one lodestone intended to perform each function. The work was slow, steady and simultaneous. My mind filled with the visual of a mended tear as I quietly chanted the somatic components. All of these factors had to be synchronized in order to work effectively, and it required my singular focus. Within a minute, Keff's pant leg looked as if it had never sustained a bit of damage.
"Well, look at that. How much do I owe you?"
"Are you serious?"
"No. But how much would you charge if I was?"
"Well I was thinking about two copper, a-" Keff sat forward in his chair so quickly that I nearly fell out of mine.
"You're worth more than that! What are you thinking?"
"I'm thinking I want as many people to benefit from it as possible," I countered. "Hear me out. I was having an entire-ass coniption trying to figure out whether I was gonna wash my clothes in the river or something. How long that was gonna take, how dangerous that could be. Then the bathhouse charged a silver for it while I bathed, and I paid instead of worrying about all that. Think about how much time it'll save people to have their outfits done in seconds, without even having to take them off. If I keep prices low, the people that need it most have the most access to it. You see?"
"Mm," Keff mused aloud, staring intently into my eyes while he stroked his beard. A huff passed through his nose. "At two copper you'll need to see 65 people a day to make as much as you do here. If we worked together I'd be supplementing you a little bit, but it's still too little. Is there enough demand to guarantee that many people a day? Is that sustainable?"
"Shit. I mean that would only be a few hours of work a day, but I see what you mean. Um... five copper then."
"Less demand, still affordable for most. 26 people a day minimum."
"And living with Sekvi would let me keep all of that."
"Still seems a steal for magical clothes cleaning. That's something rich people consider a talking point." I cocked my jaw and nibbled the inside of my cheek while I considered that. My idea from yesterday could be the solution to this dilemma.
"I charge more for more complex outfits."
"Now you're thinking. How much?"
"Maybe, uh, a scale between five copper and two silver. The more complex the outfit, the more material I have to cover. That raises the price. And, ooh, for additional outfits I can charge slightly less than the first one to encourage people to get it done in bulk! Poorer people get a discount while the rich give me more money." I was beginning to feel better and better about this idea. I could support myself without getting in Keff's way, spread wealth around and provide an important convenience to the people that needed it most. What felt even better, however, was Keff's grinning nod of approval.
"Let's talk more over lunch tomorrow. You go do your magic; don't forget your bag."
"Sounds good. Thanks for your help Keff, have a good night." I shouldered my bag and considered my options for the evening. It would be most responsible to speak to Sekvi about living arrangements before I reserved a room at the inn, but I was hungry. I needed sparkdrop; it would be the perfect cap on my currently optimistic mood. On the other hand, I could take a chance and visit a local restaurant, of which there were several. Having to navigate menus I couldn't read while trying to avoid animal products in my food could consume time I'd rather spend learning spells, however. With my entrepreneurial goals in mind, I decided to look for a second source of safe food in town; that would allow me to interface with more people, support local businesses and save time in the future. The 4th Spoke wasn't far from Sekvi's tower, and I had seen an eatery by the park; that was to be my preliminary destination tonight. The mists had, as expected, departed during the day, and this left my way forward clear in the amber light of sunset.
As the sky got darker, memories of last night returned to me. Someone had watched me from afar and I hadn't been able to see them. I wondered if those farmers that were harrassing that halfling man had taken more offense to my eavesdropping than I had thought. As the only dragonborn person I had seen in town, it would be easy to notice me and trace my usual routes; this told me that I had made the right choice in visiting a new place for food tonight. The 4th spoke was busier than the more residential areas of the city with people walking home from work or spending some time at the park before night fell. No one seemed to pay me any mind but a passing guard that merely acknowledged my presence with a nod of his head. I smiled in return, hoping that Betiara had put in a good word for me. The last thing I needed was to be put under social speculation. In a settlement of this size, apparently large for the area, one's reputation tended to matter more than it did in a city of over 100,000 people I would never see twice.
I nearly struck out at this restaurant, with the majority of the menu featuring mostly meats and animal cheeses. I picked up a salad, with a vegetable brothed biscuit, though, and was delighted to find that they offered sparkdrop dressing. They made the dressing in house, but when I offered to buy a container of it, they declined to sell the only container they had. That was okay with me, for that meant I'd get to learn how to make it myself. I didn't particularly enjoyed how busy the flavor was over tastes and textures of the greens, but it was good enough. The bluish-purple sky provided a pleasant accompaniment to my supper as the sun set behind me. A chilly breeze reminded me not to linger. My trip to Sekvi's tower would be safest under the street lights, so I avoided the narrower, often unlit streets between Spokes in favor of returning to the town center and turning East from there. I encountered a group of sullen-looking men, mountaineers, by the look of them, that cautioned me against leaving the East gate. They had recently been beset by bandits not far outside of town. I thanked them and pointed them to the guards' barracks, and we went on our separate ways.
Bandits were a worrying prospect. It was no wonder the town was planning to build a wall so that gates would be easier to guard. Sekvi's tower wasn't too far from the gate, but there was a guard that appeared to be patrolling the spoke. She politely asked me where I was headed, as she had heard there were bandits around, and she sent me on my way after hearing I was only going as far as the tower. I'd gathered that the guards were not entirely analogous to the police I was accusomed to, but it was still nerve-wracking to get stopped by them. Trouble would likely have come my way if I were noticed walking while transgender on Earth. Shaking the thought from my head as I approached the tower, I announced myself and climbed the nearly endless stairway that led to the top. There was a door on an indented landing to my left that I hadn't noticed before; that must be the room I could choose to occupy. "Hi Sekvi," I called, not seeing any sign of my teacher in the central room. "Sorry I took a minute, I got hungry."
"Perfectly fine, have a seat, I'll be with you momentarily," their voice called from their study. I did as instructed, taking the time to polish up my dress using Prestidigitation. Sekvi joined me a few minutes later. They were wearing a much different outfit than usual: a fitted pair of burgundy pants and an elegant, low-cut blouse. Several silver bangles hung from each wrist, and they were wearing some decorative rings on their left hand. My appraisal must have caught their attention. "I needed a rest day, and I took one. A wizard doesn't work on the same time scale as many others, so I take what I can get. So! Spells! Are you ready to begin?"
"It suits you," I said, in hopes that this was a socially acceptable way to compliment an outfit without an expressed binary presentation. "Do you have any recommendations for where to start?"
"I do, thank you for asking. I recommend a neat sum of six spells to begin your transition into accomplished wizardy. There are three spells that form the gold standard of entry-level Abjuration magic that any caster could benefit from: Mage Armor, Shield, and Absorb Elements. Each of these focus on reducing the effects of damage or avoiding incursions entirely. As well, you should take at least one damaging spell. After my recommendations are observed, you're free to choose any you would like to learn." As always, Sekvi was prepared. A quick spin of the chalkboard revealed four items that featured short descriptions, and two placeholders. I assumed these were the spells they intended to teach me. "You learned your cantrips via conceptual study and forming the required conclusions yourself. With fully-fledged spells, however, it is possible to merely copy them into your Spell Tome from another enumerated source, such as a scroll or another wizard's tome. In the interest of saving time and expanding your horizons, you may source these four spells from my work. This will require you to effectively translate my shorthand, terminology, diagrams and such into something you can understand. I will read the book to you as we go along. Do you have any questions?"
"Yes." Of course I had questions; I was Madison. All throughout childhood, and during my time at Taco Bell, I had frequently been derided as having asked 'too many questions.' I was grateful that Sekvi wasn't the type of individual to view learning as unfavorable. "I don't mean to question your methods, but in a way I kind of liked having to figure it out on my own. It teaches me more in the long run. Are we pressed for time?"
"Not especially, but, to be blunt, most of my business takes place during the months of Spring, Summer and Autumn. I also want to set you loose in the world with a functional set of magical abilities and watch what develops from your more practical study! These spells will give you methodologies from which to draw when you inscribe those further. After you learn your starting set, your future developments will be done entirely on your own." Sekvi sounded like they took pride in this decision. I supposed they were a very hands-off sort of teacher. I determined this to be fair in that I was very lucky to be getting any of this instruction at all, and that they were going to bankroll the early stages of my study, at the very least.
"Does that include financially?"
"I don't mind sharing my supplies with you in the early stages if you need them. Ink, paper, and the like. I'd be happy to provide my advice or insights on matters, within reason, if you needed them, too. I would like to continue to see you, however, so that I could learn more about you and the place from which you originated." This was also fair in my mind. I wanted to ask them whether I was welcome to speak to them on more personal matters, but that split path led them to the nature of such conversations already accounted for in their studies, or that they would refuse to take on that burden. They were a wizard, not a therapist. I had never had any illusions to the contrary, but it was important to remember that fact just in case my emotional attachments got away from me.
"That sounds more than fair, thank you, Sekvi."
"I'm offering it freely, Madison," they insisted with a smile, ever bright. "Let's begin." It felt intimidating to be deliberately copying the work of a more accomplished practitioner of magic into my well of resources. It felt like I was cheating. In Sekvi's words, I was told that being part of the wizard club entitled members to certain benefits. Many wizards were solitary practitioners, so it was a rare and special ritual shared with those that were dubbed deserving of the knowledge. I decided that this would be yet another investment in me that I would pay off in time. Shield and Mage Armor were the first spells transcribed, as they would be the most immediately beneficial to me. Most dangers posed to me would be of a physical nature, and these two spells would serve as a way to best ensure my safety of the four offered to me. Mage armor provided a thin barrier of magic to me that would last an astounding eight hours! Shield would be a temporary measure that provided a larger defensive benefit, and if I were in a pinch, I could utilize both at the same time for a short duration. I would feel much better protected if I were to be beset by a mysterious follower in the night once again. The peace of mind that fact offered me was worth its weight in the massive amounts of enchanted ink it took me to transcribe these spells.
Four hours later, I was the proud carrier of a Spell Tome that contained two spells. Casting them for the first time took some preparation on my part. The intricacies of their construction was a tesselation of layered principles atop layered principles, arranged in a hierarchy of distilled summary until one was left with the fewest possible factors for casting the spell. It was, frankly, a pain in the ass, but seeing the referential nature of the shrinking layers that became both more and less complicated was uniquely satisfying. I felt as if I was streamlining a needlessly complex dish of food into something elegantly simple through observational context. This was a lesson that I felt I could apply to other areas of my life: less is more. We had fun testing the spells, as a closely observed test of tossing small objects at me became a giggling game of finding the most unusual, impractical object we could find in the tower's central room. I had no protest until Sekvi appeared from behind a stack of books holding what appeared to be a jar containing a giant toe preserved in a terribly colored liquid. From there, we ended our silliness in favor of surveying the vacant storage room.
I was now able to attribute what others would call clutter in the central room to Sekvi being unwilling to lug their belongings down the stairs. It was hard to blame them for that; I wouldn't have wanted to, either. They had generously deposited a writing desk and a modest bed in the room to make it habitable and practical. An old wardrobe, matching bookshelf, and a kitchenette next to a small bathroom completed the lodgings. All in all, it was like I was being given a studio apartment for free! There was even a bay window at the far end of the room. "This is, this is great, thank you! Um... if I were to accept, do you have any house rules to observe?"
"No explosions before noon or after nightfall; that matter is non-negotiable. We share any sparkdrop we purchase with each other... I can't believe I didn't prepare to be asked this question, but thank you for asking. There is a room upstairs in which we can conduct training, so please don't risk destructive spells in here. As wizards, we welcome written messag- oh, right, nevermind that. Oh, this is important: if I close the wall to my quarters, do not interrupt me unless your life or my tower are in immediate danger." Sekvi counted each of these rules on their fingers. I got the impression that the first and last rules explained were the rules were their main concerns. "Otherwise, you're my trainee, my course of study, and a roommate. Do as you please, as long as you examine common courtesy. I will do the same."
"Got it, no problem. What if a problem comes up? How should we approach it?"
"With mutual respect and cognizant choices of words!"
"I think I'm gonna like it here. Thank you so much, Sekvi. Do you want to do your study now?" My teacher looked past me as I set my bag on the bed, assessing the time of night before making a decision.
"You're welcome. Yes, but let's not go too long tonight." Sekvi sat into the comfy reclining chair and leaned back with their hands held behind their head. "How do you feel now that you're exploring past the aptitude test of arcane study?" I pondered the question as I sat on the bed, removing my shoes and crossing my legs to embrace a similar level of comfort.
"I hope I never have to Shield myself from anything serious," I said with a light chuckle. It was reciprocated by my teacher.
"That would be ideal, but we don't live in an ideal world. Trust your judgment, and be as safe as you can at all times."
"Of course. Last night, actually, I think someone may have followed me back toward the hotel."
"Do you know who that could have been?"
"Well, I saw some farmers intimidating another farmer the other day, and I was worried about the one guy so I eavesdropped... and got caught. They told me to watch myself; I don't think they believed the lie I told them."
"Mm. You don't strike me as a good liar." I wondered how many people in my life had told me that. Lying wasn't something I did terribly often, so the number probably wasn't too high. I hoped it wasn't. "I would discourage eavesdropping, of course, but if you were to disregard my advice, disregard it in the most prudent way possible. Earth may be different, but it's seen as rude here."
"It's rude on Earth too, but so is standing over a guy and making threats."
"This is making me glad that my mother was an orc. We never had to worry about drama; people were too afraid to cross us," Sekvi joked.
"Is it rude to ask what an orc is?"
"No, no. They're tall, green, and tend to be on the irritable side. They often live in remote settlements that comprise of their immediate and extended family. Some of them choose to venture out into the world, which was the case with my mother."
"Ah, okay. I imagine she must have had a good reason for leaving; family counts for a lot in life."
"It can," Sekvi offered in agreement, sitting forward with a playful smirk. "But I'd like to hear more about your familial situation, if that isn't too private a subject."
"What do you want to know?" I felt a wave of familiar chill flow over me. It stilled my mind, but not my heart rate.
"I imagine that being here isn't... easy for you. Friends, family, other connections not being present must be difficult."
"I wasn't actually very close with anyone. Especially not my parents. I could go into it if you want, but it's bad. It's bad." Sekvi's smirk vanished as if it had never been there. Their eyes fell slightly; they understood. I wondered what kind of life they had had that inspired that understanding.
"Keff told me that you looked terribly afraid when he first saw you. I saw the same thing. That isn't new, is it?"
"It's not." I took a slow, measured breath as I enacted my typical protocols for keeping myself controlled. "I've never felt at home with other people. It's kind of funny, I expected this place to be just, so hostile and suspicious of me, and instead most people have been pleasant at the very least. Everyone's so upset and hurried where I come from. It's hard to blame them."
"Why are they that way?"
"Capitalism. An inherently predatory, just, awful economic system that places dollar values on human and animal lives and forces indentured servitude for the mere right to survive." Sekvi was nonplussed for several seconds. Their eyes then widened, met by their brow as understanding furrowed their brow.
"I can imagine that that's why they feel that way. Wow."
"Earth's kind of fucked up. I mean, some things are fucked up here, too, I'm sure, but I can absolutely tell you that Earth is fucked up." I felt my stomach twist with an odd mix of upset and resignation.
"I, very much believe it." Their yellow eyes focused intently on me. "I take it you were politically active?"
"Online, mostly. I've been to demonstrations before, though."
"Online?" I took to explaining the Internet to Sekvi. They became more and more amazed as I went on, and then more and more disapproving as I explained what it had become.
"But it's, it's brilliant! Why would anyone misuse and obfuscate a miraculous resource like that?"
"That's humans for you. Capitalism ruins everything it touches." The sentiment seemed to sit uneasily with my teacher. They sat up in their chair and drummed their fingers on its arms.
"Do you not enjoy the company of other humans?"
"I mean, sometimes. But it's... scary. People have hurt me, and when I look around, I just see them hurt each other. They're destroying the planet with their bullshit while the rest of us are just trying to live. Even in them, there's violence, baseless hate, willing ignorance. I just can't bring myself to willingly be part of humanity's only solution to a problem being to kill it away."
"I don't blame you for feeling that way, Madison. There have been examples in our history of some individuals and forces acting in a similar manner. They always fall." I hoped very much that Sekvi was right. Perhaps there was a measure of justice in the Cradle that was rarely so present on Earth. "I have a daring question for you. Do you still feel this way now that you're... no longer appearing as a human?"
"I..." The question hit me like a ton of bricks. Was I human? I still felt human, at least I felt that way to a certain degree, though I couldn't locate said degree on my nonexistent gradient between human and dragonborn. Worry dashed my face as I observed my familiar habit of fidgeting with my hands. It was just now sinking in. "I think wrong is wrong. If people choose to be harmful and cruel, then they should be judged accordingly. As individuals. It's just a lot of individuals."
"Sure, I agree, but Madison, that doesn't answer my question."
"I don't know what I am anymore. Like... does being different on the outside change what's inside? Or, I don't hate this, like I'm, I like how I look now. This feels better somehow. I don't think humanity is the problem, maybe it's just me." Words fell out of me in a way that felt meaningless. I didn't know if what I was saying had any inner resonance to it or not. All I could do was shake my head and shrug my shoulders. "I don't know. I don't know. This is, I don't understand what happened to me yet."
"Why would you be the problem? If you were the problem, are you still the problem now?"
"My head tries to get in my way but I've been doing a better job of handling it than usual. I think that's because I don't hate my entire existence here. You and Keff and Betiara have been so nice to me. You make me feel like I'm worth something, you know? And magic... I can help people in ways I never imagined I could before. So, no, it's so confusing." I heaved an exhale and ran my fingers through my hair, only to remember that I no longer had hair. My claws gently tapped over my scales. Relief washed over me as I realized I never had to be anxious over my hair again. Washing it right, drying it right, worrying about it falling out, these were all things of the past. Scales really were the best way forward. "And I'm making progress personally and physically, and honestly, I really like how I look now. I think I'm pretty now."
"Dragonborn can be very pleasing to behold," Sekvi agreed with a nod. An exasperated look came over them for but a second as they worried they had come off badly with their phrasing, but they recovered just as quickly. "You're in a situation that not many others can claim to understand. I can only imagine how I'd feel if I awoke as a dragonborn tomorrow. Perhaps I'd feel that everything I had experienced and accomplished would suddenly be attributed to a different person."
"That makes sense, but I don't think I feel that way. I still feel like myself." I'd managed to avoid letting my emotions spiral away from me. I really was making progress. Sekvi's face carried the look of studiousness that I had seem them wear as they pored over academic tomes.
"I wonder what that means."
"Maybe I'm just coping well with it."
"Maybe you are. You seem to be. You haven't faltered in your study even when it was very difficult, you work hard at a smithy despite not being physically able to rise to all of the demands. You're even making acquaintances with people outside of Keff and I. There are hiccups that would be inherent to your situation, of course, but I respect your resilience in the face of all this. I feel I made the right choice in offering you tutelage."
"That feels really good to hear. Thank you. You're a great teacher; that makes it easier, haha."
"I imagine it does," Sekvi accepted without hesitation. They stood and casually approached the door. "It's late. Enjoy the room, and feel free to request any additions you may need. The tower plays by my rules. Before I go, are you okay? I wouldn't want to leave if I were to leave you without support."
"I think so," I answered honestly. I felt alright. I had hopes for the future, things had gone well today, and the new spells contained within my Spell Tome made me wonder at all the possibilities of magic. "Thanks Sekvi. Genuinely. Sleep well tonight, and, oh, where's the-, nevermind, it's there." My teacher found my momentary lapse almost as funny as I did.
"Goodnight Madison. Prepare yourself for further learning," they called as they departed. Little did they know, I was already prepared. I couldn't want to learn and test new spells. Caution had to be taken, however, as casting my two new spells had drained me in a way I hadn't anticipated. It was as if my arms felt lighter with fatigue, when it normally made them feel heavier. Perhaps spells were best cast sparingly. Sekvi had told me that some could be cast as rituals, which while taking time to prepare, wouldn't fatigue me as much. That was a prospect in which I now felt much interest. For now, I felt as if I'd lived a full day, and I was ready for bed. Plumbing was a nebulous notion in the construction of the tower, but water poured in a way that I expected it to pour from the faucets and fixtures in the provided bathroom. I was both impressed and grateful that I would no longer have to brave the bathhouse or the silver it cost. My dresses and their accompanying layers were hung up in the wardrobe after I had changed into my pajamas. I realized they hadn't been cleaned since I arrived in this world, so I gave them a quick Prestidigation while I took my embarrassment on the chin. Collapsing into bed felt so cozy. I was going to miss the inn's food and the familiarity of the bed I had grown accustomed to, but this felt more personal. I hadn't earned the inn, it wasn't mine. This room was mine, and I had earned it by engaging myself in magical study. My eyes closed and I quickly drifted off to sleep, ready to meet another forward-facing day... or so I thought.