(Nathan)

  The bell chimed as Nathan stepped out onto the street, falling into step beside Dyn.

  Dyated, his hand h at Buttercup’s height, searg for the right word. “Are…?”

  “Gnomes,” Nathan answered, reading the unspokeion.

  Dyn nodded slowly. “Are they always that… aggressive?”

  “Always,” Nathan said, gng back at the shop. “Though it’s usually about gems and credits.”

  Dyn tilted his head, curious. “Credits? Like digital money?”

  Nathan halted mid-step, blinking in surprise. “You have digital curren Dirt?”

  Dyn nodded with a small shrug. “Yeah, we’ve got paper money and digital money. Oh, and we’ve got metal money—s.”

  “Paper aal?” Nathan asked, shaking his head in disbelief. “That wouldn’t st long on Xel’oria.” He led them dowreet toward the League of Adventurers’ Hall. Ohey reached the hall, they could follow the road to the outskirts of town, where the Nightshade stronghold was located.

  “It’s not really paper,” Dyn expined as he matched Nathan’s pace. “We just call it paper mo’s actually made of fabric.”

  ‘Life on Dirt sounds fusing,’ Nathan thought. “Still,” he said aloud, “the drai would just eat the metal s. That’s why we use gems—durable, yet uizing.”

  Dyn froze mid-step, staring at Nathan. “Drai eat metal?”

  Nathan turoward him, nodding matter-of-factly. “Oh yes. Lots of metal. Most of what they eat tains high trations of metals and minerals.”

  “What do they eat that has that much metal?” Dyn asked, his curiosity insatiable.

  “They eat everything—they’re omnivores,” Nathan replied. He noted how well the olive tuniplemented Dyn’s plexion and hair. Buttercup really knew her stuff.

  Dyn pursed his lips thoughtfully. “What about ons? Could they eat swords?”

  Nathan chuckled at the mental image, shaking his head. “By the Mother, that’s quite a thought. Sure, they could eat metal ons—if no one was wielding them, if they didn’t cut themselves, if they could fit them in their mouth, and if they had enough time.”

  Dyn gnced ahead, sidering. “Is that why I’ve seen crystal bdes?”

  Nathan nodded, a hint of a smile tugging at the ers of his mouth. “That, aal is scarce, si’s a delicacy for the local popuce.”

  Dyn gave Nathan a quizzical look. “Do elves eat metal?”

  Nathan shrugged casually. “Not raw, but we digest it.”

  As they walked toward the Nightshade guild stronghold, their versation shifted to all the ways to eat metal and why most utensils were crystalware instead of silverware. Dyn’s questions seemed endless, but Nathan didn’t mind—it only firmed what he’d suspected: Nightshade would be a perfect fit for him.

  ‘Finally, bae.’ Nathan thought, sav the familiar fort of the sprawling farmnds around Nightshade. The main hall stood at the stronghold’s ter, with the dorms to its right. Beyond the main hall y the crafting studios, and out of sight, hidden behind the buildings, were the training grounds, obstacle course, and armory.

  Dyn’s eyebrows shot up. “You live here?” He turo Nathan, pointing toward the distant pound.

  “You do too.” Nathaed a hand on Dyn’s shoulder.

  “This is way bigger than the Xavier Institute…” Dyn paused, his gaze sweeping over the ndscape as he took it all in.

  The name wasn’t familiar to Nathan. “I’ve never heard of that guild.”

  “It’s not… never mind.” Dyn waved a hand, dismissing the topic.

  “Would you like to see your room?” Nathan asked with a smile, pleased by Dyn’s rea. Nightshade wasn’t a rge guild, with only a sironghold. It wasn’t the oldest, rgest, or stro guild on Xel’oria—but it was home.

  Dyn nodded eagerly, and they ehrough the gates, heading toward the dorms. In all four decades Nathan had spent at Nightshade, he’d never seees closed. They were mostly for show; the waist-high rock wall around the perimeter wouldn’t stop anyone. But in a world of magic, appearances were often deceiving.

  Before Nathan could reach the dorm door, it swung open on its owepped back just in time as Guildmaster K’hab emerged. The guildmaster’s silver scales shimmered with a faint blue irides the right light. He kept his crest simple—two light horns curled bad down along the sides of his head.

  “Guildmaster K’hab…” Nathan said, caught by surprise. The guildmaster rarely came to the dorms. Nathan noticed K’hab’s formal attire, typically reserved for esteemed guests. There hadn’t been any word of visitors—perhaps Meekan would fill him in ter if it was someoeresting.

  “Greetings, Nathan,” K’hab said with a slight bow of his head, a typical drai greeting. “Wedge tells me there was another ihis m,” he said, raising a brow.

  Nathan’s stomach twisted. ‘Dorian…’ He shut his eyes and gave a brief nod. “Yes. Sorry about that. My brother—” He stopped himself. ‘The Guildmaster doesn’t want to hear your petty excuses.’

  Nathan straightened, f a calm he didn’t feel. “Yes, I’m very sorry about that.”

  “I see,” K’hab said with a slow nod. “I’ll have a word with him wheurns.”

  Nathan tilted his head. “Wheurns? He only just got back today.”

  “His team picked up anroup tract—they’ve already departed,” K’hab expined.

  ‘He always does that—shows up, makes a mess, and then sneaks off instead of fag the sequences. So infuriating.’ He exhaled slowly through his nose, as though pushing the frustration out with his breath, rolling his shoulders to release the tension before it dragged him under.

  K’hab’s golden eyes settled on Dyn. “And you must be Dyn. A pleasure to meet you.” He dipped his head in a slight bow.

  ‘How does he know Dyn?’ Nathan watched as Dyn reached out with his arm, froze, quickly snapping it back to his side. His smile faltered.

  “Hi, I’m Dyn,” Dyn said awkwardly, suppressing a smile.

  K’hab g Nathan, easily reading his expression. “Meekaioned he’d be staying with us.”

  Nathan blinked in surprise. “Meekan?” he and Dyn echoed in unison.

  “I’ve arrawo adjoining rooms for you both. See Wedge—he’ll get you sorted.”

  ‘He doesn’t think I hahis myself.’ Nathan sighed, dragging a hand through his spiky blue hair. “Two rooms?” he asked aloud.

  “Your old room is structurally unsound—Wedge mentioned something about repeated foundational stress fractures?” K’hab waved a cwed hand in dismissal. “I’m not sure about the specifics—it’s all architecture talk. I trust Wedge to ha.”

  Nathan sighed inwardly, knowing he’d have to smooth things over with Wedge. ‘Great—we’re going to have to talk to Wedge.’ He wasn’t eager to face the architect, who robably still grumpy from Dorian’s test stunt.

  “Guildmaster, you didn’t have to go out of your way—I should’ve ha.”

  K’hab rested a reassuring hand on Nathan’s shoulder, his golden eyes softening. “It’s already done.”

  To Nathan, K’hab had always been more than just a guildmaster—he’d fouhe guild shortly before taking in Nathan and Dorian as orphaned wards.

  Nathan g the hand on his shoulder, a remihat K’hab was the closest thing he and his brother had to a parent.

  Straightening, Nathan tried to savor the moment, remihat elves outlived most races by magnitudes. One day, it would just be him and Doria of their family.

  “Thank you, Guildmaster,” Nathan said quietly.

  K’hab lifted his wrist, gng at his eter. “Now, go get yourselves settled. If you’re quick about it, you’ll finish in time for dinner. I’m sorry I won’t be able to join you tonight.”

  ‘Tonight?’ Nathan frowned, puzzled. Guildmaster K’hab had only ever eaten at the dining hall during special events.

  “Thank you, Mr. Guildmaster, sir.” Dyn nodded, mimig K’hab’s earlier greeting.

  K’hab chuckled softly. “Please, just call me Guildmaster—or K’hab, since you’re not teically a member yet.”

  Nathan blinked as Dyn waved after the departing Guildmaster. ‘Only Lord Kairos calls him K’hab.’ The Guildmaster’s unusually casual demeanor left Nathan disoriented. ‘Everyone’s ag straoday.’

  Dyn strolled through the door, smiling. “He seems like a really nice guy.”

  Nathan, lost in thought, held the door open for him. Strict, demanding, ing, even devious… these were the words Nathan would use to describe Guildmaster K’hab—never ‘nice.’ He g Dyn, still baffled by the Guildmaster’s kindness. ‘What’s the lesson?’ Nathan wondered. ‘There’s always a lesson. What am I missing?’

  “Is he like your boss or something?” Dyn asked, interrupting his thoughts.

  Nathan snapped back to the present. “Guildmaster K’hab oversees the entire guild. He’s everyone’s boss.”

  “If I join, he’d be my boss too?” Dyn asked, tilting his head.

  “You’re thinking about joining the guild?”

  Dyn gave a casual shrug, his curiosity piqued. “I mean, I’m not totally sold on using flowers instead of wands to do magic stuff, but I want to learhing I about magic,”—he shrugged again—“and he seems like he’d be a cool boss.”

  They found Wedge’s room on the first floor, tucked at the end of the hall. Nathan knocked softly, poking his head through the open doorway. “The Guildmaster said we should stop by so you show us our new quarters.”

  Wedge sat at his desk, handwriting with an actual lead pencil and paper. It was archaic, but he loved the feel and sounds of the lead as it scratched across the pages. Once, he’d told Nathan it was music to his ears.

  The heavy metal chair screeched as Wedge stood up, turning around to greet Nathan. “Good evening, Nathan. I hope your day was less eventful than mine.” A traditional lithkai greeting.

  Nathan frowhinking ba the day’s unfortunate events. “I doubt it,” he said with a small smile. “But I appreciate the se.”

  “League identification cards, please.” Wedge held out a rge gray hand.

  Nathan reached into his pocket and pulled out his League card. “It’s okay,” he said to Dyn. “You give him your card—he’ll use it to attune you to your room.”

  Dyated for a moment, then reached into his pocket, pulling out and handing over his card.

  “It is a blessing to meet you…” Wedge’s eyes flicked up to meet Dyn’s, his expression unreadable. “Dyn of Dirt.” Dyn winced. “I hope your day was less eventful than mine.”

  Dyn sighed. “And also with you.”

  Nathan and Wedge exged a curious gnce.

  Dyn cleared his throat and tried again. “So say we all…?”

  Nathan shook his head, tinuing with the introdu. “Dyn, this is Wedge, one of the lithkai and the guild’s architect. He’s in charge of all the architecture ironghold.”

  “It’s nice—uh, I mean, a blessing to meet you, too.” Dyn offered an awkward smile.

  ‘At least he’s trying,’ Nathan thought with a shrug. “So, where are our rooms?” He shifted unfortably, catg Wedge’s smile—and not liking it o.

  Wedge stepped out of his room, gesturing to the o door. “Nathan, these will be your new quarters.”

  “Right o yours?” Nathan frowned. He’d miss the view from the sed floor.

  “Let your brother try knog the wall down again,” Wedge said with a wide grin on his stony face. “I will be here to stop him.” He pounded a fist into his palm for emphasis.

  ‘That’s if he even notices I’ve moved,’ Nathan thought dryly.

  “After Nathan’s quarters is the restroom, Wedge said. "And just past that is Dyn’s quarters."

  Nathan noted having a restroom close by would be helpful iing Dyn bucket trained.

  Dyn stared ily at Wedge, as if puzzling something out.

  “Questions?” Wedge asked as he walked over to Nathan’s runelock door, attuning it with Nathan’s League card. Clibsp;The tumblers shifted as the door accepted the card.

  “How does it work?” Dyn asked, his gaze fixed on Wedge.

  Wedge walked over to Dyn’s door, attuning it the same way. “The door is runelocked—only you or I unlock it from the outside. e inside, and I will show you.”

  “Oh, I know how to use the door—I meant, how do those work?” Dyn poioward the two shields slung across Wedge’s back.

  “My shields?” Wedge arched an eyebrow, his voice carrying a hint of curiosity.

  Dyn’s eyes narrowed as he studied the shield. “Yeah, I’m pretty sure I saw you at the League Hall earlier, and I’ve just got to know— you dual wield them?”