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She inhaled to sigh, but the aroma of warm bread and honeyed fruits filled her nostrils.

Amyra picked up a piece of bread. It was toasted— the crispy crust made a noise to her touch. She started chewing on it slowly, noticing no more pain when she did. The ache in her jaw was completely healed.

She quickly grabbed the cup of water and drank some of it.

A glance at her arms caught her eye. No longer were they marred by the angry red gashes and bruises.

She sighed. Arzan had properly healed her, visiting every other day, pouring his magic onto her skin, making it smooth and unmarked.

A warm and heavy feeling settled in her chest. Gratitude. She was grateful that Arzan found her when he did. If not for him, there wouldn’t be a day that she would taste bread this fresh.

But, beneath the surface, a slight fear remained. It was the memories of the necromancer’s chilling touch.

She squeezed her eyes shut, trying to push the images away.

Despite her efforts, more images popped up of time before the necromancer found her. Those were even more grotesque and for a while, she heard painful screams in her ears.

The days of confinement, watching numerous deaths and finally running away only to get caught by another evil man.

"Stop!"

She shook her head, frowning and managing to end it.

When she opened her eyes, the urge to look around took over. She didn’t want to sit around only for those memories to haunt her again.

Amyra hasn’t been in the place for too long. Four walls, a plush bed, and a monotonous routine were her now reality.

Her hands itched for the door, to open it and walk around, but she paused.

Should I—maybe not? But what’s the harm if no one catches me, right?

Finally mustering up the courage, she opened it, reaching the corridor immediately. As she stepped outside, there was a staircase adjacent. Her one aim was not to get caught by a maid, guard or— worse, Arzan.

He might not even be here. He has his routine, I believe.

She took one step at a time, her bare feet cold against the floor. She walked gently, trying to not make any noise.

Taking the stairs to the ground floor, she decided to venture there first. As she reached it, she saw a door on the far side and stepped towards it.

The door opened to the outside.

The chilly air hit her in the face. She could see the estate, buildings, the courtyard and even the water fountain. It truly has been too long since she had been outside.

Unfamiliar faces were everywhere. Guards, staff and maids.

She waited until most of them passed and then made her way through the courtyard. Finding herself in a building adjacent to the one she was staying in, she stepped towards it, finding the whole thing exciting in her heart.

Fortunately, she found an open window and managed to climb through it.

Another corridor was upon her and she didn’t waste any time standing idle.

Tiptoeing her way quickly through different doors, she walked through large, polished oak doors. Adrenaline rushed to her body and she could hear her heart thrumming inside her chest.

She hid behind an oak door, peeking at what was beyond through the little space that was beneath the door and the wall.

It seemed like the kitchen.

Maids walked from left and right hurriedly. All of them were busy with their own duties.

Amyra remembered how Arzan once mentioned that even the maids knew who she was, and she could ask for anything from them.

But I can’t be seen…

She watched through the space for a few minutes. Spoons clattering, vegetables chopping, voices of maids talking to each other about the gossip in the city and the estate.

Amyra watched until one of the maids headed towards the door.

She instantly took it as an invitation to head towards the stairs that stood on the right side.

Her curiosity tugged at every corner of her being. Her feet were quick but silent. She passed walls of weaponaries and different frames on her way upstairs.

As she reached the top floor, she paused for a moment to catch her breath.

No one seemed to be around, but there was some sort of a noise echoing across the floor like someone was turning pages in a hurry.

Her eyes squinted in curiosity. The sound came behind the wooden doors… What is it?

She mulled over the fact that it could be a library.

Amyra’s shaky hands softly touched the door, trying to open it without making any squeaky noises.

It was a success. She was inside.

The wooden shelves garnered her attention. Tons of books were placed in them. She had been allowed to read and although they quelled her boredom, she had already finished with whatever was given to her.

So, this was a surprise.

She slowly walked through the shelves, wondering if she should take a book out, but just then, she froze.

In the heart of the room, she immediately recognized Lord Arzan, his back to her.

He was hunched over what looked like a workbench.

She slowly hid behind the pillar that seemed to hold and balance the roof, hoping to not get caught as she watched him.

From where she stood now, she could see his hands. The same hands that healed her were now on grey clay, moulding in the shape of a ball, no— what is that?

He wiped his hands from the dirty cloth that was to his left and turned a few pages on the book to his front.

Then, he frowned before squeezing the clay in frustration, making Amyra gasp slightly.

The next second, his head snapped in a mere heartbeat before she could even hide herself properly.

Both of them froze.

***

As was his custom most mornings, Kai found himself hunched over a workbench in the library, his hands were busy moulding a lump of grey clay.

He’d been so engrossed in the art of animating clay fingers that he hadn’t heard a single noise of the door opening.

But as he heard the gasp right behind her, he turned around, his eyes meeting Amyra and he froze.

The ball of clay dropped to the floor as he stared into her golden eyes.

A startled yelp escaped her lips. She clutched the pillar for a moment, as if unsure of what to do before her eyes looked at the door like she wanted to run away.

"Amyra," Kai said, forcing a smile. "It’s good to see you out of your room. Must be stifling to be cooped up for so long."

She offered a hesitant nod, her gaze flickering around the room before settling back on him.

"If you want?" he asked, gesturing towards a nearby chair.

Kai gestured for her to sit, a wave of relief washing over him as she did.

He returned to his work on the clay, his brow furrowed in concentration. But something about the way her gaze kept trailing back to the lump of formless material piqued his curiosity.

"I’m trying to build up a golem from the clay. So far, it’s not been great for me, but y’know. Learning is a process," he said, glancing up at her.

She nodded once again. Her eyes were glued to the clay, curiosity evident in them.

"Golem?" she muttered, the word barely a whisper.

Kai smiled, setting the clay figure down for a moment. "Golems," he echoed, "are essentially animated figures, created from clay or other materials. Think of them as… well, imagine a powerful hero, a knight, a mage— anything, really— brought to life by magic, given a physical form from this very material." He tapped the clay for emphasis. "I’m trying to hone my skills in creating them."

Amyra’s brow furrowed in confusion. The concept seemed alien to her, yet a spark of interest flickered in her eyes. "Creating… heroes?" she repeated.

"Yes." He nodded.

Seeing her interest, Kai set aside his partially formed golem and reached for another lump of clay.

"Would you like to try?" he offered, a playful glint in his eyes.

He was a bit surprised by how she walked inside without any guidance, but anything was better than distancing herself. More than that, Kai just enjoyed the company. It’s always entertaining to learn with company rather than alone.

Especially after his last few years in the Sorcerer’s Tower.

By his question, Amyra looked surprised. She blinked. Her lips pursed, hesitation flickering slightly. But after a moment, she nodded, mirroring Kai’s smile.

Kai kept the soft clay on the table and walked around, placing it in front of her.

Soon, he went back to his previous task as she started on it. He did the same, hoping he would be able to make a good one this time.

Silence filled over. The only sound was of the squelch of their fingers moulding the material.

This time, Kai was trying to learn from his past mistakes as his muscle memory kicked in. He began shaping his clay into a miniature warrior, working on one side of it before moving to the next.

Amyra, on the other hand, looked like she was having a hard time. Her clay figure, once just a blob, had morphed into something vaguely… spiky. A tail, vaguely reptilian, sprouted from one end.

Lumpy appendages, more looking like claws were on the sides. The whole thing was topped with a triangular head.

Kai glanced at it for a second before focusing on his one, his fingernails helping to sculpt the fingers of the warrior.

A peaceful hour passed by as they battled with the clay.

Finally after so long, he looked at the golem that stood proudly, a miniature guardian barely two feet tall. It looked a bit rough at the edges and the sword he had made looked nothing like one.

He had also messed up his face and armour, but compared to his first few tries, the improvement was clearly visible.

He smiled before looking at Amyra’s piece.

Unlike his work, her golem wasn’t easy to categorise and he kept looking at it for a while in confusion.

It seemed like a monster of sorts with the way it was structured and the claws. Certainly not a human or a beastman. Just, it was rough and hard to make out.

He tilted his head, squinting at whatever it was before him until he finally got it.

"Not bad," he said, trying his best to keep a straight face.

Amyra’s brow furrowed. "Not bad?" she echoed a hint of hope in her voice.

"Not bad at all," Kai confirmed. "For a first try at a dragon, that is."

Amyra’s face immediately drained of colour. Her lips parted. Panic flooded her features as she sputtered, "But… but it was supposed to be a bunny!"

Kai froze, smiling wryly.

"Oh," his mouth opened to say something, something to make it better, but nothing came out.

Amyra kept looking at her creation before lowering her head and pouting at Kai.

***

"Nightshade petals, elder wood root, water of purity," Francis muttered, tracing his finger down the list. "These are readily available, Lord Arzan. Shops here are well-stocked with these things as a lot of them are used for cooking and other stuff too."

The list was kept on the table as Kai observed Francis slowly going through the items he mentioned.

He continued down the list, nodding in recognition at items like bat guano, brimstone powder, and vials of mercury. However, as his gaze reached the bottom, a frown creased his forehead.

"Glowstone dust? Blackwood beast scales? And what in the world is ’Void Pinch’? These… I haven’t encountered them before."

Kai winced internally as he realised what he had done. He’d gotten so caught up in translating the knowledge from his past life that he hadn’t considered the names might not translate directly.

Items might be known as something completely different or the monsters or plants they came from weren’t that common. After all, in thousands of years, the ecology has changed a lot.

He had made this mistake because, in the books he read, he recognised a lot of ingredients. A few had different names, but they had the same function.

Moreover, a lot of them were extremely rare and potent in his world. So, he had been excited to get his hands on them.

"Don’t worry about the specifics, Francis," he said, a touch of sheepishness creeping into his voice. "Just acquire what you can from the marketplace. Focus on the general descriptions— glowing dust from a luminous stone, tough scales from a large, winged creature, a rare herb with dark, almost inky flowers."

Francis nodded slowly, a hint of confusion flickering in his eyes. "Very well, Lord Arzan. I’ll do my best to find... whatever a ’Void Pinch’ might be."

Kai chuckled, rubbing the back of his neck. "Let’s just say it’s not a common ingredient in here." He cleared his throat, changing the subject. "While you’re at the market, see if you can arrange a short patrol mission for the guards. Outside the city walls, of course. Tell them to focus on…" He paused, considering his options.

"Trolls," he finally decided. "And Emblem Elks, if they can find any. Their… byproducts will be helpful for certain potions."

Francis raised an eyebrow. "Emblem Elks, Lord Arzan? Those are quite rare and very aggressive. Are you sure?"

"Desperate times," Kai said his thoughts aloud. "Besides, the guards need some practice, and those creatures shouldn’t be too difficult for a well-coordinated squad."

"As you wish," Francis said, making a note on a separate parchment. "One more thing, Lord Arzan. I believe the leatherworker, Rosalind, is waiting outside. Would you like me to call her in?"

"Yes, sure," he said as Francis walked to tell a guard outside the door to call Rosalind.

Every noble had their own people to make clothes and armour. The City of Veralt was the same. Specific people mastered the making of specific things and exclusively worked for nobles.

Though today, he wasn’t looking to build leather armour.

Francis frowned as he returned. "I wonder, Lord Arzan…" he paused, glancing at his expressions. "Why do you need Rosalind?"

"Alchemy… it can be a messy business. Fumes, explosions, strange concoctions bubbling away— we can say that a lot of alchemists meet unfortunate ends thanks to their cauldrons bursting. That too, a lot of those deaths don’t even get out because it’s known as shameful."

Francis’s eyes widened. "Then surely, Lord Arzan, a protective suit is a necessity. We can’t put your life into any kind of danger," he said before putting a hand on his chin. "I believe something with reinforced stitching and a good hood to shield your face from those vapours would be a good fit."

Kai nodded. A slow smile spread across his face. "Precisely, that was my plan." he pointed at the parchments that were in front of them.

"I’ve only seen top alchemists make one of those protective suits. Apprentices and novices usually work… well, without them." Francis said hesitantly, "The dangers of alchemy simply haven’t crossed my mind, Lord Arzan."

Kai sighed, a wry smile playing on his lips. This world, it seemed, hadn’t quite grasped the full spectrum of risks associated with alchemical experimentation.

If he was right, most alchemist won’t even live too long spending their lives around the fumes. It was only by the end of the Golden era of magic that it had become a norm in alchemy with new apprentices giving suits of their own.

Even then, from what he knew, it was because a genius alchemist had died in an explosion at a young age, prompting the ruling of such a law.

"Think of it like a warrior going into battle without armour," he explained. "Sure, some might survive on luck and skill, but why tempt fate? A little protection goes a long way."

A knock on the door interrupted their conversation.

Kai gestured for the person to enter and as it opened, it revealed a middle-aged woman with a confident stride walking in.

Kai immediately noticed the callouses on her hands.

"Rosalind Tannery, at your service, Lord Arzan," she announced, bowing her head respectfully.

Kai nodded in return, appreciating the no-nonsense air about her.

"Rosalind," he began, gesturing to the parchments. "I have a request that’s a bit… unconventional. I need a protective suit made from tough leather, preferably reinforced at the seams. Think of something that could withstand minor explosions and shield the wearer from noxious fumes."

Rosalind’s eyes widened as she looked at the parchment.

The request was certainly out of the ordinary, but her curiosity seemed to be piqued. She unfolded the parchment and studied the rough sketch he had drawn. It was a hooded suit with gloves and boots.

"Interesting," she murmured, tracing the lines with a calloused finger. "I haven’t made anything quite like this before. But a challenge is always welcome. Tell me, Lord Arzan, what kind of movement do you expect in this suit? Will you be standing over a cauldron most of the time, or will there be a lot of bending and reaching?"

Kai tapped his chin thoughtfully. "A good mix of both, I suppose. I’ll need to be able to move freely, but also be protected if something goes… awry."

Rosalind nodded. "Leave it to me, Lord Arzan," she said. "I’ll craft a suit that’s both durable and allows for flexibility. Give me a few days, and I’ll have something you’ll be pleased with."

Kai returned a smile at those words.