When ZEKE had said that he had prepared a few other items for them to practice on, Alarion had imagined three or four, perhaps five, at the outside.

The actual number was forty-three.

The spells within ran the breadth of basic sorcery. One was a wand that could slow the progress of conditions in a narrow area, another a ring that allowed Alarion to create and direct a light source. He learned to create bolts of fire and freezing winds, to defend his mind from mental attack, and to drop an enemy into an unanticipated pit. Most importantly, over the course of a month, he learned the true value of an Affinity.

Alarion took to spells within his Affinity, such as [Void Slash], like a fish to water. Even with the limitations of his flaw, he was proficient with most within a day. Spells that fell outside his specialization were harder. It took him three days of intense focus to create even a passable illusion, and nearly as long to take command of what should have been a simple [Vine Trip] spell. Yet those struggles paled compared to his one and only attempt at oppositional gravity magic.

They only permitted him two days for the attempt because of his stubbornness. Learning what not to do was important, but dwelling upon it was not, as ZEKE had said. In the end, Alarion spent only one.

It wasn't a challenge. Battling in Elena's [Void Arena] had been a challenge. Sparring with ZEKE or Sierra was a challenge because there was a chance of success, however infinitesimal. Trying to grasp gravity magic was like trying to fist fight the governor, like trying to beat back winter.

It was nonsensical, paradoxical. Energies that flowed so freely to his Affinities balked at the suggestion that they be used for something contrary to their nature. What was once a smooth flow of mana became a chaotic mess that shattered the flimsy structure of the spell formula over and over again. It was so pointless and counter-productive that even Alarion would take no for an answer.

After it had blown up in his face a few dozen times.

In the end, they decided on four spells for Alarion's repertoire, along with trinkets containing the basic [Clean], [Mend], and [Flare] cantrips most mages knew by heart:

Void Slash [Rank I]

Requirements: None

Affinity: Void

Type: Projectile

Cost: 75 MP

Range: 100 Yards

Duration: Instant

Effects: Creates a vacuum blade of up to three feet in length that strikes along a predetermined path.

—

Mend Body [Rank I]

Requirements: None

Affinity: Body

Type: Healing/Channeled

Cost: 10 MP/Sec

Range: Self

Duration: Channeled

Effects: Heal a slight amount of HP per second while channeling this spell.

—

Quicken [Rank I]

Requirements: None

Affinity: Time

Type: Enhancement

Cost: 5 MP/Sec

Range: Self

Duration: Channeled + 5 seconds

Effects: Raise AGI a slight amount while autonomously channeling this spell.

—

Solar Burst [Rank I]

Requirements: None

Affinity: Sun

Type: Burst

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Cost: 180 MP and 100 HP

Range: 15 Yards

Duration: Instant

Effects: Burns a portion of the caster's life force to create a spherical burst, reminiscent of the sun. This spell deals major damage, reducing with distance from the epicenter. This spell deals substantial additional damage to fiends.

Each spell was a basic staple of its respective Affinity, the kind any mage specializing in that Affinity would learn during their apprenticeship. Of the four, only [Mend Body] and [Quicken] were spells that Alarion could claim he truly knew, with the other two contained within a dagger and a broach, respectively.

Learning spells directly hadn't proven difficult, so much as time-consuming. Spell formulas, such as the formula for [Void Slash] contained within his dagger, were simple to pick up and use, but they offered no real insight into the magic they contained. Consequently, they were of only moderate value toward his ultimate goal of developing a class. There were mages focused entirely on using external spell formulas and magic items, but it was not a path ZEKE wanted Alarion to walk. ZEKE wanted him to be a proper mage, which meant learning spells. For the time being, Alarion could only learn spells contained within his body, but that would change once Alarion gained a class and the spellcasting skill that came with it.

Fortunately, teaching Alarion how to channel his mana internally had proven surprisingly painless. Despite the many problems inherent in his flaw, he could channel mana within his body as readily as any pupil ZEKE had taught. A few days of visualization practice had been enough, which left only the tedious process of learning the intricate mental exercises and patterns of each new spell.

The final remaining issue was overspecialization. Most beginner spells that focused on internal channeling were some variant of enhancement magic. Learning too many risked the System offering him a class specialized in enhancement magic. Not necessarily a bad choice under other circumstances, but ZEKE had his sights set much higher.

It was unlikely that Alarion's flaw could ever be made into a virtue, but with enough practice, the Steelborn hoped to develop a class that could take advantage of its peculiarities. The System rewarded struggle, and with luck, which Alarion had in abundance, they aimed for something beyond the common [Enhancement Mage]. To obtain such a class, Alarion needed to push against his limits.

Which was what led to the most recent iteration of what had become a very tired argument.

"Why not?" Alarion asked from across an empty table. It was well into the evening, late enough that they spoke mostly by moonlight. Sierra had retired half an hour earlier, and ZEKE had left to do… whatever it was the Steelborn did while the others slept. Only Elena remained to argue over his perpetual request. "I improve much more quickly by actually fighting."

"Pick one of an infinite number of reasons," sighed Elena. "We have not captured the Revenant, for a start."

"I cou-"

"Even if you are stronger now, there is no telling if you would be strong enough. By Sierra's telling, the revenant was rank II. You have not closed the power gap, to say nothing of the tricks he is likely to have at his disposal. What would you do if he dropped you into another pit?"

Alarion's sullen look could not debate her logic, though it tried its best.

"Excluding that risk, it still would not be worth it. Remember, stress and challenge are keys that the System looks at for progression. Your magic is not strong enough to kill the more powerful fiends, and the weaker ones would not pose a considerable threat given your physical attributes. If we had a class suppression collar, then perhaps-"

"A what?"

"It is a…" Elena gestured meaninglessly with her hand as she struggled to recall a technical definition that would not come. "… thing, usually a collar. They suppress all attributes and skills from a class down to a specified rank. They are typically used on high-value prisoners, but some houses use them as training aids when advancing lower-level or rank classes."

Alarion raised his eyebrows. That sounded amazing. "Could we-"

"No," the older woman scowled. "While you could make one for a Rank I class, the components are expensive enough that no one bothers."

"Ah."

"You just need some patience. You have over a month before we need to reassess. Plenty of time."

He nodded glumly. "I know. It is just so slow."

"I see why Sierra wished to strangle you," said Elena with a roll of her eyes. "You would think by now you would have some grasp of how fortunate you are. How incredible your progression is compared to the norm."

"Fortunate," Alarion said the word like an ugly curse, but he took her meaning all the same. "I understand. I just want to be stronger. To be useful."

That drew the slightest frown from Elena's ruby lips. The woman leaned forward in her seat, massaging the thumb of one gloved hand into the palm of the other as she spoke. "Do you know why I took you in? Rather than sending you for induction?"

"My Aptitude?"

"That was the proximate reason, yes. But not the underlying one." Elena fixated on her hands as she spoke. "I know what we are, Alarion. I have spent years in the Empire's holdings. I see the reports. I know what happens to the children and the adults I send away to service, I am not naive. We can be wasteful. Cruel. Domineering and violent. But we can be good as well. At least, I have to think so."

Alarion turned away. It felt wrong to look at Elena when she was so vulnerable. It called to mind ugly memories—a sobbing conversation around a kitchen table, and another in a field.

"Some part of me thought, 'Oh, this one I can save'. But I am unsure if that part of me won in the end, or if it was the part that thought 'This one I can use'." Elena's voice was wry and bitter as she continued. "Whatever my reasons then, I value you now, Alarion. I will do everything in my power to make sure you remain safe. That you can grow, whether you are useful or not."

There was a pause as Alarion consumed her words. When he spoke at last, it was with a quiet voice, as timid as she had ever heard him. "Then why did you not stop him?"

"What are you-" Elena started to ask before the realization struck her. Too late. Alarion was already up, pacing away from her, though she caught up to him quickly and caught his arm. "Alarion, stop."

He pulled once on his wrist, but her grip was tight. Despite her diminutive size, Elena had a firm grip. He wasn't going anywhere unless she let him, but it didn't mean he had to look at her.

"I am sorry. About my husband. I am sorry it took me this long to say I am sorry. That sort of instruction can be… typical," Elena's words swam in sympathy, or guilt, as she held him at arm's length. "He means well in his heart, I think. I have seen him be good, generous, and kind. But like all of us, he can be wasteful and cruel and violent. Even to me."

"Am I going to be?"

"No, my dear boy. No." Elena could take no more as she closed the distance and pushed an embrace onto the young man's shoulders. He stood stoic for several heartbeats, then sagged as a slight shudder ran through him. "Mothers, forgive me if I let you turn out like that. No. You have the choice to be better."

They stood there until Alarion's tears stopped, until his breaths were no longer wracked with sorrow. Only then did Elena release him, though she kept a hand on his shoulder. Her face was pinched, thoughtful, and conflicted as she weighed a decision.

"Tomorrow-"

"I can!?" Alarion blurted out in surprise.

"No," Elena scowled, even though it could not fully cover her laughter. "There is one option we have not given you. That I have withheld as your guardian. But I think you are mature enough to consider it. ZEKE will disapprove, and he will give you his reasons. Listen to them, consider them, and decide on your own."

"What sort of option?"

She answered his question with another. "What do you know of Lal Viren?"

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