I sat at the edge of the Gathering with Kanieta and Franklin, everyone ignoring us as it was clear that the messenger was in charge of this interaction and Franklin was no longer making a scene. It was just how I liked it, as the posturing on both sides and the agreements they were drawing up on a large parchment would be a headache to deal with.

"So," I asked Kaneita after a couple of hours of sitting on the stone chairs that Franklin had made for the three of us, "Why aren't you over there handling this?"

"What?" Kaneita turned to me, looking shocked and hurt, "You don't like spending time with me so much that you are trying to send me away to be tortured? I thought we were starting to get along after all those hours of study and discovery."

I side-eyed her and replied in a dry tone, "I don't remember much discovery or teamwork. Just a lot of nagging as you harried me until you got me to do everything you wanted."

"Exactly! You were such a good test subject, and now it's like you are trying to send me away for something I did wrong. How could you!" Looking over, I saw the Kin looking up and away, tears welling up in her eyes and sniffling. For some reason, I felt like I was in the wrong… for asking why she wasn't doing her job.

"She quit," Franklin spoke up, cutting off my line of thought. "Her faction is in the process of transferring her position to Heckarock over there. It's about time if you ask me. What leader would leave their faction for a month during such a delicate and complex time as now?"

"So the Redtail Faction finally got tired of her bullshit and was going to kick her out, but she quit before they could?" I shifted to look at Franklin between us, ignoring the woman whose face had shifted from despair to shocked irritation in an instant.

"Yep, exactly right," Franklin grunted. "The talk around town is that she is only being included in this because the process still isn't done yet, and officially, she is becoming an elder. Though, really, even an elder would have more influence than Kanieta right now, so I wonder if she's actually getting the position."

"She was a Faction Leader for a while, right? How long? Or was it all a lie? I never really saw her actually do anything,"

"Sure, she was a faction leader, as far as that goes. Their faction is new, only about seven years old, give or take, but she was a chieftain building her faction a few years before then… maybe ten total? I couldn't really say. But while creating a faction is somewhat impressive, it's completely different than what's required to rise up and seize control of long-established factions like the Blood Claw."

"Hmm, ten years in which she led her people into a new land to save them, and no one will even seek out her input on the first trade deal between two nations… Makes one wonder if she was really all that great of a leader."

"Excuse me!" Kaneita said in a drawn-out, high-pitched tone. Looking over at the indignant woman who had finally found her voice, I slowly shook my head in feigned disappointment before turning back to Franklin.

"Look," I said, lowering my voice slightly, "Now she's butting into a private conversation. Probably going to make a scene too just to make herself look relevant in the nearly ended negotiations."

"Some people just have no class," Franklin garbled while digging a chunk of meat out of his teeth before looking at the chunk. Shrugging, the badger threw it back into his maw and swallowed it before reaching over to the plate of refreshments he had stolen for another hunk of grilled meat.

Unable to keep a straight face under Kaneita's glare, I started jerking as I tried to contain my laughter. Really, if she was going to mock and play with others, then she could only expect the same in turn. The indignation on her face turned to shock before something flashed in her eyes, and she turned away in a huff, her cheeks slightly red.

"Ahem!" I grunted, also looking away and reaching for my goblet of wine to take a sip. It had a rich and deep flavor, probably something expensive that I would have to give up a few years of my pay just for a cup of. And yet the legatus was carting out dozens of similar wines for the beastkins to try.

An arrangement that the Kin reacted to by carrying in food on intricately inlaid trays placed atop wagons that moved under their own power. Then there was the clothing of those picking up and walking around with the food on the gold platters. Every Kin wore clothing with bright colors, intricate designs, and gems, each one in a different style, though all were of a quality that rivaled, if not surpassed, anything I had ever seen.

If it wasn't already apparent, both sides were attempting to show off their best wares, and if I was being honest, I was pretty sure the Kin was winning. Though it might just be my nose and stomach talking as the food was delicious.

"So," I said after a couple minutes of listening to Franklin breaking a bone and watching the gathering talk about taxes on the square. "If you're handing over your position, why are you here. Kind of seems like you're undermining his authority."

You might be reading a pirated copy. Look for the official release to support the author.

"Yeah," Kathren sighed, "I didn't want to come, but I had to get in contact with you." I felt a little jolt as I heard those words. An emotion that vanished under a wave of trepidation as Kaneita continued speaking, "I think I have a way to create the shield to block the Call, and I need you to test it."

"…How do you need me to test it?" I hesitantly asked.

"Simple," Kaneita said, pulling out… what did she call it? An amulet? Yeah, that was it. However, I could be wrong, as she also called an item that looked similar to this a focus. I wasn't entirely clear on the subject.

What I was clear about was that the item was nothing like the twine, twigs, gems, and feathers I pulled from the Crescent Moon wolves. Well, maybe not nothing, as they supposedly performed similar tasks. But as Kaneita put it, her amulets were works of rigorous study and dedication in pursuit of perfection, while theirs were thrown together trash that worked as often as they failed.

What she tossed over to me was a thin piece of copper that had intricate lines and symbols on both sides, with what might be a small diamond in the center. As I studied the item, she continued speaking, "When we first started out testing to see if you could block the Call, I was mainly trying to see if it was possible and to what level it could be done."

"Which we proved I could," I added.

"Yes, we did." Kanieta agreed, "However, in doing so, you needed to completely envelop me with your psy, and the result was me losing all access to any external mana."

"I think that's pretty good," I distractedly muttered, not seeing the issue. "At least the Call was being blocked."

"Yes…" Kaneita said drily, "You blocked the Call, and in doing so, I only had access to my mana reservoir, which is several times smaller than yours. A reserve that is nearly at the bottom of the recognized scale of power your people have." Looking embarrassed that she was rubbing my face in something I had no control over, the Kin started quickly talking again. "Umm, anyway… My point is that my mana and potential spells would be nonexistent. And if I plan to fulfill my desire of moving south and entering the heart of your people's power before moving into the remnants of the old world… blocking the Call won't be enough…"

Blankly staring at her for a few seconds, I let the silence hang in the air before finally speaking, "…I'm guessing that you figured out how to fix that problem."

"Ahh, yes!" Kaneita declared, happy to move the conversation on. "Maybe… It's a step in the right direction, at the least. Anyway, I determined that while our energies are different, it isn't the difference between psy and mana that is suppressing the Call."

She paused at that, an expectant look on her face as she stared at me. After a few seconds, I finally asked, "And what is blocking the Cal—

"Your willpower!" Kanieta stated, all but cutting me off in her excitement. She leaned over Franklin and his chair, her eyes burning from passion, "Psy and mana are specialized! From what I can tell, psy is aspected to carry your willpower and be shaped by it easier, while mana is focused on being easier to attribute itself and interact with nature. Neither one is inherently cutting off the world, though psy would be simpler to do so than mana. The difference is that you — and your people — know what it feels like to be cut off and suppressed from the world's energy as it is already doing so. You have to resist and push back the pressure just to cast anything outside your body, so inherently, you block out the Call when you create a casting around a Kin."

"Doesn't that mean all you have to do is develop a spell that uses your willpower to create a shield?"

"Yes, but it's impossible." Leaning back in her seat, Kaneita looked up, biting her upper lip as she tapped her chin. "Well, maybe not impossible. But it would take years of meditation before I could even begin imparting that feeling and willpower into mana, let alone reach a point so that it's practical to create a spell."

Coming out of her thoughts, she turned to me, a smile spreading over her face, as she pointed at my chest, "You, however… given, well, everything, are a shortcut that I am willing to take full advantage of. Now, inject some of your ps—" she stopped talking mid-sentence, and rolled her eyes knowing I wouldn't do it unless she asked me correctly, "Excuse me. Please inject your mental energy infused with the willpower to push back the ambient world's energy into the gem."

"Ohh!" I exclaimed, "I was lost there for a second… Just give me a moment." I muttered, looking down at the disk in my left hand. Still used to conserving my mental energy, I moved my right index finger above the gem and formed a tendril that I infused my will into—

"Only a drop of power!" Kanieta snapped, worry filling her voice. Grunting to acknowledge the comment, I shunted most of my gathered mental energy, as I was probably using far too much. Now, with a drop of energy a little bigger than a wheat seed, I focused on shielding my mental energy. Blocking out the world… I knew now that was what I was doing, but it sounded… wrong, I guess? I just couldn't get into the right mind space to cast with that intent.

Instead, I focused on making the walls of the casting as robust as possible. It would be as impenetrable as a fifty-foot wide wall and could last centuries standing against anything nature could throw at it. Seconds passed as I focused all of my attention on the tiny casting, and when I felt slightly lightheaded from the focus, I lowered my finger the last few inches, touching the casting to the gem.

I felt the bead deform around the jewel. With a slight flex of will, I pushed the casting forward and intended it to enter the crystal, and before I realized what had happened, the mental energy and willpower vanished. It was a minor shock, but what startled me even more was that the crystal flashed gold as it changed color.

Blinking at the amulet as I stared at it, a hand reached into my view to snatch the item away. Following the disappearing arm, I muttered to Kaneita, "You're welcome," as her world became consumed with the object in her hand.

Hearing a bunch of clapping, I looked over to see Panta rising from the document, both sides of the meeting celebrating and grasping arms with each other. Finally, this is—

Eyes snapping to the side, a legionary sprinted across the square and slid to a stop before Panta, where he gasped out, "A delegation of senators has arrived at the Triad and is coming here."

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