Mender was the first to wake, only to find his sister on the floor, snoring and drooling. With a small chuckle, he shook her awake. "Time to get up, Jamie."

"Huh?" Wiping the drool from her mouth, she groaned.

"James is going to be downstairs soon, we need to act like we didn't drink all night."

Closing her eyes, she sighed before crawling to her feet. "Let's go. Hopefully we will leave the city soon."

Mender agreed. Getting up, he looked into the mirror and frowned. His tidy black hair was a mess and needed washing. He needed to go back to the sect to gather his belongings, but didn't want to go alone, and he didn't dare bring Jamie with.

Moving to the basin, he washed his face with the stale water and ran his finger through his hair, fixing some of it. Jamie copied him a second later, and together they went downstairs. To no one's surprise, Amber was already eating when they reached the bar.

"Amber!" Jamie chirped.

"Hey, kid." Slurping her porridge, the orange nekorian waved at them.

"I should be feeding you," Jamie huffed. Moving to her side, she tried to grab Amber's spoon.

"Hold on, darling," Amber laughed. "Are you still drunk?"

Crossing her arms, Jamie stomped her foot. "No!"

Rolling his eyes, Mender pulled out a chair and waved for Mason to grab food for them. While he waited, he watched as Amber kept pushing Jamie away, who fought for the spoon.

James and Luna arrived a few minutes later, just as his porridge was set down. "Sleep well?" he asked.

James smiled. "We did. Amber's cake was delicious."

Chuckling, Mender picked up his spoon. "I hate to ask this, but I have business in the sect today. Can one of you come with me?"

Jamie stopped playing around. "What do you need to go back for?"

"Clothes and a few other items."

Luna smiled and sat down by his side. "I'll go up with you. James will likely be up there as well today, so no one will give us trouble."

Jamie quickly clapped her hands. "More enchanting!"

Pointing out her porridge, James said, "sit down and eat. It's getting cold."

"Sorry," Jamie whined.

"So much for being timid…" Luna muttered.

Mender didn't want to comment on that. His sister truly was timid to most people. But she was comfortable around James and that spoke volumes. She hadn't opened up as much since their father was taken from them.

Shoveling the last of the porridge into his mouth, Mender got up. "We should be off. The sooner we get this done with, the sooner we can finish buying supplies."

"Didn't we buy them the other day?" Amber questioned.

Frowning, Mender crossed his arms. "Dragging me to a beast demi-human store to look at underwear does not help me with supplies. No matter how much you want to show off those outfits to James, I still need stuff."

Gawking, Jamie spun on Amber. "You're going to model underwear for James, and you didn't invite me?"

Groaning, Amber flipped her off before getting up. "I'll be back tonight." Before anyone could follow up with questions, the nekorian left.

James cleared his throat. "Jamie, are you ready?"

Setting down her empty bowl, she nodded. "Yes, dear brother! Take me away!"

Chuckling, James held out his arm for the girl. Once they were linked together, they left as well.

"Do I get to hold your arm?" Mender teased as he turned to Luna.

"You won't regenerate your arm until after your change. Care to risk losing it now?" Her tone was impassive as she regarded him.

Pinching the bridge of his nose, he decided not to answer. "If we hurry, we can ride the elevator up with them."

Luna regarded him for a moment before something inside him stirred as she brushed her senses against what he now understood was his soul. She was taking his measure.

"I'll keep you safe," she said after retracting her senses.

"Thanks," he said earnestly.

Leaving together, they hurried after James and Jamie and found them a few miles into the city without any reasoning on why they were moving so quickly. Still, they road the elevator up together before breaking apart in the inner sect.

"My house is down this road," Mender stated while turning the opposite direction as his sister.

"Why does your sister live in a workshop?" Luna asked as she kept close to his side.

Panning his gaze over the many cultivators watching them with anger and annoyance, he said, "I'm a healer and have a higher status in the sect. I did offer her to live with me, but she preferred to be with her work."

Luna hummed. "She's very focused on her craft. Almost like she's as focused on her drinking."

Frowning, Mender glanced at her, not wanting to give away his frustration. He should have known better to hide when her soul brushed him and she chuckled.

"Did I touch a nerve?" she asked.

"A small one," he admitted. "Does our drinking bother you? I noticed you drink just as much."

Shrugging, she yawned. "I don't drink to drown myself. We didn't have alcohol in my tribe and I'm trying to learn my limits. The different flavors are a whole new experience, but I have worried James, and am cutting down.

"The question I have, is why you and Jamie are running? The sect isn't hunting you down, and the elder seems okay with you joining us. I find myself asking, what could have happened that two excellent cultivators are willing to throw everything away to live in the wastelands?"

He didn't answer. Instead, he led her to his house and entered with her right behind. "Does it matter?"

"It does," she said. "I'm going to be relying on you with my life. James will drop everything to help you, and I don't want him walking blindly into danger. Are you using him?"

The tale has been illicitly lifted; should you spot it on Amazon, report the violation.

Mender was about to lie when her soul brushed him again. Grinding his teeth, he nodded. "We are. We need strength that rivals his."

Meeting his gaze, she didn't respond as the seconds turned to a minute. Retracting her soul, she nodded. "Very well. I'm going to warn you once. Talk to James and explain what you need his help with. If you do not, I will devour your soul so you cannot hurt him. He's very emotional when it comes to his friends, and I don't need him starting a war on your behalf."

"It would only be a small one," Mender joked with a smirk.

Her eyes hardened. "I don't care. I will tell him that we should take you and that you both are going to work very hard to get stronger and grow our sect. Once you have your strength, feel free to start your war, but James will not be part of it."

Shoulders slumping, Mender turned away. "Do you even care what happens to humans?"

To his surprise, Luna rested her hand on his shoulder. "Revenge doesn't condone murdering the innocent. You don't see me chasing down my old tribe that tried to kill me. They simply wanted me as a breeder. A mindless pup. You need to think long and hard about who you plan on killing. James won't let innocent people die."

"Would he stop me?" Mender asked softly.

"I would like to believe he would. But you are his friend. His only male friend he's ever had. To make matters better, you aren't trying to get into his pants, like a certain woman."

"Jamie won't admit it, but she loves that man," he said with a laugh.

"Jamie?" Luna growled. "I was talking about Amber."

Eyes widening, he slapped his hand over his mouth.

"I let them go off together," Luna mumbled.

"Leave them," Mender quickly said. "She won't do anything without permission, or a lot of drinking. Plus if she does show him her ass, he'll still think she's gay."

Bursting out laughing, Luna diffused the tension. "Well, he's still mine. God only knows what's going to happen if their souls resonate with his. He's something else, Mender. I'm strong, and I know I am, but James…"

"He's going to become a god," he whispered.

"Yeah. Even now, he can find out singular souls across the city. That's miles of territory, and nearly a million souls to sort through. He knows exactly where I am."

Nodding, Mender moved to his bedroom. "I won't pretend to understand that. I'm not ready to admit that someone can have that kind of power. Especially someone that doesn't use it for their own good."

Following behind him, Luna started opening his dressers. "Let's hurry and get everything packed. Please don't be like James and live in leather and feather armor. God does it stink after a day of fighting."

Laughing, he turned to the Fenrir. Shaking his head, he didn't know what to say. She was honest about her desire to protect him at all costs. There was something innocent about him that he didn't want to the world to taint. Heavens help anyone that hurts him or his friends.

The question he had was, will James go back to his old sect? Someone tried to kill him. Someone close to him. Where will their journey take them?

James sat at the worktable, a veritable hoard of necklaces in front of him. The simple chains all had sigils of a mountain hanging from their links, and that was what he was supposed to enchant.

"We need a protective bubble," Jamie stated. "What we are trying is journeyman tier enchanting."

"I'm a novice," he argued.

"Yeah…"

"Then why are we trying this?" he questioned.

Stepping up behind him, she started rubbing his shoulders. "Because I have faith that you can do it. You wouldn't let me down, would you?"

Expression falling, he picked up a necklace. "It's not fair to tease me like that."

Giggling, she sat down next to him, brushing her leg against his. "Come on, dear brother, let's get started. I have the simple rune design already in place. You just need to fill it with your power."

Flipping the sigil over, he found what looked like an oval with wavy lines coming off it. Closing his eyes, he tried to envision what he needed. Jamie wanted a barrier that could be activated to surround the wearer. It would need to repel attacks, but it couldn't always be active.

Rubbing his eyes, he frowned. How am I supposed to make a enchantment that can be activated like that. The barrier would have to repel all Qi, but is it possible to only activate with a singular Qi?

Still frowning, he started pushing energy into the gold. The metal protested against his will, pushing back equally as strong. Seconds turned to minutes as they fought back and forth for dominance. Just when he was about to give up, everything clicked into place.

"You did it?" Jamei questioned.

Opening his eyes, the golden necklace was glowing with white veins. "I don't know…"

Before they could try it, the necklace disintegrated in his hands.

"Dammit!"

Jamie rubbed his back. "We'll figure it out. We have some rings to take to Master Marion. Why don't we take a small break and pick his brain?"

Nodding, James brushed himself off. With Jamie's help, he got to his feet as they gathered up their enchanted items. They didn't dare leave anything behind.

The walk down to the shop was filled with silence as a certain girl clung to his arm. It was a comfortable companionship that he enjoyed as they entered the shop and found Mary drawing a sigil on a robe.

"Is he in?" James asked.

Mary perked up. "The love of my life graces me with his presence!"

"Right…" Scratching his cheek, he looked past the woman. "Marion! You here?"

Grumbling could be heard from the workshop before the old man wandered out. "Bring me something new?"

"No, just more rings," he admitted. "I need help with a design. We are trying to make a necklace that can create a barrier against attacks, but I can't figure out the mindset."

Humming, Marion took the box of rings from Jamie. "That's some high journeyman work, children. You're trying to reach the stars by stepping in a river."

"Uhh…"

Jamie frowned. "It can't be that hard."

Setting the box down, Marion moved behind the counter and withdrew a tea set. With the infusion of his Qi, he summoned tea for them. "Do you know why we start slow with enchanting?"

"To build our foundation," Jamie droned. "But, Master, I've been an apprentice for years. Why can't I take that next step?"

"You can talk with the material, right?" Marion asked.

"Yes." Jamie nodded right away.

"No," James admitted.

Handing over tea for both of them, Marion sipped his own. "There lies your problem, children. It's not enough to force your way through an enchantment. Nor is it enough to feel the material telling you what it would like. A journeyman can have a conversation with his materials. They can both agree what would be best, and how they can experiment. Neither of you are ready for that."

"I see…" James murmured.

Jamie slumped. "When will we be ready?"

Shrugging, Marion said, "I don't know. It's not a fast process, Jamie. You know that. As cultivators, we age far slower than mortals, so we have the years to practice. What you two need to do is talk with your materials and try to understand them. James especially. Stop trying to fly by swimming in a river."

Letting out a slow breath, James nodded. "I understand. What would you suggest for necklaces for us?"

Scrunching his brows, Marion thought it over. "You could make batteries. A necklace that can hold Qi to be used by the owner. In fights, that is often more important than a barrier."

"That doesn't sound simple," Jamie argued.

"It isn't, at least not for the first time." Marion waved a finger at her. "But are you going to give up before you even start? Is that the Jamie you have become?"

Scowling, she shook her head. "You know damn well that I won't give up!"

Chuckling, Marion went back to the counter. "Give me a few days to move these rings. I think loading you two up with supplies would be best. Where you are going won't have what you need to practice."

Jamie bowed deeply before handing back her tea. "I believe I need to meditate, Master. I have all of these ideas, but you are right. I need to practice feeling my materials. I have made the mistake of rushing James."

"You have," he admitted. "Now take him back to the basics, Jamie. Together, you two can surpass me. But that will only happen if you two work together to learn and grow."

James handed back his tea as well. "Let's spend the day starting over, Jamie. We'll work on the batteries this afternoon. I want to feel the materials more."

"I agree, dear brother. We can meditate together."

Smiling, he bowed to Marion. "If you'll excuse us, Master."

"I'll test your necklaces when you are done. And Jamie? Don't give up. He's worth the effort."

Frowning, he turned to Jamie to find her smiling wide. She nodded once before taking his arm and leading him away. He didn't dwell on it long as they returned to the workshop and got started.

Amber sat at the bar with Mason, a mug of tea in her hands. "Only a few days left, Mason."

"Don't think I'll miss you, nekorian," he joked.

Snorting a laugh, Amber swirled her tea. "I'll be a cultivator soon. Did you think my life would take this turn?"

"The Matron did. Plus, I always knew you were meant for something more. I never wanted you to take over the slums. I wanted to see you with those fancy robes and power in your soul."

"I'll literally have power in my soul," she joked. "That man is going to change me, and I'm going to do anything I can for him."

"You are in love, My Queen. Just don't intrude on his current relationship. It wouldn't do to anger his wife. He'll take her side over anyone else."

"I know…" Amber shook her head. "I wish I could have found him first."

"Is there really a threat coming towards the city?" he asked, changing subjects.

Glancing out the window, she nodded. "Yeah. James will handle it. And while he prepares, I will prepare to keep his friends safe. I have to leave in a little bit to figure out the truth behind a few rumors. I pray that they aren't true."

"I'll keep a mug chilled for you." Turning back to his glasses, he started polishing.

Downing the last of her tea, she wiped her lips. "We'll talk tonight, old friend."

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