Chương 69: A Glimpse Ahead

Roy stood with his arms folded and watched half a building float through the air. A bundle of thick support beams rose from beside the construction site, separated cleanly in midair, and drifted toward Kaelu one at a time. The timberwright barely looked surprised anymore.

"Third one." A beam rotated.

"Other way." It rotated back.

"That's too far." It corrected itself by what looked like half an inch. Kaelu grunted.

"Good." Lilly lowered one finger across the worksite, and the beam descended into place. Roy shook his head at the absurdity. He'd spent the morning trying to determine exactly how much labor Lilly's presence was replacing. His original estimate had been twelve workers, but that now felt conservative. Her current Fourth Seal imposed very real limits on how much mass she could manipulate at once, but twelve people needed twelve separate sets of instructions. Lilly did not.

She could lift one beam, hold another steady, rotate a stone block, stack lumber behind herself, and apparently continue an unrelated conversation while doing all of it. Years of technique clearly mattered a lot. Aegis was less subtle. The Storm Dragon, currently in human form, had an entire stack of stone balanced across one shoulder.

"Where?" Kaelu pointed.

"There." Aegis dropped it, causing the ground to shake. Kaelu's face tightened.

"Gently."

"It did not break."

"That wasn't the instruction." Roy smiled before shifting his gaze. Nimbus was working farther downhill, repeatedly transferring water into the massive thermal basins from the well. Once the proper fill levels were reached and the final internal systems confirmed, the upper portions could finally be sealed and buried. From there, they could start on the Exchange House above them. The Healing House was already finished. Kaelu's workshop was progressing at a rate Roy wouldn't have believed two months ago.

After that, housing would come next. The Waystation bell rang out twice, followed by Uncle's voice carried from the central area.

"Dinner in an hour! Finish whatever you're doing and wash yourselves before Aurelia returns and blames me for all of you being filthy!" Kaelu looked toward the Waystation.

"She'd blame us."

"Yes," Uncle called back. Kaelu stared.

"How did he hear that?" Aegis immediately set down the stone he was carrying - much more gently this time. Everyone began wrapping up and returning tools to storage. Lilly lowered the remaining materials into neat piles, while Nimbus released one final stream of water into the basin before bounding away. Roy stayed where he was. Normally, he would have used that pre-dinner hour for something. Now, it seemed that he did not need to. Kaelu had always known more about timber construction than Roy did.

Elias understood stone better than Roy could reasonably expect to within several lifetimes of trial and error. Aegis could perform manual work that would have required entire crews, and Lilly could turn construction logistics into a mildly inconvenient puzzle. Roy still planned, designed, and created schematics no ordinary builder could reproduce. He coordinated where Drakehaven went next as a larger goal, but he wasn't necessary to every hammer strike anymore. He knew that was good - it had to be good.

If Drakehaven required him personally supervising every wall, roof, road, and foundation until the end of time, then they had not built a settlement. He'd complained often enough about being enslaved to construction, and now he had people who could do it without him. Freedom should have felt entirely satisfying… Roy looked across Drakehaven, his gaze stopping on the small forge near the cottage. Kindle was there, visible via the ember-colored light that flickered across nearby dark metal.

He had been there for much of the afternoon - exploring. At one point, Roy had watched him spend nearly ten minutes staring into the forge itself. Kindle didn't suddenly have a purpose yet, but he had something to investigate. Roy's smile returned. Maybe being less necessary wasn't the same thing as being less useful - it simply meant the things that needed him were changing.

"Architect?" Roy turned; Lilly stood perhaps twenty feet away. Without the cloud of construction materials orbiting her, she looked considerably less alarming. Her deep green hair was tied back, and her lean frame still recovering from nearly a month of inactivity. Her expression remained composed enough that Roy couldn't tell whether she was irritated, curious, or simply born mildly disappointed in everyone around her.

"That's technically correct," Roy said. Lilly approached.

"I wasn't certain of your name."

"Roy," Roy nodded.

"And you are Lilly."

"So Aurelia did explain."

"Enough." Lilly stopped beside him.

"Then presumably you know I am the unconscious stranger your elderly friend found in the woods."

"That was the important part."

"I would hope so." Roy glanced toward the worksite.

"You've settled in quickly."

"I dislike inactivity, and your settlement has an abundance of things requiring movement."

"It really does." Lilly followed his gaze. For several seconds, neither spoke. Roy finally asked, "How are you finding Drakehaven?"

"Strange. The dragons were initially a concern." Roy looked toward her. Lilly's expression tightened slightly.

"I reacted poorly when I woke up."

"Aurelia mentioned that."

"She was charitable in her description, I assume," Lilly sighed.

"I have calmed quite a bit, though. The creatures here do not behave like the one I remember." Her words came more carefully now.

"The dragon that destroyed Havenwood…there was malice in that destruction that I see none of when I lookk around here." Roy's expression shifted. Lilly looked toward Therma, who was currently following Aegis because one of the stones in his arms had retained a particularly pleasant amount of heat.

"Even Aegis?"

"He is arrogant, but not inherently malicious." Roy smiled.

"Fair." Aegis sneezed from across the settlement. Both looked toward him as he carried on his way. Roy turned back.

"So what did you need?" Lilly was quiet for a moment.

"I intend to teach you something." Roy blinked.

"That was direct."

"I find it saves time."

"Teach me what?"

"That depends," Lilly folded her hands behind her back.

"I have decided that part of my repayment for your family's hospitality will be instruction."

"You don't owe us."

"Aurelia already attempted that argument." Roy nodded.

"That sounds like Aurelia."

"I intend to teach each of you something useful. Ideally something suited to your individual Class or circumstances." Roy studied her.

"That's a fairly substantial gift. Why?" Lilly looked past him. Toward the Ward, but more so to the forest and wilderness beyond it.

"I do not remember everything that happened before I arrived, but I remember enough to know what we were doing."

"Hunting the dragon."

"Yes," her voice stayed even.

"We believed we were close. I don't know whether we were correct. I don't know whether the creature still lives. I don't even know whether it remained near where my companions and I found it." She paused briefly before continuing.

"But if the pieces I remember are accurate, then there is a reasonable chance the dragon we pursued is somewhere in this broader region." Roy's thoughts immediately moved elsewhere - toward Averin Lake. Velara's suppression of something beneath the surface. He did not like how quickly his mind made the connection. There was no evidence the two were connected.

Bellhaven's secret involved something imprisoned beneath the lake for centuries, and Lilly's party had been pursuing a dragon responsible for destroying a settlement somewhere far beyond the basin. Roy knew the world possessed more than one dangerous creature. Still— Lilly continued.

"Drakehaven is growing, which means the settlement is unlikely to remain unnoticed forever. If the creature I hunted is nearby, then Drakehaven could eventually attract its attention." Roy's expression darkened.

"So part of why you're staying…"

"Is practical," she nodded.

"My memories may return, there may be information nearby, and until I determine otherwise, leaving a settlement with the same creature feels irresponsible." Roy considered that, then nodded.

"I appreciate it, and I won't look a gift horse in the mouth." Lilly frowned.

"Gift horse?"

"Expression." The genuine version of this novel can be found on another site. Support the author by reading it there.

"I know the expression. I was considering whether referring to magical instruction as livestock was insulting."

"Probably." She looked at him."Alright then, so what do you lack?" Roy's answer almost came surprisingly quick, despite the usual turmoil that surrounded everything the settlement needed..

"Direction," he admitted.

"I never feel like I know what I should be doing next. I've made a lot of progress, but half the time I feel like I tripped over the correct answer. Especially when it comes to the Weave's quests." Lilly tilted her head slightly.

"The Weave gives you quests?"

"Yes." Lilly stared another second, which prompted Roy to sigh"I've had this conversation before."

"What does it tell you?"

"Depends," Roy counted mentally.

"Sometimes exactly what I need to do. Sometimes a condition. Sometimes something irritatingly vague." Lilly's eyes narrowed with genuine interest.

"And recently?" Roy shrugged.

"It tells me there's something to figure out and then leaves. I can keep stumbling forward, but eventually guessing stops working. I'd like something that lets me ask where I'm going before I walk into the wall." Lilly was silent as she thought. Roy watched her ponder what was likely a large catalog of options before finally nodding.

"I may know something… Come with me."

"Where?"

"Somewhere quiet." Roy gestured.

"Lead the way." They started toward one of the open areas beyond the newer buildings. After several steps, Roy glanced at her.

"Can I ask something? About the dragon that destroyed Havenwood." Lilly's stride changed, though only slightly.

"What about it?"

"If we're supposed to be keeping an eye out, knowing what kind it was might help." Lilly stared ahead. Roy immediately reconsidered whether he should have asked.

"I was too young for the details to be reliable." That was enough of an answer. Still, after several seconds, Lilly continued.

"Fire… Most of Havenwood was destroyed by dragonfire… as well as raw Weave."

"What kind?"

"I don't know," she shook her head.

"I remember pressure. Heat. Trees breaking. Buildings disappearing." Her jaw tightened.

"I remember my father." Roy stopped asking.

"Understood." Lilly looked at him briefly, a small nod of appreciation seemed to cross her face. Then, they continued onward. The thought of the lake remained in Roy's mind, but he pushed it aside. Possibility and nothing more - for now. ─── 🐲🐲🐲 ─── Roy stared at the Status prompt. [Lilly Wishes To Teach New Skill: Precognition] [Confirm?] He looked at Lilly, then back at the words.

"You can teach me a skill?"

"Yes." Roy pointed toward the screen.

"I didn't know this was possible."

"Most people don't encounter it often. Knowing a skill and being able to teach it are different things. If I learn to play a song, that does not make me capable of teaching someone else every movement required to reproduce it."

"Fair."

"Magic is worse. A skill becomes increasingly instinctive with mastery. When you're inexperienced, you think about every component. After years, you simply do it - which makes explaining it harder."

"So higher Seals make better teachers?"

"Usually." Roy looked at her Status. Fourth Seal. Lilly noticed.

"My current Seal does not reflect the amount of time I've spent practicing. Ninth Seal did not disappear from my memory merely because I can no longer access the power." That sentence landed differently than Roy expected. She stated it like a fact more than bitterness. Still—"So Precognition… What does it actually do?"

"Precognition permits limited perception of potential future events." Roy's eyes lit up.

"That sounds extremely useful."

"It sounds extremely useful." His enthusiasm dimmed.

"What does that mean?" Lilly adjusted her posture.

"You might see an event, or something that hasn't happened. It could be a color, a smell, a broken cup, or something else completely random. The spell does not care about the usefulness of the vision, but provides it anyway."

"I see…" Lily almost smiled as she watched Roy's face tighten.

"You dislike this already."

"The cosmic forces apparently possess terrible documentation standards."

"That is one interpretation." Roy looked fascinated despite himself.

"So I ask something. And then…"

"You receive whatever you receive."

"That is horrifying."

"It can be… it can also be very useful."

"How do I know what it means?"

"You often don't. Sometimes the answer is obvious, sometimes it becomes obvious days or months later… and sometimes you understand only after the event has already occurred." Roy's expression went flat.

"What is the point then?"

"Confirmation."

"Of my failure?"

"Of the spell's legitimacy."

"That is the least satisfying magic I have ever heard described…. I want it."

"I assumed you would." Roy looked at the prompt.

"Does it show what definitely happens?"

"No. You are not reading a book that has already been written. You are looking down roads the world currently believes may matter."

"Possible futures."

"Likely ones. Significant ones. Sometimes merely relevant ones."

"And once I see it…"

"You may end up changing it." Roy rubbed his forehead.

"This is awful."

"Yes."

"What happens if I see myself getting stabbed?"

"You might avoid being stabbed - or your attempt to avoid being stabbed might place you where the stabbing occurs." Roy stared. Lilly shrugged.

"Causality."

"I hate causality."

"You haven't even started." Roy looked back at the Status. [Confirm?] He selected yes, then the prompt vanished. Roy waited for something theatrical like the Weave typically had, but it never occurred.

"That was disappointing."

"You expected the knowledge to appear? The Weave recognizes intent to learn, but it does not substitute for learning."

"How long?"

"For this?" Lilly considered him.

"Weeks at a minimum. Precognition is not a simple spell." Roy groaned.

"Wonderful. So where do we do first?"

"Meditate." Roy stared.

"I rescind my acceptance."

"You cannot."

"I'll pretend."

"Just shut up, close your eyes, and clear your mind."

"That's…going to be tough."

"Then we're going to be here a very long time. My mind is how I do everything, and you're asking me to turn it off."

"No," Lilly's voice remained patient.

"I'm asking you to stop grabbing every thought that passes through it." Roy frowned.

"That sounds made up."

"It is meditation." Roy finally closed his eyes as requested.

"Your first problem is not seeing the future - it is learning to recognize when something did not originate from you." That thread seemed to catch his attention. Roy remained still as Lilly continued.

"Expectation contaminates this spell easily."

"So if I want to see something…"

"You may convince yourself you did."

"That's terrible." Roy's expression tightened despite his closed eyes.

"And if I'm overthinking?"

"You will hear yourself instead of anything useful." He opened one eye.

"You picked this specifically because you dislike me."

"I've known you for roughly twenty minutes." Several minutes passed - or maybe thirty seconds? Roy wasn't sure. His brain immediately when to the road, then the obelisk, then Dorian's encrypted message. He began questioning why Dorian used quantities in the fourth column instead of—"Stop." Roy opened his eyes.

"What?"

"You're thinking."

"I warned you."

"Again." Roy started closing his eyes, then paused.

"You said you're teaching all three of us."

"Yes."

"What are you teaching Orion?"

"I haven't decided."

"Aurelia?" Lilly's expression changed. She didn't say anything, but Roy understood the point.

"You already taught her something."

"Ask your dragon."

"My dragon?"

"Aegis."

"What does Aegis have to do with it?"

"He was the one who needed a day to recover afterward." Roy's entire posture changed.

"What did you teach Aurelia?" Lilly closed her eyes.

"We are meditating… Clear your mind." ─── 🐲🐲🐲 ─── Across the settlement, Sevrin Dhal watched Talia erase three lines of her work.

"You're doing it again," he said. Talia did not look up.

"Doing what?"

"Trying to make the answer more impressive than it needs to be."

"It is an envoy report."

"It is a supply dispute."

"Same principle."

"No," Sevrin leaned back.

"The farmer does not care whether you possess an elegant understanding of regional grain distribution."

"He should."

"He wants to know why his cart arrived late." Talia looked up.

"Because the southern track flooded, and because Bellhaven's storage coordinator redirected the first shipment."

"Good…"

"And because the merchant handling the second shipment incorrectly predicted—""Too much." Talia frowned.

"You keep telling me details matter."" Relevant details matter."

"That sounds suspiciously subjective."

"It is."

"I hate this."

"No, you don't." Talia paused, then returned to writing.

"No." Sevrin smiled faintly; he had not expected to enjoy teaching her. The original arrangement had been practical, and everyone benefited in one form or another. A month later, the arrangement had become considerably less clinical. Talia was frustrating and too eager to demonstrate competence, but she was also clever. And unlike many students Sevrin had been forced to tolerate in previous assignments, she actually changed when corrected. At the very least, it made the days less dull.

"You're staring," Talia said.

"I was thinking."

"Dangerous."

"Your brothers are influencing you." She considered that.

"Probably." Sevrin looked beyond her; the settlement was winding down for dinner. Construction had accelerated again in recent days. A month ago, several of the buildings around him had either not existed or consisted primarily of foundations. Now, people moved through Drakehaven with increasingly defined responsibilities. It was becoming harder to think of the place as an improvised frontier camp. More importantly— Lilly. Fourth Seal Mage, though highly skilled.

Sevrin had watched her use telekinesis, and the technique was far beyond what he would've expected. There were questions worth pursuing, but many became dangerous merely because one demonstrated an interest in them. Especially since, in this instance, the old man appeared to somehow be involved. Sevrin looked toward the Waystation. Drakehaven was unlike any settlement he had visited. It was disorganized in ways that should have made it fail, yet flexible in ways that somehow prevented that failure.

Its residents were irritatingly willing to absorb newcomers, and its drakes were absurd. Under ordinary circumstances, Sevrin would not have considered it a serious strategic threat to Velkaryn. But the problem was not what Drakehaven currently was, but what it continued to become. A dragon could hatch, a sibling could advance, or a new resident could appear. The entire assessment became obsolete repeatedly - again and again. Sevrin did not yet know where the ceiling was, and that was the problem.

Typically, there was always a point where growth slowed. If not— Subjugation had always been preferable when possible. Trade pressure, political leverage, or some other form of dependency. There were many methods that did not require violence. But if Drakehaven's growth reached the point where waiting posed a greater danger than intervention— Talia slid the parchment toward him.

"Better?" Sevrin read the opening sentence, then the second. He pointed.

"Remove this." Her eyes narrowed.

"That is relevant - it explains motive."

"It speculates about motive."

"It is an educated inference."

"It remains an inference." Talia sighed dramatically and took the parchment back. Sevrin looked toward the sky as late afternoon light stretched over the Ward. He calculated the timing again in his mind. Travel conditions had been favorable, and there had been no reason for a major delay. Soon. Talia noticed where he was looking.

"What?"

"Nothing." Her eyes narrowed.

"You answered quickly because it's definitely something." Sevrin smiled.

"You're improving."

"That wasn't an answer."

"No." He returned his gaze to the sky; his experiment should be arriving before too much longer. Once it did, perhaps he would finally have a better idea of exactly what Drakehaven was becoming.