The psi-rune on Rhiati's neck glowed faintly as she whispered into the air, giving a calm, detailed account of the battle. When she finished, the light dimmed, and she returned to the deck, where a few crewmembers stood watching the distant silhouette of the Magi Academy rise over the shoreline.
"Classes today?" Neri asked, her arm looped casually through Cane's.
"Yeah," Cane said, stretching slightly. "HOM—History of Magic. Some days it's interesting. Other days…"
He trailed off as a rift shimmered open on the deck beside them.
"That for me?" he asked.
Rhiati nodded, stepping in and gently pulling him away from Neri's faint protest. "We owe you one, Cane."
He waved the comment away. "I copied two high-level runes. Believe me, I came out ahead."
Rhiati gave him a quick hug, then pushed him toward the rift. "Better go before the crew ties you to the mast."
"Rope! Where's the rope?" Maud called with a grin, waving as Cane vanished through the portal.
Cane stretched his arms overhead as the rift deposited him gently in his room.
"I can just make it to class," he muttered.
A soft chime filled the space, followed by a familiar voice.
"Good morning, everyone. This is Sofie Sweetwater, coming to you live from Sun Tower."
He smiled, pausing to listen.
"On the warfront: no land battles to report, as both sides continue maneuvering along the newly formed front lines."
"Sometime late last night, the terror of the seas—a metal-clad ship known as the Avenger—was sunk by the brave crew of the Defiant. Reports confirm a perfect victory under Captain Rhiati, with zero casualties."
"On the local scene, the second day of the festival ended without further mishap. Unlike the first, where the town was attacked by Zuni operatives. Thanks to Commander Moriwynn, Gryphon Company, and our very own Fergis and Cane, there were no civilian losses. Our thoughts are with the city guard who gave their lives to protect us."
"This is Sofie Sweetwater reminding you—if you see someone today without a smile, give them yours. I'll be back this afternoon. Until then, have a sunny day."
Cane laughed softly to himself. "Maybe I can catch up with Sofie before class," he said, already swapping into a clean robe. With Starbolt tucked out of sight and a fresh scent of saltwater still in his hair, he stepped out the door and into a new day.
Cane tapped lightly on the open door, leaning in to find Sofie at her desk, sorting through papers.
She glanced up at the movement—and in the next instant, was across the room and leaping into his arms.
"Missed me?" Cane asked, only to be silenced by a long, sweet kiss.
When she finally pulled back, her cheeks were flushed. "Well… just a bit. Are you okay?"
"I thought I was," Cane said, pulling her close again, "but now I'm even better."
Sofie exhaled, her fingers gently squishing his cheeks. "Okay… I want to hear everything."
"Sure," Cane replied, grinning. "But you'll have to walk and listen—or I'll be late for HOM."
Sofie nodded, grabbing her satchel. "I'll just leave this here."
As they walked through the halls, Cane kept to the agreed script—describing how he'd helped upgrade the Defiant's munitions, enabling them to sink the Avenger with a single, devastating volley. It wasn't a lie—but it left out his infiltration and the sabotage of the ship's inner runes.
That part, he kept quiet on Rhiati's advice.
If word got out that Cane could open a steel-hulled ship like a tin of fruit, it wouldn't just attract attention—it would make him a target.
Before leaving the Defiant, he'd reminded the crew to return to the wreck and salvage the beast core. Given the shielding he'd sensed, there was a good chance it had survived the explosion.
Sofie squeezed his hand gently. "I'm just glad you're okay. Speaking of okay…"
Cane raised an eyebrow.
"You gave my mom a thousand platinum," she said, leaning against his shoulder. "Now they're expanding the shop."
"I didn't give it to her," Cane said. "That was a commission. That dress took dozens of hours to create. I just tossed a little metal into the mix, and suddenly it's my credit? That's not how I want to work."
Sofie chuckled. "I suppose I'll ignore the fact that you keep finding yourself saving those two."
They paused at the entrance to Professor Wallen's HOM class.
"Captain Rhiati and Neri?" Cane asked. "They didn't really need saving."
"No…" Sofie smiled sweetly. "But it doesn't hurt that they're both very pleasant to look at."
"Hadn't noticed," Cane said, lying shamelessly.
He stepped toward the classroom. "I'm heading to the metallurgy shop after this if you're looking for me."
Sofie nodded. "A boxed lunch?"
Cane smiled. "Since you're offering—yes."
Sofie laughed lightly. "I couldn't ignore the obvious hint."
Cane gave her an indignant look. "What does that even mean? My middle name is Subtle."
Sofie's laughter echoed down the hall as she walked away.
"Cane!" Clara plopped down beside him, beaming. "I was fitted for the glove portion of my focal!"
"Perfect," Cane said. "Then we'll push ahead and get it done."
Clara's freckled face lit up. "Oh boy… I can't wait."
"Take your seats," Professor Wallen entered the room, his gaze flicking across the class. His eyes paused briefly on Cane—then darted away, remembering, no doubt, that this student was being mentored by the Archmage himself.
Dhalia settled on Cane's other side and gave a polite nod. "Did you finish the assignment?"
"Was there an assignment?" Cane asked.
Clara exhaled. "Least I'm not the only one."
"Assignments today are for your own benefit and will not be collected," Wallen announced from the front of the room.
A soft wave of cheers rose from the class, while a few—like Dhalia—muttered darkly.
"I stayed up until 2 a.m. finishing that," Dhalia grumbled.
"Me too," Clara chimed in—then chortled like a fox in a henhouse. "Not really. In my defense, I get so sleepy after midnight if I'm not eating something."
"Clara," Wallen said sharply.
She stood with a snap. "Yes, sir?"
"List one of the limitations in the War Pact—more commonly referred to as the Rules of War, or RoW."
Clara grinned. "The Allied Forces may contain no more than twelve elves at any one time."
"Very good," Wallen nodded, then looked past Cane to Dhalia. "Dhalia?"
"No Archmages may take part in the war effort—either as support or in battle," she said, before muttering, "I think he's picking on us."
"I'll write out the rest," Wallen said, already scribbling on the board. "Copy them down, and then form teams. Each group will write a paper discussing one of the individual tenets."
His gaze finally settled on Cane.
"And since we happen to have the creator of Cane's Folly among us—the reason behind the newest addition—you three will cover that one."
Cane blinked. "Lucky me."
Rules of War (RoW)
No more than twelve elves may take the field at one time.
Full-scale rifts will not be opened on the front lines.
Archmages cannot participate in the war effort on any level.
Artifacts capable of destruction on the level of Cane's Folly will not be used in battle.
Cannons and small firearms are restricted to naval battles only.
"You brought Dhalia's robe too?" Cane asked.
Clara nodded, watching as Cane worked—transforming their standard Academy-issue Battlerobes into something entirely different: Interwoven Adamantium Glacial Frost robes, each stitched with an Ice Gryphon emblem across the chest.
"These look just like the ones Gryphon Company uses," Clara said, eyes wide.
"Of course they do—I made those too," Cane replied, then leaned in slightly. "Don't tell them, but these are even better."
Clara lowered her voice in a conspiratorial whisper. "They are?"
Cane nodded. "Think about it. The ones they're using were my first run. I'm a lot better now."
Clara rubbed her hands together eagerly. "Yes… This is why we're friends. You make awesome things, and I wear them."
Cane frowned. "That feels a little one-sided."
"Maybe a bit," Clara admitted with a grin. "When can the four of us test these out?"
"Field session tomorrow," Cane said. "We're at the weekend, and our mission's coming up fast. We can't afford to delay."