2087.09.01

2087.09.03

I've done some asking around and it turns out the Mr. Sendon was pretty high up in the Magic Circle. Not much is really known about them. Their website describes them as a group of wizards and mages dedicated to researching the old magics of legend to gain insight into the return of magic in the world." That's not much to go on. Plus, how would a researcher get to be so high up in the business of the Burning Tower. I mean, sure, we do research here into incantations, cantrips, and other spell types. We try to learn the science behind the magic, or the magic behind the science, depending on who you ask, but we don't generally do much with historical studies. I'm gonna have to do more digging.

I also did some research on dragons. Did you know that every society on earth has some variety of dragon myth? in the west, most of them revolve around powerful, fire-breathing monsters who destroy towns unless they are given virgin sacrifices. Eastern dragons tend to be associated with the elements and are magical. From the color patterns, I think he is associated with fire and flame elements. They may not even have wings though they can fly. The dragon I dreamed about was definitely of the latter sort. I keep thinking about him and wondering why he reached out. What would he have to apologize for?

Hey, wait! A fire elemental dragon has Courier deliver a package to the Burning Tower. Later, the Burning Tower bursts into magical flames. There is no way those things aren't connected. Right?!?

2087.09.05

Okay, I asked Instructor Pendergrast today about how I can find more history about the Burning Tower. He teaches construction magic and I do well in his class. I hope he thinks I am asking because I want to know about how it was constructed, and I sort of do. I am trying to narrow down whether the burning is because of the Tower, or because of Mr. Sendon. My bet is on the latter, but then why the tower?

Anyway, he directed me to the archives and gave me permission to read the old documents. Guess I'll start on that tomorrow.

2087.09.09

Gah, what a slog! These guys were so full of themselves. Still, there are some amazing magics that went into the construction here. The Burning Tower was built on the intersection of three main ley lines. That's not terribly surprising of course. That would be the ideal location. It's also not odd that it's in the middle of a city. Cities generally are where they are because they are good locations, and have been for hundreds or thousands of years.

What is interesting is that the Burning Tower was grown, not built. It is, in fact, one giant crystal. The creators used a series of incantations where one would take over when another tired for a year and a day to coax it into growing into its present shape. It was designed using magic, yes, but also mathematics to give it the perfect shape to catch and reflect the sun at all hours of the day to give it the lighted effect it used to have [now it doesn't need it anymore]. It also goes significantly further below ground than the elevators or staircases would indicate. I have no idea how to get below sub-level 5, but the magic and the math both say there are at least 15 sub-levels. I'm going to have to keep looking for answers.

2087.09.10

I got lucky today and overheard a conversation a couple of researchers were having about the Magic Circle. They were saying there were rumors that Mr. Sendon was killed because he was doing dark magic. I can't say I would find that hard to believe. What I did find surprising was that they said the whole organization was doing work like that. They hinted that the group was using a book of death magic they had found in order to stockpile magical energy in storage crystals. That's when they saw me though and they quickly stopped talking and left.

I started to do a little discrete study of the concept of dark and death magic. Historically this was demonology or necromancy according to the old stories. People might create zombies, or steal the life force of others in order to cast their spells. I had never had any classes in anything where this sort of stuff was ever mentioned as a real thing that could happen. I mean, sure, as a kid, we would read, or pass along stories like this, but it was only to give each other a fright. Of course, 80 years ago no one thought magic was real, or that I could do things with it that we now almost take for granted. If this, like the rest of it, was potentially a real thing, that was scary.

2087.09.12

I had some extra time today around work and classes. I went to the coffee shop and did a little snooping around on the dark web. Courier and I had figured out how to hook into that years ago. We used to poke around laughing at people selling tanks and stuff until we realized that it was for real. There are some sick kooks in the world. I figured that's just what I would need now to chase down rumors about the magic circle, or Mr. Sendon. It took some digging and all my skills at covering my tracks but I started to surface some things.

Did you know that you can use magic on the internet? As far as I can tell from the traces, I am one of a select few who know it. It can be a part of the coding, magic, like music, is very mathematical at times. I have seen coders who are obviously using magic whether they know it or not. There are also those, like me, who are trying to cover their tracks. Someone really good had gone down the same paths that I had and found out what I was seeing now.

What I am seeing isn't pretty. If what I found is to be believed, then one ring of the magic circle is really a group of powerful mages who are killing people in order to get both their essential magic and their life force. Rumors say that other rings of the circle use other methods, like collecting sexual energy or energy from agribusiness, or the energy from the wars that go on around the globe. They are storing this in large crystals prepped for this sort of storage. It is believed that it is their intention to get enough stored up to 'cage' magic. To force it into a stable, controllable form that they will control. If they can pull it off, they would determine who got to use magic, how much they could use, and what they could make of it. They had circled around the world doing the collecting and they intended to tap into the ley lines in order to feed their control once they gained it. That would indeed make the Burning Tower a prize location, and apparently, they controlled the entire thirty-third floor of the building.

2087.09.14

I'm not sure how much of what I saw on the dark web I believe. Enough I guess. I took some time to really think this through. Someone, as I said, had been down the same track as me. My best guess is that they are the one who sent the knife that Courier delivered. I know I can't tackle an organization like the Magic Circle. I don't know enough yet. Maybe in another decade or two, but not now. That said, I am no slouch and I am in a great position to help. I have decided that what I will do is reach out to the person who found this information and offer to assist if they are going to bring it down, or stop it.

2087.09.17

I left a message where it could be found and decrypted by the person who had entered the system. If anyone found out about this, I wouldn't just lose my job at the Burning Tower. If everything I had seen was correct, I was really putting my person on the line. I am most likely risking my life, and for what? I'm no hero. No, I am not a hero. I also cannot just sit by knowing that these things are happening.

I kept researching. It's like a sick addiction now. I am starting to see disappearances among the homeless and impoverished and I wonder if they were victims. I read reports of bodies found in the river and wonder if there is a connection. How are they disposing of the victims anyway? Do they just dump them in the garbage chute? Do they incinerate them? I am way overthinking this.

2087.09.27

I heard from the person who broke into the system finally. They said they admired my skills with the dark web and would be happy to work with me, to learn from me, and teach me. They also said that under no circumstances was I to actually engage with the Magic Circle. They said they can, and will, handle that part and that I shouldn't be physically involved.

Can I just say that I am completely relieved? I hope that doesn't make me a coward. I am hoping that they are the good guy and that they have enough power to stop all of this and make it stick. I mean, Sendon did end up dead. The good guys don't usually do that, do they?

They did say that they could use my help. They have the magic down to a master level but weren't so up on the tech side of things. I've always had a bit of an affinity for tech because it is so straightforward and logical...even with people doing the coding. The machines, of course, do it better. Still, I'm a fair hand at it. I agreed to help them with some of the coding in exchange for them showing me some of the magic they are using. Of course, that means we both need to agree to let our guard down and neither of us are willing to do that over the web given what we ourselves are doing, so we are arranging a meeting.

2087.10.02

Tomorrow evening at 1800 at the little coffee shop on the corner of Sampson and third. That's what we agreed to. We will both wear a red string bracelet on our left wrist, and our code phrase will be 'nice shirt.' Yes, I do feel more than a little silly. It's like something out of a spy show on triD. Still, this stuff is done for a reason and it seems like a great idea to be cautious, right?

2087.10.03

Did you know that a red string bracelet in Buddhism is a blessing? It is an indication that you have agreed to practice compassion, right speech, and right action every day. It is a reminder, basically, to be a good person. It is brightly colored to bring it to your attention and it is allowed to fall off on its own as a symbol of impermanence.

Mind you I knew none of this when I agreed to wear one, but it seems appropriate now that I have met my hacker friend. He showed up about five minutes after I did. Okay, so I showed up ten minutes early to scope the place out and find a seat where I could put my back to the wall, and because I really hate to be late. He was still early, which I respect. In walks this old Asian dude. He has super long white hair and a Fu Manchu mustache. It was amazing. He's super short, shorter than me for sure. He was wearing jeans and a mandarin collar, a button-down shirt, and these crazy rope sandals. The minute he walked in his eyes settled on me. He turned and placed an order with the barista. When he was paying he made sure his string bracelet showed. I made a show of stretching so that mine showed as well. I was wearing my favorite introvert t-shirt. Once his drink was ready he came over to me and said, "Nice shirt." This was so totally not what I was expecting!

His name is Anho Timakaru. I'm not sure how he got into this business but he was pretty darn funny and super smart. He told me about how he had infiltrated the weak security on the Magic Circle's servers. He had even used the feed from the Burning Tower's security cameras to watch some of the goings-on in the building. He hadn't been able to get into the sub-sub level security feeds, if there were any. He said he surmised what was going on by watching hours of entry and exit. He watched far more people go in than ever came out. He hadn't been able to account for the people, but he had each of their faces in his records, and he kept watching the police feeds and cameras around town to see if they showed up again. So far no hits.

I gotta tell you. I was super impressed. I mean, what kind of tech wizardry does this guy have. His laptop was no joke and I can only imagine the servers he must run his data through. My setup doesn't hold a candle to his and his magic is superior by far too. About the only thing I have going for me is more general tech know-how. White hat stuff mostly. He treated me like a peer though and not a kid and I already learned some of his tips and tricks. I think I have a bro-crush on this dude. I want to be him when I grow up!

2087.10.23

I've been working with Anho on and off for about three weeks now. I work around my classes and my job. I connect with him in person at various cybercafes around town. I really don't know if we're, okay he's, making headway or not. He comes to me and asks some tech questions and I answer them. He nods as though he is satisfied and does some work. As promised, he isn't involving me. I feel both good about this and bad. I really don't want them coming after me, but at the same time, I feel like I should be on the front lines with him. No one should go into this alone. This has cyber fingerprints all over the world and at pretty high levels.

2087.11.05

I finally got up the courage to talk to Anho about what comes next. He said that New Houston is his turf and that nothing like what was going on would happen here, and that I shouldn't worry about it too much. He told me that he has some pretty powerful friends and that action would happen in the fullness of time. He told me I worry too much, and act without thought. He was chuckling as he said it though. Maybe he was laughing because he thinks I'm young? I dunno. Crazy old dude!

2087.11.15

It's been about two months now. We haven't heard about anything new going on in New Houston. Since it seems like things are cleared up here, I have to admit that one of these days I expect to stop being able to reach Anho. He has learned all I have to teach on cyber tech now and while I can still code faster, he is just as good. I have learned a great deal about magic as well, so it has been a fair trade. Of course, what he was teaching me was advanced invocations and such using standard chanting and gestures, but it was a joy to watch him build the magic and release it. It was so different from the way my teachers do. It feels more natural, more organic to the nature of magic. It feels less damaging to the foundations if you will.

2087.11.30

As I expected, I stopped hearing from Anho a few weeks ago. Given how we met and worked, I know I shouldn't have expected anything, but I miss the guy. I loved watching him cast. I liked laughing over his misuse of the terminology he'd found on the web. He never seemed to mind that I laughed either, he just smiled his crooked smile and looked at me from the side of his eye. I keep on practicing the last spell he taught me. Once I get it down, I will be able to create a sort of magical battery that recharges itself slowly over time. It's not damaging because it pulls so little from its surroundings. It requires patience both to cast the spell and to power the object. I am close to having it right, but not quite there yet.

2088.01.07

I finally got it! I figured out the part of the spell I was missing! The spell is coded to the individual. It's oddly like the yolk of an egg. It builds up to slowly feel one individual. You couldn't take one from someone and use its power. It doesn't work like that. While you could use it all up in an emergency, the basic goal of the spell appears to be sustaining long-term magic which does not require a great deal of power. You could probably use it to power spells like night vision; charge during the day and use it when needed at night. You would be able to move about with normal sight at night for probably half the night.

I wonder if you could make the battery larger for bigger spells, or maybe it's about making the spells smaller in order to conserve the battery. Huh. You know, it never really occurred to me, but what if magic is a finite resource, like the fossil fuels we used to use. What if it takes years for magic to build and if we go on a rampage of using it for everything, eventually we will go back into an age with no magic! That's scary as shit man! I sure hope that's not true. I think I need to see if any research has been done on that.

2088.01.09

I talked to Courier about the idea of magic going away again and he was appalled. His big question, which I really should have thought of, was what would happen to the Wingers and other magical creatures if magic were to go away again. I was concerned about my own vision, yes, but he is a magical union of an avian and a human, what WOULD happen to them?

We did some poking around and while there is plenty of speculation about how magic returned to the world, we couldn't find one thing about the 'finiteness' of magic. Where did it come from and what could cause it to go. We used his clearance to check the Winger database, and I used mine to check the Burning Tower. We suspect there is research going on, but we couldn't find anything about it.

2088.01.11

The day after I talked to Courier and we did some research, I heard from Anho again! He has invited me to his place. He says he has something important to tell me about and a question to ask. I'm supposed to come over at 1500 on my next day off which is Tuesday. That means nearly waiting a whole week, but I can't wait to hear his question. Maybe he'll teach me a new spell too!

2088.01.13

OMG!!! I cannot believe this! I can't even right now! OMG!!

Okay, I took several brisk laps around the Tower, and I have gone to a cafe to write this because I don't want it accessible on the Tower's net.

Anho is a DRAGON!!!! He's a fucking DRAGON, MAN!!! Not just ANY dragon either! He's the dragon that spoke to me and Courier in our dreams!

Deep breaths, deep breaths. Let's see if I can get this out.

I got to his place right on time. He was in 12C. I knocked on the door and I hear footsteps approaching. Anho opens the door and ushers me in. I look around and see that the walls are covered with calligraphy. The words are painted right onto the walls. It seems a bit odd for an apartment since most landlords frown on you painting the walls, but the overall effect is beautiful and captivating. Symbol flows into symbol and moves across the walls. It looks like it might be Asian in nature, Chinese or Japanese. Unfortunately, I do not read either. I am studying Latin.

As I moved ahead, I noted the beautiful red runner with gold patterns that covered the wooden floors. I also noted that I was in what appeared to be an entryway. There was a step up to the main floor where the rug was. With me in the entry was what could have been mistaken for a tall vase heald a black umbrella and a beautiful cane with a dragon head for the handle. I also noted what looked to be a shoe rack since there were shoes on it. I hesitated. I had watched enough anime to know that it's courteous to remove your shoes when you enter someone’s house in Asian cultures.

Anho noted the direction of my eyes and told me to put on the guest slippers and make myself comfortable. I did that, though the slippers were so nice, red silk maybe with gold embroidery? It felt odd, but he'd said to wear them.

Then I stepped up and into the main hall, past the old-fashioned side table that had only a shallow dish that seemed to hold his keys and a few coins; the things one generally has in one’s pockets when they leave the house. The calligraphy continued down the hallway, around a doorway that appeared to lead to a kitchen, and stopped at the living room. This was all fucking amazing!

I hadn’t been sure what to expect. Would he have tatami mats on the floor or those old-fashioned wingback chairs? Nope. He had a pair of comfortable, somewhat worn, lazy boys positioned in front of a fireplace. I took in the rest of the room. His walls were painted sky blue, and so was the ceiling. The floor appeared to be wooden but was the dark green color of healthy grass. There was a coffee table between the chairs, and the fireplace was large and made of what appeared to be river rock. The overall impression was of a country field. It was very calm and soothing.

He told me to make myself comfortable in the green chair while he got us some tea. I slowly, and carefully settled into it. It was super comfy. Someday I would need to get me one of these! Though it was just settling into autumn there was a fire going. The room was a nice toasty temperature, but not as hot as you might think. I have to admit that I did wonder about where he was getting the wood though. Fireplaces in apartments aren't that common in New Houston, and where would one get wood in the city? Then I practically slapped my own forehead...magic dummy!

He came in after a few minutes with a beautiful tea set. It has the small cups with no handles and a small teapot all on a wooden tray he carried in. He asked if Jasmine was okay with me, and I sort of nodded. I had no idea about teas. There was no cream or sugar. He picked up his cup and took a deep inhale of the contents. Not having a clue what to do, I followed suit. It smelled wonderful. It smelled of the earth and summer and long, peaceful days. It mostly tasted like dried leaves in water though. Maybe it was an acquired taste.

We sat there quietly sipping tea for a bit. I was getting more and more antsy waiting to hear what he had to say. Finally, he sighed and told me to quit squirming already. I told him that I was glad to hear from him and that I had solved the spell he had given me. He smiled and told me that he knew I would, that he'd been keeping an eye on me, and that he was proud. He reached out and ruffled my hair. Now, if anyone else had done that I would have been pissed, but for some reason, I blushed with pride. I won't be telling Courier that!!!

He then told me and showed me that he is a dragon. I'm afraid I don't remember much detail for a while. I believe I did a lot of stammering and falling down, and maybe even some drooling. Anho worried over me and shifted back in order to reassure me that he was the same no matter the form. I have no idea how much time passed, but I finally got my head wrapped around it a bit.

Then he threw me off again with his offer. He told me that he awoke from a long sleep a few years ago and claimed New Houston as his territory. That meant he took responsibility for it and would care for the land, the magic, and the people. No other dragon would challenge his claim. He had apparently had a bit of a misunderstanding with Ms. Koelher, who apparently owns The Rookery and has claimed Wingers and their kin as her own, but that it was cleared up now. He said that while I have friends who are Wingers, and could therefore claim to be under Emilia's protection, he was hoping that I would choose his protection and work with him. Apparently, I am in a grey area and so they decided to let me choose for myself. I felt a bit like a badminton birdie at this point. I mean I was getting claimed by two powerful creatures in a power struggle to divide their treasure. At least they weren't tearing me in half...yet.

Anho told me that if I selected him, he would take me under his wing, figuratively because he knows I am not a hatchling anymore by human standards, and take it upon himself to teach me magic so that I could help him to defend his territory. He acknowledged that he still lacked a great deal of knowledge about how this new world worked and he would like to have agents, of which I would be his first, and closest. He then blew my mind by telling me that he knew about how my magic worked and he would share all he knew.

He might have said a few more things but I'll be honest, my mind was pretty much mush by that point. He said that he would give me time to think on it. He walked me to his meditation room and said to make myself comfortable and take what time I needed. He would bring me food as I considered, but that I could not be allowed to leave with the knowledge I now have. It would put me at too much risk. If I agreed he would teach me to safeguard the knowledge. If I declined he would wipe it from me.

I sat in this beautiful room with tatami flooring and a zabuton with a zafu. The walls appeared to be rice paper. The doorway slid open like in all the anime I watched. There were some screens in a corner that appeared to have the tiger and dragon motif. There was soft oriental music in the background. I smelled sandalwood from incense on the low table along one wall which also held a bonsai. I just sat. I didn't think. My mind was completely blown. I had no idea how to think. I was scared to death and yet so excited. I wanted to go back to my normal boring life, and yet, to learn so much more than I would any other way was intoxicating. I was overwhelmed.

And then, through the fog, after I don't know how long, I heard my heart. Follow the Dragon, it said. That was it. And I knew I would do just that. I would follow Anho, my dragon, for as long as he would allow it.

I slowly rose to my feet and slid open the door. He was calmly waiting outside, and without a word, he pulled me into a hug and told me he was glad I was his. He took me to the kitchen and fed me at a low table with cushions instead of chairs. This was going to take some getting used to, and how big was this apartment anyway!!! The food definitely helped me to get my head on straighter.

By then it was very late, or very early, depending on your point of view. e asked me if I really wanted to stay at the Tower, and I realized that I really didn't. He seemed smugly happy. He explained to me that he wanted me to live here with him and learn at his Gakkō, or school. He said he was going to put some additional protection around me and then I was to get my affairs in order, tell my mother where I was going to school, and give her his number so they could chat, and then I was to return. He then showed me the room he had prepared for me [I guess to him it was a foregone conclusion that I would stay there, or heck, maybe it was magic.]. It was awesome! It wasn't austere like the rest of the place, but comfy with a nice bed, a desk under a window, and another lazy boy for the corner.

I knew there were a lot more questions I should be asking and a lot of details to work out, but he sent me on my way to deal with the mundane matter of dropping out of the Tower, quitting my job, talking to my mom, packing my things, and TELLING COURIER! OMG, what would he have to say about all this?!?

2088.01.16

It's been a whirlwind. I got back to my place and just crashed for a bit. I know Anho was expecting me back in a week so that I could have time to sort things out and get things in order for my departure.

When I woke up I started on my to-do list. I know I should have called mom first, but I was really not looking forward to the conversation, so I called Courier instead and invited him over. I did some packing while I waited. I also made myself a list of what I needed to do. Call mom, go to the school offices and withdraw, turn in my notice for the job, tell the dorms I am moving out, pack all my stuff, move to my new digs. Everything else could wait. I had a full week, but I didn't want to use it if I didn't need it. I was excited to get started now that I had picked the path.

I heard the familiar three knocks on the door and threw it open for Courier. He noticed the boxes right away and the flow of questions started. I finally managed to get all the answers in around his questions. He sure can talk up a storm! I finally go through that I wasn't going to talk much about it until he agreed to go someplace else. I wasn't about to talk about dragons in the Tower Dorms!

We headed to the park that was not too far away and walked the paths. When I told him about Anho he started cussing up a storm. 'That dude totally got us in trouble! Why would you work with him?!?' I reminded him that we get ourselves into trouble quite a bunch too and we still hang out. He laughed at that cause it's so true.

After he finally calmed down enough to hear me out, he agreed with me completely. He saw what an opportunity this was is for me, and he was stoked that I had a dragon's attention. Then he realized that he did too; that The Rookery is run by a dragon who protects Wingers and their family and friends. I know that feeling as I had it just yesterday. Astonishing, right?!? He agreed to keep all the dragons private since we weren't sure who all knew about them, and really most people wouldn't believe us anyway. No one wanted to know magical beings that big were returning.

We headed over to the Rookery for some food at that point. We are growing boys and it seemed a safe place to talk since it was run by a dragon and all. He asked all the important questions. Could I still come to The Rookery for game night? Yes. Would he be able to visit me in my new place? Yes. Would I still have money for snacks? Good question, I hadn't talked to Anho specifically about snacks, or even money, just room, and board. Courier told me that I could always come to him for snacks. That's why the dude is my best friend! He's reliable! Besides, he makes a butt-ton of money.

By the end of the day, we were in his room playing. Okay, yes, I should have called mom in there, but I would do that in the morning.

2088.01.18

First thing the next day I called mom. I told her that I was pursuing a new course of study. She was okay with that part, the private instruction, and the opportunity to learn specialized magic. Then I told her that I was leaving the Tower and she freaked. In fairness, I knew she would. Telling her that I am going to study magic with someone she doesn't know is par for the course. Telling her I am quitting formal school and moving in with said stranger as an apprentice is a whole new level of 'not gonna happen.' I eventually managed to get her to hear that Anho wanted her to call him to talk to him about it. She said, 'you just bet I'm giving this guy a talking to! Don't you dare do anything like drop out until I call you back? I don't want to have to figure out how to undo any of that!'

I really love mom, and there was no way on earth I was going to cross her on this! Instead, I started packing for real. One of the bonuses of being a mage is the Pack-It-All bags we get. By the time she called back a few hours later, I was mostly packed. I left out some clothes and shower stuff in case I ended up staying a few more days. I had no doubts that Anho had talked her around. Sure enough, she was completely enthusiastic about the change in circumstances. She started running down the things I would need to do to get out of classes and the dorm; basically running down my list. She couldn't stop gushing about what a gentleman Anho was and how wonderful it was going to be to have me exposed to that instead of always running around with Courier. HA! Like I would stop running around with Courier. Besides, she loves him as much as she loves me.

I spent the afternoon running to various offices on campus. It was surprisingly easy to get out of school. All I needed was enough patience to stand in line and fill out endless paperwork. Bleh! it was a complete slog. The good news is that I got through about half of my list today, so tomorrow I should be free!

2088.01.19

A morning of going from office to office, waiting and filling out paperwork, and I was free! I went back to the dorm room for the last time, packed the last of my stuff, and rolled the bag down to the desk where I turned in my key.

Stepping through the doors I had a lot of feelings. I was excited to go learn from Anho. I was scared of leaving behind all I had known until now. Sure, I was going to be learning, but not in school. I had been in school for my whole life at this point. I was worried that I wouldn't live up to whatever his expectations were and that he would kick me out. I was afraid of not having a shoo-in with the Tower when I needed a job. I was afraid of not having a 'formal' education or the piece of paper to go with that. When it came down to it though, my gut said that this was the right move, so I kept my feet moving and got to the door of 12C.

Anho had told me that since I was going to be living here, he had keyed the place to my hand. He said I would just be able to enter. Taking a deep breath I turned the knob, half afraid that it wouldn't open after all, but the knob turned and there was the entryway. I pulled in my bag then sat on the step and slipped into my new house slippers on the upper flooring where I had sat to remove my outside shoes. As opposed to the guest slippers, these were plain deep forest green, well constructed, but simple. I put my outside shoes into the cubby below where my house slippers would be kept. Anho explained that one changed one's shoes in order to keep the dirt from the outside, well, outside. You do not keep them in the same cubby for the same reason. He said it also showed respect to the house, and that one should always revere one's house. I feel as though I am missing something in that, but I will do some research.

I walk forward-thinking that I will reach the living room but instead I find myself at the door to my room. Huh, I didn't see any turns. I look back along the hallway and see the entry. I put my bag in my room and walk back to the entry. I turn around and I see the hallway to the living room. I walk down the hall and into the living room to find Anho in his golden lazy boy. He greets me and basically tells me that the house, Ie, is magical and that it might be best if I considered her sentient. She was welcoming me by making it easier for me to get my bag to my room. If she has sensed I came in hungry, she would have sent me to the kitchen instead. My desire to see him is what brought me to the living room. Can I just say, mind blown? This is magic on a whole other level!

He said he was glad to see me, and early at that. He said he'd had a nice chat with mom and that we needed to be sure to work hard in order to honor his word to her. He told me to unpack and settle in, and to ask Ie if there was anything I needed or was missing and she would try to accommodate or tell him if she could not. He told me to meet him in the kitchen at 1700 for dinner time. I nodded and headed for my room which was conveniently the room right through the doorframe. This would totally take some adjustment.

2088.01.20

I spent the rest of the afternoon unpacking and getting my room, and en suite bathroom!!! in order. My bathroom totally rocks! It has one of those Asian bathtubs that is sunk in the floor enough so that you step down into it rather than stepping in like a normal American tub. The tub and the flooring both appear to be made of rock. It's like a not creepy cave. It also has a separate shower but a stall one like I'm used to and not the ones you see in anime where they squat on a stool on the floor. There is a linen closet that was stocked with linens and soft fluffy towels, and a single sink. Awesome, just awesome! And normally I wouldn't talk about this, but the toilet is so cool! It's got all these buttons and stuff. Luckily they are labeled in English since I don't read Japanese. I can't wait to learn this sucker! And it's in its own separate little nook with a sliding door!

Don't get me wrong, my room rocks too! It has an Asian inspiration with the bed on a raised platform and a closet with a sliding door. The cabinets are in the closet and there is more room than I thought so all my clothes fit. There was a great bookcase on one wall. At first, I thought it wouldn't be big enough for my books, but as I pulled them out and sorted them for shelving, it appeared to have gotten bigger than I thought it was because everything fit with enough room to add a few more even.

The windows, are they even windows? The windows are large and I have a view of Mt. Fuji. Now, I would have thought they were paintings too, but the windows open and I can smell the fresh air. I don't see any buildings or people though, so it can't really be a window in the traditional sense, right? I can't wait to learn about that!

Oh, another great feature is the gaming screen on the wall and a low table to set up my gear! I will still be able to host game night with Courier when we have time. I don't mind going to his place cause he has great snacks and drinks, and sometimes other people drop by to play, but I wanted to at least be able to practice! Can't have him thinking he can challenge me!

After I unpacked my stuff, it was pretty much 1700 and time to head to the kitchen. Just as I was thinking that I heard a soft chime and the time illuminated above my door. Now that's pretty darn cool! I have to own it. I am more than a little in love with the house already. I hope Anho teaches me some of this before he kicks me out!

2088.01.21

I got to the kitchen and it was first-rate. I'm not ashamed to say that I don't know much about cooking. Being vegan can be rough at times, but with The Rookery so close, I always had a place I could go for vegan fare day or night.

Anho was waiting and he looked pretty handy at the stove. He was cooking up a stir fry. It smelled fabulous. He had his rice in a bamboo steamer, and a variety of sauces already set out on the table. It was a round table with a rotating center so that you could dine family-style. Mom had taken me to a place once that had dining like that. I felt bad for not having said anything earlier but I did manage to let Anho know that I am vegan. I was afraid he might already have added some meat or something. He said mom had already told him...of course, she had. Thanks, mom! I asked if I could help and he said for this one last meal I was a guest and should sit.

Dinner was amazing! Anho is a fabulous chef. He might give Chef Igneia a run for her money, but I won't ever tell her that! I like eating at The Rookery too much and I'm pretty sure she would ban me. It was a delicious stir fry with various sauces for tasting. The rice was short grain and sticky. We used chopsticks and while I wasn't great, I didn't make too much of a fool of myself. While we were having dinner we talked about 'getting to know you' stuff. He told me what books he was reading, about his social media habits, and how he'd learned to work with technology. I told him about the games Courier and I play, about the business Courier and I once had, and about where I was in my magical studies at the Tower...or where I had been I guess.

Once we finished dinner, I offered to clean up. He stayed to help so he could show me where everything went, and help me orient on where to find glasses and plates, silverware, and the fridge [which has a door that looks just like the sliding door on a room!]. I have to say it feels strange. This is the first place I have lived that wasn't my home with mom and/or the dorms where I put stuff away myself. I may have felt a little homesick.

Clean-up done, we made our way to the living room where we settled in front of the fireplace. Then Anho got to talking business. As my mother had apparently pointed out we hadn't really covered what my education would be, what duties would be expected of me for room and board, what free time I would have, etc. He said he had taken me on as his apprentice and explained that while that meant I have duties I owe to him, it also meant he had duties to me as well. He would provide room, board, clothing, food, and spending money as he and my mother deemed appropriate to the amount of work I was doing. He would teach me to use my magic. I would be expected to help with cooking, cleaning, and household chores. I would do my own laundry, and keep my own space clean. Turns out he's vegan too. I wouldn't have thought that of a dragon, but then, I am here to learn, right? He did say that not all dragons are vegan either, like for all of us, it's a choice, not a dictate of our nature. Our lessons would keep regular hours of 8:30 am to 4:30 pm, Monday thru Friday unless we agreed otherwise. We would dine at 5 pm. I would provide dinner Monday, Wednesday, and Friday, he on Tuesday and Thursday and on the weekends we were free to do our own thing.

It felt like structure more than stricture and it wasn't that far different from what I was doing at the Tower anyway only I had been paying them, not the other way around. Since tomorrow was Saturday, he said I could do as I choose. He encouraged me to invite Courier over so that he would know he was welcome.

2088.01.23

Turns out that Courier was off today so he could come by for a visit. True to our normal schedule, he came by around mid-afternoon. He gave his usual knock at the front but it sounded like it was at my door. When I did open my door, I found that it was directly connected to the front entry. I opened the front door and directed Courier to the guest's slippers, and where to put away his street shoes. I was. a little freaked because previously my door was down a hallway from the living room!!

I am going to have to have a talk with Anho about Ie. I mean, I'm not entirely sure 'she' as he calls her, hasn't crossed the line into sentience, or at least mind reading. If the house were AI people would be freaking out at how advanced it was. Heck, for all I know she is both AI and magical. That would be cool, but also pretty scary. Yes, a conversation is in order.

Anyway, we hung out playing games for a few hours. We got hungry at one point and went for snacks. As expected the door opened to the hall to the kitchen. Courier got as freaked as I did by it once he saw the door trick for himself. I don't think he believed my sputtered confusion over the entryway leading to MY door instead of the front hallway. That said, he did appreciate the great variety of vegan snackage available to us. We loaded up a bunch and went back to play some more.

Around ten we realized we were really hungry so we headed over to the Rookery to eat at Nightvale. It's one of our favorite eateries because it's just so weird. The wall screens show eSports, but there are several gaming pits as well, and those screens also rotate throughout the screens in the restaurant. The staff all appear to be paranormal of one variety or another, and while I know some of the paranormals represented exist, I am never sure if the particular waitstaff is that type of paranormal, or cosplaying. They only serve gaming food. They have an all-you-can-eat chip bar. It has all sorts of chips and dips. They have a huge variety of soda on tap, but also the high caffeine stuff. They have burgers and wings, and fries smothered in chili and cheese and bacon. And the vegan version of all of it as well, clearly labeled and separate. Don't even get me started on the pizza either, phenomenal!

We went and hung out in the pit where we found Trish and Tomas already playing with piles of chips and dips and cups of whatever they were drinking. They were playing a retro Minecraft game in co-op. They were working together to create a fantasy realm that looked perfect for dryads and such. While we generally prefer more RPG-type games, Tomas really only plays calm co-op so we joined them and trapped our own grub. While we built Courier went all out with his tale of Kee's New Place. I always love a good Courier tale. It's always the truth, but also an engaging tale. It makes me laugh.

2088.01.24

Even though I didn't have to work tomorrow, we called it a night after a few others because Courier was on duty the next day, and Tomas would be on-call again as well. I got home to the best night's sleep I have had in years. I discovered that the bed was really a futon and I was sure I wouldn't sleep well. I mean it's a thin layer of cotton on the floor, how comfy can that be? Very apparently.

It was a quiet day. My friends at The Rookery were all either asleep, on duty, or on-call, so I decided to see what all the house had to offer. I gave myself the full tour of the kitchen and made myself some breakfast. I know Courier and I had polished off the grapes yesterday but there were more in the fridge today. The stuff we had opened and stored was still in the storage containers, but where we had taken packages, the packages were back in place. Did anyone shop? Was this real food? I mean, it tasted great and I wasn't hungry...or maybe that was because of the great pizza and brownies last night...

I found the living room where I had last seen it. It had the fireplace, the chairs, some amazing tapestries I would have to examine later, a low table in front of the chairs, and some shelves with some knick-knacks that I would also examine more later. They looked odd to my sight. I was in explore mode though so I kept moving. The room had large windows on either side of the fireplace. They showed a snowy landscape. I'm not sure where but not in New Houston for sure! I put my hand on the glass and it was cold to the touch. So...many...questions!!!

There were three doorways from the room. One was the one I came in through from the kitchen. That one didn't have a door but rather a beaded curtain made from colorful wooden beads of different shapes. One was to the entry hall, also no door; I could see down it. When I opened the other door, which should have led to my room, it instead opened to what appeared to be a laboratory, the type where you make potions. I closed the door.

I opened it again and found a library. OMG! This library is amazing! It's like all of my fantasies of libraries. It has shelves to the ceilings with a ladder that slides along the shelves so that you can reach the top. It has an area in the middle of the room with a comfy-looking couch and a table with chairs off to the side. It also has two of those amazing window seats just covered with cushions so that you can really settle into your book and nest for a while. A guy could live in a place like that. Still, I wanted to solve this mystery so I closed the door again, and opened it again.

This time I saw what looked to be a dojo, a training room obviously meant for physical activity with a lightly padded floor and a rack of weapons on one wall and a rack of training weapons on the other wall. Again, this time it contained a plain stone floor that looked made for creating magical sigils and mandalas for larger castings. Again, and this time it was my room again. I closed it and went to the lazy boy to think.

I hadn't said anything so Ie wasn't keyed to what I asked for. I don't think I did anything to change where the door might lead. It could be because I was wanting to explore the house. That would be then either my thoughts or my desires. It could be random of course, but I didn't see Anho being the type to make a random door in his home.

I did some experimentation. I wasn't really closer to knowing how it all worked, but I did know that if I thought of each room with intention it would show again when I opened the door. At least now I didn't have to worry about not being able to get into my room! I had a million questions, but it was a day off and I didn't want to bug Anho when he was already doing so much for me. Instead, I went back into the library and spent a few hours looking around until I finally chose a book and settled into the window seat to read. Outside the window was a bright, sunny day in a garden filled with flowers. It looked a bit wild and overrun but obviously well-loved. I opened the window for some fresh air and it smelled like flowers. I tried to stick my hand out and it wouldn't let me through. More questions!!

I spent the day reading and enjoying the space. I grabbed a quick meal later and then opted to return to my room for some meditation and yoga before sleep. Tomorrow would start early and I had no idea what to expect.

2088.01.27

I have this cool alarm clock that slowly increases the light until it wakes me up. Works like a charm for me. I can't stand the sudden noise of an alarm. I had decided that I should probably eat something before starting my lessons in the morning. Who knew if there would be time? Right now there was no routine. I headed to the kitchen and made myself a smoothie. I drank it and cleaned up. I took the glass into the living room where I assumed we would meet and found Anho there. He was interested in my smoothie, so we went back to the kitchen and I made him one as well. Now I'm on morning smoothie detail as well. I am to make us smoothies for breakfast on weekdays. Not exactly how I expected it to go on the first day but sure, why not?

After that, we returned to the living room. Anho told me about Ie. Apparently, this 'house' isn't really a house per se. It's more of a sentient magical being who, in exchange for a small trickle of magical energy which we emit constantly, will provide protection and care for those who live here. The door does operate on intent, as do the windows. None of the windows are real, they are merely constructs that allow us to see what we want to see. If I chose to have my windows look out into space, they would [they do!!!]. I would still be able to open them and get fresh air, but I won't be able to exit that way, and only air will make it through, and that is only because the house circulates air back through the window at the temperature requested. He also explained that our main front door is not locked in space. The whole house is essentially in a pocket dimension and the door opens where we want or need it to in New Houston. He said he will teach me the key to opening the door in a different location as a part of our classes. And he warned me that places with strong magical protections cannot be used as an anchor, so I can't just put the entrance next to Courier's in The Rookery [though how cool would that be!!!], or to a location in the Tower.

He also introduced me to a few rooms I hadn't seen [probably because I was focused on training]. We opened the door to a staircase leading up to a rooftop garden. It was amazing. Sunny, and bright with flowers, herbs, and veggies everywhere. There was a small meditation garden with some bonsai on raised pedestals and a small bridge over a creek. I love it up here, and he said that Courier can also land here, only the door for him will lead down a staircase to the front door.

The last room he showed me was a more formal dining room with a low table and cushions rather than chairs. He said this was reserved for entertaining honored guests such as my mother. Apparently, she is coming by on Wednesday for dinner so I had better cook something to honor her. I sure hope he isn't planning on making the moves on her. That's just kinda gross. I mean she's my mom! I'll probably get something from The Rookery to bring home.

After the tour, we went to the sparing room. Apparently, martial arts are going to be a part of my training. I don't know how I feel about that. I mean, I always thought they were cool, but that's a lot of physical work, and I haven't ever been into that. He took me through some basic stances and told me that we would practice in the mornings before lunch. I guess I'll be learning martial arts. I asked about the cool weapons and he told me that I might be ready in a few years....ugh!

Physical training complete, he sent me to get a shower and then meet him for lunch. We ate a fairly large meal in order to build up muscle, but not so big I would snooze in the afternoon classes. We headed to the laboratory next. We spent a few hours talking about herbology so that he could get an idea of where I stood. He said that I was pretty proficient and that we could start on positions and salves. I wasn't even going to get to touch that at the Tower, so bonus there!

Next up was to the library to talk theory. The library table had transformed into more of a desk. On it were our laptops and a monitor screen. We got to work talking through some of the ideas we had been sharing to do research, so that part felt really familiar. He explained that this part of the education would be us pursuing our interests. He would provide the magical know-how and I would provide the practical worldly knowledge. It was a partnership. He would also find new spells to introduce me to and we'd see what ideas they sparked. Before I knew it it was 1630 and time to go make dinner.

2088.01.31

I am so worn out that when mom came to dinner I nearly passed out in the curry! it's such a good thing I had preordered from Outzzz, Igneia's new take-out and delivery service. I am also glad our door can be pretty close to The Rookery so it was still hot and ready when mom got here. Of course, I didn't try to hide that it was Rookery food. Mom knows I eat there all the time. and there would be no fooling her into thinking I had cooked this. She was happy though because I had gotten flourless cake for dessert with raspberry drizzle, her favorite.

There was a new lazy boy in the living room. It was a deep purple with a mandala-type pattern on the fabric. She loved it. It was between our two with the table between it and the fireplace. The windows showed the New Houston cityscape, just as they should. Mom didn't have much in the way of magic unless you count strength of will as magic, so I try to keep the more jaw-dropping magic away from her. I don't want her to worry. She's done everything for me in the years since my dad left, and I know it's been really hard on her.

She and Anho talked about plants and gardening. At one point he even took her upstairs to see the rooftop garden. Mom was very impressed. I think she saw me fading again because she asked to see my room. I showed her the space and she was duly impressed. She asked me if I felt good and if I felt safe. I told her the truth. I am learning more each day than I ever did at the Tower. He's even making me exercise and get out in the fresh air to help with the garden. She seemed very pleased and content to say goodnight.

After she left, I crashed. Hard.

2088.02.02

The work week went on as the first day did. I am so glad it's Friday and I am done! My body aches from the physical training. My mind aches from the technical skills. Even my magic aches from bending in new directions. My eyes hurt too from seeing so much going on. I think I have managed to keep that from Anho. I am not really trying to keep it a secret per se...okay, maybe I am if I'm honest. I really want to know if I am only able to see magic, but I'm also really afraid to only see magic.

Now it's the weekend though! I have two whole days to recover! I know I'm griping, and I really am tired. It has been an awesome week though. I mean, I'm getting to learn martial arts! Courier has known them for years, and practices regularly. Who knows, maybe one day we can spar! He didn't get weapons training either unless you count the use of his wings and hook boots. I will get to learn bow staffs and katanas, and others too! Of course, I may be 100 years old when I finally learn all that. Right now I'm just doing forms...over and over again forms. I made the mistake of saying I thought I could do them in my sleep and Anho said if I could then I was doing it right. Forms.

Courier has to work today, so I don't get to hang with him. I could go over to The Rookery and hang out, or call Trish this evening, or Tomas. That still leaves me with my morning and afternoon.

2088.02.03

I ended up sitting up on the roof in the sun and reading for a few hours. It was wonderful! When I got up though, I was stiff and sore. On my way down I told Ie that I was going to try out the beautiful tub she's made for me. I opened the door to go back to the house, but instead, it was the door to my bathroom. She had already filled it with hot water. The shower door was open. I had read up on this and it is considered polite to clean oneself before using the bath, so I took her advice and scrubbed quickly. OMG was that bath heaven. I just sat in there and allowed the water to do its work. Ie kept the water hot and circulating so when I finally got out it was as warm as it had been. Anho had let me know that I should never feel that bathing was a waste of water. Ie collects it and uses it to water the plants upstairs once it has cooled down.

I had completely lost track of time but that was okay. I decided to have a quiet night at home instead. Turns out that Ie has access to most of the streaming channels and I would watch VRV to my heart's content. I spent the evening catching up on my anime! And he had premium so no commercials! Whoot! I must've gotten loud at one point because he knocked and asked if he could join me. What?!? A dragon watching anime! Mind blown! Mind f'n blown!

2088.02.04

We were right back to work today. My poor body is being put through the wringer. Anho says it will recover and that it's good for me. It doesn't FEEL good for me.

2088.02.13

Days are starting to blur together but in a good way. I don't think I wrote about how mom now has a standing invitation to Sunday dinner. Well, not really true. She cooks us Sunday dinner. At first, Anho refused, saying that it was his duty as host, but she set him straight pretty quickly. She's good at that. Anho did insist on paying and she agreed to that much at least. He made it pretty easy for her by setting up a door that is only a block from her favorite grocery store. She just lets me know when she's going to be ready and I come and help her carry the bags. It's nice having time with mom. Even better, she told me to invite Courier. When his work schedule allows he shows up too! I just let mom know ahead of time.

This week, I asked if it was okay for Trish and Tomas to come by too. Anho agreed, and mom said the more the merrier, so how awesome is that! So tomorrow we'll all be here. I think Ie enjoys the idea because she keeps showing me how she has changed the table in the formal dining room so that it will accommodate everyone. I make sure to thank her each time for making room for my friends.

2088.02.15

Dinner last night was so fun! It was great to have everyone here. At first, Courier tried to be on his best behavior, but after Anho pulled him aside for a private word, he came back to the group as his normal self. I asked Courier later what he's said, and he told me that he had been told that this was a family gathering and as such he was not a Sensei, but instead an honored grandfather. As long as Courier could respect the difference in the different roles, he should consider Sunday family time. Huh. Family time. I like that.

2088.02.19

Ugh! I am dying here. All this physical training is killing me. I really didn't think I had been this lazy! Anho is kicking my butt literally and figuratively. Most night's it's all I can do to crawl into the bath to ease my muscles. Ie has taken to playing music to keep me awake so I don't fall asleep in the tub and drown. Okay, yes, it's kind of creepy that there is a semi-sentient creature watching me bathe, but it's the house for goodness sake. I can get over it! And she does so much for me so who am I to complain? So yes, exhausted.

The mental workout isn't any less intense. Today I learned that the current theory, or at least the current theory when magic was last in the world, was that magic was an element, like air, earth, water, fire, and space. Anho says he thinks we'll have to come up with a new concept now since it appears that magic either went away, which he doesn't believe, or was basically inaccessible for a long time. He says he doesn't believe it because of that battery spell. It turns out he used it, along with a group of others, as the magical power for the preservation spell which kept them all alive. I'm really glad they managed to come up with that, but he's right, if we are to keep magic around we're going to have to figure out what happened.

2088.02.24

I slipped up today. Anho was teaching me a new spell and as I was trying to figure out what I was doing wrong with it, I pointed out that the lines he had drawn on the paper as a guide did not exactly match what he was doing with his magic. I know better than to comment on something like that. I know that most cannot see the magic as it is being cast, but I was excited and forgot myself. He gave me that look with a slightly smug smile and I knew the jig was up. I ended up telling him about my sight. His smile just kept getting wider and wider. When I got to the parts where I was afraid that I wouldn't be able to see without magic, he got very serious. He examined my eyes and cast a few spells I don't know yet. He told me that my eyes can for real see. He says they are just lazy because they don't have to do the normal work because I can see magic. He is going to teach me a spell to suppress my magic sight and we are going to practice our martial arts forms with my magic sight suppressed so that we can strengthen my normal sight. He says it's important that I not let that atrophy in case I find myself in a situation where no magic is present.

I feel such a huge amount of relief. At the time I was glad but now I feel as though this tremendous weight has been lifted from my shoulders. I am okay. Even if magic were to go away again, I would be okay. While that's good and all, that's just me. If magic were to go away, what would happen to Courier, Anho, and the others? Anho and I need to work to figure this out!

You know, I wonder why Anho was smiling like that?!? In all the emotional dump, I didn't even stop to wonder or ask.

2088.02.28

I finally got Anho to talk about my eyes. He says that magic sight was a rare gift in the previous magical era. As far as he knows, only a few dragons even had it; him among them. He says it makes it much easier to work with magic and allows for some corners to be cut. According to him, that's why I can skip the incantations and gestures. They are used by most magic wielders as a focus. Because I can use my sight to focus instead of using my imagination to visualize it, I get a leg up. Now I feel bad for thinking everyone was just stupid. Okay, some of them really are stupid [talkin' 'bout you Mr. Trombore!], but a lot are just doing the best they can with what they have.

I have a gift and a rare one. I am relieved that there is nothing wrong with me. I have to say that I am also a bit intimidated. I'm not sure why I would have this, or what it means. Anho said I was right to keep it secret though even though most wouldn't understand it anyway. I will continue to hold it close.

2088.03.04

I am finally starting to feel as though I am making progress! I was able to cast a more complex tracing spell today. We have been working on it for a month now. The idea is to be able to find things you haven't seen before. Most spells of this nature require you to either have held or seen what you want to trace. This one requires you to have some fundamental knowledge of the nature of the item, but not know specific details. The more you know about the object, the fewer false positives you will get. Anho had hidden an item within a five-block radius and I was to track it down and retrieve it. I had never seen it. He told me that it was oval, made of a heavy metal weighing about one pound, silver in color, and that it had a swirling pattern etched into the surface. I was able to cast the spell successfully, track down the item and return it within the one-hour timeline.