PSTH: Chapter Fifty-Eight

Amongst cultures shortly Pre-Arrival, there was a pervasive idea that most people in history had servants. The truth was, for most of history, people were servants. 

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History lecture at Slate University, 456 Modern-Era

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“Well, there you have it! Ladies, gentleman, and our other distinguished guests, we have our champion: Finley Spinner! Give it up for our nation’s newest – and youngest – Regent!” 

The stadium broke out into roars of applause, clapping and cheering for the Regent as Finely waved, then walked away from the crowd, getting caught by a teleportation spell and vanishing. The announcer continued to speak for a while, going over the fight and giving their commentary. Some of the large illusionary screens began to play back moments of the fight, while she broke down those moments, pointing out the delicate control that was needed from the Primals, the power that they had to pack into high level spells to get them to operate, and the complex guidance that the respective tamers provided to their Primals in order to help them win the battle. 

Some of the other comments she’d made related to Finley’s ability to pull potential out of the Primals were things I would have once skimmed over as generic fluff, but with my own knowledge of ousia weaves, it put a bit of context in. I wasn’t entirely sure how I felt about it – on one hand, keeping the commentary fairly high level meant that the sport was more approachable to casual watchers, but on the other hand, I felt like it had contributed to my lack of knowledge around some of the more granular and detailed parts of taming. Maybe there wasn’t a clear right option? 

A few of the more impressive showings from the pre-fight tournament came out shortly after the commentary wrapped, and they got to do some larger, more dramatic fights on stage. Several people trickled out, having come specifically for the fight between Regent Finley and Councillor Kingfisher, but our group stayed, watching the fights until it was well past noon, after which the entire thing wrapped up and we headed out. 

“When is y’all’s fight with Kingfisher?” I asked my friends. “I’ve got a few more days before my turn, I’m hoping to get a level for Hex and Scales, maybe Zale too, before the fight.” 

“Mine’s tomorrow,” Laurel groaned. “I’m not gonna be able to get any real training in. I still haven’t taken an actua

“I guess that gives the guys a chance to see some of his Primals early?” River offered to Gawain and me, patting his girlfriend consolingly. 

“Hey, that gives me an idea,” Rane said, perking up. She patted around her neck as if she was fishing up a camera, then made the motion of her taking a picture. “I got a few shots of Aiden and Scales back when we were in the village, but heart’s truth, I’ve gotten so much better since then. It’s actually kind of embarrassing to see how I did then. Maybe I could give you all some cool thumbnails?” 

“How much?” Gawain asked, though he was already nodding in agreement. 

“Ah, don’t worry about it. You guys are friends,” Rane said, waving her hand dismissively. “I’m more than happy to do it pro bono.” 

“I’m not sure if pro bono is accurate here,” River said with a frown. “I thought that was only referring to legal work?” 

“Eh, free, whatever. You get what I mean.” 

“Are you certain?” Gawain asked, eyebrows creasing in a frown, while rain just Rane nodded. 

“Thanks Rane,” I said, then reached up and rubbed her head chaotically, sending her already out of sorts hair into further disarray. 

“Oh come on!” Rane protested. “Just for that, you’ll be the only one I do charge!”

“How about you, Gawain? When’s your fight?” 

“Tommorow as well, in the evening. It will be good to at least refine my strategy based on what I observe from Laurel.” 

“Gee, thanks,” Laurel said dryly. “So glad I can be of use.” 

Gawain blinked his large lavender eyes at her, seemingly entirely uncertain of what to make of that comment. She just waved him off, then pulled at a string of her hair. 

“Well, this was fun – and I really do mean that, I had fun, and I’m glad that we went to both the concert and to the fight. But I’ve got to go take a shower. I feel like I’m covered in slime, road dust, and metal shavings.” 

“Agreed,” Rane said, then glanced at me. “I call dibs.” 

“You can’t do that!” I protested. “I got the room for us, I should be able to use the shower first!” 

“Stop being rude and say goodbye to River and Laruel,” Rane said, shaking her head and clucking her tongue as if she was a disappointed older sibling. 

“Wha– rude? I– you! Whatever,” I said, then gave Laurel and River a hug, before they peeled off to head to their own hotel room. I pulled out my augpad and started putting in directions to the hostel, when a firm hand grabbed my arm. 

“Ow,” I complained, trying to jerk my arm free, but not entirely succeeding. Gawain’s grip was strong, stronger than mine.

“We need to record our fight soon,” Gawain said. “I have to go meet my mother after my duel, meaning I will be leaving Galena immediately after my fight with the councillor. We normally do one after, but this time, we will have to do one before.” 

“She can’t wait for a few more days?” I complained, then yanked my arm again, my irritation rising. “And let go. I thought I told you to stop grabbing things without asking.”

“No. She is very busy. She already took time off in order to just have this meeting in person. I must attend,” Gawain said seriously. He let my arm go, at least, though he didn’t apologize for it. 

“She sounds like a piece of work,” I muttered under my breath, only for Gawain to glare daggers at me. 

“You do not know her, or how much she has suffered. How much she has sacrificed for me, how much she devotes to helping me, and the effort she’s undergone to get where she is. You do not get to judge her.” 

“How much does she pay her workers?” I snipped back. “If half of what you’ve said is true, I’d bet it’s the lowest amount she can legally get away with, even though her labs got so big that Oceanseed was forced to intercede.” 

“How should I know?” Gawain said, frowning. “I’m not being groomed to be her heir, or anything like that.”

“Hmph,” I said. “Whatever. We’re getting off track.” 

“You always derail conversations, people, and good sense,” Gawain said under his breath, then shook his head. “Whatever. Are you willing to fight me?” 

“This evening,” I said. “I do actually want to shower. Meet up at the Tamer’s Consortium building before dinner?” 

“Define dinner,” Gawain said. “That could be anywhere from four thirty in the evening to eight.” 

“Who eats dinner at eight?” I asked, then realized that kind of proved Gawain’s point. “Anyways. How about we meet at four thirty?” 

“Fine,” he said, dipping his head, then touching some of the strands of his long black hair. “I do also need to shower. This will practically begin dripping oil if I don’t.” 

I nodded, then glanced around to find Rane. She'd backed off a bit, giving us privacy to talk, but not letting us actually get out of her sight. As Gawain slunk away, heading off to wherever he’d decided to stay, she frowned and glanced at my arm. 

“Are you okay?” she asked. “You seemed to have it in hand, not to mention none of your Primals burst out and started attacking, but I was half tempted to call for help.” 

I examined my arm. My pneuma hadn’t shielded me from his hand, so it hadn’t been hard enough to cause more than a light bruise. Still, it might have done that, and I was slightly confused as to the how and why. Just another oddity about Gawain, I supposed. I started walking, while Rane followed alongside me, and I nodded. 

“I’m fine. He doesn’t know how to respect personal space or personal property,” I said. 

“Not that I’m trying to excuse his behavior, or trying to say what he did was okay, but he does seem to be undersocialized, and he definitely has a slightly different outlook on the world. A bit like you, actually.” 

“Like me?” I asked, scandalized. She arched an eyebrow, then nodded. 

“Besides me, how many friends did you have in the village?” 

“Susan–” I started to say, but she cut me off, continuing to talk. 

“That weren’t at least two decades older than you, animals, or Primals? I can’t think of many. You used to be friends with Taylor, but you never kept up that relationship once we left school and weren’t seeing people every day.” 

“Neither did she,” I protested. 

“True, but also not the point. You’re getting better about socializing – it’s great to see you with River and Laurel, and even him to some extent. But he hasn’t either. It’s caused both of you to adapt in your own way. He clearly is still in his mother’s pocket, even though he’s twenty. You try not to let anyone help you unless they’re a Primal, especially around taming. And both of you are as hard headed as a brick wall.”

“I’m not–” I said, before shaking my head. Saying I wasn’t stubborn was just going to prove to her that I was stubborn. 

“You are. And you’ve got strong opinions on the right way to do things. He has strong opinions too. It means that when you get along, it goes well. But when you talk past one another, or disagree, you just slam against one another, instead of working it out. Do you know how I manage to keep my relationships without them erupting or imploding?” 

“How?” I asked, starting to feel like I was being lectured. If this was coming from anyone other than Rane, I’d have started tuning them out long ago, but since it was her, I tried to listen.

“Communicate. Instead of snapping at one another like a bunch of hornets that just had their nest poked, we talk.” 

“Everyone always says communication is important, and I agree, but he refuses to communicate,” I said. “I try to tell him, but he doesn’t listen.” 

“Don’t try to tell him, then. Listen, then offer yours. It’s not a fight, don’t rebuttal and riposte or counter-spell, or whatever you do. I bet if you showed half the empathy to him that you do to one of your Primals, he’d extend the same.” 

“And if he doesn’t?” I asked skeptically. 

“Then he doesn’t,” she said, shrugging. “Some people you just won’t get along with. That’s life. If you can’t work through things, then shake hands and learn to let it lie. Don’t rise to the occasion. If he keeps poking at you again and again and you can’t, then… just stop talking to him. You’ve known him for, what, three or four months?” 

“About three,” I agreed. “Fine, fine. I’ll try and be nicer to him. He just makes it hard, you know? He’s so…” 

I continued complaining about Gawain as we headed back to our rooms, and to her credit, Rane listened the entire way back, only sometimes offering to interject her opinion on why he might have done something.