Wish upon the Stars 534

The rest of the day crawled by. Like, at glacial speeds, over glass.  We had more exercises, a few drills they wanted us to practice, but  mostly they were just killing time while all the other cadets went  through the course. By the time the day ended I wanted to sleep so badly  I almost burst into tears, but I had a training session with Camden and  Celine, so I had to stay awake.

I burned another heal  burst to repair the damage of the day and a second to energize me as  best I could get, because I still had to grant today's wishes. I decided  to just do all six for Camden and bank the extra, that way I would have  a decent stockpile for when we actually got our territory.

Callie  caught up with me as I was leaving, coming with me up to the manor for  moral support (which is to say, to catch me if I passed out) and to my  surprise, we were quickly joined by my sister.

"I'd have  thought you'd avoid this like the plague." I said to Chelsea with a  chuckle. "It's going to be insanely boring. Jessie is patching everyone  up and then they're all going to sleep." I sighed in pure jealousy. "I'd  give anything to go to sleep right now."

Even with the  charge of heal burst I was so exhausted I felt like I was underwater. My  sister just smiled though. "I came to get to know my brother, not just  to have adventures. Which, by the way, I don't think I would categorize  this as. So far this vacation is sucking pretty hard."

I  shrugged. "Play stupid games, win stupid prizes. Should have asked  around about all the nonsense we get into. This was bound to be somehow  horifically annoying or possibly fatal." I softened the joke with a  smile. "But really, I'm glad you came with us. I want to get to know you  too. It's just so...weird, thinking about having a twin. There's so  much we never got to learn about each other."

"There's so  much I never got to learn at all." She said sadly. "I mean, even about  myself and the things I can do. I've just been so...limited. I don't  even know what happens if I use both my abilities at once. I've never  been allowed to try."

Wincing, I shook my head. "Actually that one was probably a good idea. I've seen what that looks like. It explodes. Don't."

"Oh."  She said in a let down sort of tone. "Ok. But still, my point stands.  I've been pretty much kept in box my whole life. I know a lot of random  shit from books but not much else. Seems like you at least got to  interact with other people. I want to learn all about you for sure, but I  hope you can teach me to be a normal person too. The way you learned."

Callie  snickered from the other side of me. At my glare she shrugged. "Sorry,  honey, but calling you normal is a stretch. You were basically a shut in  before we met. The only person you talked to was Benny." My feeling of  dismay must have rolled through the bond, because she backpedaled. "Not  that my childhood was any better. Running away at sixteen to live in an  underground criminal dystopia is hardly the best way to hone your people  skills."

Chelsea giggled at the interplay. "It's sweet  how close you two are. I can't imagine knowing someone that well. My  brother was lucky to find you."

"Yup." I agreed  unashamedly. "Best thing that ever happened to me. Sadly, I think we  have to cut the heart to heart short though. We're here." I pointed up  at the manor, and at the door where Celine was waiting for us. We'd  split up to get changed into our more formal clothes. Chelsea, having  joined us on the walk, was still in her armor, but she wasn't taking  lessons so it didn't matter.

Alister was standing beside  Celine, and when we approached, he bowed formally. "Greetings, Lord and  Ladies. Be welcome in the home of his grace, Baron Camden Toldert.  Declare your allegiance."

I just looked at him, unsure  what the hell he was talking about. Celine, smiling slightly, stepped  past him to stand beside us, dropping into a low curtsy as she said  primly. "Greetings, honored seneschal, from my liege Shane, of house  Wyndham. Son of Elijah and slayer of Suvaya."

That wasn't  what I expected her to say, but she knew what was what so I just let it  go. As they both rose, she turned to me with a laugh. "For future  reference, declaration of allegiance will include your house, as well as  the house and provenance of your liege. Technically speaking, despite  you being in attendance, declaring myself for you is a bit of a  loophole, but you would normally declare yourself for Baron Tolbert, at  least until you rank up."

I shrugged. "You guys didn't mention that to me. Isn't that what the lessons are supposed to be for?"

"I  believe it was a test." Said my elven friend. "Though perhaps an ill  timed one on Alister's part, given your current frazzled state."

The  seneschal sniffed reproachfully. "Nonsense. Good manners are to be  observed at all times. One is not granted dispensation for mere  tiredness. Your response was...technically passable. You may enter.  We've arranged a small repast while you speak with his grace on the  content of his wishes."

Excited by the idea of food after  working out most of the day, I followed him in, but was stopped by  Celine. "Be careful when we go in." She said in a low voice. "Watch how I  eat, and follow my lead. If Alister is already testing you, a meal  isn't relief, it's a trial." She nodded to the others, who presumably  could eat however the fuck they wanted, and then swept inside.

Grumbling,  I followed her inside, ignoring Chelsea and Callie snickering at my  downcast expression. I was annoyed, I admit. I'd been wearing myself out  all day and I was tired and hungry. I just wanted to eat a normal meal,  not some fancy nonsense test dinner.

Camden  was waiting for us in the dining room, the table overflowing with meat  and pasta and several kinds of vegetable, some of which I didn't  recognize. He grinned and waved me over as I arrived. "Solomon, or  should I say Shane, I suppose? Come in, come sit down. Your guests are  welcome as well."

Chelsea  and Callie introduced themselves with real names, though Chelsea didn't  mention being my sister. Anders wasn't as well known a name as Wyndham,  since the Radiant Pope rarely went by his given name. In a huge  universe it was unlikely someone would make the connection. They sat  down, Callie in her nice dress and Chelsea in her armor, which was  surprisingly clean despite a day of exhausting training. Purification  flames have many uses.

"So."  i said as we all sat down. "How do we do...this?" I gestured at the  food. "And why, more accurately. This doesn't seem like the best timing.  Alister's whole 'always be ready' motto aside, I'm exhausted and  starving. If we could do the food portion of these lessons...not today,  that would be great."

He  just chuckled. "Sorry Shane, but it is a necessity. We're going to be  attending a banquet this weekend, to try to get your names and faces out  among the nobility before the big takeover. TECHNICALLY as an unlanded  Baron I shouldn't be invited, but my name does come with some small  perks, and anyone in the Empire would want a Tolbert at their party,  distanced from the house as I may be."

I  blinked. That was...efficient. I'd been expecting a long wait for our  big introduction. "Guess we'll have to pick who will be staying behind  to manage the territory." I said slowly. I didn't know who I would  leave, or even if I was willing to do it. It was a hard decision. "For  now, why don't you fill me in on the particulars of fancy eating, and we  can get started on your wishes. Did Alister tell you I wanted to do six  today?"

"Of  course, that's fine." He said with a wave. "We put provisions in the  contract for that. You said you'd done similar things in previous  contractual arrangements?"

"Back  on my home planet." I agreed. "So what will your wishes be. You going  with stat gains to start? Or do you have other ideas." As we waited,  Alister began pointing out forks, bowls, and various smaller utensils.  The array of rules and affectations were dizzying, but with my Focus it  wasn't tough to remember it all.

Camden  took a bite, mulling it over. "I think I'm more interested in doing a  bit of...territorial shifting." He grinned at me. "This area is well  known to the locals, but if things were to change... well, that would  make matters more complicated, especially if I knew about the changes  and they didn't." Withdrawing a map, he started pointing out sections of  it to me.

Despite  my stats being more than enough to move some ground, the more of it  that needed moving the more it cost. Even wishes couldn't just magically  make a fifty mile tunnel underground on a C-rank planet without a  trace. At least not my wishes and not all at once. After some trial and  error, we managed to carve out about a mile of tunnel per wish, under  the condition that no trace of the formation would be detectable.

He  didn't set it up below the manor, choosing to make it in the middle of a  contested area he pointed out on the map. Six miles of tunnel,  following a very specific route he marked out for me. With my already  exhausted body, the drain of the wishes hit me like a punch to the gut,  but I got through it, then followed the ridiculous directions to eat my  overly complicated meal.

By  the time we finished it was about eight P.M and I could barely stand.  The food and the crash from the wishing had mixed together into a  roiling cauldron of exhaustion that had me ready to pass out. Callie and  Chelsea helped prop me up as we said out goodbyes, making sure to take  down the time we'd need to leave for the banquet and telling Camden who  would be coming along.

Then  they walked me back to the barracks, and I stumbled inside, staggering  to my bed and slamming into my mattress without even taking off my  clothes. Benny, who was bunked near me, saw me come in and helped me  push my legs over the side of the bed so I wasn't hanging over the edge.

"You look wiped, man." He said tiredly. "I wanted to stay up to make sure you got back ok. Everything go alright with Camden?"

I  groaned, pulling my mask off and dropping it on an endtable near the  single twin bed. We had privacy curtains, though mine was open in the  direction of Benny's bed and the same for his. I was glad it was taken  care of, since I didn't want to sleep in a wooden mask. "Yeah, we have a  banquet this weekend. Your girlfriend can tell the details, I need to  sleep."

Chuckling  my friend laid back in his own bed, closing his eyes. "I'm right there  with you man. I'm exhausted myself. See you in the morning Shane."

"Night  Benny." I muttered as my eyes forced themselves shut. The day was over,  thank the gods, and tomorrow wouldn't be nearly as bad, since we'd be  well rested. We had a few days of this until the weekend, where we'd  have a whole day off before that banquet in the evening. I just hoped  things didn't get any more complicated from here.