The soft beeping sound mirrored the beating in his chest.

  Opening his eyes— eye was a struggle.

  One was encrusted and the other was covered by what must’ve been gauze.

  “Boy?”

  “Dad?”

  He reached up to wipe his eye and saw a bandaged stump.

  “Oh… right…”

  He had felt a hand there for a split-second.

  “I don’t feel it.”

  No gray.

  No hunger.

  No voices.

  “No, you wouldn’t.”

  “What do you mean?”

  “Just relax. Plenty of time for questions and answers later.”

  His dad’s hands clutched the hospital bed’s railing lightly, otherwise the stainless steel would’ve bent.

  “I’m in a bed, so that means I’m not in bad enough shape for a healing pod. How much more relaxing do I need? Seeing as how I can’t move around.”

  “I guess that’s fair. What do you want to know?”

  “Everything.”

  His dad told him.

  Total victory.

  Phosfuraie dead.

  Demigods dead.

  Eidolons dead or gone, forced to leave the world.

  He listened for inconsistencies, any hints that things weren’t as they seemed.

  Was it too good to be true when he was laying in a hospital bed, powerless and down three limbs?

  “All the Mist Spekters really made it out okay?”

  “Injuries, but nothing quite as bad as yours. The ranger captains really pulled it off.”

  “Yeah… they did… I should’ve—”

  “I’m going to stop you right there, Boy. Not your fault. It wasn’t a fair fight and they knew what they were jumping into.”

  “Yeah… sure… where’s Kat? Mom?”

  It was a little weird that they weren’t there waiting for him to wake up.

  Not that he was self-centered, but that’s how the other times he got hurt bad enough for a hospital stay had gone.

  Mom and girlfriend right there when he woke up.

  “I made them go rest. Your mom might be able to fight all day, but she can’t for a couple of weeks. And fighting’s a lot easier than worrying about her baby boy floating in a healing pod. As for Kat, rangers are keeping her busy so she isn’t hovering by your side. Still, she sits in that chair next to you whenever she’s not on duty.”

  His dad regarded him with a sad smile and watery eyes.

  “Is something wrong with my eye?” He glanced around the room. “It’s, like, hazy around the edges or something.”

  “Probably all the eye boogers. Want some help with that?”

  “Yeah, that’d be cool.”

  The sink in the bathroom turned on and a moist towel floated out a few seconds later to his dad’s hand.

  “It should be fine for me to do this without calling a nurse.”

  His dad gently wiped the crust clean.

  “How is it now?”

  “Still a little weird.”

  More wiping.

  “How about now?”

  “A little better.”

  “Great!”

  “Dad. Can you let mom and Kat know that I’m okay?”

  “Tell them yourself. I let them know and they’re on their way. In fact, lots of people wanted to see you. There’s a waiting list.”

  He groaned.

  “Yup, had to write up a schedule and everything. It got pretty heated, actually. People trading and outright threatening to get earlier time slots and what not.”

  He groaned louder.

  “Don’t worry. You’re not about to get slammed with me as your doorman.”

  …

  Jake stared at him with a confused look as if he had completely forgotten that they had an appointment.

  “Hey, dude, what’s up?” he hobbled into the office on a cane.

  The temporary leg and foot prosthetic wasn’t anywhere near as good as one made just for him would be.

  Plus, he wasn’t about to let his mom push him around in a wheelchair, hovering or not.

  Jake blinked like a dumb fish for a long moment.

  “Ma Boy!”

  The big man shot out of his chair and was around the desk in a flash to scoop him up into a crushing bear hug.

  Jake released him and held him at arm’s length.

  Lips quivering and eyes watering, Jake seemed reluctant to let go.

  “Um…”

  “Did you forget our appointment?”

  “No, Nila… of course not!” Jake swallowed and turned back to his desk where a silvery case sat.

  Alin blinked.

  He could’ve sworn the desk had been empty.

  “It’s lucky we caught you before your departure,” his mom said.

  “No biggie. The Threnosh world can wait. I’m— I’m glad I’m still here to— see you before— I meant, mean… what I meant to say is I’m glad that I’m here to do your magitech prosthetics.”

  “I heard that your one time apprentices had surpassed you,” his mom said.

  “They sure did!” Jake grinned, wiping away tears. “But, they can’t put the same amount of love that I can for ma Boy!” He ushered Alin to the desk and opened the case with a gesture. “Just going to take some preliminary scans. Physical measurements, nerve stuff. You know how it is.”

  Jake couldn’t look him in the eyes.

  “Hey, dude, I’m alright. I mean, it sucks, but I’m alive, right?”

  “Nah, that’s right, bro. You’re right. As long as your alive… as long as your alive… you can, like, keep living— shit! That sounded a lot less stupider in my head.” Jake sighed then laughed bitterly.

  “What’s wrong?”

  “Nothing, dude. I was just thinking about how the other guys are gonna be bummed they missed you.”

  Hanna, Rino, Kare and the rest of the Sacramento people were on the Threnosh world helping the emigration.

  “It’s alright. I’ll see them eventually. I’ll need to re-learn the sword with the new prosthetics at some point, hell, I might visit. I’ve always wanted to see the Threnosh world and my dad’s old friends, at least the ones I haven’t met.”

  “Well, if you do, you can crash with me if you want. I’ve got a place picked out. Close to hot springs that don’t smell like rotten eggs. Smells like strawberries if you can believe Kare,” Jake said. “Alright, stumps out, let me start the process.” He held a scanner in a shaking hand.

  …

  They chipped away at the massive block of marble.

  Him with a laser cutter and other fancy tools hidden in his fingers and arm.

  His uncle with fingernails and sometimes teeth for some reason.

  “Those attachments are working out pretty good, Boy.”

  “Yup, Threnium dremel’s just eating this stuff up like butter.”

  “Hey, man, thanks for helping out. I’ve got perfect control of my movements, but I lack your artistic talents.”

  “Yup, never knew I had sculpting in me.”

  “Nah, I figured you had it. I mean, your miniatures always looked awesome since, like, as far as I can remember. The custom 3D printed ones you did for me are even better than the stuff we looted from the stores.”

  “Just trying to stay busy with all my free time. It’s just too bad I can’t get a class out of it.”

  “Meh, classes are cheating anyways. Without one you can have that smug sense of self satisfaction over the rest of the normies.”

  His uncle breathed deeply, as if savoring that smug smell.

  If that was a thing.

  It probably was if one had a class for it.

  “How are the cool magitech replacements treating you? Still got weird phantom limb shit?”

  “Not as bad as the first few months. Gotten used to them and therapy helps a lot.”

  “Fucked up how that demitaint’s powers screwed you over from ever re-growing natural ones.” His uncle glared at the marble reflection for a long moment. “You know, me and your dad looked into doing a swap.”

  “Huh?”

  “Magic swap. When we learned you couldn’t regen or regrow your natural ones.”

  His uncle hummed as he scratched away at the sculpture’s face.

  “Like looking in a mirror,” he mused.

  “Uncle Eron?”

  “Yo, sup?”

  “The swap?”

  “Oh, yeah, we talked with the Teacher,” his uncle rolled his eyes, “now there’s someone that reeks of smug. I don’t know why no one else sees it, but whatever. She was useless anyways.”

  “What are you talking about?” he sighed.

  “Right, me and your dad were looking to do a magic swap. Our limbs for yours. Well, technically, we were thinking of a conceptual thing, you know?”

  “I’m pretty sure that I don’t.”

  “That’s alright, pretty high level magic theory. A callow youth like yourself wouldn’t know. But, basically, we were going to magiconcept trade our limbs for your missing ones. So, you’d get yours back. I was gonna donate my left hand and arm. Your dad was doing the right and the leg. Oh, and we didn’t tell anyone else, so don’t think that no one else was willing to donate.”

  “I… wasn’t going to do that.” He shrugged. “Thanks… I guess.”

  “No problem, dude. Don’t tell your dad I spilled the M&M’s.”

  “I won’t, but please don’t try that ever again.”

  “I make no promises. How knows what future heretofore unforeseen magics might appear to create even better replacements. Although,” his uncle mused, “I was kinda looking forward to a robot arm.”

  “Why?”

  His uncle gestured at the fingers playing across the marble. “Cool attachments and I’ve always wanted a hidden mantis blade in the arm! Plus, mono filament garrotes and laser wires! Oh, and a flying rocket fist!”

  “I may have options for some of those things.”

  His uncle grinned.

  “But not right now. Everyone’s orders,” he sighed. “No combat, just self defense at most.”

  “Meh, don’t rush it.”

  They worked in companionable silence as the sun made its slow trek across the clear blue.

  The Atlantic ocean to their west seemed to dazzle in the distance as a giant sea serpent breached the surface tangled in mortal combat with something bulky and armored.

  “Um…”

  “Don’t worry about. No one’s in danger.” His uncle hadn’t even turned to look. “No real threats out there… er… right now, I mean. At this moment.”

  If you spot this narrative on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.

  “So, why are we doing this anyways? You haven’t told me yet. Statues of yourself? Kinda weird. A prank?”

  “Well, there’s a dictator in Australia and she’s using Skills to make the people want her dictatorship. Now, if she was cool, like, more Dr. Doom than a real Earthian dictator then I could maybe look the other way for awhile, but nope. Just a normal dumb dictator. So, the statues are gonna help me break her control.”

  “Uh… how? Are you going to get them enchanted?” He thought of what sort of spells could help counter a dictator’s Skills. Then he wondered why they didn’t just… deal with her like normal. Then that thought slipped away like wet sand in his hands.

  “No enchantments. I’m thinking the people will see my democracy in the statues and change their entire belief in their system of governance.”

  “That’s… the stupidest thing I’ve ever heard! You need to magic the statues up!”

  “Nope. Just the statues. Once they lay their eyes upon these works of art they will instantly want democracy.”

  “This is a prank,” he said flatly. “And I am the victim.”

  “I swear I’m being a very serious person right now. Theses statues will bring democracy. Real democracy, not fake democracy.”

  He stared at his uncle’s earnest grin for a long moment before resuming work.

  It wasn’t like he had anything better to do, plus his uncle was his ride.

  He could request a pick up from home, but that could take hours depending on shuttle availability.

  “Hey, Boy?”

  “What, Uncle Eron?”

  “You know, you’ve grown up to be a great guy and I just wanted to say that I’m proud of you.”

  “Um… thanks?”

  “No, I’m serious. I legit don’t know if I could’ve done what you did, but I don’t want to dwell on the details. I guess, I just want to ask if it’s okay to name our next child after you.”

  “Whoa! You guys trying?”

  “Nope. Just asking, you know, just in case.”

  “I mean, I guess that’d be cool.”

  “I’m thinking if a girl, we’d name her ‘Alina’.”

  He groaned.

  “And if a boy?”

  He could hear the lameness coming on.

  What was with dads and their idiocy?

  “Alin2?”

  “Ha. Ha. You’re really going to set your poor kid up well for life.”

  At least he could take comfort in the fact that Aunt Wytchraven would never let anything that dumb happen.

  “No? How about Alindeux? Or Dalawalin. Might add a few apostrophes in the middle of that one. Get in on that dumb trend you idiot young people are into these days, naming kids science fiction and fantasy style.”

  “I think there’s only one idiot here, uncle.”

  …

  “What’s this?”

  Luzi had dropped two fat stacks of paper on his dinner table.

  He regarded her through narrowed eyes.

  The magitech one noted confusing readings.

  Her heartbeat was elevated, which meant she was nervous, but her expressions, from the rapid blinking of glistening eyes to the faint tremor of her lips, suggested someone on the verge of bawling.

  He forced a bland expression on his face as his confused thoughts slipped away to focus on his present.

  “Here me out,” Luzi began after a long drink of the juice Kat had just placed in front of her.

  “Yeah, sure.”

  “Book deals.”

  He opened his mouth, but she cut him off with a sharp gesture.

  “Two separate deals. You can do one or the other or both. One’s for a biography, which will be one book. The other is for a fictionalized retelling of your life. I’m thinking seven books, for luck, you know. A septology.”

  “That seems like a lot Luzi,” Kat said. “Seven? Really? Three’s the normal amount.”

  “I’m open to negotiate, but I feel like seven is the best amount to cover your life.” His longtime friend still couldn’t hold eye contact for some reason. Her voice broke as she continued. “You’ve— you’ve still got a long life ahead of you, right? So, like, I want to keep space open for future deeds and adventures.” She finished in a rush. As if she didn’t quite trust herself to get the words out if she hesitated for whatever reason.

  “I’m pretty sure my story worthy adventuring days are done, Luzi.”

  “Yeah!” Kat glowered as she tightened her grip on his hand.

  “Well, there’s no rush. I have to learn and get good at writing first. I wouldn’t really feel comfortable at tackling it seriously for at least five years.”

  “Well, I guess I can look at the contracts. No promises though. I’m honestly zero percent comfortable sharing anything about myself.”

  “Yeah, of course, totally, I get it. I just figured I’d ask you first.”

  “First?”

  “I was thinking of asking the ranger captains’ families for permission to do the same for them, but I was worried about how they’d react.”

  “Oh, and you weren’t with Alin?” Kat said.

  Luzi’s smile was sad. Her eyes glistened, threatening to overflow like a dam after historic rains. “I was sure he wouldn’t get mad at me for just asking.” She finally looked him in the eyes. “You never get mad unless it’s deserved.”

  He nodded.

  “How about I give you an answer in a couple of weeks? At least a tentative one?”

  “Yeah, totally, you can change your mind whenever, if you want, I mean.”

  Kat’s frown deepened. “Are you sure about this, love?”

  He squeezed her hand. “Yeah. Mostly for the biography. That’s historic and it’ll be good for history and Luzi’s class aspirations. Least I can do,” he smiled at both. “So, it’s settled? I’ll let you know in a few weeks.” He snapped his fingers. “We’re having that cook out! You’re coming, right?”

  “I wouldn’t miss it!” Luzi wiped her cheeks.

  “Uh, Luzi, why are you crying? It’s not a big deal.”

  …

  He wiped the stinging ocean from his eyes.

  It had been years since the last time he had surfed.

  The hands and arms had gone from new and strange to old and not as strange.

  Fine tuning and continued upgrades meant that sometimes he could almost forget that they weren’t his flesh and blood.

  Not to mention the microthrusters in his leg making catching waves easy.

  Too easy in fact that he had stopped using them after the first few waves.

  “Looking good down there, Boy! You’re really shredding those waves!”

  Aunt Rayna hovered vaguely around him.

  It was slightly distracting to have her doing yoga.

  Why she was doing yoga above the waves he was surfing?

  He had no idea.

  It was weird.

  It wasn’t for his safety.

  Landsharks and other ocean threats were periodically cleared.

  Static defenses included a killing net under the waves along with turrets that shot a variety munitions, from microtorpedos to concentrated sonic bursts.

  Active defenses included the lifeguards in their armed towers to the skyship looming in the sky like a dark dagger.

  “I remember watching your dad and uncles surfing when I was younger. Sometimes they’d take me with them. Face-planting into the sand put an end to my wanting to surf. That’s why I went with snowboarding. Soft powder was a lot better to fall face-first into.” She sighed in the midst of a downward dog. “Sand sucks. Scratchy and gets everywhere and stays there. At least snow melts and turns into water.”

  He paddled further out to take a spot in the line up.

  There was a lull between sets, which gave him and his aunt some time to converse.

  Oddly, the other surfers didn’t pay her much attention aside from a glance or two.

  He wiped his eyes again.

  Things were blurry around the edges of his vision.

  The faces of the people around him blurred for a moment.

  Weird.

  One eye shouldn’t have been even capable of getting blurry.

  “Aunt Rayna. Don’t take this the wrong way, but what are you doing?”

  “Yoga.”

  “I can see that. Why up there though?”

  “It’s nice and sunny, plus the ocean breeze is lovely! Fresh scents!”

  “You could get all that over there,” he gestured back toward the other women and men doing yoga where one typically did beach yoga.

  “What? Can’t I spend some time with my favorite nephew?”

  “I’m your only one.”

  “So? Still my fav. Besides we haven’t had a chance to chat in awhile.”

  “We can do that later. I mean…” he lowered his voice, “I don’t know if yoga above everyone is the right call.”

  “What do you mean?”

  “Your, er, attire…”

  “I’m wearing pants.”

  “They’re, uh, very tight…”

  “That’s not my problem. Is it?”

  True.

  If she was comfortable then that was the last word on it.

  Perhaps that’s why, despite being as attention worthy as a woman doing sky yoga was, people weren’t staring.

  “So,” his aunt grinned. “Nervous for the big day? Only a few more months?”

  “Honestly, not really. It’s not like I’ve had to do much. Seems a bit unfair, but no one can complain since that’s all on you guys. You, literally, banned me from doing anything.”

  “Yeah, well, you guys have it easy. It’s usually a lot more stressful for the woman.”

  “It’s that why you’ve been dragging your feet?”

  “I’m busy.”

  “Semi-retired, like, for years.”

  “Well, my version of retirement is having to deal with giant monsters and horrible things on a monthly basis. So, I’m taking as much slack for other stuff as I feel like.”

  “I guess I’m kind of in the same spot. Aside from the fighting. Been trying all sorts of stuff to stay busy and still contribute.”

  “I saw the Eron statues,” she said flatly.

  “Yeah… they were definitely statues.”

  She smiled suddenly in between shifting poses. A balancing on one leg, while twisting the other leg around the first and twisting her entire upper body in the opposite direction.

  Tree pose?

  He had done a lot of yoga.

  Good for stretching and recovery, but had never gotten into it enough that he knew all the proper terminology.

  His aunt added her own literal spin by rotating like a cosmic body until she was upside down with her ponytail falling within reach.

  “I’m glad to get this time with you, Boy!” She smiled.

  Her eyes glistened, but that was probably because of the salt spray.

  “Yeah, me too…”

  “Hey, do you know how to do aerials? Your dad used to do, like, this jump with a spin. Little girl me always thought that was so awesome.”

  “I haven’t in so long, but I can give it a try!”

  She cheered him on for the rest of the morning as he recaptured some of how it had felt to be a teenager shredding waves and catching gnarly air as the really old people said.

  …

  “Grandma?”

  “Yes, Boy?”

  “Am I doing this right?”

  “There’s no right or wrong,” she smiled down at him.

  He regarded the red-colored pane of glass on the table.

  There were many different ones scattered around him.

  Some already etched.

  Others awaiting their turn.

  The dark frame that would house them hovered in the middle of the living room in a tiny field of anti-gravity.

  Using Threnium for the Christmas star seemed excessive, but he supposed his grandparents could hang it outside their front door without worry on account of its near-indestructibility.

  He took the enchanted engraving tool and went to work.

  Jennie and Ryan sat on either side of him and were engrossed, staring wide-eyed.

  But, not on the artwork.

  They stared at him.

  Equal parts confused and on the verge of tears for the former.

  He smiled.

  “Don’t worry, Jennie. I won’t mess it up.”

  She suddenly wrapped her arms around his stomach and began bawling.

  On the other side, Ryan tentatively poked him on the arm.

  “What did I do?” he looked helplessly at his grandma and Rynnen, who had just walked in.

  Rynnen opened his mouth then closed it, visibly swallowing a lump.

  The muscles in his thick neck and square jaw clenched.

  Either trying to get words out or keep them in, Alin couldn’t tell.

  Instead of speaking, Rynnen approached and laid a hand on his shoulder, giving it a firm, but gentle squeeze.

  “Jennie misses you,” his grandma finally said.

  “Yeah, we all do,” Rynnen ground out as he took a chair on the opposite side and started working on another plate-sized pane.

  “Daddy, what—” Ryan had taken to poking and pinching Alin’s side.

  “Don’t bug your kuya, Ryan. Let him work.” Rynnen nudged a blue pane toward his son. “You do yours, okay?”

  Alin’s thoughts wandered.

  Mostly to the crying girl getting snot on his shirt, but also to the Christmas activity many months before December.

  It was odd.

  His family didn’t do Christmas activities until after Thanksgiving.

  Further contemplation was interrupted by his grandmother’s arms going around his neck.

  She did the weird grandmother thing of breathing in his hair scent or something before giving him a kiss on the top of his head.

  At least he had just showered.

  “You guys are kinda being weird… not you, Jennie. You are always free to feel your emotions.” He patted her on the back. “Uh, Grandma?”

  “Yes, boy?”

  “I don’t mind the hug, but it’s making drawing this thing a little difficult.”

  “Never mind that. It doesn’t have to be perfect. The only thing that matters is that you’re doing it. And let an old woman hug her precious grandson.”

  “Sorry, boy. I remember that Tita had a large hugging radius before the spires. Now, it’s if she can see you…” Rynnen shook his head, “there’s no escape.”

  …

  “Grandpa,” Alin scanned the river with his left eye, “there’s something big in the water.”

  “Oh! Is it the fish?”

  They stood a good distance from the water’s edge.

  The dark surface made for a good hiding place for all sorts of things.

  “I don’t know. Which, means it’s something magical or maybe a Skill.”

  “Magical fish! Even better! We’ll show your grandmother that she was wrong to doubt us.”

  “To be fair to her, neither of us fish.”

  “I’ve fished before.”

  “Really, when?”

  “When I was a boy scout.”

  “Long time ago.”

  His grandfather grunted agreement.

  “Just one more week until the big day.”

  “Yeah,” he gazed across the lazy river. “Thank you again for giving me the ring.”

  “Well, I’m happy to keep it in the family! It goes all the way back to my grandmother’s grandmother.”

  “Honestly, I was more worried about losing it or something happening to it.”

  “You can’t control everything. All you can do is your best to meet what life puts in your path.”

  His grandfather laid a hand on his shoulder.

  “And I can say without hesitation or doubt that you, Boy, have done that every step of your life.” He sniffed. “You faced unique challenges that no other person on this world has— and I can say that without exaggeration— and never once have you let us down. I can say so many things about you.”

  “Please don’t.” He ducked his head. “It’s kinda embarrassing.”

  “Which is a mark of a good man. No one likes a cocky bastard,” his grandfather grinned. “But, okay, I won’t go on… are you sure, though? Because I can go on all day.”

  “Yes, please.”

  “Fine, then let me just say that maybe the thing I’m most proud of you for is your kindness. You were always kind, ever since you were a baby. And you’ve kept that in your heart through all the fighting and struggle you had to do. Which is our failure. Us old people hope to leave our kids and grandkids better off, but we couldn’t do that.”

  “I— I don’t know about that. Things are definitely better than the early spires days.”

  His grandfather made a noise that agreed to disagree.

  They spent the rest of the afternoon in companionable silence intermittently broken by idle conversation that touch a broad array of topics. Many touched upon the question of his future now that he was mostly retired from active combat.

  The sun had began to dip low over the horizon when the reason for the lack of nibbles on their hooks erupted out of the placid surface of the dark river.

  A young werecrocodile from the local tribe.

  The teen boy was very much in a lot of trouble after Alin’s grandfather wrestled him to the ground and forced him to transform back into human form.

  It turned out that the boy had gotten his class young, but was several years too young to participate in the periodic pond challenges.

  And he wanted to prove himself.

  His parents were very apologetic at the massive breach of the rules.

  In lieu of penalties, they were invited to a massive seafood dinner and on account of their lack of fishing success they happily accepted.

  They even got a few massive fish to take back home for his grandfather to show his grandmother their successful fishing trip.

  …