2. Agreement

Rene leaned forward in excitement and spoke up before anyone else.

“Well, I for one, would love to have a solution to this dilemma. As I’m sure would everyone else present. Now, out with it! How are you proposing we solve this mess?”

“I recalled that someone else had talked about two million pearls recently,” Tyler said. “I just couldn’t remember who it was or in what context. I’ve been sitting here, wracking my brain, trying to recollect what it was all about.”

He snapped his fingers.

“And then it came to me.”

He paused for a moment to make sure he had everyone’s attention, which he certainly did. My honey was playing the part of the showman, and he was playing it well.

“When we had our Exchange of Reconciliation with Ken’s school from Cincinnati, he mentioned that there was a tournament coming up. I believe he said the grand prize was two million pearls. Why don’t we look into that? Even if we don’t win the top prize, we still could earn enough to put a sizable dent into the amount owed.”

“Are you talking about the MMTL?” Rene asked.

We all looked at him blankly.

“The Midwest Majiga Turnir League? Junior division? Takes place every five years? Has two million pearls total prize money?”

“I’ve only heard about it once,” Tyler said, “so I’m not a hundred percent sure, but that does sound correct.”

“It won’t work,” Rene said flatly and leaned back with a sigh. “Although I do appreciate you offering a creative solution.”

“Why not?” Tyler asked. “I know that entering into any sort of tournament is a gamble, but we have some powerful talents in this group.”

“I know this tournament well, as the Bank is one of the primary sponsors for the event,” Rene said. “About fifty years ago, I was one of the presenters and helped chair the tournament. It was fun and we recruited some top talent that season, but it was also a lot more work than I wanted to manage on a regular basis. My duty is to the Houses, and having to do both was exhausting.”

I guess just talking about it made him tired, as he took a break to suck down the last of John’s ale. John quickly poured him a refill. If he was drinking, that meant he was still listening and not trying to drag our asses off to debtors’ prison.

“Anyway, this is a junior tournament. Which means you must be sixty years or younger in order to participate. Who were you planning on having to compete? You are certainly too old for this.”

“I thought Ken said the maximum was fifty years?” Tyler replied.

“It is at the city level,” Rene nodded. “Once it gets to the multi-state level, the upper age increases to sixty. That is because there are many out-of-region teams that arrive to participate as well. The free admission won at the city level is still a great perk, but the winners are almost exclusively from the upper age group, and they all have to pay the higher fee in order to compete. It allows the organizers to give away more prizes to a larger section of up-and-coming supernaturals, and yet still keep the prize pot big enough to attract the top talent.

“Now, who were you planning on competing for this House?”

“I was thinking that Jason and Annabeth would make a great team.” Tyler gave us a supportive smile.

Rene laughed and almost snorted his ale. That threw him into a coughing fit, and it took him a few minutes to recover. Finally, he wiped his watering eyes, took another cautious sip, and then looked at Tyler again. He was still grinning, like it was a joke, but when he saw Tyler’s sincere look, the grin faded.

“You can’t be serious,” Rene snapped.

Tyler nodded seriously.

“First, the teams are composed of five people. It’s true that team members fail, and it”s also true that no team has won the tournament with all five members still competing. However, nobody starts out with only two people on a team and expects to win. That is just madness.

“Second, these two are less than a year old. They are babies. They can’t have any real idea of how to fight or cast spells. They have no experience, and their magic reserve will be non-existent compared to their competitors. I would be shocked if they could even finish the first round, and that one’s designed to be easy and create a feel-good experience for the competitors.

“The supernaturals who seriously compete at this event are prodigies in their field. They are the best of the best in every way. They start off with a phenomenal amount of talent, and then train physically, mentally, and magically for years to try and place in the top fifty.

“This tournament isn’t just about the prizes. It’s about showcasing talent. These top contenders are expecting to be recruited by the best schools, the largest Collections, and if they are really lucky, by the Bank.

“Annabeth and Jason would be massively outclassed. It would be like asking two minnows to compete in a tank full of sharks.”

Rene glared at Tyler like he was being stupid, irresponsible, and just plain reckless with our lives.

“Ken’s school thought as you do,” Tyler replied. “They ended up being in for a rude awakening. They thought they were going to come down here for an Exchange of Reconciliation, blow through all of Sandy’s students, and battle John until they wore him down. Instead, all of Ken’s students lost to Annabeth and Jason.”

Rene looked like he wanted to call Tyler a liar, but held off since Sandy and John were nodding in agreement.

“Just think about that,” Tyler continued. “These two fought over a hundred students, many of whom were over sixty years old, and they never lost.”

He paused for emphasis.

“Also, fighting in controlled conditions is one thing. It”s something else entirely when you’re fighting for your life and there isn’t a referee to stop the match. Annabeth fought Ken in battle conditions, when he was oath-bound to the final rotten mage, and she won. Jason then fought the final rotten mage and defeated him.

“Yes, these two are young. Very young, actually. But they are not to be underestimated.”

Rene stared at me and Annabeth with an appraising eye. I almost felt like he was expecting wings to grow out our backs or claws to sprout from our hands, but nothing like that happened. Annabeth still looked all sweet and nice. I still looked like a skinny smartass.

“Once we get into the tournament, I’m actually hoping they will be underestimated,” Tyler said. “If everyone thinks like you do—that they can’t succeed—then we can bet on their success and raise the pearls needed, even if we don’t win.”

Rene started shaking his head again.

“It’s a good idea, but it won’t work either. No one in the teams, their support crews, or any individual associated with a team member is allowed to bet on the outcome of the tournament.”

Tyler looked like he was going to argue, but Rene held up his hand for patience.

“It used to be that teams were allowed to bet on themselves, but even with that restriction, there was still too much cheating going on. Finally, it was decided that no betting by the team or anyone affiliated with the team was allowed at all. If this rule is broken, the team loses all their winnings, and the betting individual loses all their pearls. Furthermore, a bounty would then be placed on that person’s hands and feet. Even as a supernatural, it takes a long time to grow back your extremities. There have been a few people who tested the rules, of course, but they quickly learned their lesson. As for the prize money, it’s two million pearls in total. That is what is given out to all the teams at all the different levels. The top prize is actually one million pearls, which is short of what you need.”

“Although…” he paused, and tapped his teeth thoughtfully.

“The winning school also gets five hundred thousand pearls. Should you win top prize, you would only be a half a million pearls short.”

“Actually…” he paused, tapping his teeth again.

We sat there quietly and let him think. He almost seemed to be talking himself into letting us compete. I didn’t know anything about this tournament or its format, but it seemed to be our way out at the moment. The only tournament I’d seen was at the Gathering, and it wasn’t team based.

Would we be fighting two people against five people? If so, that was a huge disadvantage. I appreciated that Tyler believed in us and thought we could do anything, but there was a limit to what we could handle. Yes, we were powerful and creative young mages. But we were still young.

“You know what is allowed is personal sponsorship and advertising. Once the top teams get into the final rounds, it starts a bidding war for them to wear a logoed hat or shirt from a Collection or Sponsor. The Bank could be your Sponsor, and I could match any bids from other competing entities.”

That sounded a lot like the World Series of Poker. The players who made it to the final table got paid piles of money just to wear a logoed hat.

Plink, plink, plink.

Rene sat, tapped, and thought some more. I could almost see his mental wheels turning as he put it all together.

“Has anyone here heard of ‘Paths’?” he asked, making finger quotes in the air.

We all shook our heads.

“I know what a path is, of course,” Sandy said, “but I have no idea what a trail has to do with the Bank.”

“Paths are the new ‘Big Thing’,” he said, again using air quotes. “It seems like every hundred years or so, some new shiny idea comes along that captures everyone’s attention. It’s all anyone talks about, and everyone pursues it hoping to gain a fast track to power.

“I remember when tattoos were the big thing. Mages got symbols etched into their bodies in the hopes it would help them channel the power of runes. Special inks filled with magic were used, and some mages swore it doubled their abilities. I even got a few tattoos myself.”

He paused and chuckled nostalgically.

“Maybe they helped some supernaturals, but in the end, they were just expensive pieces of body art that faded quickly.”

‘Not that this is the best time,’ my Analytical Side spoke up again, ‘but I just realized something doesn’t add up. When you were talking to the Grand Matron, she mentioned that they had tried tattoos and they didn’t work. Now, we’re hearing it from Rene too. However, we know the tattoos of the sucker rune worked. That’s what started the whole rotten mages war in the first place. Isobel must have figured out something everyone else has missed.’

‘You’re right,’ I replied, surprised. ‘I hadn’t thought about that before.’

‘Of course I’m right,’ my Analytical Side said in his best British voice. ‘Have you learned nothing yet?’

I just mentally snorted in reply and focused back on Rene.

“So what are Paths, again?” Sandy said, getting Rene back on track.

“Paths are a unified paradigm of magic,” Rene said, like that explained everything. “They focus on something called ‘cultivation’ for gathering magic, nodes and gates for storing magic, and medians for distributing your magic.

“Different Paths also have different ‘techniques’ for actually using the magic in the world. Most Paths have a Movement Technique, a Striking Technique, and a Ranged Technique at the bare minimum.”

We all stared at him like he’d suddenly started speaking in another language. Plus, he was throwing around air quotes like it was the 90’s.

“Let me give you an example of a Path I’ve seen in action: the Path of the Tinkling Hammers. For their Movement Technique, they throw down two hammers, then jump on them like they are little rocket ships and zoom away.”

I think we were all having trouble visualizing it, so Rene continued.

“Think of it like flying around as the Green Goblin from the Spider-Man universe—only there are two flying contraptions instead of one.”

I got the idea—and I was totally shocked that Rene knew anything about Spider-Man.

“As for their attacks, just think of Thor. For their Striker Technique, they summon a hammer in each hand and bash away. For their Ranged Technique, they throw their hammers like Thor, which come back to them. It’s pretty impressive to watch.”

“That certainly sounds fascinating,” Tyler said. “So where does the tinkling come in?”

“Excuse me?” Rene looked confused.

“You said it’s the Path of Tinkling Hammers,” Tyler said. “I can understand how they use the hammers for battle, but when do they tinkle?”

“I’m sure they take out their hammers and tinkle after drinking too much,” John said, his famous humor making an appearance.

We all laughed, but Rene looked pained. He didn’t seem to be a humorous type of guy. Too bad for him.

“Their hammers tinkle and make sounds like wind chimes,” Rene said primly. “They hang them in the air and use the sounds to enhance their meditation and healing.”

“I’m not sure I could meditate with a hammer hanging over my head,” John noted with a grin.

“Especially if it was going to tinkle!” Tyler was right there with him. “I prefer to meditate in golden rays of sunshine, not golden showers.”

They probably could have riffed on this all night, but Sandy put a stop to it.

“Boys, enough. Let’s not lose sight of the purpose of this discussion. Now, Mr. Perrin, what do Paths have to do with this House and our debt?”

“Well, unlike other ideas through the years, this one actually seems to work,” Rene said. “That is why the Bank is getting behind this new ideology and seeking to incorporate it into their core services. Well, it’s new to us, but it’s actually based on thousands of years of experience. Anyway, the Bank’s position is that Paths will revolutionize the magical world as we know it. Since they are the governing body of standards for the supernatural world, they want to organize and standardize Paths as much as possible.

“After all, anyone can come up with a fancy name and call it a Path. The Bank is seeking to provide true value and experience with this new ideology and keep the inevitable charlatans to a minimum.”

“Or, another way of looking at it,” John rumbled, “is that the Bank thinks there is real money to be made with Paths and is looking to corner the market as quickly as possible.”

“That is another possible way of looking at it,” Rene grudgingly acknowledged.

‘Well, look at that,’ my Analytical Side said happily. ‘John is using his wits for more than just making jokes. There is still hope for him yet!’

‘Be nice,’ I replied, ‘or I’ll stick gum in your hair.’

‘I was going to say you were more than just a face,’ he retorted, ‘but now I think I’ll just pinch your head.’

He held up his thumb and forefinger and looked at me through the space between them. Then he started making pinching motions.

‘I think the saying is that someone is more than a pretty face,’ I noted.

‘You keep telling yourself that,’ he said as he continued making pinching motions.

I sighed. I didn’t really want to do this. But a promise is a promise.

I stuck gum in his hair.

‘You are horrid!’ he cried. ‘Just horrid! I hope the Bank man hauls you away and makes you count ten thousand dollars—in pennies!’

He stomped away, still muttering.

I just mentally shrugged and focused back on the room again. Sometimes it was a three-ring circus in my head, which can be fun, but right now I needed to be serious.

“How has this new ideology been refined for thousands of years, and yet the supernatural world is just now finding out about it?” Tyler asked. “That doesn’t make any sense.”

“Apparently, there is a mage that has arrived from another world,” Rene replied. “We call him The Scholar, as that is the name of his Path. He comes from a world that is much richer in magic than ours. Everything runs on magic over there, and physics, as we know it, is unreliable. Anyway, he outgrew his world and went to another one. He taught them about Paths, until they were all caught up, and now he’s come to our world.

“He says he grows from teaching, and he’s hoping to use the resources and reputation of the Bank to spread his new way of learning. In exchange, he’s opened the door for the Bank to spread into the other two worlds. He says he’s never seen this level of systematic organization before. He feels like the Bank could only originate and develop in a world like ours, where technology and science have the upper hand. The other two worlds are very fragmented with different currencies, rules, and spheres of influence.

“Anyway, regardless of all that, everyone at the Bank is being highly encouraged to share the story of Paths. As the liaison to the House, my team and I have been attempting to spread the news as much as possible, but it just hasn’t caught on.”

“No, it hasn’t,” Sandy agreed. “We’ve just come back from the Gathering, and I didn’t hear anything about Paths the entire time we were there. We even spent time at the tournament they hosted, and Cultivation and Movement Techniques were never discussed.”

Rene looked frustrated and like he was about to say something, but Tyler interrupted him.

“Why don’t you tell people what Paths have done for you personally?” he asked. “I’ve noticed that you talk about it like it’s a product—like it’s a set of CDs you can buy on a late night infomercial. Surely, the Bank has given you training on Paths and you’ve picked one out for yourself. You say this actually works, so what difference has it made with your magic?”

“What I’m finding out is Paths are really for young mages,” Rene sighed. “I’ve done magic for over seven hundred years. I’ve learned how to harvest magic, cast spells, and summon my weapon and shield. I’ve done it so often for so long it’s ingrained into my very being. You are right that the Bank has given us all the tools to find our best Path and follow it. It’s just that it requires me to forget almost everything I know and start over.”

Rene sighed again and shifted uncomfortably.

“I’ve worked hard for what I have. I’m very good at the magic I do. At the core of my being, I find I’m unwilling to start over. That’s why I don’t have a personal story to tell, and that’s why I lack the conviction to truly spread the gospel of Paths to the Houses.”

He focused back on Sandy.

“Your House, on the other hand, is young and just starting to grow. You are at the beginning of your supernatural journey, so you can truly embrace Paths and all they can do for you. I know I’m not doing them justice, but they are amazing. I’ve seen average mages use the ideology of Paths to grow leaps and bounds over their rivals. In the hands of the truly gifted, the potential is staggering. All the top teams at this tournament will be using Paths. You will be able to see just what they can do, and then you can come back and tell the other Houses what you’ve seen.”

He paused and almost looked emotional for a moment.

“I know we are just meeting each other for the first time, but I truly love the Houses and all the opportunities they offer. I know I’m the representative for the Bank, but I want the Houses to succeed in the best way possible. It’s imperative that they don’t fall behind in power any further than they already have.”

“What do you mean?” Sandy sounded bewildered. “The Houses are doing fine. As I mentioned, we’ve recently been to the Gathering, and the tournament there was thrilling. Mages are training and growing just as they always have.”

Rene shook his head sadly.

“That’s the response I hear a lot when I’m sounding my warning. The Houses are NOT doing fine. They are falling behind in power, talent, and technology. If you go back five hundred years, being part of a House meant you had the finest teachers and the best opportunities to grow. Living in a House was a huge honor and meant you were headed for greatness.

“Now, it just means you’ve given up. It means that a supernatural couldn’t cut it in the larger world and has scurried away to safety. Becoming a Houseguest is seen as the lowest of the low. They are only one step higher than a slave. Even the smallest school with the youngest teacher would consider themselves fortunate they aren’t part of a House.”

We stared at him in shock. How could this be true?

The Grand Matron had mentioned that the House no longer had the best defenders, and Ken had mentioned that the House didn’t have a great reputation, but I didn’t think it was this bad. Was the House really that far behind?

“When was the last time a House team won a regional tournament?” Rene drove his point home. “Or even a city tournament? When was the last time your elders left the House to train with other schools? When was the last time the House aggressively recruited new talent?”

“I… I don’t know,” Sandy admitted.

“That is my point, exactly,” Rene continued. “Houses compete against each other, so it feels like everyone is doing well. But the Houses are falling behind. They are obsessed with runes and charms, but the rest of the supernatural world has moved on. Top tier talent is scouted and aggressively recruited by all the supernatural organizations. Mid tier talent is aggressively recruited by the schools, which means only the lowest talent, or the most desperate, find their way to the Houses.”

Rene smacked his chair in frustration, making Bermuda and Mr. Tubbles jump.

“It’s incredibly frustrating to watch this organization I love become slow and antiquated. I would do anything to light a fire under its ass and get it moving again.”

He gave Annabeth and me a wry look.

“I’d even consider sponsoring two babies with some talent who are at least willing to go outside of the House system.”

He put his face in his hands and gave a long sigh.

“Gods. I must be crazy.”

He sighed again, and the room got quiet. Everyone seemed lost in thought, processing this new information. Rene started tapping his teeth again as he organized his thoughts.

Plink, plink, plink.

“Okay, this is what is going to happen,” he said decisively. “Annabeth and Jason will both need Bank Stamps in order to enter the tournament. I will insert the Stamps for both of you. If you are powerful enough to handle it, then we can move onto the next step. In the much more likely event that it is too much for your system to handle, I will put the Stamp to sleep for ten years and we will discuss this tournament no more.”

He looked around at us, and we all nodded in agreement. It sounded good so far. If I couldn’t handle a Stamp, then I was going to get my ass handed to me in the tournament.

“Should the stories I’ve heard today be true and you both really are some sort of prodigies, we will then go to the next step, which will be for both of you to generate a pearl. Again, this usually isn’t something that is attempted until you are at least ten years old.”

He looked at us again, and again, we all agreed.

“If you are still standing, and not passed out on the floor, I’ll then enroll you both as your own team in the tournament. The tournament is in two days, so regular enrollment is now closed. It’s only because the Bank is a primary sponsor of this event that I can override the lock and get you registered.”

Two days? The tournament was in two days? That wouldn’t leave any time for training.

I shot Annabeth a look, but she just shrugged. It wasn’t like we normally had a lot of time to prepare for all our fights up to this point. This was just par for the course for the adventures of House Louisville.

“I can’t embarrass the Bank, so I can’t offer any help for the first quest rounds. It will be up to you to do well and raise your scores on your own. Also, since this was your idea and the Bank will not go deeper in debt, it will be up to you to pay the five-thousand-pearl entrance fee.”

He gave Sandy a sharp look, like he expected her to object to the cost, but she just nodded.

“That’s five thousand pearls for the team,” he repeated himself. “You have to pay the professional rate, as that is the only way to skip the city events and get into the regional tournament directly.”

“I heard you clearly the first time,” Sandy said primly. “I recently had the opportunity to wager on two events with high odds. I won, so the five thousand pearls will not be a problem.”

She was talking about our fights with Victor and Eugene at the Gathering. At least they had been useful for something.

“What do you mean by quest rounds?” I asked. “Aren’t we just fighting each other?”

Rene gave me the same sigh that he’d given John—like the simple people of the world were wearing away at his soul.

“That’s the way tournaments used to be a hundred years ago. It doesn’t allow for much variety, though, and it doesn’t fully test the abilities of the participants. With the quest format, the teams can be dropped into different scenarios and then scored on how well they complete their adventures. For example, the quests will test how well the team works together, or how much stamina they have, or how well they can survive in difficult situations.

“Some of the quests are simple, like get the team from here to there as fast as possible. Some of them are truly fantastic, though, and it makes it so much more exciting for everyone involved. Most of the teams don’t expect to win, but they want to experience the quests and have the adventure of a lifetime. For the viewers, the mystery of what the next quest will be and how the teams will rank keeps everyone glued to the results.

“These junior tournaments are especially fun to watch. Seeing some of the novice teams wipeout is just hysterical.” Rene started to say more, but he started chuckling. I guess he was remembering a really good wipeout as he tried to get serious, but ended up laughing some more.

“I know what you mean,” I chuckled along with him. “I didn’t want to laugh, but seeing your face when you went through the floor earlier was just hysterical! I’ve seen it happen before, and there’s something about that ‘Oh, shit!’ moment as they fall through that gets me every time.”

That got me a glare. I guess it wasn’t as funny when you were the one being wiped out.

“Does anyone get hurt or killed in these quests?” Annabeth asked.

“If you ‘die’ in the quest, then you are out of the tournament,” Rene said, using his air quotes again. “You don’t actually die in real life, though. Most of these quests are fairly safe. There are always a few people that are really unlucky, or just plain stupid, that get badly hurt. They usually recover, though, and that keeps everything interesting.”

I’m sure it did. There was a reason that NASCAR crashes or bad hits in football were the clips that were shown over and over on the news. There was just something fascinating about seeing something go really wrong.

“Anyway, let”s get back to the plan,” Sandy said. “The tournament is only two days away, and we still need to get ready and travel to wherever it is. By the way, where is this tournament happening?”

“Brewster, Nebraska,” Rene said with a smile. “Full-time population of almost twenty people. You’re going right to the middle of the state.”

Sandy looked confused, which I’m sure matched my own expression. Why was a major tournament being held in the middle of nowhere?

Rene waved his hand in the air to forestall the inevitable questions coming his way.

“Obviously, the town isn’t the only thing out there. With this many supernaturals, it just makes sense to limit our exposure to as few mundanes as possible. Believe me, the entire complex is excellent. It was completely rebuilt a few seasons ago, and it was redesigned from the ground up around the team concept. I haven’t been to the Gathering myself, of course, but you should find it comparable. Although the MMTL, even at the junior level, will be a larger event.”

I shared a surprised look with Sandy. The tournament was larger than the Gathering? That didn’t seem possible. Just how big was the supernatural world outside of the House?

I suddenly felt like a tiny fish in a very large pond.

“I assume you are traveling overland to the event?” Rene asked.

“If it’s truly out in the middle of nowhere, I don’t think we can fly there,” Sandy replied. “So yes, we will probably drive to the tournament.”

“Why wouldn’t you be able to fly?” Rene looked confused. “Although the amount of magic you’d use getting everyone to the event would make it a poor choice, as you’d arrive exhausted and low on magic. That’s not a good way to start a tournament.”

“Oh, that’s not what I meant,” Sandy laughed. “I was talking about flying on an airplane—not a magic carpet or anything like that. You’re right that we don’t have anywhere near that type of capability yet.”

“Of course,” Rene laughed with her. “I forget that the mundanes can fly too. Regardless, I’d suggest you hire a transit service for the trip. Finding the tournament on your own will not be easy, and the driver will know exactly where to go. I can help you get that arranged, assuming our two contestants can survive installing their Stamps.”

“I’m sure they will do very well,” Sandy said confidently. Her tone was good, but I thought I saw a bit of worry in her eyes. “We need to get started, as we have lots of planning and a long trip ahead of us. But, just to be clear, here is the plan.”

She held her hand up in the air and started checking off the steps with her fingers.

“First, Annabeth and Jason get their Bank Stamps. Then, they both generate a pearl. You agree to then enter us into the tournament and provide advice on logistics. Once we get to the event, you pretend like you don’t know us. After we get through the first few quests, you can admit that we are acquainted. Once we get into the last few quests, you’ll declare that we are best buds and sponsor us into the finals. When we win the whole damn thing, you’ll say all this was your idea, you’re a genius, and you knew we could do it all along. You’ll also declare our debt to the Bank is paid in full.”

She paused and cocked an eyebrow at Rene.

“Do we have an agreement?”

“That was a very colorful way of putting things,” Rene replied. “And it’s also assuming the best outcome. I would like to add that you and your House agree to learn all you can about Paths and start this conversation with the other Houses.”

“I can’t agree to advocating for something I haven’t seen or experienced myself,” Sandy replied. “We can certainly agree to learn all we can about Paths. If they really are that amazing, then we will want to use this ideology ourselves.”

Rene looked like he wanted to ask for more, but then he simply nodded.

“We have an agreement,” he said.

He spit on his hand and extended it towards Sandy. She spit on her hand, and then clasped his hand firmly.

“We have an agreement,” she echoed.

There was a small pop, and for a brief moment, it looked like they were holding onto the sun. Beams of light escaped from their handshake and lit up the room.

They both smiled and seemed satisfied until the room shook with a hollow boom. Then Rene looked around wildly. It seemed like the House had heard and accepted their agreement also.

“Excellent,” Sandy said brightly. “Clearly, there is no time to waste. Who is getting their Bank Stamp first?”

“Let’s start with Annabeth,” Rene suggested. “She’s older, even if not by much.” He shot me a glance that said that wasn’t the only reason. I guess he wanted to start with the sweet grandma before he had to work with the smartass.

‘I don’t mean to be so sarcastic,’ I lamented to my Analytical Side, ‘but once I have a few drinks, it just sort of happens.’

‘I know, dear,’ he replied, giving me a sympathetic pat on the back. ‘At least your friends appreciate your nature. And sometimes a lack of tact is even considered refreshing.’

I smiled and laughed.

‘Refreshing. I like that. I’m not an asshole—I’m refreshing.’

“Annabeth, why don’t you come over here and sit in front of me,” Rene suggested. Sandy and Annabeth swapped chairs. While they did so, Rene looked into his empty glass, and then gave John a sad look. John got the hint and poured him a refill.

Tyler had been keeping his distance—I guess to look impartial—but now he scooted his chair over, and we snuggled up together. Our two fur babies jumped into our laps, and all was well in my world.

Once we were all settled again, Rene began.

“Annabeth, there is a wonderful ceremony that normally goes along with receiving your Stamp. It’s full of pageantry and celebration, and I’m very sorry you are going to miss this. I still hope this will be a fond memory for you, and one you don’t look back on with regret.

“Getting your Stamp deserves a ceremony because it is a big step in your supernatural journey. This is the moment when you become more than just a victim of a cosmic accident. This is the moment when you accept your place as a mage and become an adult in the supernatural world.

“With this Stamp, you can finally own pearls and begin your true path to power. You can buy and sell goods, own property, enter into contracts, and message others. You will gain a power rating, and it will update based on your tournament rankings and fight history. This Stamp is the gateway to everything the Bank has to offer and so much more.

“This is the true coming-of-age moment for your immortal life. It is your Bat Mitzvah, your Quinceanera, your Ji Li. For modern America, it is like getting your driver”s license, being able to drink, and getting your first cell phone—all rolled into one.

“This Stamp comes with responsibilities too. You are expected to be a sensible mage and own up to your decisions. There are many routes to power and many ways of earning pearls, so choose wisely. Not every way involves violence, although learning to defend yourself should be a top priority.

“Be careful with your words. As a mage, your oaths bind you. Be wary of those offering to lend you pearls or other easy paths to power. The easy way almost always has the most pain and heartache.

“I have said the words and offered my wisdom. I welcome you with open arms beside the door to your future. Do you, Annabeth Matz, on this day and in the presence of these witnesses, accept the offer of the Stamp?”

“I do,” Annabeth said simply.

“Do you agree to open yourself and your magic to the process of acquiring the Stamp? This will include a full analysis of your color and your abilities. It will also require receiving the Stamp as well as integrating it into your system.”

“I do,” Annabeth said again.

“Wonderful!” Rene smiled at her kindly. “Just know that there can be different reactions to receiving the Stamp. Some have described it as being euphoric, while some have said it felt uncomfortable. Either way, it will certainly feel different for a while. The more you use the Stamp, the more integrated it will become. Eventually, you will use its services without a second thought.”

Annabeth nodded to show she understood.

“Now, let me first begin with the analysis. Don’t worry, this won’t hurt at all.” Rene smiled kindly again. He came off as a bit of a cocky peacock, but overall, I was beginning to see that he wasn’t a bad person.

He offered her his hand and she took it. Then he gently laid his other hand over the top. It kind of looked like he was giving her an extra warm greeting. Then he closed his eyes and concentrated.

“Oh my!” he exclaimed as his eyes flew open. “You have so much power for a first year!”

For a moment he just stared at her, like once again he was seeing her in a whole new light.

“You aren’t emitting any magic, so I thought for sure your capacity was at a regular level,” Rene explained. “But this is fantastic! What a wonderful surprise. I’m so happy for you.”

“Thank you very much,” Annabeth replied happily. “This is something I worked on with Jason. We had a few problems initially, but then it all worked out.”

She didn’t go into details about her magic matrix that we’d built, or how she’d collapsed in the park from lack of magic and remained comatose for over a week. That had been a lonely time, as I’d been the last person standing in the house. Everyone else had been either lost to the earth, off on a mission, or passed out from lack of magic. It had all worked out in the end, though, thanks to my creations Octa and the Granny Godmothers.

“I’m starting to think you won’t have any problems with the Stamp,” Rene continued. Then he closed his eyes and concentrated again.

“You have a lovely saturated color to your magic,” he said. “That is a wonderful sign, as it means you are going to be a strong mage. You will find that magic responds well to your commands and that you’ll recover from magic based injuries a lot faster. In case you are wondering, your specific magic color is 7583.”

He paused to continue his scan.

“Don’t worry about remembering that,” he added. “It will be part of your Stamp so you can access it at any time. It’s really just an internal numbering system the Bank uses to match up mages to pearls.”

He paused. Then his eyes flew open in surprise.

“You already have a Stamp?” he exclaimed. “How is that possible?”

We all looked at each other in confusion. I’m sure Annabeth would know if she had a Bank Stamp or not.

Rene looked again.

“It’s not a Bank Stamp. I’ve seen a few others in my time with the Bank, but I’ve never seen this one before. Hang on. Let me cross reference it…”

He closed his eyes and started muttering to himself. Then his eyes flew open, and he looked at Annabeth in total shock. He opened his mouth to say something, but nothing came out. He took a long drink of John’s ale and tried again.

“My dear, you are full of surprises. How on earth did you get the Stamp for Gaia’s Heart?”

“Oh!” Annabeth smiled as she figured it out. “I think you mean the Mark of the Deep Earth.”

“Call it what you will, that Stamp is considered legendary! I don’t have many notes about it, as it is one of the rarest of Stamps that one can receive. It is theorized that it is the ultimate Stamp in the hierarchy of all natural Stamps. I ask you again, how did you get this?”

“If you think my Mark is special, you should check out theirs,” Annabeth gestured at John and Sandy. “I just have a regular Mark. They are the Ambassadors.”

“I don’t even know what that means,” Rene replied as he turned to Sandy eagerly.

She gave him an abbreviated version of merging powers with John and how that had attracted the attention of the Deep Earth. Rene was going to be working with everyone anyway, so she also told him about the bargain they made where we got the Marks too.

“So everyone here has the Heart of Gaia?” Rene looked around in wonder. We all nodded.

“This is certainly turning out to be a fascinating House,” he mused. “First I met two Companions, and now I’m discovering legendary Stamps. This visit is turning out nothing like I expected.”

For the first time, I noticed his lips weren’t exactly matching the words I was hearing. I guess he was letting the Bank interpret for him, just like I’d seen with the Grand Matron. I had thought his English seemed very modern for a seven-hundred-year-old guy.

“Anyway, time is of the essence, so let us continue.” He focused back on Annabeth again. “I can’t see anything else unusual. Is there anything else you would like to tell me about?”

“I can’t think of anything,” Annabeth shrugged. “You already know I’m a sonic mage and that I have the Mark of the Deep Earth. Other than that, I don’t think there should be any more surprises.”

“Excellent,” Rene replied. “I’ll now create the Bank Stamp.”

He let go of Annabeth”s hands and took a moment to center himself. Then he held out his right hand, and a small black sphere appeared on his palm. It was about the size of a pea, and it had a shiny, yet liquid appearance. It didn’t stay that way for long, as Rene started charging it up with magic. It started glowing, and eventually lifted off his hand to hover about two inches in the air. For the first time, I saw Rene exert himself. His neck muscles tensed, and he sucked on his lips with the effort he was giving.

The small sphere glowed brighter and brighter until it lit up the whole room.

‘This is similar to what Seful did when he gave us the Mark of the Lagerel,’ my Analytical Side noted. ‘I had thought the Bank Stamp would be something different. But now I think it’s a seed, just like the Deep Earth and the Lagerel.’

‘I think you’re right,’ I replied. ‘And it makes sense too. The Lagerel and the Deep Earth are giving us abilities, so why wouldn’t the Bank use the same format to give us its abilities?’

‘I was feeling a bit nervous about this whole thing,’ my Analytical Side admitted. ‘We know how to handle seeds, though. We just need to welcome it fully and saturate it with our magic. Piece of cake!’

I nodded happily and focused back on Rene. The sphere was glowing like a tiny sun now, and Rene seemed to think that was enough.

“Annabeth, you have a nice saturated color, so I’ve given your Stamp a bit more power than normal to compensate. Now, if you would please extend your right wrist, we can begin.”

He gave Annabeth an encouraging smile as she offered him her wrist. He moved the glowing sphere closer, and then, with a flick of his hand, sent the sphere inside her.

“Give it a minute to settle,” he instructed her as her eyes grew wide. “It will take a day or two to acclimate to your system. Once it does, you should hear a welcome sound, and an Avatar will introduce itself to you and begin your tutorial. There’s a lot to learn, and there is no need to rush the process. You need the Stamp in order to enter the tournament, but you don’t need to be fully acclimated. So just relax and enjoy the process.”

“This feels fine,” Annabeth said happily. She hummed for a moment and rubbed her wrist. “It’s much calmer than when I got the Mark of the Deep Earth. That was almost more excitement than I could handle.”

She hummed again, and then her face lit up.

“Oh! I heard the chime. The Stamp is ready.”

“Really?” Rene sounded shocked. “Are you sure?”

“Oh yes,” Annabeth said, staring off into space for a moment. Then she flicked her hand and came back to us. “Okay, the tutorial wanted to start, but I put it off until later. Now, what’s the next step?”

Rene looked like he wanted to argue with her for a moment. But then he reached out and tapped wrists with her.

“Annabeth, you are just amazing,” he said in wonder. “You’re right. Your Stamp is already acclimated and ready to go. I don’t know that I’ve seen it happen that quickly before. Since you’re a first year, I thought for sure it would take a few days.”

He took a long sip of ale as Sandy and John looked on proudly. They seemed like two doting parents who were delighted by the talents of their little girl. I was pretty proud of her too. Annabeth was hands-down one of the most wonderful people I’d ever known.

Rene flipped his hand again, and something that looked like the handlebars of a small bicycle appeared.

“Now we come to the part that I’m most worried about—forming your first pearl,” he said. “The magic for the Stamp comes with it, so very little is required on your end. But the pearl, however, all of that comes from you. I can see you have a large capacity for a first year, but still, I’m worried about your flow. Making your first pearl is no small thing.”

He handed her the strange handlebar looking thing.

“This is a device that you can use to make pearls. It helps you focus your magic and makes sure the pearls are the right size, shape, and density. Some older mages like to show off and make their own pearls, but I’ve found in most cases they don’t get it right. It’s best if you get used to using our official pearl maker and just keep on using it for your entire supernatural existence.”

“That’s fine with me,” Annabeth said. “Now, how do I use this thing?”

She put her hands on either end of the handlebars, like she was going to ride a bike. Only there was no bike. Instead, there was a silver sphere in the middle, about as big as an apple.

“You’re already holding it the correct way,” Rene directed. “Now you just need to squeeze both handles and push your magic into the device. That should be enough to turn it on. Once it does, it will start pulling the magic out of you until it has enough to make the pearl. As long as you don’t try and fight it, you should be okay. Just keep pushing your magic until it’s done.”

Annabeth nodded and started right away. I think Rene was going to say more, but he just shut up and let her do her thing.

The whole process happened pretty quickly, and I followed the whole thing with my magic sight. I saw Annabeth’s pink magic flow out of both hands and meet at the center. It filled up the silver sphere in the middle, at which point it stopped pulling from Annabeth, and instead, started spinning the magic it already contained. Once it had the magic spinning rapidly, the sphere lit up with power and compressed her magic the rest of the way. The sphere tinkled as the newly formed pearl fell to the bottom. The pearl was still spinning, so it bounced around inside the sphere for a moment before settling down.

“How did that feel?” Rene asked anxiously.

“It felt fine,” Annabeth replied. “It took more than I expected, so I wouldn’t want to make another one right away. But overall, it felt good.”

“Wonderful,” Rene said warmly. “You should know you did very well for your first time. I’ve seen mages get sick, or even pass out from forming their first pearl. Now, hand the pearl maker to me, and we’ll see what we have.”

Annabeth handed over the handlebars, and Rene pressed a latch on the sphere. It folded in half, and Rene tipped the pearl inside onto his palm. It looked shiny, even shinier than most of the pearls I’d seen at the Gathering, and it was pink. Very, very pink.

The tiny thing was vibrant and also somehow happy. It was like seeing Annabeth in pill form. If someone was feeling down, they could take one Annabeth pearl in the morning with a full glass of water and the rest of their day would be happiness and sunshine.

I chuckled at my own weird thoughts as Rene examined the pearl closely.

“This pearl formed very well, and it has captured your magic nicely. I’ll take this with me, and it will be stored at the Bank. Should there be any dispute in the future about your magic signature, this pearl can be used to validate your identity.

“I’ll have an assistant do a full analysis, but from what I’m seeing right now, your pearls will be worth eighty-nine percent of standard. This will be a very important number for you when you create more pearls and work to pay off your debt.”

He said it like we should know what that meant, and I was going to ask him about it, but Annabeth beat me to it.

“Some pearls are worth more than others,” he explained. “Mainly because the demand for them is higher. As you know, mages not only make pearls, they can absorb them too. When you absorb a pearl, you’re really taking in someone else’s magic. So you want their magic to be as compatible with yours as possible. That means that pearls with popular colors are worth more. It also means that pearls with low aspect, or low saturation, are worth a lot more too. Low saturation pearls are the easiest to absorb and carry the lowest contamination.

“In your case, the value of your pearls go up as it’s close to red, which is the most popular color. Unfortunately, the value then drops as your pearls are highly saturated. Still, eighty-nine percent of standard isn’t too bad. There are other ways of gaining pearls other than making them yourself. I’d suggest you keep an eye out for earning possibilities as you grow as a mage.”

“I hate to interrupt,” Tyler spoke up, “however, I can feel the House pulling at me. It wants to send me on a mission.”

“Really?” I said, disappointed. “It wants you to go away now?”

“I haven’t been away in almost four weeks,” Tyler reminded me gently. “And now it looks like I’m getting ready to head out again with you for a while. I think the House just wants me to get my work done while I can.”

He kissed me gently. “I’ll be back tomorrow before we leave.”

He kissed me again. “Promise.”

Well, crap. I couldn’t argue with that. Tyler used to do his House work once or twice a week, but since I’d been injured, he’d stayed with me a lot longer than usual. The House probably did have a backlog of supernaturals that needed his help.

I would have liked to have him here when I got my Stamp, but he wouldn’t be gone long, and I’d much rather have his assistance during the tournament. Tyler was an amazing martial artist, so hopefully he could help us figure out how to win against the Paths the other teams were going to have. Plus, just having him with me would make me feel so much better.

Some boyfriends just bring the drama, but Tyler wasn’t like that. He was stable. Solid.

I was a better version of myself when I was with him. And I was going to need my best version possible to keep all of us out of the poor house. No pun intended.

We took a break as Tyler pulled Rene aside and they did their thing. It seemed like they did a lot of wrist tapping and scanning. Rene had Tyler make a pearl too, but Tyler didn’t make it seem like any sort of big deal. In the end, we’d all stretched, refilled our drinks, and were ready to settle down again as they finished up.

Before he left, Tyler came over to give me a big hug and a kiss.

“You’re going to do just fine,” he murmured in my ear. “You have plenty of power and plenty of control. The Bank Stamp is going to love you.”

He hugged and kissed me again.

“I’ll see you again tomorrow,” he said. Then he said a quick goodbye to everyone else, gave a final wave, and then left through Sandy’s front door. I didn’t even have to check with my magic sight. I already knew the House had whisked him away.

I gave a deep sigh and sat down in the chair opposite Rene’s throne.

“And now we come to you,” Rene said with a weary sigh. Clearly, Annabeth was his favorite.