Progressing your Affinity is completely separate from advancing along your Path.

  Both are important, both have benefit, but they can be done independently even if it often occurs simultaneously.

  Understanding your Affinity and how it applies to your life is the most basic form of progress. It allow you to better leverage it, to gain more benefit from it. Your Affinity is based on who you are after all, so finding that overlap is critical.

  Leveraging it within your techniques, strengthening and modifying them to fit your Affinity can result in effects that would be impossible otherwise.

  And if it the effect of technique seems impossible, it likely will be hard to counter.

  ~ * ~

  Two weeks of Diving feels so short now, Anya sent as they stepped back into the Holding.

  You get to tell Fay you don't want to spend time with her.

  That isn't it and you know it, she sent.

  Anya wanted to spend time with Fay, she'd even happily spend time with Briana. She just wanted, no needed, to push forward. There was limited time and she felt they weren't making progress. She knew they were, that every day they spent in the Depths was another day closer to their goal.

  They'd hit the wall in next to no time and they were still pushing just as hard. Her Godparents seemed to believe they were on track, Fay had agreed. But still the deadline scared her.

  We're going to make it love, Seb sent, pulling her focus back to the moment.

  I know. And we did promise we'd be back to see if she'd found a property.

  She could tell there was a stranger in Fay's office, she knew Seb had noticed the presence as well, probably before she had.

  Briana?

  No, someone new. Maybe the Arbiter?

  Introducing him would make sense, she agreed.

  Fay met them at the door to her office with a smile. Anya gave her the briefest of hugs, happy to see her despite her complaints moments before.

  "Anya. Seb," Fay said as she led them into the room. "This is Arbiter Alex. Arbiter, meet Holders Syl."

  "My Lady. My Lord," he said with the quickest of bows. "Thank you for the opportunity and private lodging while the Holding undergoes expansion."

  Anya glanced at Fay, her confusion evident in her eyes.

  "He has been staying in the guestroom," Fay clarified. "The Seer's Council had been providing lodging previously. He has been very helpful in identifying property for the expansion as well as negotiating beneficial contract."

  "You found a place?" Seb asked.

  "We did. On the very edge of Deep Earth so it comes with future expansion opportunities."

  "And the cost?" Anya said

  She saw Fay wince. They had all known it would be expensive, but they'd hoped-

  "Syl can afford it," Fay said finally.

  "The cost in Weregild is-" Alex began.

  "Syl can afford it," Fay repeated.

  "Yes ma'am, as you say. I have not see all the books yet to know what is in the Vaults."

  Anya saw the look passing over Fay's face and had her own suspicions of the cost, but clearly Fay wasn't wanting to discuss it with people who weren't family.

  Is she going to buy it for us? Seb sent.

  Maybe? She shouldn't have to-

  -but she's family and she decided to?

  You might be reading a pirated copy. Look for the official release to support the author.

  "Arbiter Alex," she began, changing the subject to something more relevant. "Will you serve Holding Syl?"

  Alex seemed to refocus and turned to the two of them. Bowing more deeply he sank to one knee and lowered his head.

  "Sovereign Syl, Partner Syl. I pledge myself to Holding Syl. I swear to put the Holding's interests first for as long as I serve."

  "Welcome to the Holding, Arbiter," Anya said. "With our current size and needs we appoint you to the roles of Arbiter and Seneschal. Please ensure you let us, or Seer Phelann know if you require assistance should the workload increase."

  "Of course my Lady," he said as he rose to his feet. "If there is nothing more I will go see the current progress the Engineers have managed to make?"

  "Thank you, we will find you if needed."

  Anya waited until he was far enough down the hall to be out of easy earshot before closing the door and turning to Fay.

  "How much?"

  "Anya-" Fay began.

  "How much Fay," Anya said, cutting her off.

  She could feel Seb beside her, feel him resting his hand on her shoulder, feel his concern over the band as he tried to calm her.

  "Twenty-Five."

  "Fay!"

  "Wait," Seb said. "How much?"

  "The district in question costs a level 25 weregild," Fay said.

  "We can't let you-" Anya began.

  "Anya," Fay said quickly. "Let me explain."

  Anya took a deep breath before nodding. That number was ridiculous. They couldn't afford it, they wouldn't be able to afford it for years, maybe even decades.

  "It is an entire district," Fay explained. "When we specified it was for a Holding they required that size. Holdings grow, if we only buy a small plot we'll outgrow it and need more, but then others will be established…"

  "But with a Seed we can just spread elsewhere," Seb said.

  "Yes," Fay agreed. "We can. But Deep Earth establishes these requirements based on typical Holdings. They refused to make a complete exception."

  "This was an exception?" Anya asked.

  "Half the usual size and a quarter the price is the usual minimum."

  Anya stepped across the room and dropped into one of the chairs. Level 25 weregild and it was called a deal. A deal Fay was willing, and able, to pay for.

  "You shouldn't have to pay for us," she said, still trying to protest, to come to grips with the situation.

  She glanced up as Fay moved to stand over her, looking down at her.

  "Sister," Fay said and pointed at her. "Brother," she continued as she pointed to Seb. "We're family."

  "The Arbiter will have questions once he sees the records," Seb said.

  "He can ask. Nothing says the Holders must be the source of the payment, only that it be a member of the family."

  "Thank you," Anya said. "But what will we do with the space?"

  ~ * ~

  Seb looked at Anya, Fay and Alex as they all stood next to the single room Construct in the middle of an empty district. Their empty district.

  The process of acquiring it was quite easy in the end. Agree to the contract, demonstrate that they had the weregild available, which Fay did while Alex and the opposing Arbiter looked on in surprise, and then wait for the confirmation.

  No extensive paperwork, no hours spent waiting for one last review of the terms, no endless signatures that said the same thing over and over. Agree, pay and they were done.

  Getting a basic Construct delivered took longer, mostly because the Engineers had to actually transport it into place. The questions about why they wanted the most basic of options, How could a small room, too small for all four of them to even stand in, be sufficient? What were they planning to do with it? Did they need any further help?

  Finally Anya told them that Engineer Yshe would be assisting them with arranging further expansion. Suddenly everything went smoothly, everyone was happy to be of service and repeating their names over and over in the hope that they would mention how diligent they were when they spoke to Yshe.

  Sandra wasn't kidding, she sent.

  About Yshe?

  She must be more important than we realized.

  Valene is more important than we realized, he answered. And he sent us directly to Yshe.

  Seb stepped up to the Construct and looked at Anya.

  "Do I? Do you?"

  "Together? We don't know what we need to do," she answered.

  "Yshe made it sound like it would be easy."

  "She also said she had no clue. And called us children at least once."

  "Just hurry up, I want to go get coffee," Fay said.

  "You can walk to her shop," Seb answered.

  He saw Fay hesitate before answering.

  "She isn't working, she's making lunch for us."

  "When did she-" he began. "Planned to surprise us?"

  "Yes…"

  He chuckled and took Anya's hand, pulling her against him as he stepped into the room and shut the door. Holding her close he tried to remember what Yshe had said, his attention returning over and over to the feelings coming through the band.

  Anya, he sent. We have to think about the Seed.

  Last time we connected with it was when we first-

  -felt the bond fully. Even if we didn't realize at the time. I remember.

  So maybe if we- she sent.

  -focus on our bond and reach for the Seed?

  He knew she agreed, he could feel her thoughts drift away from his words. This close, this intent on a shared task they might as well be a single set of thoughts. He knew she was reaching out, that they were reaching out. The Seed, the sensation of the connection that was both always there and never important, grew in their awareness. They could feel it, it could feel them.

  The sensation grew, the connection strengthened and suddenly snapped into focus. The room around them felt like home, the same as it did every time they returned from the Depths. Opening their eyes, he felt the moment of synchronization fade, felt Anya as separate from him, yet part of him in ways he couldn't explain.

  That was- he began.

  -wow. -wow, they finished together.

  Two doors now, Anya added a moment later.

  Turning his head he saw the new door behind him. Reaching back he opened it and swung it open to reveal the familiar sight of the main room of their Holding.

  I guess Yshe was right, he sent.

  She'll be glad to know it was easy.

  Anya opened the outer door as he stepped into the original Holding. A moment later Fay hurried by on her way upstairs to get coffee. Alex followed more calmly, nodding to both of them before making his way to his temporary office.

  Lunch? he sent as Anya closed her door.

  She smiled, her thoughts and emotions making her answer clear long before she answered.

  Can we have a quick spar first?

  Want to support Confluence Saga?

  Leave a comment to tell me what you think of the story so far.

  Want to chat about the story? Come to .

  Current Bonus Chapter Goals:

  - 358/500 Followers

  - 72/100 Favorites

  - 40/50 Ratings

  - 5/10 Reviews