Cane waited as the glow in the harbor slowly faded. The shimmering water stilled, and those students who had merged with their element now stood changed—bright-eyed, faces alight with understanding. Joy and comprehension lingered in their expressions like sunlight on calm water.
Professor Morva stepped from the shallows, returning to her human form with a quiet shimmer. She brushed wet strands from her face, cheeks flushed with embarrassment. "I may have… overcommitted to the moment."
Before Cane could reply, a gravelly voice called out from behind.
"What did I miss?"
Professor Brammel stepped through a rift, his entire class filing in behind him. They carried newly crafted cannon barrels, crates of gleaming encased ordinance, and several rolled-up blueprints. The rift snapped shut behind them as Telamon gave a satisfied wave.
Cane crossed to meet Brammel, already unrolling the blueprints across the newly-forged Tungtanium surface.
The dwarf ran a broad hand over the sheet, his fingers trailing reverently. "Heavens, boy, what is this beautiful metal?"
"Titanium and tungsten," Cane replied. "Melded together with metallurgy."
Brammel squinted. "Feels like it… but different. Purer. Stronger. What method did you use?"
"He sung to it," Telamon said mildly, folding his arms.
Brammel blinked. "You've managed to find your way?"
"A portion of the way," Cane said. "Let's see what it leads to."
They moved quickly, assembling the prototype cannon onto the mount. The breech was connected to the rotating bracket. Twin telescoping barrels were slid into place, rotated, and locked with a metallic snap.
Cane stepped back and examined the mounting. Then his eyes drifted toward the munitions.
The rounds were massive—one meter long, fully encased in polished brass with steel-banded tips. Cane frowned at the breech.
"I see a potential issue," he said, lifting a round for inspection. "Tell me about these."
Brammel nodded, motioning for his students to gather. "Each cartridge houses its own powder. The rear's fitted with a steel pin that punches into a flint core. That lights the sulfur pocket, which reacts instantly with the powder and fires the round forward. No fuse, no delay. Just pull and fire."
Cane rotated the cartridge in his hands, admiring the design. "And the shape—sharp nose, elongated body. Should give decent aerodynamics. Any tests on range?"
Brammel shrugged. "Not yet. The recoil alone could launch this platform into the sea."
"Seen it too, huh?" Cane said.
"Of course I have." The dwarf crossed his arms. "This breech weighs more than you and closes on a spring/balance system. Keep your fingers clear when you load it, or you won't be keeping them at all."
Cane laughed grimly but didn't look away from the platform. "We can't mount this on a ship unless we solve the recoil."
From the harbor, Dhalia spoke up, still barefoot where she stood at the water's edge. "Use water."
Both men looked at her.
"I've seen something similar at the dam near my home," she explained. "They use plungers in water-filled tubes to dampen pressure changes when thousands of gallons are released at once."
Brammel's eyes lit up. "That's it. Half a dozen shock tubes, mounted beneath the barrel housing. Plungers welded to the moving parts, sliding into the tubes with each shot."
He rolled over a blueprint and began sketching with a charcoal pencil, his muttering growing more focused by the second.
Cane leaned in. "Use oil instead of water. Lighter, better resistance, and less likely to overheat. And we'll need an overpressure valve—otherwise the tubes will rupture the first time it fires."
"Smart," Brammel said, not looking up. "Add that in. Good. Very good."
He gave the page one last stroke, then straightened with a grunt. "Alright then. That's it for the day. Class—on Monday, we start building shock absorbers."
Selena nodded, calling her own students to attention. "Wonderful work, everyone. For those who weren't caught in the wave of enlightenment—don't worry. Cane still has more metal sheets to purify and meld."
Cane blinked, surprised.
She turned to him with a knowing smile. "You'll be sharing the space again next week. Keep your minds open, everyone."
Cane tried not to sigh. He understood. Pushing forward now, while others were absent, would be selfish.
This wasn't just about the ship.
It was about what came after.
Helping others grow mattered more than rushing to the end.
Cane walked alongside Dhalia, nodding politely as she described her earlier transformation—her voice animated in a way that felt entirely un-Dhalia-like. She moved with purpose, words tumbling out faster than usual, eyes still lit with the afterglow of elemental awakening.
He tapped the psi-comm rune behind his ear.
Cane:Central fountain in thirty minutes. I'm starting up the hot spring again.
Weeks earlier, he'd trapped an electric eel inside a water bubble, modifying the elemental structure just enough to keep it contained. With the help of a rune from Nos—one that converted electrical charge into heat—they'd temporarily turned the fountain into a makeshift hot spring. The eel had since been released... but was still contained. Fergis had taken to feeding it regularly.
Fergis:I'm in. I'm sure Shockanator has been lonely.
Cane:Oh god. You named the eel? That is so—
Fergis:You like it?
Cane:Yeah. Love it.
Clara:I can make it.
Dhalia:Next time. I have plans.
Sophie:Me too?
Cane:
He returned to Seven Tower, quickly changed into his swimwear, and slung a towel over his shoulders. Fergis was already waiting in the hallway when he stepped out.
As they exited, a soft swoop announced Pudding's arrival.
The owl-falcon hybrid landed gracefully on Cane's shoulder, rubbing his beak affectionately against Cane's head.
Cane smiled. "How's my handsome boy?"
HOOACH.
Several students turned at the sudden sound. Pudding ignored them, his head swiveling slowly, analyzing each one like a watchful sentinel.
When Cane and Fergis reached the fountain, Sophie and Clara were already seated at the edge, chatting quietly.
Pudding gave a sharp glance toward the water but made no move to dive in. He clearly knew what lived below.
"Go hunt, Pudding," Cane said.
The bird took to the sky, wings flaring as he vanished into the low clouds.
Clara:At least once a week, someone tries to mess with that eel. Best part of my day—hearing them scream from my window.
Fergis grinned, eyeing the gathering crowd. "You guys want in?"
Several first-years nodded eagerly.
"Too bad," he said, grinning as Cane enclosed the eel in a floating sphere of water and activated the rune. A faint pulse shimmered across the surface, and steam began to rise.
"The fountain," Fergis announced grandly, "is now closed."
Cane dropped his robe and stepped in, offering Sophie a hand she didn't need—but took anyway. She settled beside him, and the heat wrapped around them like a soft cloak.
"Ahhh… brother, this is the life," Fergis said, eyes closing as he leaned back, blissfully unaware of the jealous stares from cadets watching from the benches nearby.
"I miss you guys," Clara said, swishing her feet in the water. "I only have one class with Cane this cycle—History of Magic. That's it."
"I'm in Advanced Wood Element and Beginning Weapon Training," she added proudly.
"I heard Weapon Training is a blast," Fergis replied. "I've got Advanced Fire, Beast Bonding, and the ol' faithful—HOM."
Cane smiled as Sophie laced her fingers through his and shifted closer.
"I've got a few days off," she said, her voice soft. "We can stop by the tailor shop—alter some of Mom's new dresses."
Cane nodded. "I'd like that."
"The new expansion's finished," she added. "Mom will definitely want to show you everything."
Cane exhaled, letting the warmth of the water, the conversation, and her touch settle around him. For the first time in a while, it all felt quiet. Right. Like he belonged.