Lion Head Mesa You want me to leave London and give up magic?

The resident sanpin worked hard and without much fanfare. He had been shown the ropes ages ago and fell quickly to the habit of early rising, working without comment, and taking few breaks; he slept very little and as a result of all his hard work, his body had begun to thin. He looked trim and youthful, sometimes a bit haggard as the days wore on, but Reyes kept his head down and tried to stay out of the limelight.

He thought often of home. Every moment he could spare for sleep he would recite a prayer to his daughter, wishing that Sorana was well somewhere, that she was happy; he had convinced himself by now that she was. That every job done properly would only fuel her happiness, even if he could not see it. It was delusional thinking by a lonely man; but it got him through his days.

Today, with the help of a fellahin girl named Nazli, he was brought to the room of lessons and told to tidy it. It was a spacious area within the mesa lined with furs, reeds, and with a few ornaments upon the walls. He did his best to sweep out the detritus and tidy these things, keeping silent while bodies flit around in the halls and at some point, Nazli was called away. He was alone for a rare moment.