Chapter 82 - The Ledger’s First Dividend

The air outside the private training hall was a cold relief. Inside, the atmosphere had been thick with the smell of pulverized stone and the sharp, metallic tang of ozone that always accompanied Valerica's gravity. Vane walked a few paces ahead of the three women, his star steel spear collapsed into its travel form and tucked into the side strap of his bag. He could feel the eyes of the other students as they crossed the courtyard toward the commercial district. The hierarchy of the first year was a fragile thing, and the sight of the Rat leading the Sun, the Comet, and the Moon was a visual dissonance that many struggled to process.