Oh, it was bad.
The registration was simple. His file now reflected an earth sprite, and it was used to quickly propel him through the process. Very few of those without an earth sprite – like Richard – were allowed to work the quarry. The work, now that was not so simple.
His back felt like it was breaking, and his arms had gone numb hours earlier. Armed with his hammer and chisel, it felt like he was doing battle. For that at least, he was grateful. His dad worked beside him, using his earth magic to widen breaks in the stone, making it easier for his blows. Though Matt felt jealous of his father's ease, he was breaking through the stone at a comparable speed, but he wasn't utilizing any magic. In fact, he was among the top quarry workers already, making as much headway as many of the more experienced men.
"Already found your talent?" his father asked between strikes.
"I'm not doing anything yet," Matt replied, drawing a look of ire from his dad. Did he not believe him? Again? "I'm taking a break," he announced, leaving his dad to work the stone alone. He took his seat above the quarry, leaning his back against a tree and eating some of the gruel the quarry provided. It tasted surprisingly good, definitely better than what they could afford back at home. Was this what his dad ate every day? No wonder he loved his work.
Finishing his meal, he waited out the rest of his break by listening to the conversations around him. Eyes resting, he heard about the Bakers' girl getting married and the Smiths' boy getting a job as – you guessed it – a smith. With a smile, Matt patted the dirt off the back of his pants. He stretched and got ready to resume the back-breaking labor, but his ears caught a snippet of conversation he had never expected to hear.
"Joey, you wouldn'a guess it. M' girl, she be chosen by Hestia!"
"Who's tha'?"
"No idea, Joey. But she be chosen!"
The pair of quarry workers wandered outside his hearing. By the gods, that was ridiculous! A commoner, chosen by one of the most well-known goddesses in the Grand Empire? Had he not just heard any differently, Matt would have thought it impossible.
Over the course of the day, he had begun to doubt Iapetus' words. It really did seem that he had an affinity for working with stone, something his dad had just alluded to. He had thought that maybe he was already just magic unconsciously. But now? He had to hope, lest his dreams die as he feared they might.
The rest of the day passed quickly, Matt finishing his assignment before half the men. His father waited for him at the quarry's edge. "Hurry up, now," his dad grumbled. Matt paused before him.
"Actually, I promised I'd go visit one of Hecate's priestesses. My divination was a little bit different than usual, and she told me to come in," he explained. It was a half-truth, but it was as close to the truth as he could get before his dad would call him foolish.
"Really?" Suspicion laced his words, but he turned and began walking to their home without saying anything else. Matt left the bulky man in the dust as he sped off towards Mayfeld's richer sector for the second day in a row. With any luck, his legs wouldn't give out by the time he got there; quarry working was not for the faint of heart.
The sun was beginning to set by the time he reached Hecate's simple temple. Built with whiter stone than the rest of the city, it was hard to miss. Matt stumbled into the temple, massaging his legs and catching he breath as he did so. With any luck, the same priestess from yesterday would still be here. That said, even if she was, he didn't know her name. How could he find her if another priestess asked?
"Mr. Hammond?" someone called out from behind him.
Matt breathed a sigh of relief. "It's you."
"Who else would I be but me?" Hecate's priestess asked with a glint of laughter in her eyes. Matt smiled at the quip. "Has anything extraordinary happened?"
"I had a vision last night."
"A vision?" she asked, nearly dropping the staff she held in her hands. The same excitement from yesterday resurfaced on the elderly woman's face. "With whom?"
"He called himself Iapetus," Matt's excitement mirrored the priestess'. If she could help him, he might have a fate separate from the quarry.
"Iapetus… Iapetus…" she mumbled to herself, rubbing her chin with her fingers as she thought. "I'm sorry, young Matthew, but I haven't heard of such a god. Are you sure that's what he said?"
"I am."
"Wait here. I need to gather my sisters," she called out as she all but disappeared from the room. That old lady could move fast!
Hecate's priestess returned with four other women, all of varying ages, but all wearing the same rich garments. The blue and gold clothes practically oozed the supernatural. A middle-aged woman, the only one in the group to have silver on her clothing, stepped forward. "Young Matthew Hammond, I'd normally not stand for any kind of practical jokes, but given the circumstances of your divination, I'm inclined to believe that you may be serious," she began.
"Unfortunately, none of us have heard of this 'Iapetus.' It could be that he is a deity newly-risen, but that hasn't happened in millennia. Do I have your word that you have spoken the truth and nothing but the truth?" The stern expression on the priestess' face brooked no discussion: this was a yes-or-no question.
"Yes, priestess."
"I leave for Highhaven in a month to deliver a report to the High Priestess. You may accompany on my journey so we may inquire more at Hecate's temple and at the Academy of Paladins."
Highhaven. The capital of the Grand Empire, and Ulred of the North's legendary home. Matt's heart thrummed an excited song as he stood in shocked silence. The first priestess, the kindly old lady from his divination, gave him that arm of support he'd been waiting for.