“Wings are used extensively in training and refining your skills. Elegantly simple, yet infinitely complex, they are the perfect choice for early studies. Have you all brought your copies of Master Tinubu’s Simulator Starting Points? Good. And you all have your apprentice kit? Excellent. Then you will notice on your bench there is also an essential tool for all craftsmen for use with intricate mechanics.” Craftsman Primrose slowly took off his thin wire-rimmed spectacles and folded them up. Then he carefully opened a wooden box about the size of a pencil tin and took out what appeared to be an elaborate pair of glasses with various interchangeable lenses on hinges. “These are magno-viewers.” There was a soft hum as he put them on and looped them over his ears. When he looked around, the tiny cogs whirred and ticked, with telescopic cylinders extending and lenses slotting seamlessly in and out of place. “They follow the direction of your sight and auto-focus, allowing you to see intricate areas in the finest of detail.”

Prue lifted her own pair up, trying to work out how they were powered, then saw a tiny cog mechanism.

“I want you to get used to the wiring, the structure, and the synthetic muscles, and perform the loop of a simple up and down movement. If you have read the first chapter, you can skip straight to page eight and begin. You may work individually or in pairs as it’s your first time.”

Cora’s hand shot in the air. “Sir, may Apprentice Young work with me?”

“I’m honestly fine on my—” Agapantha began,

“Come along, Ag,” Cora said.

Rolling her eyes at Cora’s bossiness, Prue paired up with Edwin.

The connectors and tools were far more delicate than any Prue had used before, and the magno-viewers were a marvel. It took a while for her to get used to the difference in what she was seeing and her finger movements, but she shortly got the knack of it. After half an hour of careful wiring, their wing jolted, expanded, and rose.

“Bravo, Apprentice Haywood and Snow-Moon! That’s the fastest I’ve seen it done by an apprentice since Larkin Duval, although I think he may still just hold the record,” said Craftsman Primrose with a friendly wink. “You can move on to chapter three.”

When Prue glanced over, she noticed that Agapantha was doing all the work, while Cora seemed to be expert at sitting back – then looking involved as soon as Craftsman Primrose looked over.

After a break, they were joined by Master Sabrina Tinubu for a lesson on personifate structure.

“Each personifate is based on a rigid primary structure, something akin to our skeletons but stronger. We compress and fuse flakes of grapheme to form a low-density, high-strength material.”

“So, the skeletons are light but strong?” said Prue.