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The timeless form known as The Breath was discovered by early furs around the third century CE. Revered by the populations it was seen as a physical manifestation of the gods of the time. Only used by priests and shamans it was a way of keeping religious control over groups; The Breath's powers only being exploited for use on the wealthy or devout. For centuries it was exclusive to the courts of kings, the patrons of the Churches, and the mentally unstable. During the Reclamation period of 1467 the secret of Breath manipulation was shared with the world by way of the blade. Radical reformers spent the summer months laying siege to the West Wing of Antrod Castle. On the night of September 8th King Antrod and his inner court were arrested and hanged later that morning. This led to the Reclaiming of the Breath by scholars and scientists around the world. The eastern world was then ushered into an era of scientific discovery that lasted until this day. Technological advances have become more and more common even as we enter the modern age. Modern marvels making use of The Breath include sub-luminal and super-luminal spacecraft engines, all register 4 life support systems--both those in hospitals and those on super-stratosphere craft, and many post-Transitional period architecture styles incorporate Breath into either their foundations or support systems.

Deyniir closed the glossary to his history book and slid it down the side of his bed to the floor with a thump. He rubbed at his strained eyes with a paw and glanced at the clock on his bedside table. God, I have got to stop saving my studying for the day before exams. He clicked off his lamp and grabbed at the blankets around him, sliding down underneath them. He rubbed at his temples and tried to calm his mind. There were only a few more hours left until he had to wake up for his morning classes and he was going to need every wink of sleep if he was to not completely bomb his upcoming history exam. Heroic rebellions, corrupted kings, glorious battles. The teenager's mind roamed along oblivious to his wishes of sleep. An hour later Deyniir's bed was a mess of rumpled fabric and curled up fur. Two hours until class. It was a half an hour later that Deyniir gave up, rolled out of his bed, and headed for the shower, resigned to a sleepless morning.

Adjust dial, test water, HOT, adjust dial, test water, jump in, rinse, lather, repeat, jump out, towel dry, take care of post-shower puffiness, clean clothes. The slender cat knew he was going to be early regardless, but he figured better that than late. An hour before six, the time his lectures were scheduled to begin, he locked the door to his apartment and slid down the stairs to the street below.

Living in the largest communal living structure on this side of the Rift really had its perks; the majesty of open-market capitalism really gets to shine. Department stores, restaurants, private sector businesses, and employers all catered to the dense population anomaly. Competitive pricing, membership programs, extraordinary sales; all perks of being a statistic. Deyniir laughed at himself. He didn't like it and definitely wouldn't admit it, but he learned a lot from his years of schooling. More than he'd like to admit.

The top floors of various buildings shone lashes of blood across the neutral black sky. The large density of buildings and the bright reds of the sunrise caused odd light shenanigans all around the city-center. One would reflect the bright reds of another and again and again. The effect ended up being reduced to The Shimmering Spires of the Commons by various high-clout Travel Agencies and attraction websites. They weren't wrong though. Large autumn leaves sprinkled haphazardly around a cold dark city. And they slowly grew over the span of an hour, enveloping the city in warm comforting light.

He stopped momentarily for a cup of coffee. He normally kept himself from such "indulgences" being on a student budget and all, but times were desperate.

---

A trash bin on a street corner gained one more coffee cup before Deyniir arrived at the city block that contained his school. Actually, less contained and more was. The entire building was the length of and width of the block on which it resided. Almost a perfect square, it stood out as a stout building against the thin spears of glass that surrounded it. The lobby was designed for student usage: couches with pull-out tables, computer stations, televisions set to various news sources, and the soft background whine of some popular musician echoing around the high ceilinged entrance. An administrative mezzanine overlooked its territory, situated at the top of twin spiral staircases that flanked the wall of elevators that lead to various course floors. If focused, one could make out the echo of the other lobbies under the din of quiet chatting. Four entry ways, one against each perimeter street lead to four lobbies; each one connected to the other by way of corridors and private conference halls.

Unfortunately, having arrived forty minutes early, all of the elevator banks were locked and access to the stairwells was not permitted, the upper twenty or so floors became available half an hour before the first classes of the day, so Deyniir was obtruded into a small group of other furs watching a legislative editorial on one of the nearby televisions. He subsequently got into a heated debate with his own tail on carnivore rights; It just didn't seem understand the needs of others. Deyniir was remarkably bored. And yet he still felt the gut unsettling ding when the elevator panels turning green. The feeling rose up into his throat as the elevators descended from the highest to lowest floor of the building to ferry students to different classes. Short awkwardly long queues formed, awaiting the lifts. Shuffle shuffle, press button, shuffle, find the walls astoundingly interesting, shuffle shuffle, stride down the hallway. Deyniir noted that despite the message of a modern and technologically advanced building from school administrators the lifts still used the old-fashioned cable/pulley system. Within the past five years advances had been made to, "Make all of your vertical travel a smooth and undeniably wonderful experience, guaranteed," he mocked the commercial out loud doing the silly mouse accent and everything. Elevator commercials, though, really? Is that necessary? Deyniir shrugged and maneuvered through the concentric circles of Floor 19 dreadfully excited for an history test and lecture on the modern impact of the Bertrathian empire, its hording of magical knowledge, and the plebeian revolts against the royalty.