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Jerith Alras entered another one of his coughing fits as he uncoupled the last power cord from his creation. It wouldn't need to recharge with pure electricity again, having a dual-core power cell reactor for a stomach. Jerith himself, unfortunately, wouldn't even be able to last long enough to see her eat her first bit of food. He was dying. Many of his friends and former clientele had offered to vast sums of money for him to be medically examined, and quite a few had even sent doctors to his home, but he had refused them all. Even the mages were turned away. He had lived a long life, for he was a hundred and thirty, but he found himself longing more and more for his end. He would be reunited with his wife after all these years. He had one last thing to do before he could rest though, and it lay before him on a small table. It was about five and a three-quarters feet long, two feet wide, and almost one deep. It was a an asymmetrical thing, having fiery red hair on one end, and soft wrinkles on the other. It had two orbs on one facing that were deep shale, and the protective covering for them was drawn back as it stared out, awakening for the first time in its life.
“Systems activated…running self-scan…scanning…scan complete. This unit is fully operational.” A soft voice voice came out of another orifice below its eyes, and it sat upright, turning to face its maker. “Error. Missing information packets... Attempting to reconstitute... No available fragmented or partial data to rebuild. Error. What is this unit’s designation?”
“Kestrel... You are my sixty-seventh android, and my final creation.” Jerith coughed horrendously. “My crowning achievement.”
“The creator is... Ill?” As it turned to examine his face in concern, Jerith tried to laugh at his android, but began hacking again. Her dirty red hair tussled as she tilted her head.
“No, your... Father is dying.” He began walking away towards a wall filled with books, and Kestrel sat up on the table, running a test of her motor control functions. She blinked and scrunched up her nose as she stuck out her tongue. She flexed her hands outwards and swung her legs as she wiggled her toes. Her creator turned back to her with a book set, encyclopedias. She took one from his hands gingerly and looked over it's front and back covers. After watching her for a while, Jerith finally chuckled and gripping his side in pain, he opened the front cover and pointed at the first page.
“It's a book. You read it. Like this.” The android squinted her eyes and flipped the first page slowly, then flipped it back. After a few more tries, she continued on reading, and her pace quickly picked up, the pages almost tearing from the speed. She set down the book, and continued onto the next volume.

Once she was done with the set, she looked up.
“More.” Her eyes were ablaze as her mind thirsted for knowledge.
“That's quite enough for now...” He said as he took away the book and coughed violently, dropping it on the floor as he doubled over. Kestrel lowered herself off of the table and helped its creator up gingerly. Despite its incomplete parameter programming, she was at least fully equipped and prepared for dealing with health concerns in a decent fashion. She lifted her creator up like a little child and carried him in her arms towards a bed in the far corner of the room. It was not an ornate bed, for being alone, Jerith didn't need much need for superfluous things. After all, with the exception of his former clients, he didn't invite many into his workshop. The mattress was firm, little more than a slab to lay upon, but it suited him well. It could be easily covered when he had been taking on clients, and the one in his room itself, which he rarely slept in, was fit for a duke, if not a king. A carpenter needing a robot for cleaning up the shop and tools had built the frame for him in lieu of fiscal payment, as Jerith had agreed. A seamstress, wanting a robot to move around modeling her works in her shop window, had designed and sewn the sheets and canopy by hand as a thank you gift for his generosity in lowering the price to half the rate he typically charged. Both went on to become very successful in their businesses, and sent him little small trinkets of thanks at least once each year to him. Despite his appreciation of their hard works, he often did not sleep in that bed, not because he didn't feel comfortable in it, but because he usually worked late in his workshop, too tired to climb the stairs up to the bedroom, choosing instead to sleep in the shop. In the past year he was also too ill to work long hours and travel further than that bed. He barely had finished the hardware side of his final work, and its programming was incomplete. Kestrel was, however, self-learning and could teach herself or learn from others if given the chance. All she needed was the proper push. As he lay in the bed, the android hovered over him in curiosity and concern, unable to properly diagnose his condition without medical tools, but knowledgeable enough in anatomy and the workings of the human body to know that his was breaking down. He sighed almost contently, knowing that he would be reunited with his Lenore soon. He had but one thing left to do before he shuffled off the mortal coil though. One thing before he could see her. He turned to his work and stared up at her with searching eyes, examining his workmanship as he always did before delivering it to his clients. Only this one was not to be sold.

“Cre—Father. There is still data missing from this unit's programming.” She said, her eyes looking back at him, examining him, searching for answers. Too many answers he would not be able to give her, even if she knew how to voice them before he passed on. And so she asked the most prevalent one that came to mind. “What is this unit's purpose?”
“Purpose?” Jerith scratchily said in a hushed tone, trying to get the word out through his parched throat. He moved a hand to a cup of water on the nearby end table and downed it while she waited for her answer. “I have not had time to input a purpose into you. You were meant to be my crowning achievement, taking all that I have learned and molding it together. That, I suppose is your purpose.” The android frowned as it considered this.
“Father is dying, he said. What will this unit do when Father has shut down?”
“I-I do not know. You will have to find out what it is that you would like to do after...” Jerith said before he coughed again.
“Like…Searching database…Like- To enjoy, to derive pleasure from, to make happy. This unit does not understand. How can this unit like anything? It has no preset preferences or emotions on different subjects.” She towered over him like a guardian to keep death from him until he was ready. He had thought he was, and indeed he yearned for release, but the machine kept enticing his orderly personality to stay and finish her before he left.
“We shall see… You have the potential for emotion, but must experience them yourself. Like a newborn babe...” Jerith took another sip and set the glass back on the end table.
“This unit does not want Father to leave. It needs to be completed.”
“We all want to be complete. It is my hope and prayer that I am when I leave, Kestrel.”
“What will this unit do? It wishes to keep Father with it, but it wants Father to be complete as well.” The android said, saline lubricant dripping out of her tear ducts, her tears glistening on her pale artificial skin. Her doll-like porcelain toned hands wiped this from her face like a child, and a reflexive twitch made her bottom lip quiver. He had improved her emotional core greatly from his first failed work to implement one. Others had used it between that one and her, but she was far more sophisticated than all of his past creations.

“You have no choice in the matter. I am dying. No medicine, no science can save me now.” He said, shaking his head at her. She mumbled something almost inaudible as she took her gaze away from him. “What did you say, Kestrel?”
“This unit said that it would look outside science then!” She almost shouted at him as she stared back again, her eyes ablaze with electricity and passion.
“What good would it do you? I shall have passed before you could learn anything to cure my ailments, even if I were to allow you to cure me. I have nothing to fear from death. It is a natural part of the order of the universe. Even the stars must die eventually.” Her eyes remained sharp and focused, still as determined despite the dismissal of its intent.
“This unit has only one person that it is currently programmed to care for, its Father. When Father is gone, it shall have to occupy itself, will it not?”
“Yes, you will have to find your own... purpose. You could choose to stay here and take care of the land if that is all you wish. I have built you to last a long time, but eventually even kingdoms crumble, and someday you might find that the land I leave in your charge will be seized by forces that you cannot overcome.” Jerith sighed deeply, honestly hoping that his creation would not choose such a path, for, although he had not programmed in a purpose for her, she was capable of so much more. There were even nights when he worked in a daze, creating schematics and designs that he could scarcely fathom when he was more focused. It would be such a waste if she choose to only look after its creator's former home and surrounding land.

“Father has programmed this unit to be capable of connecting with other humans in such a manner as it does with Father. To... Care for them, has Father not?” She asked, crossing her arms.
“Yes, I have. It will be your choice to decide whom you care for, but you may find yourself caring for others. I want you to be able to succeed in whatever you may do, and humans prefer to speak to a voice that vocalizes its emotion. That is also why you are able to cry as you did, or to smile, as you shall eventually.”
“Then this unit will be forced to care eventually. One day there may be other humans this unit will be unable to avoid caring about, as it does with Father.”
“Yes.”
“This unit does not want to care. Humans will eventually either leave this unit, or shut down, as Father is doing.”
“Yes.”
“This unit hurts when it computes this.”
“You... hurt? Is something wrong with your nervous system, Kestrel?”
“This unit may need to run another diagnostic. It seems there is something missing... This unit feels there is an empty space within itself.”
“I'm certain that I put everything in hardware-related... Where is this spot?” The android lays one hand other the other, and the pair over her left breast, above her artificial heart.
“It feels cold, empty. It hurts here Father. And this unit's eyes are malfunctioning again.” Tears streaked its face again.
“I-You won't have to run a diagnostic Kestrel. There is a name for what you are feeling. It is called sadness. You are sad that I am leaving, aren't you?” Jerith sighed, smiling softly, trying to be reassuring even though he knew she wouldn't take it as such.
“Yes. This unit is... sad. Will everyone leave it eventually?”
“Well, I suppose there are those in the world who claim to be immortal... But I have no idea how you would sort out the real ones from the fake ones.” The android wiped her tears, then put one hand to her chin and stroked it in deep thought, her eyes distant and almost glazed over.
“That won't do at all...” She muttered, loud enough for Jerith to hear, but not quite as passionately as her earlier outburst.

“I am sorry that you feel that way, Kestrel. I cannot change the way things are in this world.”
“Then this unit will find a way!” She proclaimed.
“And how do you propose to do that? Kings and peasants over millenniums have worked to improve our world, and none have lived long enough to see their efforts pay of.” Jerith chuckled and then coughed, trying to hold onto his life in order to give her more answers but finding it difficult.
“What of those immortals Father spoke of?”
“They might have, yes, but who knows for sure?”
“Every computation has a solution... This unit shall have to keep searching to find my answer. Inspiration. Prior information suggests Father does not know any immortals. Does Father know any who might?” Jerith hacked a few times and his eyes went a little unfocused for a second as he tried to recall any useful information. A single thought finally came to mind, and he motioned her to come closer. His voice rasping, he told her what he remembered.
“Magicians, wizard, sorcerers and the like, some have a deeper connection with the universe than most people. I myself have used tools created by them in your construction, and have seen them work wonders. Though it has been nearly a decade since I last have seen him, the headmaster of Magus Ludus was a dear friend of mine for many a year. He might be able to assist you... But only students and mages are allowed on the grounds themselves.” Kestrel's eyes sparked for a moment and her jaw set in fierce determination. Gripping her Father's hand, she nodded.
“If meeting this headmaster can help this unit, it shall find a way to get to him. It will become a Mage and get into this school.” His eyes spread wide in surprise, and he extended a shaking hand to her cheek to hold it.
“Become... a... mage? Kestral, I-” He whispered his voice trailing off. His hand fell limply to his side, and the hollowing feeling in his creation's chest expanded. She put his hand back up to her face and held it there.
“Father? Father, please don't leave this unit.” Her eyes watered and she remained kneeling, leaning on his ever chilling form for hours. Her creator, her Father, was dead.

“Where am I?” Jerith Alras asked as he looked around himself. Darkness was everywhere, and yet there was a soft gray light on his person that felt warmer than anything he had ever felt before in life. He didn't burn, but it made him feel so light. A reflection glinted off some metal and he focused his eyes to see an approaching form. A woman dressed in a long flowing black robe walked up to him, her hood lowered, a scythe being used as a walking stick. She smiled as she stopped in front of him.
“Welcome Jerith.” He backed up a little, looking around him, but there was nowhere go. He fell on his rear and started moving away from her. Then he saw his skin, covered in liver spots and wrinkles just a little while ago, completely smooth and more perfect than he had ever been in his prime. He looked up at her with realization, and she nodded. He started laughing and crying at the same time. The woman, Ves, stood resolute and silent. Finally he wiped the tears away from his face and sighed.
“That's it then. I knew I didn't have much time left, but I wish I had more. I barely finished my work on Kestrel last week. Despite how tired I became, I just knew I had to finish her. It... It's just not in my nature to leave things unfinished, you know?” He looked up at her and smirked. “Of course you do, what am I saying? You know everyone. I thought I was ready, and I've been wanting this for a while. I want to see my loved ones so much, but... I just wish I had more time.”
“More time to see your creation develop? We are outside of time now. Your wife, your loved ones, they won't notice any delay in your reunion with them, should you wish to see how your Kestral fares.” Ves turned and waved it's scythe in a circle. A gray smoke emitted from it, eventually forming a mirror, a viewing glass into the world Jerith had left behind. He stood and walked over to it, pausing to look at her. She nodded and he was about to look into it when a thought occurred to him.
“Kestrel... She seemed to care so much more for me personally than any of my other creations ever had. One of the Pantheon affected her creation, yes?” Ves smiled for the first time since approaching him and nodded.
“Almost all of them did, and all of them will over the course of her life. The Arbiter took a particular interest in her that caused quite a ruckus between all of us. Would you like to hear what blessings and curses they gave her?” He shook his head as he gulped reflexively, then turned to the portal to look in on Kestral's life. Hours turned into days, and weeks into years, and he watched with growing fascination and shock at all the she would do and endure.
“What have I brought into this world?” Ves placed a hand on his shoulder and he turned his head to look at her again, his mouth slackened in wonder.
“An agent of change.”

Kestrel laid the bunch of flowers she had gathered onto the grave and stood. Two months had passed since she had taken him into town to be buried properly, and she had finally finished reading all of the books in his extensive library. Setting a few of his older works to guard her inheritance, his home and possessions, she came to say a final goodbye. Though her logic circuits told her that his husk no longer contained life, she had read much of ghosts and other spectral beings hearing the living. Although she didn't understand it she was trying to be more human, so she decided to try it at least. When she had first taken him to a doctor to verify he had passed away, they could tell from her speech that she wasn't human as easily as she had realized that her Father had died. They treated her like the machine that she was, but they were taken aback by the tears she shed when they told her there wasn't anything they could do. Thankfully the doctors hadn't started spreading rumors in the town, for her later attempts at blending in went far better. Keeping silent, many found her strange as she gathered up materials in various shops, but none questioned her. Spending time amongst the people had given her a better understanding of how a human walks, and of some basics of interaction, though the latter was still not studied enough as of yet. Now she was prepared to leave, to find a mage to learn from.

The wind blew her synthetic hair across her face and she brushed it aside. She heard the sound of leaves being crunched behind her and slowly turned. A man with very wild red hair somberly approached mumbling something that didn't seem to make any sense in any of the languages she had read about. He was garbed in black and purple with wild patterns that seemed to shift in the light as he lowered his head and bowed slightly.
“I am sorry for your loss. Mr. Alras was a great man. I came to pay my respects when news came to me of his passing.” Kestrel rubbed a hand up and down her arm and nodded. “Amazing work he did, a pioneer in his field. I hear he even used a little bit of magic in his creations as well, is that right?” Kestrel nodded again.
“This unit wishes he had more time to finish calibrations on it. So many questions unanswered.” The man frowned and made a disappointed sound.
“I see that you still haven't found much of an identity yet, have you?” Seeing Kestrel's confusion he laughed. “You keep saying 'this unit' each time you refer to yourself, don't you?”
“This unit does so because-”
“Yeah, yeah, yeah. I get it. Hmmm... Ah! I've got it.” He said smacking a fist into an open palm. “Now that your creator is gone, you're looking for something, right? Maybe I can help.”
“Perhaps. This unit is looking for a mage.”
“'I' am looking for a mage.” The man corrected, and Kestrel tilted her head.
“Then perhaps this unit and sir can find a mage together.” He laughed and held in his sides. Finally he shook his head and put a finger on her forehead.
“No, I'm not looking for a mage. You are. When I said that, I meant that you should say “I” instead of this unit all the time.”
“I... Such an odd word.”
“Fitting for such an odd bot.”
“I am an odd bot?” He snickered and nodded.
“Yep. Most definitely. Now, I can tell you where to meet a mage if you'd like. I just happened to see one down at the Brikshire Tavern on the far side of town.” He pointed towards the town down the hillside, and in the distance Kestrel could make out the forest. Though it was nearly a mile away, and the sky was already darkening, she had walked close to five miles from her dwelling to the graveyard alone. To be so close to taking the next step in her journey, she felt a great sense of warmth, like her circuits overheating, but without the code failure that followed after. It felt... strange. But in a good way. She turned to thank the man for the information, but he was gone. She blinked and looked around, but there wasn't a trace of him ever having been there. She filed it away as yet another unanswered question and started walking towards the tavern. Meanwhile, sitting atop a cloud looking down at her, the Arbiter shook his head of fiery hair as he laughed, just as he had when he was in the graveyard beside her.

Description
Jerith Alras entered another one of his coughing fits as he uncoupled the last power cord from his creation. It wouldn't need to recharge with pure electricity again, having a dual-core power cell reactor for a stomach. Jerith himself, unfortunately, wouldn't even be able to last long enough to see her eat her first bit of food. He was dying. Many of his friends and former clientele had offered to vast sums of money for him to be medically examined, and quite a few had even sent doctors to his home, but he had refused them all. Even the mages were turned away. He had lived a long life, for he was a hundred and thirty, but he found himself longing more and more for his end. He would be reunited with his wife after all these years. He had one last thing to do before he could rest though, and it lay before him on a small table. It was about five and a three-quarters feet long, two feet wide, and almost one deep. It was a an asymmetrical thing, having fiery red hair on one end, and soft wrinkles on the other. It had two orbs on one facing that were deep shale, and the protective covering for them was drawn back as it stared out, awakening for the first time in its life.
“Systems activated…running self-scan…scanning…scan complete. This unit is fully operational.” A soft voice voice came out of another orifice below its eyes, and it sat upright, turning to face its maker. “Error. Missing information packets... Attempting to reconstitute... No available fragmented or partial data to rebuild. Error. What is this unit’s designation?”
“Kestrel... You are my sixty-seventh android, and my final creation.” Jerith coughed horrendously. “My crowning achievement.”
“The creator is... Ill?” As it turned to examine his face in concern, Jerith tried to laugh at his android, but began hacking again. Her dirty red hair tussled as she tilted her head.
“No, your... Father is dying.” He began walking away towards a wall filled with books, and Kestrel sat up on the table, running a test of her motor control functions. She blinked and scrunched up her nose as she stuck out her tongue. She flexed her hands outwards and swung her legs as she wiggled her toes. Her creator turned back to her with a book set, encyclopedias. She took one from his hands gingerly and looked over it's front and back covers. After watching her for a while, Jerith finally chuckled and gripping his side in pain, he opened the front cover and pointed at the first page.
“It's a book. You read it. Like this.” The android squinted her eyes and flipped the first page slowly, then flipped it back. After a few more tries, she continued on reading, and her pace quickly picked up, the pages almost tearing from the speed. She set down the book, and continued onto the next volume.

Once she was done with the set, she looked up.
“More.” Her eyes were ablaze as her mind thirsted for knowledge.
“That's quite enough for now...” He said as he took away the book and coughed violently, dropping it on the floor as he doubled over. Kestrel lowered herself off of the table and helped its creator up gingerly. Despite its incomplete parameter programming, she was at least fully equipped and prepared for dealing with health concerns in a decent fashion. She lifted her creator up like a little child and carried him in her arms towards a bed in the far corner of the room. It was not an ornate bed, for being alone, Jerith didn't need much need for superfluous things. After all, with the exception of his former clients, he didn't invite many into his workshop. The mattress was firm, little more than a slab to lay upon, but it suited him well. It could be easily covered when he had been taking on clients, and the one in his room itself, which he rarely slept in, was fit for a duke, if not a king. A carpenter needing a robot for cleaning up the shop and tools had built the frame for him in lieu of fiscal payment, as Jerith had agreed. A seamstress, wanting a robot to move around modeling her works in her shop window, had designed and sewn the sheets and canopy by hand as a thank you gift for his generosity in lowering the price to half the rate he typically charged. Both went on to become very successful in their businesses, and sent him little small trinkets of thanks at least once each year to him. Despite his appreciation of their hard works, he often did not sleep in that bed, not because he didn't feel comfortable in it, but because he usually worked late in his workshop, too tired to climb the stairs up to the bedroom, choosing instead to sleep in the shop. In the past year he was also too ill to work long hours and travel further than that bed. He barely had finished the hardware side of his final work, and its programming was incomplete. Kestrel was, however, self-learning and could teach herself or learn from others if given the chance. All she needed was the proper push. As he lay in the bed, the android hovered over him in curiosity and concern, unable to properly diagnose his condition without medical tools, but knowledgeable enough in anatomy and the workings of the human body to know that his was breaking down. He sighed almost contently, knowing that he would be reunited with his Lenore soon. He had but one thing left to do before he shuffled off the mortal coil though. One thing before he could see her. He turned to his work and stared up at her with searching eyes, examining his workmanship as he always did before delivering it to his clients. Only this one was not to be sold.

“Cre—Father. There is still data missing from this unit's programming.” She said, her eyes looking back at him, examining him, searching for answers. Too many answers he would not be able to give her, even if she knew how to voice them before he passed on. And so she asked the most prevalent one that came to mind. “What is this unit's purpose?”
“Purpose?” Jerith scratchily said in a hushed tone, trying to get the word out through his parched throat. He moved a hand to a cup of water on the nearby end table and downed it while she waited for her answer. “I have not had time to input a purpose into you. You were meant to be my crowning achievement, taking all that I have learned and molding it together. That, I suppose is your purpose.” The android frowned as it considered this.
“Father is dying, he said. What will this unit do when Father has shut down?”
“I-I do not know. You will have to find out what it is that you would like to do after...” Jerith said before he coughed again.
“Like…Searching database…Like- To enjoy, to derive pleasure from, to make happy. This unit does not understand. How can this unit like anything? It has no preset preferences or emotions on different subjects.” She towered over him like a guardian to keep death from him until he was ready. He had thought he was, and indeed he yearned for release, but the machine kept enticing his orderly personality to stay and finish her before he left.
“We shall see… You have the potential for emotion, but must experience them yourself. Like a newborn babe...” Jerith took another sip and set the glass back on the end table.
“This unit does not want Father to leave. It needs to be completed.”
“We all want to be complete. It is my hope and prayer that I am when I leave, Kestrel.”
“What will this unit do? It wishes to keep Father with it, but it wants Father to be complete as well.” The android said, saline lubricant dripping out of her tear ducts, her tears glistening on her pale artificial skin. Her doll-like porcelain toned hands wiped this from her face like a child, and a reflexive twitch made her bottom lip quiver. He had improved her emotional core greatly from his first failed work to implement one. Others had used it between that one and her, but she was far more sophisticated than all of his past creations.

“You have no choice in the matter. I am dying. No medicine, no science can save me now.” He said, shaking his head at her. She mumbled something almost inaudible as she took her gaze away from him. “What did you say, Kestrel?”
“This unit said that it would look outside science then!” She almost shouted at him as she stared back again, her eyes ablaze with electricity and passion.
“What good would it do you? I shall have passed before you could learn anything to cure my ailments, even if I were to allow you to cure me. I have nothing to fear from death. It is a natural part of the order of the universe. Even the stars must die eventually.” Her eyes remained sharp and focused, still as determined despite the dismissal of its intent.
“This unit has only one person that it is currently programmed to care for, its Father. When Father is gone, it shall have to occupy itself, will it not?”
“Yes, you will have to find your own... purpose. You could choose to stay here and take care of the land if that is all you wish. I have built you to last a long time, but eventually even kingdoms crumble, and someday you might find that the land I leave in your charge will be seized by forces that you cannot overcome.” Jerith sighed deeply, honestly hoping that his creation would not choose such a path, for, although he had not programmed in a purpose for her, she was capable of so much more. There were even nights when he worked in a daze, creating schematics and designs that he could scarcely fathom when he was more focused. It would be such a waste if she choose to only look after its creator's former home and surrounding land.

“Father has programmed this unit to be capable of connecting with other humans in such a manner as it does with Father. To... Care for them, has Father not?” She asked, crossing her arms.
“Yes, I have. It will be your choice to decide whom you care for, but you may find yourself caring for others. I want you to be able to succeed in whatever you may do, and humans prefer to speak to a voice that vocalizes its emotion. That is also why you are able to cry as you did, or to smile, as you shall eventually.”
“Then this unit will be forced to care eventually. One day there may be other humans this unit will be unable to avoid caring about, as it does with Father.”
“Yes.”
“This unit does not want to care. Humans will eventually either leave this unit, or shut down, as Father is doing.”
“Yes.”
“This unit hurts when it computes this.”
“You... hurt? Is something wrong with your nervous system, Kestrel?”
“This unit may need to run another diagnostic. It seems there is something missing... This unit feels there is an empty space within itself.”
“I'm certain that I put everything in hardware-related... Where is this spot?” The android lays one hand other the other, and the pair over her left breast, above her artificial heart.
“It feels cold, empty. It hurts here Father. And this unit's eyes are malfunctioning again.” Tears streaked its face again.
“I-You won't have to run a diagnostic Kestrel. There is a name for what you are feeling. It is called sadness. You are sad that I am leaving, aren't you?” Jerith sighed, smiling softly, trying to be reassuring even though he knew she wouldn't take it as such.
“Yes. This unit is... sad. Will everyone leave it eventually?”
“Well, I suppose there are those in the world who claim to be immortal... But I have no idea how you would sort out the real ones from the fake ones.” The android wiped her tears, then put one hand to her chin and stroked it in deep thought, her eyes distant and almost glazed over.
“That won't do at all...” She muttered, loud enough for Jerith to hear, but not quite as passionately as her earlier outburst.

“I am sorry that you feel that way, Kestrel. I cannot change the way things are in this world.”
“Then this unit will find a way!” She proclaimed.
“And how do you propose to do that? Kings and peasants over millenniums have worked to improve our world, and none have lived long enough to see their efforts pay of.” Jerith chuckled and then coughed, trying to hold onto his life in order to give her more answers but finding it difficult.
“What of those immortals Father spoke of?”
“They might have, yes, but who knows for sure?”
“Every computation has a solution... This unit shall have to keep searching to find my answer. Inspiration. Prior information suggests Father does not know any immortals. Does Father know any who might?” Jerith hacked a few times and his eyes went a little unfocused for a second as he tried to recall any useful information. A single thought finally came to mind, and he motioned her to come closer. His voice rasping, he told her what he remembered.
“Magicians, wizard, sorcerers and the like, some have a deeper connection with the universe than most people. I myself have used tools created by them in your construction, and have seen them work wonders. Though it has been nearly a decade since I last have seen him, the headmaster of Magus Ludus was a dear friend of mine for many a year. He might be able to assist you... But only students and mages are allowed on the grounds themselves.” Kestrel's eyes sparked for a moment and her jaw set in fierce determination. Gripping her Father's hand, she nodded.
“If meeting this headmaster can help this unit, it shall find a way to get to him. It will become a Mage and get into this school.” His eyes spread wide in surprise, and he extended a shaking hand to her cheek to hold it.
“Become... a... mage? Kestral, I-” He whispered his voice trailing off. His hand fell limply to his side, and the hollowing feeling in his creation's chest expanded. She put his hand back up to her face and held it there.
“Father? Father, please don't leave this unit.” Her eyes watered and she remained kneeling, leaning on his ever chilling form for hours. Her creator, her Father, was dead.

“Where am I?” Jerith Alras asked as he looked around himself. Darkness was everywhere, and yet there was a soft gray light on his person that felt warmer than anything he had ever felt before in life. He didn't burn, but it made him feel so light. A reflection glinted off some metal and he focused his eyes to see an approaching form. A woman dressed in a long flowing black robe walked up to him, her hood lowered, a scythe being used as a walking stick. She smiled as she stopped in front of him.
“Welcome Jerith.” He backed up a little, looking around him, but there was nowhere go. He fell on his rear and started moving away from her. Then he saw his skin, covered in liver spots and wrinkles just a little while ago, completely smooth and more perfect than he had ever been in his prime. He looked up at her with realization, and she nodded. He started laughing and crying at the same time. The woman, Ves, stood resolute and silent. Finally he wiped the tears away from his face and sighed.
“That's it then. I knew I didn't have much time left, but I wish I had more. I barely finished my work on Kestrel last week. Despite how tired I became, I just knew I had to finish her. It... It's just not in my nature to leave things unfinished, you know?” He looked up at her and smirked. “Of course you do, what am I saying? You know everyone. I thought I was ready, and I've been wanting this for a while. I want to see my loved ones so much, but... I just wish I had more time.”
“More time to see your creation develop? We are outside of time now. Your wife, your loved ones, they won't notice any delay in your reunion with them, should you wish to see how your Kestral fares.” Ves turned and waved it's scythe in a circle. A gray smoke emitted from it, eventually forming a mirror, a viewing glass into the world Jerith had left behind. He stood and walked over to it, pausing to look at her. She nodded and he was about to look into it when a thought occurred to him.
“Kestrel... She seemed to care so much more for me personally than any of my other creations ever had. One of the Pantheon affected her creation, yes?” Ves smiled for the first time since approaching him and nodded.
“Almost all of them did, and all of them will over the course of her life. The Arbiter took a particular interest in her that caused quite a ruckus between all of us. Would you like to hear what blessings and curses they gave her?” He shook his head as he gulped reflexively, then turned to the portal to look in on Kestral's life. Hours turned into days, and weeks into years, and he watched with growing fascination and shock at all the she would do and endure.
“What have I brought into this world?” Ves placed a hand on his shoulder and he turned his head to look at her again, his mouth slackened in wonder.
“An agent of change.”

Kestrel laid the bunch of flowers she had gathered onto the grave and stood. Two months had passed since she had taken him into town to be buried properly, and she had finally finished reading all of the books in his extensive library. Setting a few of his older works to guard her inheritance, his home and possessions, she came to say a final goodbye. Though her logic circuits told her that his husk no longer contained life, she had read much of ghosts and other spectral beings hearing the living. Although she didn't understand it she was trying to be more human, so she decided to try it at least. When she had first taken him to a doctor to verify he had passed away, they could tell from her speech that she wasn't human as easily as she had realized that her Father had died. They treated her like the machine that she was, but they were taken aback by the tears she shed when they told her there wasn't anything they could do. Thankfully the doctors hadn't started spreading rumors in the town, for her later attempts at blending in went far better. Keeping silent, many found her strange as she gathered up materials in various shops, but none questioned her. Spending time amongst the people had given her a better understanding of how a human walks, and of some basics of interaction, though the latter was still not studied enough as of yet. Now she was prepared to leave, to find a mage to learn from.

The wind blew her synthetic hair across her face and she brushed it aside. She heard the sound of leaves being crunched behind her and slowly turned. A man with very wild red hair somberly approached mumbling something that didn't seem to make any sense in any of the languages she had read about. He was garbed in black and purple with wild patterns that seemed to shift in the light as he lowered his head and bowed slightly.
“I am sorry for your loss. Mr. Alras was a great man. I came to pay my respects when news came to me of his passing.” Kestrel rubbed a hand up and down her arm and nodded. “Amazing work he did, a pioneer in his field. I hear he even used a little bit of magic in his creations as well, is that right?” Kestrel nodded again.
“This unit wishes he had more time to finish calibrations on it. So many questions unanswered.” The man frowned and made a disappointed sound.
“I see that you still haven't found much of an identity yet, have you?” Seeing Kestrel's confusion he laughed. “You keep saying 'this unit' each time you refer to yourself, don't you?”
“This unit does so because-”
“Yeah, yeah, yeah. I get it. Hmmm... Ah! I've got it.” He said smacking a fist into an open palm. “Now that your creator is gone, you're looking for something, right? Maybe I can help.”
“Perhaps. This unit is looking for a mage.”
“'I' am looking for a mage.” The man corrected, and Kestrel tilted her head.
“Then perhaps this unit and sir can find a mage together.” He laughed and held in his sides. Finally he shook his head and put a finger on her forehead.
“No, I'm not looking for a mage. You are. When I said that, I meant that you should say “I” instead of this unit all the time.”
“I... Such an odd word.”
“Fitting for such an odd bot.”
“I am an odd bot?” He snickered and nodded.
“Yep. Most definitely. Now, I can tell you where to meet a mage if you'd like. I just happened to see one down at the Brikshire Tavern on the far side of town.” He pointed towards the town down the hillside, and in the distance Kestrel could make out the forest. Though it was nearly a mile away, and the sky was already darkening, she had walked close to five miles from her dwelling to the graveyard alone. To be so close to taking the next step in her journey, she felt a great sense of warmth, like her circuits overheating, but without the code failure that followed after. It felt... strange. But in a good way. She turned to thank the man for the information, but he was gone. She blinked and looked around, but there wasn't a trace of him ever having been there. She filed it away as yet another unanswered question and started walking towards the tavern. Meanwhile, sitting atop a cloud looking down at her, the Arbiter shook his head of fiery hair as he laughed, just as he had when he was in the graveyard beside her.