Chapter 43

Before returning to Far Reach and Earth, I traveled back to the Admin Hub to wait for Inez to be reborn. I didn’t want to get involved with all I had to do there, only to be pulled away to return the Chosen to Falritas.

While there, I told Devotion and Destruction separately about Peace becoming a Soul Mate. Devotion was overjoyed, Destruction seemed more irritated but generally congratulatory. I’d prepared myself to field questions about Death should either of them suggest we bring him in, but neither did. That surprised me and Sania too, when I told her, but everyone had their own angle and I had enough to do without second guessing everyone. Hell, I had enough to do guessing what I was going to do next. I sure as shit didn’t think I’d be focusing on Speed for a start.

Nor did I think I’d have Aly showing me the fighting forms of the Alo-im while I waited.  Yet here we were in a circular room lower down in the Imperator sanctum.

She was surprisingly happy to show me it despite the violent connotations of fighting forms. It was one of the very few of the training videos I could access without an officially titled teacher, which was the main reason I ended up with it in the first place on my quest to get better.

I was excited at first. Then deeply depressed as a white featureless humanoid blob began going through slow movements, which consisted of touching my fucking toes and stretching in the air.

“Sack this shit, Aly. Is there harder ones available?”

There is. They are locked behind this lesson.

“Shite.” Was my reply, but with nothing else to do in the otherwise dead headquarters, I carried on. Stage two was similar, but I had to raise my leg up to waist height in front of me then swap with the other leg. With my Agility it was easy, but the program was a dick and I had to have my knee perfectly straight. Ten of those with perfect form and I moved on to stage three.

Legs out to the side at the same angle.

Stage four was out to the back, keeping the rest of my body still and straight. I couldn’t fucking do it. I doubted even I could do it even with 1000 in Agility.

“Aly? What the hell is this nonsense? The human body just doesn’t bend this way and I’m pretty sure…” I reverted into my Alo-im form and tried again with similar failure.

“Yep, an Alo-im body doesn’t bend that way either.”

Clive, I have nothing else to do other than monitor Hakan’s progress to which I still do not have a steady speed to supply. So I will offer advice, but I really think you should activate your Intelligence more often.

“Activate it? I didn’t realize I had to. I just thought I could work things out more effectively.” I was joking with her of course. Intelligence was no different to Speed or Strength. It still required a conscious choice to apply it. Hence why I didn’t sprint around everywhere at full speed or smash my coffee cup into my face every time I took a drink. It was also how I could still really piss people off if they irritated me despite my high Charisma.

I know you are playing the fool, Clive, but I feel it worth mentioning that if you can turn into air you should be able to alter your musculature and hip joint to allow for the rotation.

It seems that learning to move your body through a complete range of motion while retaining your base form is a core part of this training program.

Who knows, perhaps at the later stages there will be options to fight outside of humanoid form.

“Who knows indeed,” I agreed and reverting back to my human form I continued with the instruction, altering my hip to make the movement.

At first it was awkward and I was ungainly and even though I did it, the stage wouldn’t pass me. I tried for ten whole minutes before I figured it out and altered my hip even further to lend the stability I needed to hold the position with. The only problem was, Doing so restricted my normal movement so I had to change it back to do the next two exercises.

The next few stages saw me doing something similar with my arms, having to alter my shoulder joint and shoulder blades so I could reach the position behind my back.

Stage nine, however, was when things got really uncomfortable. Where stage one was to touch my toes and then stretch into the air, Stage nine was to do a full backward crab and touch my goddamn ankles.

Half a fucking hour I spent trying to do it. The program failed me if I strained or over balanced even slightly in the motion.

I cursed a lot during Stage nine, so much so Aly warned me about the violence I was committing against her auditory processing.

“It’s ridiculous though! I’ve done the exercise at least twenty times now and it keeps failing me. How long until Inez is cooked?”

I assume you mean regenerated, so I will answer that question. 43 minutes remain.

I sat and sulked for three minutes until Aly spoke again.

I must say. I am very impressed that you made it to stage nine even if you failed to complete the move adequately. At this rate, I imagine you could progress through the beginner classes in the next hundred or so years. Maybe even in time for the great explosion that will destroy all life in the universe.

“I hate you Aly,” I grumbled, getting back to my feet to rejoin my stage nine class. Despite my childish sulk, the distance must have done me good, and I performed the move on the second attempt.

I did an internal cheer at the achievement, being careful not to show Aly my pride.

Stage ten shattered my buoyed mood when the dough boy visual I was following went back to touching my toes and reaching up into the air again. When I failed, I was very confused. It took me three attempts to realize it wanted me to follow its speed.

After that, I breezed through the next ten stages at a canter.

Stage 20 was back to the beginning again, but even faster and stage thirty was faster again, but I met the challenge each time, really getting into it.

At stage thirty nine, as I was moving between touching my ankles and reaching into the air, Aly alerted me to the fact that Inez was ready.

“Phew, I said still finishing the stage. “That got pretty intense, but it was good fun in the end. I feel like I’ve improved massively in making minor adjustments in my body. That’s gotta help in the future.”

I would predict it will be incredibly useful, Clive. Well done for persevering.

I noticed while Aly offered up praise and noticed the dough man was moving again. Stage 40, except it wasn’t stage forty. Above his head it read Final Stage Part one. While the dough man was doing the same movements as before, I stood in awe as I watched them all joined together in one slowly performed but fluid dance that would test everything I’d learned, to include making body adjustments and reverting them in fairly quick succession. I Imagined there’d be three parts of this final stage and in them the full dance would to be performed with increasing speed.

“Inez will keep for five minutes, won’t she?”

Inez is perfectly safe and remains unconscious.

“Awesome,” I replied and began to follow the dough man again.

The transition between side leg raise and rear leg raise foiled me three times before I got it right. A green tick appearing beside dough man as I made it.

The shoulder blade alteration and transition from ankle touch to toe touch were both beyond me as my balance became an issue again and after a further half hour, I still hadn’t completed Final Stage one. But, I was happy with what I’d achieved and I made a promise to myself to practice the movements wherever I found a few quiet moments.

“Next time I come back I’m gonna smash it Aly.”

I hope not Clive. I imagine the training program is very difficult, if not impossible to replace.

“Very funny Aly.”

Thank you Clive. I have been practicing.

I nodded appreciatively at the effort. It seemed I wasn’t the only one growing. “Let’s go get our Chosen of Peace back in action then, huh?”

When the Regeneration chamber opened and Inez opened her eyes, I recognized instantly that she wasn’t okay. Much like when Mal had returned from the dead.

Her eyes were blank, her mouth opened wide. It looked like she was screaming but no noise come out. At first. The a piercing shriek emitted from her mouth that made me wince with the sheer feral agony in it.

I wasn’t sure what to do, so I hugged her and spoke gently. “Hey, hey, it’s okay Inez.” I repeated that a few times until the pitch of her shriek began to lessen. I’d like to think it was from my caring words, but I suspected she was just running out of steam and vocal cords to rupture.

“It’s Clive. Peace made sure you survived.”

Only hoarse rasp now, but still no words. Then she went limp in my arms.

“What the hell happened?” I asked Aly.

I had to sedate her for her own safety. Her vocal cords are ruptured and her mind wasn’t functioning as it should. Her personality is trapped under a blanket of nothingness from her time dead, and she can’t pierce it.

“I thought the Regeneration Chamber would fix that?”

There is nothing physical to repair. She will either break through or she will remain behind the veil of her own mind.

“What can I do?”

Repair her vocal cords and then try to speak with her again. Beyond that, I do not know. I will search the databases I have access to, but I know now there is nothing on the psychology or physiology of the Alo-im, let alone the other races.

I did as Aly suggested and healed her up again paying extra attention to her brain. But as Aly said there was nothing for my power to heal.

“Wake her up then and see if I can get through to her this time.”

The answer was no. And if I didn’t have Immortal Shell eardrums, I daresay I’d have been casting my healing on myself.

I healed Inez again, though it took far less effort as Aly ended the ordeal much sooner.

“Ah hell. I’m going to have to get Peace here now,” I muttered more to myself. Something about saying the goddesses name rattled something else loose in my brain. Something I didn’t tell Aly about as I sat for a moment and thought it through.

The power she had shown me constituted three different stands of Neuma. With Neutral carrying thought, and reflection maintaining it, but Light was used to cut into the mind. Aly had said her consciousness was shrouded in the darkness of Death, I couldn’t detect it, but that didn’t mean it wasn’t there.

I reached out tentatively while she was in her comatose state with Light Neuma in the same design as the mind power. It entered her mind, but found nothing.

I was frustrated, but not beaten yet. “Aly, bring her back around please.”

Of course, Clive. In 3… 2… 1…

The screaming picked back up immediately. I pushed into her mind as it did and again met no resistance, and doing so made no difference. I spoke again, repeating the same thing both mentally and out loud. “Inez. You’re safe. You’re okay. This is Clive, I’ve come to help.”

Nothing.

Against all my better judgement, but not knowing what else to do, I pushed out a tendril of Neutral Neuma into her mind, through the opening I’d made with the light, hoping that without Reflection present I wasn’t imprinting any thoughts on her. Again I repeated myself. Inez. You’re safe. You’re okay. This is Clive, and I’ve come to help.”

I swore I heard whimpering this time, even though the screaming continued externally.

“You hear me Inez?”

“Clive?” An uncertain voice finally replied.

“Hell yeah it’s Clive. You’re trapped inside your own mind, and we need to get you the fuck out of there and back in action.”

“Where are you? I can’t see anything. There are things in here with me but…”

“Inez?”

“What are you!” she screamed, with even her mental voice cracking with desperation.

“I’m definitely Clive. Whatever other voices you’re hearing are probably just your subconscious. I once stood in a mop bucket in the kitchen I worked in, and overbalanced, slapping my hand down on a hot plate to save myself. I pulled it a way quickly enough, but some of my skin stuck on the hot metal. It was fucking horrible and I couldn’t use my hand for ages.”

“Wha… why are you telling me this,” she whimpered.

“Because there’s no way your subconscious would tell you a random bullshit story like that, but I would.”

“It’s really you, Lord Clive?”

“It sure is.”

“But I died. I definitely died.”

“Well you kinda did, but Peace really likes you and she managed to hold your mortal core together long enough to save your ass. Now get out of your own head because I’ve got things to do and I didn’t sign up for in-house therapy.”

“It really is you, isn’t it.”

“What are the other voices telling you?”

“Mainly that I’m dead. Or retelling past trauma…”

“Sorry your other options me. Now can you see the light?”

“I cannot. All is dark.”

“Hmm. What would pull you out?” I mused. “You’re surrounded by dark, you can’t see my light, reflection is a no go, as is neutral. Right… I’m going either fire to guide you out, but that could go bad, Water to flush you out, or air to blow you out. I could potentially use gravity to suck you out I suppose. What do you think?”

“I… I don’t know Lord Clive. Air sounds the least damaging.”

“Then air it is. Good shout.”

I sent in a tendril of air along the Neutral column. I felt her panic immediately. “No. Not air!” She shouted. I pulled it back immediately, but felt a little more confident as she was clearly coming back to herself.

“That threw everything around in my mind. That was horrible, I could barely think.”

“Water?”

“Try, but go carefully.”

I pushed in water and gave her a second before asking.“Any good?” There was no answer. I panicked and pulled out the water. “Inez? You there?”

A sleepy reply came back at me. “Not water. It washed me away. I feel like I fell asleep.

“Well I’ll be damned. Fire or Gravity then?”

“Are they our only choices,” she asked.

“Nope, you got Nature, Decay, Earth, Stone and Void. If all else fails I can try Reflection and command you to wake up properly, but I don’t think it’ll work and it’s uber mind controlly.

“Then leave that till last. Try fire. If Water makes me sleepy, perhaps fire will provide me with the energy to leave.”

“Okay. Get ready.” I pushed in a tendril of fire.

“GET ME OUT OF HERE NOW YOU IMBECILE!”

I pulled fire back out. “Phwew, okay. I think we know what fire does.”

“Very angry,” Inez said, sounding exhausted after her outburst.

“I’m going in with gravity now.” Prepare yourself.

“I nudged the orange power it into her mind only just so, not wanting to crush her mind or something worse. I had no great hopes with it, but when Inez let out a squeak of what could have been excitement, I dared to hope.

“You feel that?” I asked.

“I do, I’m being pulled somewhere.”

Out, if I’ve done this right. Tell me when you’ve stopped moving.” I made sure to sound confident when I spoke, but in reality I had no idea what I was doing.

“I’ve stopped, she said a second later. It’s actually a little uncomfortable.”

I slowly eased the gravity back out of the center of her mind and the now near silent screaming stopped.

I regained my own physical senses to check on Inez and saw her eyes focused. Then she gripped her throat in clear pain. I clapped a hand on her shoulder and filled her once more with healing power. As I did so Notifications crossed my eyes:

< Congratulations >

You have developed a Legendary Skill.

Impart Confusion

Due to the high level at which you have used this skill

You have reached level 8

800 XP

Bonus 100,000 XP

< Congratulations >

You have developed a Legendary Skill.

Time to Sleep

Due to the high level at which you have used this skill

You have reached level 8

800 XP

Bonus 100,000 XP

< Congratulations >

You have developed a Legendary Skill.

Incited Rage

Due to the high level at which you have used this skill

You have reached level 9

900 XP

Bonus 100,000 XP

< Congratulations >

You have developed a Legendary Skill.

Mind Anchor

Due to the high level at which you have used this skill

You have reached level 900

900 XP

Bonus 100,000 XP

I could hardly believe my eyes. What the hell had I just done. And I could really make people sleep now, or send them into confusion. I brushed everything to the side for a moment and gave Inez my full attention. She was now looking around the high-tech room, with a look of utter bewilderment.

“Fancy it being Gravity, huh?” I said with a smile to but her at ease. “I would have put money on it being water or air.”

“Where are we?” she asked, completely ignoring my meanderings. “Am I dreaming?”

“Nope. You are in the Administration Headquarters for the race of people you will know as the Creators. Though you probably only thought there was one. But don’t worry, I intend to get you back to Falritas quick smart.”

She looked at me dubiously. “I don’t know what is going on or how you’re doing this, but I know this is a dream and I want to wake up.”

“Woah, Inez. Not a dream. I know it’s weird around here, but It’s not a dream.”

“Then explain my stats. They say I’m level 450 and that I am a Seralfar?”

Despite her disorientation, and belief this was all a dream, she still offered a smug, I caught you out face.

“Look, Inez. We had to boost you up to 450 so you could use the regeneration chamber. You really are a level 450 Seralfar. But don’t take my word for it. GO back home and ask your goddess.”

I opened my void storage and beckoned her in. “Trust me.”

She laughed though it was nervous. “You expect me to go into there?”

“Yes I do. I’ve been here for hours waiting for you to be reborn and I have a shit ton to do myself, so can we please not have a big song and dance about this?”

“I do not want to go inside.”

“Then stay here, but I’m ready to go.”

“Aly, can you let me know when Inez wants to go home?”

Immediately upon hearing the desire, Clive.

Inez’s eyes damn near popped out of their sockets at Aly’s voice. She looked pleadingly at me. “Wait. If it’s a dream then entering your void storage… it will be fine, right?”

“You’re goddess has been in a few times now,” I replied, trying to keep the impatience from my voice. I did obviously have sympathy, but there was only so much you could talk a person around before they had to do some of the heavy lifting themselves.

Finally, grudgingly she nodded. Then walked up to the void storage and looked in nervously. When she took a step backward, I pushed her into the void storage with a gust of air. Granted it was hurricane force. As she stumbled in, I snapped it shut and headed to the transporter tower.

Clive, that was not acceptable behavior.

“What wasn’t? She entered of her own free will and a gentle breeze at her back. Now get me back to Falritas before she has a full panic attack in there.

It was with great relief that I jumped to Toukal, swiftly followed by a return to my altar, where I made a portal to Dawnsinger’s Throne room.

My arrival was greeted by gasps for the few attendants there, though Dawnsinger herself jumped from the throne in eager anticipation. A question in her eyes.

“She’s a  little disoriented but alive and well otherwise,” I said with a grin before opening the portal. Inez jumped out a second later looking ready to kill the first person she saw. Luckily for me, that was Dawnsinger.

All anger fled from her as she looked around the throne room until her eyes landed on me.”

“You!” she said pointing and marching over to me.

“You’re very welcome,” I grinned, then teleported away.

Back in my temple I smiled to myself for a job well done. Taking the time to help Inez had reaped innumerable unexpected rewards from the training videos I’d found, to the closer friendship with Peace, and ultimately to the four new skills I’d developed based of the power Peace had shown me.

I looked through the notifications again, acknowledging them properly.

< Congratulations >

You have leveled to 685

You have 110 stat points available to distribute.

With a huge sense of achievement, I brought Speed up to 1000 and I added the remaining 7 points into agility bringing it to 596. Then I eyeballed Intelligence and wrinkled my nose at it. “Soon. Very soon. Just, not yet.”