by Jez Cajiao
“Then this matter is resolved,” Tuthic said, “All that is left is an explanation of why that was dangerous, and an exchanging of gifts.”
“Gifts?” I asked, and Tuthic explained.
“In the old world, before the cataclysm, when an agreement such as this was reached, a gift was exchanged to each of the wronged parties by their peers. In this case, we have all done wrong. Had I been watching for you, as I should have, I might have explained matters to you and offered my advice before now. Mistress Jenae should have held her anger and spoken with you, rather than lashing out, and you should have shown the proper respect. As such, I will give you the gift that is most needed. I will grant you an ability, one that will protect your mind from all that seek to harm it. In doing so, I can again begin to honor my oath to Amon, as it will protect him as well. Prepare yourself.”
With that I felt a second blinding pain that flooded my mind, and I cried out, feeling strong hands gripping my shoulders supportively as voices rose in fear and confusion all around me. A golden notification appeared before me, overriding my usual preferences and I blinked at it, reading it quickly before dismissing it.
Congratulations!
You have been gifted an Ability! You have received ‘Aegis’, a shielding ability gifted by the Elder Dragon Amon’Tuthic. This ability will consume HP, Mana, and Stamina in equal measure at a rate of ten percent of each per second. While this ability is active, no being can reach your mind. Increasing your skill with this ability will reduce the cost
I took a deep breath and replied gratefully to Tuthic, aware by the feeling that gifting such a thing across whatever distances existed between us couldn’t have been easy.
“If I could give more, I would, Jax the Eternal, but I must protect my children as well. If you have need of me, call, and I will come. Please, consider well before you summon me, though.”
“I…I will, Amon’Tuthic. Thank you. I don’t have a gift to give you…” I whispered, and I felt his laughter shake me.
“You have returned the Eternal to us, and taken up his Mantle, and still you think that you have given me no gift? Jax, you have given me and my kind a gift beyond measure!”
“Trust in yourself and grow your strength; give Mistress Jenae a chance, and work to return the Greater Gods, and you will have given more to the realm than could ever be repaid.”
“This is true, Jax. My gift to you is this: I know your needs, and your most fervent desire. I have not the strength to do both, but I can either grant you knowledge of a healing rune, or… I will cast a spell of detection. It will give us a general location for your brother, or at least the last place he used magic. I can do no more without more time to accrue more mana.”
I didn’t need time to think on that. I knew I should take the healing rune, but I’d come here for one thing, and one thing only…Tommy.
“I’ll take door number two, please, Bob…” I whispered, a game show from my childhood momentarily springing to mind as I answered, and the feeling of warmth from Jenae increased.
“I will cast the spell tonight, then, Jax. It will take some time to prepare, but at least I can do this for you in apology. Will you dissolve our alliance?” the Goddess asked hesitantly.
“No,” I said squaring my shoulders. “I need you, and I think you need me, too. Allies still, but this is the last time you strike out at me or mine. I’ve given you two chances, Jenae; the third time you do this, we’re enemies.”
“I understand. We also need to discuss the place where you addressed me… that is an extremely dangerous place for your kind. It’s a dangerous place for mine, now, but for a mortal? It is a place your soul would be destroyed by, were you any less than you are.”
“You keep calling me Eternal, but I’m mortal as well, and Amon was the Eternal, but he died…what the hell?” I said, and I received a pulse of rage that rippled through me and disappeared a second later from Amon’Tuthic.
“Your ancestor, Amon, was the Eternal Emperor. He was gifted by all of the Gods to protect the realm. He was not supposed to be able to die, until Nimon took a hand in events. His descendants have some of his abilities, as shown by their long lives…you and your brother, however, would have developed only some of these abilities, until you came here. The acceptance of you by what is left of Amon has granted you certain abilities; they are, as yet, unformed and in their infancy."
"I cannot explain or define them, as such an act by a Goddess may trap them into a form that may be less than they could evolve into. For now, accept that you are becoming… more… and leave it at that. As to the place we were, it is the realm of the Gods. The mountains you saw are the bases of our thrones, and you saw my power and size in comparison now, to my simple seat as it was then.”
“Nimon has claimed our realm and has seen fit to raise many lesser Gods and Demons to roam the realm to amuse him.” She growled as she spoke, her anger clear. “I must bide my time, build my strength, and reawaken my brethren so that we may pull Nimon from his throne and return the realms to what they should be. Your display of stolen power nearly drew the attention of others, and it would have been costly for you, possibly deadly for us both.”
“What do you mean ‘stolen power’? I don’t even know what I did!” I protested, standing straight, and looking around. Bane had appeared from somewhere and was the one supporting me. The others I’d asked to come were standing well back. I had Bane on one side, Flux on the other, and Ame had appeared from somewhere. Cai moved around carefully on the far side of them, examining everything for any possible threat, and they all had weapons drawn, I blinked as I realized what was happening.
Flux and the others had thought I was being attacked; they’d drawn weapons and gotten ready to protect me against anything that might be coming.
“I… I’m all right…” I said, then cleared my throat and spoke up louder. “It’s okay, I’m all right. Sorry to have startled you all. I…received a gift; it just wasn’t one I was expecting, and it hurt a bit, that’s all."
"Give me a minute to clean myself up, and I’ll be with you.” People relaxed slightly, but I could see how finding me staggering around and bleeding from my mouth, nose, eyes, and ears had clearly freaked them the fuck out. Hell, it’d freaked me out, and it was yet another reason I needed to find someone that could make and clean clothes. Mine were covered in blood, fucking again!
“It’s all right, Jax. What you did… you used power from Amon, power that should have been long gone. I don’t know how he did it, or how you used it, but you came to me and you stood on your own feet in a realm that should have crushed you mercilessly. I’ll try to figure out what and how you did what you did, as I’d certainly like to know myself. Again, I am sorry. I will make it up to you.”
“I think it’s time we introduced another of your brethren, anyway…” I said to her. “Not because of all this, but it was something I was thinking about before. I considered that the Mer could do with some help, after all.”
“I agree, and I will consider who will best suit them. Goodbye, Jax. We will talk later.”
“Yeah… bye.” I muttered and drew in a deep breath as I clapped my hands together, forcing out the lingering feelings of worry and concern, and compelling myself to smile.
I rubbed at my face, my hand coming away sticky with blood, and I made a face. Looking around and holding my hand up where people could see it, Bane, Flux, and Ame gave me room, but still stayed close as I walked to the pool.
“Well, guess I’ll be needing a bath tonight!” I said aloud, trying to drum up a laugh, but the best I got was a series of wary half smile, half grimaces.
“What happened?” asked Flux, and Ame and Bane moved a little closer to be sure they could hear.
“I got a gift, like I said,” I said to them quietly. “Ah… on a totally separate note, does the name ‘Amon’Tuthic’ mean anything to you guys?” I asked. When they all looked at me blankly, I went on. “Big silver dragon, probably in charge of them all, fro
m what I remember?” I wracked my brain, trying to remember where the memory had said Shustic and Tuthic had lived. “I think they said they lived at Dragon’s Reach… but that might be wrong…” I caught the looks that Ame and Flux were exchanging, while Bane glared at everyone indiscriminately, and I spoke up.
“What? You know something…”
“Dragon’s Reach was said to be somewhere in the south, thousands of miles out to sea. There was a legend of the Greater Dragons retreating to there after the cataclysm, that it was closed to all the races… No ships that have sailed south have returned…” Ame said slowly. “It was thought that there was simply nothing there, and that the ships were lost at sea, but if you believe the Greater Dragons truly still exist, and real Dragons at that, not Wyrms, then…”
“They exist; take it from me,” I said, holding my fingers up for emphasis. “This is what happens when a mortal gets a gift from one.” It wasn’t entirely true, but I had felt fresh blood after Tuthic had given me his gift, so it wasn’t totally a lie either, and it’d do for now.
I moved forward, leaving them with as many questions as answers, and I crouched down, cupping the sparkling clear water in my hands and throwing it over my face, scrubbing as best I could and rinsing repeatedly until I felt a bit cleaner. I finally staggered to my feet, the sun now closer to setting, and a definite chill beginning to fill the air.
I noticed that the group had a few magelights spread out between them, and I asked them to spread them out a bit further, making sure everyone had plenty of light.
I promised to talk to Cai, Flux, Bane, and Ame later, once everyone was taken care of, and I stood up where everyone could see me.
“I’ve got a few small gifts to give out, as so many of you have been good boys and girls…” I looked around at the confusion on their faces and I shrugged.
“Or not. Fuck it, moving on! So, as I promised you all earlier, I will be giving out certain skill books and a few Spellbooks to those that Cai and I believe are best suited to them.” I gestured encouragingly, and Cai started to call out names.
As each person stepped up, I saw a variety of emotions, ranging from shock and awe to tears, to a kind of desire I’d never known.
The three engineers were the last, and strangest of the group, they held onto their own books fiercely, while trying to bargain with the others for theirs, promising anything they had, years of work, assistance in their projects, anything they could do. I couldn’t help but smile, and I stepped in when they started to get more frantic.
“Seriously, people; Cai, Oracle, and I gave thorough, intentional consideration to whom we were giving which books. This is also not all we have. In fact, these are essentially the ‘primers’ and basic manuals only. You are a test group, but you’re one that has earned the books you hold. Learn what you can and reflect on what you can do better. There will be more in the future for those that earn them, and for those that excel, multiple books and even memory stones holding the knowledge of the past, may become available to you.” The group before me froze, turning to stare at me almost mechanically, and I grinned at the three engineers. “Yes, even you. But not right now! Show me what you’ve learned from these books, and we will talk again, okay?”
I gestured to Renna, where she stood hesitantly at the back of the group, and I took her to one side. Cai hadn’t called her name, but he had asked her to come at my request, and I spent a few minutes talking quietly with her before handing over a single thick volume that she clutched unbelievingly. She swore to do her best and to come up with a plan for me, as well as swearing to dedicate herself to mastering this new path if it couldn’t initially do what I wanted it to. I just grinned at her and told her to enjoy herself, and that when she was ready, she needed to go to Ame and speak with her about my idea.
Cai stepped in and started fielding questions and directing people away as I moved to sit on the grassy bank by the water’s edge. I was exhausted, and despite doing my best to cover it, Ame, Flux, and Bane all knew it.
Ame didn’t even pause, crouching down next to me and gripping my head in two hands, while her others grabbed my own to keep me still. She faced me square on, all her tendrils extended wide, and let loose a subsonic ‘thrum’ that made my teeth ache. I jerked my head free and glared at her as she sat back, both sets of arms folding as she spoke.
“You will tell me all that you just experienced, and then you will teach me the spell you have promised me. After this, you will rest until I am satisfied you are strong enough to not collapse in front of those people that need you so much!”
“So, you don’t need me?” I asked rubbing my jaw to try and work away the residual feeling.
“We all need you, but I am also a healer now, so it’s my place to keep you alive to do what you must.”
“How did you do with the books?” I asked her, and she shook her head.
“That is not important right now; what is…”
“No,” I said flatly. “I asked you a question, Ame, and I expect an answer. How are you after using the books? Are you able to use more, or do you need some time? I’ll try to teach you my spell regardless, as I don’t think it has the same kind of issues being taught like that, but I need to know.”
“I… I am sore, and it is unwise to use another book now. I want to learn, but…” For the first time, she seemed unsure, embarrassed almost, and I stepped in.
“No, Ame, that’s what I needed to hear. You have to be realistic about this, and for the love of god, don’t damage yourself the way I did! Right, then. Oracle?” I called out, and she was there in an instant.
She’d been only a few feet away, talking quietly with Bane, but in a flash, she was by my side, hovering as she looked into my eyes cautiously.
“I know you’re okay; I know it, but…” she whispered.
“I am, honestly, Oracle, and I understand, you weren’t expecting that to happen. Neither was I. We can talk about it another time; for now, I need your help. We need to teach Ame our spell.”
“Okay, got it,” she said, her jaw flexing determinedly as she blurred, suddenly growing to her full size. “I know that it’s normally done differently, but I think with being in the Tower and having me bonded means we have an option to teach that you wouldn’t normally find. I can form a bridge between your minds, and that should make things a little faster, but it’s still going to take a while, a few hours at least, so make yourselves comfortable.”
I shifted around to face her and Ame, the three of us making a triangle, with Oracle hovering over the water. The tips of her toes lightly touched the surface and created ripples as she bobbed up and down, the gentle breeze from her wings caressing my face.
I looked over at Ame, who sat cross-legged, her hand clenching and relaxing as she tried to wait patiently.
Flux took up a position on the far side of her, and I sensed more than heard Bane doing the same behind me.
Oracle reached out to us both, taking a hand in each of hers, and closed her eyes.
Do you wish to allow Ame access to your mind and magic?
Yes/No
I took a deep breath and selected ‘Yes’ and felt the sensation of another mind touch my own. It wasn’t like it was with Oracle, the other wisps, Jenae, or Amon’Tuthic. This was far more limited, and I paused for a moment, shocked as I realized how many beings had recently had access to my mind.
That thought was blown away in the next second as my magic reacted. It was different to how it normally felt, as I wasn’t actually trying to use it; instead, I was pulling it up to show it off.
It felt like lifting something sluggish from my body. I drew it out slowly, the words and gestures needed to direct the spell coming to my mind awkwardly as I focused on it. I had to work at it, as I constructed the basic form like a scaffold in the air between us. It felt so strange, but as the minutes passed, the first sections stabilized, and I moved upward, climbing slowly. As the structure of the spell grew before us, the magic glowing bright and illumi
nating the encroaching night, I began to understand.
I was showing someone something that I did because I had a huge amount of background knowledge. That knowledge was entirely missing on her end, such as the inclusion of a mana-based variant of an MRI that Oracle and I had created from my memories to allow us to find the issues, let alone fix them.
It also explained one of the reasons that Ame’s version would be far more basic than my own, as she had none of the hundreds of hours I’d spent watching medical programs on TV, the basic biology and medical sciences I’d studied at school, the hours and hours of first aid and enhanced medical training I’d had when training for the arena and my life here. All of that, combined with the spells I had learned, had enabled me to create the spell. Ame had none of that, but her own abilities and background knowledge would help her with creating new magic of her own.
Spellbooks, on the other hand, had a huge amount of additional knowledge included in them.
The basic healing spell included knowledge on basic anatomy and more, as well as a way to subconsciously examine the correct ‘pattern’ for how someone existed before the injury, so you didn’t accidentally grow back scaled skin, or claws, or something.
All of this ran through my mind as I slowly constructed the entire spell between us, and I felt Ame struggling to comprehend it all. This spell had aspects in it that she’d never seen or imagined, but as she concentrated, with Oracle’s help, she was learning in minutes what would have taken hours, and in hours what should have taken days.
I felt her mind flitting from detail to detail. Questions blurred between us, answered in a millisecond and more knowledge growing, the individual aspects of fire and earth, water and air, light and dark, life and death all coming together to create this one spell.
