* * * * *
I wake up to Zarvick standing over me. He’s grinning ear-to-ear as our eyes meet. Was that real…?
“I had the weir—” I take one look around and see that we are still inside of the endless black void.
Asvarp exhaustedly cuts me off, “if you were about to say ‘dream’, then you would be wrong. All of that really happened.”
“Yes, apparently he made it all seem real because he wanted to show us how ignorant of an idea it would be to go after Reaper. Even with time being frozen we would stand no chance.”
I dust myself off before I go on a rampage, “you couldn’t just have said something! I mean, I sacrificed myself to kill you! I used power that should’ve killed me.”
“Precisely,” Asvarp states, “I am going to teach you how to use your power just like a true pneuma.”
“Huh?” Zarvick is lost as usual.
I place my hand on his arm, “a pneuma is a person who is capable of channeling the power of the spiritual plane of existence through their own soul.”
“Correct,” the mage smiles, “however, Crystalline, you are the most powerful and essentially the leader of them all. You are a living spirit.”
I’m not sure what he means by that, “a living spirit”, but I’ll take it. After all, I don’t even know what I’m capable of but Asvarp sure seems to have an idea. Or at least he thinks he does. I do know one thing for sure, I can purify Reaper. Even if it’ll cost my own life. Whatever is necessary, right?
“What are we going to do now?” Zarvick helps Asvarp to his feet.
“Well, I expended almost all of my energy casting the empowerment enchantment around Genu and acting as Reaper. So, the two of you will just have to follow my directions thoroughly. Starting with you Crystalline, since you’ll be harder to train.”
I shrug. He’s right. All Zarvick has to do is move rocks and create a breeze. I, on the other hand, have to learn how to use my power. I don’t even know how to astral travel on command. All the times I have projected my soul was unintentional. Going to the spirit realm is an even harder feat and I did that by accident. I couldn’t even get back to my body on my own. Summoning spirits is new to me but I kind of have that under my control; except for bringing those soldiers to my aid. I thought that was the old man’s doing at first.
Asvarp has Zarvick and I stand across from one another. The tension is strong between the three of us. This is the most serious training I’ve ever been in; it feels like everything is riding on our attempt to hone in on our powers. The old man stares at me while raising his left-hand to Zarvick; a red circle synthesizes before his palm and a rhombus shape constructs inside of the circle, runes write their way into the empty spaces between them. The symbol for “heart” fades into view at the center of the rhombus.
Almost instantaneously, my love drops to the floor in agony. I try to run to him, yet I am kept in place by some sort of warding spell.
“What the hell are you doing?!” I scream.
He just smirks, “you will only learn to project your many abilities at will, if, you learn to harness your emotions.”
I bang against the spell, colors discharge along its invisible surface. Asvarp twists his wrist and Zarvick wails in agony. The chest of his leather armor gradually dissolves as the pain intensifies, his skin darkens above his heart. I try to create a sword construct but, as I do, a sharp pain runs through my body.
“The only way you will break out of that is if you use your powers correctly. If not, you’ll suffer a great deal of pain, and so will he, the longer you make me wait.”
He continues to cry out as the mage increases his spell’s strength. Prepare to be amazed you old bat!
The spirit of a saber tooth tiger radiates over me as I shred through ward and lunge for him; I pin the old man down by pressing my hands against his wrist and my feet against his ankles. The animal’s paws slide over my limbs as her body outlines mine.
“You know, I should rip out your throat—but you’re of more use to me alive than dead.”
The sabertooth vanishes as I stand up. I detect my increased senses and agility fading away as the tiger leaves me.
“Excellent Crystalline,” Asvarp struggles to a stance, “nevertheless, did you use your power by commanding it or because your emotions got the better of you? Better yet, do you still have control over it?”
To prove him that I’m in control, I command the spirit of a bear to me; the silhouette soaks into my body, giving me a dim midnight blue glow. My sense of smell heightens to the point where I can, undeniably, make out the lingering smell of musk in the air. We all are in a desperate need for a bath. This is both incredible and a bit disgusting. I can’t help but smile.
I charge forward, slam into Zarvick with my elbow, lift him above my head, and catapult him at Asvarp; who teleports my love to his side. I had no real reason to attack him but it just felt good doing so.
“Was that called for?!” Zarvick starts muttering something else under his breath.
“I will admit, that was rather interesting to watch—despite being completely unnecessary—and I must say it was a good demonstration of your powers. Yet, you still have so much more to learn.” The old man is never satisfied.
Placing my hands on my hips and using the sassiest tone possible, I say, “like what?”
“Tell me,” he wasn’t even fazed by my demeanor, “when was the last time you willingly went into your astral form?”
Oh, shit…he just pulled the ‘you’re not as good as you think you are’ card on me. That’s usually used on Zarvick. Well played, Asvarp. Still, I know enough to kill him if I wanted to though.
“I-I can’t say that I’ve ever willingly gone into astral form but I have gone to the spiritual plane of existence,” I point out.
“But you don’t even know how you got there nor did you know how to get out,” he annoyingly rebuttals.
Zarvick cuts in before I begin my advance towards Asvarp, “look, let’s just continue with the training because I doubt Genu can keep stretching his psyche like this forever.”
“Um—Crystalline, astral project.”
I rub my temples with my index and middle fingers; he’s getting on my nerves.
“I can’t.”
Asvarp begins shooting weak energy bolts at me, all they really do is piss me off. I imagine myself reaching out and choking him; finally, I do. Well, I don’t choke him but my soul does project at him as Zarvick catches my limp body.
I’m invisible only for a moment because, as I try to enter his body, I am repelled by some type of magical shielding. And it stings like a bitch. The magic gives me a faint outline as it jolts through me, which allows Asvarp to spot me. He then casts a glittering ray that materializes me.
“Have I ever told you that I want you to die a very painful death?”
“I’m seven thousand years past my expiration date. So, don’t get your hopes up,” he gives me an eerie grin, “but look at the bright side. You astral projected!”
“Yeah, he’s right Crystalline,” Zarvick chimes in, “but it was rather asinine of you to try and possess his body.”
“You saw that?” Besides from being mad at him calling me stupid, his ability to commune with spirits has always been a wonder to me.
“Yes? This morning I saw a few people just walking around outside the tent. I figured they must be spirits because I could see through them. That and a shot a few lightning bolts at them, which did nothing.”
“Aw, of course. Your connection with Crystalline grants you access to limited pneuma abilities. Such as, allowing you to see past the veil that separates the physical and spiritual planes,” Asvarp always has the answer, doesn’t he?
“Well, this is all adorable but I’m doing the training at the moment. Then again, I have no idea what I should be doing next.”
Both of them look at me, Zarvick with annoyance and Asvarp with the uttermost confusion. Guessing by his look, he actually doesn’t know what I
should be doing next either.
“That’s it for you. I’m not a pneuma, so I can only teach you what I’ve read in books. So, you’ll have to figure out the rest with what I’ve taught you,” he just shrugs his shoulders. “It’s not my area of expertise.”
“A) you didn’t actually teach me shit; I’ve basically been doing this all by myself while you just make me want to kill you. And B) is this really too hard for you to grasp?” This is a pathetic waste of time.
The old man unleashes a barrage of magical blast, the first of which zaps the shit out of me. I raise my hand forming a shield and it doesn’t take long for him to break through it; flying up I whirl around a few of his attacks then drop back down to face him. My love is right, flying is easy.
“You want me to use my powers the way they are meant to be used, fine! But you’re going to get the first-hand experience of what it’s like to be in the spiritual plane of existence! You are going to see what it’s like to be ME!”
Propelling my hands forward, with my wrist clenched together, I do the unthinkable and tear open that veil between the physical and the spiritual. A swirling vortex of death and sorrow opens up wide behind the mage; I dash right for him, despite his rejections, and tackle him through the portal. Together we go into the spirit realm.
* * * * *
The walls are different somehow. They are strangely normal. Matter of fact, everything seems off about the white room it feels just like any ole room. Yet, I sense something off balance in here, maybe it’s because I’m floating or maybe it’s because the last time I was here I actually felt in sync with the world around me. Asvarp, on the other hand, seems to be scared shitless. Guess, the big bad sorcerer isn’t so powerful after all.
“What’s wrong with you? Afraid?” I tease.
“Although this is a remarkable feat on your end; there is a reason the living should not come here,” his gaze shifts constantly between the walls and floor.
“Scared of dying?”
“No, I’ve been waiting to die for over seven millennia. I happily welcome my timely death.” That actually hits a heart string, a very tiny heartstring. “I never cared for learning any form of spiritual energy because it just wasn’t for me, nonetheless, there is a reason why the physical and spiritual planes don’t exist on the same field. That’s because it would cause chaos. If the dead enter the world of the living, hardly any problems will arise. However, if the living enters the world of the dead, then there are huge complications.
Which starts with the collectors. Sentient plants that have been determined to be neither dead nor alive. Their sole purpose is to collect souls and bring them here. Which means they will be coming after me any minute now and you are the only one that can get us out of here. Also, they aren’t exactly gentle. And since the laws of the physical world work differently here it affects my magical abilities.”
“Okay, once again, I’m not even sure what I did to get us here,” I admit unwillingly.
He sighs, “this is all willpower. It’s even been suggested that spiritual energy is just another form of psychic energy. In theory, the soul lies within the consciousness.”
He can be helpful at times but, right now, this just isn’t one of those times. The old man needs to save his experiments and wizarding shit for another time and place.
“Instead of telling me stories, why not walk me through the process? Before these evil creatures come and get you,” I say mockingly.
“Foolish child! There is no such thing as good or evil, there is only perspective.”
Just then, thousands of vines come bursting through the walls; Asvarp lets loose a mystical flame, burning the plants, while yelling at me to open up a damn portal. A thought occurs to me in all of the commotion, I need to soul dash. The mage once told me that when I soul dash I am basically moving in-and-out of the spiritual plane.
I summon forth my power, throwing my hands out in front of me; I sense my body as my soul vibrates, energizing. Roots shoot out from the floor, grappling him. I’m too deep into my concentration to help him out.
A flickering image comes into view and slices through the plants with a stone blade; lightning discharges from the silhouette previous to it fading away, frying a majority of the collectors.
I reach my fingers forward and rip open a hole in the fabric of reality. I actually did it?! Without another second to spare, Asvarp dives head first into the portal and I after him.
That was enough heart attack inducing fun for one lifetime.
Chapter 31
(Zarvick)
Refusing to believe my eyes I sit in the endless void with Crystalline’s body in my arms, contemplating this sudden turn of events. I just went to the spirit realm—I can’t wrap my head around it. Not sure how she stands her soul leaving her body; if I had to deal with that, I would certainly go mad. It’s a good thing that I’m the one with the elemental powers.
Asvarp comes flying out of a new portal and Crystalline falling out right behind him as the breach closes. Neither of them looks excited.
See? I think to myself, this is what happens when you piss her off.
Everyone ends up dissatisfied in the end. She instantly disappears and her physical frame jolts up. Almost head butting me.
“Calm down, breathe,” I gently speak as I caress her back.
“Remind me…to chop down any plants…that makes the slightest gesture towards us,” she says between breaths.
“I second that notion,” Asvarp turns over to lay on his back.
“I know you guys almost died and it’s totally Crystalline’s fault—” she scolds me and I shrug, “there is a bright side to all of this; which is that I went to the spiritual plane all by myself.”
“So, that was you who saved me?” He responds.
“Yes!” I hold up my left arm which I have transformed into a stone blade.
Changing my arm back to normal I get to my feet. Genu doesn’t look too hot, I think he’s actually sweating. Now that I think about, neither does Asvarp; although I hear his heart beating so he’ll live. To make the situation a little more comfortable for everyone I imagine Genu’s castle in my head. Stone spreads out from beneath my feet; within a matter of minutes, we are once again with the castle walls. Damn, I’m good.
“How did you do this?” Crystalline gawks at the sudden change of scenery.
“I-I made it from memory,” I’m partially drained. Nonetheless, that doesn’t stop me from getting excited when she jumps up to hug me.
“Bravo, Zarvick!” The old man applauds me after teleporting himself next to us.
Even if this is an impressive feat, there isn’t any furniture and we all look like we could use a place to sit.
“It’s now time to move on with your training Zarvick. Crystalline you’ll just have to take what you’ve learned and practice it.”
She just puts her hands up in the air and walks away; I make a chair for her to sit on and watch me.
“So, what are we going to do first? Break things, blast things, fl—”
“You are going to change the substance of the castle from stone to whatever comes to mind,” he’s trying to hide his impatient side.
“Okay.” At first, the earth just wavers and nothing happens; then it hardens and shines as it becomes all sorts of metals: steel, iron, brass, copper, and right back to stone. I don’t even have to stop to catch my breath, it’s exhilarating.
“Since you’re making all of these metals, why don’t you make a certain pretty girl a diamond ring while you’re at it,” Crystalline says jokingly. However, I’m not going to turn down the chance to impress her.
It takes awhile for me to reconfigure the stone into diamond; I have to practice by first turning the castle into a huge ruby, then a sapphire and finally an emerald. Once, it’s entirely made out of diamond I feel accomplished and exhaustion begins weighing down on me. Making diamonds is somewhat more taxing than making any other minerals or metals.
“Impressive,” As
varp pats my shoulder, “but how could you use this to your advantage in battle.”
How…? That’s a good question. Thus, I morph my entire body into diamond, except for my eyes. They, for whatever reason, have become a pure lavender color when I look at my reflection on the back of my hand.
As I revert to my normal self, I can’t help but smile.
He tells me my next task and my heart skips a beat. Almost saying, “what?”. The mage wants to see how well I am at manipulating vibrations. More specifically, he wants me to destroy an entire diamond castle by vibrating it. I wonder if he hit his head at some point before now because he must’ve forgotten that diamonds are the strongest and rarest material on Elvendora. Nevertheless, I try to do it anyways.
I launch a few vibration blast before deciding that’s not doing anything. Time to try a different approach. Vibrating my whole body, I transmit the waves through the structure; everything begins shaking like an earthquake is taken place. Asvarp teleports himself and Crystalline out of here with a snap of his fingers. I stop vibrating and harness the waves coursing through the castle until the diamond cracks; I intensify them with most of my might, shattering my greatest creation into hundreds upon thousands of shards. All of which stop mid-fall and come together to create a countless number of diamond elves.
“I think I am better at this than I thought…” I turn back to face Crystalline who is smiling at me, “oh, I almost forgot.”
Grabbing her hand, a gold ring with a large diamond attached forms around her middle finger. It’s only there for a moment before Asvarp makes it disappear along with all of the elven statues.
“Let’s turn our attention towards the element of energy, otherwise know as lightning.”
Crystalline’s right, he is annoying.
“What am I to do master?” I wink at him.
Ignoring me, he continues, “I want you to run, not fly, across Elvendora and come right back to this point as fast as you can.”
Dark Form_Book 1 of the Shadow War Trilogy Page 26
