Soul Shelter

by Nathan Thompson

  “No,” Vessa said, staring at me. “It helped him somewhat, but his Soulscape looks horrible. Elder dragon, what can we do for him?”

  Holy Saint, we can still save him, the dragon inside my broken world declared. His Soulscape will grow in this process, allowing it to hold more. If we fill him with objects of power, it will stabilize the transition, allowing his body and mind to handle the changes his soul performs. There is a risk of destroying some of these relics, but the change would not only make him more powerful, they would further speed his Advancement. It would be very much to his gain, and to yours as well, if you are but willing to spend the resources.

  “Of course I’m willing to spend the resources,” Vessa snapped. “I owe Jasper at least one life, and even if I didn’t, and even if he wasn’t already irreplaceable to me, there’s no way I’d allow an innocent person to die right before my eyes! I’ll throw all of the spare treasure we just gained into him, but I’m not sure if it will be enough!”

  It will not be, Holy Saint, Grandmother Mara agreed, but take heart: I know where we can gain much more. If we can but return to my lair, I have already promised him everything I own, save for the gifts reserved for my daughter’s eggs. And those gifts will still benefit him, Holy Saint. For if my grandchildren are born inside of him, they will strengthen him even further. He will gain the ability to bond with them from their very birth, and such a bond will stabilize him further. And whatever treasure the three of them do not need I gladly lay at your feet, Holy Saint, to use for whatever method you see fit.

  “Wait, what?” Vessa said, blinking. “Really? You have a whole hoard of relics we can use, and you are willing to give them all up? Just like that?”

  I had thought we had mentioned this earlier, but either we hadn’t, or Vessa understandably let it slip from her mind while dealing with all the other matters she had to keep track of.

  Holy Saint, Grandmother Mara replied, had I known you still flew through the night sky, I would have already sought you out and laid such gifts at your feet. I would have flown by your side and fought to protect you, even in my weakened state. I do not regret defending the newborn lives of the local world, but I have spent every moment since wishing I had more strength to offer you. The night sky needs you, Holy One. I merely have the wisdom to recognize that.

  “Okay,” Vessa breathed. “Right, then. Let’s take advantage of that immediately, then. Nova, pick me up. Jasper, don’t try to carry me right now. I know your body’s mostly working, but any extra strain is a bad idea right now. In fact, I’m pretty sure you can’t operate any of your charms, spells, or techniques, so just forget about combat right now too, if you can.”

  “I can’t,” I replied casually. “As soon as I do, something will go wrong, and I will have to fight.”

  “Pessimist,” she spat, “but entirely valid, given everything else. Let’s just get to the sanctuary so that I can move my ship. Senior Mara, how far away is your lair?”

  Grandmother Mara’s lair proved to be a hidden world at the very edge of the local cluster of planets, one Vessa had remembered as being lifeless.

  Really? I asked, after hearing Vessa’s description. How and why would you keep your eggs and treasure on a dead world?

  Because it is dead, young rider, the ancient dragon replied. There should be no reason for visitors. And at the height of my old strength, back when I battled alongside your own champions to protect the vessel-saints, it was a simple matter for me to set up a Sourcepalace on any old rock. That way, not only would I have no reason to receive unwanted visitors, I could make whatever alterations to the environment I wished, without disturbing a single soul.

  Grandmother, what is a Sourcepalace? I asked next, battling through the block in my mind that prevented my acknowledging her. I felt her smile at my open familiarity before she answered me.

  An ancient construction the earliest of vessel-saints showed the strongest of practitioners and Sourcebeasts how to make. It is like your Soulscape, save that it is merely a mansion unto itself, instead of an entire world.

  In that case, Grandmother, I would assume said mansion is still much larger than my little world, and hopefully a great deal more stable.

  A moment later, I realized my questions had been rather rude. But the dragon merely chuckled at me.

  I think you will be quite satisfied with its size, young rider. And it will be a great deal more stable, unless some fool has decided to try and mine thousands upon thousands of useless rocks, and at far greater expense than they could ever hope to recover. The night sky is not so full of such stupidity that it can afford to throw such an idiot into our little corner, and exactly at the most inconvenient time.

  I paused before answering her.

  Grandmother, I finally said, I deeply mourn your choice of words.

  She was right in calling you a pessimist, Grandmother Mara sniffed, and said nothing more.

  “Alright,” Vessa said from her main capsule, now that we were back in the sanctuary. “The Sourcepalace is exactly where your senior described it to be, Jasper. And it looks fantastically well-constructed. She did an amazing job in building this place, Jasper. Make sure she knows I said that.”

  The Holy Vessel-Saint is as generous with her praise as she is wise, the spiritual dragon said with smug gratitude, flashing a glance in my direction.

  “She knows,” I said dryly. “Have you confirmed the place was uninhabited?”

  “The Sourcepalace?” she asked, sounding startled. “I would have said if there was anyone else there. Just two dormant eggs, and a lot of Source energy from objects.”

  “Not just the Sourcepalace,” I answered, “though I am glad it is not yet breached. I was asking about the rest of the world.”

  “Why would you?” Vessa peered at me in annoyance. “It’s a barren rock. There’s no atmosphere, so it would take a stupendous amount of Source energy just to move about on that world without suffocating, freezing, or imploding. You would need to be either an incredibly Advanced practitioner with all sorts of special powers, or someone rich enough that they can afford to throw down a mountain of Source treasures just to explore every dead rock in space. I don’t think anyone could be that rich, Jas, and if they are, they certainly can’t be that stupid. It’s impossible, Jas.”

  I sighed again.

  “Nova,” I began, “please do not emphatically agree with the both of them, or we are all going to be doomed.”

  My childhood friend giggled at me.

  “It’s good to see you’re at least feeling better, Jas,” she said with a glorious smile. “But go ahead and humor him, Vessa. Worst case he’s right and we’re prepared, best case we all get to be the ones that tell him ‘I told you so’.”

  “That actually makes this worth it,” Vessa said as she closed her eyes and punched another button on her capsule. For several moments she was completely quiet, and I almost dared to hope that everyone else was right. But then she opened her eyes, punched the padded inside of her capsule in anger, and shouted at me.

  “You son of an unpopular eaterling! How did you know? Why did you even bother to guess?”

  “I have had some small experience with the foolish rich of Earth,” I replied patiently. “How many are currently down there, and what are they doing?”

  “Several dozen, and they are mining!” Vessa snapped. “Mining the most common type of rock in existence, and at one of the most remote parts of the night sky! And the strongest of them are barely a match for Nova! They are literally wasting a fortune in Source treasures, just to mine a pile of rocks they could have found on a thousand other worlds! They could have popped down two worlds over, and just walked around picking up rocks with their bare hands, all while being able to breathe air and eat meals that wouldn’t fly away from them! I even thought they were secretly trying to break into the Sourcepalace, but they genuinely seem to have no idea it’s even there! They just showed up on a random rock and decided to see how many useless stones they had colle
cted, all while throwing down a whole bunch of treasures worth even more than the entire planetoid itself! Why? What are they this stupid?”

  That was actually very, very good news, because I had expected them to have already stumbled across the entrance now, and be racing for all the treasures and artifacts.

  “Just how far away are they?” I asked Vessa.

  “Kilometers!” she snapped. “Miles! Li! Whatever giant measurement you want to use!” Then she turned to look at me. “You were the one who needed to get here to begin with! Why did you make our lives harder by being right about negative stuff again!”

  “We should go right now, then,” I pointed out. “Because if we hurry we can get there and leave without anyone noticing.”

  “Depending on how much there is to acquire, yes,” Vessa replied. “But if Senior Mara has a literal mountain of treasure like we all hope she does, it will be difficult to run back and forth several times without anyone noticing!”

  “If they do, we’ll fight them,” Nova said firmly. Vessa turned her head to look at her.

  “I know it’s been an aggressive couple of days,” the gray woman said carefully. “But I try not to have you attack random strangers, Nova, unless they’re obviously out to get someone, like the eaterlings, or most undead.”

  “They’re out here in the middle of nowhere, with literally no reason that makes sense,” Nova pointed out. “If this were a place on Earth, I’d already be thinking that this mining operation was a cover-up for smuggling contraband, or a lab for making illegal drugs, or even some kind of slaving operation. You say only a few of them are a match for me. If it comes between driving them off through generous application of force, or even killing a few, and risking Jasper’s life, we both know which option is the only one either of us is ever going to pick.”

  Nova’s light-blue eyes locked with Vessa’s gray orbs, and the two nodded at the same time.

  “Fair enough,” Vessa replied. “I’m glad you thought of it that way. Just so you know, there is a chance they’re not actually up to trouble. People who are able to leave their home world explore all kinds of places, often with the desire just to find more resources, like we’re doing. But you’re right. If they don’t respect your claim, fight them off. Jasper’s life depends on it. Which means our lives depend on it,” she said, turning to look at me. “I know you were protecting us down there, Jasper. If those things are powerful enough to find me whenever I try to regain control over another piece of my ship-body, then it’s time I admit that I absolutely need your help. I was wrong, Jasper. You are irreplaceable, as much as I hate to admit it. I need you, which means all the people relying upon me as the last Soulship need you as well. That makes it even more important that I find a way to take care of you, while you are taking care of me. It’s going to take both of us—the other parts of me like Nova included—to hold up the night sky.”

  “Understood,” I replied. “We should get moving, then. We need Senior Mara’s eggs and the closest treasures, at the very least.”

  “Right,” Nova replied. “Grab your shoulder bags, then open your Soulscape so that I can talk with her. I’m going to need to get the exact necessary coordinates for teleporting you safely into her Sourcepalace.”

  We moved quickly. Fortunately, we had been able to acquire more supplies from the new rooms we had recovered. We still didn’t have any new weapons or spatial storage items, but two of the bags in the storage terminals were both larger and lighter, with some kind of spell woven in to reduce the weight of any objects placed inside them.

  We also found several changes of clothes, a few of which were as durable as the garments Lunei had given me. That had the added incentive of me now being able to wear an outfit around Vessa that didn’t make her mad, and also gave us a second place to change, so that the girls wouldn’t try to make me stick my nose in the corner every time they wanted to modify their outfits.

  “Alright,” Vessa said as Nova, Nestor, and I moved together for teleportation. “That’s everything. I’ll keep an eye on the excavation idiots, so that I can message you if they get close. Nova, try not to kill any of them, unless they really need it.”

  “Noted,” the blonde woman said neutrally, gripping my hand as she spoke.

  “Good enough,” Vessa decided, her hand lingering next to the button. “Jasper... how do you feel?”

  “Healthy enough to go, damaged enough to where I know I must hurry,” I said to her bluntly. “I’ll be fine, Vessa. Just keep an eye on us when we get down there, and everything should work out.”

  “Got it,” she said with a nod. “I’ll quit hesitating. All three of you, come back alive. Take care of them, Elder.”

  I will, the dragon inside my burning soul promised. Then Vessa activated her power, and we were gone.

  The next sensations I felt announced I was once more in a different world. Hard stone greeted my feet. A heady, smoky smell made me sneeze, one that I recognized as some form of incense upon my next breath.

  Blast it, Grandmother Mara whispered in my mind. The maintenance spell is wearing off. I’ll have to fix that. But don’t worry, the incense is harmless to dragons.

  Senior, I said worriedly. None of the rest of us are dragons.

  That’s true, she said thoughtfully. In that case, do not attempt to remove the incense from any of its braziers and swallow it while also smoking a tobacco stick. Otherwise, you should be perfectly fine. In fact, later when you are whole, this will be an excellent location to Draw Source energy from.

  Which type? I asked excitedly, briefly forgetting about my urgent medical condition.

  All three, Grandmother Mara said with smug confidence. This is my private masterpiece, young rider. It was meant to raise my grandchildren, their riders, and their children, and so on. I hope to bring you and the vessel-saint’s bodies here often, so that we may all grow strong quickly, and take back the night sky. But first, we must hurry and fix your ravaged soul, child.

  Noted, I replied, still looking about. My eyes had been taking in the environment the entire time she had been talking. The only way my mind could even process what it was seeing was to think of this place as a combination between the fantastic places mentioned in the illegal stories my parents had read to me, or an actual illegal wonder, one built by one of the many people groups back before the time of the Glorious State. White marble covered the floor, the colorations swirling at a barely noticeable speed. More marble rose up around us in the form of walls and columns, but it was so gilt with golden metal that I had to work hard to notice which type of stone supported the palace’s weight. My eyes traveled higher, noticing the vaulted ceilings that resembled some of Earth’s old palaces and cathedrals. But a key difference was the floating chandeliers and braziers that streamed out light and incense, and the clear jewels that drifted between the many lit objects, refracting the light and becoming a different color depending on whether they passed through a brazier or chandelier, and what angle they passed through, making the light refract further in rainbow lines that passed through the plumes of incense. The whole experience gave me the sensation of stepping into a golden, rainbow castle in the sky.

  The regulating crystals are still working at the very least, Grandmother Mara said in my soul, grunting in satisfaction. You have no idea how much of a pain those can be to fix or replace. But enough of that. Go forward, and then you will see a door to your left.

  I led the way, doing as my new grandmother instructed, Nestor perched on my shoulder and Nova following behind me. The little mouse let out a soft sigh as more incense streamed into him.

  Feels-good, he sent to me. Grow-soon.

  From what I could feel through our bond, that was definitely true. Nestor was at the very end of the natal stage now, and would advance into the wailing stage at any moment. Though his essence felt... colored, and in a way that suggested traces of mana and qi as well.

  It will be as beneficial for him as it will be for you, the old dragon confirmed. And I
am very glad for that. I have not forgotten the role your little mouse has played in saving my life.

  Jasper, my name flashed in front of my eyes. Can you read this?

  Yes, Vessa, I replied, we have arrived safely. This place is magnificent, but we are doing our best to hurry.

  You should, the ship-woman agreed, because the miners are starting to move closer to your location. They’re still miles or li away, but I don’t like that they’ve begun to drift in your direction.

  Understood, I replied, focusing again on walking through the palace.

  After walking through a few clouds of incense, the door that Grandmother Mara had mentioned became visible. It was a simple structure compared to the rest of the palace, made of ornate wood and reinforced with some golden metal, that was probably more durable than it looked.

  Grandmother Mara sent some odd pulse through me as I touched the door, and it opened automatically. Nova poked me to remind me we were in a hurry, and so we entered the long hallway and began walking down, following Grandmother Mara’s instructions and opening the door at the very end.

  This is the room you need, young rider, the old dragon told me as I stepped into the inside of a massive vault, one glowing so brightly with treasure that I could not make out the individual objects. Nestor squeaked, and Nova gasped in amazement behind me.

  Yes, I know, the old woman continued, but do stop gawking as soon as your eyes adjust. It is getting rather smoky inside this soul of yours.

  Right, I thought, blinking to adjust to the light. I walked forward quickly, moving past large piles of coins, ornate statues, and shelves stacked with potions, scrolls, and books.

  Hmph, the woman snorted. Thought I had already moved those. Tell the Holy Beacon she should pack those first, and that she should probably go ahead and drink the elixir from the red jade bottle on the top shelf. No point in saving it when it can be useful right now.

  I passed the dragon’s command on to my friend, who immediately nodded and went to work, opening her bag as she removed the bottle’s cork with her teeth and took a swig. The spirit’s next command was for me to open a case of apple-shaped fruits on the next shelf, and let Nestor have at them, something the little mouse did with abject delight.