Alma stuck her head through the portal, admiring the window into the wilderness that was meant to be miles away. It was only through the intrusive thoughts of decapitation that she swiftly reeled herself in.
“Looks like ya leveled up,” noted Hwalín. “Can you turn ‘em off just as easy?”
Alma thought for a moment, looking at the several portals enclosed around them. She threw her hands out in front of her, expecting something to happen, but to her embarrassment and frustration, nothing did. She tried again with lackluster results. She then tried separating her hands far back to her sides before bringing them together in a loud clapping motion. She tried several small, weaker claps. She tried snapping. She tried pumping her fist in the air. She tried punching the air. Nothing worked to close the frozen portals. She sighed and shrugged at both women.
“You are trying to channel your ability through familiar motions,” said Qu’l-Nia. “And while I understand that to seem like a viable option, your mind is not willing to accept it. Do not forget, your mind is a powerful thing and you must first convince it that you control this ability of yours. If you can master that, then anything becomes possible.”
“Well, if it were that easy to just tell my mind what to do, then maybe I could also get rid of this soul-crushing depression.” The ex-soldier chuckled dispassionately.
“Not just to the thoughts in your head, but to the conscious mind of your body.”
“My mind?” asked Alma. “You mean, like my mind mind? That thing you said that was like the opposite of my soul?”
“Oho! She told you about that, did she?” Hwalín was lying back and grinning. “Took me a while to fully understand it myself, but it ended up helping me focus my othering in the end.”
“Othering? Wait, Q, you think I can use magic? Come on now, I'm no witch.” Alma grabbed her pistol and twirled it on her finger. She waved it back and forth playfully. “I guess it would explain some things. But how would I have an othering in the first place? I thought that was you guys’ eldritch magic. And how does Hwalín have one? I remember you mentioning it once and it completely slipped my mind until now.”
“Magic is a special energy conjured up from the soul. With the correct control and aptitude, one may use it to affect the universe around you. I believe you are aware of this, yes?”
“Insofar as Heli's taught me, yeah.”
“Othering is distinctly different. It is the special energy conjured up from the mind. It influences things beyond what magic is capable of. It can affect the mechanics that drive the universe and touch the space beyond it. It is the primary driving force of The Real and delving directly into the realm of gods. You were correct in assessing my singing as othering, but it is not something ordinarily accessible to untrained, unattuned childlings.” The random sequence of twinkling on Qu’l-Nia's hair seemed almost strangely uniform at that moment. “There is one more thing that perhaps it is about time I shared with you. That is, if one of the egovoid were so inclined, this power could also be shared. Depending on the type of sharer and exact othering being shared, they can bestow this kind of power on a single entity or a group. These chosen, so to speak, have been collectively dubbed the monomyth.”
“T-That sounds ominous,” replied Alma. There was a growing terror in her eyes. “You think my power comes from an othering, meaning you think I'm some… monomyth? So Hwalín is your monomyth? Wait. You're saying my power is literally a gift from some higher power? How long have you known about this? Why exactly were you waiting for so long to fucking telling me about this?”
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“I was not sure. I still am not sure, but it makes the most sense. Your othering has already shown extraordinary growth and has shown to be extremely powerful. I had posited the theory in my mind when you first described your ability to me, but as it evolved, I found myself becoming increasingly uncertain. The implications proved too much, as it would mean that your power comes from something unfathomable. I was unsure of whether to admit my fears to you, so I remained quiet until now where it simply seemed more pertinent to confess. I am sorry, Alma. Perhaps you deserved to know from the start.”
“You're damned right I deserved to know! Macha’s sake, why does it feel like we're always arguing? I guess I really should be worried, but I'm just exhausted over it all. I've had this power since forever. If there were some consequences coming for me, I think I'd have seen them by now. I'm just some girl. I'm not some special chosen one. Though now I wonder if this really was a gift from Macha the whole time… But then what did she mean for me to do with them?”
“Derleth'll probably know, you know,” said Hwalín.
“Huh?”
“Just saying. Nia’s been saying it too. Best person to ask would be the guy who’s been looking over the planet for most of the time. He’s gotta have some answers for us. More the reason to get our arses over there already.”
“Yeah…” Alma looked over at Qu’l-Nia. “The mind’s a powerful thing, huh? Guess it’s more powerful than most of us realize.” Alma pointed at one of the portals with her finger and raised her thumb, forming a finger gun with her hand. She closed an eye and made a little firing motion. “Pow.”
The other two shared a slight look of astonishment on their faces.
Alma’s firing motion seemed to close the portal she had been aiming at the moment she pretend-fired. The ex-soldier smiled quaintly, stood up and repeated the motion for the rest of the portals. Each one closed at her little maneuver. Finally, she took aim with her outstretched finger at an empty spot across from her and fired, creating a new portal against the apartment wall. She walked into it and stepped out from an exit formed behind the couch. She aimed to her left, and walked through the newly formed portal exiting on the right. She aimed to her right, and walked through another newly formed exit on the left. She did this a few more times, with a smug look on her face. She brought her finger to her lip and blew at imaginary smoke. “And that’s how it’s done.”
Both Hwalín and Qu’l-Nia gave a round of applause at Alma’s newest achievement.
“Nice going, mate!”
“I am impressed, Alma. You truly are taking to your abilities. At the very least, they seem safe in your capable hands.”
“You know what? While I’m at it, let me stop back home really quick. During my whole slump earlier, I didn’t really make time to clean up and…” Alma raised her arm and gave her pit a quick sniff. “I’m smelling real ripe right now.”
The sniper aimed her portal finger-gun and made a convenient exit back home.
----------------------------------------
About an hour later, the portal with the returning Alma had formed back at her sister’s apartment. She stepped out, wearing her familiar black coat on top of her white turtleneck shirt. Her hair was looking shiny and non-greasy and tied up into her usual top-knot, while the smoky eyeshadow she wore gave her eyes a dark, somber look. Slung over her shoulder was the bag containing her trusted hunting rifle—among many other things.
“Lookin’ sharp, Alm,” said Hwalín. “All set now?”
“Yeah,” replied Alma. “I’m ready.” The ex-soldier shot another portal directly across from them. The vista within was of a mountainous area covered in frozen trees and beset by random blizzards. Snow was once again trickling in through the newly formed portal. “Let’s hustle before we get this place all wet.”
Qu’l-Nia rose from her seat on the coach, letting the gatin slip from her lap before it quickly returned to nuzzle against her ankles.
Hwalín set down her now empty beer bottle onto the counter and was on her way to follow Alma through the portal when her ears perked up at a strange sound coming from a nearby window. But turning to look, she failed to notice anything out of the ordinary. There was only the same outside street of Malachias.
“Is there something wrong, Hwalín?” asked the eldritch woman.
The Hecatian shrugged. “Naw. Must’ve been my imagination.”