With an explosion of mind-warping pain, Alan's consciousness, and the majority of his soul, shot through the spiritual bridge. A deluge of alien colors assaulted his mind as he was propelled in what felt like every direction at once. Though he knew his Goddess was guiding the Ritual, the unhousing of his soul was still sudden, and quite alarming.
As time lost any semblance of meaning, his conscious thoughts were reduced to barely more than impressions of raw, base emotions, interspersed with savage flashes of pain. I…I can do this. Alan gathered up his resolve, using it to shield his mind, and to steel his nerves.
I have to do this!
A crippling wave of vulnerability overwhelmed his hastily erected defenses, and a glaring amber light was his only warning. He pushed back against his insecurities, refusing to back down. But his resistance crumbled when he slammed into a wall of crackling energy, and came to an abrupt, and jarring stop. Like a rabbit in a den of wolves, Alan's instincts screamed at him to flee.
He condensed his form, shrinking down into a ball of spiritual energy, and sought to push forward, yet there was nowhere he could go, and even if there were, he couldn't get himself to move any further. A strong pressure from behind kept him pressed up against a membrane of elastic energy which seemed reluctant to allow him entrance.
Through the Amber wall, he could sense Su'ong's unsteady presence, though in his reduced state, even damaged, her soul seemed oppressive and overwhelming. He knew at once he'd almost arrived. That this veil of energy was the opposite end of Gaea's bridge, and once through, life as he knew it would never be the same.
The unyielding force propelling him forward cared not for his thoughts. It would not be denied. With renewed vigor, Alan's spiritual form was shoved into the sturdy barrier like a battering ram. Little by little, it began to give. As he sank further into the unwanted obstacle, a single small tear soon became two. All at once, Alan was sucked through a jagged rip when the resistant surface finally collapsed inward under the onslaught of Gaea's Ritual.
He tried to proceed, yet the minor movement made Su'ong's damaged soul flinch in response. Dull blue swirls interspersed with archaic brown patterns stretched out into the distance for as far as he could perceive. His intrusion made them agitated, but there was no way left to go but forward.
Although he was mildly disoriented, the vastness of Su'ong's being weighed heavily on his exposed spirit. A blue wisp of her essence, one brighter and more vibrant than those around it, wrapped around the bubble of consciousness that was Alan. As it sank into his form, he had a vision of what he knew was Su'ong, only ten or more years younger.
After being picked on yet again, she had hidden herself in a dusty old broom closet. As tears streamed down her face, she noticed a spiderweb tangled up in her braided silver hair and failed to stifle a scream.
The realm wobbled as Alan's focus snapped back. Fearing further intrusion would anger the environment, Alan stayed as still as possible, and expanded his awareness instead, hoping the realm would find it to be less intrusive.
As his perception spread out, he quickly located a jagged wound and halted. A vast black chasm of nothingness split the entire realm in half. The heaviest concentration of the Naga's waning spiritual energy that he'd seen so far was gathered around the entrance, trying to close the hole. Yet all it took was a glance to see she was hemorrhaging her energy at an unsustainable rate.
Thread-like tendrils of blue Spiritual Energy attempted to thread together the edges of the wound. Except before they were able to make any real progress, the edges tore further. Each of her attempts at forcing the wound closed saw more of her reserves wasted. Her waning spirit gushed through the opening, leaving her weaker with each attempt to heal.
So that's how a Spiritual wound heals? Or at least, that's how it's supposed to work I guess…I need to assist her, but what do I do?
With no one to provide him with answers, Alan began experimenting. Testing the limits of his own Spiritual form. All it took was a thought, and he could spread out his awareness, but to actually move within his sphere of influence was a different matter entirely. He suffered a few minutes of aggravating failures, but he managed to slowly move himself as close to the wound as he was comfortable being.
He found the act of movement to be similar to moving around in his memories. He focused on where he wanted to be, and was suddenly there. Only inside of Su'ong's soul, it took more than twice the effort. By the time he reached the gaping tear in the side of the realm, he watched as another bundle of thread-like energy failed to close the wound and was promptly devoured.
Alan wished he had lungs. He knew he was going to have to do something foolish, and being able to sigh would've been a tremendous relief. It was obvious that Su'ong's efforts to heal herself were doomed to fail. He was going to have to assist in the process somehow. Yet he knew there wasn't enough time remaining to learn how to properly control his spirit.
There's no way I'm going to be able to form spiritual threads, Alan realized, hells, it's hard enough moving around at all. But what if I make a patch? That might actually work…or, I'll get sucked through that hole like everything else. Would I end up back in Gaea's realm? Or somewhere else entirely? Part of me wonders what's on the other side, but I'm going to do my best to not find out…
With no other option left to him, Alan knew he was going to have to use himself to plug the hole. Though he admittedly had no idea if he was even big enough. Try as he might, Alan had yet to be able to see himself properly. The vast expanse of his perception led him to believe he was fairly huge, but it was hard to gamble his existence on a vague belief.
He washed his perception out over the crevasse, and was met with an immediate, and nearly overpowering pull. The suction threatening to yank him into the void was not only intense, it was nearly overwhelming. Gathering up a large portion of himself into a shapeless blob of consciousness, while simultaneously fighting off the suction took every ounce of his willpower.
Amidst a sea of faded blue swirls, a pillar of Alan's Spirit rushed forward. It changed its shape at will, finally settling on the form of a sphere that hovered just before the jagged tear in Su'ong's Soul. Patterns of runic script blazed to life along its surface in dizzying hues of red and brown. With a concentrated effort, and a significant drain on his mental reserves, Alan figured out how to compress the now-disconnected piece of himself into a thin sheet of Spiritual Energy.
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One he felt was large enough to act as a patch.
Gaea help me, I hope this works. Alan tossed up a silent prayer and lowered the Spiritual bandage. It was enough to cover the ripped-out section, yet the suction generated by the void only increased. As Alan began to worry his hasty fix was bound to fail, countless threads of Su'ong's own Spiritual Energy flooded out of the air, and crashed into the edge of Alan's patch like waves against the shore. With the practiced skill of a thousand seamstresses, they began to sew.
In the span of a heartbeat, that entire section of Alan's soul was permanently grafted into place.
Alan did the spiritual equivalent of sighing in relief. For now at least, the yawning laceration couldn't cause any further damage. Hopefully given enough time, it will actually heal up properly…
As her soul began to mend, Su'ong's presence flinched away weakly, her injured spirit was unused to such direct exposure. Su'ong, it's me, you're going to be okay. Unable to vocalize his thoughts, Alan instead mentally projected them outward. Su'ong's soul spun around Alan's, hesitant to make further contact, but curious about this strange new presence.
I'm here to help, He aimed his thoughts at the dense runes in the center of the swirling blue pattern. Though I'm not sure what else we're supposed to do. So...we might be here for a while. A sudden jolt of agony ended his thoughts, and sent his spirit form tumbling end over end.
Adrift in a disorienting blur, Alan sensed a slight pressure from what he assumed was behind him. But in this soul-state, it was impossible for him to be sure. When his world stopped spinning, he found himself once more placed within an agitated swirl of blue light.
Shit! I guess tearing out a portion of my spirit wasn't as simple as I thought. That really sucked…thanks for the help! This 'body' is hard to stop once it gets going. How are you holding up? He asked, projecting his thoughts at random.
“Hurt.“ Her single word tore through the realm.
Alan's soul trembled as a storm of emotions he'd never experienced left him adrift in a bleak grey fog of sadness. The feeling of being alone in a room full of similar beings was something he'd never considered to even be a possibility. As someone who had grown up with only his brother and uncle, it left him confused and mildly ashamed.
But what stood out most was being ostracized and bullied. Of those relentless children who chose to deal in harsh words, and cruel actions. Scandalous rumors, and physical and mental abuse, all were new to Alan, and entirely unwanted. Though he hadn't had the easiest life by any account, he quickly came to understand that Su'ong's childhood had been rough in its own ways.
Alan's vision shuddered, and suddenly he was within a leafless, and nearly lifeless tree. Like the splayed fingers of a skeletal arm, gnarled branches endlessly reached for the sky. Su'ong's teenage body was wrapped around the top of the trunk for support, her face a mask of confusion and fear. She was able to avoid the first of the incoming rocks, but she wasn't able to dodge the second. It struck her in the forehead, leaving behind a swollen goose-egg, and slamming her head into the tree behind her.
Clueless as to what was going on, yet already beyond pissed off at the scene before him, Alan looked for the source of the stones. He found them without having to search. Streamers of sunlight played across the smirking faces of a trio of teenage Nagas on the ground below. All three had braided green hair, and similar features. Acid-green scales lined each of their torsos, and though their girth had yet to fill in, they were already closing in on ten feet long.
What the Hells is all of this? Why are they being such dicks? She doesn't deserve this…I'LL TEAR THEM ALL TO PIECES!!
When his the vision ended, Alan's anger was slow to fade, but there was no time to waste. He quickly came to realize that at some point while he was out, a shimmering image of Su'ong had appeared before him. Her features were tight with pain, and her translucent body ended at the waist. He tried to communicate, to get another response, but she simply floated in place, seemingly looking right through him.
Unable to get her to react, he gathered his presence around her image, and wrapped his metaphysical arms around her shoulders. At the briefest touch, the last of Su'ong's walls fell away. With a pained moan, she melted into his embrace. Alan felt a sudden surge of energy as every last shred of Su'ong's soul passed through his own. A permanent connection was formed at a level so deep, both spirits shuddered, leaning against one-another for support.
As two souls became one, Alan found himself adrift in a hazy white light. A dense fog blocked out his perception, and though he couldn't see Su'ong, he could sense her presence lingering everywhere.
Amidst the backdrop, an oily black smear spread like spilled ink, expanding and contracting unsteadily, yet always remaining in place. With a sudden and explosive outburst, it ballooned out, contorting into the shadow of an inhuman face. The being had overtly sharp features, reminiscent of what Alan would think of as a Scarlet elf. Though instead of the bronze color he would've expected, this beings skin was deep blue. This led him to believe it was something else entirely. Without uttering a sound, the eerie being parted its lips, revealing a shimmering, portal-like mouth. As waves of restrictive mahogany and violet energy poured forth from its maw, an ominous presence descended, and made an attempt to communicate with Alan.
It wasn't necessarily speech, but he could nonetheless FEEL what the presence was trying to convey. It was communicating with a sort of mental imagery. Alan briefly saw a flash of the surface of the Tutorial Realm. Creatures that resembled birds, yet at the same time didn't, soared out over the desert. The sun he now somehow knew to be nothing but a magical construct beat down upon the backs of a herd of oversized sheep-like creatures. Amid these calm, fluffy monsters, a robed humanoid roamed the pack. Stirring the sand with each step, the figure turned to face Alan and nodded. He instinctually understood what it wanted.
This creature wants the same thing I do, Alan realized with a start. Freedom. It wants to leave the Sandstone Palace.
As he stared into the emerald orbs that were the blue elf's eyes, Alan saw an image of Su'ong. Protruding from the back of her head was a thick brown tendril. He could clearly see the occasional pulse of energy entering into Su'ong, only to be recycled back to the Core of the Dungeon. He wasn't completely sure how he knew that was where it led to, but there was no question in his mind.
The Dungeon is feeding on her. All at once, he knew it to be true, She's nothing more to the Dungeon than a sustainable food source!
A subtle vibration roused Alan's suspicions. It slowly built up into a grinding roar that made his spiritual form gather up into a defensive orb. A faint pop echoed out, and Alan was suddenly back in the Sandstone Palace. He stood within the 'Room of Doom' facing the first floor Boss Room door, and what he now instinctively knew to be the Dungeon Master.
Nearly seven feet tall, he wore a cerulean robe with so many loose folds that Alan found it impossible to determine his weight. The being pulled his cowl back, revealing green eyes that gleamed with intelligence, and sharp, but obviously-male features. His frizzled, thinning white hair sat stop his head like wisps of cotton. Among all the oddities, Alan's eyes kept returning to its long, pointed ears.
Alan looked around in shock, unable to comprehend how he got back here. This has to be some kind of illusion right? There's no way the Dungeon is powerful enough to tear me out of Gaea's realm…and besides, he suddenly understood, though I can't see her, I can still sense Su'ong. It's like she's all around me.
“I apologize for intruding upon your Union ceremony,” The strange blue man said, its voice a low rumble. “But I am all out of options. While your soul is linked to that of my Wandering Mini-boss, I had but a brief chance...I..." The tall figure slumped it's shoulders.
"Alan, my time is growing short. I need your help.“