The Celestial Forge
By: Schin Ka’Tharos
CHAPTER 8
(Part 1)
A path is made by starting.
~
My Uncle was never one to linger. He would always move along after a brief visit with my grandfather and I, as though taken by wanderlust. However, my time with him in the tower was different, he seemed especially agitated or compelled to leave.
“There are two more things we must address Schin. First, let me show you what is hidden within this.”
He pulled out the necklace that I had given him earlier. A fire flickered to life around his hand that gave off a heat, calm and inviting which reminded me of the fires we would sit around back at home. The flame seemed to seep into the necklace which began to melt. My Uncle closed his fist and the fire erupted around his hand and a myriad of colors danced amidst its flames in an enchanting spectacle.
He opened his hands and the flame died out. Where my grandfather's necklace once lay now sat a tiny ball of pure celestial essence like a polished marble made of sunlight.
“This is the rarest type of Celestial Rain. It is pure Celestial Essence devoid of any Arcane Essence or any impurities whatsoever. I know he had always kept you from partaking in any Celestial Rain and had focused on your foundational training. This was to be yours once you were ready. Your grandfather already taught you a soul-forging technique for when you eat Celestial Rain, yes?”
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“Yes, I know it well.” I said. My thoughts brushed my memories of the many conversations and studies with grandfather on the topic.
“Good, you can eat it after I am gone. For now I need your mental state at peak condition and your will at full strength for bonding the Voids Eye.”
“Uncle, I'm not sure I can handle another technique right now, I’m still spent from using the Ten Skys Armament to open the box.”
“Bonding to a Voids Eye is quite simple. It is less like a technique and more like...accepting a contract with your soul. It will require the barest amounts of your own essence. However it will strain your will and at your level of advancement I fear it may be quite painful. Once you have recovered fully I will guide you through it.”
It took me an entire day to recover fully. When I wasn't soul-forging or meditating my Uncle and I spent the time reminiscing while eating food he had prepared or taking walks through the gardens or meandering through grandfather's study. I could tell that my Uncle was immensely enjoying his time there, but also that every moment made him more pained and anxious. Once I fully recovered my Uncle pressed me to start the bonding immediately. He decided the best place to proceed would be on the first floor of the tower, what I had begun to refer to as the “Room of Reflections”.
Once seated, following my Uncle's instructions I pulled my left arm from my upper robes and placed the dark crescent half around my arm just above my elbow. It was numbing to the touch and I felt like my skin was both burning and freezing at the same time. I then used the most basic use of my will to guide my essence into the Voids Eye looping it into the half circle and then back into my body.
“Now, allow your soulcore to soften its exterior shell and shape. Typically when you soul-forge, you condense essence around and into your soulcore, I need you to do the opposite. You need to will it into a malleable fluid form, allowing access through into your soul. Then, simply pull the Voids Eye into your soul.”
“Pull it... into my core? How—Will it even fit?.”
“The size of your soul has limits does it? Don’t worry, just follow my instructions. Like I said, this part is really quite easy.”
Making my soulcore's exterior formless and malleable was more difficult than my Uncle made it sound and it took almost my complete will to achieve the ephemeral state. Once I succeeded I instantly pulled at the Voids Eye key that still clung to my numb arm. To my shock, it pulled into my soulcore with ease, as if it was returning to its natural place. Once inside my soul everything changed. A wave of excruciating pain overtook me like a torrent of lava and mini razor blades flowed into every corner of my body. I was rigid from the agony and couldn't move or activate any of my other senses. I remained transfixed internally, pouring all my will into trying to keep my soul together as it tore itself apart.
Next Chapter...
Chapter 8: A Path Is Made By Starting (Part 2)