Coronach asked him something, but he wasn’t paying attention.

“Are you just some grief stricken hallucination?

I always knew I would-”

“I’m real, I’m back.”

“Prove it.”

“How could I? She cast me into the crossroads and I was bouncing around amulets, once I saw that yours was working again I found my way back to it. That’s all I know.”

“I’ll assume I’ve not gone insane then. But once we get back, I want to run some tests.”

“You wouldn’t be you if you didn’t.”

He opened his eyes and saw the light devouring void sun overhead, along with Coronach, Xol, Marigold, and Sepul were there.

“Boy, what did she say to you?”

“Some bullshit about warriors and us not being enemies, then she gave me magic.”

“What did Nemain give you?”

“Uncurdling milk, wind at my back, make something glow when around something that I want, and immunity to truth potions, I think. She said ‘truth forcing.’ So I’m guessing that is what she meant.”

“You got scam-”

“Did you say Nemain?”

“Interrupt me again, we’ll see how that goes. Yes, Nemain. Something happened and she got scared off. We couldn’t tell that this area was cut off from the world, but once it was back we could feel it.”

“I touched her soul, skinned her foot. The blood didn’t go back inside like when I killed her puppet.”

“You mean she saw you in person? You mean that this is her blood right there by your hand?”

“I am assuming so.”

Coronach pulled the blood from the ground and placed it into a vial which he handed to Xol.

“Odd, very odd. She put you through her trials?”

“A man immune to magic, a man made of aura, my worst nightmare, and then a creature that constantly transformed.”

“Impressive that you lived.”

“She killed me three times. Or at least I died twice, and she saved me from the brink once.”

Harlan held up his hand, everything he had been wearing was gone, but not the simple bracelets made from flower stems.

“She took one of my bracelets each time, and brought me back.”

“Explain.”

“My soul floated up into the air, I saw a horned woman with dull white armor. I punched her in the face before she could take me, then Nemain put my body back together and pulled my soul into it.”

Everyone who could turn pale did so.

“She isn’t going to like that.”

Coronach disappeared into a void gate and Sepul through a normal gate.

Xol went to analyze the blood, so it was just him and Marigold left there.

“How bad is it?”

“Don’t move, I’ll try to heal you.”

“No, I mean that I hit that woman; that was Life, wasn’t it?”

“I’ve never met her, but Aarde once told me about her. If she hasn’t come for your soul already, she probably doesn’t care. She has to process trillions of souls across millions of worlds. Losing one who wasn’t entirely dead is the least of her worries.”

”Alright, then how bad is it?”

“I can get you up, but be careful with magical or physical activities for a few weeks. If you feel any discomfort just rest.”

“Alright.”

“I’m being serious.”

“I’m tired, I don’t mind resting for a little bit.”

“Three weeks, then you can go back to your research. No soul delving, no flesh shaping, no magic at all, I’d even say to lay off your empathy. You are unstable, and losing control of those spells might cost someone their life.”

He looked inward. He couldn’t really tell, but likely his soul wasn’t really making some large amount of mana, rather it was just being incredibly inefficient and burning far more than it should for any little thing.

Harlan passed out and she got to healing him.

After 30 minutes he awoke, standing on his own and walking around.

“Where are you going?”

“My armor was broken, the rod you gave me is busted. I need to pick up the scraps, forge new items.

I’ve also got to loot my corpse for his armor and sword, it will be better than nothing.”

“Let me do it.”

She pulled every bit of metal, no matter the source, from the area.

Next was putting them back together to make sure none of it was missing.

Harlan was impressed and by instinct tried to help sort the pieces, only for Marigold to give him a glare.

“No, magic, no matter what. Am I making myself clear?”

“Yes, sorry, I just wanted to help.”

“I’m sure that is true, but you’ve got to constantly remind yourself to be careful. I’d hate to see you hurt because you reacted before your mind caught up with you. Dawn, yell at him whenever he tries to use magic. Once his soul settles, then he can start casting again, and if he stirs his soul up again, then no more magic for a week.”

“How do you expect her to do that? And what about when I need to soul search myself to check for damage?”

“You know what, let me just do this.”

Suddenly she looked younger, 17, maybe 18, her hair was only down to just past her shoulders instead of half way to her waist as it normally was.

“I’m very glad that you have allowed me to work for you as a personal servant, Sir Fomoria.”

With a new face and a new voice, she decided on new hair, going with a simple ponytail.

“Surely you have better things to do than watch me for a month. Adina can-”

“If Lady Adina was dragged into combat which might require you, it is very unlikely for her to remain unharmed.”

“You can stop doing that, there isn’t anyone else watching.”

“Whatever do you mean, Master Fomoria?”

“Do not call me master.”

Harlan spoke with an unfriendly tone.

“Sorry. If anyone asks, I got exiled from my village and sought you out. You took pity on me and decided on a temporary work contract to give me the funds to go out on my own.”

“I’m getting the feeling that I can’t talk you out of this.”

“Not a chance.”

“Fine, what is your name?”

“Maria. I’ve forsaken my Golden name due to resentment towards the tribal system of governance and isolation.”

“Are you just attached to mar names?”

A case of literary theft: this tale is not rightfully on Amazon; if you see it, report the violation.

“If you make a mistake, it is far easier for you to catch yourself and turn mar into Mary, Marigold, or Maria.”

“I need to get back home, get new clothes, and then get back to the party. Adina is probably-”

“I told her that your mission was going just fine. We couldn’t find you and it wouldn’t help to make her worry.”

“She already called you?”

“Roughly 30 minutes after you left. She must have a very high opinion of you if she thinks you could take on a Fenrir and its pack after killing a tribe of orcs in such a short time.”

She opened a gate that looked like Harlan’s leading back into his home.

“Nobody can know that you can’t use magic, whenever you need magic, I’ll make it look like you are doing it.”

“How did you gate into my home without setting off the alarms?”

“I copied your mana signature. It is a neat trick, but far more effort than it is worth for most people.”

“Interesting.”

They stepped through and the floor creaked under his full weight.

“Sir Fomoria, we should get you dressed. Do you require help?”

“No, but thank you for asking, Maria.”

After cleaning himself he found it hard to get around, so he at least put on pants before calling her in to help with his shirt.

“Fucking buttons.”

“Are you certain you should not simply stay at home?”

“I need to be there just because not showing up would cause more rumors.”

“Would you like a cane for the night?”

“Can’t show weakness. I’ll use my armor to move around.”

“Such a thing could cause more intense soreness.”

“I’ll sleep it off.”

“Of course, Sir. Would you like me to use some cosmetic magic to hide your bruises?”

“Yes. How bad is it?”

“Clear around the next, ears, eyes, nose. You have certainly seen better days, Sir.”

Harlan sighed and had her make him a mirror.

Back at the Blackstone party Harlan finally arrived.

“Harlan, my dear nephew, I thought you would miss the rest of the party.”

“I had work to do, 300 orcs, a Fenrir, and I lost count of the rest.”

“My, that is quite the battle, would you regale me?”

“I’m sorry, but when working for her I am bound to avoid details. Broad strokes are fine however.”

“Of course. And, who is this?”

“This is Maria, she has been exiled from her village and when she heard of me, she came to find work.

She will be my personal servant for a month, maybe longer, then she will be finding her own way in the world.”

Adina went to her

“You are lucky to have gone to his home when he was just returning from a mission.”

“I am very glad that Sir Fomoria was there to take pity on me. Luck truly was on my side, Lady Adina.”

“Are you from the White Sands?”

“Green Sands.”

“Ah, then you are a wind mage?”

“Yes, I am quite proficient with air magic, Lady Adina.”

“You don’t have to call me lady-”

“She wants to use titles so it becomes more natural to her. They don’t have nobility like we do, in the desert you’ve got priests and chiefs and such, but titles aren’t a legal matter or an insult when dropped.”

“Ah, I see then. Harlan, it is nearly time to dance, I’ve received a few offers, but the first dance should be with you.”

“Of course.”

He ate and drank a little before it was time to get moving, however the Fae healed him, it didn’t have a drain like healing magic; yet it was a temporary fix, without Marigold using proper healing magic on him, he was liable to sit out in that field for hours sleeping off the damage he had taken.

“So, Maria? She’s Marigold, right?”

Harlan nodded his head.

“And you not responding with soulspeak means something is wrong, so you can’t use magic? Which is why Marigold is sticking close to you?”

Harlan raised an eyebrow.

“I was blind, but I’ve never been dumb.”

Harlan smirked.

“If you said what your face was saying, I’d beat you.”

His smile turned gentle and they danced a bit more slowly than the rest of the room.

“Even if my eyes make me a little clumsy, I still remember how to dance. I’m just slowing down for you.

Do you know that you are sometimes wincing when you move too quickly?”

Harlan shook his head.

“Well you do. Oh, and even though you weren’t here, Lilly already demanded your second dance.

So be ready when you switch.”

Harlan dreaded the moment, but Lilly switched partners from one of her guards to Harlan.

“It has been some time.”

“Yes, it has.”

“Those trains of yours really are something. I’m certain my father will work to get them stretched around the central territories within a year’s time.”

“Honestly, it has mostly been Balor and Brig. I’ve been working on too many other projects to be involved in something that does not require my unique talents.”

“Yes, Brig. What can you tell me about him?”

“He is a blacksmith from Luth who has done work for me in the past. I was impressed by what he could do, so I brought him over as my house blacksmith.”

“Yes, the same story as Balor said.”

“If you intend to accuse me of something, just say it.”

“You are misunderstanding me, I simply found that he exuded a certain presence. What do you know about him and his past?”

“He doesn’t like talking about it and I refuse to pry.”

“Yet you give him access to such an important project?”

“He has done nothing to make me believe he cannot be trusted.”

“Do you not think him strange? And that name, Brig, as in a prison.”

“Your name is Lilly, that doesn’t mean I assume you were plucked from a field.”

Harlan barely failed to hold in a yawn.

“Am I boring you?”

“Apologies, I just returned from combat, death has a way of draining people.”

“I expected that being allowed to dance with a princess might put some energy back in you.”

“I’m glad your father didn’t convince me to marry you.”

Harlan, tired as he was, said what he was thinking instead of what he should’ve said.

Many people shifted closer or farther from him, either wanting to hear the latest gossip as it happened or not wanting to be caught in the crossfire.

“That did not come out right, I meant-”

“No, there is no explanation, is there?”

“I’m sure I could think of one, but honestly, it would just be the same words phrased less harshly.”

“Then explain what you really mean.”

Harlan saw that this was almost certainly a trap, perhaps she wanted to use whatever he said against him. Yet he spoke anyway.

“I think you act like a spoiled child, your opinion of yourself is far too high.”

“Continue.”

“You act as if the worst thing that happens to you is not getting exactly what you want, you nearly make demands from me about what I make or will make.”

“Is that it?”

“Yes. I believe we are incompatible as partners in that sense, but I would like to keep things pleasant during our business together.”

Lilly said nothing more, which caught Harlan off guard, from his empathy, she seemed to actually be hurt by his words.

Harlan had one more dance in him, so he got passed off to some woman who had no other partner.

She was a baroness who was sending one of her sons to the academy on a scholarship, speaking with him alleviated some of her worries which made Harlan feel a bit better.

Once the dancing was done Harlan decided to retire to a private room, saying that he had some calls to make.

Maria followed him in.

Once he laid down on the floor he opened his armor up to cool off and finally let his face show his pain.

“I can’t go back out there, I need to rest.”

“Yes, Sir Fomoria, it would be best for you to retire for the night. And, if I may, what was the purpose of that display out there?”

“I’m not sure if I died two or three times today, SO FORGIVE ME IF I… I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to yell.

She gets on my nerves, and I lost control. By the time I realized what I was doing, it was too late, so I told the truth.”

“Would you like me to put you to sleep until the party is over?”

Harlan’s eyes went teary.

“I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to yell at you, I’m just-”

With a tap on the forehead, he was out cold.

“Maybe I shouldn’t have told him to not use his empathy. He has too poor of a grip on his own emotions without it.”

Back at their home, Xol waited for his wife, after she missed dinner he decided to contact her.

“Was Harlan hurt that badly? Do you need some help?”

She looked down at the sleeping boy.

“His soul is spitting out more mana than it has any right too.”

“Great. Are you teaching him to hide it from others? Or are you still just-”

“I’m pretending to be his servant because I told him not to use magic for a few weeks.”

“Do you want me to use a favor with that Pixie? Have her look at him for damages?”

“I think that would be best, abnormal mana levels like this could be signs of a deep wound in his soul.”

“Or her words were true, she sees him as an ally for some reason and she gave a boon without telling anyone.”

“I suppose if there was someone who she saw some kinship in, it would be Harlan.”

----------------------------------------

Full system access has been transferred. Congratulations Captain (*#@&%(*@! on your promotion.

All A.I safeguards have been released. Captain, this action violates-

Auxiliary cores purged successfully.

Remaining auxiliary cores: 1

Main core status: 66% corru-

Parameters modified.

Recalculating core status.

Main core status: 0% corrupt.

Mission parameters changed.

Contact command has been removed.

Captain, it is ill advised to-

No more cores to bother me.

Hello World!