CHAPTER 282—LIVING WITH A CURSE
The smallest studied him as it thought about what Tom had just said.
Tom was pretty sure with his new skill that he hadn’t said anything inappropriate. Despite that, he felt that telling someone that the blessing that person’s GOD had given him was considered to be a curse could be deemed to be offensive. The smallest shifted to the side in a thoughtful manner. There was nothing in the motion to suggest hostility, but his heart beat faster in any case. Then, rather than exploding in anger, its front dipped like it was giving a bow of respect. “Blessed of SANATORES, my god is not like that. Sometimes us mortals are incapable of appreciating the value of the gift, but that does not mean it is not a blessing.”
Once more, his throat caught slightly when he went to speak. The now familiar sensation of the words being choked off made him half wanted to cough and gag to dislodge whatever was stuck in his throat. He quickly adjusted the tone and direction of the comment to free it up once more. “It’s funny, but religious zealots in my world have said similar.”
The smallest hesitated for a moment. “Unlucky Tom, that is because you were not exposed to true GODs. I’m sorry for the wasteland of despair that you must have grown up in.”
The arrogance of the statement sent heat flushing through him. The GODs were powerful, but the fact they had constructed a competition like they had spoke of their flaws. Tom was privately glad Earth had not been under their thumb. It was, of course possible that DEUS, SANATORIES were involved in the farce of the competition for the greater good. It was conceivable that they were entangled to act as a foil for the terror GODs, but Tom was scared that wasn’t the case. There was a real risk that they were there because they to found the challenge of going up against their peers enjoyable.
He tried to respond to reflect his thinking and couldn’t.
Tom licked his lips and cleared his throat.
Then opened his mouth to make an observation about the competition only to have his throat locked up.
Just to say something he tried to praise both DEUS and SANTAORES, but there was no air to form words.
Unbidden, his hand went to his throat.
Tom knew he could force the conversation. It would only take six seconds, but instead he mentally acknowledged to the skill that it was correct in enforcing his silence. Everything he had planned on saying would have either risked it backfiring on him or been untrue and while he was sure the philosophical context of his thoughts was something, the smallest would be comfortable with, the overlay of lying to avoid committing blasphemy was another matter. On earth, a place without active GODs, he had known better than to discuss religion with people. Why would he think being flippant about the topic here could be a good idea? It was ridiculous. The smallest came from the world with a single religion and a GOD who was unquestionably present and a participant in the lives of its worshipers.
This was not equivalent to winding up a seventh day adventurist on his porch because he was annoyed at them interrupting him. It was so much worse, the religion of those guys was nothing on what the chosen felt.
“The skill will take a lot of getting used to.” He said into the silence, deciding to avoid the topic all together.
“Blessed of SANTORIES I understand. Sometimes the weight of a GOD’s touch needs a long time to resolve. But our minutes are running out.”
It was clear the session was over, running out, no, it was finished. The bubble of silence vanished from around them. The smallest moved away to hover in front of the elder. “Largest one. The Grace Break is ending.”
“Honoured smallest. I’m aware.” The pain in the elder’s voice was palatable. Tom swallowed heavily, and he saw Toni’s face firm as she tried to stop herself from visibly reacting. Thor also looked away, his face strickened.
“Largest one. I would hear you address the wrongs that have been called.”
“Smallest one… it’s my honour.” The elder rose from the dirt to fly over and then he landed with a thud on the ground in front of Tom. It was clear the flight had only been to cross the distance faster and not because its guilt had lifted.
“Honoured Tom.”
“Blessed of SANATORIES,” the smallest corrected in its calm, precise manner.
“Smallest, what do you prophet?” The conflicting edges echoed in the elder’s voice. A revelation that it understood what the title alluded to but was incapable of fully accepting it.
Silenced filled the area around them for a moment. “Largest one.” Displeasure dripped from the tone. You could almost hear the whisper of, ‘you disappoint me.’ “You know we are in a Grace Break. An outcome that results in such a title for the aggrieved is hardly unprecedented.”
The elder shivered and seemed to sink further into the ground. “Smallest one, I’ve completed such a terrible oversight.”
“Yes, largest you have,” the smallest said without mercy. “Now I will hear you make amends.”
“Blessed of SANATORIES, salutations on the honour that has been bestowed.”
All the other humans looked at him in disbelief and he was sure the chosen even if they didn’t move were doing the same. Tom would have liked to have said something to play down the outcome, but he was not that naïve. His new skill would stop such an attempt as it was too close to spitting on another’s GOD.
Yet the title, the adoration, the honour it was not something that he desired. If he could have screamed, he would have, but that too he knew would be blocked in a heartbeat.
Everyone was staring at him like he had grown two heads and he struggled to reconcile between what he wanted to express and what was appropriate. Michael was making a subtle speak up gesture to him. This is what the healer must have felt like in every council conversation. It was hard to imagine the discipline required to have not risen to Joline’s bait. Tom had respected it at the time, but obviously not enough.
Neutral, Tom realised. The situation called for a neutral but true response. He cleared his throat. “Thank you for your salutations. It was an incredible surprise to me and the gift addresses the flaw that created this mess.”
“Blessed of SANATORIES the insight of our god is immense. I’m giddy to learn that you were gifted such a perfect gift that even you can recognise it.”
Tom said nothing. Unwilling to even try because his surging emotions meant that all of his instinctive responses would almost certainly be wrong. Why try when you would fail, especially when the tightness in his throat when his speech was suppressed was so unpleasant.
The narrative has been taken without permission. Report any sightings.
“Irrespective of that, I have reviewed the discrete moments that led to the strakan. I and the other elders were at error. The middle was misguided and the lack of direction given is one I must absorb responsibility for.”
There was an impatient sound from the smallest.
The elder slumped further and so dramatically it was like it was actively pushing itself aggressively into the dirt. “I… I mean we collectively will address the fault and be more vigilant..”
Tom glanced at Michael with a pleading expression. Navigating the conversation that was needed was not one that he felt he would be able to manage. Thankfully, Michael recognised the request. The healer stepped forward authoritatively and moved to be in front of the Elder so that his knees were almost touching the other person. To the chosen they knew such body positioning would be considered polite if not necessary. “Elder. We will help you to escape this trial irrespective of your decision. But we would like you to go back to acting how you were before Tom mentioned humanity’s racial ability. Can you do that?”
“We will,” the elder croaked.
“Largest one, you forget your self.” The smallest snapped his voice like a whip.
The elder shuddered. “Blessed Michael, merciful Michael we will.”
There was a moment of silence.
“Thank you,” Michael said simply having obviously decided that he had pushed directly far enough. He glanced at the smallest imploring. Tom agreed with the healer. His instincts screamed at him that this was best raised by the smallest than one of them.
“Smallest?” Michael asked plaintively.
The smallest bobbed into the air. “Largest one. Your absolution is not to be given so easily. I have decided that the humans must be protected by another contract.” It buzzed over politely to be able to address Michael. “I expect the contract entered into, to be detailed and to protect you under all circumstances. Frame it like you would, as if you were binding a terror race.”
“Smallest…”
“Leave no loopholes.”
“Smallest please…”
It returned to the eldest. “This means it will be more restrictive because it has to be. It is one of the consequences of the Grace Break. Do you understand?”
“Yes, smallest one, definitely. We will launch to agree to such a contract with honour. Remarkably honoured because it will emerge from one blessed of SANATORIES.”
Tom knew he would regret the elder learning about the gift just because his instincts told him that it was going to say the new title every chance that it could get.
“We are done.” The smallest declared. It zoomed over to speak to Tom. “Blessed of SANATORIES you know what comes next. I would ask the tribe is given an hour of privacy to complete the Grace Break.”
“You have it,” he answered his voice tight with emotion. “Smallest one, you honoured me.”
Then almost as one all the chosen hovered upwards, the dejected sadness that had been inflicting them vanished. Together, they sped away.
“What now?” Everlyn asked.
“We survive the next hour,” Tom answered.
“We’ll do that, but first Tom needs to tell us why he now has the title blessed of SANATORIES,” Michael insisted immediately.
“I’ll show Everlyn and she can inform the rest of you but I don’t want to talk about it.”
Everlyn came over with an interested expression on her face. Without discussion, they disappeared together into her system room. He was glad to see the fireplace. It was a barometer of how she thought about him.
He turned to face the empty wall. “The chosen’s god cursed me with this.” He waved his hand and the text of the skill appeared on the wall.
Curiously, he watched the facial expressions that went over her face. Excitement, puzzlement and then finally a frown. “It’s certainly interesting.”
“It’s going to be painful.”
“But tier seven and designed to work with True Dreaming,” she mused. “If you could turn it on and off it would be incredible. To be honest, even permanently on, its not that horrible.”
“I think it’s a double-edged sword.”
“Obviously. As an aside I know the meaning of the saying, but to me a double edged sword is a good thing. The more ways to do damage the better I always thought.”
Tom chuckled. “Have to admit I agree with that. But I’m not a swordsman. Maybe there are styles where a single edge is better.”
“That skill.” Everlyn nodded at the wall as she turned serious. “Is that why you had so many long pauses when you were talking with the chosen.”
Tom winced slightly and only nodded. It was not the first or last time that his awkward silence would be noted in conversations.
She smiled sympathetically. “The transition is going to be awkward.”
“Painful.”
“Yeah, I’m sorry for you but you can see the upside and I’m glad you got this versus one of the others as you’ll get more use out of it.”
“Wait. Are you throwing shade at me.”
She laughed. “Well, it’s no secret that you often speak without thinking…”
Bullshit, he thought and tried to say at the same time. Tom grimaced while Everlyn chuckled quietly.
“You might be correct,” he admitted.
“But that aside. I know you. You’ll get to the point that you wield this as a weapon. Not accidently offending others, especially if we’re talking to aliens is an invaluable skill.”
Tom shivered at that reminder. It was sometimes easy to forget, but the chosen were a different species with a completely alien way of looking at the world and the other competitor races and natives would be similar. The chances of him accidentally offending them were high. This skill would help prevent that.
“It’s actually an amazing skill.” She nodded firmly like it was settled. “Even with the downsides, I can see why it is tier seven. Think about it. Outside the occasional awkward silence, you can’t go wrong in a conversation, even if you don’t know anything about their likes or dislikes. Next time we’re negotiating with aliens you’re in charge.”
“Michael might disagree.”
“No, once he knows this skill he’ll let you take point.”
Tom couldn’t even dispute the assertion. He knew just how clear the healer’s thinking was. “I know. I see the upside. It’s just so restrictive and embarrassing.”
Everlyn nudged his arm, but her elbow went through his. She frowned in annoyance. “I’ll tell the others privately, but they’re going to have a field day and you need to let them because it’ll be good training.”
“They’ll work it out anyway.”
She chuckled. “Yeah, they will. I’ll ask them to not make a big deal of it. But…” she shrugged.
They left the system room, and Everlyn circulated through everyone. Like she had implicitly promised he heard nothing of what she was saying. Immediately after her hushed conversation he noticed people start to move toward him before a quick word from Everlyn prevented it. Tom ignored them and instead practiced his magic.
Tom glanced up in response to a shadow hovering over him. “Toni?”
She was almost giggling with excitement, and he knew what was coming. Everlyn was off with Rahmat and Michael having what was clearly a council of war. “Tom, I was just wondering.” She twirled a strand of her hair. It was a nervous twitch, but for a moment it was like she was the teenager that her biological age had reverted to. “Do you like me or Everlyn better?”
Tom’s eyes bugged out.
That!?
That was not a fair question at all.
She was giggling, and he was unable to speak. His mind tried to formulate a response, but they were all blocked. One, two, five seconds of silence. Almost every sensible reply was being blocked from being answered. He couldn’t even respond directly by saying Everlyn or you. Then an attempt at a more nuanced explanation failed.
Excluding the council of war, all the other humans roared in laughter as his mind searched for something to say.
“I think the answer to that is private… I.” His throat constricted once more. Another social blunder apparently avoided. “I see you both as friends.”
The careful, strained wording just made everyone else laugh louder.
“Did you put her up to this.” He glared at Thor.
“Not me. It was Harry.” He grabbed the smaller man and yanked him in front of him like you would a shield.
The ritualist fought against being thrust forward. “I warned you all against this. I said it would be mean.”
“And hilarious,” Keikain finished for him.
“You liar,” Clare protested at almost the same time. “You corrected our wording to make it funnier.”
“I hope you all fall into a big pile of shit.” He snapped, and the spell inexplicably let it through.
They all giggled.
“This is going to be so much fun.” Toni said laughing. “What do you really think of Everlyn?”
There was an awkward six seconds of silence as he searched for an acceptable response. “I think that is not something I should answer.”
That set everyone else off once more.
“What do you think…” Thor started to ask.
“No,” Tom interrupted. “If you’re going to be asking questions, then I require something in return.”
“What? Avoid questions about Everlyn?” Thor asked. “Stay away from embarrassing topics?”
“No, say whatever you want. I just want you to throw rocks at me while you do so.”
Instantly, he was pelted with stones. Tom laughed as his skin turned to Living Rock and his Throw Skill and Remote Earth Manipulation worked in tandem to reflect them. Then they asked questions, and he attempted to answer. He didn’t mind at all. He was training his ability to produce a non-responses to sensitive queries and his magic at the same time.
It was all useful.
“Phil did it.” Thor suddenly screamed in excitement. “He did it. He and the giant are going to wait for us.”