She slowed her breathing; each breath came slower and slower. In this calm state Seras didn’t feel the familiar desperation for air, it was almost as if she didn’t need air to breathe. Absurd, but in this deep meditative state it felt like that.

She idly guided the mana in her body, just like Dustin had taught her. In this state it came to her like second nature. An interesting development given that she wasn’t secluded in a tent for a meditation session. In fact she was laying stomach down on rough stones under the dry desert sun.

By all logic she should not have been able to meditate like this. There was a rock pressing into her side, a wafting scent of manure from millions of Toruachs, and the shuffling of Heidels and bored adventurers. But none of that mattered, because right now Seras was holding her gun.

Her rifle was stretched out in front of her, propped up against a crook in the rocks, and it made all the difference. Seras was born to hold a gun; it was the only time when she felt right and the world made sense. Fears and anxieties tended to have little sway over her mind when she knew she could just blow her problems away.

She exhaled one last time and stopped breathing entirely as she sighted her quarry. A bipedal lizard with mottled tan scales that matched the desert ground perfectly. It was crouched low to the ground and slowly creeping up on a young Toruach sow.

She moved her finger onto the trigger and slowly squeezed, careful not to twitch the gun in any direction and ruin her aim.

Crack!

Through her aura, [control bullet], and vast distance at play Seras could feel the bullet as it soared over open air. She felt it drop slowly with the pull of gravity, felt a stray wind nudge it to the side, and simple restraint of air resistance. With her newfound powers Seras nudged the bullet ever so slightly to adjust for deviance caused by the wind. It was hard at this distance, like trying to lift a weight at the end of long stick. But she only needed a slight nudge. Seras was a long way off making bullets whiz around corners, but this would do for now.

They were far too distant to hear the bullet hit soft flesh, they could barely see the sand Raptor suddenly flop over dead. But the Toruachs nearby saw it, they jolted, nearly broke into a stampede, but paused in time to see that the Raptor was dead.

Control bullets 2 95% had progressed to control bullets 3 09%

Seras gritted her teeth and took hold of the surging energy and yanked it back.

Essance advancement stalled, control bullets 2 108%

Dead gods that still felt weird.

The deep state of meditation she had entered was enough for her essence ability to progress forward, making it the third such ability she was manually holding back. After all the teleporting around in the Astral space her newest ability had wanted to reach the next stage, as well as aura of ruin. She held those back the first night they had left the Labyrinth, and now she would need to hold onto another.

Linda gave her a low impressed whistle “damn, I didn’t think you could do that, we’re still like two kilometers out.”

Seras breathed in and pushed herself off the ground. “I’m more impressed the bullet had enough power left in it to kill the damn thing.”

“Sand raptors are a bit weak for bronze rank, its during ambushes when they get deadly,” Leyley explained. She looked towards the distant dead monster, “still, that’s an interesting weapon to hit from so far and kill in only one blow.”

The elf sniffed derisively, “there are spells that can reach that far at our rank, and they take far less time to aim than this. One attack with three minutes spent aiming seems impractical to me.”

Seras tried not to let her irritation show at the dismissal in the Elf’s words, “maybe, but this gun isn’t really the best for these long-range shots. It’s got enough power and range, but it’s lacking in bullet stabilization and sighting.” She didn’t even have a scope yet, all that was iron sights and some optical zooming from her eyes.

“If so then you must be pretty good,” Linda said.

“I just wish it was quieter.” That last comment was from Kent, the fourth member of team Dune strider. He had been skeptical about inviting a random woman his teammates had just met in the baths.

“Not everyone’s got hearing powers like you do,” Leyley pointed out.

“Kent has a point, my ears are still ringing.” Liz said as she rubbed her ears.

“Says you, our ears aren’t so sensitive or pointy,” Leyley teased.

“Watch your tongue,” Liz snapped back.

“Enough!” Linda roared.

“Ow” Kent muttered.

Seras grinned at their antics; it reminded her a little of her old crew. Oh they’d act like quiet, cool, professionals with a client. But the moment they were out of sight they’d get rowdy. It was hard not to relax around people who have been through hell with you, hard not to trust them.

Maybe that was the problem though.

“There are silencers, or there were on my world. My old Janzou was completely silent, and it had triple the range of that last shot. The bullets could even course correct on their own. I’ve got an essence ability for that now, but before it was a real-life saver.”

Liz looked unconvinced, “I still think spells are better.”

Seras’ eye twitched, “spells are pretty good, but how many people get the right essences, awakening stones, or natural mana affinity for spells. Anyone can use a gun, and we’ve made one for just about every need. Small hand guns for close quarters, automatic rifles to fire a dozen bullets in a second, machine guns for mowing down waves of enemies, sniper rifles for long range, artillery that fires from over the horizon and obliterates land marks, even guns that can annihilate cities or hit deep bunkers.”

“Anything nonlethal, or is it all blood and death,” Leyley asked?

“Tasers, rubber bullets, beanbags, and tranquilizers,” Seras said ticking each off on her fingers.

Leyley nodded in approval, which seemed to irk the Elf girl. The other two watching from the outside and wore tight expressions. Seras had no idea what was going on with their group dynamic here, but she didn’t really care either. Dune-strider were alright, but Seras was mostly out here because she was frustrated by how completely the Gold ranked Matron had suppressed her and needed to blow off steam by killing shit.

This tale has been unlawfully lifted without the author's consent. Report any appearances on Amazon.

Linda sighed “We better head down and loot it before it begins to dissolve, unless you can get it from here?”

Seras looked at it and got a sense from her ability that she was out of range. “Nope.”

“Alright, back to the Heidels.”

Seras and the rest listened and mounted up and urged their Heidels into a trot. She had gotten a bigger Heidel this time, but the stallion still wasn’t Buck and was uncomfortable with her weight. She sighed, “gods-dammit, I actually miss that onery bastard lizard.”

~~~*~~~

Athena felt a bit adrift. In the labyrinth there was always a set path and a list of priorities to keep her focused, and when things got crazy she could rely on Seras to see them through. But now, now there was no insanity. Well, not the dangerous kind.

Athena was walking aimlessly through a city of tents, pavilions, and portable magical structures. The Akemi had taken the hides of monsters and magical beasts alike and inscribed the material with formations as intricate as any high value leather working she had seen. Her education on artisanal matters like armor crafting wasn’t the most thorough, but she had seen expensive leather armor from her parents and many cousins. Each tent here had the same sort of quality to them, and more impressive was how they seemed to magically link up and share the burden of the magical load needed to perform their intended purposes.

There were nomadic cultures all around the world, from the oasis wanderers of her homeland, arboreal hunters in the far north, and even some people who lived entirely at sea on a fleet of canoes and larger ships. But to be frank Athena had never seen the appeal, cities simply provided a far better base for building up. But the Akemi of the Five desserts had blended the usefulness of civic infrastructure without compromising their values. It was an impressive feat.

What impressed her more was how communal it was. Men and woman worked stew pots, bread ovens, and grills in a wide clearing where people came by to eat before getting on with their own chores and crafts. Private tents like the one provided for Seras and Athena seemed to be in the minority as most families packed into huge communal living spaces. And an array of older grannies watched and corralled a small army of children. They sat and talked over their sowing or embroidery, while occasionally getting up to intervene in the children’s play.

There was a sense of tight, close-knit, comradery and companionship between all the Akemi. One that Athena felt like she intruded on just by existing in this camp.

She tried to walk on the edge of paths, out of the way of everyone, and was really just going in circles because she didn’t have anything she could do.

“You, girl!” someone snapped.

Athena jerked and looked into a tent where an old woman was standing, “oh, I’m sorry, am I in the way of something.”

The old human woman leaned on her black staff, her skin was a deep mahogany color, and hair the perfect black of ebony. She felt old to her senses, but didn’t look it. Her skin was smooth and clear, her fingers unbent, and her back unhunched. She wore clothing much like the Akemi, but slightly different. She had no way to describe how, but it felt like it was older, of an ancient style. She had red phoenix feathers in her hair and had clear, piercing eyes.

Athena couldn’t feel the woman’s aura at all, and that told her that she was at least silver rank given the sense of age but the lack of senescence.

“I can’t stand useless freeloaders,” she spat.

“Oh I’m sorry, I-,”

“Don’t be sorry, be useful.” With that the woman strode forward, grabbed Athena by the ear, and began to drag her along with an unshakable strength. No amount of struggling on her part would have been enough to break free, she’d be better off cutting off her ear and hoping her immortality ability would be enough to grow it back.

Given that she was still missing a part of her arm that might not be a wise course of action.

She was dragged into a large green and silver dyed tent with an odd symbol on it. The woman dragged her in and pushed her forwards, there Athena saw the disturbingly familiar sight of a hospital in full swing. Men and women in green and silver colored robes rushed about the space, applying healing abilities, purging powers, and simple tonics to patients.

The woman let go of her ear, jabbered something to an Elf man with auburn hair, and before Athena could protest she was quickly whisked away to the back of the space. There several women got her out of her clothes and into her own set of green and silver robes, and had a magical necklace wrapped around her neck. The moment the clasp closed the foreign speech of the Akemi suddenly became coherent.

“You, girl, this arm here, were you born this way or is this an injury?” One of healing woman demanded.

“Uh, injury, I have an immortality ability, but it didn’t work,” Athena explained, still confused as to what was going on.

The healer tapped her stump a few times and nodded, “the ability must be too weak, or you didn’t have enough mana at the time to regrow it. One second, this might sting.” And then a knife appeared in her hand and quickly chopped off a small section of Athena’s remaining arm.

Before she even had a chance to scream or feel the horror of what happened her open wound began to sting like a hot iron was being driven into it, and from that pain a new arm and hand grew back.

She stared at it agog. It was perfect, it even retained her tan. It was like nothing had ever happened to it. Were it not for the line of red blood around where it had been regrown, she wouldn’t have believed it. She glanced down at where the little bit of stump had fallen onto her and noted that while there was a small lump of flesh there wasn’t a single drop of blood on these robes.

“Good, now Honored Grandmother said you had healing powers, tell me how they work and we’ll make you useful.” The healer woman ordered.

“Uh, uh, the main one is [Matry’s benediction], but I can also transfer afflictions to myself.”

The woman scowled, “what kind of healing abilities are those, it sounds more like a way to flay yourself.”

“Well, like I said, I have immortality, and other passive self-healing.”

She spat, “awful, just awful. Did you ask Lord Healer for powers like this, what kind of fool girl are you?”

“No, my parents got me the essence. They’re just normal essence abilities, not divine. I’m sorry, are you a priest of healer?”

She bopped her on the head, “of course I am, do you not see my robes?”

Athena stared down at the robes, “but Healers colors are plain browns, and beiges.”

She rolled her eyes, “that’s because we follow the ancient styles, from when people first learned the healing arts. Green for the herbal poultices we were taught, and silver for the metal’s purifying properties when fighting poison. We do not conform to outsider ways when we worship our lord, and a God has greater concerns than color schemes.”

“I just, I never knew other temples did things differently.”

“Fool girl,” she shook her head “ugh, no you won’t do. The robes will keep you clean, but I cannot have you distressing patients by mutilating yourself. What do you know of healing formations, poultices, and manual ministrations?”

“Uh, I’ve studied healing rituals, but I don’t know about the rest.”

“Fine, come with me.” She promptly turned around and strode out without looking Athena’s way to make sure she was coming.

Athena had no choice but to follow after her.

She was taken to a normal ranked woman no older than Athena who was currently setting a young boys leg the hard way. Instead of just using magic healing to automatically set the bone she had the patient on a traction bench and was setting it manually. The crunch sickened Athena to hear.

“Sisa, this girl will be your assistant, her powers are all bad and she needs to learn and be useful.” The woman stated curtly before walking away.

Sisa, a Celestine woman with opalescent colorations, moved the boy back and began drawing a quick magical circle. Her hands moved with the ease of long repetition and she had the circle done in under minute, she powered it with some iron rank spirit coins, and the bone mended in seconds.

The boy’s pained expression faded away, “thank you auntie.”

Sisa thumped the boy, “I’m not that old yet.”

“Yes big sis,” the boy corrected quickly before running off.

Sisa sighed, “fool boys, they know better than to break bones in sparing, and yet I see at least one come through every day. Too desperate to prove themselves warrior material and get their essences.” She looked Athena’s way, and then slowly looked up to Athena’s full height. “you’re supposed to be a healer, you look more likely to do the hurting,” she asked incredulously.

“I’m just a bit tall, I’m no good with fighting.”

Sisa did not looked convinced, “well then come along, we have far too many fools to see to.” Then, just like the first woman, she turned and walked away as if it were only natural for Athena to follow afterwards.

“So, why are you doing this?” Athena asked eventually.

“Why wouldn’t I, there’s always idiots to fix,” she replied curtly.

“No, I meant, why are you doing this, you don’t have essences.”

She laughed, “you don’t need magic to heal. And it’s stupid to try it all with magic. The really bad stuff needs magic, but broken bones, tummy aches, bruises?”

“What about potions?”

“A waste of time and resources. I could have given that boy a potion, it would have fixed him right up, but the waste of it all! Far better to set the leg yourself and use a ritual. Did you not see the size of this camp? Well this is the only temple to Healer here, and the essences for healing magic are both rare and expensive. Healers are always in high demand; I’ve been on the waiting list for nearly three years now. Even after I proved myself.”

They came up to an old woman who was coughing hard, Athena’s [Eyes of the Surgeon] showed that she had some sort of sort of fluid that appeared in her vision as a smoky black color.

Sisa put her ear to the old woman’s back and ordered her to take deep breaths, after a minute of listening she got up and sighed, “pneumonia, she’ll need a purging power.”

Athena looked at her and considered her options, “I can do it.”

“You have purging powers, ones for disease and poison?”

She wilted, “sort of, my powerset is all about transferring the problems to myself and letting my nature healing and resistance take care of it.”

“So then I’ll have a different patient at the end?” Sisa questioned harshly.

She shook her head, “No, a normal ranked infection will only survive in me for a minute at most. Even without my self-healing I’m still iron ranked. We don’t even get sick from normal things.”

She frowned, but nodded eventually, “do it.”

Athena simply looked at the woman and activated her ability. In this case both [Benediction of the Martyr] and [life link], the infection vanished from the old lady and appeared in Athena. She could feel the existence of the infection in her, just as she felt it dying off rapidly. Her body didn’t even activate her immune response, and she showed no symptoms of infection.

That, that wasn’t too bad. Just an activation of her abilities and one cured patient. It wasn’t like the pain of taking cuts, bruises, and broken bones.

Sisa felt the old lady, “she’s still too warm.”

“That will go away once her body realizes she’s not sick anymore. She might need to drink extra water.”

Sisa looked at her in newfound appreciation, “not so useless then. Well come along, the back log is never ending.”

Athena followed behind, her shock at the sudden reversal gone and replaced with interest. A way to help without flagellating herself, what a novel concept.