I’m almost finished with my second tour when a blast of emotion sends me stumbling into a wall. It’s overwhelming, its sheer intensity stripping the wave of any specifics. For a moment, I have to use a hand on the rock just to make sure I stay upright. I close my eyes and battle to clear my mind instead of being taken along by the tidal wave.
Working out that the emotion is coming from one of my Bonds, I fumble mentally to turn it off, to block everything for a moment. When I succeed, the sudden lack of intense sensation sets me off-balance again, a splitting headache left in the tidal wave’s wake.
As I’m still trying to work out what just happened, I feel a touch to my shoulder.
Tamer, are you well? I open my eyes and turn my head to see who it is, wincing as the movement makes my headache worse. Shrieks. He’s unsurprisingly concerned.
“Just give me a moment, please,” I request, sending magic to my head to try to deal with the headache. Unfortunately, it appears that there isn’t anything physically wrong – the pain must be from another cause.
I close my eyes to block the sight of the samurans looking around at each other, enabling me to focus on what just happened.
Diving briefly into my Core space, I go to the area of the mandala where my Class Skills are. First touching the connections from my Dominate Skill, I quickly determine that the issue isn’t with any of them. Moving over to my Tame Skill, it doesn’t take much longer to feel that none of them are the source of the emotion either. A little puzzled, I gaze at the area thoughtfully. If it’s not from a Dominate Bond, and not from a Tame Bond, where did the emotion come from?
Suddenly a brainwave is sparked. What if it was one of the Bonds connected to the sub-Skills of Tame or Dominate? Reaching out, I feel those. Within a short space of time, I have my answer. When I touch my Alliance Bond with Raven, I feel echoes of the emotions which poured through me.
As echos, they’re easier to determine. Frustration, fury…and a deep sense of loss and grief. Clearly, something has happened.
Carefully reopening the Bond, I brace for another flood of intense emotion. Perhaps Raven has got himself more under control, or perhaps because I’m more prepared for it; the emotion that does come through doesn’t threaten to overwhelm me in the same way. But that doesn’t mean he’s not feeling the emotions just as intensely – apparently, he is. It’s…concerning.
Opening my eyes, I sense a mixture of concern and curiosity coming from the samurans around me. My guard immediately rises – I might have won the ranking fights but there are very few of them I would be comfortable revealing any level of vulnerability to. Not considering some still probably consider me a ‘prey-beast’ deep down. What I have inadvertently allowed them to see is already far more than I should have.
“Alright everyone, tour’s over,” I say, straightening from where I’m still holding myself up with a hand on the wall. “As I said, keep working for the good of the village and you’ll be able to come and meditate in the main chamber for a few hours. Discover or work on something new which will benefit the village and that meditation time can happen in one of the smaller chambers with its better Energy density. Really impress me with something, and you’ll get to be in one of the chambers with the best Energy density. Sound good?” I wait only for a couple of tails to swish sideways in agreement, and then continue – I don’t have the time. I need to find out what’s got Raven so riled. And whether it’s going to mean trouble for us.
“Great. Take some time to think about it all. If you have more questions, let me know later. Right, everyone back to the main chamber – you can spend a bit of time meditating there before going back to the village.”
One of the Warriors – Finds-a-bug, at least, that’s what his name translates as apparently – and Windy look as if they want to say something. I shake my head and hold up my hand.
“Think about it. Talk together. Maybe you’ll answer whatever questions or concerns you have. If you still want to ask something, you can do so when I come to tell you that your meditating session is done.”
After that, I turn and start fiddling with one of the pulley systems which operate the doors which block off the various parts of my new underground den. Most of the samurans have already started moving back to the large chamber, eager to benefit from it and those who are still lingering get the message and move off. Except, of course, for Windy. Sometimes I regret giving her a chance after our battle – she’s still a pain in my arse, even if she’s not actually actively fighting against me now.
Tamer, I must insist that I have full access to this cave. I am near a breakthrough and can feel–
“Be useful to me and the village, and you will get access,” I interrupt her, trying to be patient even as I itch to find out what’s happened with Raven. “I’ve already said that several times.”
Yes, but I am so close to making progress that–
“I don’t care!” I say, louder and sharper than I’d intended it to be. She takes a step backwards, her spikes a mixture between affronted and fearful. “Look, Windy,” I say, quieter but more intense. “Your individual progress only matters if you’re using it for the good of the village. So until you’ve proven that you’re actually useful for more than complaining and criticising, you’re not getting access to this area. This is my home, and it’s my decision on who gets to come in here and when. Clear?” She holds my gaze for a couple of seconds, then looks away.
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Clear, she responds begrudgingly.
“Then go back to the main chamber and take advantage of the time I’m giving you to work on your ‘breakthrough’. I will be calling a council meeting soon to talk about responsibilities and projects. I suggest you consider things you can suggest during said council which will prove how useful you can be to the village.”
The Pathwalker eyes me for a long moment, then turns without a word. I can tell by her spikes and the Bond that she’s a mixture between affronted and cowed. Probably not the best combination, but I can’t just kill or banish her out of hand and right now I’m too impatient to deal with her properly. Hopefully the motivation of access to the greater Energy density will be enough of a carrot that I won’t need to work out what kind of stick to use to get her into line.
Away from their watchful gazes, I lean against the wall again.
Raven? I call down the Bond between us. What’s the problem? I cross my fingers, hoping that he’s near the Pure Energy stream. If he is, he should be within range for me to contact. If he’s not….
My eggs have hatched, I hear him say. That he’s coherent enough to communicate with me is a relief.
Isn’t that a good thing? I ask carefully. Certainly the emotions washing around him are not what I would have expected on the occasion.
It should have been, he answers, grief and anger once more intermingling. This time, I can tell that there is a familiarity to the anger, but I can’t quite put my finger on it.
Did something go wrong? I venture, feeling my way through the minefield I suspect is waiting for me to make one wrong move. There is silence on the other side of the Bond. I can only guess that the answer is yes. Can I help in any way?
The silence continues for long enough that I start fidgeting. I’m aware that my Alliance with Raven hinges on mutual benefit. My protection of this side of the Pure Energy stream means that he doesn’t have to worry about it but that’s only useful while the eggs are there. If the eggs have hatched and maybe died or something, then that could lead to an angry dragon dad who doesn’t care about anything. Or worse, who wants to take his anger out on everyone around.
At least he shouldn’t be able to get at us in my base here: I will admit to considering how to defend against various creatures when working with Kalanthia to build it, Raven in particular. Still, it’s a relief when the alcaoris responds finally.
Your creatures. The ones I struck with my mana attacks. Are they well? he asks. It seems like a non-sequitur, so I’m a little confused as I respond.
Yes, I healed them up, I answer honestly. Most of them, anyway.
Then perhaps you can help, he answers. Come to me.
I’d prefer if he’d been a bit more polite, but my curiosity and concern are too great to resist on principle. Not that it would be a good idea to test his patience with him in this mood anyway.
Alright, I say. I’m coming.
Reaching out to Bastet, Fenrir, Lathani, and Catch, I tell them where I’m going.
Let me join you, Catch strongly requests. If the beast’s emotions overwhelm him again, you may be in danger.
Bastet says much the same thing at the same time, although hers is less of a request and more of an inarguable announcement that she’s coming.
What about the cubs? I ask her.
Lathani will stay with them. They need to practise some hunting techniques anyway. She can be a good teacher and target.
Despite my worries, I can’t help smiling at the thought. It reminds me to check in with Tarra later over her progress in finding something that might help Lathani’s recovery. I’ve been trying to help her retrace her old mana pathways, but it’s hard going and all too often the progress we make one day is erased by the next. I’m hoping that Tarra will either come up with an answer for why the pathways don’t always stay where they should, or a way to make them stick. Kalanthia is inconveniently baffled at the issue and her suggestions so far haven’t shown any more fruit than my own attempts.
Alright, I say to both Bastet and Catch. You two can come along. But you must promise to be careful, and if we have to run, you run with me. Don’t stay behind and sacrifice yourself or something like that.
They both agree, but I’m not entirely convinced that they’re being fully honest.
Are you going to come up? Bastet asks.
No, come down. We’ll go via the underground stream. Out of all my Bound, these two are among the small group I don’t mind knowing about the access point hiding behind rock.
As soon as they enter the passageway from the large chamber, weaving through meditating samurans, I close the stone door between us and everyone else by pulling it shut by its rope handle. Walking past Catch and Bastet to the rock wall at the other end of the passageway, I place my hand on the wall and feed earth mana into the rock.
It still takes more time to shape earth than I would like, but I have to admit that the process has sped up noticeably since my work with Kalanthia on the den. It probably helps too that this rock has received my mana before; unlike fire, earth seems to remember what it’s done previously and be more willing to do it again later.
An opening forms in the wall, releasing a wave of Energy. Climbing through the hole, I seal it up behind me. Bastet and Catch are already ahead of me, the raptorcat jumping down the hole in the floor to land to the side of the Energy stream; the samuran lowering himself down to land on the other side.
Time to see what’s got Raven so riled up about the hatching of his eggs.