(Gavin)

The Haivar Forest really is quite massive. It took us a couple of days to travel to it, mostly because we had to stop for directions a few times and turn around twice, plus rest. Without my boosts from the System, I can't go as far for as long, and it was a huge distance.

That's really an excuse. I probably could have gotten there within a day, but Litrar still seemed nervous of me, and I'm still adjusting to not having Access. With Access, I knew my limits, but right now, I don't, other than that they're smaller.

While I probably can go as far as normal, my control over magic is a lot less fine without the Manipulation Skills, for instance. They provided a concrete ability that would only improve as I built upon it. I have what I used to build upon it, but not the base from them, so my control is less refined right now.

By the time we land in a clearing near some waterfalls, though, I think I've gotten proper control that would impress my old self, if looking at someone without Access.

The clearing isn't too far from the edge of the forest, and a walled-in town rests a few hours' walk past that. If we were walking, it'd probably take us two days to reach it. According to Litrar, the Haivar Forest is filled with all manner of beast, so any settlement near it would have to be situated a distance away and built with proper walls to protect it, just in case.

With our current resting place determined, I weave together my magics and build us a house. Aether comes to me naturally, and the Arcane is a tad bit natural for me – likely because of the Fairy base for one of my Species – so it isn't too difficult.

The house is simple – it has two bedrooms, a washing-up room, a relief room, a kitchen, dining room, and communal space, plus the basement, which was designed to act as a training area for both body and magic. I spend an hour enchanting the basement as well, to give it added protections.

Once that's done, I head back upstairs and prepare lunch for us, pulling things from my ring and working swiftly, having the meal prepared in twenty minutes. We eat, then clean up, and I sit Litrar down for some questions.

"What, um, what do you want to know?" He asks once I tell him I have some questions.

"Do you know what happens when someone dies?"

"Yes," he nods. "Their soul moves on into the afterlife, if it's death because the body died. At least, in most cases."

"In most?"

"Yes," he nods. "There are two true types of death. The first type of death is where the body dies. When it does, the soul – and the person – move on into the afterlife. The second type of death is through soul purification, though there are two forms to it. In most cases, the soul undergoes a sort of purging that removes all connections to it, all memories, the body, everything, and it finds its way into another vessel – developing creature, before its birth. I think it's called reincarnation? Except that the person that soul used to be is dead, as all memories and such are gone, with no way to be retrieved. It does, however, retain most of its old power, as most of one's power is linked into their soul."

The two things that the Divine Beings were discussing.

"And the other way?" I ask. "They keep their memories?"

"No," he shakes his head. "All of our reference materials never said it was possible – in fact, it's impossible, as far as we know, to keep one's memories through a soul purification. This other method, the target retains their body, but the old person still dies. They're a new person, with the same body and powers the old person had."

So that's how it's possible to die without dying, then. And Nahor mentioned that there's a way to retain one's memories through a soul purification.

I'm meeting that, aren't I? Whatever that specific type of death is, that's what I'm facing, isn't it? Where I undergo a soul purification and remember who I am – was – and retain my power. But I think he said it made the being more powerful, or something.

I can worry about what's happening to me later – since I'm dying yet not dying, there's a huge relief filling me. I can still protect my Order, even after I die.

So for now, I'm going to learn soul magics.

"Can you show me some soul magics?" I ask Litrar, and he thinks for a few moments, then nods, heading outside.

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I follow him, and he kneels at the edge of the clearing, and I sense his soul shifting. After a few minutes, a horned rabbit hops into view. Watching the two of them, I can tell that he's using his soul to summon this creature, to pull it towards him and bend it to his will as the odd rabbit hops into his arms.

Another type of slavery.

"Stop doing that!" I snap, and he jumps, turning to face me with fear clear on his face. "I don't mind if it's a partnership, but slavery is against my code, and that is most definitely a form of slavery."

"S-sorry!" He says, and the shift in their souls stops, the rabbit suddenly ramming its horn into his stomach. "Ah!"

I flick my wrist, a beam of crimson light bursting out of my hand and slamming into the beast, turning it to a shower of blood, then I quickly rip Litrar's tunic to the sides to expose the wound.

Manipulating his own blood, life, and health, I get to work. It was obvious the rabbit hit something vital, and Litrar won't survive if I don't push myself here. Healing others has never been something I've really needed to do before, only myself.

It takes me a few minutes, but I manage to stop his bleeding and mend his flesh, leaving behind a pink, circular scar. Litrar moves his hand to the scar, breathing heavily, and I pull his hand away, using my power over the Aether to mend and clean his tunic.

"Rabbits are dangerous here?"

"You've never seen a horned rabbit before?"

"That thing just attacked you."

"Well, duh," he looks confused. "Everyone knows horned rabbits are violent, vicious creatures. Only through some form of magic can they be tamed. I-I'm sorry, sir. I-I didn't mean to upset you."

He's turned his gaze downwards, towards the hand he's pushed under his tunic to feel the scar. He's feeling guilty over upsetting me, over pissing off his savior and the powerful being before him.

Letting out a sigh, I stand up.

"I don't like any form of slavery," I state. "I work towards freeing others. I don't want to see you doing something like that again, and I don't want you to teach me how to do that. Am I clear?"

"Um," he looks nervous.

"Say it."

"The magics used for that are all in other forms of soul magics," he tells me. "For example, the Soul Link that allows me to control a creature can also be used to cause harm to another."

"Harm how?"

He frowns, then looks around, sighing.

"Everything's avoiding us," he says. "They're… they're scared of you. Without pulling one towards us-"

"Perform it on me," I say, and his expression turns to one of horror. "My soul is quite powerful in comparison to yours, and I'm sure that if you were to do anything I didn't like, it wouldn't be difficult for me to sever the link. I learn magic fast. If there's a way to harm someone else through it, I'd probably learn it fast."

He swallows hard, nodding, then closes his head. After a few seconds, I feel something tugging at my soul, a connection to another. To his. I read the connection as I feel a pain in my stomach. Is this the same pain he's feeling?

Litrar opens his eyes as I continue to study the Soul Link, then he pinches his arm, and I feel the pinch as well.

"The link goes both ways," he tells me when I examine my arm. "Any injury one of us receives, both receives. It doesn't even have to be of a similar spot."

I unfold my left wing, then swiftly snap part of the bone making up the top, and Litrar screams, arching his back and falling forward, catching himself on his hands. A few seconds later, I've healed fully, and he's left gasping. There's no pain left for me, though I have a natural resiliency to pain from having dealt with so much of it.

I did feel that, though – probably because I don't have Pain Resistance anymore. I forgot how pain felt. It was… interesting.

"How did you," he gasps. "Not even… flinch?"

"I have become numb to a lot of things," I tell him. "Feeling pain isn't unusual for me, even if so lately. If you had wings, yours would've broken like mine?"

"Yes," he gasps.

Then the same would be true for arms, yes? Watching the link between us, I snap my left arm, and he screams again as his own arm breaks. Assuming the link causes what happens to one to happen to both, and not just injuries, that would mean that healing my arm will heal his.

It only takes a few seconds for my arm to heal, confirming that his own healed as well.

Looking down to Litrar, I'm suddenly hit by a wave of guilt. I just hurt someone else for the sake of experimenting, and they weren't a bad person. He hasn't done anything to warrant this, and I was just hurting him.

Am I becoming a monster?

I sever the Soul Link and look through my ring, pulling out a potion and dropping it in front of Litrar.

"That'll nullify your pain," I tell him, and he looks up at me, confused. "I'm not used to feeling pain, and hadn't taken into consideration the effect it'd have on you. Sorry. I'm… I'm going to go lie down for a bit."

I turn and make my way inside, to my room, and strip off my pants before lying on my bed. Lying with my wings is awkward, but they're both durable enough and flexible enough that I can sleep on my sides, as long as they're tucked against me the right way.

A blanket forms over me, and I sigh.

Using a regular person as a guinea pig? What in the world were you thinking?

Not much, really. It was simply something to do, something to test, and the opportunity was there. He'd even opened the route up himself. You simply… walked down it. But it was wrong. He's not an enemy, he's an ally.

Or at least, was. If he's still here tomorrow, we can see about the training. If not, then you'll have to find someone new.

Are you talking to yourself?

Yes. Yes, I am. I'm talking to myself. How long have I been doing this? I dunno. Probably awhile, now I think about it. Kade told me, all those years ago, that magicians do tend to talk to themselves.

You definitely meet the qualifications to be a 'magician'.

Does Litrar talk to himself, since he's a soul mage? Or does that fall into a different category than 'magician'? If he's still here in the morning, I'll ask.