Back at camp Fi was sitting beside the pod-doc waiting for Blue to finish her procedures. They did a quick life-threat diagnosis on Fi, seeing she wasn’t in immediate danger, Blue got to go first.

Fi sat there tired, leaning on a crate with her back, careful not to lean on her damaged arm.

She closed her eyes, thinking about the day's events. Fi had realized there was something special about Octo.

She had known it from the start, it could fly after all. Octo was all too intelligent for being a native. It seemed to hold power, stronger than her own.

She opened her eyes to look at Octo. The octopus was fast asleep on her shoulder, leaning forward all slumped up, hanging by his tentacles.

Sawyer had helped her with her outer injuries to make her more comfortable. Sprayed with a medical mixture, she had no idea what it was, but it effectively closed all small cuts. The pain was numbed down as a result of the spray.

Fi’s current problem was her limp arm on the side. It kept aching, the smallest touch paralyzing her in pain.

She made herself as comfortable as possible while leaning on the metal crates, pulling the blanket closer and closed her eyes. Why was she not in bed and instead leaning against this uncomfortable crate.

A suboptimal decision to say the least. She groaned, opened her eyes and rose up. The bed it was, soft and safe, she thought.

Walking outside the ship she saw Loa, who motioned for her to follow her outside the camp. Fi was too tired to question anything and followed without a word.

They walked till they were out of earshot of the camp. Loa stopped and turned to Fi, with a wonderful smile on her lips.

Fi realized she had never noticed Loa’s face before. She had blue eyes, a teensy nose between them. It wasn’t the most beautiful face Fi had seen, but it didn’t fall far from it.

“I have a proposition for you,” the creaky voice of Loa said. Her hands spread in a disarming fashion.

Fi stood still, waiting for Loa to continue. Loa smiled shifting her legs, turning her wide hips to the other side.

“You haven’t seen the pod-doc yet, but your arm will be near unusable for the next three months,” Loa said, the smile never leaving her lips. Like this wasn’t a thing that would impact Fi.

Fi squinted her eyes at Loa, there was truth in her claims, she knew her hand was badly wounded. Without the current level of technology, she would have never regained full capability on her arm.

This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.

She didn’t think it would be this bad. If she didn’t recover her arm for the next three months, she would fall behind everyone again. This was out of the question.

Loa saw Fi wasn’t sold on her information but didn’t refute it saying it was impossible.

“As I said I have a proposition for you. I can heal your arm within three days to full capability,” Loa continued.

Fi’s eyes widened she hadn’t realized Loa had healing powers. This would change everything, they wouldn’t have to worry about damage in the same fashion.

Fi realized Loa hadn’t said she would do it without compensation and looked at her with suspicion.

“You are a member of our team, why wouldn’t you help us?” Fi said getting worked up. Her breath came faster, anger rising.

Loa smiled, not minding the angry gaze from Fi. Putting her hands on her hips Loa opened her mouth.

“To be more exact, I am not a member of your team. I had to make you believe that, for reasons that you don’t need to know.”

Fi opened the Dream and went to send an emergency signal. Loa shook her head and the option for emergency signal grayed out. Soon Fi was kicked out of the Dream.

The grey tendrils of panic begun wrapping themselves around Fi’s heart. Fi was in no shape to battle, she had only gained minimal energy and silver exhaust was zeroed out.

“I can’t have you do that,” Loa said and didn’t move her hands from her hips. She hadn’t made any fast movements, her poise anything but threatening.

“I am not your enemy. I am the one who can give you the possibility to rise to greater heights. “ Loa spoke smiling wider.

“Become my disciple and you will know more things. I can teach you new ways to utilize magic. I can heal your arm.”

The monologue ended in a heavy silence. Loa waiting for Fi’s reaction, Fi wondering how much of this was truth.

What kind of entity could control her usage of the Dream. This was truth, she couldn’t reboot the UI no matter how hard she tried.

From this, she could deduce what Loa said had some credibility. Fi had to ask more questions, without more knowledge she couldn’t make a good decision.

Before Fi could start asking any questions, out of thin air, a white figure appeared.

The white border around the figure disappeared, revealing a perfect body.

Fi recognized this woman, it was the one who appeared before her when she joined Eden Dream. If Loa’s credibility was in question before, it wasn’t anymore.

Pruet looked at Loa with anger in her eyes but hid it quickly when she turned to Fi. Closing her eyes for a quick second she activated the fictional authoritative mode.

“I will tell you this more than this old hag. I am more powerful than her and have more to teach you. “ Pruet said making herself as big as possible, looking downwards at Fi, showing her superiority.

“I am the creator of the Silver Exhaust technique and the sole reason you can use it. Follow me and you will become the most powerful one.” There was a natural pressure coming from Pruet, making her words have more weight.

This took one boulder off her mind and added another heap of them. She now knew Loa had power and her arm being unusable was most probably true.

On the other hand, the creator of silver exhaust was here, ready to teach her everything and said she was more powerful. Could the newcomer heal her hand was the next question.

As if reading Fi’s mind Loa answered her question.

“This overachiever of a woman can’t heal your arm and you will be stuck with it for the next three months.”

An evil smile on Loa’s face she threw a haughty gaze at Pruet.

Pruet didn’t disagree with this sentiment, she didn’t have the power to heal Fi. Instead, she started boasting about the possibilities of silver exhaust.

Pruet said she could only forcibly train the silver exhaust and it wasn’t even close to as powerful as Fi’s version. Pruet had come up with three more stages for the silver exhaust. Fi had the possibility to learn the second stage if she agreed to become her disciple.

It quickly became a back and forth where both of them were boasting about their abilities and things Fi could learn.

Fi hadn’t felt any good from the beginning and a headache was rising, clouding her thoughts.

A new voice joined the fray. All the other three stopped in shock.

“Let me join in on this conversation too. Isolda and Pruet.” Octo said from Fi’s shoulder.