Ki'el had been in pain for a while before she was aware of even being conscious. By the time she was aware of herself, she felt like she was at the center of a swirling storm, distant from it but still being twsted by its winds.
{ You seem to be awake enough to help, now, } Kuli said, as she began to piece together the elements of her surroundings. { You need to control your qi, and understand the changing nature of your qi core. }
My qi core? But Ki'el reached out sluggishly with her mind, thoughts intertwining with the flow, to find that they dragged out of her channels and into a solid working of qi--her qi turning cycles. But they were advanced, more advanced than she remembered. They...
No, she had improved them during her battle, her... tribulation. Ki'el's memories became clearer as she remembered--she had imbued her sword with the meaning of turning, and struck back against the lightning. Whether that would turn the blade into a sword, or a shield... she had to defeat that bolt to complete the tribulation.
Now that she studied the qi turning cycles around her, it became clear that there were more than she remembered, and not by a one or two. She might have forged one, or two, at most three of the massive turning wheels--her memory wasn't clear right now--but there were more than a half dozen, many sprouting from the thorns of one of the larger wheels, flows breaking off like flowers from a plant.
Should I just release the energy? Let it go? But Ki'el reached her feelings out towards those more distant cycles, feeling like they were a reflection--too distant, too abstract, to be real. Or do I need to absorb all of this energy?
{ Your evolved while you were unconscious. When you reached the beginning of the next phase, you were supposed to add Genesis and Consumption aether to your qi, but you were unconscious, and it has been rioting inside of your spirit. }
Rioting? Ki'el pressed at her qi, but couldn't understand. I still don't understand how to use Gen... Outwards and Inwards aether spins. How do I calm the energy down?
{ First study your core. }
Ki'el had not studied her dantian particularly much, and when she turned inwards, her first reaction was that it was swollen, overfull--but it was also twisting, flexing, a silvery orb--no, the color of Titanium, she knew--that seemed unable to sit still. But as she reached out to touch it, she only found herself--her pain, her confusion, like she were looking at a younger sister wracked with fever. Her first instinct was to reach out, to comfort that child, and to ease her pain--and the fluctuating chaos that was her qi flooded back, away from her dantian, and into her soul.
Ki'el screamed, though the was not aware of her body enough to notice.
The qi that flooded her was no heavier than it had ever been, but it was... porous. When her mind reached for it, parts of the qi that had been solid were instead fine controls for tweaking, controlling, manipulating. Things that had once been safe now made her qi twist, and she could feel it inside her meridians, coiling like worms.
But now that she was becoming aware of the rough new texture to her qi, she could better understand what Kuli was doing, keeping the flow smooth, guiding the qi in ways that were still safe, still harmless. And she shifted her mental grasp slightly, adjusting how she held it, understanding how she needed to change, and slowly, she was able to feed her qi back into her core without it going wild.
It still hurt--it still put too much pressure on her--but when she was no longer losing control of the qi, she felt it expanding her Titanium core, making more room safely--but slowly.
{ Your system may be calm enough to continue. Your Aether Sword is in your hand, though I deactivated it. You are aware that it has additional features. It allowed you to conceal its additional controls from yourself, and you are aware that it contains your master's aether. But there was a third feature that you were intended to make use of. }
Ki'el couldn't frown, but that first one didn't strike a memory. Conceal?
{ When you normally hold the blade, you can feel its aether switches. You are aware there were more, but you do not sense them anymore. This was deliberate, so that others would not realize what you possess if it fell into their hands. }
Ki'el... was not in a state of mind to debate whether she had known that, but it was true that she did not feel the sword was any different than it had been before her master had improved it, the night before he left--except for the strange aether that was within. Either way, it didn't seem important. Third feature?
{ The sword contains a form of expanding space, but it is not meant for you to use as a storage ring. Instead, you can feed aether or qi to the sword, and it will store it within. To do so, you must first unlock its features once more. }
Ki'el had to force herself to even notice the sword in her hand, even after Kuli had told her it was there. She felt like her hand had tightened into a death grip on it, which was lucky, since she needed it--or perhaps unlucky, because she could sense that the sword's aether channels were being used to sustain one several of the turning cycles, especially the ones that seemed to be branching off, and the energy flowed through her, burning incessantly through her meridians.
Her first attempts to reach the sword had to stop when her meridians complained, the burning agony of too much qi almost destroying her concentration. Only after three or four attempts did she find a way to reach the blade she knew was in her own hands, and then her senses were numbed by the pain, unable to operate it more than a little bit.
But in time, she was able to express it with her will. Unlock, she tried, and when that did nothing, she tried other variations of intent. Allow. Access. Reveal. That, at last, opened up something to her, several aether nodes within that had seemed to be concealed.
{ Feed the energy into the bottom node. }
If she were thinking more clearly, she wouldn't have needed to be told, but she did as Kuli suggested, and the sword seemed to drink the qi within her greedily. She let it pull qi from her system until her core seemed more stable, and then began to pull energy out of the qi thorns. That was more painful than she expected; the size of the thorn, matching the size of the ring that created it, meant that the qi was suitably more intense than her smaller rings had been, and pulling even a little at a time out of them strained her.
But she progressed, however slowly, and soon, the first of her qi cycles was dry, enough that it collapsed of its own accord, leaving her with a heavy mass of leftover purified qi without a thorn to contain it--and that burned at her, but she was able to hold it, contain it, and drain it into the sword.
She was exhausted by the effort, but Kuli kept her focused, convinced her to continue.
When at last she had dissolved the more normal qi cycles, leaving only the flowering one, Kuli spoke up again. { This structure is my fault. When you created the intent for [Turn] to give your sword, I amended it without explaining myself, so that qi that your turning cycle could not purify without conscious action would be held in stasis until you addressed it. It seems my intent did not have the desired result; I believe that the 'flower' rings contain intent on aether layers you cannot understand. The lowest flowers would be the Genesis and Consumption rings, followed by Acceleration and Reverse. Anything beyond that is too much for you to understand at this time. }
This is already too much. But Ki'el gritted her teeth, starting with the normal qi held in the turning cycle that her sword had created. She left it before it was empty, however, and tried to move on to the lowest flowers, but she felt the blade itself resisting her, challenging her. She... could barely sense it, could barely understand it, but she felt like there was an intent lock, a consequence to the way the intent had been laid on the blade.
{ You must prove to it that you understand Genesis Aether. }
Ki'el almost passed out, and did let her mind slacken, which forced Kuli to take up maintaining things for a moment. But... she also, even after all that she had been through, also wanted to think about this. Wanted to test her understanding of aether, and to grow. She felt it almost like a thirst, a need.
Genesis, or outward-spin aether. When she had made use of it in the tribulation, she only understood it as a gateway from her to places that she already had put her qi. And... Sobon had called aether a substance built upon connections. From the very beginning, reaching out through a connection should have been the most basic of abilities... should it not?
But it wasn't the lowest level of aether, was it? If aether connected all things, what as more basic than reaching the other end of that connection?
It took time, but she found her answer when her thoughts drifted, or perhaps Kuli led them, to the meditation Sobon had led her through to first create her Aether rings. Aether was a substance with an 'inside', like a bubble, and it could merge together with other aether to form a larger bubble. But once you had bubbles, bubbles claimed by one thing or another, what was the most basic control you had?
Certainly, it was how the bubble treated other bubbles that they made contact with, whether they fought them or tried to join, to coexist, to strengthen one another. If that were the first layer of aether--either joining together, or tearing apart--then the next layer of aether was maintaining that alliance even when apart, behaving as a whole--or at least allies--when not holding on to one another.
Being apart but of the same being, like the organs within a body, or like parts of a spirit that were complex and nuanced but still were only a part of something greater, and not independent wills competing for supremacy.
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Somewhere in her meditations, the lock on the Genesis-tainted qi ring began to collapse, and the qi within it began to grind back to a purified form. Although she should have moved on, Ki'el felt herself dwelling on that image of Genesis aether. It reminded her... of many things perhaps, but most directly of her village life. Of people setting out to fish, or trade, or just to cut wood, or staying on opposite ends of the village because they didn't get along with someone, but... always, to Ki'el, there had never been a question of who was, and was not, of the village.
And she glanced only briefly at the Consumption ring, her mind going immediately to the pirate ship where she had lost Sobon, to the black hearted man and his black qi. The pirate captain had only been at Gold Qi, and could not have used qi with consumption aether... but the image was right. A terrible, cruel, and selfish thing that still owes some allegiance--to coin if nothing else--and understands 'us' and 'them', 'crew' and 'other'. A poisonous ally, but a useful tool, if one was willing...
Ki'el passed into unconsciousness at some point, jerking awake to find that Kuli had moved more purified aether into her sword, and the burning throughout her spirit was less. The Consumption-tainted qi cycle also seemed to have vanished, along with all but two others.
{ If you request it, I will remove the Acceleration and Revival locked cycles as well. However, I believe that you are close enough, and if you can obtain this energy, you will achieve what the Elders seemed to have hoped. }
The elders? At that moment, Ki'el couldn't fathom caring about the Sect Elders. Whatever fraction of this was their fault--and it couldn't be a small fraction--she was not doing this to satisfy their expectations, and certainly not their will. But the idea of falling short of their expectations also irritated her. They might have allowed her to be brought here by the point of a sword, but she would not let herself be cut.
She grit her teeth and tried to focus on her impression of Onwards-spin aether, but she understood it but poorly. She had been able to sense, when Kuli accelerated her aether, that the energy truly did feel onwards. But what did it mean? Did she have any insight, aside from the fact that it was linked to time?
If the first layer of aether was a single bubble, fighting or joining with others all on their own, and the second a village--or a pirate crew--what was a third?
Although the burning throughout her spirit dulled her memory and thinking, the answer still seemed to come unbidden, by her or by Kuli. A memory of Sobon speaking of his home as a place--a single city--full of more people than Ki'el would ever know. She had seen small cities, and seen glimpses of other large things, and although she didn't understand, she could still sense. That it took another level of cooperation, beyond simple coexistence.
It required people to have single minded dedication to a task, to spend their whole lives in learning one thing, trusting that what they did not achieve, someone else would. It took a world that could put aside hatred and mistrust, accepting their role as a small part of a larger thing. Even now, Sobon was out there somewhere, working at important things so that Ki'el could focus on her own advancement, her own achievements.
How could a world be created where such a thing was even possible? But then... wasn't her body the same? Could her heart survive without her skin? Her stomach without her lungs? What could possibly allow such complex life, when any one piece could not life without the others?
Ki'el felt more than simply the lock on that one Qi cycle crumbling. She felt a resonance deep inside, and remembered the other key that Kuli had seen, understood why her augment had let these flowers remain. And she looked at the other of the pair, the Reverse aether, and understood it as a power that had to work hard to prevent things from growing, to prevent damage from spreading, that dedicated itself--its whole life--to making sure that something didn't happen.
She felt something tearing within her, felt her qi boiling and bucking her control once again, but the last of the qi cycles unlocked, grinding forwards, and Ki'el slipped into unconsciousness again.
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When Ki'el next regained consciousness, she was actually able to see with her own eyes, and the first thing she saw was the back of Da Chian, sitting in meditation next to her.
The girl seemed to be in good health and spirits, which was a relief, even though Ki'el was so tired that she wouldn't have thought a part of her was still worried. But... there had been no guarantees, that she and Mian and Xam and Chian would all come through the tribulation.
And... Ki'el started to sit up, but a wave of dizziness and a fit of coughing took her, and she slammed her head back onto a soft pillow, her hand obeying her only poorly when she went to cover her face.
"Ki'el!" Chian whirled around at the sound. "You're awake!" There was a long pause, as Ki'el coughed again, painfully, and Chian's face turned worried. "Let me get you some water," the girl said, rising.
Ki'el let her go and come back, accepting the water gratefully, although she felt swollen and unwell throughout her body.
"It seems it wasn't a misunderstanding," came a new voice, and Ki'el looked to see someone she didn't know, most likely a healer. He stepped up to her on the other side, one hand passing a few inches over Ki'el's body. "Once you found a way to store your qi, most of the worst of your condition passed. The Elders were quite worried that you would not survive the after-effects."
Ki'el tried to speak, but only ended up coughing. At last, through burning qi channels, she projected. [ Friends? ]
"We all succeeded," Chian said. "The other two are... either working, or enjoying their time alone. I haven't spent much time with them, since we entered the Inner Sect."
Inner? Ki'el looked up at her, and Chian seemed to understand the question, looking embarrassed.
"Not all of us," she said. "You and I did. Mian and Xam are in the Outer Sect." She paused. "My own tribulation... I did not succeed as well as you did. But standing up to someone like Sister Ai was worth something to the Sect. And... I suspect that now that I am... unable to conceal my Spirit Beast nature, it is better for everyone if I remain in the Inner Sect."
Ki'el gave her a look, which the girl apparently couldn't quite read, so she sent along, [ Unable? ]
But the healer broke in. "Junior Sister Ki'el... if I may. Your body will recover now that your qi isn't out of control, but you were never supposed to absorb that much qi that quickly, especially when it was out of your control. Do not attempt to absorb any more, not even purified qi, until a Healer or Elder tells you that you can, and you will need to minimize your use of it. Right now, your body and spirit are close to tearing themselves apart." He looked down at her, his face stone cold, and Ki'el met his gaze, understanding that what she felt was no lie--she really was in a truly terrible spot.
She could only send along a minor intent-wave that she understood.
"There will be training you can do, especially studying, but also some use of intent with minimal power, like you just did," the healer continued, "and when your body has recovered, you will need physical conditioning. But take it seriously when I say that you likely did permanent damage, and if you act before you are fully healed, you definitely will."
{ The healer's assessment is correct, } Kuli added, within her mind.
[ I know, ] Ki'el projected quietly, aloud, and the healer nodded. [ Medicine? ]
"The best medicine you can have right now is rest, though there will be medicines and special foods," the healer said. "Pain is only a messenger. Your body and spirit is currently in disarray. Time is absolutely necessary for you to reach your full potential. If you are as perceptive as people say--as perceptive as you seem--then you will know when your spirit has fully settled. Everyone has an unsettled spirit after a tribulation, and once you have begun adding natures to your qi, you will need to fix the damage the tribulation does to your qi nature."
Ki'el understood that, after having sensed that her qi had new ways for her to control it. If that trend continued... but how many more steps could there be, if she had unlocked the second tier of aether, and possibly the third? She couldn't begin to understand that much, but if there were additional changes to how qi worked as she went up, it only stood to reason that each one would change how a person was supposed to use their qi--and that would change how they interacted with any nature they added to it.
"You've been in bed for four days already," added Chian, and Ki'el looked at her, surprised. "Your purification circles began to shrink after the first day. Before that, everyone was very worried you weren't going to make it."
"If you had tried to absorb all that power, you would have died," the Healer said, flatly. "Wherever you stored it, and however, keep that in mind. You would also have died, or someone would have been forced to cripple you, if you couldn't release your technique. It very nearly destroyed the meridians in your hand. Those will, without question, take the longest to heal."
Ki'el tried to make a noise of shock, or maybe protest, but it only led her to another coughing fit. This time, the healer, waved a hand over her, and somehow, the soreness and pain eased enough for the coughing fit to abruptly end, even if she didn't feel... better.
"Yes, Junior Sister, I'm being quite serious," the healer continued. "You are young, and will probably recover. But what you did was too much. Do not think that you can do that again and survive it. Most people absorb an insignificant fraction of the qi from tribulation lightning--a percent or two, perhaps five--and that number is one of the things that nobles like to compete with each other about. I believe the Sect's record was around eight and a half percent, according to the Guardian Deity who oversees these things."
The healer met Ki'el's eyes, and from the sternness of his glare and his voice, she understood that what he said next was not praise. "The guardian says you absorbed fifty three percent. You are already at the peak of Titanium Qi, and when your core settles, you will likely advance. Advancing without consolidating your power, without stabilizing your spirit, will likely cost you a very great deal. A number of people are afraid of you and your potential, young Ki'el, but among those who actually understand these things, that choice was a very poor one indeed. It may allow a sudden brief rise--now that you've survived--but the liklihood of permanent damage is high. I am far from the most experienced healer here, but..." He stood up, and stepped back. "I believe that you already have done permanent damage. I believe you will never be as strong, now, as you could have been. However high you may rise in the future, I hope that you remember that."
When Ki'el could only sit silently, thinking about that, the Healer seemed to content himself that she had listened, and he left the two of them alone.
When they were alone, Chian reached out and took her hand. Ki'el thought the girl's hand was nearly freezing, at least compared to the feverish heat that beat within most of her body. "We were all worried," she said. "Through it all, it was Mian who said not to try to stop you. He said that you were strong enough to take it, that... that Kuli would save you. And I think maybe he was right, but..." There was an unsteadiness to her voice. "...but. It's really hard to believe it when you see a friend thrashing in pain, screaming like she was dying."
[ Sorry. ] Ki'el pressed the word towards Chian, and the other girl gave her a weak smile. [ Thank you for being with me. ]
But Chian just laughed. "As though I could go anywhere else," she said, and there was a dark, bitter edge to it. "There are others--mostly, your fan club in the Inner Sect--who come by all the time to see if you've awakened. I'm... not sure, but I get the feeling like they would be mad at me if I was anywhere else but here."
Ki'el didn't understand that, and she thought the expression on her face said so, but Chian just smiled back. "Don't worry about that," she said after a moment. "The point is, they know you need to not be alone. And... with your friends still in the Outer Sect, I'm the best you have. And since you helped me with my tribulation several times over..." she shrugged. "I'm happy to be here. And... I feel calmer being with you, especially now that you're safe."
Ki'el smiled back at her. [ I am glad you are here. Feel calmer too. ] Despite the burning and aching, she found that it was true--and she didn't want to imagine waking up to all of this aching and not having a familiar face by her side. It had been different before, when she was attacked but healed immediately. But this...
"We'll have a lot to talk about," Chian said. "But you look tired. You should rest."
That, too, Ki'el found to be true, as the darkness passed over her once again.