Regaining my vision would have been a pleasant experience if I didn’t have to deal with the sudden bizarre and impossible sights.

The siege towers have transformed into gigantic, upright stones with crooked smiles.

Every Rover soldier that was trying to surround me has now morphed into rotting teeth, which thanks to the semi circle formation they had, makes it look like I’m standing in something's mouth.

The Arid Sentinel is just gone, it hasn’t be replaced by anything there’s just nothing over there.

It’s like an entire part of my field of view simply doesn’t exist, its been swallowed up by some invisible void.

There’s just nothing there but it’s a happy nothing, the lack of anything somehow feels hopeful?

This is such a strange world, the ground isn’t even ground anymore, it’s just flowing slik.

But it’s flowing so haphazardly, as though it’s being swept around by some whirlpool.

It’s not just flowing beneath me either, it’s floating up into the sky, countless strands of fabric are wrapping themselves around both myself and the teeth, the stones are long gone, either having vanished or been consumed by the silk.

I don’t exist, I’m just a floating ball but still, I feel like I’m being grabbed by this silk, its callous touch fills me with pride and curiosity.

And then in an instant that felt like an eternity, it’s replaced by the embrace of the ocean.

I quickly take a look up at the sky and catch a brief glimpse of a circling ribcage that’s flying around like some bird of prey and then the ocean pulls me down.

I think I’m sinking further into the ocean than the previous times I’ve died or been unsummoned.

However, it’s difficult to gauge things in this realm so I could be wrong.

If I am right though, what does that mean?

Or does it not mean anything? This whole place doesn't adhere to reason so maybe I’m sinking more for no reason?

In any case, I don’t notice or feel anything different about the other traits of this ocean at all, it’s still as hatefully loving as when it first embraced me.

Just like with my previous experiences, I simply sink into it and then I’m being summoned again.

I really wish I had some way to tell the time while I’m in here, so that way I can better judge what to plan for but I’ve yet to discover such a thing, I don’t even know if time as I know it exists here.

This summoning doesn’t feel overly slow nor particularly fast so that means that the situation I’m being summoned to deal with must be somewhat stable.

I wonder what’s happened?

The siege towers should have been repelled I’m assuming, otherwise, this summoning would be a lot faster.

Am I just going to be sent out with no particular purpose or will they give me an objective to try and fulfil?

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And if it’s an important and key objective, should I really try to succeed?

If the Rovers are too powerful then we won’t be able to flee but that’s also the case with the Empire.

The best case scenario would be both sides damaged beyond any hope of salvation, with maybe just one or two high level troops left on each side.

I feel rather confident in being able to kill a knight, then again I don’t think I’ve ever actually seen a knight fight, only the squires.

Still I should be able to at least escape from a knight or two, the main issue is the mages.

Those pyromancers I can deal with, I just have to dodge left and right to avoid their attacks.

But I don’t think I can avoid whatever the mage that killed me is called, how am I meant to evade a lightning bolt?

Is there maybe some sort of counter with water?

Can my creator cast a water shield or something, so that way the lighting just impacts it and gets trapped in the water?

Would that even work?

What if I’m being summoned to kill that battle mage, how would I succeed?

Just pick up some objects maybe? I don’t see myself closing the distance or fighting my way through the no doubt skilled body guards assigned to such an individual.

What if there’s more than one of those mages?

Just what are the limits of a mages’ power?

And also do the limits matter? If there are two pyromancers could they just both create a giant fireball together or raise up a flame wall that they otherwise wouldn’t have been able to do alone?

Actually, hang on, that gives me an idea, magic can be a cooperative effort between multiple people, as evidenced by that ritual, and I have a faint memory or two from Coralet of some team effort to make a spell.

Maybe that’s how I can cast magic? Like actual proper magic, I think what I’ve been doing so far has just been powering my natural abilities with magic, rather than actually doing magic.

I mean it’s still magic but it’s not like I’m actually casting spells.

Perhaps I can get my creator to aid me in a ritual once we’re free, surely she’ll know how to perform one, she’s perfect after all.

It’s unlikely but just before I materialise, I ready myself for combat on the off chance we’re being immediately attacked.

Just like I predict my caution is unnecessary but it’s better to be safe than sorry, every single time I let my guard down I suffer for it.

I literally got fried by lightning in my prior summoning because I wasn’t cautious enough, if I’d paid closer attention to my surroundings and the battlefield I might have been able to notice the mage casting their spell.

Just by taking a brief look around I can tell that being aware of my surroundings is going to be an issue, I'm going to have to be extra cautious for this summoning.

There’s so much screaming and shouting that it sounds like some primal orchestra is playing a musical here.

I can’t see how the battle’s going since I’ve been summoned inside a bland room with no windows but judging by how close the sounds are, I think the walls may have fallen.

There were already a lot of siege towers on my side of the wall, if each wall was having to deal with the same number of siege engines I can completely understand why we’ve lost them.

I know it’s not really appropriate to ask a question since my creator’s still out of breath from summoning me and we’ve got more important things to worry about but this might be one of the only opportunities I get for a long time to ask her about magic.

So I take full advantage of it and ask her as bluntly as possible “Can we both do a magic ritual so I can learn how to use magic?”

If we both do it then through the link I’ll be able to somewhat learn what it is that she’s doing and how to replicate it, hopefully.

Then with this knowledge, maybe I’ll be able to finally cast a magic spell.

I expect to be scolded for my mild insolence during this trying time but instead, once her surprise fades she sadly replies “Ever since the ritual I haven’t been able to use magic.”