“So, how exactly do you transfer your Passive Skills to us? And how do you know how effective that Transfer is?” Syl asked.

The quartet was marching down the meadows, following the bend of a stream in a small gorge between two grassy hills. The sun was orange and deep in the sky, rushing to dip over the horizon and go to sleep. He cast long shadows on the world, and the group was entwined with them, feeling the breeze a little colder on their skin caught as they were in the bottom of the gorge.

“It came intuitively to me. Just like communication through the bond came to me. Easily. I still can’t talk to all of you at once, I often talk out loud and in the bond at the same time because I can’t do it purely through the bond, and it’s very taxing on me to speak large sentences. Ideally I would transfer Ability names, and Timings through the Bond. Maye Purpose or Intent as well? You know what would be awesome? If I get better at sharing Intent through the Bond. Words are easy, imagine if I could share pure intent, from target to power, to tactics, feelings and memories. All the complexities of battle condensed-!”

“Myron. My questions?” Syl stopped him in his tracks right as he was taking off. Mery and Dakini laughed at his expense.

“It’s like Duplication. For me, it’s permanent. Always there, I can stay calmer, I can find goals, make them even, and stick to them. I know what I want and If I don’t then I make myself want something. With these two skills I have working in tandem I shape my Will into a cup and move the Pool of my clarity into it. Then drink that to fuel me forward. So for you I supply the Aether that you need to Use the Skill as I assume would happen with an Active Skill, and thus you are on a timer. Once you use the power those skills offer until the Aether runs out, the Skill returns to me, the Duplicate I created. As for effectiveness of Transfer. Because it’s duplication, it’s cloning. I don’t worry about it. It works on you as well as it works on me, though every individual is different.”

“Are we there yet?” Dakini played with the pink tip of her tail, bored as she walked behind Myron and Syl alongside Mery.

“Where? To Great Oak? Ha! Not even close, that’s going to take… at least till tomorrow evening… probably the morning after even. Unless we find a road, right now.” Syl shooked her head at Dakini’s impatience.

“Would you look at that?” Myron chuckled. “A road. Well, a dirt path.” He said and Dakini flashed next to him. “Where to?” She asked as they could go left, or they could go right, no path lead directly south.

“Let’s go straight through.” Mery suggested and Myron quite liked the idea. Trekking through the wild was appealing even after days of doing exactly that. Especially in conditions so easy.

“We go Left, I sense movement there, the sooner we get there the sooner we will get directions.” Syl said and her eyes glimmered. They had started off-road and hadn’t hit a road for 8 hours of walking. There was only so much looking at the sun and traveling southwards could help.

So it was, and after half an hour and a steep climb up the side of a particularly tall seeming hill they crested its top and found themselves on passing by the front of a Small house standing in front of a Big Barn. Fence posts went all around the barn and deep into the meadow as far as the Eye could see. A well of rocks stood proud near the front porch, and a whole bunch of livestock, chickens, and cows, and pigs, and sheep, all made their noises, farting and shitting everywhere.

From the door of the many bedroom ground level home stepped out a man with a head of long hair shaved at the sides, a big piercing in his nose, and a long and craggy gray beard.

“What brings you along this path Trainer? May I be of help?” He asked Myron looking him dead in the eye as if he was about to steal the old farmer’s chickens.

“Hello there, and Good evening. I am Myron and these are my Aimon. How may I address you?”

“Farmer Keegs will do, young man. Honey!” He turned around and shouted through the door. “This one’s got Manners!” He added and walked forward to shake Myron’s hands.

“What are you doing coming to this wayward farm?”

“Traveling south to the Capital, but forced to do it a little off Road. There was a Battle up north you see.”

“Oh, that’s terrible.” He shook his head and smacked his tongue.

“If you have livestock on this farm, if possible. Keep them inside? Would that help, Syl?”

“Keeping them Inside and closing up all windows would help. The less Aether they breath in the Better. Choose a few animals to be sacrificed and Keep them outside. If you can kill them afterwards.” She advised the old man seriously, but he simply smiled, his teeth bright and gleaming under his might mustache and beard.

Enjoying this book? Seek out the original to ensure the author gets credit.

“Oh, you don’t have to worry about that dears.” Old Farmer Keegs’ wife walked out of the house, and Myron could have sworn he lost his jaw in that moment.

A young woman, with perfect skin, pink hair puffed up as if permed just today, full and wild yet also perfectly in place, farmers clothes that fit her form as if she were a model. She was short with ears of spotted black and wide pierced with golden earrings, long and floppy ears like a cow’s. She had wings that rose from her lower waist and up around her head in a sharp curve like halos, she had two tusks that curved up in front of the end of her wings crafted of light and atop, the four ends of her body held up a deep blue, foggy sphere. Her legs, from waist and down, where powerful and hoofed like those of a horse while on her arms a thin coat of fur much like Mery’s grew that reached down to her palms, where on her knuckles she had pink gems, and instead of nails she sported claws of iridescent light.

“I may not be growing any stronger in this Dead place, but we have our ways to keep me healthy. I’m Sunika.” She chuckle with a hand over her mouth, all lady-like, seeing the reactions of their guests. “Come on in, come on in, you look weary, let us listen to your troubles and share with you a glass of milk to freshen you up” She said and Farmer Keegs pulled Myron forward. He snapped out of it and bowed down.

“Thank you very much for the offer.” When he rose his lips wore a smile and his face held relief. “I’m so glad we came upon you two. Just a little bit of Hope has been restored.” Myron turned to Syl who nodded, copying him with the other girls in his bow and gratitude. “Praise Ilana.”

“Oho! Ohohohoh!” Sunika laughed uproariously as they entered and sat at the table. She worked swiftly through her laugh presenting all six of them, including herself with with cold cup of fresh milk. She took a sip and her golden eyes shone as they scanned Syl up and down.

“I may not be of the Metal, but I am of the Mettle, may our promises never be broken, and our Bonds remain true. Welcome to my Abode fellow sister.” She nodded through Syl’s shock. The Emeramantis, a Queen by name, schooled herself and responded with proper etiquette and dignity.

“Aren’t you glad, Dear? To meet another Worshiper of Ilana. The Gods may be watching, this could be a destined meeting.” He said and Myron raised a brow.

“Is it truly so rare of an occasion? I’ve been in this world for less than a week and I’ve already met two Worshipers of Ilana and one of… Keto? How did Ilo call her goddess?” He asked and Sunika answered with a chuckle, hiding the glimmer in her eyes.

“Kewe, Goddess of Protection, Ilana Goddess of Loyalty. Deities of Old, the True Gods of the World, forgotten by modern man and Aimon, their powers wasting away, consumed by the Turned Gods and the False Gods.” Sunika provided. “There simply are no more Worshipers of the True Gods Left. None that are known to the Public. To have met three, otherworlder child, you truly may be Fated.”

Myron shrugged. “If Syl’s happy then I’m happy. Speaking of Gods, what is this Milk made from? It tastes divine!” Myron said and the Old Farmer burst out laughing. He slapped Myron in the shoulder and he hurried to place the cup down before any of the incredibly tasty milk fell out.

“That’s a Secret. If you want, I can sell you some. We Sell to the Duke, the Guild, and to the Lords to the West a whole bunch. It will cost ya.”

“How much?”

“A Story, tell me young man. You looked pretty haggard when I first saw, though color has returned to your face already. What happened up north? Why warn us?”

“A lot has happened Farmer Keegs, a Lot.” Myron went on to explain the coming of Tomin, the Battle that unfolded, the last minute appearance of Syvan, and how incredibly suspicious it was, and last but not least the Burning of the Aimon corpses, even those of the Trainers.

“It’s a shame it had to happen to Jaimon. He seemed to have had a deeper connection to his Aimon than most.”

The Old Farmer nodded. “Aye, the rest most likely got riled up about the lost resources. Those Crystals where rightfully theirs, or something. When met with the Mission of the Guild, the letter of the law they knew there was nothing they could do.”

“I’d kill them before I let them touch a hair of my Aimon, dead or alive.” Myron said, and he wasn’t even angry.

“Big words Mister, could you bear the consequences?” Sunika asked, her gaze piercing into Myron’s own. Myron scoffed. “Assuming that I had the power to kill them, and after I gain my Class and begin investing my Aether points into my Attributes, then I don’t fear anything. I’d just pack my things and run away.”

“And be stigmatized as a criminal to the whole empire?”

“And what would that do? Keep me from admiring the Capital? Fuck them. If they don’t want me then I don’t need them. They seem broken enough already. The Aimon is what I care about. If I loved Humanity I would have stayed in my world and continued on with my Job, never setting foot through the gate that destroyed my city. If I wanted to play the goody-two-shoes then I would have stayed home. Those fucks can’t tell good from bad, using Aimon as tools, keeping their soldiers from the joy of a Bond, turning entire regions into ash filled horror-shows for the sake of political gain and some extra capital on the side. I don’t want part in that world anyway, and if the Emperor himself or some fake Gods think they can stop me from living the life I’m starting to wish for. If they try to harm any of my team, then I will use everything I have, if I have to burn my soul and explode from within, then I will do it.”

“Huh.” Myron stopped and caught himself. He was standing, his Milk had been drunk and the cup had shattered in his hand. “Didn’t know I had that in me you know. Sunika.” He sent her a sidelong glance sensing something afoot with his turbulent emotions but shrugged it off. “Give me another cup please? It really was tasty.”

“Sure thing, Myron Dear. You’re a sweet one, I like you. You girls, lucked out on this one didn’t you?” All three of them nodded, Syl absolutely serious her nails biting into her palms, Dakini and Mery more star-eyed than anything.

“I love you too Myron!” Mery stood up, hand raised up to the skies.

“And I want more Milk as well!” Dakini presented her cup instead.

“Fuck ‘em! Fuck ‘em!” Mery cheered twice as Sunika took her cup as well.

Myron rustled her hair and sat back down. “I’d say I’m a bad influence more than anything. Oh, also. Sorry about the outbreak.”

“Don’t worry about it boy.” Farmer Keegs shook his head.