As Samuel expected, the scene he’d left in the Sanctuary was exactly the same upon his return. Returning was also just as easy as Raveonic had described. All along, the feeling of something connecting him to Ahya by the navel had persisted, and he merely willed the rope to pull taught. He blinked and found himself standing, rather uneasily, at the same spot from which he’d vanished. Raveonic and Reito were staring directly at him, looking a little shocked at his sudden return.
“You’re back,” Raveonic said simply, his surprise quickly fading away. “Did you learn much?”
“Not a lot,” Samuel said. It felt strange to have his feet firmly on the ground, after hours of drifting weightlessly. “I met a few Enari.”
Reito looked stricken at once. “Did they attack you? Are they following you here now?”
The younger monk lifted his hands as if in preparation for a fight, but Samuel lifted one hand to calm him. “We had a short fight, but I started it. They’re not a danger to me. It seems that, during my last visit, I spent some time among them. I’ve just spent a few hours learning from them, but I was stopped by a lack of food.”
“A lack of-” Reito muttered, gripping his chest with one hand and sitting down hard.
“Interesting,” Raveonic put in. “You still require sustenance while in the Ethereal Plane?”
Samuel nodded in confirmation and emptied the small satchel he carried at his waist. The rations that he’d carried there were dust and mold now. “This is what happened to the food I brought with me. In just a few hours, it aged several years.”
“Marvelous,” Raveonic commented, picking up what once had been a block of cheese. It crumbled under his light tough, and he dusted his hands off. “Well then. We should get you some food. Reito, please summon Minerva. She should be returning from the fields soon enough.”
Still staring at Samuel with wide eyes, Reito took a moment to realize that he was being addressed. Then he nodded in understanding, and offered his master a fleeting bow, then departed. As soon as the door had closed behind him, Raveonic sat gently in the center of the circle again. He gestured Samuel to the place he’d occupied once before and rubbed his chin thoughtfully. It was eerily quiet here too, Samuel noticed, after the dull roar of the Sea of Chaos.
“So,” the old monk said, his voice ponderously slow. “What have you managed to learn from the Enari thus far?”
“Nothing extreme,” Samuel said. “Most of my time was taken up by just reaching the city, and then I was told what happened during my last visit. As I said, I must have spent most of that time among the Enari. Apparently, I killed some beast by the name of Menikos.”
To his faint surprise, Raveonic’s head jerked up at the sound of the name. “The leviathan?”
“Yes,” Samuel confirmed, his brow furrowed. “How do you know of him if you’ve never been to the Ethereal Plane?”
“Because he was not born on the Ethereal Plane,” Raveonic said slowly. “He is, or rather was, one of the seven great beasts of Ahya. Once a guardian, he was thought lost to the ages. I assumed he was at the very edge of the world, avoiding contact with other races.”
“I did wonder why he had a physical form,” Samuel commented delicately. “Everything else on that plane is made of chaos, but given order and form.”
“Like the Enari.”
“Exactly. They’re a strange race, but surprisingly ordinary. Not at all like those who crossed over to this plane. They have a sense of reason, and particularly of empathy.”
“Marvelous,” Raveonic said, his voice quiet. “You have learned a great many things in your time away from us. Yet to us, it has been but a moment.”
“I’m just glad that I can remember what happened this time,” Samuel admitted quietly, ignoring another rumble from his stomach. “I only know what happened last time because they have the ability to link minds and share memories.”
“I can only assume that Isip created a new body for you when you returned to Ahya, and your memories did not cross with you. That is a powerful ability, to touch another’s mind. Devastating if used for the wrong purpose.”
“You don’t have to tell me that,” Samuel said darkly, remembering Stephen Knarlick. So that was where he’d learned the ability, Samuel thought. He couldn’t believe that the Enari would teach someone so cruel. But maybe they didn’t know what kind of person he would become. Knarlick could have charmed his way into learning something, then used the knowledge for his gain when he’d returned.
“You are the first,” Raveonic said. When Samuel glanced at him with raised eyebrows, he elaborated. “You are the first to visit the Ethereal Plane and not be attacked. Every account of others who cross over remark how the inhabitants of that plane attack them and devour their mana, leaving them either crippled or mad.”
“They showed no sign of hostility to me,” Samuel frowned. “They remembered me as a friend. I wonder what was different for me. Could it be my connection to Arcana?”
Raveonic lifted his shoulders in an expression that was almost a shrug, but not quite. “We may never know. It could be your friendly aura. It could also be that your form, like theirs, is constructed of mana, and not the natural way of flesh and bone.”
A small twisted smirk touched Samuel’s face at that. Not the natural way. Well, he’d more or less come to terms with that aspect of his creation. To tell the truth, it mattered very little to him. The stamina and power he’d received from it were well worth any potential side-effects that may come of his rather strange creation. Even Grimr had shared this view, on the few times that he’d commented on how Samuel had come to be. He was unique as far as Ancients were concerned, as he had not been created directly by the mother. Perhaps that was why he’d never seen, heard, or felt her presence.
“What is the Mother like?” He asked suddenly. “Grimr speaks very highly of her, of course, and the people of the world worship her. Have you met her?”
“I have glimpsed the mother but twice in my life,” Raveonic commented. His brown eyes stared deeply at Samuel, seeming to guess what had prompted the question. “I do not have a permanent connection to her. I enjoy that honor only because of what I have mastered.”
“What have you mastered?” Samuel pressed, wondering if he’d get an answer this time. Raveonic had taught the two strongest people he knew. What knowledge could he possess, beyond what he had shared with his pupils?
“A great many things,” Raveonic said evasively. He smiled calmly in reply to Samuel’s sigh of frustration. “You will learn all that I know in time, young Samuel. Better yet, you will learn more. But all in good time. Never forget that a house built in haste will surely crumble.”
More platitudes, Samuel thought, and fewer answers. He hated riddles. Fortunately, a distraction arrived in the form of Reito, who came through the door backward, holding a large wooden platter in his hands. It was piled with food, and Samuel’s mouth watered as the scent crossed the threshold. Roasted meats, warm soft bread, and thinly sliced vegetables were arranged in a simple spread. Reito placed the food before Samuel, who jumped at the opportunity at once. He was so eager to eat that he didn’t notice the second person who had followed Reito at first.
It was only when she moved to stand at Samuel’s side that he took notice of her. She was a middle-aged woman, with pale skin and flaming red hair that rolled down her shoulders in gentle waves. She had a kind, motherly air about her. Very unlike the war-like figures Samuel had grown accustomed to interacting with during his brief time here. The only strange part of her appearance, which he saw as he glanced up at her, was the thin strip of red paint on her forehead. She radiated a very old sense of power, the likes of which he’d only seen in Divine beings.
“Ah, Minerva,” Raveonic said gently. “A pleasure to see you as always.”
“Thank you, master,” Minerva said, her voice hoarse. It was the voice of a seasoned warrior, accustomed to shouting across the din of a battlefield. “Young Reito told me that the mind’s disciple was here, and he needed aid in recovering.”
“If you would,” Raveonic said with a smile. “But perhaps an explanation is in order. Samuel,-”
“I am Minerva Moran,” Minerva said, turning to face Samuel, lowering herself gracefully to her knees. “It is an honor to meet you, young Paragon.”
Samuel nearly choked on the piece of bread he’d bitten into. It was the greatest shock of all, hearing her name. Coughing as his airways cleared themselves, he stared up at her in awe. “I know your name. I know who you are.”
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“Yes,” Minerva said, with a coy smile. “I expected you to know me, even as many have forgotten my name and face. I am the Goddess of Rest and the first Divine.”
“Hold still,” Samuel said suddenly, leaning away from the woman. To his faint surprise, she complied at once with the command, and held her position, staring at him with a faint smile. “You seem familiar. I know I’ve never met you before, yet I can’t help feeling that you're an old friend.”
“Well, that is interesting,” Minerva said. She seemed unfazed by Samuel’s direct questioning. If anything, it only amused her further. “But I can assure you, I have an excellent memory, and this is the first time that I’ve met you. I live here at the Sanctuary, and you have never set foot here before, have you?”
“No,” Samuel admitted slowly. Something told him that it wasn’t wise to push the issue just yet. “I suppose I haven’t. I apologize for the confusion. Perhaps you just remind me of someone I’ve met on my many travels.”
“You’ve done a lot of traveling, so I hear,” Minerva said, accepting his apology at once. “It’s only natural that you should meet another woman as interesting as I.”
She glanced over at Raveonic, who had been watching the short exchange with a patient smile. He caught her eye and gave a small, almost imperceptible nod. “Minerva specializes in restorative magic, Samuel. She can help you recover the mana you have spent thus far so that you do not need to sleep.”
Samuel frowned in confusion at that. Had he used that much mana while he had been in the Ethereal Plane? Most definitely, but his reserves were greater than most, and he’d estimated that he still had about three-quarters of it left. But as he glanced within himself, he was surprised to see that, on top of still having the shroud of ki going, and not having used mana for nearly two hours, he was at less than a quarter of his total fuel. What on earth could have sapped so much of his energy without him noticing?
“I can recover your Ki as well,” Minerva explained further. “I unfortunately, cannot create more spiritual power out of thin air, but it seems that you have hardly used yours, so that won’t be an issue, will it?”
Samuel shook his head slightly, only half-listening. He was still running his mind through every spell he’d cast in the last few hours. He was normally keenly aware of this, as he strived always to be more efficient in his casting. Was there some hidden effect of the Ethereal Plane that made arcane magicks more expensive than in the mundane realm of Ahya? It could be possible, he thought to himself. He added it to the growing list of things he would consult with Grimr, whenever they met next.
“If you don’t mind,” he said, doing his best to sound courteous and grateful. She nodded her understanding and moved directly behind him. He continued eating, waiting patiently. It started as a simple warmth, the feel of her hands on his back. He could feel the heat of her hands even through his thick robe, and he shifted his shoulders slightly. Then he felt a rush of energy run through him. Curiously, it didn’t originate from her hands, but from within himself, at his very core. That was his Ki, he noted. It was lower than he’d expected too, but that was less surprising, given the amount of physical magic he’d used. If he factored in the unknown extra cost of the Ethereal Plane, it made sense.
“Hmm,” she said taking her hands off his back. “That’s curious.”
Samuel forced down the piece of meat he’d bitten off, and half-turned to regard her out of the corner of his eye. “What’s curious?”
“I cannot reach your mana,” she said. “This is a new experience for me.”
“What is blocking you?” Samuel asked. “I can lower my shroud if that helps.”
“We can try,” she agreed. He did so, in addition to disabling the usual enchantments he had on his robe. There were no longer any active effects placed upon him or his possessions, but after just a second of touching him, she pulled away again. “No, still nothing. I can’t reach your mana. I can see it there, slowly regenerating, but I can’t touch it.”
Curious, Samuel lifted one of his hands and collected some mana there. It was just as easy as always, with no new effects. No sense of extra power, cost, or exhaustion came. He offered a slight shrug. “It must have something to do with the fact that I’ve just spent hours in the Ethereal Plane. Maybe the drain on my mana temporarily altered its state.”
“I’ve restored people who have visited the Ethereal Plane before,” Mandra replied at once. “I encountered no issues then, so I don’t think that can be it.”
Samuel offered another shrug. “I don’t know what it is, then. I can ask the Enari when I return.”
“You’re going back in?” Reito asked, his head snapping up from the quiet meditation he’d assumed. Samuel raised an eyebrow at him in question, and he elaborated. “Surely you want to return to Milagre soon?”
“I have time,” Samuel said calmly. “Unless you know something about my home that you haven’t shared?”
There was a subtle but unmistakable challenge to the monk’s basic honesty inherent in the question, reinforced by the level stare that he now directed at Reito. Reito was a little shaken by the sudden turn in Samuel’s unflustered, casual mood, and quickly lifted his hands in a gesture of innocence. He definitely didn’t have his younger brother’s unshakable confidence, Samuel thought with a hidden smirk. He redirected his interrogative gaze to Raveonic instead, who reacted with a much cooler expression.
“There is no need for interrogation, young Samuel,” Raveonic said benignly. “Your country remains in a state of war, with a third wave of attackers coming from the southwest.”
Samuel quickly thought of the mental map he had of the country. “That’s the area of Mount Murgan. Tiamat’s home, if I remember correctly. The followers of Bahamut were setting out to take the mountain a few weeks ago.”
“Indeed,” Raveonic agreed. “Though they lost that fight, which you might not have known.”
That did come as a surprise to Samuel. Sure, Tiamat was one of the few remaining ancient dragons, but the elite warriors who served under Bahamut were renowned for their strength and ferocity, not to mention their endurance. Bahamut’s champion in particular showed a fierce power that was unmatched, save for a few exceptional warriors in the kingdom. There were a few who compared Bora Bora to himself and Tobi, though Samuel had yet to meet the Champion, so he couldn’t be certain. Rumor was the man had a strong bloodthirst. Plenty of reason to steer clear, he thought.
“What of Tiamat?” He asked, piecing ideas together in his mind. He could imagine the effect that a failed assassination attempt could have on the Tyrant Queen. If she wasn’t too badly injured, or if she avoided the fight altogether, then she’d likely be bent on revenge. She’d fly to Bahamut’s central temple, and wreak havoc. Suddenly, the pieces fell into place in his mind, and he got to his feet at once.
“She intends to challenge Bahamut,” he said. “She wants to take his divinity.”
It was the most common method in which divinity was earned, though divinity was a rare enough occasion. It was odd enough that Samuel had known one god to ascend in his life, let alone two. They had ascended in what was regarded to be the natural way, but it was also possible to challenge a god for their place in the Divine Isles. If you proved victorious, their divine enchantment would be yours to take, allowing a quick ascension and a new deity overseeing that domain.
“The challenge has already taken place,” Reito said. His voice was measured as if he were unsure of how Samuel might react to the news. “Tiamat killed her younger brother.”
Samuel’s eyes widened. The Tyrant Queen, victorious? Was she to be the new God of Dragons, then? Samuel could picture the damage that would do to Milagre and Gorteau in his mind. Tiamat was not known as a kind ruler. Hundreds, maybe even thousands would die with this shift in power. But Bahamut was supposed to be one of the strongest of the gods. How could he have been defeated by a mortal creature? Were the legends of his strength false?
“I know what you are thinking,” Raveonic said, his level voice interrupting Samuel’s thoughts. “Bahamut had weakened himself purposefully. He granted the majority of his power to this Champion.”
As surprising as this new piece of information was, Samuel understood the meaning at once. “He expected this to happen.”
“Yes. It is my opinion, and many agree, that Bahamut was tired of living unchallenged, forever immortal. So he made Bora Bora his aspect, slowly transferring his power so that when Tiamat came, he could be defeated.”
“But that means that Tiamat was denied,” Samuel said. Panic was starting to set in now. “I have to return to Milagre, in case she attacks.”
He was halfway through casting the spell, faintly surprised that Raveonic had made no move to stop him when the old monk spoke. “That would not be wise.”
Samuel halted in his casting and felt his mana fall away. “What makes you say that? If she descends upon the capital, thousands will die.”
“She will not go to the capital,” Raveonic said firmly. “The fight with Bahamut was taxing, and she needs time to rest. She will return to her nest, to await Bora Bora. He is coming for her.”
“Then it is the army marching near the mountain that will be in danger,” Samuel protested. “Either way, I must do something.”
“You can do what you have already decided upon,” Raveonic retorted. He rose to his feet to emphasize the importance of his point, seeming to fill the entirety of the room with his will. “Return to the Ethereal Plane. Learn what you can, and come back. Then use your knowledge to aid your country.”
“What difference does it make when I make another excursion?” Samuel said, growing impatient. “I can visit whenever I want. My country needs me.”
“It is your purpose to gather knowledge!” Raveonic said, his voice rising suddenly. Samuel recoiled half a pace at the force in the words, his mana instinctively moving to defense. “You must fulfill your purpose above all else!”
A tense silence followed these words, in which none of them spoke. Then Reito broke the silence, sounding a little unnerved at his Master’s vehement insistence. “Remember, Samuel. You can return at a moment’s notice, regardless of how long you are away.”
Samuel switched his glare from Raveonic to Reito, then back again, quickly thinking it through. A worm of doubt had entered his mind now, spurred on by the fact that Raveonic had made no move to stop his hasty exit. So he had the choice to leave, if he wanted. Why was this a choice now? Was it because he’d already learned the spell to cross over, and Raveonic knew that his curiosity would never let it lie? But it was the truth, he told himself. He wanted to go back again, just as badly as he wanted to rush to Milagre and aid in the defense of his country.
“Fine,” he finally said. “But I need a favor.”
“We will do what we can,” Raveonic said at once.
“If you can get a message to Shigeru’s son, I want Ryllae Inaro removed from the capital if she’s still there. If she’s not, but within the country, I want her safe travel to Sheran and out of the country guaranteed.”
“I will see to it at once,” Raveonic agreed. “But it is a moot point, as you will be back in seconds.”
“I can never be too cautious when it comes to my loved ones,” Samuel said coldly. “Especially as there are so few of them.”
He made a quick downward gesture with his left hand, opening another portal. He could see Reito’s mouth moving, about to make another comment, but he stepped through before the words could reach him, surrounding himself once more with the sound of chaos. He was nowhere near the island that Edri and Inka lived on, but he had a connection to them now and could sense its position. He propelled himself in that direction at once, wondering how long it would take him to relearn all the skill she’d once possessed.