Guilt has only one cure… absolution.
~Ogma, God of Eloquence and Inspiration
Crow stepped through the gaping maw of Colossus, walking up the stone slope that was the giant’s tongue. Unlike the other Shrines, this one was a long stone cavern.
It wasn’t a throat like a human, but after walking a time, he felt like the distance would be around the location of its gut. The tunnel widened and opened onto a large, stone-domed cathedral-like room.
Like the Shrines, the room’s far end had a deactivated gate, but that was where the similarities ended. Instead of dropping directly into a challenge, there were archways in a semicircle around the room—all of which had an active portal within. A stone above each indicated what would happen if Crow entered. There were five gates, one for Spirit, Body, Mind, Combat, and the one he recognized as a reward-type challenge. The reward Shrines didn’t have a fail condition, but whether he gained anything from it depended on his luck.
In the center of the room was a small stone golem that looked similar to Colossus. It approached Crow when he stepped in and bowed its head with a fist over its chest.
“Welcome young Draoidh. It is my pleasure to greet the one who has challenged all the Shrines. This is the first time since the creation of Wistman’s Woods training grounds that someone has managed it.”
“Is this an ancient barrow?” Crow asked.
“It is. Many powerful Draoidh have been interred here. Most of the treasures and techniques came from your ancestors. They were very particular about karma, so whether you received suitable rewards…”
“I understand, and I’m not questioning that. I wonder if they reincarnated or are still alive.”
“That I am not sure. You have already met the only living ancestor I know about. Other denizens live here, but they won’t show themselves unless you are trapped here.”
“Why?”
“If they get caught up in your trials, the formations will use them for challenges. The problem is the advantage always goes to people like you, so they inevitably die. When the formations activate, they go into hiding. And the formations activate a year before the event occurs.”
“Why?” Crow asked again, feeling like he was three again.
“This entire realm is like a massively complex spell. Think about how some of your simple spells take several seconds to charge up before you can cast them. This isn’t any different, just on a scale that will be hard for you to imagine.”
Crow nodded. The explanation made sense, mainly because he tried to study the intricate formation and still hadn’t learned how it all worked. His understanding of formations and Celtic Knots had grown exponentially because of his studies. Still, he was a far way from the master that created this place.
“I know what you are thinking, but my creator didn’t create all this. You’ll understand when you enter the Temple of Awen. Our creator originally only created the temple, sanctuary, and a few Shrines. This place was his Soulscape, and eventually, his formations gained sentience. With the aid of the spirit, the two created Shrines and refined the formations over thousands of years’ worth of time.”
Crow looked at the formations again and felt awed by the dedication needed to create something this complex. Even if it started as a shelter, the formations covered the entire realm, and everything was under its control. The one thing that bothered him about his theory was the Scath.
The mini-colossus smiled. Its little beady eyes glittered in the low light. “All of you who begin to understand my creator’s brilliance come to the same conclusion. The Scath were deliberately allowed entry. There is a formation that specifically hijacks their portals, but they haven’t realized it yet. Part of it was for research, as you saw, but they did not build it to create the curse. That man has taken over this place and was once a friend of the creator. His methods might seem cruel, but it has shown some positive results. All I ask is you don’t think too unkindly of him. He… lost everything to those corrupted Souls.”
“I return a favor with favor and enmity with enmity. If his actions benefit me, I’ll view it as a favor, but if they harm me or mine, I’ll view it as enmity. That is the most I will promise,” Crow said decisively. He wasn’t happy with that old bastard, but oddly, it was only because he harmed Hooligan.
“That is enough. Now the trial. You must complete all five gates, but completing one increases the difficulty of the others. It is up to you to decide which order you’d like to attempt them.”
“Any advice?” Crow asked, but only because it never hurt to hear other people’s thoughts.
“Don’t do the Technique Shrine last; definitely do it before the Combat Shrine.”
“Technique Shrine? The reward one?” Crow asked, pointing at the one he thought of as the treasure Shrine.
“Yes. Every Shrine helps you gain insight. The priority is strengthening your Soul, but helping you improve the Techniques we provide and helping you use it appropriately in combat is also important.”
“So you are saying mastering part of my artifact’s technique is ideal prior to combat?”
“Yes. Remember, you are solo now.”
Crow nodded, narrowed his eyes at the challenges, and decided the Technique Shrine should be first. The Combat Shrine was already tricky with Hooligan helping, so he had to eliminate it before the other challenges. At least most of the Soul related events were conquerable by one person. So he decided that the order he’d complete them was Technique, Combat, Spirit, Body, and Mind.
Mind was something he was completely confident in, so even if the difficulty grew, he was positive he’d beat it. Body was something he’d been training since he was four. Spirit Shrines were always challenging but not as brutal as combat.
Inside the Technique Shrine was only one statue, and it was Hawthorn again. A part of him hoped he’d see Iolo but remembered that the man was hunted and killed. The moment he arrived, she came alive, and her eyes widened when she saw Crow again.
“Wasn’t aware a challenger could call on my fragment more than once.”
“Special event of the ninety-ninth Shrine.”
“Ohhh… that is very impressive,” Hawthorn smiled, and her arms encircled Crow’s neck while she stared deeply into his eyes.
Nervously, he tried to step away, but her arms tightened, and he could move. He was utterly at her mercy.
“You’ve comprehended a lot. I’m unsure what else to teach you, so I will give you another circle. Something I told myself I’d only do if my in-name disciple ever met me in person. This one is called Blood Transfusion, which allows you to use the vines to transfer blood between you and your target.”
“Why would I ever want to do that?” Crow asked, baffled.
“What if they are dying because they lost too much blood and don’t have enough mana to regenerate their body? What if you are poisoned and want to dump your blood on a victim while rejuvenating your own?”
“That doesn’t seem right.” Crow scratched his head. He could understand the potential, but foreign blood could contaminate him.
“Heh, I forgot to mention an important point. The vines and thorns refine the blood and turn it into Primordial Blood—that’s what I call it, anyway. All this means is the incoming infusion won’t harm you. And you can control this part of the ability, so you can use it to harm others. Or, in the case of a transfusion, you could purify the blood to a greater extent.”
“Purify toxins and poisons too?”
“Sadly, no. However, suppose you are strong enough or have resistance to poison. In that case, you can use your body to purify toxins, venoms, and poisons. Or you can just directly send all the bad blood to someone. Or take their bad blood. So while you need to pay attention to toxins, you don’t have to worry about compatibility.”
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“Wait! Does that include blood from beasts?”
“Now you get it!” Hawthorn kissed Crow’s cheek in her excitement.
“Can we use this as a cultivation method for my Body?”
“Smart people are still the best. If it is blood from a Body-based tyrannical beast, your Body will improve a lot. However, I have to warn you. If the blood is too powerful for you to handle, it could destroy your Body instead. Don’t go above your ability.”
“Alright, teach me,” Crow said, and Hawthorn’s lips pressed against his. While they were kissing, knowledge was dumped into his Sage’s Mind and was quickly absorbed. The new circle wasn’t that complex. At least the vampire-type procedure was straightforward. The purifying part was the most complex, but his grasp of the technique’s core ability allowed him to gain some mastery in no time.
Following that, he learned the other features in quick succession. Learning it was almost a letdown because it took an hour at most to gain enough success in the circle that he completed the challenge. Still, the blood contained vitality, which had the added benefit of using this method to recover wounds and other injuries faster.
Crow wasn’t sure why he felt let down by the gain because after reviewing it in more detail, it was interesting. The only thing he could come up with was that he thought it was something he’d have figured out on his own. The thorns already did something similar, but this was just an add-on.
“Don’t look so disappointed. You honestly gained small mastery of all the circles, so there wasn’t any more I could teach you. Anything I do after that point could inadvertently influence your growth,” Hawthorn said and continued to gaze deep into Crow’s eyes. “I feel I should give you a nudge because this disappointed look tells me you haven’t completely thought this through. I call it Blood Transfusion, but blood is just another word for essence, and essence is what flows through something to provide it energy, right? Without beating it over your head, you understand that even formations and constructs have essence flowing through them. They have a type of blood, but you just need to let your mind get over the mortal definition.”
“So it can drain mana from formations?”
“Provided the thorns can penetrate enough to tap into the so-called blood,” Hawthorn tapped Crow on the nose. “See, I didn’t let you down. You just needed to not be so narrow-minded.”
“Thank you. Are you Draoidh?”
“I am. You’ve never heard of me because comparatively, I’m young compared to my master, and she is a Maighstir.”
“I am not familiar with what that means,” Crow told her honestly.
“The Draoidh are ruled by a council of twelve, each representing one of the sacred trees. It is a position that is… gifted. It is hard to explain, so I won’t. Not until you are strong enough to understand. However, I will say that while there are only twelve in the governing positions, there are also the Leth-Maighstir which I believe you might be. They are Draoidh with the potential to become Maighstir.”
“How does one become one of these elders?”
“Heh, don’t let them hear you call them elders, especially my master, Huath. She is sensitive about looking like a little girl but even more sensitive about being called old. Anyway, if a Leth-Maighstir exists that can take their position, they’ll know. Only then can they abdicate. Other than death, they can only leave their position if they abdicate and only if a candidate exists that can fill their position. Some positions are harder to fill because not all sacred trees are equal, and some are picky about their candidates.”
“So our people still survive in the upper realms?” Crow asked. He was interested in this selection process but didn’t know the right questions to ask. Crow suspected the sacred trees were entities like Mugna, or maybe even more powerful. And he wondered if it was also related to Yggdrasil. Still, he couldn’t ask about that without giving away some secrets he didn’t dare speak aloud.
“Survive? That is maybe the aptest way to describe them. They were defeated and still grieve the loss of their families. Surviving? Maybe. They are in hiding, licking their wounds, and waiting for a chance to strike back. They are angry but know it’s not the time to be foolish. Then again, everything might be different now. I only retain the memories of my host from the time this fragment was split off her Soul. So I’m not sure what the state of the council or the Draiodh is at this point.”
“Thank you, Lady Hawthorn.”
“I find you interesting, little Crow. You have already accepted some things about your bloodline that I wouldn’t expect a youth like you to grasp.”
“What does that mean?”
“We are a primal people and respect natural order. That includes accepting sexual desire. I’ve used seductive methods on you, and you don’t even resist. The young are usually the most resistant to taking on multiple lovers—especially when they know the woman is much much older than them.”
“So my overwhelming arousal and the fire within me are part of my heritage?”
“Not exactly. What I’m talking about is the attraction you feel between other Draoidh. I’m sure your desire for them burns hotter than other women,” Hawthorn said but touched Crow’s abdomen and frowned. “Nevermind. Whoever taught you that Body cultivation method was pretty devious. You are like a sexual deviant, and just touching you, I feel myself getting drawn toward you. I’d probably have already torn off your clothes if I wasn’t just a fragment. That’s how strong your pull is. You need to get that under control, or you will need to go beyond just having lovers—you’ll end up bedding every woman who approaches you. Especially if they are a virgin.”
“How do I stop that? I don’t want to be that type of person.” Crow frowned, not liking what she was saying. “The person who gave me this cultivation method, did she know?”
“Probably not. Other men might not have the problems you do. Add in your Druid methods, this thing, and that heavenly flame in your body—your libido is highly abnormal. It’s a two-edged sword, too. It’s like you are constantly ingesting an aphrodisiac, and to make it worse, your blood acts like one to other women. The only thing I can think of that might help you is to find a heavenly ice essence. I consider your heavenly fire a top-tier flame essence, and all elements have a physical manifestation of its essence. It’s just that the flames are the most well-known and easily stand out.”
“Is a Frigid Starburst an ice essence?”
“It is… did you find one?”
“There is one here in this realm. It’s that Frostburn Glacier to the south.”
“Oh? Does it have a spirit?”
“Don’t think so.”
“You’ll have to refine the essence with your Soul, but it’ll be dangerous. Even more dangerous than when you tamed that heavenly fire in you. Fire and ice naturally are opposing elements. You’ll have to refine it while keeping the heavenly flame from interfering. Once you succeed, you still have to balance the two powers within your body.”
“And that will temper my libido?”
“Well… it won’t do that, but it’ll make sure you can control it and not let your little Crow do what it wants. In other words, you won’t turn into a beast that might ravage women in the streets. Then again, I’d be up for that if you found my host body.”
“And if they come on to me?”
Hawthorn laughed. “Good luck resisting—especially if they are Draoidh like me, you won’t stand a chance.”
“There is no other way to control it?”
“Willpower, and once you reach the immortal rank, your body will transform, giving you full control over all its functions. At that point, you’ll be able to at least reject everyone, except maybe your current lover.”
“Lovers,” Crow corrected.
“Heh, you are a little perverted bastard,” Hawthorn said while caressing Crow’s cheek. “The good thing is, it’ll be hard for you to impregnate anyone. Your sexual essence contains too much fiery mana, which will drive women crazy but is primarily sterile. Until you become immortal, it’ll almost be impossible for you to have children. On the upside, as I’m sure you’ve already realized, it’ll be impossible for you to contract any illness or disease.”
Crow nodded and knew this conversation should feel awkward. It was just that he jumped into sexual relationships understanding nothing about the powers within him. Crow understood the basics of reproduction but didn’t understand the changes happening to him. His parents weren’t around to help, and Hawthorn was the first woman he came across as a sexual mentor.
“You seem conflicted, so let me tell you about our people. We don’t believe sex is something to be ashamed of, nor should we abstain from it. Even the Druid Order you follow should preach about accepting the world’s natural order. Sexual attraction is the universe saying those two people are compatible. As a people, we accept that there is nothing wrong with giving into our primal nature. In fact, resisting goes against our beliefs.”
“But—”
“Wait, let me finish. While we are open to sexual relationships, we don’t condone harming relationships or emotions. Suppose two people have a monogamous relationship and don’t need more than that. In that case, we respect it even if sexual attraction exists. We embrace our primal natures but are also an elevated and emotional race. The Draoidh seek harmony through understanding our empathetic nature, and most intelligent beings have some form of empathy. Do you understand?”
Crow slowly nodded while he processed what Hawthorn said. He always felt that what he was doing was wrong but didn’t know how to express why. Turns out, it was societal pressure. His inexperience with relationships and people came from his focus on learning, training, and doing everything he could to get his mother back.
Because of that, he lacked the experience to understand something fundamental to human nature—he was never in control of other people’s emotions or actions. His wives accepted him, and the guilt was hurting him. But their choice was never his to influence. They knew what they were getting into and didn’t hesitate to stay with him. That didn’t mean he wanted to run out and bed every woman he could find. He still needed to respect them, their relationship, and their feelings. That wasn’t something he could neglect even if he accepted who he was and that his nature was what it was.
“Seems like you understand,” Hawthorn smiled at Crow while running her hand through his hair. She really struggled to keep her hands off this little guy. “Now, you need to leave. You still have other trials to finish. I will only say one thing… if you don’t come to find me when you reach the Sky Realms, I’ll find and punish you. Trust me, I’m very sensitive to my karmic relationships, so I’ll sense you when you arrive. Don’t let me wait too long…”
Crow didn’t even have a chance to reply before he was standing outside the deactivated gate.
“Are you going for combat now?” the stone golem asked.
Unable to shake Hawthorn’s words, Crow looked at the combat gate and then shook his head. He felt a powerful impulse that brought him before the Spirit Shrine. Without a second thought, he stepped through the gate.
“Interesting,” the stone golem said after Crow disappeared. “Seems there is something else at work here. Just who or what is guiding this kid?”
“It is his other bloodline,” the old man from the prison said. He’d been there all along but remained hidden. “Even I’m not sure what he is, but that bloodline isn’t any weaker than the Draoidh. It frightens me a little.”
“Why not stop him?”
“No, don’t even speak that out loud. I’m afraid if we interfere with his path more than we already have, we’ll only bring ruin upon ourselves.”
“That powerful?”
“No… I’m not sure. A galloping horse is dangerous because of its momentum, but a walking horse doesn’t carry the same threat. Crow is a galloping horse with a lot of momentum, and as long as you don’t get in his way, everything is fine.”