One second Josh and Sen were bunched up with the front group of the Clan’s runners. Tono was one step ahead and to the right with an expression of sincere joy on his reptilian features while his clawed feet pounded the ground. Li’l Jorn and Meni were two steps back, cheers jubilantly raised on their lips. As the group passed through the alabaster gates—

The next second, Josh and Sen were alone.

They were standing in a large entryway to an enormous room ahead of them. Between them and the cavernous space was a sandstone podium engraved with hundreds of glyphs. The glyphs shifted, flashing pink, yellow, orange, and pale red, and were slightly reminiscent of the color striations of Baroo-7.

The air was still, and a sense of peace filled the open chamber. Josh and Sen mirrored each other as they looked from side to side for a threat that wasn’t there.

Peace...

Quiet...

There were no snake monsters trying to burn them to ash. Josh sighed heavily as he blew out a breath, then collapsed against the nearest wall, exhaustion taking its toll.

Josh drew in Earth Aura and cycled it like a whirlwind as he finished healing. Skin grew like little islands over the red and angry-looking connective tissue. The islands expanded quickly and filled in over his body while his poorly set bones reapproximated themselves into a semblance of normalcy. His jaw snapped into place with an audible pop and his eye aligned from drifting as his ocular orbit stabilized. When the light in the room brightened and details increased with the regrowth of his missing eye, he rededicated Essence to enhance his vision and hearing. Finally, Josh started to feel a little more huma—err... spirit being-ish again...

Funny what being turned into a puddle of conscious goop will do to your sense of well-being...

He looked up to see Sen standing guard over him.

Nothing had changed in the room. Sen looked back at Josh and for the first time that Josh could remember, there seemed to be too much even for their Bond to communicate. Both felt overwhelmed by feelings of mutual respect and gratefulness for the sacrifices they each had made.

Sen leaned down and offered Josh a hand. He took it and got pulled into a quick one-armed hug.

~Thank you for facing Nagal alone. I can’t imagine how you did it...~

~First of all,~ Sen shook his head ~I wasn’t alone, brother... and second—mine was the easy task in comparison.~

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They clasped arms in gratitude for another instant, then Josh nodded and broke away laughing. “Alright, before this gets too weird... Do we need to activate the pedestal?”

Sen bobbed his head. “I believe so.” He looked around and shrugged in a noncommittal way.

Through their Bond, Josh could feel Sen was as uncertain as he was about what they had to do next. “And... aren’t we supposed to be here alone? Didn’t Gusti say the Race was an individual’s challenge against the Blessed One?”

Sen’s face screwed up. “I doubt there is much in the Mortal Realms that can separate us. We are essentially the same person for most purposes, considering our Karmic Soul Bond. I think the same would hold true even in the Immortal Realms.”

Now that he thought about it, Josh would have been surprised if he’d appeared alone. Sen had become almost an extension of himself. In fact, they’d have to set up some boundaries if they ever had any free time, if either man wanted any hope of a personal life...

Who am I kidding? The Clone would never let that happen, the blue-bastard...

Sen picked up Josh’s surface thoughts with as little effort as if they were his own feelings.

He nodded. ~Agreed, it is unlikely, brother.~

Josh moved to the pedestal and examined it. A hollowed-out section for both of a person’s hands was embedded on the top. Josh placed his right and Sen his left.

The glyphs carved into its sandstone sides began to cycle through a series of symbols. Their shimmering increased rapidly, casting a cascade of multicolored hues around them. The speed increased until the glyphs were solidly lit and bright enough to hurt their enhanced eyesight.

With squinted eyes, both could feel the air charged with power. Josh and Sen’s faces were tense with expectation as they stared for any sign of what was coming toward them from the distant open foyer and empty space beyond—

“Ahem...” A young male voice coughed from behind them. “Are you guys looking for me?”

They spun and saw... a bald, blue-skinned humanoid with what were likely gill slits along his throat. He was youthful with a lithe frame and wore simple homespun linen clothing. If he had been human, Josh would place his age around fourteen years old.

The young man sat in the lotus position, floating upside down about four feet off the ground. His eyes sparkled as he smiled warmly at them and looked on with an eager expression as he waited for their answer.

Momentarily taken aback, Josh stuttered, “Ahhh... I think so... are you the Blessed One?”

Josh started to lean sideways and tilted his head, losing the fight against the urge to get the youth into the proper visual frame.

Sen was as surprised and perplexed with the boy’s appearance as Josh was. He stood off to the side with an inscrutable expression on his face, but Josh could tell through their Bond it was not for the same reason.

~Everything all right?~

Sen shrugged. ~Let’s speak with him and I’ll try to figure it out.~

~...All right.~

Their Karmic communication had not gone unnoticed.

The youth studied them with narrowed eyes and pursed lips until he happily burst out, “Aha! I knew it! You two are Karmically Bonded! That explains so many things I saw during the battle. That and the fact that you are both here now when there really should only be one.”

The Blessed One, presumably, righted himself and stepped out of his lotus position but continued to float in space. He appeared to be in deep thought as he tapped his lips with his index finger and stared into the distance while talking to himself.

“They can’t possibly know the full significance of what this means given their neophyte Cultivation status... but they are taking advantage of it. Furthermore, they have demonstrated advanced skill and strength beyond even their Cultivation seniors...” The youth paced back and forth in front of them while three feet off the ground, utterly oblivious to their quizzical looks. “They obviously have help... help that is far beyond even my station... Likely even beyond the mortal iterations’...”

He turned to face them, a smile on his lips and a sharp but not unfriendly look gleamed in his eyes.

The boy wagged his index finger at shoulder level and took them in as if for the first time. “You, my friends, are way above my pay grade...” He retook his lotus position and rotated in place as he asked. “Tea?”

Perplexed, Josh spluttered, “Ahh... sure... ”

Sen closed his eyes while wearing, for some reason, a knowing smile.

~He’s onto us, brother... We can have no secrets from a clone

as advanced as this.~

~Clone?~