by Philip Read
We stay quiet as we listen to our own thoughts, the dream weed isn’t as effective against me as it use to be before I Ascended. My mind is too stable now, to fortified in itself and I can’t really mistake reality with my dreams, not anymore.
“What’s it like to there on Omega for us?” Erika ask still looking across the pond and out into the forest as she slightly sways with the wind completely high from the weed.
I take a moment to consider that as I steal another glance at her from the corner of my eye. Erika and I have gotten close since coming here to the first Civitus Compound. We have since found out we have similar interests in many things and both have curious personalities and strong combat abilities that are bellied by our deceptively famine bodies.
I didn’t even mind flying her to and from Sistysis and we’ve spoken at length about her receiving flying lessons at some point in the future, it’s a simple trick to learn once you’ve accumulated a certain level of power within yourself. So I know she is asking this question as a friend or at least with some concern that I have no one to talk to outside our budding friendship since I haven’t rekindled any friendships with anyone from the Order.
I sigh as I think of what to say to her question, ‘cause she isn’t asking for a story but just what it’s like.
“Have you ever considered the plight of slithering snakes?” I ask her and she shakes her head not knowing where I’m going with the question.
“They can’t make themselves homes so they have to displace other creatures, they can’t claim a territory for themselves so most are almost always on the move, their temperature is regulated by sources outside their control and every intelligent species of creature either hates or fears them enough to step on their heads or simply avoid any association with them.” I say and then take another pull of the pipe, letting the weed permeate into me a moment slightly affecting my mind before my mental fortitude wins out and everything clears again.
“Being there for us is like being a snake. We have no home, no where to go for safety, no understanding of what’s going on around us initially and a lot of the locals don’t even think about our existence but when they do come across one of us they are cruel and petty.
“A lot of us die there because we were the most powerful creatures on Gaia so we go there with that arrogance and pride that prevents us from hiding or running away. You have to understand that most people there are already tier 3 or 4 Awakened and they see nothing special about us despite our pride.
“But the flip side is that if you survive just a few months there you become an Ascendant just by virtue of being there and surviving. So if you survive just a few long months you become a tier 5 and well, not everyone can reach tier 5 even there.”
She nods as I pass her back her pipe, her constitution is also very high and I can see the clarity in her eyes returning. She takes a pull, saviour’s it, and blows out smoke before starting to nod again.
“Sounds lonely.” She says and puts it out and we enjoy the afternoon in a comfortable silence.
It was lonely at times but people from Gaia actually looked out for each other, helping the newly Ascended survive the first few months. I know I wouldn’t have survived without Drex, a 2m tall antelope of a demi-human with a penchant for human females and a strong personality. I miss him actually, Drex is a loyal friend and he is smart, a survivor. He’s probably still at the dungeon city and probably hardly any time at all has passed from his perspective.
“How have your disciples been doing?” I ask Erika to change the direction of my musings.
“Former disciples, I no longer have anyone learning anything from me at that personal a level of attention but they are fine. The regiment seems to have diminished returns for those that have already Awakened to mana.
“But the young unAwakened I’ve put on the regiment all show great improvement to ether saturation rates and actually the purity of the ether as well. Its a great thing we’ve stumbled across, everyone who actively wants to Awaken will be able to at this point and our pool of warriors and competent people will quadruple.”
“What do you mean?”
“Well imagine all those craftsmen that had to reach unbelievable levels of skill in their craft in order to ascend, now they can get more time by becoming tier 1 Awakened. And if we because the first community with Awakened craftsmen imagine the possibilities, imagine having someone that actively Awakens as a craftsman instead of a warrior.
“What kinds of weapons could she be able to forge, what types of houses could he be able to build? Eronica and Aaka thinks that within 10 to 20 years we could get everyone over the age of 30 to at least tier 1 level in every discipline and craft that has ever been thought of.” She says with excitement.
“I’ve seen people that choose to Awaken to a craft on Omega in Elantris the dungeon city. Their work is without a doubt extraordinary and eventually become objects of power with age and use, almost like spirit bound weaponry.” I say remembering the beautiful alive carnivorous city fondly now that I’m no linger at it’s mercy.
“Yes, and the closest thing we currently have to an Awakened crasftman currently is old man Coffee, who somehow managed to Awaken as an enchanter some 200 years ago.”
“You know an enchanter? A real Awakened enchanter! Well why didn’t anyone tell me?” I say surprised looking at Erika with a mix of petulantion and elated surprise.
“Ahhh… That’s not something I thought you’d be interested in and you never brought it up…?” She responds seemingly caught off guard by my outburst, I guess I’m usually more reserved.
“Old man Coffee is only around 300 years old anyways but as only a tier 1 Awakened that’s old for him and he is mostly long retired now, occasionally teaching a few of the more senior would be enchanters. What’s your interest?” Erika asks leaning into me, her curious mind interested but I’m not ready to tell yet.
“Set up a meeting for me and maybe I’ll tell you sometime.” I say as I calm myself again.
I’ve been carrying around a fortune in precious metal by the standards of Gaia in my spacial ring since I’ve been back. There are many keepsakes and souvenirs that I’ve brought with me from the other side but what all 5 of us made sure to bring was uru metal.
A metal that is almost impossible to forge without an enchanted forge, an elder dragon’s fire, a planets core fire, the fire of a star or fire from the elemental planes. And going through all the trouble of forging it is a waste if you don’t have an Awakened enchanter to enchant it. Depending on the level of power of the enchanter uru forged weapons can became world breakers or godkillers because uru metal takes to enchantments like fish take to water.
Yes, I definitely need to have a word with this Coffee and I must see what I can do about prolonging his life. It won’t do for the only enchanter around to die of old age before he reaches tier 2 and starts to make the really interesting stuff.
* *
I walk through the open foyers just to be in the hubble of people going to places and doing things as they all walk around the compound that has turned into their home.
It’s strange to imagine that all these people came from elsewhere, none were born here since this entire enclosed city didn’t exist some 15 years ago. Yet these people have already made it feel like a home, the ambience warm and pleasant and the many still small children born here will never know this place as anything but home. I find that profound and I sometimes find mysterious lf taking a walk around the compound exploring just to be amongst the people.
I don’t know how Master managed to recruit a Brothel here as well but he found his ways. Brothels are never associated with any one organisation or kingdom so even if there is a Brothel on the compound grounds it is a private entity not bound to the Conclave.
But the Brothels have continuously proven themselves to be incorruptible and above reproach in Tiba and they are necessary for the mental and sexual health of any large population of people, especially human people.
/> The compound can currently house up to 50 000 people but the second floor of the underside is still under construction and a second and third compound are already under construction, one in Ulgaria and the other in Haka with a third planed for at Culla.
Chapter 63
Sachihiro
“You’re leaving tomorrow aren’t you?” Sarah asks lifting her head from my chest and bringing her thigh up to massage my loins.
“Gaia already said he was leaving tomorrow so I expect they will all head home as a bunch together. Will you miss us?” Harley says from my right pushing very shapely naked body onto my equally naked body. By the gates I will miss them, I think to myself even as Sarah’s hand travels along my oblique muscles tantalizingly just the way she knows I like.
“Sachi won’t miss us, he has a mate he is going back to don’t you big boy?” Harley asks biting lightly on my chest and nipple.
I ignore them for the most part even as my cock starts swelling, I’m pleasantly tired and pleasantly pleased at being reminded about my mate. Kuyoki and I have only been mated 5 years now I think it was a very smart decision for mW to make. At my age I should have already had a prospective mate if not a mate and children among my people, I should have had a house of my own long ago and been required to provide for and defend my people.
So developing feelings for Kuyoki was actually serendipitous for me and the mere fact that when I did develop feelings for her she was old and not as sexy as she is now that she has Awakened. And the woman is an enthusiastic and loud lover of remaining a virgin for over 50 years of her life. She is constantly eager and ready for me like I was my first time at the hands of Freydìs.
She likes to try new things and her long chats with Mira about all the things she should try that I like always make me eager to teach her new tricks as well. She is a wild woman in the bedroom and her opening is so tight that I worry I’m hurting her sometimes. She once reminded me how much stronger and durable than me by nearly folding me in half, the wonders of having an Awakened mate.
But outside the bedroom, Kuyoki is the very definition of propriety, like an almost completely different respectable person. She is slightly formal, traditional and respectful and wise with that little smile that she has. Nothing at all like the wild thing she when we are being intimate and I’m grateful I got the wise tender woman I developed feeling for and a daemon in the bedroom.
I grin as Sarah’s lips suck onto my neck and Harley’s mouth heads towards my loins, I will definitely miss them though.
*
I’m walking towards my apartment I share with Inam, Lucas and Samantha at the Eldridge Block of apartments. The Conclave has kept growing with more and more people coming to live here, some from the Academy but others from elsewhere. The conclave is like an organization that let’s only the people who will be useful what’s going on most of the time.
But we’ve all noticed little by little the lectures, some of the masters and sometimes even random neighbours or store keepers slowly approaching people and introducing them to the deeper workings of the conclave. The compounds are now sort of turning into training and recruiting grounds for the inner working of the Conclave.
The recruiting is going slow though, those approached disappearing a few ten-days before returning and going back to things like nothing has happened. Inam and I have wondered why we haven’t yet been approached as Master Zaraya’s disciples we should be prime candidates for being let into the inner circles of the Conclave.
I turn the corner say hello to Edward at the market stall and long around slowly as I keep my hands out in the open enjoying the Compound for the last time in maybe years. The place has just grown in population but its also gaining a sort of personality, something I’ve noticed places have after many years or after being affected by a strong event.
A lot of the people here are interesting and very diverse. I say hello to Salamanca who is jogging in the opposite direction lightly. The young beastman is a satyr-like creature, a beast-man mix between a humanoid and an Ancestral Silk Ram named Halawa’ula apparently. I know that because we shared a beer sometime after I’d been here a few months.
I also met Karma the first drow elf I had ever seen, a quiet strangely coloured male that disappeared to the underside as soon as it was opened to the public just after I had met him. I met a few other different beastmen, elves, dwarves, orces and many many types of human and other mostly human-seeming creatures.
*
I get into the foyer of my block and jog up the stairs to the 5th-floor landing greeting Wes the neighbour with an exchange of nods as he walks past and I get into the apartment with my key.
I’m the only one here that I can immediately feel heading straight to my room and laying down on my futon with a sigh. All my provisions are stock and stuffed into my storage ring. Everything I won’t need on the trip anyways, which means some souvenirs and gifts for my family.
I lay here and think of all the shit and struggle I’ve been through in my short life, all the shit that I’ve been through while training with Zaraya. I’m emotionally quiet a stable person, almost everyone here is with healthy and wide open chakra channels and sometimes feeling pain and hurt from past experiences is the healthy emotional response.
I wipe the tear that the rolls down the side of my face. Since being hear as part of my training I learnt the great injustice done to many males humans of many cultures. Who ever told that first little boy that boys don’t cry crippled him and stifle his voice to that boy’s detriment, and every other boy after.
I feel my feelings and let them flow through me, experiencing the loss, the death, the hurt, the injustices and I find myself smiling because I again I have found balance. I sigh as I think of all the blessings and riches in my life, the fulfilment I get from living it, the joy I experience when playing with my children. I grin as I think of the progress I’ve made in my training, the progress everyone here has made.
Om is a mountain of solid muscles that now uses a shield with his war hammer as easily as I would a short shafted hammer. His defence is on another level when fighting in this way that even I can’t get past his shield without resorting to a little zanjutsu and a lot of trickery. Ava is no longer an impulsive fighter but is devastating in duels with her glaive or her pole-arm.
She is on another level with her chakra mastery though as she has learnt to release chakra long ago and besides learning to use it to enhance and protect, she has learnt release and with it straight ninjutsu skills. The thing is like magic done by an Awakened, its amazing watching her perform amazing magical feats with nothing but chakra.
I can hardly even recognise myself anymore. I came here nearly a master swordsman from my solid foundational training, my time with the Hito and my experience in war and I leave here fully confident in my master level skill over the sword. But that is not much in comparison to everything I’ve acquired here.
My power of spirit energy is unique and very difficult to counter, it also protects me from a lot of other skills both magical and chakra based that I would be otherwise susceptible to. My combination of spirit with aura and the subsequent skills I have access to because of that make me a very specialised fighter.
Master Zaraya has focused us on a broadening ourselves more than specialising for the most part. Meditation and clarity of mind are big on her training program and deepening our understanding of the body and the laws of the universe.
And then its the development of skills and fine-tuning the skills we already have to as high a level as we possibly can. She doesn’t conduct our training herself but utilizes the many training masters and facilities of the conclave while she supervises and advises.
The is a balance to everyday of training since we started and apparently, our regiment will help accelerate our Awaking with already promising results, I immediately thought of Mira I hears that. Every day is a fulfilling day where nothing is never too easy or beyond our reach, and tomorrow we try to be better than we were tod
ay and yesterday.
These last 10 days we’ve all three focused on learning one skill that’s apparently a speciality of Master Zaraya’s, afterimage. A chakra and aura based skill that acts as a force multiplier that doubles or triples all strength or momentum based moves like there are two or three of me depending on how many images I can maintain.
The same skill I once saw Asriel use during the Never Ending Battle against the fae. There are practically two or three of me that weigh as much as my shadow helping me with everything I do. Multiplying the force with which I strike, pull, push, jump, block even the speed with which I move becomes deceptively fast. Deceptive because of the afterimages of myself that follow but never actually combining with me making me seem like I’m moving slower than I actually am.
I know there is a huge difference in power between a mundane and a tier 1 Awakened most of the time and the power difference grows exponentially every tier upwards, but I think I could take same tier 1 Awakened now as I am.
I close my eyes and see all my girls, its time to head home.
Chapter 64
Om
“You ready?” Sachi asks to my left looking up at me, I grunt my ascent and he keeps looking around checking our entire group.
There are 26 of us making our way home from the Den but it isn’t just tribesmen going back to Sandaria. Lager has a new mate that he met here and a 5 year old son with them, he is one of the first Barbarians to come here years ago with Ava’s group and he hasn’t been home since.
Fouler is a human from Tigana, born and raised in Pangaea but is now sort of mated to Cecilia and will follow her back to her homeland and her people. Gerard is an explorer type from Creece who dabbles in cartography and the only fully Awakened in our party, and of course I have Volvox to my right as silent as can be but still seeming arrogant.
We’ve all said our goodbyes and spoken to the ruling body of the compound of our intentions to one day return with maybe some of our other friends. We trudge through the mist as we leave the compound grounds and directly into the thick Igurian forest. Gerard leads since he is the most durable and most experienced traveler.