Brace For the Wolves

by Nathan Thompson

  “He's got a point, dear,” Guineve added, still leaning into my hug. “Didn't he already save us both?”

  “He did,” Breena said with another sniff. “And he was smart enough to let us save him, too. So maybe he's right. This time.”

  The two-and-a-half feet tall fairy in our arms took another breath. “And if he isn't, we just have to wait until he figures out how to cheat again.”

  “There is that,” Guineve chuckled. I chose to be stoically silent and supportive.

  “Alright,” Breena said with a deep breath. “Thanks. I'm ready. I'll get back to work. Let's check to make sure our Challenger's all fixed up.”

  Chapter 15: Packmates

  “Alright, Guineve,” Breena began. “His mind-screen is still my job, so I'm gonna take a look. But first, Wes, how do you feel?”

  “Good,” I said automatically, then, “wait, sorry...” I tried to take a closer look at myself. “Yeah, okay, except for all the voices and stuff you already noticed. But I think those are from the bonds now, so that's... sort of okay I guess?”

  My fairy friend sighed.

  “Yeah, the little golden dragon guy told us a lot while you were out. I'm sorry we didn't catch that, Wes. Earth people aren't supposed to have so much weird stuff in their bloodline.”

  “It's okay,” I offered. “I just found out about all of this too. That's the thing about conspiracies, I guess. They sound so crazy you can't ever believe in them. And I think that dragon guy is actually really, really big. You should have seen him earlier.”

  “I probably shouldn't have,” Breena shook her head. “Cosmic dragons aren't supposed to be a thing anymore. All of their types and subtypes are supposed to be extinct. It's completely unheard of that you were able to form a bond with one, let alone two.”

  “Can't you just use it to explain all the other crazy stuff that's been happening around me?” I asked with a shrug.

  “I wish I could,” the little sprite sighed again. “But the fact of the matter is that you just now finalized the bonds by drawing power from them. So I still have no idea why you can break Horde Pits and become Avalon's Lord and whatever else you've managed to pull off in your sleep. I'm going to try and do a better job on watching for more surprises though. Just don't run everyone too ragged to be able to check on you, and then decide to bond with mythic, cosmic powers.”

  “Fair point,” I replied, somewhat sheepish. “And sorry for the calls I made yesterday.”

  “No, I'm sorry,” Breena replied. “You were doing the best job you could at that moment. I don't know why Avalon put you in charge of it when you're only eighteen years old, not counting the freaky time shifts, and had undergone all manner of torture that everyone's still upset and heartbroken about. You were doing so well under pressure that we all forgot you were under pressure to begin with. Yesterday was everyone's fault, Wes. And it still came out as a victory. But we're taking a couple days off, okay?”

  “Okay,” I nodded. “That sounds really good in fact.”

  Especially since now the woman who summoned me was a little safer, and in a better position to help people on the other worlds now.

  “Alright, before we actually look at your mind-screen, we need to talk about the new Ideals you gained,” Breena continued.

  “Well, I only gained one recently,” I replied, thinking back. “From the Bonds, I mean. That was just Fire. I got Water from you yesterday, and everything but Lightning got overloaded, but if you want to talk about new Ideals then it's just Fire.”

  “For now,” Breena nodded. “But all of your Foundational Ideals are overloaded enough to where they'll evolve on their own eventually. Water's actually really bad about that because water itself exists in so many different states, and can do so for long periods of time. Fire's the complete opposite, with just one state—burn-burn-ow-hot—and it can't last in that state without fuel. And yes I know fire isn't always super hot, but that's not the point.”

  “Ow?” the tiny bubble we had somehow managed to forget about spoke up. “Hurt? Heal? Di-rec-tive?”

  “No,” Breena said looking down. “No one's hurt. Everyone's fine. Go play. You're off the clock!”

  “Play!” the little jelly said with a happy wiggle. “Play! Di-rec-tive!”

  It bounced off, stopping by the spot where the ball-people were still recovering to shake more blue mist over them, and then it bounced out of the clearing.

  “Yeah, I know,” Breena grumbled. “We'll figure out that thing eventually, though I have no idea how. But back to you, Wes. You've got another set of conflicting Ideals, and we should address them before Stell's safeguards expire. Really. If you thought Earth and Air were bad, then Fire and Water are going to be on a whole new level.”

  “Breena, you have my heartfelt appreciation for sparing me another giant headache. Tell me what we need to do.”

  “Okay,” she huffed. “We're going to do a lot of what you did with Earth and Air. Visualize both of the opposing elements, then find a way to visualize something that they both somehow have in common. That's going to be tough for Water and Fire, and I wish I could provide suggestions, but because every Challenger draws a different interpretation from each Ideal any help I give is actually going to make it harder. But just try to think of a situation where you honestly believe that both elements can find common ground. And here,” Breena said with another whisper. She waved her arms around and blew out at me with her lips. Her pink dust floated over to me. “Have a little extra fairy grace for luck.”

  I felt my mind-screen twitch, even though I couldn't access it. It was enough to let me know that Breena's dust was helping me somehow, so I told myself I'd be grateful as long it didn't make me sneeze again. It didn't, but it was close.

  “Alright, Wes,” Breena said. “While you're making the proper visualizations, I'm gonna do what Stell showed me to do and relax the shielding she placed around both of your Ideals.”

  I had closed my eyes to better concentrate, but I heard her begin making humming magic fairy noises. So I knew the process was about to begin.

  And of course I braced for it. Why wouldn't I brace for it? Every recent Rise, every 'gradual and safe power-up,' every freaking 'teachable and enlightening experience' had brought the same level of pain that a prostate exam would, if it was conducted by a honey badger. That level of pain sent straight to my brain and all of my neurons, like every time. And anyone who corrects me on that, claiming that one or two of those times 'weren't really that bad, Wes, you're just exaggerating, if you go back and look you'll see' can go screw in a cracked fluorescent lightbulb with their teeth while the circuit's live. So yes, I was braced for 'deific middle finger' level of pain again, and I didn't care how careful Stell or Breena or Buddha or anyone else had said they were being. I clenched down hard with my teeth, dug my heels in, futilely looked for something to grip with my hands and wished I had a wooden handle to bite into to keep from screaming too much. And in the process of bracing like that, I forgot that I still had things to grip because I was still carrying my magical storage handle around. It was still in my belt.

  But at any rate, I didn't feel anything other than a dull, buzzing sensation. So mark that up as a win for Breena. Best little fairy ever.

  But the competing messages began, just as they had with Earth and Air. Flashes of things, pictures, concepts blazed through and washed into my mind. Blazing into existence fiercely and brightly, for as long as I could, and then going out. Flowing wherever I needed to, becoming lighter or heavier, warmer or colder, whatever I had to be. Giving light and heat, without reservation so that others may either live or burn. Providing hydration or sustenance, also to provide life, or to swallow something up.

  Steam, I said, trying to cut the experience off before I risked getting trapped in it. Water and Fire make steam when they are mixed together. We can conclude this right now.

  No, both Ideals said to me. We cannot. Steam is just water, moving to its lightest, warmest state, and sharing tha
t state with Air.

  This solves nothing, both Ideals said. Let us teach you, that you may choose from us.

  Again, more concepts and images. Burning, destroying, warming, brightening. Washing, freezing, filling, drowning.

  Choose me, Fire demanded. We will both die, but what we burn will forever remain changed into something more useful. We will produce warmth for the bodies and fertile ash for the crops.

  No, Water demanded. Choose me. We will live forever, and ensure things cycle through their proper states. We will revive the thirsty and provide damp ground for hungry seeds.

  They both made their demands. And Fire was more passionate then Air had been, and Water was more demanding than Earth cared to be. We are necessary, both of these new Ideals proclaimed. No one understands how much they need us, but were Fire gone, or Water gone, a world would end.

  That was it.

  Maybe nothing traveled between Fire and Water quite the same way Lightning traveled between Earth and Air. But Fire and Water were needed by the same third party.

  Life.

  Too broad, they both complained. Life is too broad to be any one of us.

  I know, I replied, but follow my reasoning anyway.

  Living things need the heat of Fire and the sustenance of Water. Everything that walks on land at least, has pathways in them to move heat and nutrients.

  That is not the same, both Ideals argue. Heat is not always Fire and Water is not merely nutrients.

  Did not heat begin with Fire? I argued. Is not the sun Fire itself? Does magma not blaze when it has the opportunity? And what does lightning create when it strikes the trees of the forest?

  Fire grumbled, but ceased its arguments.

  And what of Water and nutrients? I turned the other Ideal. Are the cells in my body dry? And if so, are they still alive? Name a single dry pathway that nutrients take through my own body, and I will admit defeat.

  That was much riskier, because I hadn't completely mastered biology enough to be absolutely sure of that fact. But Water must have been satisfied, because it ceased grumbling as well.

  That which seeks you both is called Blood, I argued. Because through blood travels both heat and liquid. Even those things called cold-blooded require heat in their blood, and require it because they cannot create their own. Humans, reptiles, mammals, birds, we all depend on the hydration from the water and the heat from some form of fire, be it the sun, a nearby flame or coming close to the cracks in the ocean's trenches. How much heat, and how much hydration, varies from beast to beast, but we all need at least some, and the vessels heat and hydration take within us are known to be a liquid called Blood.

  Blood is our connector, Water and Fire said. We accept.

  I visualized a pathway, circular like Water's flowing nature, but always needing new resources to survive, as Fire was so inclined. Then I visualized the heat from fire and the hydration from water work its way into the pathway, flowing and heating until a living thing grew around it.

  Then all of the competing comments and images faded from my mind, and my mind-screen took that moment to open up and inform me of new changes...

  You have acquired Innate understanding of a Primal Ideal, the Ideal of Blood.

  The Ideal of Blood: Blood is the domain of life, passion, intensity, and fluidity. An Innate understanding grants the Challenger an immediate and gradual increase to Strength, Dexterity, and Charisma, and a greater increase to Constitution. Over time the Challenger will notice an increase to their Deftness, Will, general reflexes, and a much improved cardiovascular system, in both their projected and original bodies. The Challenger further performs life or passion-based magic to greater effect, and also gains a significant resistance to necromantic or enchantment-based magic as well as a slight resistance to toxic effects in both bodies. The Challenger will also gain an increased rate of regeneration.

  My muscles suddenly expanded. The inside of me felt healthier, as if lingering traces of toxins or cholesterol were being broken down. And through the mind-link I had with everyone, I felt something else change. I'd have to figure that out later. I had clearly run full speed into whatever limitations Stell had kept warning me about, but this time I powered through them without the usual agony. I gave Breena a happy grin.

  “It worked,” I said. “Thanks for the help, awesome lady. That was the most pleasant change I've had all day.”

  “Whew,” Breena wiped her forehead. “I'm glad nothing went wrong. I know we're both tired of it. Let me see how you figured out your new Ideals.” She scanned me with her magic fairy companion powers (darned if I can come up with a formal name for it yet), and then our eyes widened. Then she sighed.

  “Ideal of Blood. Could have been worse, I guess. Maybe. Somehow.”

  “Sorry,” I said sheepishly. “Steam was my first choice, but they wouldn't take it.”

  “Of course they wouldn't,” Breena huffed. Then she smiled at me. “But I love that you even tried, Wes. Not jumping straight into Primal Magic shows that you really care about a girl.”

  “Of course.” I winked at her. “I'll try not to be difficult any day for a gal like you, Breena.”

  She giggled at me, and I suddenly asked myself where all of the new confidence and bad lines were coming from. Must have been the stress and craziness. And being surrounded by beautiful women again.

  Focus, Wes, I told myself. Stop being a hormonal teenager.

  “So anyway,” I said with a cough, and then Breena suddenly clutched her head and swayed in the wind.

  “Guineve!” I shouted immediately as I rushed over to her, cupping her body with my hands.

  My other friend had gone over to check on the Pit victims, but she glided through the mist faster than I thought possible and was by my side in a moment.

  “What happened?” Guineve asked quietly, watching her fellow Satellite intently.

  “I'm okay,” the sprite-woman said as she rested a hand on my arm. “Just...”

  From my link with her I could sense confusion, and a swarm of new images, much like I had gone through as well.

  Breena was forming a new Ideal.

  “She is okay,” Guineve nodded as she examined her. “Though this is new for her. Well done, Wes.”

  “Huh?” I asked in an accidental moment of stupid. “What did I do?”

  “Wood,” Breena said excitedly. “You gave me Wood!”

  Awkward silence.

  “Um...” I began uncomfortably. Guineve was wearing a quiet grin on her face.

  “As I said, Wes, congratulations.”

  “The Ideal of Wood!” Breena shouted, exasperated. “As in the magic! Come on, Guineve! Stop being weird!”

  “Hmm?” the taller woman answered innocently. “What do you mean? Why would we be talking about something else?”

  “Let's go ahead and hold off on those jokes until she's both a lot bigger and more comfortable with them, Guineve.”

  She grinned broadly at me, and then looked at her sister Satellite.

  “It looks like you gained an Innate level of that Ideal, Breena. How did that happen?”

  “It's started happening since yesterday,” Breena chattered happily. “Yesterday, when I was with Wes, I began to Rise on my own. I mean it still happens at the same time his does, but I have more control over the process. And I've started getting Ideals! Both his own, and faster than I would get normally, and new ones like Wood!”