Chapter 260: Sleep?_Millennial Mage

Chapter 260: Sleep?

 T and Terry ran.

 Well, thats not quite urate.

 Terry flickered around, bopping to various hills, asionally disappearing after some bit of prey or other, but always returning and falling into step beside T with ease.

 T, for her part, loped, bounding more than anything else, springing forward with every step, the expanded surface area of each foot allowing her enhanced strength to really prove its worth.

 There wasnt much snow near toiri, but she did find some in the deeper valleys and on the northern sides of the hills as she moved across thend.

 It provided a haunting echo of home. The human wilds, for the most part, got a lot of snow in winter, but hundreds of miles south? There was little and that had been just one more reminder that she was in a foreignnd.

 As the sun moved down towards the horizon from high-noon, T began experimenting with magical resonance.

 She increased the amount of power that she allowed into her aura and pushed it ahead of herself.

 Almost immediately, a resonance began to build, so she feathered the power back, softening the edges of her aura.

 When she did that, the resonance faded before it truly began.

 She sped up, pushing herself to move faster than shed ever moved on her own, except maybe when shed been fighting Io, but that had been in incredibly short bursts.

 This was the equivalent of a dead sprint for the long haul, and she knew that she couldnt maintain it for very long, even with all her magics.

 That said, it was actually fairly easy for her to approach magical resonance in the rtively potent zeme with her speed.

 The magic in the air would barely have sustained an arcane Child, but it was almost double the density of the human Wilds, so close to an arcane city.

 Not too close. Ive been running for hours. I might have covered close to fifty miles by now.

 -A bit more by my estimate, but yeah, pretty close to that.-

 She was going nearly twice as fast as shed averaged before, and her short window of time at this speed was closing, so she did her experimentation quickly.

 She pulled her aura and power in tight, ying with the shape of it.

 Eventually, she was able to find a shape that was almost aerodynamic, but had odd, irregr ripples across its surface, which seemed to keep the magic from resonating more effectively than a perfectly smooth shape did.

 She doubted it was the best shape she could make, but it was good enough for now.

 She slowed down, barely breathing hard thanks to her enhancements. Oh, I love being inscribed once again.

 Still, she did feel an ache deep within herself from having pushed so hard.

 -It was only about a day, right?-

 It felt like an eternity. The entire time, I felt like an idiot a slow, weak idiot.

 t huffed augh within Ts head. -Yeah, well. Youre better now.-

 That I am.

 Terry flickered back into his ce, moving alongside her without getting too close.

 Good hunting?

 He trilled happily before flickering to her other side, just because he could.

 How does he do that? He should have to go through the intervening space, given hes using dimensional magics, but he doesnt actually seem to.

 -I think that his magics arent like the quickways in Croi, but Ill grant you that they bear some simrities.-

 T grunted. Oh! Have you found any solutions for our unwanted passenger?

 T, herself had been considering the problem of the dasgannach.

 She hadnte up with even another temporary solution, not yet.

 She didnt really expect either of them toe up with something so quickly, but she was optimistic that they would. Something was tickling at the back of her mind, telling her that there was a solution that shoulde to mind.

 She just hadnt remembered it, yet.

 -No But could you do me a favor?-

 Probably? Whats up?

 -Can you run with your voidsight active?-

 T shrugged, not even bothering to ask why for the moment. Sure.

 And so T went back to running loping.

 Terry cleared out any wildlife that might have been bothersome.

 The miles sped on by.

 The sun set.

 Darkness fell.

 When full night had washed across all that T could see, she slowed, allowing her voidsight to drop along with Flows return to its resting form.

 I have had a long two days, t.

 -I know. I wish that you could sleep.-

 T grimaced, turning her focus to the slow burn of the Archon star, building within her left ring finger. I cant though, not with this in the works. It would seal off, my body would expel it, and Id be done for.

 -You know, I could take over the working. Its not like I dont know what Im doing.-

 T considered the idea. You havent really controlled my magic directly before. Have you?

 -Not for anything important. Just little bits here and there. We share a soul, mind, and will. It should respond to me just as well as you.-

 T grunted. That was sound logic.

 Terry flickered to stand a bit away from her as T stood atop a snow-covered bluff, beneath a cloudless, starry sky.

 Its beautiful tonight, isnt it? T tilted her head back to stare up and take it all in.

 It was odd to think that the Doman-Imithe was what anyone up there would see, if they looked in towards Zeme.

 What would it look like from the outside?

 Terry looked up as well, raising his head in a manner that seemed to evoke a feeling of pride and mastery of all he surveyed. He let out a slow, soft trill, and T smiled.

 Yeah. It is good to be free once more.

 What do I know of that ce? She considered, just letting her mind turn the problem over like she hadnt really done in recent memory. All reality is connected by threads. Nodules that are actual ces. Manifestations formed around the connection paths, forged of figments of the observing mind and the dust of a previous world.

 -Yeah.-

 Tughed. There arent threads, here.

 -Not really, no. I think your cross-stitching analogy was spot on. Zeme is the pretty picture the ancient workers of power forged, the Doman-Imithe is the remains.-

 But, in cross-stitch, there is vastly more material on the back, than on the front.

 -Yeah, I was thinking on that. We dont really have evidence that Zeme is a full. No one has circumnavigated it.-

 What then? A disc on the back of four elephants, all bnced on the back of a giant turtle?

 -Who knows how they made it? All the mass is still here, somewhere, so its not like physics would be that greatly affected, depending on how it all interacts.-

 T grunted at that. I did notice that everything looks like nodules to my voidsight. All pressed up against one another, contiguous in the tapestry they create.

 -Yeah. There are some interesting implications, there, but I dont have them all fleshed out, yet.-

 Take your time. We have our entire lives ahead of us.

 t huffed an internalugh. -Youre funny.-

 I do try.

 There was a moment of silence before t continued. -I wish we could see reality out there, beyond our broken and rebuilt world. I think it would be very informative.-

 T nodded. Well, we seem to have a way back from the Doman-Imithe. Maybe, we should take a trip out and back.

 Her recent trip through the Doman-Imithe shed through herat times too perfectmemory. But not soon. Maybe in a few years.

 -When we make it there.-

 When we make it then.

 They shared a grin, stretching pleasantly across Ts face.

 -But to the business of the evening.- Ts clothing shifted beneath her vest.

 The vest was all that remained of her white scale armor. Right, I used thest scales as a distraction for that Pir from the House of the Acidic Tide.

 It would probably be worth it to remake the armor, but not this instant.

 What are you doing? She could feel t exerting their will and power on the elk-leathers.

 -Proving a point. See? I can manipte the clothing just as well as you can.-

 Of course you can, youre soul-bound to it, just like I am.

 t grumbled. -Fine then. What about this?-

 Ts aura shifted, taking on the exact shape that shed found most optimal that afternoon.

 It was a wless recreation. -Of course it is, I have your memories, Im using your power. I am effectively you. I can manage the Archon star.-

 T hesitated for only a moment. Well, if I die, you die, so you must be pretty confident.

 -I am.-

 On three?

 -Are you crazy?-

 T felt something shift in her flow of magic, and suddenly, the trickle going to the Archon star was out of her control.

 She almost panicked and tried to grab on in desperation. Something deep within her told her that she would easily seed, all that she needed to do was reach out and grasp it, but the flow continued without fluctuation.

 You could have warned me.

 -You would have tensed up. Youre exhausted.-

 T groaned. t, you function in the same mind that I do. If I sleep, you sleep. Youve even told me that dreamless sleep for me is like a blink for you, too.

 -I know, I know. Im not going to let you fall all the way asleep. It wont be nearly as restful, but I think I can get you to only let half your mind sleep at a time. Your body really wont be able to move, and Ill be the only consciousness awake for it, but I think we can make it work. Well just need about twice the amount of time to feel fully rested.-

 Thats thats actually a really good idea if you can make it work.

 -I think I can.-

 Then, lets do it.

 There were some small crags near the base of the bluff they were standing on, and it didnt take long for T to drop down and put Kit on the rock surface. With the barest ripple of power, Kit made a perfectly camouged door, which opened to allow her and Terry to enter.

 Terry flickered away instantly, off to be about his business.

 T stepped into her bedroom within the sanctum and felt herself rx.

 Even when shed been an Eskau, shed been able to literally let her hair down in this room, as well as metaphorically.

 She stripped off the remnants of her armor, and retracted her elk-leathers as much as she could.

 T couldnt do anything about the iron on her skin anymore, not now that the dasgannach had a hold of it, but she still mirrored the elk-leathers self-cleaning onto her own skin and hopped, causing a cascade of dust, dirt, and the remnants of sweat to fall to the floor before Kit made it vanish.

 Thank you, Kit.

 Kit did not respond.

 Without anything further that she needed to do, T flopped down on her bed, and t began the process of putting half her brain to sleep.

 Tsst thought was of food.

 Ill eat tomorrow.

 It felt like the blink of an eye before T came back to her senses, sitting up with a smile.

 She felt worlds better than she had the night before.

 The light of dawn was slowly beginning to build through her bedroom window.

 Even as well rested as she felt, she was a little stiff, despite all of her enhancements. I should have stretched.

 -Yes, you should have. Good morning, by the way.-

 Good morning, t. T grinned, happy to have her alternate interface back.

 She took the time to move through her stretches, really sinking into them to allow her body to unclench from her day of hard travel, not to mention the strain of relimating to her internal magics.

 She did not have time for a bath. After all, she was heading home.

 She couldnt hide her smile at that fact.

 Soon Ill be home, and I can see everyone again. Lyn and Holly, Rane and Ingrit, not to mention her family.

 She grimaced at that. It wasnt going to be fun exining where shed been for thest months, but it would be good to be back.

 Sure, the dasgannach was within her, threatening her with imminent demise, but shed either solve that or she wouldnt. It wasnt worth worrying about it.

 Thinking about?

 Absolutely.

 Worrying?

 Not in the least.

 Not one bit.

 Utterly pointless.

 She turned her thoughts more firmly onto her family. Nc and Illie should be at the Academy still. Hopefully, they werent told.

 But T knew there was little chance of that.

 Maybe, we could go visit them?

 -Inconvenient. Wed have to leave Kit behind and get reinscribed once we returned.-

 Of course, because only things that are soul-bound to us

 -Plus a little clothing.-

 Right, right, only things soul-bound to us, and some clothing,e along

 T felt dawning revtion building in t, even as the idea exploded within her own thoughts.

 Thats it!!!

 -The dasgannach is not bound to us.-

 Teleporting should strip it out.

 -The question is, would it take the iron?-

 T shook her head. It shouldnt matter. Our soul knows we have a functioning body, so we should have iron in ce when we arrive. It would be just like my hair when I came from the Academy.

 t knew that too, but the idea was so fresh to them both that neither had thought all the way through the obvious implications and oues. -It might even force the thing out? Cause it to leap out of you at thest moment, so it wasnt obliterated.-

 It might at that, but I doubt it. It has a strong desire to im everything. Even so, thats a good point. Well have to have whoever is assisting in the teleport be careful and ready.

 Just like that, she had a solidly workable solution.

 It was simple, elegant, andpletely within her means, assuming she could get to a human city before the Archon star fully formed.

 She moved into herst stretch. How are we on timing for the Archon star?

 -With as slow as were funneling power into it? We have at least a week.-

 But thats if nothing happens to throw things off. Thats if things go our way. T smirked. How likely is that?

 -I wouldnt bet on it.-

 Yeah, me neither. So, somewhere less than a week, the sooner the better.

 She shouldnt need to sleep again, but it would likely be wise to sleep every three days or so. That would slow them, depending on the route they had to take.

 T stood, left her room, and went to the kitchen, still deep in thought.

 It was easy to call up the base ingredients, and she began munching on raw fruits and vegetables.

 She had a selection of butchered meats avable as well.

 That would be a great way to start the day.

 She looked around the kitchen, hesitating.

 -Youve never really cooked in here, have you?-

 I have not, no. But you already knew that.

 She sighed, realizing that she just didnt have time for a real breakfast.

 Instead, she grabbed some readily made food. Sadly, what she ended up with was both vastly simpler and far less tasty than she had be ustomed to.

 Even so, it filled the small ache of hunger within her well enough.

 Terry was nowhere to be found, but he had his own diversions within the sanctum. Shed open Kit for him a littleter.

 The dasgannach didnt try to eat any of the knives or other utensils she touched in passing, so she wasnt quite sure what it would go after.

 Maybe, its because all of these have a bit of magic to them? The restraining band had been magical, but it had also been deactivated when the slime-monster consumed the iron it had contained.

 The magics in the tools, on the other hand, were always active, pulling fractionally from Kit via the schema in the dais outside.

 Differences highlight parameters.

 T didnt see the cat anywhere, but she still had some more mundane food in Kit that had been used for Thron and kept on hand in case she ever had guests.

 She never had.

 Sheid out a cut of meat for either the cat or Terry.

 She wouldnt be bothered no matter which ate it.

 The cat probably has plenty to eat, besides this. The arcanes built an entire ecosystem in here.

 She frowned. An ecosystem that wasnt bnced for the destruction a cat could bring.

 Maybe she should find it and kick it out.

 After a moments thought, she shook her head. That is not really a now problem.

 -I rmend a reinscription. Nothing is too worn, but you put a lot of odd stresses on yourself that had to be repaired, and Id prefer we were topped off.-

 Sure. It was a quick walk to her dais, and only the thinnest golden wires rose up to plunge down her throat before splitting apart to refresh her spellforms.

 With that, her short, morning routine was done.

 T called up the door out of Kit and stepped out into the early morning light of a mid-winters day.

 The sky was a lovely shade of blue and practically cloudless.

 The air was brisk, but not really overly cold.

 Such were winters to the south.

 Ill be home, soon.

 Thinking about the weather and the time of year, reminded her of the rough date.

 Nc and Illies birthday is only a few days away, and mine less than a week after. I should be home in time at least for mine. It would be a fairly glorious present if she could teleport to the Academy for their birthday, though.

 After all, she had to teleport anyway. Why not make use of the trip?

 T had no idea if it was as easy as asking to go, though. Such a trip likely had to be approved by someone.

 -Weve never checked.-

 Yeah, thats what I remembered.

 She took a deep breath and sighed.

 And were going to be under heavy suspicion when we return. I imagine there will be a minimum of a few days of intensive magical tests of one variety or other, before were cleared.

 -Theyre probably going to want to analyze every inch of Kit, as well.-

 She pulled Kit off the rock face and bounded up the slope to have a look around. Thats probably true.

 T spread her arms wide and basked in the sun. But thats an Im home! problem. Ill dly deal with a few of those.

MillionNovel

Chapter 260: Sleep?