Amdirlain’s PoV - Outlands - Xaos


    The sound of chalk on a slate board signalled Malnir’s location, and Amdirlain found him atop a writing desk in the library, working on Draconic runes. Towering over Malnir, the slate board he was writing on was positioned on a stand atop the table and nearly filled with tightly packed runes. There was clear progress from the first of the columns, with the wavy or broken lines within the first examples slowly straightening. As Amdirlain watched, Malnir finished a column, wiggled sideways and reached up to start another.


    Amdirlain could hear Yngvarr and the Githzérai leafing through books among the closest bookshelves.


    Amdirlain waited until Malnir finished the new column and gently tapped on a nearby desk. “Mind if I interrupt?”


    Malnir’s ears perked right up, and he hopped away from the chalkboard before he turned around. “Mistress Am, or should I call you Sifu as well?”


    “Am is fine since I’m not your teacher,” replied Amdirlain.


    “You’ll teach him bad habits. Addressing seniors properly is an important part of Diplomacy to practice,” corrected Yngvarr, her stern tone poorly concealing her amusement.


    “Oops, your Master has spoken; I don’t want to land us both in trouble,” whispered Amdirlain.


    Setting his chalk carefully aside, Malnir scrubbed chalkdust from his hands, his dark blue outfit having gained patches of white all over. “What title should I use then, to be polite?”


    “Delinquent,” called Nomein.


    Lezekus’ laughter earned a hush from Gemiya, and Malnir gave Amdirlain a confused head tilt.


    Sarith moved around the end of a bookcase, carefully holding a thick grimoire. “Drop out? Know that you still achieved more than my kicked-out status.”


    Amdirlain inhaled dramatically and gave Malnir a wink before she protested. “Where did I get you four from? Malnir asked about being polite.”


    “Know we come from your disreputable past,” declared Gemiya. “Know, however, that past gets you no closer to selecting a title.”


    “Caretaker,” offered Amdirlain.


    “That sounds like you’re wandering around with a mop or broom,” objected Yngvarr. “Just use Sifu, then all these teachers can use that as a standard.”


    “Fine, Sifu. Though the only instructor title I’m used to anyone using was Sensei, and those classes seem so long ago now,” complained Amdirlain.


    “Then have a new beginning for yourself,” Yngvarr replied.


    Merry laughter came from the Githzérai, and Amdirlain shook her head glumly. “They all think they’re so funny, Malnir. Would you show me your progress with the runes you’ve memorised after you’ve finished your current columns?”


    “Yes, Sifu Am,” replied Malnir, and he turned back to start on the second-to-last column. “It’s great to have this much space to practice.”


    Yngvarr exited the stacks and placed a bookmark in the text she’d been reading before gently setting it on a table.


    “Yngvarr, have you enlisted some more magic teachers?” asked Amdirlain, and she waved a hand casually at the stacks.


    Nodding, Yngvarr smiled. “They came through yesterday, played in your tower, and then volunteered.”


    “Aren’t you all doing city clearing?” asked Amdirlain.


    Lezekus came out of the stacks and leaned against the end of a row. “Know that we chose to assist in getting your project started. Know the monastery’s council decided long ago—with its surplus of anarchs and wizards—that it had a debt to repay, yet you seemed in favour of paying such forward.”


    “And?”


    Giving a wink, Lezekus broke from her formal tone. “We’ve been in touch with them. Since you’ve decided that setting up a school here is worthwhile, here is where we’ll start to pay it forward. While the monastery’s schedule is being determined, we will help teach. After that, others will be here teaching each day; since you hold classes in four hour shifts, they can spread out the duty.”


    “But you had just started city clearing,” protested Amdirlain, trying to get through to them.


    “We can do additional remote reconnaissance and planning each day. We’ll use this brief delay productively and have your constructs to keep ourselves sharp against. Do the constructs we fight in there truly help you get stronger?” probed Lezekus.


    Amdirlain sighed. “Yes.”


    “Then we’ll stay until we’ve helped more of the garrison get towards the tower’s heights,” declared Lezekus. “There are things we can do together, but others only you can do. Setting up this school isn’t something you need to shoulder alone. Teach those you wish to teach, but we will help teach those waiting so you do not feel you’re not achieving enough.”


    “Then I insist on helping more students at the monastery gain affinities,” declared Amdirlain.


    Rolling her eyes, Lezekus moved over to Amdirlain and hugged her. “You add yet more debt to the scale. Please, let us help your goals.”


    “Fine, but many of your people are isolationists,” cautioned Amdirlain, and she gently returned Lezekus’ hug.


    “The pride of the monastery means they will all do their utmost to abide by this community’s objectives,” declared Lezekus. “Malnir has spoken with us about some of his kin that would like lessons.”


    “Malnir also mentioned he jumped ahead by asking you about the furnishings,” offered Yngvarr. “If we are going to teach more mousekin, perhaps a burrow arrangement in place of a suite?”


    Not wanting to think about containing the song in a single room, Amdirlain smiled. “I’ll join a few suites together after Malnir’s demonstration. Yngvarr, do you know any area effect versions of the Tongues Spell?”


    “No, they’re all for individuals in the Spell lists I’ve learnt,” advised Yngvarr, and Amdirlain nodded in understanding. “I’ll apply it regularly to those who need one while I research a zone version of the Spell. There might be one among these grimoires, or we can look to purchase one at The Exchange.”


    “I’ll let you figure that out with Ebusuku or the others,” allowed Amdirlain, and she caught Malnir finishing up the last rune. As she continued, she took a seat opposite the slate board. “If we can find a zone version, I can have it across the facility.”


    Having finished the columns of runes, Malnir cleaned the board and meticulously drew out the hundred and sixty runes he’d now memorised. Before he wrote out each one, he informed Amdirlain of the rune name and its meaning.


    “You’re making good progress, but I’ve been told I reward success with more work,” cautioned Amdirlain.


    “Excellent!” squeaked Malnir, and he cheerfully clapped his dusty hands, sending up a cloud of chalk dust.


    “You could have taken him on as an Apprentice, no jogging the elbow of my teaching,” chided Yngvarr.


    Amdirlain shrugged. “I’m only helping with his languages; you get to set his overall schedule. I’ll create a burrow in the empty suites near the entrance. Then Cyrus and I will head off for some sparring, and leave you to your library explorations. Though you should know, it’s a collection that Ebusuku expected me to take a century to get through.”


    Giving them a wave, Amdirlain teleported to the ground level, already humming a song. The merry tune she’d started with took on a life of its own, the music flexing the dimensional boundaries outwards as a lace-like latticework of True Song Crystal grew alongside the initial corridors. With the seed of the idea blooming quickly, Amdirlain pushed the Power and added subtle themes to strain her capabilities.


    It took nearly an hour before Amdirlain was done, and kilometres of tunnels now existed in far-reaching dimensional spaces. The new burrow and all its facilities were within the town’s wards. The burrow contained thousands of softly lit versions of her suite’s facilities, panelled in warm wood. Along with community facilities were hundreds of scaled-down workrooms that Amdirlain hoped would be useful for many crafts. She placed larger chambers to allow them to establish small farms to allow the burrow to supplement the town’s fields.


    A spider’s web of corridors interlinked the chambers. Among them, fancy doors with ornate borders marked the location of dimensional slipways. Setup to allow instant transportation within the burrow and significant points of the school and Xaos. With a final few notes, she connected one slipway to the lane beside Trill’s shop.


    Malnir has no excuse not to visit his mum if she doesn’t move in.


    The only issue with it was the extent of the place.


    [Crafting Experience: (Town Planner)


    Species Haven (Mousekin)


    Total Experience gained: 150,000,000


    Ostim?: +75,000,000


    Ont?lin: +75,000,000


    Note: Yeah, because why outfit a few rooms?


    True Song Genesis [Ap] (21->22)]


    I might have gone overboard, but at least I progressed the Power.


    After informing Cyrus she’d be just a little longer, Amdirlain returned to the library.


    “Malnir, I need to give you a quick tour.”


    “Which room is it, Sifu?” asked Malnir eagerly.


    Spotting the entry door where she’d expected it beside the main entrance of the library, Amdirlain smiled. “The tour can start from here.”


    With that, she pointed towards the tiny door in the wood panelling and shrunk into a tawny-furred Mousekin, her clothing readily adapting to the change. Hopping to the door, she pushed it open and waited for Malnir to catch up.


    Stolen from its rightful author, this tale is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.


    The dimensional slipway just beyond the entry dropped them down onto the main concourse of the haven. The walls and ceiling panelling were the warm reddish-brown wood Amdirlain had envisaged, and she’d covered the floors in soft moss. Here and there, among the rich rosewood grains, True Song Crystal peeked through both as nightlights and controls of the suites.


    Giving a whole body shake at the strangeness of his first slip-way travel, Malnir’s eyes went wide. His whiskers and ears stood out as his nose absorbed the unfamiliar scents that drifted past him on the air currents.


    “Pick a suite and touch the translucent crystal by the door; you’ll become the suite owner,” informed Amdirlain.


    “What’s to stop someone from grabbing lots of them?”


    “The Enchantment will only let you own one, though it does key the suite’s wards to you. Then you can designate guests and secondary owners. Though the rights can be transferred, the burrow won’t allow even subtle coercion.”


    “What does the place do if that happens?”


    “It will eject the individual attempting it from the haven without the right of return, and any quarters they’ve already claimed will be relinquished. That goes the same whether someone intentionally guilt-tripped their target despite their objections or strong-armed them.”


    Malnir touched the crystal beside the suite directly across the corridor from the slipway; its translucent surface turned jade-green to signify it was claimed.


    “Go, check it out,” encouraged Amdirlain.


    As Malnir hurried inside, Amdirlain settled down to wait, enjoying the series of excited squeaks from Malnir. She restrained a smile as he scampered about exploring his fancy six-room suite. After a quick exploration, Malnir scurried back out, waving frantically at the suite behind him. “This is too big for me.”


    “You can let guests or fellow students stay, but do you think that is the only one that size?”


    “What?”


    Amdirlain snorted. “Most of them are at least that big, if not larger; I could sense the size of the families.”


    Malnir flung his arms out wide, and even his tail was caught up in the motion. “Why build this?”


    “Two reasons: you needed some quarters, and Trill told me your community has to be careful how you extend the burrow,” explained Amdirlain. “Your community can either relocate away from the Portal’s influence or expand in here as it grows.”


    “You’re not worried about someone stealing from the library?”


    “The contents, on Nolmar property, are well protected,” reassured Amdirlain, and she motioned to the door they’d used.” Also, that slipway can only be used by someone accepted as a student or Apprentice.”


    “Why do you call it a slipway?” asked Malnir.


    Amdirlain waved her tail about casually. “I know it’s not for boats, but they let you slip through other dimensions from one spot to another. Some are fixed, and others let you concentrate on a location and jump to the closest slipway at the other end.”


    “Boats?”


    “Oh, never mind, something to learn about later,” replied Amdirlain. “There are spots for community farms throughout the tunnels, but it’s up to your community if they’re used that way or for something else. The Commander says growing food isn’t a problem since the Outlands causes crops to ripen fast after planting. But those farming spaces can be used as open places for children to play or market squares if people don’t want them for crops.”


    Malnir nervously shifted on his feet. “I think I’ll have to tell Mum or one of the burrow elders.”


    Amdirlain jabbed a thumb at the fancy door they’d arrived in front of. Within a border that looked like a ripple from a skipped stone, it showed an embossed pattern of a bookcase. “Look for a door with a similar border but no picture. Open it thinking about your mum’s shop; you’ll find yourself in the laneway downslope from the burrow.”


    “How big is this place?”


    “Big. The unattuned slipways are spread along the main concourses, so getting around won’t be a problem. Feel free to pick a direction and start walking.”


    “And I can use any of them to get back to the library door here?” enquired Malnir.


    Amdirlain nodded. “Correct.”


    Malnir looked uncertainly along the concourse that extended beyond his sight in both directions. Taking mercy on him, Amdirlain pointed toward the closest unsecured slipway, and Malnir nodded his thanks before he headed off.


    * * * * *


    The air filled with the smell of cooking flesh, and Amdirlain glided out of reach of another kick. As she flexed her hand, the broken bones in her right arm made their abused state clear to Pain Eater. With her body on the mend from many other injuries, the accumulated damage slowed the speed at which the latest breaks were healing.


    “Done,” grunted Amdirlain.


    Grunting his approval, Cyrus bowed. “I was wondering if you’d call it. You don’t feel the pain in the same way anymore, do you?”


    Moving carefully, Amdirlain responded to his bow. “Nope. I know I’m injured, but Pain Eater takes the urgency from it. If you get stabbed, you feel a cold sensation before the pain hits; it’s a cold pressure increasing or fading as I’m injured or healed, but it’s present until the wound completely heals. If the Skill gets overwhelmed, I feel the full force of all the pain at once.”


    “After you,” said Cyrus, motioning towards the pavilion.


    The sparring session with Cyrus had been a continual lesson in technique execution from the receiving side. Nursing burnt flesh and broken bones, Amdirlain teleported to the crystal pavilion and almost staggered before she dropped onto her intended seat. Protean, Pain Eater, and her resistances had shown solid gains during the fighting, and she could feel them still at work.


    [Pain Eater [M] (100) -> [S] (1)]


    And there we go again!


    Pushing back her sleeve Amdirlain considered the lightning-charred flesh the action revealed. “As I mentioned, Electricity Resistance isn’t one of my immediate needs.”


    Stepping around one of the crystal pillars, Cyrus sat down across from her.


    “Yes, but Ras told me it’s more commonly needed against Western demons than Metal,” stated Cyrus. “I’ll hold off making the tea until you’ve recovered enough to enjoy it.”


    His phrasing had Amdirlain snort in amusement. “The pair of us are strange. We both remember variations of Earth from different realms and use Eastern vs Western as reference points.”


    “But of course, there is the East, where things are done properly according to the Jade Emperor’s will, and everywhere else,” Cyrus replied matter of factly, laying out his tea set upon the pavilion’s table. “Since you say the Titan’s origins are Greek, it still works; there are far more Western barbarians.”


    Amdirlain wrapped her arms around her healing ribs when Pain Eater registered that her resultant laughter was straining the healing fractures.


    “Let me know when your Electricity Resistance achieves the Greater rank,” instructed Cyrus. “I’ll change to something else I can infuse. Once you’re more capable of defending yourself, I’ll switch to weapons to increase your other resistances,”


    “Yes, Sifu,” Amdirlain said, and she bowed from the waist.


    Cyrus smiled. “That is fair, and I’ll make a proper Master of you yet.”


    “I don’t have any Skill related to teaching or instruction,” observed Amdirlain.


    “Likely because you possess such a high Charisma along with two versions of Diplomacy,” suggested Cyrus. “Teaching is a matter of clear communication that gets your message across in a way that your students will take in as such; it’s a subset of what the Diplomacy Skill encapsulates. A Skill that directs your Charisma along socially acceptable mannerisms allows for efficient communication.”


    “So the drill sergeant types end up with an Instructor Skill or something similar. However, a Diplomat could make people want to pay attention, and so doesn’t?” enquired Amdirlain.


    “And a naturally charismatic individual reads the room and adjusts their approach to suit the audience with no Skill. Since there is no communication challenge, no Skill acquisition or progress occurs,” confirmed Cyrus.


    “There is such a thing as preparing lesson plans and other material like that,” observed Amdirlain. “I laid out memory crystals for Gail to learn skills.”


    “Or it might just relate to the Skill involved and how far beneath your level you are teaching,” proposed Cyrus. “It’s all theory?. Let me know when you plan to teach classroom lessons; then we’ll see how that goes with gaining a related Skill.”


    Amdirlain shook her head. “Pass.”


    “I’m not sure why you’re asking me when you have that Analysis Skill,” commented Cyrus.


    “With Analysis, the key to getting the most out of it is what questions you ask,” advised Amdirlain. “Getting input from other people has led to me asking the questions differently and getting answers I previously hadn’t received.”


    “Knowing enough to ask the right questions is important,” agreed Cyrus, and he turned to watch the labouring celestials. “When you’ve got the obstacles in place, can I run your gauntlet?”


    “Use it as often as you like,” allowed Amdirlain. “Between cycling Ki for my patients, teaching, and fixing worlds, I’m glad the gauntlet isn’t ready yet. I’m going to do some experimenting before the next training session.”


    “Experimenting with?”


    “It’s a variation approach to using True Song,” advised Amdirlain.


    “You’ve other things to experiment with as well. Tell me of your attempts to use Ki Blast,” instructed Cyrus. "You’ll need to gain mastery in either it or Ki Projection to evolve your Ki Strike and Infusion.”


    “I’ve got time while I heal,” agreed Amdirlain.


    “Moderation; just because I can send you a Message to release your Planar Lock doesn’t mean you should court a death during training,” chided Cyrus.


    Amdirain bowed in apology. “Yes, Sifu.”


    Cyrus gave a sceptical huff and tapped the table for attention. “Have you gotten close to using Ki Blast at all?”


    Nodding, Amdirlain provided an account of the one fight in the Maze she’d unleashed an unfocused burst and the attempts she’d made afterwards. As she healed, Cyrus taught her how to harness her sigil’s cycling to project her Ki.


    When he finally started to prepare the tea, Cyrus gave her a considering look. “Ki Blast and Flight I would recommend you seek to master. Developing Ki Blast to master rank will let you combine Ki Strike and Ki Infusion. While combining Ki Flight and Ki Movement is a required step towards being able to execute Sword Light.”


    “Sword Light?”


    “After we have tea, then we’ll go back to the Outlands. Your Foundry lacks enough room to make any demonstration of the Power meaningful.”


    After she’d healed and had tea Amdirlain opened a Gate to set them on a hilltop covered in shoulder-high grass far from her prison and Xaos.


    Looking around, Cyrus got his bearings on the Outland’s central spire, and a Chinese sabre appeared in his hand. The music of its manifestation sounded like an item being pulled from Inventory.


    “Where did that come from?” enquired Amdirlain, tilting her head as she replayed the memory of the music that had been close to, but not quite, Inventory.


    Cyrus unsheathed the sword, and the sheath disappeared; the same theme played again. “Why do you ask?”


    “It didn’t sound like it came out of a normal storage device,” replied Amdirlain.


    “It did not; I keep my Jian and other prized possession in my Soul Space,” explained Cyrus before he lifted the double-edge sword to show off the pattern along the middle of the blade. A warrior ran along the top of a cloud bank, lightning flickered about him as he followed in the wake of a giant tiger, its passage had split wild clouds like a ship’s prow parting waves.


    “Your tea set isn’t a prized possession?” enquired Amdirlain as she examined the blade.


    Shaking his head, Cyrus gave her a wry look. “It is an object of comfort but not prized enough to take up valuable space. Once you have stored an object in your Soul Space, they are dragged with you even through death until they are given away.”


    “Should I tell you it sounded similar to Inventory when the Jian appeared in your hand?”


    Exhaling a calming breath, Cyrus frowned. “The special ability you gifted your friends is like Soul Space?”


    “I think so; I’ve never lost anything I’ve previously stored in it despite having died while wearing a few items I later found on me,” confessed Amdirlain.


    “Never mention it to Ki masters; they’ll want to vent their ire with a lengthy exchange of pointers,” warned Cyrus emphatically.


    The firmness of his tone had Amdirlain lift a brow. “Why?”


    “Consider how long it takes to get to Grand Master in Ki State. You’ve still not done so, but consider it an exercise in decades. Then take that time and double it; that is how long it might take one studying to open Soul Space enough to store significant volumes of material. While the Soul Space doesn’t lead to anything, you’ve given them a convenience many have worked hard to achieve.”


    “Oh, yeah, I think I’ll keep that to myself then,” agreed Amdirlain.


    [Soul Space:


    Details: Allows objects to be converted from physical to energy states, permitting storage within a being’s Soul. At early levels, this Power allows storing grams of weight and can progress towards holding kilograms with rigorous practice and training. Once objects have been stored in an individual’s Soul Space, they are linked to that individual until willingly given away or sold. Linked objects will return to the Soul Space if separated from their owner by a large distance.


    Note: Souls are infinite, so don’t worry about stretch marks. This Power is the baby version of Inventory. Doesn’t lead to anything. Yeah, right.


    Note: Just because their Ki powers, skills, and planar patterns got incorporated doesn’t mean we’re limited to their old realm’s rules.]


    “How much can your Inventory hold?” enquired Cyrus.


    Amdirlain reviewed the details of Analysis on Soul Space and gave an innocent smile. “No comment. However, Gideon indicates that Soul Space does lead to more. Perhaps it didn’t lead to anything in your old realm, but Gideon says this realm isn’t limited by your old realm’s rules.”


    “Hmm, I’m not sure if I should reward or chastise you further for giving Inventory out,” muttered Cyrus. “I’ll let you see Sword Light from an exterior perspective.”


    Before Amdirlain could object, Cyrus’ form shimmered into an ethereal light that shrouded the still-hovering jian. As his energy wrapped around it, the blade became a white light and blurred away, a mere dot of light that disappeared into the distance as it merged with the daylight.


    “Okay, so not just riding atop a blade. Travelling as living light, that’s cool,” gushed Amdirlain before she sighed. “Bet he’s leaving me here to see how long I wait.”


    Since Amdirlain had hours before her next teaching session, she followed Cyrus’ instructions on Ki Blast. Standing with her feet shoulder-width apart, she started to punch from the hip at increasing speeds. As her arms began to feel like pistons, her cycling speed increased to match the pace of her punches.


    As excess Ki accumulated, her sigil’s wings flared with light in time to a punch exploding from her hip. A burst of gold lept from her fist and slapped against the long grass, barely causing it to sway, as if pushed by a light breeze.


    Unlike the accident in the Maze, this time, the system acknowledged her deliberate effort.


    [Ki Blast Unlocked


    Ki Blast (1)]


    No synergies with anything? Maybe that’s why it was tough to unlock.


    Halting, Amdirlain stretched her arms above her head and interlaced her fingers while considering the feeling of Ki Blast. The Power had thrown her life energy outwards, effectively expended—even willfully discarded.


    Unlike Universal Life, where the Ki used remained connected, and under her direction, Ki Blast was a focused abandonment of her life’s energy wrapped up around intent to harm.


    It was also different from Ki Strike since that Power’s application allowed her physical body to impact another’s body with devastating force. Her life force remained within her and diffused throughout her flesh before gradually returning to her Ki Pool.


    Ki Infusion allowed for the projection of Mana, but it had originated outside the body. Whether or not it was holding spells ready, the foreign energy went beyond the flesh, but not her life force.


    With a long slow breath, Amdirlain focused on the Power’s feeling. Executing a slow drifting punch, Amdirlain concentrated on the Ki flowing up her arm and aimed at a grass stem a half metre beyond her reach. As the punch reached full extension, she kept the Ki moving, and it leapt outwards but still administered little more than a light shove against the grass stem.


    [Ki Blast (1->2)]


    Nodding in satisfaction, Amdirlain got to work. The early levels started to flatten out stretches of grass, starting with a narrow section an arm’s length beyond the limit of her reach. It slowly and steadily progressed onwards, flattening out small increases in length and width each time. It had been a steady increase that gave Amdirlain no warning after it had advanced to Beginner. The rush of Ki tore through twelve metres before it came to a stop leaving a path wider than her shoulders of shattered and burning grass in its wake.


    [Ki Blast [B] (1->2)


    Note: You’re now up to infusing a tiny fraction of your Strength and Willpower into it.]


    “Note to self. Practice away from breakable things like townships, bank vaults, and city blocks,” muttered Amdirlain.


    Feeling unsettled by the discarding of life force, Amdirlain dug at the discomfort and found her thoughts tracing a familiar argument. Ki was life energy generated through the interaction of her Soul and flesh. Amdirlain had long discomforted various people by making items with Protean and separating them from her flesh. The discarded objects took a price in health, yet after what she’d endured, she hadn’t batted an eyelid at it. Casting away the Ki was almost equivalent and yet made her nervous.


    “Universal Life exposes my Soul’s Song to those who can hear it. Am I worried about tipping my hand to more people or something else?” Amdirlain asked herself. As she started to pace around, the scent of burning grass caught her attention. Not pausing in her consideration, she tossed out some water-based spells to snuff out the flames.


    Extinguishing the last of them, Amdirlain stopped and caught the source of her worry: a memory of Yang flames consuming corrupted flesh after her first visit to Ijmti. The violent reaction it and later uses had evoked from the Abyss and its residents wasn’t something to take lightly.


    “Certainly not a Power I should use in the Abyss. Throwing around golden Ki would be as attention-grabbing as Yang flames.”


    Appearing outside Xaos, Amdirlain checked in with the Apothecary before returning to Nolmar.


    Within the burrow, hundreds of mousekin shifted about, settling into new homes and placing equipment in workshops.