Amdirlain’s PoV - Veht? - Mediterranean Sea


    Kadaklan was the first to exit the house and kneel beside Amdirlain; his quiet patience drew her from her silence. “Thank you.”


    “For what?”


    “Your help with the past life meditations,” said Amdirlain. “Their effectiveness has improved since I closed down Resonance, and the change in my species clarified some things.”


    “It is hard to hear the lessons from within when there is so much noise from without,” Kadaklan commented. “How has your progress been since the change?”


    “I’ve not gained a single experience point,” laughed Amdirlain.


    “That’s not what I was talking about, and I’m sure you know it,” said Kadaklan.


    Amdirlain smiled ruefully. “It’s almost embarrassing how much easier things have become since I started spending time on myself for a few hours a day. However, I was carrying some problem material in my Soul that made being fair to myself hard.”


    “Oh?”


    “The accumulated filth I had stored by drawing Mana in the Abyss and some oath links didn’t help. With my species change having evicted and consumed so much of it, that’s contributed significantly.”


    “You didn’t notice it earlier?”


    “I thought it was me,” admitted Amdirlain, tapping her sternum. “I took the blame for what I heard in my Soul and assumed it was my repugnant nature.”


    “But not now?”


    “Hard to do so when I hear the difference with the infection removed,” said Amdirlain. “But healing is still hard work even without additional filth inflaming my issues.”


    “No longer begrudging yourself the time?”


    Amdirlain coughed sheepishly. “My baggage was wearing me down, and it was the last thing any healthy relationship needed. I’m sure it seems silly that I need a goal focused on someone else to take care of myself.”


    “It’s not silly. We’re all motivated differently,” reassured Kadaklan, patting her shoulder. “Might I ask what formed the catalyst of this change in priorities?”


    “Deep down, I had issues believing anyone would commit to me. Sarah’s proposal gave me the leverage to slide many nagging doubts away so they don’t affect me as much. Though I’m still working on expunging them.”


    Kadaklan’s smile lit his gaze. “Yet it is a step ahead. A significant one to overcome all the pain you were in.”


    “We’ll see. I occasionally backslide, but Sarah can smell when my self-doubts are needling me,” said Amdirlain. “The energy that leaked down from my spiritual net has added to my scars, so I’ll keep working to clear them.”


    “Have you found the root of your self-esteem issues yet?” asked Kadaklan.


    “A tiny seed.”


    Kadaklan sighed. “Some weeds only need a small root system to flourish.”


    “I hope you’re not calling bamboo a weed now,” teased Amdirlain.


    “Fine, both great things and vile things can grow from small origins,” corrected Kadaklan. “This includes diseases of the mind when provided the right stimulus to grow.”


    “When I was little, an aunt told my mother that a child was only a burden at her age,” sighed Amdirlain. “I didn’t stick around to hear the rest of the conversation. Mum would have let her rant and ignored it, but I was too young to understand that perspective and needed her to rebuff my aunt. The accusation of being a burden resonated with the scars from Ori’s lifetime.”


    “And now?”


    “I’m focusing on remembering all the times Mum said I was her little miracle girl to dilute it away,” said Amdirlain. “It’s helping me improve, but it’ll be a long process to chip away at my bad mental habits and Ori’s pain.”


    Kadaklan paused at the front door opening, and as Jinfeng emerged, Amdirlain rose and gestured to the rough slope. “Shall we spar?”


    “My apologies if I interrupted.”


    “No, you’re all good. I can only stand talking about some matters for so long,” reassured Amdirlain.


    “Mixing up the routine from the monastery?”


    “Adapt,” instructed Amdirlain. “The rough footing will help with that as well. Once Sarah is ready to head off, we’ll return to where you were camping and continue from there.”


    Jinfeng saluted and skipped down the stairs, her sword already drawn before she danced across the first rocks and held the scabbard in her off-hand.


    As she spun, Amdirlain teleported to her back. Her absence from the top of the stairs prompted Jinfeng to tumble away from the perch she’d taken and come up to face Amdirlain.


    Amdirlain assumed a relaxed stance across from Jinfeng, ectoplasm swirling into existence and elongating from one hand to shape a dull grey Ji.


    Jinfeng’s first strike, Amdirlain slid aside with the barest whisper of contact. Throughout the subsequent probes, Amdirlain didn’t shift position from the rock she began upon, even as Jinfeng picked up the pace. Each of her attacks was treated as a slow-moving feather to be brushed aside. She started to coil for a vigorous attack, but Jinfeng stopped herself and stepped back.


    “Thank you, Sifu. Might I meditate upon the insights I gained?”


    “It’s fine if you don’t wish to continue at present,” said Amdirlain. “We only have a minimal time before we’ll break camp.”


    Jinfeng motioned to the surrounding hills. “Do you have the sound of our blades blocked?”


    “Did I say I was going to?”


    “Assumptions,” whispered Jinfeng; a flicker of conflicting emotions crossed her face, and she bowed instead of saluting as usual. “Thank you, Sifu.”


    Jinfeng sheathed her blade in a single movement and rested it in her crossed arms as her gaze grew distant.


    “Your Muse’s Insight can hit hard,” noted Kadaklan, who had not shifted from kneeling on the porch.


    Amdirlain smiled ruefully. “If only I’d been able to hit myself over the head with it.”


    “Do you have any news from Qil Tris?” asked Kadaklan. “I didn’t catch up with Jul’iane or Tulne on their last visit to the monastery.”


    “All the training facilities are now being used, and the cloister has purged their first ghost cavern, freeing the lingering souls,” said Amdirlain. “However, they only began addressing them a few days ago, so it will take some time to get through them all unless a member takes particular interest in the cause.”


    Sarah glanced about as she exited the house with Klipyl in tow. “Shall we get going or wait until Jinfeng recovers?”


    “Let’s give Jinfeng a few minutes,” said Amdirlain. “When did you want to take a break from travelling to change the house’s enchantments?”


    “I’ll let you know once I’ve prepared the pieces, and we can watch for a longer-term camping spot,” replied Sarah.


    She flowed over to Amdirlain and enfolded her in a warm embrace, drawing a smile in response.


    “This is good,” murmured Amdirlain, leaning into the hug.


    Kadaklan and Klipyl exchanged a satisfied nod, and Klipyl plopped down on the porch’s edge. With her arms resting atop the railing, she cheerfully swung her feet and watched the pair silently.


    They broke from their embrace only when Jinfeng stirred. After Sarah secured the house, Amdirlain returned them to the north side of the yawning pit where the knoll had stood.


    Klipyl let out a low whistle at the devastated hillsides. “I wouldn’t have recognised it from yesterday.”


    A single Spell upended the exhumed earth towards the pit, but it barely levelled out the hole.


    “I guess Lutu was hungry,” quipped Sarah.Unauthorized reproduction: this story has been taken without approval. Report sightings.


    Amdirlain waved towards the coast. “Let’s get going,”


    After the morning’s drama, the day’s travel towards the distant coastline was uneventful. They stuck close to the coast, and the sea breeze eased the tension that Orhêthurin’s memories had provoked. The first time Amdirlain caught sight of a Kobold’s track on an animal trail, she picked a different path. The exercises that Aitherlar had set her to pick out details made spotting the claw marks simple, but Amdirlain kept studying the trails. A shift in trail markings showed when they crossed tribal boundaries, but Amdirlain kept them headed northeast until they made the sea. When they reached the last hill obstructing their view out to the island of Monemvasia, she took a moment to admire its cliffs before she looked north to the rough hills and the battered crags along the large bay ahead of them.


    “I know it’s early, but let’s set up here,” said Amdirlain.


    “Problem?”


    “I don’t want to cross some of those gullies late in the day,” said Amdirlain. “They can’t injure us, but letting them have a good ambush opportunity might give the kobolds too much courage.”


    Jinfeng frowned. “Why is that an issue?”


    “Then I’d have to take action, or things would continue to escalate,” replied Amdirlain. “If I need to overwhelm them in large numbers, they might start throwing prayers my way.”


    “Why did you teach that old Kobold anything then?” asked Sarah.


    Amdirlain clicked her tongue thoughtfully. “His Soul showed me a hard life for himself and his tribe. I wanted to make it easier for them. Some tribes already have metal weaponry and use them to push other tribes out of good hunting zones.”


    “We should go somewhat down the slope towards the beach. That will stop us from getting easily spotted by inland or southern scouts,” said Sarah. “The stretch of coast we planned to follow for the next leg is at least a hundred-kilometre trip. It''s probably a lot more, given the lack of roads and rugged terrain. However, we should get to those far hills of this bay in a day since the beach is so flat along this section.”


    “I can see the far side,” Klipyl said. “Should I just take us there now?”


    “I’m not sure what the Jade Emperor wants me to learn, but skipping the countryside might void the lesson,” said Amdirlain. “Let’s get off this peak, and tomorrow we’ll just start following the coast. Hopefully, nothing emerges from the sea and tries to eat us.”


    Amdirlain started down the slope, and Sarah spoke up. “There are giant crabs on these beaches as well.”


    “What about Sahuagin?” asked Klipyl. “They were a problem before the Gods’ War.”


    “I don’t know,” replied Sarah. “But now that you’re asking about them, it’s probable there are nearby colonies suddenly hungry. Doom flagger.”


    “Will you just pick a spot to set up,” huffed Amdirlain. “We can review the house’s security system with our guests if we need to switch it to manual.”


    Kadaklan’s mouth tightened nervously. “I hope there are some options to subdue.”


    “Energy nets and a bunch of others, not simply guns to obliterate foes,” confirmed Sarah. “Maybe I’ll restrict the lessons to Klipyl and Jinfeng since they won’t have an issue using all the features. Once we set up the house, I’ll get some crabs for dinner. I might be nice and let Jinfeng have a claw.”


    “A claw?” Jinfeng''s brows raised. “That doesn’t sound like much of a dinner.”


    “Do you not have giant crabs where you’re from?” asked Sarah.


    Jinfeng shook her head. “Only ones the size of your head. A claw alone wouldn’t be enough to feed someone.”


    “Nah, these crabs can grow bigger than a wagon,” Sarah said. “Some are as big as my cottage, but those are rare.”


    “Oh,” exclaimed Jinfeng eagerly, her brows lifting in surprise. “Then might I try my hand at hunting?”


    “They have a variety of powers, so make sure not to play around,” Sarah replied. “Not that I think any of them will move fast enough. But churn up the beach too much, and you can attract attention from bigger threats.”


    “All of which we can kill, but then it might ruin the spot for peaceful camping,” said Amdirlain.


    Jinfeng frowned. “I’ll fly to one of the southern beaches and hunt there.”


    A silvery ring flew from Sarah’s hand. “Storage ring with a stasis effect and enough capacity to handle multiple crabs.”


    “I suppose I can give you a claw or two from my hunt in return,” replied Jinfeng.


    She disappeared in a blur of light, and Sarah released the house. With a contented wiggle, it dug its claws into the rocks to establish a firm perch.


    In minutes, Jinfeng had returned and dumped a monster the size of a ten-tonne removalist truck on the slope before the house; a hole between its slumped eyestalks showed the cause of death.


    “I suppose that gets you off night watch this evening at least,” quipped Sarah.


    “I’ll leave you to your butchery,” said Kadaklan as he headed inside.


    As Sarah simply drew out all the flesh with Inventory, that chore was done in a moment, and the group headed inside to cook. Kadaklan prepared a simple vegetable stew for his evening meal and shared portions with Sarah and Jinfeng to supplement their crab feast. Portions of crab prepared in dishes of a dozen varieties flowed from Sarah’s kitchen, most being returned to the storage ring for later consumption but selections being washed down with white wine. As their appetites waned, they slowed their drinking and stored more cooked food away.


    As Jinfeng tapped her chopsticks against the last slices of grilled crab in her bowl, she contemplated Amdirlain sitting nearby with a crystal floating before her. “I’m curious why you seek to follow the Jade Emperor’s puzzle, Sifu.”


    “In all honesty, it was a good excuse for something I wanted to do anyway,” clarified Amdirlain. “Which makes me wonder if I ‘solved’ the puzzle and got the right answer or simply the one I wanted. I wanted to visit the East Wind’s Court to investigate some techniques related to healing scars on the Soul, and the South Wind’s Court to look into supplementary Ki Movement techniques to go with the Ki Flight one I’m studying.”


    “And the North Wind’s Court to talk to the Immortal who developed your Ki Blast technique?” Jinfeng asked.


    “Indeed,” agreed Amdirlain, and she snagged a piece of sweet and sour crab from Sarah’s bowl. “I should also visit the Monastery of the Western Reaches and make sure the materials being transported there aren’t being misused.”


    “What do you count as misuse?”


    “They’re supposed to be distributed to aid all the kingdoms under the Jade Emperor’s banner. If I find someone profiteering, I won’t be happy,”


    Jinfeng winced. “Since it goes through Mortal officials and merchants, I’d suggest you prepare for disappointment.”


    “I don’t expect perfection. I’m sure there is some bribery and other detours, but I’ll be satisfied as long as the majority is fairly distributed,” said Amdirlain.


    Delicately setting chopsticks down, Jinfeng shifted uncomfortably in her seat. “I’ve travelled far and wide, and prices of goods from one province can be considerably higher a few hundred li away.”


    “Maybe I should have set up more connection points for the monastery then,” mused Amdirlain. “Though I’m sure the Monastery of the Western Reaches prefers their present monopoly.”


    “It is helping them recover the costs of establishing the Outpost,” offered Jinfeng. “Do you have a map of the route you plan to take?”


    Though tempted to say more, it wouldn’t change anything, so Amdirlain went with Jinfeng’s subject change. She presented a map of Europe and the Middle East. She traced a route across the isthmus of Corinth and through western Greece before heading to Albania and jumping the bay to land on the southeast side of the Italian peninsula. After heading north to Rome, she traced a long route along the coast to get to Denmark, causing Jinfeng’s gaze to widen.


    “Why that far north?”


    “From the stories I read, the Norse fleet sailed south from that region of the North Sea,” said Amdirlain, tapping the image. “We’ll go around the Carpathian mountains’ north side back towards the Black Sea and then travel around its northern edge. I’ve not decided if we’ll go south to Egypt at that point or keep heading east until we hit the West Wind’s territory.”


    “It seems like I’ll have plenty of opportunity to spar with you then,” remarked Jinfeng.


    “That’s looking on the bright side. It’s not like a trip of even years would be a significant amount of time, so does it matter if the trip takes months?”


    Jinfeng merely nodded. “I’m still not used to thinking about time from that perspective.”


    “I know that feeling well, and I still get impatient,” reassured Amdirlain.


    Kadaklan chuckled at Amdirlain’s understatement. “The six years that Qil Tris took you must have seemed like an eternity.”


    “Only because I didn’t know the size of the Eldritch threat,” said Amdirlain.


    Amdirlain left them to clean up and headed outside. A short time later, Sarah and Klipyl joined her; the sound of Jinfeng preparing more dishes came from within. While Sarah sat beside her, Klipyl leaned against the nearby railing.


    Klipyl paused as she rested a hand on it and grinned at Amdirlain. “Oh! Now we’ve got some privacy. I can hand over your wedding presents. Sorry, it took a bit to decide what to get you.”


    “You didn’t have to get us anything,” protested Amdirlain.


    “Which doesn’t change that I wanted to find something suitable saucy for my two favourite people,” Klipyl winked. “A lot more saucy than massage oils, though I’m glad those came in handy.”


    “Klipyl, still with the puns,” snorted Sarah. “You’re getting a bit much to handle.”


    “Sure, let’s play ‘pass the parcel’ with them,” said Amdirlain.


    Klipyl let out a giggling squeak and held her hands up in a playful surrender. “Let me change the subject before my hands are full.”


    “I thought you were all about getting a handful,” said Sarah.


    Klipyl grinned and set a pouch on the porch before Amdirlain.


    “What’s this?”


    “Some items to help keep things spicy,” advised Klipyl. “I figured since you sent me to Sarah for a clit ring, you wouldn’t be creating these for yourself.”


    Amdirlain peeked inside the storage bag and hurriedly secured it again to the sound of Klipyl’s giggling.


    “The look on your face,” laughed Klipyl. “I’m right that they’re not something you’d have created?”


    “Quite right,” replied Amdirlain.


    “Well, you both can Shapeshift, so I figured you might like to experiment,” said Klipyl.


    Sarah reached to take the pouch from Amdirlain, but she had stored it in inventory. “How many species’ entertainment devices are in there?”


    Klipyl casually waved a hand. “Only a few hundred. They’re all I could find at The Exchange on a brief trip.”


    Sarah laughed and beckoned Amdirlain to hand it over. “I call first dibs.”


    “You could always use them as a ‘select the species’ night even if you don’t use the toy itself,” giggled Klipyl.


    “Maybe once we’ve got privacy again,” said Amdirlain.


    Klipyl clapped cheerfully. “That wasn’t a no.”


    “Klipyl, you’re impossible,” laughed Amdirlain.


    “Of course I am.” She straightened and motioned to the cove ahead. “Did the Anar city stand somewhere close by?”


    Amdirlain pointed to the far end. “Before it starts to curve towards the east.”


    “I wondered why you headed this way,” said Klipyl. “It wouldn’t be hard to foresee you visiting it and picking a hilltop vista to put us in your path.”


    “It’s the exact timing that was pretty slick,” noted Sarah.


    “Maybe he saw you coming,” giggled Klipyl.


    Amdirlain groaned at the joke. “You’re terrible.”


    “I was being innocent and referring to the prediction. I don’t know how your dirty mind interpreted what I said,” huffed Klipyl playfully.


    As the trio chattered, the wind that dropped over the ridgeline carried their scent and laughter into nearby caves, and a being from another realm stirred.