ocean-life WM [71] My Blessing
WM [71] My Blessing
WM [71] My Blessing
Tanisha had been talking with Aurelius to find out more about his lightning fast attacks. Chaos magic was indeed rare, so much so that she only remembered her teachers at the academy mentioning it once. Of course since she was stuck in the remedial classes due to her inability to use magic effectively she never knew if there was more to the study. The prevailing theory among her instructors was that her chaotic core might be linked to chaos magic, but after experiencing Aurelius’s aura firsthand, she knew the truth. Their cores were fundamentally different. His was chaos but hers was the core of a sage.
“So chaos magic is essentially the same type of magic most people call monster magic?” Tanisha questioned.
Aurelius thought about it for a while. “I think. There was a wizard I traveled with for a while who tried to explain it. I think he said something like that. People who can sense auras often mistake me for a monster because of it. He claimed that what monsters wield is an imitation, but what I have is the real deal.”
“Yeah, I can sense it.” Tanisha said. “Your magic is controlled in a way I don’t think a monster can replicate. It’s like—it’s tied to something real. It’s hard to explain, but it’s there.”
Fuyumi, who had been leading the group, slowed her pace to join their conversation. “That is exactly what it is, Tanisha. Monsters and the magic they use are the same, there is no flesh or body, only mana condensed to replicate life. What they can’t mimic is the essence of life itself. Think of people like flames—our auras are the heat we radiate. Monsters are just the heat. No matter how intense, you’ll never see a flame.”
“I am surprised you used a fire analogy.” Aurelius said with a smirk.Nôv(el)B\\jnn
“It’s so confusingly hot and cold here I have heat on my mind.” Fuyumi said with a grunt of displeasure. “The analogy works though.”
They had only been walking in the new volcanic zone for an hour but it was a confusing sensation to be both really hot and cold at the same time.
“There is something I wanted to ask, Tanisha,” Aurelius said, sounding almost embarrassed. “Are you an elf of some kind? I know you said you were similar to the wendigo but you have a lot of elven qualities too.”
“Oh, the ears and tail?” Tanisha questioned.
She gave her long, black tail a casual wave. The fur absorbed the surrounding light, giving it an almost otherworldly sheen. Since her evolution into a cernunnos, she had grown accustomed to the appendage, even adorning it with silver rings that gleamed against the inky blackness. For a fleeting moment, she considered teasing Aurelius, claiming to be a hybrid of wendigo and elf, but decided against it.
“No, I am not an elf.” Tanisha said her tone was amused. “Although I see what you mean, maybe my True was inspired by goblins though.”
“Inspired by goblins?” Aurelius blinked in confusion. “What do—”
Before he could finish, Bjorn’s large form suddenly collapsed. The dull thud of his body hitting the ground made Tanisha’s heart lurch. Instantly, her focus snapped to him. She felt nothing through their bond. One second, Bjorn had been fine, his presence steady and strong. The next, his connection slipped to a threadbare wisp, almost imperceptible.
Panic surged through her veins as she dropped to his side, her hands trembling. No, no, no—stay with me, Big Man. Pouring her power into the bond, she forced it to stabilize, though it was tenuous at best. Bjorn’s breathing was shallow, his eyes open but vacant, staring through her as if he wasn’t truly there.
“Bjorn? What's wrong, Big Man?” Tanisha screamed. “Bjorn!”
She could see the power coalescing but it was missing something. The orb trembled at its edges, power leaking from a fragile seam—a gap where mana and aether refused to merge. Now that she was so close to it she could feel the power of a skill she hadn’t used nearly as much as she should have. It activated and things seemed to become clearer.
Sage Soul Forge
Seiðr cost: Variable
(I) Use seiðr to alter and twist existing spellforms connected to your Ringularity Core. (II) Meditate on your core to deepen connections and meridians to your soul. Study the Marks of Seiðr which etched themselves across your body to gain greater insight. (III) Unknown. Unknown. Unknown.
With her deepening understanding, Tanisha realized the critical absence in Bjorn’s core. There was no connection to the maya. Without it his body was eating itself trying to contain the new chaos magic within him. Desperation clawed at her as she turned her attention to the thread of power she had drawn into Bjorn’s core.
Tanisha unraveled her seiðr, breaking it down into its elemental components: mana, aether, and maya. Carefully, she isolated the infernal essence of maya and began feeding it into the malformed core. She moved with precision, trying to guide the energy gently, but the instant the maya touched Bjorn’s core, it pulled with a ferocity beyond her control.
A sudden, forceful yank of power surged through the bond, nearly ripping Tanisha’s essence apart. Her own core lurched violently, struggling to keep up with the desperate draw of maya. The experience was jarring, leaving her breathless as she was forcibly ejected from Bjorn’s core. Reality snapped back into focus. Bjorn still thrashed beneath her, but his movements were weaker now, his desperation slowly ebbing.
“Bjorn, wake up!” She screamed in desperation. “Bjorn! It’s okay, I’m here! Stay with me, Bjorn.”
One of Bjorn’s arms broke free of her grip and claws sliced down her arm. Tanisha gritted her teeth as she pinned Bjorn down again. Pain seared through her, but she shoved it aside. Bjorn’s massive, serpentine body was in a frenzy, and stopping him from hurting himself was all that mattered.
She pressed down harder, willing him to come back to her. Slowly, the wild thrashing began to subside. His limbs stilled, and his breathing evened out. Tanisha felt a wave of calm ripple through her, a silent reassurance sent through their bond. He was aware again. She locked eyes with him. His eight eyes blinked in unison, no longer clouded by chaos but instead wide with horror at the sight of her injuries.
She let out a shaky breath and released her hold, her arms trembling from exertion and blood loss. The moment she pulled back, her body reminded her of the price she’d paid to keep him grounded. Blood streaked her hands and arms, the deep gashes throbbing with every heartbeat. Her vision blurred for a moment, and she pulled a greater health potion from her inventory.
“Don’t you dare pass out on me now,” she muttered to herself, pulling the stopper from the vial with her teeth.
Tilting her head back, she downed the potion in one gulp. The liquid burned on the way down, but she could already feel the magic stitching her wounds together, dulling the pain. It would heal the wounds but not replace the blood she lost. Aurelius approached quickly, his sharp eyes taking in the scene.
“It’s okay Tanisha I got you,” he said softly.
He crouched and carefully lifted her into a princess carry effortlessly. Tanisha didn’t protest; she was too drained to stand, let alone walk. She glanced back at Bjorn. The mighty hydra staggered to his feet, his eyes full of guilt and sorrow. Through their bond, she felt his apologies—a flood of regret and shame that made her heart ache. Tanisha wanted to comfort him, to let him know it wasn’t his fault, but her eyelids were so heavy, her body fighting to shut down and recover.
“Tanisha stay awake for me.” Aurelius’s voice dripped with concern. “Fuyumi, we need to get somewhere safe yesterday. Let's go.”
“Alright, follow me.” Fuyumi’s voice faded.
As the world around her dimmed, Tanisha fought to keep her eyes open. Exhaustion and blood loss claimed her, pulling her into unconsciousness. The last thing she heard was the distant sound of Aurelius calling her name, his voice a lifeline in the dark but soon even that faded.
“There you are, thief.” What sounded like a thousand angry voices said in unison. “I am coming for you, but for now, regrettably, you have my blessing.”