Chapter 395: Decent
Tala and Kedva stood outside of Kit, waiting for Kedva to drain fully of magical power.
Even after their rather slow walk back to Kits door, it took another long minute before they were both satisfied.
Finally, Kedva nodded, and Talas threefold vision confirmed her drained state.
Kedva was mundane again.
They ran through the tests, recording the baseline for her. That way they could see if her improvement was linear, multiplicative, or some other manner of enhancement.
As to the results, they showed that Kedva was fit enough, but not exceptional in any regard.
Even so, Tala could see hints at the girl's natural magical pathways, which Tala had forged on her behalf.
They were there, ready to be filled.
Kedva grimaced, sucking on the needle prick on her finger. This isnt healing at all.
Yeah. Its rusting terrible to be without magic after youve had it.
The younger woman gave Tala a long look. Youve just become my drug dealer, havent you?
Tala barked a single, loud laugh, before covering her mouth. You know that is true, from a certain point of view.
Kedva grinned in return. There is a bit more truth in it than Id prefer, yeah. Even so, I know its not exactly right.
Kits door closed, and Tala put on a mock stern face. No fix for you today.
Kedvas eyebrow twitched.
Tala chuckled, and Kits door reopened. Im just joking. Youre hooked, go right in.
The girl hesitated for just a moment before breathing out and shaking her head, giving a wry smile. Then, she stepped through, and Tala watched the process.
It was like a physical impact, and Kedva staggered.
Tala watched power rush into Kedva, and felt her own gate gain a bit greater draw through it.
With an afterthought, Tala created a void-channel to relieve the strain.
A moment later it leveled out.
Regardless, it hadnt taken much. After all, Kedva couldnt actually hold that much power.
The girl glanced back to Tala and smiled. All fixed up. Ill go get some work done.
Tala huffed a single laugh. Enjoy.
The material from the cell that Kit had subsumed had been unloaded in the Alefast Archon Compound, where it was being itemized.
Tala and her unit would each receive a small cut of the proceeds, once the value was properly calculated.
Even so, Tala was most happy about the extra dimensionality that shed gained.
It had been a rather roomy cell, and Tala had been a bit afraid that adding that on would dilute the power within Kit.
Well, to be fair, she hadnt actually considered that until after the fact, then shed been afraid until shed checked in with Master Simon.
As it turned out, when adding the cells dimensionality to Kit, the resonance with her soul caused the new space to mirror her current sanctums saturation and composition.
On the material side, the atmospheric composition of the cell altered to perfectly match that found within her sanctum.
On the magical side, the power levels stabilized to match.
At that time, it had been a bit lower than completely full, leaving Tala with a much larger space to refill.
Thankfully, it had only been a marginal percentage lower than the current maximum, but Master Simon still estimated that it would take a few months to top off the sanctum now, assuming that Talas own magical density didnt continue to increase.
As her own increased, the level to which Kit could be filled increased, and her ability to fill the sanctum was vastly below the rate at which her own density was expanding, as slow as that was.
As a result, Tala was planning on using void-channels to accelerate the filling when she was feeling better.
The small pulse that shed used in order to replace Kedvas power draw was little enough that Tala had felt it was fine.
But this was rather irrelevant to her for the moment. After all, she had a lot to do.
She was meeting up with Master Tai in just a few hours, and she wanted to check on Rane before then.
It was a rather quick trip through the city to the Gredial compound, and she only had to engage with a few people who recognized her along the way.
Only one recognition was a boon to her speed, as the guards recognized Tala at the gates to the Gredial compound and waved her inside.
From there, she made her way to the main house and up through the floors and winding hallways to reach Ranes room.
She knocked, and Rane responded almost immediately. Come. Im decent.
He sounded better today. She pushed open the door, already smiling. Hey, Rane. Only decent, eh? Well, I suppose thats better than you have been on some days.
Tala? He smiled her way. Come in, come in.
He was sitting in a chair beside a large window. In front of him was a small table with a chair opposite.
As she came in, he cleared some dishes from the surface, setting them on a tray to one side before pulling out a tafl board. Do you have time?
Her smile grew. Sure.
Ill call us some food for the game.
She sat and chatted with him as they played.
Food arrived shortly thereafter, and she dug in with abandon while the game and talking continued.
It had been a week since Ranes first session, and he seemed to be mostly back to his old self.
Even so, there was a haunted quality to his eyes and his actions were still a bit more hesitant.
He also was a bit slower to laugh, and he didnt meet her gaze quite as readily.
To her knowledge, he hadnt done any form of exercise or training in the past week either, which was understandable, but also one of the greatest departures from his usual behavior.
Still, it did make sense. Hed just gone through something rather traumatic.
Im glad that hes already familiar with Master Nadro. Its probably worth mentioning him even so, when the opportunity presents itself.
She won their game of tafl rather handily, showing that Rane wasnt fully mentally recovered yet.
Tala was used to their games being a much harder fought result, and she usually lost as often as she won when they were both at their best.
Rane obviously knew that hed not given her that challenging of a game. Im sorry, Tala.
She shrugged. Its fine. I didnt really come for the game.
I know, but I still hoped to do better thanhe gestured at the boardwell, better than that.
She grinned. It was a little disappointing, but its fine. We got to talk.
Ahh, yes, you got to hear about my riveting time last night. He gave her a long look. Are you going to tell me what happened to you, yet? I know that it happened at a cell, and youve been eating like youre refilling your reserves.
She waved him off snatching another pastry from the nearby plate. You dont need anything added to your plate.
He huffed a laugh. Well, after you ate all that they brought, I sort of do?
She looked at the serving tray and noticed that there was only one left. How many were there?
Probably a dozen or so.
Ahh fair, I suppose.
Regardless, Tala, what I dont need is to be worrying about my friend without knowing whats going on. I know it has to be serious if you're off-duty for the time being.
She gave him a long look, then nodded. Alright. A murder-eyea resident of the Doman-Imithe which may be the remnant of a broken Sovereigndecided to try and take a bite out of me, or something like that. I objected, but my defenses backfired, cutting me in half on an existential level. Tala shrugged. Mistress Vanga helped me heal, supplying my magics with resources that I lacked because I was cut in half, losing most of my reserves. Unfortunately, she couldnt directly refill my reserves once more. Beside that, I am simply trying to reacquaint my existence with having a lower half again.
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Rane rocked backward, Rust, Tala. You cant tell me something like that. Dont you know that Im still recovering, here?
Tala felt herself twitch in confusion.
Then, he chuckled. Yeah, I was trying to lighten the mood Not the greatest attempt.
She huffed, shaking her head. Yeah, not the greatest.
So is that actually what happened?
In summary? Yes.
He shook his head. Well, you certainly know how to find new and dangerous things, dont you?
Yeah, this was supposedly a safe cell, too.
He grunted at that. Its always when you feel the safest
His eyes flicked to her, then down to the table in front of him.
She saw him hunch in on himself a bit.
Tala leaned forward, reaching one hand forward. I am incredibly sorry that I couldnt warn you.
He waved off her concerns but still took her hand and squeezed it, Thank you, but I understand the need. Ill do the same when I know someone who is about to Refine. He shuddered. It still was awful.
You arent wrong.
They sat for a moment, just enjoying the silence of each others company.
After a long moment, Tala remembered her upcoming appointment, letting go of his hand and leaning back. Oh! I met a fun Mage Hunter today. He tried to capture Kedva because he thought that she was an arcane.
Rane blinked at Tala a few times. What now?
Well, its sort of understandable if youve never seen an arcane, but he really should have checked city records first though, in the case of a real arcane, that would be a foolish delay to say the least. All in all, he probably did the best that he could have. He even kept things nonlethal which is especially impressive. No one was hurt, and he uses void and kinetic magic, so Im going to meet up with him to see if I can pick up some insights.
His eyes narrowed. He?
Tala blinked a few times, trying to understand the question.
Before she responded, Ranes expression changed once again. He grinned widely and chuckled, Nevermind. I was mainly joking. That sounds like quite the encounter.
It was, yeah.
-He was faking jealousy, Tala.-
Oh yeah, Im going to ignore that.
-Sure, that policy cant possibly backfire.-
So, void and kinetic?
Tala smiled and dove into the retelling.
Rane asked some clarifying questions, but mostly listened, as she used the story to also update him on how Kedvas progress was coming and related things like that.
When she got to the end, they lapsed back into silence for a brief moment.
Then, Rane nodded as if to himself, Apprentice.
What?
She should be Apprentice Kedva, until she masters her ability to the point that calling her Mistress doesnt oversell her abilities. He gave a mischievous grin. Or you could call her Daughter Kedva, and really lean into the rebirth aspect.
Tala scrunched her face. Yeah Lets go with Apprentice. I suppose that Master Nadro set the precedent for what capable gateless should be called.
Yeah. Lets not mess with him.
She smiled. I can see it now, Tala, lets discuss why you felt the need to distance yourself from the established human nomenclature? What is it about the established terms that made you wish to avoid them?
Rane chuckled. Would he really?
...No. Hed probably just smile and say something like, Fascinating. Are you willing to tell me more?
They both grinned at that.
I should get going, though. Tala sighed, pushing herself to stand.
Rane frowned, seeming to consider.
Rane? Is everything okay?
Well, the Healers advised that I should get out more, but I havent managed to actually do it. He sighed. Im struggling a bit, and I know I shouldnt be. I feel like Im I feel like Im lesser after the first session.
She nodded. Its an awful feeling. I had a lot of help. Lyn was there for me, even when she didnt know exactly what I was going through. Its perfectly normal to get assistance through this. After a moment she smiled. You could speak with Master Nadro. He helped me a lot too.
That could be good, yeah.
But Rane?
Yeah? He looked up with obviously fragile hope.
It will pass.
Really? He gave a weak smile.
She smiled reassuringly in response. Yes. It will. This is like picking up a heavier sword and feeling incompetent because its harder to wield.
He smiled at that. Yeah, Master Grediv would switch out my training swords and not tell me. As an early teen, I didnt understand well enough to tell the difference until later. I just felt like I wasnt learning well.
Thats kind of awful?
Rane shook his head. Yes and no. He wasnt malicious about it, and he continually encouraged me to improve. The end results speak for themselves. He grinned roguishly. If I do say so myself.
Tala laughed. So, no longer just decent, eh?
He shrugged, not otherwise responding.
Well, I suppose so. Your skill with a sword is superb. Now that youre closer to Refined, your magic will be catching up as well. She hesitated for a moment. Do you want to come with me? To see if you can pick up anything from Master Tai?
Ahh, so he does have a name. Rane winked. You know what? I think Id like that. Thank you for the invitation.
Tala offered him a hand to help him up. Lets go.
As they walked through the city toward her meeting place with Master Taiwhich was just Artias shop so they could go into KitTala found herself analyzing Rane with her threefold sight.
There was an odd quality, that she could only interpret as him being cleaner or clearer than before somehow. It was as if shed been looking at him through a dirty window for years, and now someone had taken one good swipe across it.
The window was still filthy, but it was cleaner. Even so, somehow it almost looked dirtier in some ways because of the change.
This analogy is getting away from me.
-Yeah-
Regardless, he seemed to be slowly adjusting to the difference, even as esoteric as that difference was.
He still moved more slowly and deliberately than he had before, but it wasnt quite as noticeable as a week earlier.
Rane broke their companionable silence as they walked, So, we never finished discussing the crazy doomsday vault you discovered in that cell.
Tala nodded. Yeah, it was really odd. Initial tallies show that it had a significant amount of wealth. The way the city cycle is lining up, well have two new cities added over the next hundred years or so, and these resources will actually help make that process smoother and less taxing than usual.
Rane grunted. Thats good. So why do you seem troubled?
She sighed. Well, they put so much wealth and value into a cell and just sent it off into the future.
It was kind of them. Incredibly altruistic.
It was, but She shook her head. I dont understand the mindset.
The altruism?
No. She chuckled. What were they so afraid of? They clearly had spare resources, or they couldnt or wouldnt have been able to sequester all that they did. But they also seemed to think that resources would be useful in the future, so, where did they come from? Were they just laying around unused?
That confusion makes sense, yeah. I suppose they could have taken it from others when it was needed by them, though?
I hope not. But, thats what Im thinking. Did they hurt their own chances to send the materials into the distant future?
They clearly did alright, regardless.
Well, yeah, thats the other issue. What if they had used their resources to better their situation? Wouldnt that have helped us be even better off, now?
Rane nodded, his stride firming up as he turned his attention fully to their conversation. That is the balance, I would guess. A society must invest in the future, and they must invest in the present. Without a future, the present hardly matters, and without a present, the future is empty. A crude example is that we cant sacrifice a thousand people now to save one hundred in the future. We also cant willfully sacrifice even one in the present for a chance that we might save uncounted in the future, not if we wish to remain moral.
What about murderers?
Stopping a murderer isnt about a chance of saving people in the future. Its a sure thing. Even if that person wouldnt kill again, letting it be known that murders arent punished will cause more to happen.
Well, I think were getting off of the point, but I also think I understand what youre getting at. Still, if they had these resources to spare, why were they so concerned?
He shrugged. We may never know. Most such cells dont make mention of what they feared. He chuckled. I suppose they assume that we future-folk will either already know, or their fear didnt come to pass, so why burden us with the unfounded apoco-phobia from the past?
Apoco-phobia. Unreasonable fear of apocalypses?
Well, I do suppose its reasonable to fear apocalypses, so maybe an unreasonable fear that there will be an apocalypse in the near future?
That makes sense, I suppose. She found herself frowning, however. So, we cant be so obsessed with the future that we sacrifice the present?
Rane nodded. I suppose thats a reasonable thing to take from this.
Like Master Grediv and his wife.
He hesitated, glancing her way. Yeah. I suppose so.
From what he said, he was so upset with her for taking from their future, that he lost out on some of his present with her. He also seems grateful that he didnt let that ruin all the time that they had.
Yeah He sighed, his steps becoming slower, more considered once again. Master Grediv came and saw me this morning.
Oh? How was that?
Rane shrugged. Im pretty frustrated with him, even if I understand even if Id probably do the same.
Yeah
But thats not why I brought it up. He told me about reaching Paragon.
Oh? That drew Talas full focus. Care to share?
Rane gave her a knowing smile. He said that he took the final step when he fully accepted her mortality and loved her anyway.
That felt like a punch to the gut for Tala. She remembered Master Gredivs protectiveness of Rane, along with his harsh words outside of Ranes room the evening after Ranes first Refining session. Fear does strange things to us all. I wonder if hes feeling echoes of what he felt with his wife.
-Yeah, I think thats pretty clearly the case.-
Id have expected a Paragon to be more level headed, especially around something that he had to come to terms with in order to advance.
-Even if you understand something and accept it, that doesnt mean that you are happy to go through it again.-
I hadnt thought of it like that.
Rane huffed out a self-deprecating laugh. I really dont want to be your stepping-stone to Paragon, Tala.
She tilted her head to one side, regarding him. No offense, Rane, but youd make an awful wife.
He tripped, barely catching himself as his eyes went wide.
Tala suppressed her smile as she continued. Id be a worse husband, though, so I suppose were in similar boats.
Tala, thats not what I meant. I
I know, Rane. She cut him off, giving a gentle smile. Your mortality wont be what propels me to Paragon. You wont be stuck as a mortal, and even if you are, youd still have a very long life ahead of you. You arent getting rid of me any time soon, regardless.
He huffed another laugh, a smile growing on his lips this time. Thank you.
She nudged his upper arm with her shoulder. Any time.
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