Once they were inside, Alexander had to force himself up on his wobbly legs, if only for a few minutes, to get up the stairs to the bathroom. He needed to wash off the blood on his back, and most likely burn the shirt he was wearing.
The backside of it was torn open, and it was beyond repair at this point. This gave Alex a small sense of sadness, as this shirt hadn't been cheap, and he quite liked it.
He would know better next time.
This had never been an issue in New Eden, as the armour would magically adjust to him when transforming, and he guessed it came naturally, due to the inherent magic of the world.
That wasn't the case on Earth.
Reaching the bathroom, Kary helped him get his shirt off and noticed white lines, like old scars, where his wings might have sprouted out. They didn't affect his royalty scarring, being just over where the mane ended, but still stood out.
Kary had already noticed that the tip of Alexander's fingers had small white scars that had appeared after the first time he melded with White, but hadn't paid much attention to it. But now that these had appeared, she wondered if Alex would end up with scars and marks, everywhere his body changed, over time.
She didn't mind, per se, but it worried her. This could mean that his body wasn't adapting as well here as on the other side every time he transformed.
It could become a cause for concern in the long run. Alex didn't notice the worried look on her face, as she helped him wash away the blood that had dried on his back, but he could feel the tension in the air.
"Is something wrong back there? You've been awfully quiet for the last minute."
After a moment of hesitation, Kary decided she shouldn't keep it to herself.
"Have you noticed the scars?" she asked.
Alex's silence was all the answer she needed. After a moment, he replied.
"I didn't want to worry you. It was so benign I didn't pay it any mind. I'm guessing there are new ones on my back now, huh?"
Kary silently nodded her head.
"Alex… I know you want your power over here, just as much as over there. And I know you'll eventually need it, too. But shouldn't you wait before you use too much of it? What if our bodies aren't ready for this yet?"
Her concerns had also been trotting around Alex's head for a while, ever since he first melded with White. But he couldn't just wait until the world was past a certain point before using his powers.
Even David had started changing. Even though the man would never admit it, Alex had noticed.
The last time they spoke on the phone, his voice had been a little husky. And when they had gone on the goblin hunt, Alex had noticed the paling of his skin.
David might have brushed it off as not going under the sun enough, but he wasn't duped.
These were signs. Would they bed bad omens or good omens in the long run, only time would tell.
Alexander put his hand on Kary's, trying to make himself reassuring.
"I'll be careful in the future. But there will come times when I don't have a choice."
Kary nodded her head, understanding that much. She only wished it wouldn't have nefarious effects on them.
It also made her scared to use her power as much. What if she tried pushing herself further?
Would she end up torching herself if she tried to go into flame avatar form? Would she severely burn herself if she tried controlling a blaze too powerful for her?
Pushing her worries away, she splashed water on her face before resuming rinsing Alex's back. He could feel her worried look on his back, but stayed silent.
Once the blood was all washed away, and his shirt thrown into the trash chute, Alex wobbled his way back into his room to grab a T-shirt he could put on. The couple went back down to the living room, where they enjoyed each other's warming presence until dinner.
Neither felt like cooking that night, and they ordered out.
***
Not too far from there, in David's someday-to-be underground shelter, the man was currently meditating to recuperate some mana. He was practising using his powers daily, and it took a lot out of him, so he had to meditate often.
Feeling a chill go down his spine, and hearing bones clattering around him, David opened his eyes.
Standing in the corner of the room was a smiling Guo.
"What can I do for you, Guo? Does Mr. Boudreau want more money out of me? Or did you just come to prove to me you can come and go here without my permission?"
Guo chortled at his questions before stepping toward the skeletons. None attacked him as they awaited orders from their master.
Guo was impressed, though. The last time he had seen the man, he couldn't control more than two skeletons so casually.
The ones in the woods in Nebraska had been willing to join him and were temporary. These, not so much.
Staring at him through gaping holes in their skulls, eight skeletons followed his movements with their heads, gazes locked on him.
"You've improved, again. I can already feel your Qi has reached a new plateau. It shouldn't be too long before you rival some of the most proficient masters in the world. But that is not the reason for my visit."
"First, you are mistaken about one thing. This isn't Qi, it's mana. And second, tell me the reason, before I lose patience."
David was in no mood for riddles and questioning.
Guo smiled at him deviously, wanting nothing more than to test how far David had progressed. But he restrained his intentions.
"Mr. Boudreau has asked me to get the blueprints for your shelter. He would like to bring a few modifications to them, for free, of course."
David frowned.
"What kind of modifications?"
"Nothing too drastic, I assure you. Your plans will remain yours. But he has been quite happy with the money coming in from your insider information on stock markets, and he wishes to return a bit of the favour."
This wasn't much of an answer for David. But he also wouldn't say no to an upgrade to his plans.
He had gone with what limited budget he had at the start, and the shelter was not nearly as big or tough as he originally wished.
Walking to the table where his computer was, David grabbed a large rolled-up blueprint and tossed it to Guo.
"Make sure the information also reaches the contractors. Otherwise, this will be for nothing."
Guo nodded, as he caught the blueprints. He then gave a small bow before vanishing from where he stood.
David could see more clearly this time the trick he used and chuckled to himself.
'Short-range transposition. And to say I thought he had teleported at first.'
Walking forward, he grabbed a small stone that had fallen to the ground where Guo had been. On it, a piece of paper with symbols scrawled on it lay.
He grabbed the stone and tossed it out of his tent before returning to his meditation. He still had a lot of mana to recuperate.
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