Chapter 382: Secret Of The Stones
Everyone was soon passed out on the ground except for Laz and Celes. As they laid there wasted and broken, the finally understood what their sisters had been telling them,
"It’s almost better than sex.. unless the sex is like, really really good."
Their bodies were worn out but they had never felt so alive. As Laz and Celes started tending to them, getting them up and on their feet or whatever else they needed, the smiles and laughter erupted.
When everyone was finally inside and being treated, Celes found Laz drinking some soda as he chatted with Nora. Nora laughed at something he said but then turned to Celes as she walked over.
"Well.. look at you. Glad to see you calmed down," Nora joked.
"No thanks to you." Celes said, still somewhat hurt.
"What? I just did what needed to be done. It’s a big sister’s job to teach her little sister the ways of the world after all. Or are you still mad about walking in on us the other night? I mean, come on. You’re not some young virgin who’s never seen a cock before so why did that get to you?" Nora was one with whom a filter never applied. She said what was on her mind and didn’t hold back. Celes might have been avoiding the issue, but Nora wouldn’t. Bluntness was in her nature.
"That doesn’t mean I’m ok with you and... him," Celes responded, pointing at Laz who wisely said nothing.
"Oh get off it. Guys like this are one in a million. If you ask nicely, I wouldn’t mind you taking a spin on his rocket either. I’d even help you out since I’m sure you’ve never had one this big before."
Laz spit out his drink while Celes just turned a bright shade of red.
"LIKE I WOULD WANT TO..." She finally yelled back.
"Alright. Enough. What did you want? I’ll train you starting tomorrow, ok? No need to go too far today," Laz said trying to defuse the situation.
"I have several whips and various restraints that would be perfect for training her if you want," Nora offered.
"That’s not what I mean. Besides, wouldn’t you prefer I use those on you first before you go offering them for someone else?" Laz shot back, much to Nora’s delight and Celes’ horror.
"Ok. Stop. Just stop...."
"Too easy kid. Too easy. Anyway, you’re about to get in the way of my dick time so what did you need him for?" Nora then asked.
"Please don’t ever say that again, ok? Anyway, I was just wondering... uh... Can I ask you a question?" Celes finally got out her words.
"What is it?" Laz responded.
"How did you get like this?" The big question that haunted Celes due to her competitive nature was just this; How did Laz become so strong.
"That’s not an easy question to answer. And it’s a long story that I don’t feel like getting into. Still though, you should know you are lucky with being here. You have a rather special resource with those stones they are finding," Laz commented.
"What about those stones?" Celes asked, not sure what he meant. She knew they harvested the stones, but that was only because they found them to be unique and it gave their ’guests’ something to do with their time.
"You... wait. Do you really not know?" Laz realized she wasn’t kidding with her question, but only after seeing her reaction.
"Yeah. We just have them drag them out so that they aren’t sitting inside and wasting everyone’s time all day..." Celes was clearly confused.
"You don’t know either?" Laz turned to Nora who shook her head no.
"Nope. It’s like getting convicts to clean up the side of the road. Doesn’t make much of a difference but keeps them active and tired so that they can’t start shit," Nora responded.
"Fuck..." Laz was surprised, but only for a moment. After all, not everyone had the background he did to be able to spot a treasure when one comes a calling.
"Here, both of you hold one," Laz grabbed two of the stones he had stolen and had been holding on to before grabbing himself out a third one.
"Alright. Now then, circulate your energy and see what happens as the energy travels through your hand," Laz suggested while showing them.
As the energy went along the path as his infinity technique allowed, bits of the energy contained within the stone were drawn in and added to his own. While it wasn’t a lot of energy, it blended in perfectly well and was able to be absorbed easily. Once Nora and Celes saw this, they tried it out with their own stones and as such, felt as every time the energy made a round throughout their bodies, there was more and more each time.
Once they noticed this, both the girls’ stopped and look at Laz, too shocked for words. Thanks to Vivi spreading out Laz’s technique, it was often the most commonly one used by everyone. Thanks to that, the girls felt the same things Laz felt and knew just how important these rocks actually were.
"I even conducted experiments on them but never would I have thought to just use these like this. You just need to hold it close and boom, it works. What the hell is up with that?" Nora was surprised. Although she specialized in blood research, she also stuck her hands into anything she found interesting, including these stones. But despite that, she had never thought to try such a direct method to use them.
"There are many sources of power within this world and in other worlds. Some are usable, some are not. Here, look at these two things," Laz said and then removed the battery like piece he had gotten from that strange outpost and also a stick that he had gotten in the lost forest back with Tyr.
"Each of these contains energy. But the energy in the metal battery can be used while the energy within the stick can’t. Despite that, this little wooden stick could punch through metal if it hit it hard enough while this battery type thing can be used like your stone. The only difference is the energy in the battery has been processed and is no longer pure, meaning it can help you recover your lost energy, but won’t increase your existing energy. Compare that to these stones which are natural and would allow you to do both."
"Where did you get these?" Celes ask, intrigued. Nora looked at Laz as well, very much wanting to know the answer.
"From different worlds outside of our own."
"You’ve... holy shit. You’ve even been to different worlds? They exist? Like... planets out there somewhere?" Celes gestured to the sky as though indicating a direction.
"Or are they like parallel planes? Ones that border our own?" At some point, Gretchen and Wilma had sat down next to the three youths and asked a question of her own.
"Imagine our world as like a massive space within a bubble. Outside of our bubble with nothing but a few layers of space in between are several other spaces. That is where the stick came from. As for the metal battery, it came from a long distance planet that we were able to visit through one of the gates. As for the gates themselves, after it became known how valuable they are, their existence is now considered top secret and no one knows where any are anymore. I can only assume that’s why we stopped hearing about them," Laz explained.
"Government cover up?" Nora said, even more interested.
"Basically, yeah."
"So these stones... they can be used by anyone?" Wilma asked, holding several she had gotten as keepsakes without understanding their value.
"As far as I can tell. Those like us can use them but I’m not sure about those chosen bastards. If they could, then what you have here is not only super important, but also a secret that must be covered up like your lives depend on it," Laz warned.
"I see. I think we need to take more care of these stones and have the council regulate them," Wilma mused out loud.
"Don’t take back what people already have, but from now on, they are a restrictive substance. Stockpile some while others are given as rewards. Of course all of this is based on teaching the girls of their usage," Laz suggested.
"Excellent. Lets go you old whore. Time to get things moving," Gretchen said to Wilma as she got up.
"Fuck you, you slut. I’m always waiting on you. The only thing you do faster than me is spread your legs..." Wilma laughed as they left, leaving Nora, Celes and Laz in silence.
"They are... interesting." Despite them monitoring the training and the few times Laz spoke with them, he hadn’t had much contact with the two older woman otherwise. Because of that, this back and forth caught him somewhat off guard.
"They might be old, but they will never grow up..." Celes said, strangely quiet.
"I heard that my precious granddaughter. Maybe if you got a good fucking you wouldn’t be so uptight," Gretchen’s response came from out of nowhere to the sounds of Nora’s laughing.
Laz wisely decided not to comment.
"Seriously though. You could have just taken as many stones as you wanted and never said a word and we would have never known," Nora pointed out to Laz.
"Considering the fact that you had people digging for them everyday, how was I suppose to know you didn’t understand their usage. Hell, there was even that rule from the guards that prisoners weren’t allowed to take any. I just figured all that was because you knew," Laz explained.
"Nope. Once again, it’s just about controlling those people is all. Nothing more than that," Nora repeated.
"But.. Honestly... thank you." Celes said, still talking quietly.
"Thank you? To me? You sure about that?" Laz teased her, not being able to help himself.
"Yes. Had you not said anything, we wouldn’t have known and had probably wasted them in the future. But now we know just how important they are and that will really be beneficial to us in the long run.. So... thank you." Celes smiled. While it was a little forceful since she didn’t really like Laz still, she was grateful towards him for sharing this secret that would greatly improve their lives and make them stronger.
"Wow. Never thought I would see that..." Laz joked as Nora laughed along.
"She has a beautiful smile. She just doesn’t do it often," Nora commented.
"Well, time for dinner. Hopefully it’s not delayed since the evening staff were the ones who were beat up this morning. Still though, you were right. These girls seem different now but in a good way," Celes said, looking at everyone talking and laughing even while their bandages and slings made the entire scene look like a massive disaster just took place.
"They, just like you, have this in them. A strength passed down and diluted through time, but a strength none the less. In the old days, people would comment about how thin a bloodline can get over time if certain steps weren’t taken. But in our case, the bloodlines were only sleeping, the bloodlines of ancient and powerful beings, things that could even drive a modern person insane just by looking at it. You think the ancient gods were powerful? Even they had to bow before the eldritch creatures of old. And those were the bloodlines we inherited. All of this is nothing more than awakening their true selves, something they have been hiding in their ignorance. Maybe you are thanking me now... but the hardest part going forward will be figuring out how to control them. You need to be stronger or you won’t survive," Laz warned Celes. The past her would have been quick to dismiss his warning, but the her today knew that he had a point.
"I will learn from you.." Celes started to say.
"I can only teach you how to get strong. If you want to lead, you’ll have to figure that one out on your own," Laz stopped her and pointed out. He was glad she was being more open to him about all this, but he didn’t want to make her have false hope about what he could do.
"I understand."
"Alright. Well then, I’m going for a walk and will be back later," Laz said, surprising both of them before standing up and walking away.
Just as Celes was going to say something, Nora got up and followed him, not really caring if he would want the company or not.
"Heh... I wonder if I am actually jealous...?" Celes asked herself before heading out, her mind wandering in her head.
