The Soul Refiner Bk. 01 Ch. 13-15

Chapter 13

Aside from the surprise of Myta and I learning that we could now share thoughts between us, the rest of the evening was quiet, and restful. I was able to confine and compress the corrupted mana from last night's cleansing ritual without too much difficulty, though I continued to worry about my capacity to store mana as we got closer to curing her soul sickness.

*'Cleansing ritual' is an interesting way of saying 'soul shattering orgasms'. Are you planning out how to describe the experience to a room full of religious spinsters?*

Myta had taken to the mental speech quite readily, and last night's soul shattering orgasms had also relaxed her somewhat. Or maybe it was because I had finally accepted her place with me. For my part, I was still having difficulty not shouting my every thought to her. I knew that would grow tiresome at some point, but for now at least she seemed just as happy to have the extra insight.

"Master, before we set to travel again, do you have any maiden tea?"

"I do," I replied. "Better to be safe I suppose. Left side of the cart, shelf three, second pot. You know what the flower looks like?" I had the herb pots labeled with images of the relevant plants.

"Yes, but the way you said that... you aren't worried about a pregnancy?"

I waved my hand dismissively. "Not terribly worried, no. Spirit-touched and sorcerers become even less likely to have children when sleeping together than with mundane humans. Add your sickness on top of that? We'd likely need the blessing of a fertility god, and my own best efforts, to even have a chance at it."

When I turned from my packing, Myta was staring at me with a blank face, and her emotions were a confused jumble.

"Myta, I'm sorry, I didn't realize that would touch a sore spot for you. Did you wish to have children?"

"I hadn't given it much thought, honestly. I just didn't know." She took a slow breath. "Master, what can you tell me of the touched?"

I nodded, thinking. "First, tell me what you know."

"Very little, really. My father called me cursed. He constantly blamed me for his failing business ventures, and claimed that my real father was sabotaging his deals." Her mouth twisted in distaste. "The monks who trained me told me that my spirit was poisoned, that with fire running though my veins my soul would be consumed by hate. Neither actually explained much of anything."

"Well, that was... wrong. Though if your father was as spiteful as he sounds then I wouldn't be surprised if he attracted some curse or other." I paused to organize my thoughts. "Spirit-touched are people who are born with aspected mana. It's a very straightforward definition, but it changes... almost everything, really.

"How this happens varies, but it always comes down to the child being exposed to large amounts of mana while in the womb. Most often, the amounts of mana involved result in a miscarriage, but sometimes the mana leaves an impression of itself instead. If that happens, the fetus is imprinted with the aspect, their spiritual body is stronger, and you obviously know about the changes to appearance. You can think of the spirit touched as being natural sorcerers. You'll live longer, and have a natural affinity for fire magic. You've probably noticed that you're naturally faster than most other people? That is an instinctive use of fire magic.

"The issue with having children is because every child conceived by one of the touched, or a sorcerer, is immediately exposed to large amounts of mana. At the very moment of conception. Most never even become a pregnancy. Any that live are always touched themselves."

We were quiet for awhile, Myta processing what I'd said while I tried to guess at her thoughts. Her mood was an odd mix of relief and regret, and I thought both of those were probably related to the matter of children. Then there were flashes of frustration, anger, and even contempt. I could only imagine that she was sorting through her memories, visiting all the insults and misinformed hatred she'd been subjected to.

I had her begin her spear forms, while I prepared breakfast, and then finished packing up the cart. I didn't even need to tell her. As soon as I had decided on how to divide our time she grabbed her spear and set to. Our deepening connection at work, I was sure. We ate on the road, and Myta got her tea. As I'd said, it was better to be safe.

Two more days brought us to my next regular stop, a plantation for fruit and nut trees. Each evening I worked to further purify Myta's spirit, though work was perhaps the wrong term. We both enjoyed the healing sessions immensely, growing comfortable with our intimacy. I encountered a roadblock with her however, almost literally. Her heart nexus I cleansed with little issue. But, the next nexus along her trunk refused my efforts. Myta's sickness had another root there, and I would need to find a way to unseat it before we could make any more meaningful progress.

The plantation was a sprawling affair, with many groves of trees, and dozens of workers to tend them. As such, it was one of my regular stops, and I had been here many times. As I approached the main building, I couldn't help but note the telling lack of activity. Both around the building itself, and in the nearby groves. The clan who operated the plantation were almost pathetically happy to see me, and I was unsurprised to learn that their entire workforce had taken ill. The contagion had swept through their slaves and hired workers, leaving the clan itself almost entirely untouched. It was a stark confirmation of Kubek's words, this contagion was being spread intentionally. At this plantation the clan and their laborers worked closely together. They ate together, even bathed together. Any normal sickness would have hit them all equally.

No group of hooded strangers had visited the place, but apparently some mysterious figures had been seen lurking about the groves. If they were one and the same, I was keeping pace with the culprits, even with my slow rate of travel. By strange coincidence, those who had spotted the intruders had been the first to fall sick. That also meant they were among the first treated.

"I did see their tracks, master Esur, and I promise I weren't drinking." I held in a sigh. While Myta's smirk wasn't a visible one, I could feel her amusement at someone else applying that title to me. However, I made myself focus on the young man in front of me.

"Why would that make me think you'd been drinking? Nothing unusual about seeing tracks."

"Well, it were the tracks themselves, sir. They weren't exactly human. As much like a bird as a man, sir,"

I didn't, in fact, suspect him of drinking. But I'd much rather blame intoxication or dishonesty, than hear that particular piece of news. I set the youth on his way, unable to suppress my worry.

"He could be mistaken, master" Myta was clearly also worried, she barely put any extra emphasis on calling me that.

"He might, I suppose, but if there is a demon, or demons at work it would partially explain what's been happening. Someone would need to be controlling them though. And it doesn't tell us why."

"The Pure taught me that some demons keep their intelligence, and others are incredibly cunning, in a more animal way. Perhaps they aren't controlled at all?"

"No," I shook my head. "While that is true enough, and a few demons can control themselves enough to plan, it is incredibly rare. And it's mostly demons consumed by something like pride or vanity. This contagion has an aspect of hunger, it's far too visceral and immediate for an intelligent demon.

"A creature like that would rampage through the orchards, stripping any mana fruit off the trees. They would likely attack any person they see, and try to eat them alive. At worst, they might grow proficient at stalking and ambush; hunting at night, or breaking into homes. Not spreading poisonous mana, and especially not limiting it to the workers. I don't understand the reasoning behind that, but it feels like sabotage, like a strategic ploy."

"Not a military strategy," she shook her head. "If this were a war, you'd wank to kill the leadership, even more than the soldiers. Not that the workers are soldiers exactly..."

"No, but your point stands. So it's politics, or trade." I grunted in frustration. "Kuru supplies food and lumber to all of Ramana. They even export a great deal across the Inner Sea. The contagion could be the work of Kuru'deka's rivals, or Ramana's trading rivals, or other merchants within Ramana attempting to take over businesses here... Too many possibilities. People lose all sense, when money and prestige are involved."

We were silent for a time, both dwelling on our worries. Finally though, I pulled myself from my funk.

"One thing is certain," I said. "If demons are involved, we need to be prepared. I need to begin your training immediately." She looked over at her spear with a raised brow, but I shook my head.

"No, I'm no warrior. I'll train you as a sorcerer."

Chapter 14

That night I began Myta's training. It might have been more prudent to wait until we left the plantation, but I was feeling a pressing sense of urgency. If we were really going to be engaging a demon, in addition to someone that could bend said demon to their will, we needed to be as prepared as possible. I spent almost every night in meditation. But on this night, when I opened my eyes to my sanctum, I spared only a little attention for the dark rain clouds overhead. I would passively work on purifying that mana in my sleep, but training would be my priority.

My harnessed mana appeared as a quiet reflecting pool. It was fortunately still, and full right now. From it flowed the stream that linked my inner world to Myta's. What had once been a trickle of mana draining from me to her was now a lively flow that passed in both directions, sharing our strength. I stepped along it, and the transition took no time at all, her spirit welcoming me with open arms.

"Master!" My vas awoke in her inner world as soon as I arrived. And her face glowed with pleasure. "It feels good to have you here again. I am prepared to serve you however I can."

She grinned and bowed, the mischievous glint in her eyes promising a particular kind of service. My mouth quirked with an appreciative smile, but I kept myself on task.

"Tonight I will begin teaching you to touch your mana. This is normally a very long process. But with your advantages I am hoping it will go much faster."

"Advantages, master?"

I nodded. "First, as a spirit touched, your mana flows are stronger, and closer to your awareness. Second, our cleansing rituals mean that you have already felt your mana stir. And finally," I gestured around us. "You have access to your inner world.

"Normally you should have no real connection with your inner world until you have been using mana for some time." I frowned. "Even in cases like ours, where a soul sorcerer enters your inner world, you would not have a true awareness or clear memory of it. Why we are different I cannot yet say. I'm hopeful that this will be an aid, rather than a detriment."

"What is an inner world, exactly?"

"It is a construct of your mind, a way for you to view yourself." I made another sweeping gesture. "Every aspect of your being takes on some form in your inner world, and you can come here to interact with them in as direct a fashion as possible." I pointed to the spring behind her. It bubbled up in a small pond, and both of them were comprised of a liquid that looked more like lava than water. "That is your mana."

Turning around, Myta immediately knelt by the small pond, trailing her fingers through the liquid without fear. The sensation of it made her gasp, and she turned back to me.

"It feels like you. When you are healing me."

I nodded. "That's good, it's very good. This is what it feels like to touch your mana. Spend some time just doing that. Then, when you feel ready, try to recreate that feeling, but without touching the spring.

She did as I bade, swirling her fingers through the pool of her mana, getting a feel for it. Time was difficult to tell in that liminal space, but subjectively it was perhaps a quarter of an hour before she withdrew her hand from the pool. Taking a deep breath she sat, still within arms reach of her mana pool, and closed her eyes.

Attempting to summon mana was a bit like trying to use a muscle you'd never trained. It wasn't the effort that was difficult, it was simply figuring out how. This is where Myta would hopefully have the advantage. Most apprentice sorcerers ended up spending time in places where loose mana flowed strongly, in an effort to stimulate their sense for it. Then, once they had an understanding of the sensation, they would attempt to replicate it within themselves. That is how I had learned, but my vas had actually felt her own mana move, and then moved it directly. The inner world had given her a shortcut to do that, now she just had to translate the experience.

I calmed my mind as I waited, deliberately ignoring the passage of time. Any anxiousness on my part might disrupt Myta's concentration, which would only slow things down. Instead, I tried open myself to what she was feeling, to see if I could watch over her shoulder, as it were. She tried to focus he intent on her mana, willing it to move, then to visualize what she wanted it to do. Both of those things were useful when shaping spells, but neither would help her here. Your personal mana might require you to focus to generate more effort, like concentrating and bracing yourself to lift a heavy object. But it was still a part of you, not something that would resist your intent, not generally at least.

She tried tensing, then relaxing, even physically straining; as much as anything was physical in this place. I could feel her frustration rising, which would only hinder her efforts. I was just preparing to call an end to the attempt, when I felt the sluggish movement, her first conscious movement of mana.

"Good, that was it." I said quietly, imagining I was whispering it directly in her ear. Mutely, she jerked before nodding. From the way the hair on the nape of her neck stood up, I realized my mental image had probably made her feel like I had done just that. I smiled, knowing that I'd find a use for that trick later, but now wasn't the time.

"Keep trying the small movements, once you can move your mana reliably in small amounts, you can try to feel out your anima." She nodded again in response, and proceeded to do exactly that. Myta was a very quick learner, it was something I already knew, but her efforts here removed all doubt. It wasn't just her natural affinity for mana control, all spirit touched had that, almost without exception. No, what allowed her to progress so rapidly was her determination, and her diligence in the pursuit of her goal. I was so wrapped up in delight at her progress, that I almost missed when she began to push at her blocked nexus.

"Be careful, your soul sickness is rooted there." Myta didn't ignore me exactly, but I could feel her attention. The nexus lay in her belly, just below the diaphragm, and I could sense her breathing become increasingly irregular as she pushed at it. But she was cautious, if persistent, generating small ripples that traveled all the way down her central channel. Starting at her crown, and flowing all the way to her belly, lapping at the blockage, like gentle waves slowly rising with the tide.

"I can feel something wants to..." her voice was distant, almost dreamy, her focus turned deeply inward.

*Clutching the remains of her spear, Myta screamed as the blood splashed over her face.*

I gasped as the memory slammed into me, far more present, more real than it had any right to be. Still kneeling, Myta jerked as though physically struck, and the great tree tat loomed over us groaned and crackled. Still, she maintained her efforts, shifting her mana with rising intensity.

*She screamed in pain as the brand touched her skin, her whole body curling around the iron like a dying insect. Her cheek cradled in the bloody mud.*

With a snapping sound that rivaled the arrival of a lightning bolt, the tree shook again. Leaves began to fall around us, burning with silver flame. Myta's efforts weren't helping her, they were wounding her soul further, threatening the progress we had already made. I grabbed her shoulder, growling as she failed to acknowledge me. She was probably lost in her most traumatic memories. I could feel them flickering at the edge of my mind as well. It was too early though, for her to confront such things again. I'd only just freed her from the worst extremes of her condition, and she'd had precious little time to recover.

Grasping our connection, which only felt deeper in this moment of crisis, I set my will against hers. My beautiful flame was breaking apart, whatever she was facing was tearing into her psyche, like shards of broken glass. She wasn't so much resisting me, as her mind was simply tearing apart, and I refused to let that happen. I pushed myself into her memory.

***

I pulled myself from the vision with a scream, jerking my hand from Myta's shoulder. Already, fiery anima like molten gold pooled in my palm. I clutched at my wrist with my other hand, refusing to let my fingers curl. Myta gasped for air, taking a deeper breath than she had been able to in years.

"Master!" She screamed as soon as she had the breath to do so, crawling across the soft ground to where I'd fallen. She wrapped herself around me, cradling my head in her lap, careful to avoid jostling my right hand. "What was that!?"

I opened my mouth to calm her, to explain, but the words never came. I wanted to reassure her, to let her know that I had finished... something. But it slipped away from me, like trying to catch a minnow in a fast stream.

"I... don't remember. You were working on your mana, and triggered something, overstressed yourself. I tried to help you, and then my memory fades." I looked at my palm, where metallic gold shone in the image of a spell mandala. Not one that I had ever seen before. The pain was fading rapidly, but the recollection of it made me wince. Myta helped me sit up, her collar catching the light brilliantly. It was a solid ring of silver, with flowing dark ripples like river steel. Seeing it brought me a great sense of relief, and satisfaction.

Seeing my gaze, my vas reached up to touch the collar herself, smiling widely when her fingers felt the metal. But then her brow furrowed, her eyes mirroring the same confusion that I felt.

"Was I wearing this before? It feels familiar, but then I can't recall it."

"Like a fading dream," I replied, and then shook my head. "We will need to uncover what happened, but I don't think we can do that tonight. I have the feeling that we've pushed our luck as it is. Let's rest, and leave that worry for tomorrow."

Chapter 15

I brought Myta back to my sanctum. Partly due to the unnerving nature of our recent experience, and partly because I simply wanted to see if I could. Visiting the inner world of another person was a rare skill, it was part of what defined a soul sorcerer, but other mana users could manage it occasionally. Generally only when the two beings were very spiritually connected. My vas and I were bonded very closely indeed, and so I wanted to test that connection.

It was easy, perhaps too easy, to bring her into my domain. Much as when I traveled to her, we simply walked, following the stream that joined our mana pools. I couldn't help but notice that, while that stream hadn't gotten any wider, it was much deeper now. I wasn't quite sure how to interpret that, as everything in this space was a metaphor. At a minimum it meant that our bond was stronger in some fashion, although I didn't think it was passing any more mana between us than before.