The Soul Refiner Bk. 01 Ch. 28-30

Chapter 28

After a short sleep, Myta and I got moving, draping robes about us to make it to the bath. Outside our room Hati snapped to attention. The large woman had clearly been dozing, leaning against the wall. I wondered how much of our pre-nap activity the sergeant had heard. Probably all of it, judging by her abashed expression.

"Mytan, Esur'uk! I am here to represent the men who will serve you in your mission!" She put her fist to her chest, giving an abbreviated bow.

"Drew the short straw did you? I take it Tarun felt we needed you expertise sergeant?" I asked.

"I volunteered, sir." Catching my look of surprise, she continued. "Mytan fights better than any of us, even the captain, but has little experience organizing and leading troops. A lot of those who are joining you have more enthusiasm than discipline. I thought I could lend my experience as repayment for the training."

I nodded. Hati was loyal to Tarun, but she seemed to have developed a bit of hero worship for Myta. And perhaps she was feeling a bit stifled in the city guard. Whatever her reasons, her experience would indeed be invaluable to us.

"How many are coming with us? I assume that if you're here you already have a count." My vas asked. She was blushing lightly at the situation, but her voice was all business as we walked toward the bathing room, Hati trailing behind.

"Twenty, plus myself. Half of our fighting force, and more than half of those who are still hale. There are some civilians who wish to join as well, more from anger than anything. But bringing them would be more hindrance than help, I think." The large woman paused as we reached another door. Myta looked to me, but I simply shook my head.

"You command the men, my flame." I said to her aloud. Then followed up silently. *Do as you feel is best. If I disagree I will tell you, but not in front of them.*

"If the civilians are in good shape, and have skills in foraging or building, we will take them. We won't get far on pure force of arms. Gather up the fighters, and those who have relevant skills in the training yard, in one hour. I'll meet you out there then."

Hati nodded, offering Myta another salute, before heading out to do as she was bid.

As soon as we were through the door, my vas slammed it behind us, and was in my arms a moment later. I held her, making soothing noises as she clung to me.

"Master, I'm not sure if I can do this. I've never led men before. I've never even had people listen to my opinion before."

"Better you than me." I said with a joking tone. That caused her to draw back and glare at me. A glare that I met with a soft smile. "I'm serious. This is why Tarun has been teaching you, and all the fighters respect you. You're inexperienced, that's fine, no one begins with experience. That is specifically why Hati is joining us. She said as much. Between her advice and mine, you can hopefully avoid making too many mistakes. And those that you do make, we can hopefully mitigate.

"This will be dangerous, and stressful. People will die. Hopefully enemies, but quite probably some of our friends as well. We will need to be and do our best to minimize that. I think that you are best suited to it, but trust me. If I think that I, or anyone else available can do a better job, I will step in." I met her eyes until she nodded reluctantly, then kissed her forehead.

Our bath was short, and we redressed quickly before heading out to the training yard. Myta had given Hati an hour, but people were already gathering. The guardsmen weren't a surprise, all those who had done best after training with Myta had volunteered. Their own anima had been tempered by hers, if not to the extent that a sorcerer went through, and that tended to leave a lasting emotional bond. Sorcerers who worked with others closely tended to be either well loved, or abjectly hated.

The non-combatants were more unexpected, however. One of Mutil's apprentices as well as Denu, the fruit trader's daughter, were already waiting. Cata, the apprentice, apparently had learned a few of his master's tricks when it came to laying traps. Denu was surprisingly stealthy, good at foraging and slipping through the forest. Though only fifteen, she had been traveling the low road with her mother for years already, and had become expert at disappearing when strangers approached. I was unsure about taking along such a young woman, but if both her mother and Hati had agreed then I would trust their judgment.

Two hunters also joined us, both apparently quite skilled in archery and tracking. Neither of whom had been a part of our own caravan. Denu attached herself to them almost immediately, quizzing them about hunting and tracking both. The two men seemed to be some mix of annoyed and amused, and I realized that she must do this often. She had an entire series of questions for them, on matters ranging from butchering animals, to determining the age of spoor.

When everyone was gathered, Myta set about organizing them. Hati would serve as her second in command, unsurprisingly. Everyone knew that Myta was the best fighter we had, and as such she needed someone reliable to assume control if she became bogged down in battle. The other fighters she divided into squads of five, and appointed a leader to each. I didn't follow the logic of how she divided them up, or who became leaders. The only real note that I had was that she had mixed the guardsmen and caravan guards fairly evenly. Three of the four squad leaders were caravan guards, which surprised me a little, but there was only a little good-natured grumbling over it.

After a brief discussion about what gear and supplies each person should bring, Myta looked to me. "When will we be leaving, master?"

Suddenly every eye was upon me, not all of them friendly. I should have expected this. Many among them had no knowledge of our relationship. While 'master' wasn't that unusual of a term, certainly not exclusive to slaves and their owners, it was otherwise reserved for one's superiors. A teacher or elder, or the most skilled member of a particular craft or trade. A fair number of these people were a hair's breadth away from calling her master, so having Myta address me that way, and defer to me, produced mixed feelings.

"We'll leave in the morning." I replied, keeping my own voice smooth and calm. Better to present a professional front, than try to impress them all with my mediocre charisma. "Ket has given us a heading, though we won't know the exact disposition of the enemy until we are closer. The two of us will be largely recovered by morning, and the sooner we strike, the more likely we are to take the enemy off guard."

"Then we depart at sunrise," she nodded. "Finish your preparations, and rest well tonight."

Our party dispersed, Hati leaving Myta with an approving nod. The two of us raided my cart, packing up medical supplies and food to be loaded onto the goats in the morning. It was evening by the time we finished our preparations, and we ate dinner in Tarun's manor. The meal was quiet, all of us brooding on our tasks. We were going to confront an unknown enemy force, while the captain would be returning to Bani. I honestly wasn't sure which of us would face more danger. Bani held an unknown number of the Pure, probably their most powerful agents in the region, supported by an equally unknown patron from Ramana City.

"Master," Myta's voice broke the silence, causing everyone else to startle. She gave a small laugh at the reaction. "Master, how will we recover our strength by morning? My mana is still largely exhausted. And I know yours is little better than half returned."

"For anyone with an expanded spirit, harvesting mana from the world is an essential skill." I said, glad to escape my grim thoughts. Everyone in the room strained to listen, which included Tarun and Hati. "You produce mana naturally, but all but the most efficient, or smallest sorcery will consume much more than you can generate quickly. The clarity and density of your anima increases your mana generation, but once your reservoir is larger than you can fill with a night's rest, it's time to look outward." The attention of the servants drifted away, clearly lost by my technical explanation. Tarun and Hati could barely restrain their interest, however. Clearly they both had enough basic knowledge to follow along, and sorcerers generally hoarded this level of knowledge, or even actively sowed disinformation.

"At or before this stage, sorcerers attune to an aspect, a type of mana they can more easily work with. The broader, and more versatile your aspect, the easier it becomes to replenish. You, of course, were born with your aspect of fire. But this is also when sorcerers begin to manifest physical changes like your own. Though they are usually less dramatic."

Tarun snorted. "Ramana has eyes like rainbows, and his voice always sounds like it's coming from behind you. The man doesn't cast a shadow, and I've heard that he can walk through a rainstorm without getting wet. Not exactly subtle."

I shrugged. "The older and more powerful a sorcerer gets, the more they change. Falling farther under the sway of your aspect does the same. That's why demons are so warped." I waved my hand dismissively. "Not relevant right now. Any sorcerer with an aspect can harvest mana from it. So you can absorb mana from any flame around you. The bigger it is, the more mana you can gain from it. Simple, at least in principle."

"What about in practice?" She asked with a raised brow.

"A little less simple," I grinned. "Most sorcerers develop aspects that are much more specific than something like 'fire'. Not every fire acts the same way, or is viewed the same. So not all fire aspect sorcerers draw from them as easily. A sorcerer with a perfect aspect of fire, could pull mana even from a picture of a bonfire, or other related things. I knew a sorcerer once who could draw fire mana from sunlight, and claimed he would pull from the sun itself."

"I take it he never managed it?" She asked.

"Not sure," I shrugged. "Went mad and burned himself to a cinder trying."

Chapter 29

Despite the dire end to my anecdote, Myta had no issues harvesting mana from the bonfire Tarun had his servants build in the yard for us. I hadn't expected her to. As a spirit touched of fire, I would have been incredibly shocked if there had been any issue. Fire was a generous aspect, not quite as pervasive as air or earth, but it generated mana rapidly as long as it was burning. A large fire like this had Myta's spirit nearly filled by the time we went to bed.

Her success was to be expected. What I didn't expect was the way that my mana reserves had also risen greatly during that same time. My aspect was far more restrained than fire, I could take in almost any kind of mana, but normally it took me far more time and effort to make it usable. Now the fire aspected mana was practically dancing in my meridians, begging to be used. I wasn't complaining, precisely, but the sudden shift to my capabilities was unnerving as much as it was exciting. I'd been stagnant for so long that I wasn't sure how to handle the change.

We left on schedule, preparing in the predawn light, and then setting out as the sun crested the horizon. Not that we could see it for the trees. Hati chivvied the men into some kind of marching order, or traveling order? We weren't exactly marching through the thick underbrush and Ket was pointing me far off the beaten paths. In any case, the men were dispersed by squad, with each squad responsible for keeping track of their own members, while squad leaders were responsible for keeping track of the core group. That core group being Myta, myself, Hati, and Cata. The hunters and Denu roamed ahead, scouting out clearer paths and keeping an eye out for convenient food.

Our entire unit was now outfitted with superb gear, although much of the armor had needed repair. The glaives weren't ideal for fighting in the forest, but I hoped that, because so many of the enemy were outfitted with them, they would favor open spaces for their camps. If not, all of the men carried smaller weapons as well, though most were not of the same quality.

Our path led us north and east, nearer the foothills of Mount Ramana. That was mixed news, as Tarun and I had both assumed that any large incursion of troops would arrive by ship, coming from the Inner Sea to our south. This meant that the camp we were headed toward was farther from any reinforcements they might have, but there was no real reason for them to choose a more inconvenient location, unless it offered them some additional advantage. Not that we could do anything about that, if we wanted to keep the enemy occupied, we needed to hit them where they were.

At least the travel gave me time to continue Myta's training. The movement of our group was far slower that either of us. Our mana enhanced bodies allowed us to push our pace far faster, for far longer than the men. Allowing us the time and attention for me to lecture.

"You are ready to begin shaping spells now, the lowest bar for what many think of as 'real sorcery'." Myta smirked at my derisive tone.

"I take it you don't agree, master?"

"I think it's just posturing. Most of those flame bursts you throw around with Sun's Ray don't qualify as spells. But you still wiped out the caravan ambush with ease. Let's ask those dead men if your sorcery was 'real enough'." I paused to take a swig of water, freshened with crushed mint leaves. "Still, refined spells are far more powerful than throwing waves of mana about. You've seen the difference yourself. Even if you didn't realize it at the time, you've already used a spell."

"When you were under attack, I destroyed that man's head." She knew what I was referring to immediately.

"Precisely. You attacked with far more power and control, and though I'm sure you didn't realize it at the time, it wouldn't have taken any more mana than you other attacks. Possibly even less."

"So what makes a spell? I was just angry and afraid. Are they formed through emotion?" She sounded skeptical, as well she should. Nevertheless, I nodded.

"In a sense," I said. "Spells need three things to be spells. Mana, will, and intention. Mana is relatively simple, and it's the part you already understand. You project mana just as you've been doing, preferably with an appropriate aspect, and a refined shape. Aspect is usually simple, you use fire to burn things, for example. And shape is part of what Inner Harmony has been teaching you. If you want to create a lance of fire, the closer is to being a lance when it leaves your presence the better.

"The second part, will, is where emotion can come into play. The stronger your desire and focus is, the better you mana will keep its form as it leaves your presence. If you don't have enough will, you spell won't travel far, and won't be able to pierce the presence of another." I stepped away from her, and then sent a small bolt of fire her way. Ita gave me an annoyed bleat, but the fire fizzled out more than a foot away from my vas, let alone the goat she was leading. Myta nodded, no doubt having felt the mana disperse in her presence.

"And the final part, intention, sounds like our lessons on refining and changing your aspect." She said.

"Yes, very good." She grinned at my praise. "Intention is almost exactly the same. Mana responds to your thoughts, so the more clearly you can visualize what you want the spell to do, the less mana you waste. All three elements of a spell reinforce one another, which is what makes them so much more effective. Power, efficiency, and control."

Myta spent the remainder of our travel time practicing flame lances. She tossed them from her thrust fingers, until I forced her to stop. Many sorcerers became dependent on repetitive gestures like that to aid their concentration. Eventually they could become a requirement, the habit so ingrained that the sorcerer couldn't cast the spell without it. I practiced alongside her, testing my newfound affinity for flame. I could convert my own aspect to fire much faster than I had been able to, and it occurred to me that this was true almost from the moment of accepting Myta's bond. I just hadn't really paid attention to or used it, beyond lighting a few cooking fires.

I insisted we stop early, so that Myta could spar with the men, and we both could regain mana from the campfire. Everyone was in good spirits, even the fighters that she had trounced. They wore their singed hair and minor burns like badges of pride, as she continued to practice during sparring. It took a great mastery of intention to not burn an opponent with a flame lance. The occasional hit they managed to land on her while she was splitting her focus gave them something to strive for. I don't think my vas had been so challenged since she was discarded by the Pure.

Fortunately, all the fighters had trained with Myta previously. Their animas had been somewhat refined already. Polished, as it were, by the pressure of her presence. That meant they were unlikely to fall ill due to the sparring now. And a little more refinement of their spirits would be a good thing, in the longer term. The more their spirits were purified, the stronger their bodies would grow. Not just in brute force; but in stamina, speed, agility, and innumerable other small ways. Small changes, that would make them superior fighters.

That thought stuck in my head, it lingered like a splinter in my thoughts. Many sorcerers had experimented with refining the spirits of their mundane subordinates or associates over the years. Most of the practices that would help that along were crude, and not much different that what Myta was doing right now. Expose the subject to the presence of a sorcerer. Either in some sort of conflict with a weaker sorcerer, such as sparring, or simply being around a more powerful one. Either way, the mundane's spirit was put under pressure, and their anima would either strengthen or break in response.

But now, I potentially had another option. My own aspect was ideal for strengthening anima, but it had taken me decades to perfect. By the time it was ready, my will was far too strong for me to risk applying my presence to regular mortals. My internal mana could be used on them with relative safety, as long as I was careful. If I applied pressure however, I could supplant a person's anima with my own. If they weren't compatble, and few were, that kind of spiritual intrusion could lead to madness, or death. Not quite as severe a violation as direct soul damage, but not that far off. I kept my presence restrained at all times, partially for that very reason.

But my new facility with fire surely came to me from Myta. If I could call on her aspect, could she call on mine? That would be far safer. She was dedicated to me, and her will was growing stronger as her soul healed, but her will was still far less than mine. If I could walk her through using my aspect, it would be another path to training her spellcasting. While also potentially providing us with fighters to rival Ramana's royal guard.

Chapter 30

I shared my thoughts with Myta that night, after the camp turned in. Of course the night watch, and the especially restless were still awake, but it was the closest we were likely to get to privacy in the near future. We had a large bedroll to share and a tarp to lay under. There hadn't been enough leeway to bring a tent for us to use, not when that weight could be replaced by food, or emergency supplies such as medicine.

My vas lay half across me, her expression thoughtful, but concerned. The serious air she put out was somewhat disrupted by the sensation of her hand playing with my partially erect cock. She wasn't trying to pleasure me really, her attentions had no goal. She just enjoyed touching me like this, and enjoyed my enjoyment of it. There was something deeply decadent about having her service me so casually.