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45th | Consequences

Day ??

I woke up feeling… not that bad, actually. The subtle pangs plaguing my flesh quickly settled into my bones, the feeling vanishing quickly. Rays of white sunlight beamed through sloppy rafters and ignited my eyes, which scrambled for operation.

As soon as the status realized I was awake and capable of forming thoughts, I was assaulted with five separate notification windows. Clearly, some stuff had happened while I was out. More pressingly, my surroundings.

I sat upright and inspected the platform. A woven cot. And not hastily done either. Around me thin walls erected seemingly out of straw or grass rose into a simple hut around me. The floor was covered in achingly familiar green leaves, no door covering the opening.

My eyes adjusted to the bright white light blanketing the door with a confused blink. When I tried to lift myself up something around my waist snagged on the bed and slingshoted me back down. A full pelt was tied around my pelvis, with long brown pants decently stitched extending from the bursting furs.

My upper half remained untouched, save for a ton of bandages, and leaves caked in unknown substances. At a glance I could tell they weren't poisonous, at the very least. I carefully pulled the wraps from around my body and inspected the areas they covered.

Spotless. My bones were in perfect shape, my muscles uniform and my nerves firing with optimal efficiency. I was completely fine. My eyes curved over to one of the purple notification logs that had sneakily un-dismissed itself.

< Unauthorized tampering of soul detected! >

< [Defense Vocation] Activated >

< [Corruption Resistance] Activated >

< [Stone Mind] Activated in full force >

< Due to condition: {Unconscious} resistance has failed >

< Warning!!! Your soul is being hijacked!!! >

< Unauthorized tampering of soul detected! >

< Unauthorized use of abilities detected! >

< Using Ability: Overload | Target: Vitality >

< Due to the stat: Vitality surpassing 100, the overload skill: [{Resolution}] has been temporarily acquired >

< [{Resolution}]- Completely restore hp and stamina in one burst. Completely heals the body regardless of what damage was sustained, even if the body no longer exists. >

< Using skill: [{Resolution}] >

<7>

<6>

< … >

< Countdown sustained >

What?? No no no, the Curse of Soul Fray prevents me from overloading vitality! I've tried a bunch of times! This doesn't make any sense…

Before taking a look at my gains, I decided to take a look at my surroundings. I unhooked the snag on my pants, and shot upwards. I marched through the large opening and into what looked to be an encampment. Straw of the same variety as the hut formed into walls circling around the place, numerous smaller wooden pieces of artifice littered the grounds, tools and furniture strewn everywhere.

More odd than the crafted structure were the biological ones. The entire floor was littered with many different species of fruits. I only recognized a few, of course, none sharing a resemblance with edibles from Earth.

As I walked I noticed huge mounds of the fruits, along with pools of their juices filing cracks in the rocky terrain. These piles rose to almost shoulder height, with many smaller mounds near them sorted by species.

Even with such aggressive sunlight and clear skies, chilled wind still sent a shiver through my flesh as it washed over me, toppling some of the smaller fruit piles. When one of the fruits rolled further down a slope I saw some kind of work station. A mortar and pestle, some kind of juicer, knives and spoons, various glasses and jars, sat next to many chopped up fruits, some surrounded by a few insects.

I wasn't sure what to make of that. Sure, back home the lack of flies could indicate that the home owners hadn't been gone for very long, however, I already know that there is a serious lack of insects and decomposers in this world.

I walked over to the work station and inspected the jars in a kneeling position. Scattered across the table were what I recognized as empty healing potion vials. Even though the scent of health potion and fruit juice was extremely close, I could still detect the presence of the potions in some of the jars.

Not noticing anything wrong, I tentatively tasted the innards of one of the jars.

"Ugh! It tastes bitter, and spicy. And with a sour aftertaste??? UGGGHHHH." I spat it onto the ground and wiped the residue from my mouth. I stared into space for a few moments in thought, and then grabbed one of the glasses.

I began daydreaming about my reflection, when I noticed the tint of the glass. Purple. Wait a second, is this..?

A quick [Super Appraisal] confirmed my suspicions, and took a weight off of my shoulders. This is the glass from my failed experiments, which means Oldren must be behind all this! Glad that I hadn't been kidnapped, or dislocated again, I found myself a wooden chair and began flipping through my various notifications.

Looks like I hit max level, as I expected. Wait, what's this?

I saw a strange entry, which caused a sudden change. A pulse of aura expanded from my heart, dark red and suffused with vitality. Waves continued to roil throughout from the point of origin, right in the middle of my chest.

It took me a second to realize the waves diffused at the same rate as my heart beat, the waves increasing in speed with my stress levels. This reminded me of a tidbit I got from the status, that some skills don't work until acknowledged by the user. Clearly, this is one of those times.

< Sky Terror lv276 Slain Alot of XP acquired>

< Obtained 1 (Huge) Soul>

< Soul Purity is very high | +6 Additional souls >

< Level Up! Lv48 -> Lv50 | +2 SkP +6 StP>

< Congratulations! You have reached max level! +2 bonus SkP >

< Achievement Attained >

< Legendary Achievement Attained >

< Nah, I'd win >

< Prevail over Death >

< [Death Resistance] +5lvs | +10 Vit >

< Giants Bane >

< Kill A monster that is at least 10x larger than you >

< Special Skill: [Giantkiller] >

< Game Breaker >

< Slay a monster you should not be able too. >

< (This Achievement combines multiple others) >

< +5 SkP | +12 All Stats | +3 All Skills | Unique custom tailored stat | >

< Acquired new stat: DOOM >

Okay now hang on one fucking second. All of this stuff is amazing, max level, legendary achievements, tons of souls and skill points! But what the hell is DOOM?

< Unique stat: DOOM- A custom tailor made "stat" for the User: Maximilian. This stat increases the user's fear factor. As your enemies begin to fear the user, positive conditions will be gained, while Negative conditions will be propagated. This "Stat" is abnormal, and can not be increased through traditional or even advanced means. As this stat is exploited, its numerical value will naturally and temporarily increase. Caution is advised, as this effect can "snowball" very easily. >

Well that's…. Interesting. Guess I'll have to test it out later. Anyhow… What else?

<[Penetrate] lv8 -> lv9>

<[Cleave] lv9 -> lv10>

<[Skirmish] lv18 -> lv20>

<[Health Pulse] lv19 -> lv20>

<[Eschewal] lv1 -> lv4>

<[Break Fall] lv8 -> lv9>

<[Convergence] lv15 -> lv19 | +4phys>

<[Guard] lv1 -> lv3>

<[Lesser Pain Null] lv1 -> lv4>

<[Grand Force Res] lv5 -> lv7>

<[Nervous Paralysis Res] lv3 -> lv4>

<[Greater Cutting Res] lv2 -> lv3>

<[3D Maneuvering] lv8 -> lv10>

<[Launch] lv8 -> lv9 | 18/18>

<[Journeyman] lv6 -> lv8>

<[Stamina Swell] lv4 -> lv5>

<[Way of the Wind] lv7 -> lv8>

<[Vice Grip] lv3 -> lv5>

< [Skirmish] has reached its max level 20/20 >

< [Health Pulse] has reached its max level 20/20 >

< [Stamina Swell] has reached its max level 5/5 >

Excellent gains, but here's where it gets interesting.

< Through extreme pressure and stimulants, Skill: [Health Pulse] Has Evolved. >

< [Health Pulse] has evolved into: [Heart Burst] Tier [4] >

Unlike [Spirt Drive] and [Dismembering] however, this one actually has a description.

< [Heart Burst]- Through serious hardship, this skills efficiency and speed have been massively increased. Continuously stores excess energy for later use without expiration. Healing waves can be directed to specific parts of the body, including outside of it. WARNING: When the user is below 5% HP, this skill will permanently DOWNLEVEL itself in exchange for the user's continued existence. If the user is met with the count down the skill may completely reset it's level. >

"WHAT!! I DON'T WANT THAT!! System! Can I get a refund!"

< >:) >

That's less of a bonus and more of an incentive not to get hurt.. Which, I suppose, is what the system is going for here.

Status.

Class - Thresher | lv 50/50 | 25943 xp **

Name - Maximilian | Race - Modular Human m

Achievements- The Special | Self indulgent | Sure Kill | I'll be watching you | (+13+1)

Hp- 9050/9050 (1/2) | St- 12500/12500 (+500) | Condition- Curse of Soul Fray | Strain (Greater)

Legacy: Sky Wyrm (Wind)

Ability's: Chaos Potential | Overload | Resonation | Mana Sense

SkP- 7 | Stp- 6 | Souls- 12 88 8 7

Assimilation Bonus:

Stats - (+54 phys)(+20A) +12

Strength 128

Speed 133 (+5A)

Stamina 120

Dexterity 144 (+101)

Intellect 112 (+44)

Insight 41.2 (+8N)

Sense 199 (x3.2)(+10)

Vitality 90.5 (1/2) (+5A)

Charm 33 {locked}

DOOM 1

Special / Class / Overload Skills

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Spirit Drive |||| lv16/40 - Death Resistance \\ lv18/99 - Corruption Resistance ||| lv5/20 - Dismembering |||| lv15/40 - Giantkiller \\ lv4/100 — Desperate endurance || lv9 - Schematica (4/17) || lv8 - Hades Hound || lv5+3 - Defense Vocation || lv8 - Imitation || lv5 - Petrify || lv5 — (Sen) Nascent - (Dex) Recreation - (Spd) Hyperspace 2/2 - (Str) Concussive Blast - (Stm) Last Stand - (Int) Mind's Eye

Offense Skills -

Overpower ||| lv9/20 - Penetrate || lv12/10 - Wrecking Smash || 11/10 - Cleave ||| lv13/20 - Sharp Shot ||| lv9/20 - Spectral Arrow ||| lv8/20 - Skirmish ||| lv23/20 -

Defense Skills -

Heart Burst |||| lv4/40 - Break Fall || lv12/10 - Nocturnal || lv10/10 - Conceal || lv12/10 - Rumination ||| lv11/20 - Nimble Hands ||| lv19/20 - Convergence |||| lv22/40 - Guard || lv6/10 Lesser Pain Nullification |||| lv7/40 - Darkness Res || lv5/10 - Grand Force Res ||| lv10/20 - Nervous Paralysis Res || lv7/10 - Greater Cutting Res || lv6/10 - Baleful Heat Res || lv11/10 - Sleep Res | lv8/5

Mobility skills -

3D Maneuvering ||| lv13/20 - Brash Dash ||| lv22/20 - Launch 21/21 ||| lv 12/20 - Journeyman |||| lv11/40 - Stamina Swell | lv8/5 - Eschewal |||| lv7/40

Knowledge Skills -

Complex Crafting ||| lv21/20 - Chiseling ||| lv16/20 - Lethal Toxicology ||| lv6/20 - Bark Runner || lv12/10 - Terrain Memorization || lv12/10 - Knitting || lv6/10 - OLL ||| lv10/20 - Way of the Wind || lv11/10 - Seeking (4/5) ||| lv22/20 - Knock Out || lv5/10 - Vice Grip || lv8/10 - Internal Clock | lv8/5 -

Magic Skills -

Stone Mind || lv13/10 - Mana Grasp || lv5/10 - Mana Shifting || lv5/10

< Warning! Multiple skills are overleveled! >

Is that a bad thing?

< Not really, it's just annoying to look at. >

You seem so human sometimes.

My stats have transformed heavily, most notably my charm, which increased by 50%. Interestingly, DOOM didn't increase at all. Though, seeing its description, I'm not sure if that's a good or a bad thing. There are no downsides to the system… for me. However there are no guarantees for my allies. I hope I can control DOOM when the time comes.

I have seven skill points, and several skills to evolve. However, [Heart Burst] evolving on its own has opened a new door. Sure, [Spirit Drive] had evolved on its own as well, but I figured that was a special thing. Will has the tendency to manipulate the system after all, and besides…

It was hard.

It may have looked pre planned and professional at the moment, but I was completely flabbergasted that my playing around resulted in something. I was just messing around, playing with the white fire knowing my life was on the line and somehow, it worked.

But it was really difficult.

That's not all though. I'm no expert in skill evolution, but it seems to take a lot of effort to evolve a skill. If my theory is correct, then I believe skill evolution has to deal with physically manipulating the skill to suit a different and stronger purpose. By using the skill in a new, more powerful way, it'll evolve. Essentially, manually reproducing what its ranked up effect could be.

This is a good thing, as there wouldn't be hidden conditions like in some sort of game. However, it's limiting. A lot of skills, especially low level ones, can't be manipulated. How would I manipulate [Stamina Swell], or [Journeyman]?

The other mobility skills? Certainly! In fact, I plan on not spending a point on [Brash Dash] for that exact reason. I'll be singling it out for future experimentation. So what will I rank up? First of all, [Wrecking Smash]. It's one of my primary skills, and I can't see how I could manipulate it.

[Skirmish] is a tricky one. I can certainly see myself evolving this one, using actual techniques instead of relying on it, and incorporating those moves into my style. I know for sure that'll work, but honestly? I just don't have the means. Where will I learn the styles from? How long will it take? Will I have to learn dedicated skills, and potentially waste even more skill points? No, I don't think so. Besides, I like the wild and unpredictable nature of the skill. It's enough for hunting, and who knows? Could be good for PvP too.

Of course I won't be pulling any feints or galaxy brain strategies, but I think overwhelming my opponents with brute force is just my style.

Besides that, [Sleep resistance] definitely, maybe [Baleful Heat Resistance] if I can't get anything else, same for [Nocturnal]. Hmm, actually, status give me the full list.

< [Penetrate] has reached its max level >

< [Wrecking Smash] has reached its max level >

< [Skirmish] has reached its max level >

< [Breakfall] has reached its max level >

< [Nocturnal] has reached its max level >

< [Conceal] has reached its max level >

< [Baleful Heat Res] has reached its max level >

< [Sleep Res] has reached its max level >

< [Brash Dash] has reached its max level >

< [Stamina Swell] has reached its max level >

< [Complex Crafting] has reached its max level >

< [Bark Runner] has reached its max level >

< [Terrain Memo] has reached its max level >

< [Way of the Wind] has reached its max level >

< [Seeking] has reached its max level >

< [Internal Clock] has reached its max level >

< [Stone Mind] has reached its max level >

Wow. It looks like way more when it's all listed out like this.

I have seven skill points. I'll save two for emergencies, so I have five picks.

I'm definitely taking [Penetrate], [Wrecking Smash], and [Skirmish].

I might be able to turn [Breakfall] into a stealth skill, like soft steps or something. [Nocturnal] is just plain out. I might be able to evolve [Conceal], maybe with camouflage? So that's a no go too. Thinking about what's most important, and hard to manipulate, I'll take… [Stone Mind] and [Way of the Wind]!

Quick, before I change my mind!

< [2nd] Tier [Penetrate] Has ranked up into [3rd] tier: [Puncture]- Increases damage and pierce value by 500%. Increases acceleration by 200%. Projectiles will experience a second acceleration at least 3 seconds before projected impact. Successfully pierced areas will have their wounds expanded significantly. Is more effective against harder surfaces. >

< [2nd] Tier [Wrecking Smash] Has ranked up into [3rd] tier: [Shattering Punch]- Increases damage and destructive force by 500%. Conjured aura provides defensive value. Upon irreparably breaking a target, all targetable entities within a small radius will be afflicted with {Vulnerable}. Hitting the same spot will increase damage by 10%, stackable up to 10x.>

< [3rd] Tier [Skirmish] Has ranked up into [4th] tier: [Onslought]- Faster, stronger, explosive, agile. All aspects of primal superiority. Destroy your opponents, tear them apart. Give them no time to think, or to plan. Quick, efficient, dangerous. Warning: This skill is extremely aggressive, and may put its users life in danger. >

< [2nd] Tier [Stone Mind] Has ranked up into [3rd] tier: [Iron Mind]- Increases mental defense, and decreases negative effects of mentally straining activities. Decreases chance of gaining negative mental conditions, especially in battle. This skill becomes stronger over time.>

< [2nd] Tier [Way of the Wind] Has ranked up into [3rd] tier: [Forecast]- You become closer with the sky. Your ability to predict storms, hear, smell, and tell the time increases. Your eyes can pierce through mist and dust. Once per week, you may perform the Ritual of the Sky, allowing you to gain future insight about any event you wish. The longer you spend between rituals, the more information will be revealed. >

Oh really?! I haven't seen that notification in ages!

< Combine skills: [Rumination] + [Corruption Resistance] + [Iron Mind]? >

I'm tempted. I'm really really tempted, but I must stay strong. Let's think about this, there's a decent chance this fused skill won't give me intellect every level like [Iron Mind] does. Though from the skills involved, I suspect this will be some kind of mental defense skill. At least it'll put the useless [Corruption Resistance] to use.

Mmmmm… I'll wait after all. The only instance I've needed mental defense was when I touched that purple crystal all those weeks ago. I've had no need since then. If I get my hands on any extra skill points, I'll go for it.

I caught the sound of rushed footsteps at the edge of my hearing range, about a mile radius. I sat silently as I waited for it to enter my vitaeception range. Before that, I recognized the trace. Lily.

From the speed I could tell she was rushing back quite quickly. How did I not notice the trace before? Do they have a limited range? I can't believe I'm only just now learning about this. She was making a beeline for me.

I considered moving, but ultimately decided to stay in place. I waited patiently as the little red blip in my awareness quickly careened toward me. I began looking through my skill descriptions as I waited, attempting to reintegrate all of my abilities.

I really need to use my beginner skills more often. That's it! When Oldren gets back I'll ask him to remake my bow and arrows. I'm going on a melee strike!

The rustling of the flora intensified, until a human form emerged from the foliage. I stood up and waved. "Hey!" Once I got a good look at her, I felt a pang on worry. Wow, she looks terrible. What happened while I was out?

She rushed at me, tears streaming down her cheeks with an almost heartbroken expression plaguing her face. She quickly bounded up the dirt hills and rocky outcroppings, clearing the camps distance in a few large bounds before slamming into me in a full body hug.

"Oof!" The unexpected force of her dash sent me sprawling back, the ledge I was previously sitting on jamming into my spine near my tail bone, and folding me in half. What should have been tear inducing pain only registered as a dull pang.

As Lily buried her face in my shirt, I righted myself and tried prying her off of me. She refused to budge, the sound of her muffled cries growing louder with every attempt. I gave up and rested on the edge of the rock. I ended up softly closing my arms around her, making her cry even harder and putting a complicated expression on my face. Man, I just can't win.

I looked over to the right as the second set of footsteps stopped in place. Even he wore a relieved look on his face. He stumbled forward on unsteady legs, before lowering himself to the ground a few yards away from me.

"Uh… Anyone care to explain?" Oldren chuckled, while Lily went almost silent, though still refusing to let go of me. I disconnected my right arm from around her, using it as a support while I leaned back.

Oldren put a palm on his hand and tilted his face to the sky. His laugh became exuberant for a moment, before cutting off abruptly, his mouth still open like an abandoned puppet.

"Man, I feel like a real prick now." I tilted my head to the side, confused but waiting for him to continue. When he didn't, I opened my mouth to speak, which is when he opted to elaborate. "Is this how you guys felt, when I would shut down for days?"

He stood up, smiling, and walked over to the messy juice station I had my taste testing at minutes before. I waited for any more dialogue, but none came. Truly perplexed, I remained silent and observant as I tried to unveil the mystery myself.

I watched Oldren, doing my best to silently comfort Lily as he worked. He opened up a portal, dozens of different fruits cascading out like a waterfall. These seemed to be more vibrant than all the others and, at the very least, fresher.

He took out various different herbs and leaves as well, and began processing all of them in turn. His hands were quick yet grateful, and I found myself entranced in the show. At some point, Lily removed her face from my stomach and flipped herself around to watch as well.

She stepped forward, I closed my legs, and she hopped backwards onto my lap. She hid her face in an attempt to not lose her composure a second time. I sniffed, the air ripe with a cocktail of emotion. Relief, worry, and resignation.

As my thoughtful frown persisted, I looped my left arm around Lily. She relaxed, and tilted her body against mine. This is kind of an awkward position, but she seems pleased, so I guess I'll just have to cope. Meanwhile, Oldren retracted his side eye and continued his maceration of the fruits.

He spilled the juices into one of those bartender mixers, and shook the concoction handily. He took off the smaller cup and inspected the insides, not even sparing a nod for the successful mix. He quickly transferred it to a sticky iron pot I had swished a finger in prior, an enchantment I hadn't noticed firing below it, heating the fruit juice.

He began the slicing and dicing he had started with, though after about forty seconds, he began eyeing the pot. At exactly forty five, he snatched it from the stone stove and hefted it onto an ashy wooden table also carved with enchantments, though shaped differently then the heat one, obviously.

When he lifted the pot lid I saw the last remnants of a few bubbles, before he transferred it to a medium mixing bowl. There, he added water that shined in my mana sense, the same way the water from Lily's spells did.

What are you trying to show me?

As he mixed the concoction with a handful of sticks that resembled a whisk, somehow, he looked up and met my eyes. That glance was all he needed, looking back down at the bowl again. There was no smell of negativity, no annoyance or anger, just resolve.

With the attention check done, he moved to the second last step. He opened one of the large, well contained kegs sitting behind him. Upon recognizing the fluid inside, I was repulsed. My eyes widened in shock and recognition. Within the keg sat a pool of dark red, a smaller stream of silver defiling the color.

In horror, I casted my eyes to the dozens of similar kegs sitting behind it. I met Oldren's look, speaking with my eyes. Is that all..? He nodded. Though disturbed, I kept my thoughts in check. They weren't- no, was Oldren… harvesting my blood? But why? Why would he show me?

He pulled out a metal ladle and pooled a tablespoon of my blood into the fruit juice. He mixed until the cocktail glittered like starlight, then sifted the concoction through a mesh halfway similar to cheese cloth.

The liquid went through unnaturally fast, most likely spurred on by some sort of enchantment. The liquid only went through one stage of screening before being funneled into a dark glass bottle. He grabbed the diamond shaped bottle just as the liquid began to reach halfway to the tip. He pushed a carved wooden bowl under the funnel as the few excess drops began to drip down.

"This has been my life, both of our lives since you made your heroic sacrifice." He seemed to mock the words as they excited his throat. He waved the potion in front of my face. "Lily almost destroyed herself, forcing your soul to heal you. And what do we get in return? Days of our lives reduced to being your nurses." The relief had finally given way to anger.

"We slaved away every day, losing sleep, rotating day and night so you wouldn't bleed to death if we happened to take a break."

".......How long have I been asleep?" Oldren looked away, and this time, Lily answered. She jumped off of me and whipped around, her eyes dark and her face still stained with tears.

"Three weeks."

"You've been in a coma for three. Weeks." My eyes widened in shock. "Whatever you did, the backlash…. You clearly weren't meant to survive it.. Every few minutes, or hours, or seconds! Your body would open up huge gashes that never stopped bleeding!"

Oldren threw the glass vial at me, which I caught with my now freed left hand. His piece said, he stomped off into the woods. He reeked of relief, and shame. But more than anything else, a complicated vortex of anger and worry and self hatred. But before he left, he stopped at the entrance.

"Don't do that shit again." His voice cracked with emotion, and he stalked off before he lost his composure further.

The night had been quiet. Hours had passed without a sign of Oldren's return. Me and Lily silently gathered materials for a fire that we now lazed around, watching the stars or staring into the flames.

I had a sudden realization. "Wait, Lily. If it's been three weeks, your birthday-?"

She smiled. "Yep, already passed. Even though neither of us can nail down the exact date of our departure, I'm sure that by now the day has passed. I'm 13 now." I looked down at the ground and my crossed legs in shame.

"I'm sorry." She laughed. "For what? For saving our lives? You sacrificed yourself for us, and we sacrificed our lives for you, though, in a different way." She shook her head and beamed up at the sky. "Oldren is the only one going through emotional turmoil here." She glanced at me, then turned to meet my eyes.

"I don't blame you for anything, and I certainly don't regret anything. Well, except following my intuition in the first place." The smile on her face vanished, replaced with regret.

"But if we didn't follow you, we never would have found Gnosis! This isn't anyone's fault. Life finds a way and trouble creeps in at every corner. Heh, I think that's just how these worlds work. It's not main character syndrome. I guess foreign worlds have a penchant for being super unlucky?"

"The Sky Terror was just hunting for its young. Just like us, it was just trying to survive. There's no one to blame here. It's just the natural course of life."

"Destiny?" She said. I collapsed my hands together. "Hmm, I guess so. Speaking of, where is Gnosis?"

"He's sleeping around somewhere. I take a walk and bump into him occasionally."

"And what have you found out?"

"Well~ he's not as reliable as he seemed at first. I'm not sure what his motivations were then, and now. He is… terribly lazy. He never helped us out, but he never wandered away either. I have no clue about him at all, really. He seems quiet… blank, if I'm being honest."

"Hmmm, a wild card huh?" She wrung her hands nervously. "I don't know… He seems strong and everything, and a perfect position for our team but… I'm not sure how big of a burden his personality issues will be."

I grinned. "What?" She asked, confused.

"NOW you sound like a leader! I'm glad all it took was me being sent into a coma. I'll trust your judgment. I haven't personally seen these 'troublesome characteristics', so I'll take your word for it. I will say, we do really need a tank though."

"I'm not opposed to adding him to the party, I just don't know how well he'll listen to orders."

"Well, if push comes to shove, we could always just build our team around him. Even if he just sits still in a battle, he's big enough to function as a wall to hide behind. It'd be no trouble. Me and Oldren are made to be adaptable, after all."

The fire crackled and sparked, ending our conversation to observe its chaotic beauty for a moment. "When do you think Oldren is coming back?" I asked as I laid my back against the ground, my arms cradling my head against the stony ground.

"Sigh, I don't know. He was pretty chill the first few days, but he's been really quiet lately. Even then, I've never seen him act like this." She got on her hands and knees and crawled towards me, until her head casted shadows over my face.

"You know he's not really mad at you, right?" I thought for a few seconds. "...No, I think he is. More than anything though, I think he's just confused. Doesn't know what to think. To his credit, I feel the same way."

"My little destiny speech doesn't do it credit. I don't believe my own words at all. And that begs the question, why say them at all? Then starts the mental war and I just… Need time to think, as we all do."

As I adjusted the rest of my body to find a semblance of comfort on the cold hard ground, Lily began gripping onto my side like a monkey. "Why are you so clingy today?" I asked.

"Give me a break. I just spent three weeks saving your life. I think you can afford to let me latch onto you for a bit, right?" She replied greedily. She has a point. Personal discomfort, (and dubious implications) aside, she does deserve a break. And if my suffering contributes to that, then whatever.

"Just for tonight though." I warned. She gripped onto me even harder, and pressed her body alarmingly close. "Oh, then I'll just have to take maximum advantage of that to not waste it!" She said smugly.

"Okay! Okay! I concede! Multiple days! Now get off me!" I yelled, physically pushing her face away from me. She sat up and stared at me ruefully. I rolled my eyes and uncoupled one of my arms to lay it flat against the rock.

She laid back down again and set her head against my arm, her soft hair itching at my skin. As I noticed her un-subtly begin to inch closer to me, I shut my eyes and tried to shut off my senses.

Sigh, my ass is not beating the allegations.

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