Chapter 76: Yay, Me…

Chapter 76: Yay, Me...

Tala was turning to leave Hollys workshop, and Terry had already flickered up to her shoulder, when Holly grunted.

I forgot. For your other hand, I want to do something a bit more esoteric for you. It will require practice, but it should be incredibly useful, if you can make it work.

Tala turned back towards the Mage. The Archon. Harder to use than my current offensive scripts?

Yes. By quite a bit, actually.

Harder than creating spell-forms in my lungs?

Holly gave her a flat look. Dont be tiresome.

Tala found herself smiling. Do tell.nôvel binz was the first platform to present this chapter.

I want you to have a constantly-active, gravity-manipulation inscription.

Tala blinked. That soundsdangerous? My current offensive abilities are locked behind a hand gesture.

If you need that crutch for a while, I can incorporate it, but I think, eventually, we can get it to a simple state of mind. Your cognitive and nervous system enhancements should be able to sustain that.

Tala frowned. Lets keep it locked behind a hand gesture for now, but I think I like the idea of something a bit more utilitarian.

It will, by necessity, be weaker than your crushing attack, especially after we enhance that, and much less precise than your restrain, at least at first, but I think that, in the end, you might lose the need for those pre-scripted functions.

Alright. Ill give it a try. Shes an Archon, after all. I should listen to those wiser than mewhen I can.

Holly nodded, smiling. Ill finalize the scripts then, and well add them, tomorrow. She turned back to the slate in her hand.

Tala found herself frowning, looking at the back of her hand. Wait a moment. Mistress Holly? Where are the detailed scripts for my crush and restrain? I dont exactly have much of me free and open for such workings.

Hmmm? Oh, the bulk of those are in your right breast.

Tala blinked at her a few times. What?

The three-dimensional scripts that enact the specifics of those effects reside within the tissue of your right breast. Ill be putting this new one in your left. Activation scripts and most of the metal reserves are, and will be, in your hands, of course.

But Tala frowned. Why there?

Well, around the regenerative inscribings, you had room. I saw no need to fundamentally alter the internal workings of the tissue there. She quirked a smile. Even when you have young children, we dont need to radically increase your ability to produce and hold milk, and I assumed that you didnt want your breasts to feel like someone had strapped rocks to your chest, so stiffening and strengthening the internal structures was unnecessary. Hence, free space for your other workings.

Tala didnt really know how to process that. Isuppose that makes a sort of sense.

Good. Holly responded in a monotone. Im glad you approve of my work. Now, Im very busy, and you arent my only project. Be off with you and eat something. After a moment, she elaborated. Eat a lot of somethings. You read the book, your digestive system will be able to hold and process much more, far more efficiently. I want you to test its limits. Goodbye. With that, she turned and sat at a workbench, continuing her work across several slates.

Tala shrugged and departed, Terry a comfortable weight on her shoulder.

Having finished with Holly for the day, Tala made her way back through the city to acquire another food log from the restaurant at which shed eaten lunch. It wasnt a long walk, and she used the time to contemplate her new inscribings, along with Hollys thoughts and ideas. No breakthroughs presented themselves, but Tala felt better for having taken the time.

When she arrived at the eatery, following Hollys promptings, Tala bought two of the delicious things. How have I already processed all that chowder She had to laugh at herself. She hadnt even considered the fact that she had been filling up her stomach before it was to be inscribed. Im glad I didnt puke again. That would have been wasteful.

Thankfully, that hadnt happened, and now she felt empty and hungry once again. The new inscribings in her digestive system were efficient, it seemed.

Wait One of the inscribings was to prevent the vomiting of non-toxic food was that one activated first? That would be just like Holly.

She caught a whiff of the food sitting before her and returned her attention to the meal.

Terry watched with what Tala interpreted as slight amusement as she devoured both Little Caravans. Tala even used the remainder of the chowder as a drink, to wash down the food logs.

What are you looking at, bird? Ive seen you eat so much more than this.

Terry shook himself, almost seeming to roll his eyes, before he stretched out in the last vestiges of evening light.

Tala found herself smiling. This is sooooo good. To her delight, she found that she still felt a bit hungry, even after she finished. I get to eat more? She hesitated, the implications sinking in. Well, this isnt going to be very good for my money pouch It seemed that the free food on caravan ventures might be a more valuable perk than shed ever guessed. Though, I should slow down eventually, right?

The inscribings in her bodys storage mechanisms were similar to those on her muscles. Her fat could store dozens of times more calories without changing size, now, and she would need all of it. Her regenerative inscriptions pulled from those stores, and the scripts were interlinked so that her healing wouldnt be dependent on biological mechanisms to get the needed energy and compounds from her stores to the part of her in need of healing.

Eat more, survive more. She grinned. Im my own regenerative potion. I just need to be sure to stay topped off. That was proving more problematic than she would have expected. If only such potions werent just the stuff of myth She hesitated. Well, ending-berries seem to be behind some legends, maybe something else is behind healing and regenerative potions?

She could go in search of the origin of those myths but now was hardly the time. Needing more food, she wandered the area near the restaurant and bought a large selection of inexpensive foods. Another silver, spent.

She was torn, obviously. She needed to be saving up to pay off her debts, but she also knew that if she encountered something truly dangerous to her, a few extra calories in her system could keep her alive. My debts dont matter if Im dead She decided not to camp on the uncomfortably comforting thought.

In the end, she decided that she would allow herself the budget to eat six robust feasts a day, instead of three light meals, as she had been accustomed to before these changes.

So, three silvers a day, then. When not in a caravan. It was a painfully large amount, when she contemplated it. Even after she realized that shed spent more than that this day, without much consideration. Easier to spend in the moment, than with intention, I suppose.

She licked her fingers clean of her last purchase, a deep-fried pastry that had been filled with a heavy, savory, cream sauce. Delicious.

With a satisfied sigh, she turned towards home. I need to do my practice, and theres really no good place to do it within the city. Maybe, the guards would let her use a space off to the side, so she wouldnt get in anyones way? It was worth asking.

Some of those auxiliary buildings looked unused, this morning. Maybe, I could use one of those.

Terry seemed content to snap up the oft tossed pieces of jerky as Tala meandered home. He hadnt been willing to eat the other food shed offered him. In time, Terry. I will teach you the amazingness of all human food. That got her thinking about Terry, in general.

Do you need exercise, Terry?

The bird regarded her for a moment, then blinked away and back, allowing a little longer delay than usual, to ensure she noticed.

That is exercise to you?

He bobbed a nod.

Huh. Good to know, I guess. She smiled. Sorry to make you sprint for treats.

He let out a vibrating almost-whistle: soft, low, and pleasantly melodic.

Dont mind, eh?

He shook himself, settling back down.

Besides, if it fails and I die, Im done: Debt gone, problems solved.

She decided it was best not to follow that train of thought.

Strangely, she had the odd sensation that she actually had this type of conversation with herself quite often but usually didnt pay this close attention.

She gave a mental shrug and reached forward and activated that mechanism.

The hinges popped open, the force of the water knocking the door away, where it instantly vanished, dissolving as if it had never been.

The newly freed portion of the opening into the mountain allowed for a marginal increase of flow into her reservoir.

And Tala began to scream.

* * *

Tala found herself writhing on her back, pain lancing outward from all across her keystone inscription. Heat like a bonfire radiated from her skin and a deep tearing sensation caused her vision to fuzz. She was utterly unable to make a sound, or even draw breath. I thought I was screaming? That must have just been an inner manifestation.

Even so, she soon heard the sound of running feet.

Lyn burst into the room, Terry beside her.

The other woman dropped to her knees beside Tala, wiping something away from the latters mouth. Tala! Whats going on? Talk to me! She turned Talas head to the side, but Tala already knew she wouldnt vomit, despite the agony.

Tala met Lyns gaze but couldnt speak. Instead, she arched and clawed towards her own back.

Seeming to understand something from the flailing, Lyn forced Tala to sit up, having to leverage her up from above her head, then push her forward into a slumped, seated position from behind. She then stripped off Talas top. The elk leather seemed to know that Tala wanted it away, because it came off without difficulty. Tala didnt know if Lyn even undid the ties, first.

Lyn gasped. Tala, whats going on? Your keystone parts of it look like theyre melting. As if in response to Lyns words, Tala heard liquid dripping onto the floor, along with a strange hissing. Tala, youre bleeding and leaking metal. Its hot enough to boil the blood. Lyn was surprisingly calm, all things considered. What do I do?

Tala could feel her inscriptions working, already healing her skin and the deeper tissue as well, even as new portions were burned open, more metal expelled. Why is it getting through the defenses? She could feel the active defensive scripts on her back. It didnt do anything to prevent what was occurring. She finally managed to pull in a breath and gasped out. Holly.

Lyn nodded and tried to stand, carrying Tala.

She failed.

Lyn struggled to lower Tala back to the floor, on her side this time, then ran towards the door. She hesitated in the doorway, looking back at Tala. Ill be as fast as I can.

Tala couldnt muster a reply from where she lay.

A moment later, Lyn was gone, and Tala was alone in her agony.

Well, not completely alone. Terry came over to hunker down next to her face. He looked concerned, somehow. How can I interpret emotions on an avian face? Well, she could, so now was hardly the time to analyze it.

She felt unable to move, barely able to think. It was as if something was digging into her back, paralyzing her, locking her in place.

Over the next half hour, the pain moved across her keystone in waves, the damage always healing shortly after the bits of metal were expelled.

At long last, Tala groaned, able to move once more. She rolled onto her stomach putting her tear-covered face to the floor. The stone was cold on the bare skin of her chest and abdomen, erratically interspersed with the wetness of drying blood and oddly smooth lumpiness of now cooled bits of metal.

A few minutes later, she heard the front door open, and Holly and Lyn came in with quick steps.

They hesitated in the doorway, and there was a long pause before the two women stepped in. One, Lyn if Tala had to guess, waited just inside Talas room, the other circled her on the floor.

Like a vulture. Tala didnt feel like lifting her head.

Child. What have you done to your keystone? She continued to circle. It looks like all portions for closing your gate have been removed.

Lyn, who was near the door, took in a sharp breath.

Holly grunted. Those portions werent really needed for her, anyways, but Id planned on simply letting them fade. What did you do? She repeated herself.

Tala groaned, again. Her head was turned to the side, now, but her hair covered her face. She spoke through that impediment. I was examining my gate with my mage-sight, and I noticed that the ability to close it off was restricting the flow. So, I took the door off its hinges.

Holly laughed mirthlessly. Mistress Tala. Magic works on intent and ability. In effect, you caused your body and magic to reject that portion of the inscribing. Your power and flesh then worked to remove it, so it could no longer act upon you.

Tala grunted. There was an obvious mechanism for removing the door. Why would it be there, if I wasnt supposed to, or it would be harmful?

Did you want it removed?

Tala grunted. Oh Is this unusual?

No, it is quite common in those who havent gone through Academy training, especially if their inscriber doesnt ensure compatibility before laying the spell-forms. It is unusual for a fully trained Mage to be foolish enough, however.

She groaned, again. Yay, me.

You are lucky that you arent a Material Creator. When they have a reaction like this She sighed. The regeneration scripts have kept you whole, and your inscriptions seem to have kept their other functions intact. In this case, I will say dont worry, I could tell if they were otherwise broken. As usual, youve done something that would have seriously injured almost anyone else Ive ever worked with.

Tala grunted. Yay, me

The process seems complete. Get yourself cleaned up, put on a shirt, and then well talk about exactly what happened. Yes?

Yes, Mistress Holly. She spoke into the floor and her own hair.

Holly didnt respond. Instead, she walked from the room, drawing Lyn after her.

Lyn spoke over her shoulder. Ill get the bath heating, Tala.

Tala grunted her thanks.

The door was pulled closed, and she slowly pushed herself up.

Her front was liberally speckled with dried blood, and bits of metal were held to her skin by the crusty red adhesive. She sighed, brushing it off. The sensation was oddly satisfying. As she moved, she felt similarly encrusted portions on her back. Probably more, there

She heard the water running in the bath room across the hall. It cut off shortly after.

So, not a full bath, just enough for me to get cleaned up. That made sense, she supposed.

She gathered up her elk-skin tunic and crossed the empty hall. The small amount of water in the tub was already warmed by the small fire beneath.