Chapter 390: Be Clear

Chapter 390: Be Clear

Tala stood outside the room in which Rane was Refining, holding back tears while listening to him scream.

Her threefold sight gave her a perfect look at what lay beyond the heavily reinforced, iron-core door, but she almost wished that it didnt.

Rane was sitting in a chairwell, actually he was strapped inholding an artifact style device that was sending pulses through his body from one hand to the other.

The magic radiated out like a wave, sweeping down his arm before spreading out to wash over his entire body before recondensing to finish down the other arm.

Then, the wave would go the other way.

Each wave killed parts of Rane before building them back up, better than before on some undefinable level.

He only wore well-fitted shorts, like those he had often sparred in.

His inscriptions had been removed by a teleportation before the Refining began.

The only stop theyd made between the teleportation tower and this room had been an inscriptionist to get the bare minimum work added back into his flesh, only those magics that were to help facilitate the process.

ForceRanes swordwas in an iron box in the hallway beside Tala, along with Ranes storage device and all his other garments and gear.

Rane had asked her to look after his things while he underwent the process.

She would honor that request.

Within the small room, he was unarmed, unarmored, without his magic, and alone.

The last was a good thing, too.

He was somehow manifesting magics that hed never managed unassisted before. Master Grediv had warned of that possibility, because of the blessing that was more of a curse on their family line.

Since Rane was restrained, he couldnt go berserk on what was harming him, so his magic was lashing out in his bodys stead.

Blades of kinetic energy were scouring the room around him, seeming unable to target either his bonds, the chair, or the device his hands were bound to.

In truth, the workings werent actually unassisted.

Tala could see with her threefold sight that Rane was pulling on his connection with Force, aspect-mirroring the weapon's magics as he unconsciously scoured the world around him.

In such an enclosed space, Tala suspected that she would be hard pressed to avoid the attacks, and she didnt relish the idea of healing from such powerful blows.

Though my iron would disrupt the magics rather effectively, and my flesh is tough enough to back it up, and I could even have a layer of white steel underneath.

But no, it was better that she stayed outside.

Being attacked by him wasnt the worst thing that could happen if she were inside.

Worse would have been if he didnt attack her, if he retained enough cognition to recognize her standing there, and beg for her to help him, with word, or deed, or simple look.

Even thinking of the possibility made her feel sick.

The only other item in the well-reinforced room was the leather rod he held clenched between his teeth, seemingly entirely forgotten even as it kept him from biting his tongue or breaking his teeth, and it deadened his screams.

Regardless, they were still easy for her to hear.

-Tala. You dont have to wait right outside the door.-

I will be here for him.

-Master Grediv is in a room down the hall, monitoring the situation. You could join him there.-

Will. Not. Leave.

Her eyes were squeezed tightly shut, and she hadnt noticed herself slipping to the halls floor, holding her own knees as the wall at her back shuddered under the erratic attacks thrown its way.

To try to bear through the empathetic pain, she focused in on those manifestations of desperation and power.

They were insanely precise, as Ranes ability to direct magic seemed to be actively improving along with this first purifying of his body. The gunk being removed had been a barrier between his body and his soul, thus his bonds. Now, as it was diminished, that connection was improving.

That included Force.

Even so, without inscriptions or specific conscious direction, the kinetic blades lacked power.

She had the feeling that he would be tearing through this entire complex if he were properly inscribed and focused on destruction.

He was sweating out the black muck that Tala was beginning to believe was the taint of reality itself. Though, if she was right, she still didnt know either the purpose or the mechanism.

If reality itself was sentient, shed believe that it was doing its utmost to drag down those who had the capacity to wield void or magic, striving to keep them from realizing that potential.

But it obviously wasnt sentient.

It was a pillar of existence and simply acted according to natural laws.

Ranes hoarse voice jarred her once again.

She focused on him, on what was going on within him.

The black, tar-like taint was coming from every cell, and it would have quickly clogged his innards, killing him, if not for the prep-work of the pre-Refining inscriptions.

Tala saw those magicsthe only inscriptions that had been added backdriving the nasty contaminants outward to be excreted through pores across his entire body.

As Tala watched the black move through him, she saw with fascination that it wasnt being directly affected by magic.

Instead, the magic was empowering the bodys own self-cleansing and -repair biological functions. It was those mundane systems that were keeping him alive and removing the filth.

And the process had only just begun.

-Be strong, Tala. He will need you soon enough.-

Tala grimaced, then shook her head, rising to her feet. Rust this.

White steel flowed over her, followed by iron, completely encasing her. She opened the box with Ranes gear and pressed the few pieces against her back, enfolding them under her iron.

She would keep his gear close and safe.

-Tala? Is this a good idea?-

She tried the door, but it was locked, sealed tight until the procedure was complete.

-Tala. Master Grediv said it would be dangerous for you to be in there.-

But not for Rane.

-...no.-

Check.

There was a pause before Alat responded. -There should be no danger to the one Refining if others are in the room. It isnt done due to the danger to those who might be present.-

Good. Her iron would disperse the magic carrying his kinetic energy, so even if it reflected back at him, it wouldnt be sharp, and that was currently the greatest danger, as he didnt have the precision to put too much energy into each strike.

Tala manifested iron around her bloodstars that were stoneward of the door, having them reach toward the superficial and latch onto her.

I know, Mistress Tala. I know. The Paragons gaze was far-off for a moment before he seemed to pull himself out of days long passed. Forgive me. You said he was?

Rane is trying to sleep, I think. He still hasnt said more than a handful of words since the session completed.

Master Grediv nodded. I have the healer coming back within the hour. He will be with Rane tonight, and he should have a full assessment of the situation by tomorrow, midday. I know you have duties to attend to tonight.

Tala grimaced slightly, feeling awkward. Even so, she decided to press again. I hope I dont overstep?

He motioned for her to continue.

It would mean a lot to me, if you would keep me in the loop.

I will consider it. Ive no doubt that Rane will tell you what he knows, when he knows it, but

Tala found herself nodding, But he wont know the whole truth. He wont be told what his estimated chances are, or that every single session is universally considered to be harder than the last.

Master Grediv nodded as well, I tried to push for him to wait for a decade or two, so that the magics could be embedded sufficiently to allow for a single-session Refining. He shook his head. There would have been greater risk from that session than this one, but less for the process as a whole.

Tala felt herself smiling, He said no?

He laughed at the very idea. Master Grediv gave her a serious look. He said that he wouldnt give you that large of a lead.

She winced slightly, but she knew it was true.

Even though they werent more than friends, they were close.

They had traveled together, spent hours conversing, confiding their fears, exposing their failures, trusting one another.

They tested themselves against the other, for the longest time only finding a truly worthy opponent in each other.

But they were both still so young.

Their paths could still so easily diverge without something tying them together.

Better friends had drifted apart in less time than eternity.

Am I okay with that?

She didnt know the answer.

She knew that she didnt need Rane, but she liked having him with her. She liked being with him. He sometimes chose into things that she found less than ideal, but when she went along with him, the events werent ever as bad as she had feared beforehand.

Could she watch her friend age, trapped on the cusp of immortality while she persisted?

Worse, could she leave him to degrade alone?

-You know, even if he never Refines, hed still live a very long time. He Fused incredibly young, unlike Master Gredivs wife or the Zuccats.-

Yeah, he could have six thousand years.

-It is almost as rare for a Fused to die from old age as it is for a Refined. It isnt old age that kills Fused, not most of the time. So, will it matter in the end?-

She didnt know.

Tala and Master Grediv had been standing in silence for almost too long.

It was he who broke the building pause, Do you wish to stay here? I can make arrangements for your duties to be covered.

She decided that she wouldnt be diverted, only addressing the offer briefly, before returning to the crux of the moment, Thank you, but no. You didnt answer me. I would like to be kept informed. Are you willing?

Master Grediv hesitated for another long moment. Finally, he gave a slow nod. If he chooses to share what he knows with you, I will make sure you know the rest. You have my promise.

Tala felt as if a weight had been lifted from her. Thank you, Master Grediv.

His eyes hardened for a moment. Do not mistake me, Mistress Tala.

The normally almost non-existent power within a human city was suddenly replaced by a growing maelstrom, the zeme tumultuous within the confined space of the wide hallway.

If you betray the trust that that confidence represents, you will not have eternity to concern yourself with any longer. You have potential; you could be a boon for humanity; I am even rather fond of you; but none of that nor any other facet or fact will keep you in this world if you break faith on this issue. Am I clear?

She swallowed. Her own aura was practically locked within her body, rebuffing the violently churning power around her but unable to extend further.

She knew that she was weighty for a Refined, and she knew that that still didnt make her equal to a Paragon, but this was a stark reminder of what a true Paragonone ancient of power and willwas capable of.

The barest edge of his hardened intent was sufficient to leave her feeling utterly at his mercy.

She hated it, even if she understood it. I understand.

He nodded, the magical power vanishing as quickly as it had come. Good.

As he turned to go, however, Tala felt something within her snap.

Her iron rolled out of her, flowing through the physical dimensions one increment both star- and stoneward of the hallway.

In those separate dimensions she made ready, spreading it over the walls, ceiling and floor before closing off either side of the hallway.

It even bled under Master Gredivs feet as he strode away from her.

In the time it took him to walk a half-dozen paces, the iron was in place, ready.

He seemed to only notice it at the last moment, whirling to face her.

Her iron pulled to the superficial, slamming an iron box around them both, locking them inside, even while she left sufficient iron both star- and stoneward to close off those sides as well.

Her powerher auraslammed into the space, carried and amplified by the iron.

Barely greenish, yellow power rang through the air like the tolling of a funeral bell.

Tala found herself floating in the center of the iron-clad hallway. The only light within was the gold-silver mixed illumination of her blazing inscriptions and manifestations of power in existence itself, all underpinning a blood-red light blazing forth from her eyes.

Now, let me be clear.

The air resonated along with her voice, only the three-foot sphere around the Paragonmaintained by his aura above the irondidnt respond to her will.

I understand and approve of your protectiveness of Rane, and my respect and gratitude toward you goes deep. However...

There was a pregnant pause before she continued.

...you will never speak to me in that way again. Am. I. Understood.

Master Grediv was obviously on his guard, but he didnt seem truly concerned. Instead, he simply examined her for a long moment before giving a single nod. Understood.

Tala dropped to land on her feet once more, her iron immediately bleeding stone- and starward vanishing from the hallway in a blink.

From there, it streamed back into the space around Flow.

The Paragons eyes stayed fixed on her, but she could somehow tell that he had swept his surroundings to ensure that it was now free of her influence, a bit of obvious tension bleeding away from him once that was complete.

They stood that way for a breath before she gave a tightlipped smile. Good.