SIXTY: Mother, pt. 2

SIXTY: Mother, pt. 2

CHAPTER SIXTY:

Mother, pt. 2

This is fun, she said, waving a hand to make the sigil that represented Aldens skill disappear from the television screen. Normally, even if you were learning to use your authority, I wouldnt talk to you about the original Avowed skills. I would have to violate some rules to direct you toward them these days, and you havent yet earned an extraordinary measure like that. But you already have the skill and know what it is. And a very naughty wizard has gone so far as to tell you outright that you can develop it for a lifetime.

Alden was sure there was a picture of Joe somewhere in the universe with the words Very Naughty Wizard scrawled over his face.

You would have figured out that the skill had no ceiling. Probably. Eventually. But how many decades of your life would it have taken I wonder with so many other delightful talents tempting you to become something else?

She grinned at him.

So! Now that youve chosen to make your life harder by moving forward with full-knowledge of your authority, its time for the simpler choices. Would you like me to tempt you with a multitude of options, Alden? Shall I bring up the Ryeh-bt skill list for you? Do you want some points in Appeal? Interested in a shiny new spell impression? Or are you in the mood for something a littleolder?

Oh, right, thought Alden. This is what happens next.

He had known. He just hadnt been all that focused on talent selection. Finding out he was going to live when he and the Quaternary had both thought he wouldnt had eclipsed it in importance. And besides that, he hadnt realized hed have to start by choosing to keep something that seemed as fundamental to him as his authority sense.

How many levels did I get anyway? he asked. What was the tipping point that made me start to fall apart?

If you want to be all human about it and calculate what you know is authority growth in levels she said, then you gained eight.

Eight? said Alden, stunned even though he knew the number was going to be larger than it would have been under normal circumstances. Wait. I dont quite understand how it works, though. The skill itself is stronger already, so some of the authority is already bound into it, right?

As long as a skill isnt complete and sealedwhich yours will never bethen the bound authority you have grows stronger within its confines and the free authority you have grows separately. The second at a faster rate than the first. Eight levels is your total improvement overall.

Got it. So Im a level nine now. If thats measured as excess authority on top of a levelsomethingskill and my trait and my stats?

If Im forced to work with these terms, then I think the current power level of your skill should be called three, but Earth says round up to four. It strokes egos to make humans more manageable it seems.

Well, thats a nugget of truth to worry over when I have less going on, Alden thought.

Gaining three total levels had once been his ambitious goal. For a year. A year in which hed imagined himself training full time at one of the best hero schools in Apex.

Alden wouldnt have aimed for level nine overall until he was well into college.

Its even better than youre thinking, she said, after giving him a moment to process it all. Learning to press all the buttons on the skill machine is an excellent way to train and grow your authority. But can you please come up with a more elegant metaphor when you have a moment? This one pains me. And my children generally cope better when they see their skills as worthwhile artistic instruments to masternot ugly, tedious devices they must poke at so that they dont die on a demon moon.

Is the way I think of it really that imp?

Do you want to hate your skill more than you have to?

No, Alden admitted.

Then do better. She paused. You asked about the tipping point. It should have been all the way back around level six or seven. At the rate you were growing your free powerpracticing with it constantly and stretching it against both the chaos and the skillyou ought to have been dead weeks ago. Your friend really did refine you into something I usually only see in gifted young Artonans. I imagine he possesses the ability to do it because having authority of that quality was the requirement for becoming a member of hispriesthood?

Alden shrugged. If you dont know the right word when youre looking at my memories, then I dont see how I can tell you anything.

I never had the opportunity to join with one of his kind and come to an understanding. She smiled at Alden. Anyway, congratulations on your swift advancement! Im very proud of you. Even if you did almost kill yourself.

Thanks?

Normally you and Earth would have had a back and forth at each of its preferred milestones, with it offering you rewards and you choosing from them. Or, in your case, refusing them. Instead, you now have no option but to pick everything all at once.

The presents disappeared from beneath the tree and reappeared scattered across the floor at Aldens feet.

Im sorry, she said. As you now realize, you yourself are paying the largest portion of the gifts price. But it should still be satisfying to rip off the wrapping paper.

Thats an entertaining way to do it. Alden grabbed the package with bulldozers on it and tugged off the yellow ribbon. When he tore into the box, light filled his eyes. For the first time in months.

He laughed. I almost forgot what the interface looked like!

Thats what you get for running around beyond Contract reach for so long. Try it out.

Alden reached up to touch the button for the Wardrobe.

With your mind, she clarified.

I never had the chance to master mental commands.

Im doing quite a lot of work on you right now. Theres no reason I cant speed up a little process like that.

Alden focused on the Wardrobe, and it expanded readily.

Thank you. Thats really easy. Wait a secondare there more options than there used to

The Wardrobe window shut and disappeared.

Thats for later, she said. Something to keep you entertained while youre recovering. Open the next one.

Alden grabbed a gift bag, and when he reached inside, the Rabbit skill list appeared. Only it was called the Ryeh-bt skill list. Obviously she didnt approve of Earth changing the name.

You can have another skill, she said. In fact, you have accumulated so much free authority that you can have another B-rank skill affixation if you want it. Im sure you know

Thats not something people get until theyve been a successful Avowed for ages, Alden said.

It was usually lower ranked skills for add-ons. Because of the way authority accumulation worked, he supposed. If you were taking rewards every time they were offered, you would have to be pretty far along in an illustrious career before you started getting enhancements the size of your original skill for a single upgrade.

What is a level anyway? he asked. Is it like a recommended percentage of growth compared to your total power prior to re-binding it?

She sniffed. Recommended. Yes. A poor recommendation in my opinion. Dont listen to Earth, Alden. Take your affixations in the largest doses you can stand. Not as large as the one youre about to get. But in general. Patience is a virtue.

Alden blinked.

I meanI was going to anyway since I want to actually get to use my free authority for spells for as long as possible.

Good boy.

But why? For normal people I mean?

The tension between your free authority and your bound strengthens your power. The more equal they are to each other, the greater the benefit. This is much more applicable to you than to a regular Avowed since your very awareness of the tension increases it substantially. But it applies to a smaller extent universally.

Like theyre arm wrestling each other all the time, Alden said. And by doing so theyre forcing a constant state of reassertion?

She sighed. Thats as bad as the machine metaphor, but you may keep it.

Alden glanced down at his auriad. Im notthe only human Avowed with an authority sense, am I?

It was an awkward thing to ask since he thought the answer should be something like, Of course not. Just how arrogant are you?

But he wanted some confirmation so that he wouldnt feel like he was trying to do the Avowed thing completely differentlyand therefore possibly wronglycompared to everybody else on Earth. Knowing some other humans were on the same path would be a big comfort.

Youre currently running so far ahead of a very small pack that I see no point in you considering the other racers.

He shook his head. That cant be right. Ive only studied magic for a few months.

Doggedly. In an environment with just the right amount of corruption. With a dedicated training partner. After receiving an ideal boon from a member of the only other species Artonans have ever encountered that could be said to have true natural talent for magic. Its not even a replicable experiment.

But there are people out there who are hyperboles. Who can control weather systems! They can do such crazy stuff.

You do realize the way youve begun to train and use your skill isnt the lone possibility for achieving strength? Many humans are naturally much more powerful than you at their first affixation. Some among them are also talented in developing their skills through other methods. A few of them achieve mastery through vast amounts of practice. A few just have a subconscious knack for it. People who set out to develop their power and refuse to give up generally find the means.

She added, I believe Worli Ro-den was trying to lead you down such a path. Youve gained more than you realize from his lessons. Dont discard them.

Alden nodded.

But the route youve chosen is faster! she said brightly.

I kind of figured.

You still dont understand how much faster it is. When you have an authority sense and you bind a skill, your power can rapidly snowball. Especially if you work at. Its why even Artonans cant affix without swearing oaths that prevent them from harming the Triplanets.

He considered that. Cool.

An image of you running across Moon Thegund fearlessly and with ease just came to your mind. You are underestimating your future potential.

Alden blinked.

Now youre picturing yourself slicing Earths moon in half. With a preservation skill. Thats overestimating. And what did the poor thing ever do to you?

I dont have many middle-ground frames of reference, Alden said defensively. He looked at the presents. Which one has it in it?

Has what?

I know you know I want to look at it.

She stretched her arms over her head. But you also claim to want your life to proceed at 'Intensity Level Four.' Im not sure if I should listen to your actual desires or your stated ones. If I were Earth, Id be obligated to do the latter.

A moment later, the present with the superhero sigil wrapping paper floated into his lap.

Alden should have known. He dug a finger under the tape and peeled the paper away slowly.

It comes with a lot of options, she said. Do you want me to limit it to the smart choices? Or do you want to see everything?

Let me see everything. Butdont let me make any more dumb decisions today.

The living room expanded until it was larger than a football field. Startled, Alden stood up from the sofa at the center of the suddenly vast carpeted room. The television was so far away he couldnt clearly make out the image on it, and floating at a convenient eye-level were hundreds of semi-transparent golden System windows, with what looked like skill names and descriptions written on them.

No. Not skills, she said, still sprawling across the couch. Theyre more like seeds that can only grow in the soil of what has already been established within you. These are designed to give your existing skill new facets, but there is nothing here that will alter its fundamental nature.

Alden stared at the golden window nearest to him and reached for it. He found that he could grab onto it and hold it like a card.

[THE BEARER OF ALL BURDENS]

[You may bear that which has been entrusted to you by the one you choose to serve. You will preserve that which you have mind, strength, and will to bear. You may not lay your burden down.]

This is your skill. Along with a better translation of what it was intended to be at its heart, she said. You have questions.

Alden held the card, studying the description on it. In a way, though the words left out what hed been thinking of as important technical details about the skills function, they resonated more because of it.

Its pretty symbolic.

Youve already noted that magic tends to be. Especially if its older.

The taste of Kibbys vaguely acidic blood filled Aldens mouth, and he wrinkled his nose.

It does kind of make it easier to grasp, I guess, even if some of the rules seem to be left out. For example, theres no mention of the autotarget for summoners.

Thats a newer convenience added on top of the original skill. A largely System-directed bauble. It relies on the fact that by responding to a summons under contract you are on some level choosing to serve that person.

I want them both.

Thats good. Eat your vegetables, grow your authority big and strong, and come back for more.

He groaned.

Finally, he chose [Burden of Enchantment].

Thats not the one you like the best, she pointed out. Youre picking it because you think it will be easier to steal enchantments from items people hand you without them realizing youve done anything at all.

Imnot sure how quiet I need to be about myself when I get back to Earth. Being a Rabbit with the ability to preserve things and carry other peoples' spells would make me look awesome. I think its awesome anyway. But people are going to ask a lot of questions about what the new talent is and how I got something that powerful that fast at B-rank. And I dont know what Im allowed to say. Or what I even want to say.

Pulling enchantments sounded more subtle.

With regards to the corruption incident on Thegund, no official request for your silence has been issued by the Triplanets so far. Its largely unpublicized on Earth, but not a secret. Avowed are fully aware we face a chaos issue of some kind. The more powerful among you are sometimes called to assist with such matters. It was an unfortunate accident that you were caught in that kind of trouble while peacefully collecting berries.

Alden rolled his eyes.

But theres no reason, from a political perspective, for you not to reveal it.

Thats good to know.

Your discretion in other matters would be wise, though. For your own happiness.

She stared pointedly at the auriad on his wrist.

He touched it. It is a problem, then? Likelegally?

Its not illegal for you to have it. Or use it. Or learn magic. It would deeply gratify some to know you are pursuing your course. And it would mortally terrify others. Its not something you should reveal lightly if you want to enjoy book clubs and live on Earth for a while longer.

A while longer.

You dont think I can keep it a secret?

Not for your entire life, she said. And even in the short-term you would benefit from assistance. Gaining as much power as you have in half a year is quite noteworthy. Ill give you an option to think about later. For now, you need to choose the last part of your affixation.

With a quick mental command, Alden pulled up his enhancement list and examined it.

[Foundational Enhancements]

Sympathy for Magic +4

Appeal +1

Dexterity +0.5

Stamina +0.25

Processing +0.25

- Visual Processing + 1

Agility + 2.5

- Proprioception +1.5

Speed + 1.5

Strength + 0

What does Sympathy for Magic even do? Alden stared at the numbers. I never have figured out whats good about it, and its the biggest boost Rabbits get.

The expression on her face was full of pity. You dont need that one.

Why?

It makes it easier for you to use magical objects. Lots of Ryeh-bts working in all-wizard environments on the Triplanets need to use tools. This helps them see some of the features in the same way a wizard would, without having to possess an authority sense.

Its literally for making magic buttons glow brighter, thought Alden, feeling devastated. Hed known that was part of it, of course, but hed hoped there were other hidden benefits. If those four points had gone into anything else

Its actually borderline detrimental in your case, she said. Its like slapping on a pair of glasses when you already have perfect vision. All its doing is giving you attention issues.

Alden wondered if he was too old to whine about the unfairness of the world.

Of course not! I know some very old people who would sob if they were forced to eternally waste part of their authority on bad glasses, she said in a comforting voice. Look, here are some points for you to spend on better things!

A glowing number 8 appeared in the air just in front of him.

Thats all I have left?

This is the maximum number I think you should spend here. You can have more if you want, but Id put all the rest of it into your skill.

Alden side-eyed her and then tapped on the plus sign beside Processing. It jumped a quarter of a point. He tapped it again. And again.

Ill start the affixation process for that point, she said dryly. But youll still have to wait for it to come fully due. Gradual increases in mental capacity are the way to go.

How long?

About an Earth year.

Stillworth it.

Go ahead and add an extra half if you like. If you give me permission, I can even divide it up in ways that will specifically support your skill use and your wizardry.

Feeling smug about his future as a smarter, faster-thinking Alden, he added the full point and a half.

How much Dexterity would I need in order to improve my use of the auriad? he asked.

It was a massive perk to have personalized advice from the one whod be doing all the modifications to you, instead of just a list of obscure options and the opinions of random people on the internet. Alden assumed most of his future affixations would take place on Earth, so he ought to make full use of this resource while he had the chance.

How good do you want to be at the auriad?

He pictured Jel-nors fingers flicking rapidly through the patterns right before she blew up Stuarts foot.

Quite proficient then. Take two. And at least half a point in Speed. If you confirm that you want it just for the hands, I can make sure everything aligns to support that.

Two in Dexterity for the hands. Half in Speed for the hands. Another half in Speed for general purposes.

You have three and a half left.

Why do they go so fast?

He divided the remaining points between the things he had wanted more of recently. A point and a half to Stamina, a point and a half to Strength, and the final half in Agility.

He stared at the list now that it included all the changes, trying to imagine what life would be like with it for however long he had to wait until his next affixation.

[Foundational Enhancements]

Sympathy for Magic +4

Appeal +1

Dexterity +2.5

Stamina +1.75

Processing +1.75

- Visual Processing + 1

Agility + 3

- Proprioception +1.5

Speed + 2.5

Strength + 1.5

Whoever decided human Rabbits had to have Sympathy for Magic and Appeal should be punished.

It was a very large committee that settled on that.

Lots of punishment then. They can all have those stats, too.

A moment later, the room disappeared, and Alden found himself standing face to face with her in a patch of light surrounded by an impenetrable darkness. Windows with his choices on them floated in front of his eyes along with the auriad.

Are you sure about all of these? she asked.

He took them all in. The stats. The psychic defogging package. Burden of Enchantment.

I feel good about them.

She nodded, and they disappeared. Then its time for us to finish you up. Any questions?

They both knew what his question was going to be, but she waited for him to speak it anyway.

Swallowing hard, he asked, Its going to hurt, right?

This time. And every other time from now on.

Thats right, she said.

Whatwhat will it be like?

I will be taking a very dear and essential part of you and twisting it into a new shape. I will be severing its limitless futures for the sake of a single purpose. You will fight back, and you will lose. You will beg me to stop, and I will not. When its over, there will still be pain. You will not want to use your power for a while, and it will take some time for you to find your new normal.

I can still back out.

You can, she agreed. Just this once.

No. Dont listen to that part of me, he said. Ive made the decision, so lets do it.

Yes?

Yes. And thanks. For not letting me die. And for the advice. And everything.

Youre welcome, Alden. She leaned forward and kissed him on the cheek. He wondered why it didnt feel like a strange thing for her to do at all. For what its worth, I think youll be a great superhero.

*