Book 6: Chapter 4: Conscience

Book 6: Chapter 4: Conscience

Sen was a little surprised that he didnt lose consciousness. Thats what usually happened after a battle where hed pushed himself that hard and been injured. He certainly would have welcomed an inky blackness that freed him from pain. Then again, he thought, maybe its for the best. While he trusted in the best intentions of Captain Chen and his crew, none of them were skilled healers. The sad truth was that Sen was the best available doctor on the ship. He slowly pushed himself up into a sitting position as the captain rushed over to him. The man looked frantic and that expression only softened a little when he saw that Sen was still conscious. The man dropped down and reached out a hand to steady Sen when he started to list to one side.

Cultivator, what can we do for you?

Sen blinked slowly as his overworked mind tried to process the words. He shook his head and forced himself to focus. What do I need most right now?

Clean bandages. Somewhere quiet to sleep, said Sen and then revised his statement at the troubled expression on the captains face. Quiet for the ship.

I owe you my life and the lives of my crew. My ship. Is there nothing else we can do?

Sen shook his head. I have healing aids. Ill recover.

The captain looked profoundly unhappy at those words, but he nodded. Sen found himself placed on a sturdy bit of canvas and carried to a cabin. The captain threatened dire punishments for anyone who jostled Sen or, the gods forbid, dropped him. The threats didnt seem necessary to Sen based on the expressions of the men carrying him. He saw everything from gratitude and relief to outright reverence on their faces. He wasnt entirely comfortable with any of that, but he didnt have the mental energy to try to correct their attitudes. Hed done what was necessary. The captain hustled everyone out of the room and then helped Sen dress the open wounds on his stomach and back.

Youre sure these will heal? asked the fretful captain.

Sen nodded as he produced another elixir from his storage ring and drank it. He wouldnt normally drink two of them so close together, but he thought the injuries warranted that little bit of excess. He knew he was running some risk of toxicity, but that was a far more manageable problem than open wounds or death.

I just need a bit of time and sleep, said Sen as he eased himself down onto the narrow bed. The elixir will do most of the work.

It wasnt exactly true, but Sen didnt think the captain really cared about the technical details of how elixirs worked. The reality was that the elixir would hasten natural healing processes in his body, using its own qi first, and then drawing on his. Fortunately, Sen had plenty of qi for the elixir to draw on. He also had the advantage of body cultivation. His latest advancement had dramatically enhanced his bodys toughness and resilience. He wasnt sure he would have survived that crystal shard passing straight through him before. Sen knew he wouldnt have been able to keep fighting, at least not the way he had fought. Just as importantly, it had boosted his strength and speed again. While having the crystal explode in his face wasnt an ideal outcome, making that block in time would have been beyond him before. He would have tried to do it, and he would have failed.

It seemed that the Five-Fold Body Transformation truly was pushing him toward the ultimate goal of body cultivation. Body cultivators strove to make a truly immortal body to house and protect their mortal souls after ascension. For a dual cultivator like him, the goal was ultimately a perfected immortal body to house his nascent soul after ascension. While those goals were still a distant dream, he was curious about what his body would be like after the final transformation in the sequence. Sen might have speculated about what benefits he might gain, but he never got the chance. With the immediate crisis over and his wounds tended as well as he reasonably could in the circumstances, he finally slipped into the painless oblivion of unconsciousness.

This ship, this crew, is always available to you. You need simply to call for us, and we will come.

Sen wanted to flee from the moment of awkwardness. Instead, he buried that feeling and gave the captain a deep nod.

No man could ask for a finer vessel, captain, or crew.

It felt like empty flattery to Sen. He didnt know a good ship from a bad one. However, he got the impression that the captain and crew were people who knew their trade. The ship seemed sound enough. In the end, though, flattery or not, everyone stood up straighter, and the crew all grinned at each other like theyd gotten high praise from the god of the sea. Certain that he could only do damage if he stayed and said anything else, Sen looked at the captain.

I find Im still weary from the battle. I think Ill go rest for a time.

Of course, said Captain Chen. Is there anything we can do for you?

Sen thought that the man might have some kind of breakdown if not given a task. So, he made one up.

If someone could come and fetch me for the evening meal, I would take that as a kindness.

Ill see that its done.

Thank you, captain.

Thank you, benefactor.

Sen considered it a personal victory of magnificent proportions that he made it back to the cabin without once letting anyone see how much being called benefactor made his skin crawl.This chapter is updated by nov(e)(l)biin.com