A Moment of Respite

“Your once mysterious attack can go to hell, Asa. I…I don’t see how we can ever use it again! Not to mention if anything in that long sequence of what-ifs had gone wrong, we would have been among the dead. Do you see how Viosmight treated me and even you? We were at his mercy! I believe you also mentioned that other gods were likely to have arrived at any moment!” I raged.

We had recently entered a tan-stone cave with strange, illuminated lights on the wall after half an hour of traveling. I couldn’t see any discernible power source. The interior was spacious enough. If you weren’t clumsy, drained from who knows how much venom, and coming to terms with how fragile your mortality was, you might have been able to avoid painfully implanting your entire foot into the hardened earth.

Admittedly, that was the trigger to shed my rationality and remorseful attitude. I suppose I must have had some anger building up for a while, combined with a healthy sense of helplessness from the past hours.

My voice echoed endlessly in the small hollow space. Asa remained silent as if contemplating.

Answer me, for god’s sake. I need to know what we are doing next. My confidence is in the gutter, and all at once, I really had the same urge to go home again. I knew that would never happen, which tormented me to the brink.

I wanted to punch someone. Like my backstabbing coworker, useless supervisor, or the stupid god who created this realm. They would so get it if they were within my reach.

I gave up brooding and tried to telecommunicate with Asa. I was met with a sturdy wall that made assessing the pathway to her soul impossible. I tried again, and the barrier’s membrane erected itself to a multiplicative degree and rebuked me.

She can do that at will? Argh.

“Gwydion is coming after me. Does that mean others are next? A rogue attack or a reversing change in policy? What does that entail for my course of action? I need the most recent information to be logical.” Asa whispered, pacing back and forth in the back corner.

Confrontation, I readily ran from, but I’m changing that now!

Pretend I don’t exist enough, and this is what you will get. I stormed up to Asa, my arms up and ready to rebuke. Dazed, I was met with her folded arms around mine and just above my waist?

“It’ll be ok, Astrid. I heard everything you said. Give me a minute to think. I’ll come back around to your concerns in a few moments. The attack won’t be used again. Once is enough to set a precedent that the other gods will find hard to ignore.” She comforted.

Hmffff. Fine. I enjoyed the way she put a seamless hand behind my neck, and I hummed softly as she kept her eyes closed in focus. That was a calm facade.

A frontal hug. A frontal hug! My heart was resoundingly beating. 

Her strands of silk hair were set down over my chest. I was ambushed by her personal darling and floral aroma. 

Afterwards, she got extremely worried. Yeah, I’m the one dying, but that’s the proper outcome to ignoring me!

Her magical analysis said healing magic would do no more for the venom wreaking my spiritual condition and internals. I had qualms with her suggestion to sleep in this rough and ragged cave. If I had some cute, plump legs to sleep on, then that wouldn’t be the case.

Libidoesque thoughts aside, it turns out gods don’t bother to sleep, so what I imagined was totally possible. I find it fairly fitting for them to have that ability.

My head and ridges of my neck were thorny and wacked when I arose from my disjointed warm position. I should have predicted that Divine Karma for my folly was inbound.

In the new morning air, I found a newfound perspective, though. I had my own questions to ask Asa. I found her seamlessly meditating at the mouth of the cave.

“What level of ability do I have?” I silently hoped it wasn’t rude to interrupt.

“The third of seven.” She resounded. “I would consummate with you once more, but I used too much of my energy in that battle that it would be ill-advised. You will have to wait for some time for advancements.”

“Can you describe the levels of the emblem?” I responded.

“The fourth allows you to heal others. The fifth can reform your dispatched limbs. The sixth is for curing illness and poison based on diagnosis. The seventh is a moderate self-healing factor.” Asa explained. “And then there is a basic attack to overheat opponents. Let me demonstrate.”

She brought out her open palm, and orange light funneled in, condensing into a sphere. As fast as I processed the magic, she coalesced her fingers close one by one into a fist, which dissipated the color. “It is not that useful and takes more spirit energy than you would think.”

It is very flashy and illuminatory, though. “How does my spirit energy work?” I inquired.

“You can use reserves to do magic. It should regenerate passively every day, most effectively during sleep.”

After, I was left in thought, and Asa honed her meditation.

I suppose that was my first time? It won’t leave the back of my mind. Ok? No, it wasn’t exactly the type of procreation I expected. I’m not disappointed in the slightest, however. It…It was triumphant to hold hands and explore unburdened with someone else. I was probably happy enough to kick out my legs for no good reason. That was how being unalone defrosted my cold heart.

Ehh, I coughed. Enough. I almost experienced death. I need to make sure it doesn’t happen again.

“Are the other gods' process of consummation the same? Like the words said and the view and actions during?” It came to my mind.

“No, they are all unique. I don’t know much about the process, just an underlying guess on the abilities.”

Huh, what else is left?

“Asa, what was that book you were browsing yesterday?”

With that, she physically fell out of the semi-meditative state she maintained even during speech. She was definitely gathering her wits as I searched for her eyes.

“Uhm. I’ll explain if you don’t laugh.”

I nodded in agreement.

“I–I’ve been looking into fashion and trying out a different style of outfit. I don't know how to recreate it with my magic, but I imagine I can soon.”

I chuckled in outburst, receiving a playful punch.

“Liar.” She accused, pouting.

“It wasn’t funny. I only laughed cause you insisted I couldn’t.”

"I'll remember this," she muttered and then spoke clearly. “I think it's time for you to try to convince another god to give you an emblem. I’m sure you're done with my supposed attacks.”

I nodded at that sagely wisdom. “Wait, are you just trying to get rid of me?”

“No, why would I?” She said with a teasing smile. “This is what you are meant to do. Get out and steal from the divinity for us. I have some options in mind. The trickster god or the goddess of love.”

Oh, options like choosing a video game class or class promotion! I wonder if the weapons will be as distinctively different as a bow and a sword, ranged and melee. I wonder if I could get my hands on a shield ability, too! Although healing is like a shield, well, not exactly. Both are protective. The difference is that one is reactionary and the other is preventative.

She continued. “The trickster god will help you manipulate other gods, and he owes me a single favor. You should be able to get him to take you on with that. On the other hand, the goddess of love will enable you to fight now. If I had to go one way, I would say the trickster is the best option.”

I tried to ask for more details, but she couldn’t offer anything else. In the end, she said I had a man’s intuition and that I should try using it. Whatever that means.