Chapter 5 - A Proper Explanation

He fell down on his bed, a clean shirt on his body and a full meal finally in his stomach.

It had only been a day, but spending it all on his feet already made him miss the amenities he had back at home. Sure, he didn't have much money back then either, but at least he had a guaranteed roof over his head and a bed to sleep in. Here? He didn't even know if the hotel offered repeat nights. But he supposed that, whatever happened, he'd figure it out eventually. For now, he really needed to get some rest. He closed his eyes, his consciousness slowly fading...

And thus, his first day in Deusterra ended.

. . .

In his dreams, he woke up inside a very familiar - and very meaty - cave.

The darkness that permeated the cave was absent, now lit by elements he couldn't properly see. The room he woke up in was quite barren, the only features being a high ceiling and several meat stalactites and stalagmites. In the corner of the room sat the Goddess, reading a book with no discernable cover on it. As he stood up, she waved at him and beckoned him over. As he approached, he saw, to his relief, that she was clothed. Unfortunately, the clothing wasn't much better. A black mask with a zipper mouth, a black officer cap, elbow-length leather gloves and knee-high leather boots, and a black leather leotard... just what exactly was she dressing up for?

"So, how are you liking your life here so far?" She asked cheerfully.

"I've had better days." He sat across from her, crossing his legs. "So I come here whenever I sleep?"

"Whenever you lose consciousness, really. Either you come here of your own volition or I have to drag you in. Don't worry, you'll still regain your energy."

"I see. Do other Patrons have something like this?"

"Yes. Every student needs a place to study, especially you. You can't get caught in the open practicing your abilities."

"That's the thing. What are my abilities? And what's with the gem that I stabbed into me?"

She closed her book. "I will answer those questions later. For now, let's start with introductions. I never told you my name, have I?"

He shook his head.

"I thought so." She stood up, placing a hand above her chest as she bowed slightly. He could tell she was smiling, despite her mask covering her mouth. "My name is Hemofemina, and I am the Goddess of Blood."

"Goddess of Blood? Does that mean I can control blood?"

"Yes. But only to an extent right now." She sat back down, sitting the same way he did. "Unfortunately, my power is not as expansive as it could be right now. I lost a lot of power when Fermigan decided to try and take over the world."

"Fermigan?"

"Yes. The former God of Blood, now a corpse in the ground. The Gods split his power across seven gems in order to contain his power, lest he come back to life. That's why you can't let anyone find out who you are. If you're a Patron of Blood, you're Fermigan's student, and that makes you an enemy of everyone."

"Even if I'm your student?"

She nodded. "I'm guilty by association, despite my protests. Nobody wants to take a chance with anyone related to blood now. I went to hide here, but they eventually found and bound me. The only reason I wasn't executed was due to Jordan, the God of Trickery."

"What God chooses a name like Jordan?"

"He does. I never questioned it. But back to the point, he convinced the others to merely contain me in the same material as the cave, since no mortal being could get in here. And thus I sat there, doomed to spend the rest of my days in solitude. Until you came along, of course."

"I see."

"Of course you do. I made some minor edits to your physique to improve it."

"...Right. So the gems give me more power? Is that why you had me teleported near it?"

"Yes and yes. But perhaps in this case, it's more accurate to say the gem awakened your powers. Beforehand, you were just another mortal, albeit a more gifted one. But once you absorbed that gem, I also absorbed its power - and the more powerful I get, the more powerful you get as well. It's in your best interest to gain all the gems, so you can fulfill your potential."

"And what exactly am I capable of now?"

"I think that is best answered with a live demonstration." Taking off her right glove, she formed a knife in her left and sliced her palm open. Blood dripped from the wound onto the floor, pooling up into a small puddle. "Hold your hand out, towards the blood."

He did as he was told.

"Now, imagine yourself picking it up without touching it."

He closed his eyes, trying to focus his energy into the puddle of blood. He opened his eyes. The same puddle now floated in the air like a lava lamp. His eyes widened. He immediately imagined a spike in its place. The puddle obeyed his command, shaping itself into the very same spike. He stood up, flying the blood spike all around the air, finally stabbing it into a nearby stalagmite. The spike left a visible wound on the structure as it deformed, turning black like ink.

She put her glove back on, her cut fully healed. "So, how is it?"

"Wow... I can do this? What about other forms of magic?"

"As a Patron, you are. And you'll only become better with time."

He grinned as he imagined himself dominating the battlefield, his spike of blood flying through his enemies with ease, before remembering he couldn't use blood magic out in the open. "Wait, so if I can't use this in the open, what exactly am I supposed to use it for?"

"Who knows? It's your decision. But if you want to use other forms of magic, you can. Just remember that blood magic is the easiest one for you to use."

"Alright then. So why'd the blood turn black at the end?"

"Blood has a sort of lifespan to it, and it gets drained the longer you use it. Once it's completely drained, it becomes corrupted, essentially becoming unusable. The fresher the blood, the more lifespan it has."

"And dried blood is completely corrupted?"

"For now, yes."

He looked down at his hands. In his other life, his hands didn't work. Sure, they grabbed cups and typed on keyboards and held whatever needed to be carried, but they never made meaningful work. But now, with the very same hands, he held the power to shape his own destiny - and perhaps with his power, he could lead a life more fulfilling than his counterpart.

He spent the rest of his sleep practicing his magic, fueled by the power of his newfound hope and the blood spurting from the meat stalagmites.