Amdirlain's PoV - East Shrine

By the time Sarah returned from the Enchanter's Pavilion, Amdirlain had sprawled out on the bed.

Sarah slipped her boots off and sat beside her. "I heard you had a dramatic day."

"Completely peaceful, even met the Jade Emperor. I didn't 'see' him properly, but he gave himself away with a name that pinged too many meanings within Universal Communication. Though I considered leaving it until I could tell who he was properly, I called him on it. He apologised for both shit for brains and monkey boy and offered to remove the headband."

"You're not all excitedly happy, so I'm guessing there is a 'but' that followed that offer."

"Not from him. I turned him down, and he said since I'm dealing with the headband alone, he'll leave their punishment to me. I'm planning to make monkey boy regret a few things, so I need to be stronger," said Amdirlain. "Given that Theinas' information says I need to be mentally stronger to deal with the plinth, I can work on the two targets together. How was the fuss at the pavilion?"

"They were frantically teleporting about bringing demons in," advised Sarah. "I noticed they sent back a lot less than arrived."

"My firefly routine helped a lot find the last enlightenment they needed to transition from goop to soul."

Sarah grinned appreciatively. "How did that happen?"

"I got caught up in my issues and didn't think about blocking the light of my cycling," explained Amdirlain. "I was trying to find inspiration to advance."

"To be fair, you've still got a lot you're working on," said Sarah.

"Yeah, improvement is a step at a time. Just glad it's not as many as I used to have," agreed Amdirlain lightly. "I've requested more Soul healing lessons and, as soon as I get Mana Font working, we'll move onto the South Wind's Court."

Sarah stretched out beside Amdirlain and stroked her hair. "Amdirlain. I love you for who you are. You know that, right?"

"Your support has helped. Knowing that you love me made it easier to accept Ori," admitted Amdirlain. "I'm curious, but also concerned, about what is blocking my progress. Do you remember any lifetimes with green-skinned elves?"

Sarah abruptly stiffened, and Amdirlain felt memories burbling within her. After a few minutes, she swallowed convulsively. "Are you looking for a shortcut, or will you keep healing until you're ready?"

"Healing."

"Do any of them have facial tattoos?" asked Sarah. "Several wavey lines with bladed hooks sprouting from the side closest to their eyes?"

"Two of the five had tattoos like that," confirmed Amdirlain. She projected an illusion of the clustered group above the bed.

Sarah groaned. "I'm not sure you want to go near them, sweetie. Those lives occurred right after we left this realm, and the planet was harsh. I think Ori's Soul sought a place that reflected the pain inside her."

"Do I want to know how harsh?"

"Don't make a mistake about which life to tackle first," said Sarah. "From the snippets I recall, there was a lot of rage expressed in those lives with the tattoos. That realm's internal clock must have been running faster than this one since a couple of those lives were a few thousand years."

"I was worried about how many years I'd have to handle, so I stayed away from them," replied Amdirlain. "I'll see what my instructor says at my next lesson."

"I'm glad you've learnt to ask for help."

"Sifu scolded me a little about Mana Font, since I have access to a related instructor," admitted Amdirlain. As Sarah started to smile, Amdirlain clung to her hand. "I'm worried about the plinth."

"The unknown is always scary. Theinas' warning didn't make going there any easier," said Sarah.

"It's a Sword of Damocles that no one can help me with. Have you considered what you'll do once I head for Hades?"

"You won't let me come with you?"

"No, but I plan to use lots of Protean while sneaking about," reassured Amdirlain. "To change the topic, I think I have an idea to evolve Dominion and Stimulation."

"If you're going to avoid using True Song in Hades they might come in handy," noted Sarah. "They're an explainable Power, and the demons searching would recognise their touch; while Psychic-Lord will let you duplicate the effect, you'd have to get further into demonic minds than you do while training people."

"I'm never going to use a dominator disguise," said Amdirlain. "I was thinking about combining them in a fashion that Muse's Embrace might ingest them."

"Do you plan to keep me in suspense?"

"I was thinking I might use them as a training aid."

Sarah smirked. "Well, some dominators might say they are already training aids. Would you care to provide details?"

"The sensation of limbs feeling heavy, air rasping in your throat, struggling to breathe when you've pushed your body to the limit. I remember what those sensations feel like," clarified Amdirlain. "What do you think of me using them on students? They'll need to force through them without long hours of exercise to get into that state."

"A physical VR simulator without actually getting into their minds." Sarah lay back but continued to hold Amdirlain's hand. "You'd have to be careful. You're looking to get them to push past physical limits and not just give them a rush from the struggle."

They talked about over ideas for a time and, when Sarah called it a night, Amdirlain turned to studying the memory crystals on the Abyss that Eleftherios had provided.

In the morning, Amdirlain found Jinfeng had lingered instead of heading to the Martial Pavilion at her usual time. She quietly slipped from the bedroom and padded out to the living room, where Jinfeng sat cross-legged with her sheathed Jian across her knees.

Amdirlain settled next to Jinfeng with her Charisma under tight control. "I'm sorry I've been neglecting your training of late."

"Sifu, I'd be a poor student if I didn't seek understanding outside lessons," replied Jinfeng. "How are things with you today?"

"They're well. I noticed you got caught up in the aftermath of my recent disturbance," noted Amdirlain.

Jinfeng waved towards the Martial Pavilion. "They were short-staffed and needed someone to supervise inexperienced demons. How are your meditations going?"

"They're progressing, but I need to wait for my instructor. I was wondering if you'd help me with some experiments," said Amdirlain. "I need someone I can trust to help me out."

"What sort of experiments?"

"There are some powers I want to combine," replied Amdirlain. "Their nature means that the results are uncertain, so I need someone who won't be shy to speak up. Physical conditioning in martial arts is about training the body and mind to not get in each other's way. The muscle memory of the punches, so you don't have to think about how to do it. Stimulation can mimic any physical sensation, and Dominion lets me connect to multiple people at once, and then I can use other powers through it."

"You want to see if you can train someone's muscle memory without training?" questioned Jinfeng. "That feels like cheating."

"The powers themselves feel similar to psionics. While I could try to incorporate them into Muse's Embrace, Dominion is a focused form of Telepathy, and Stimulation relates to Psychometabolism. If I practise with them, I should be able to figure out how to get Psychic-Lord to ingest them," said Amdirlain.

"Is there a reason you can't use those on a psionic construct?" asked Jinfeng.

"Dominion imposes itself, and the constructs don't resist meaningfully. I could work on Stimulation alone with them, but then I don't have a second Power to use through Dominion to figure out how to ingest it."

"Very well. A little time each day, so I can conduct my practice around whatever strikes or blocks you are conditioning me to use," said Jinfeng.

"Shall we begin now?"

Jinfeng nodded.

♫ ♫ ♫ ♫ ♫ ♫

Her next lesson with the Soul healing instructor came a few days later, and it helped her refine feeding Ki to her Soul. The instructor also provided further commentary that added to Cyrus's remarks about handling the combination of Mana and Ki. Yet the wounds across her Soul and the turbulence from the headband kept ripping the shell of Ki apart before it could make it to the origin of Mana Font. As soon as the raw Mana was exposed, her Soul's energies expelled it through the conduits. While knowing the cause was useful, the solution wasn't forthcoming. Over the following weeks, she arranged several more lessons and conducted hundreds of hours of meditation without finding a resolution to Mana Font. She had better luck progressing Dominion and Stimulation with Jinfeng during that time, but they remained separate from either Muse's Embrace or Psychic-Lord.

As she again settled down to meditate during Sarah's morning classes, Amdirlain stopped and projected herself into the raw Soulscape instead. The landscape was an outback terrain, with orange soil and bush scrub as far as the eye could see. Overhead the sky was a raging inferno that only partly obscured the silvery material pressing down on her Soul, crushing the 'atmosphere' to the point of ignition. Unbothered by the flames, Lethe, in Ori's form, lay sprawled out in a silvery bikini on a colourful beach blanket. She had one hand tucked behind her head and the other holding a paperback with a stereotypical romance cover. As Amdirlain took in their surroundings, Lethe merely raised an eyebrow.

"Out enjoying the sunshine?" asked Amdirlain.

"There are more pleasant ways you could see the turbulence it creates," said Lethe.

"Why the swimwear?"

"You've been thinking about a tropical vacation a lot lately, and I've caught some of the imagery," explained Lethe. "It seems cozy."

Amdirlain motioned to the flames overhead. "Is this causing you any pain?"

"Please, you created me. I can't eliminate the annoying thing, but here in your Soul it can't hurt me." Lethe sat up, and the drink and book vanished. "To what do I owe the pleasure of your visit?"

"There is a Power called Mana Font that I'm trying to work out the solution to activate. I got scolded for not talking to the instructors who could provide me insights into the Ki, but I hoped you might provide insights into the Soul."

"I've only existed in one Soul, so I'm hardly the expert on all souls," said Lethe. "However, I've sensed what you've been trying to do, and I'm both a tiny expert on life and have your original knowledge about powers."

Lethe took up a cross-legged position, and after patting the blanket, she offered Amdirlain her hands.

Rather than kneeling as usual, Amdirlain mirrored Lethe and reached forward to touch their palms together.

A warm fluid suddenly surrounded her, and Amdirlain floated alone. A bass drum rumbled through a familiar double-beat. Within that drifting sensation, shiny silvery notes flowed along a cord to her with each pulse, while other duller ones floated away, passing each other along the cord that linked her to the drum. Beyond the muffling fluid, she heard a woman's voice lifted in a wordless song; to that gentle melody, Orhêthurin clapped her hands, enjoying the fluid's eddies across her fingers.

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Before she could delve into the music further, the memory cut off, and Lethe smiled at her. "Motherhood provides many insights, but so does being a child."

"In that analogy—for Mana Font—is the Soul the mother or child?"

"Both or neither. That would depend on your understanding since it's not just the Power. With all of them, your intent activates them properly, or not. The Ki practitioner techniques are based on their understanding of what works on their path. The techniques put them into a particular mindset and align them towards a particular nature. You've been thinking about accessing the Power, but consider what you're trying to access through it. What is Mana? I've caught you thinking about it other times, so I know how you see it. Say what you're trying to access and think about what that means."

"The lifeblood of the realm," said Amdirlain.

Lethe smiled. "You had your thoughts on its nature when you tied it to your two prison cells. Powers relate to what's underneath and focus it in different ways. Evolution comes about because your understanding and intention branch off from the fundamentals of the Power and specialise in different ways. Or with your Dominion and Stimulation, you're looking to turn them into streams to feed another river."

"Any other insights you're willing to offer?"

"All powers are merely channels for energy, so think about the energy they're carrying and the outcome you're trying to achieve. You can cycle Mana through your spiritual net, but where does it flow when it bubbles up from the Mana Font?"

"As soon as it gets out of the conduit, it goes straight to my pool."

"Then why are you feeding it through your spiritual net? You're not Jiutian Xuannü." Lethe shooed her away. "Go think about it. You're cluttering up the landscape."

Amdirlain laughed and released the Soulscape.

Rebuke channels energy through a spoken word to do damage. It's a specialised form of True Song using sonic vibration to transmit harmful energy. It might be the next I work on after I get Mana Font operational. I need to grow my Mana Font, so I first need a channel to nurture it.

It took Amdirlain a few thousand attempts to visualise Ki woven into an umbilical cord from her Mana Pool to touch her Soul. With it set up to allow energy only on one side of the twinned conduit, the Manashe sent in readily reached her Soul. With no path to the Mana Font source, it got repulsed back, but the pressure caused her Soul to form a seal around the conduit. All the Mana she sent returned through the other side of the cord, and a pulse thumped in the Mana Font's source. Tiny bubbles started to work their way upwards.

With that teasing possibility of success, Amdirlain stored half her Mana Pool in crystals and started again.

♫ ♫ ♫ ♫ ♫ ♫

Even with Amdirlain's accelerated perspective, her various attempts consumed three days before the first success came; the first tiny Mana bubble deliberately made its way up from her Soul.

I'm sure the volume would amuse Sarah.

'Mana Font is delivering at last. Sixty-nine Mana droplets from a point sent into it.'

Gales of warm laughter came back through the mental link. 'Logic says it's related to your Magic rating, but can I cash some of those in?'

'Only if you say please.'

'Begging only counts as foreplay for some people.'

'When whips excite you?'

'Domination is a pale substitution for the control my Dragon species provides,' returned Sarah. 'I'll let you get back to pushing it, sweetie. I'm trying to stop these students from blowing themselves up at present.'

[Mana Font [B](6->7)

Note: Should I insert a snide remark about motherhood or a chicken and the egg for old times' sake?

Note: You let Theinas lift a weight from Nicholaus's shoulders. Thank you. He didn't want to hurt someone special to you, but Torm had put you second and sometimes a distant fourth, which needled at Nicholaus.]

Thanks for the clarification, Gideon. As for Mana Font, the yoke is on me with this one.

The initial trickle of Mana soon tapered off, and so Amdirlain repeated the exercise. Her monitoring and steady repetition provided periodic increases in the Power. Once it ticked over into the Apprentice rank the Power no longer needed to be primed each time but provided a steady condensation leaking upwards like a tiny artesian spring. It kept ticking along without being touched, but the notifications sounded frequently when she focused on its behaviour. After it moved into Journeyman rank, it jumped to provide hundreds of Mana each minute.

"Lord Qinglong, if you'd let me know when I might come to see you and bid farewell, I'll be heading off shortly," said Amdirlain.

Amdirlain caught Qinglong's momentary amusement.

I've been good and sent letters, that might be my last chance to misbehave here.

"Lady Amdirlain, your comings and goings are completely up to you. If you can tolerate a bit of formality, I'll send an invitation along." Though Qinglong's tone was dry, his amusement lingered briefly, a gentle energy that softened the room's stillness.

With the house empty, Amdirlain focused on advancing Mana Font further.

[Mana Font [J](40) -> [Ad] (1)]

Greater Energy Recovery [J](16->17)]

The transition to Adept rank saw the Power escalate to thousands of Mana droplets a minute, and her Greater Energy Recovery's influence streamlined its passage from her Soul.

With that notification, the progression slowed, so Amdirlain left it to work alone. Gates opened, and she lowered the filtering threshold on her Soul's pain and channelled its feverous energy into the creation of hydrogen to accumulate mass for another star.

She kept at it until Sarah, Kadaklan, and Jinfeng arrived and joined her in the living room. Sarah was unbothered by them, but the others entered cautiously, eyeing the thousands of tiny black gates surrounding her. With a final few notes, Amdirlain closed them off and restored her filtered state.

"Kadaklan. What do you suggest: drop straight to the South Wind's Court, or head inland from the coast?"

As Sarah and Jinfeng got themselves drinks, Kadaklan sat across from her, "That comes out of nowhere. When do you wish to leave?"

"After whatever meetings anyone has left on their schedule," replied Amdirlain.

"That gives us time to make some arrangements then. I know Klipyl has some engagements over the next few days. The South Wind can be impulsive, so it will work better to warn her we're on our way. The form is up to you, be it a letter sent ahead or going to the edge of her territory and working our way towards the court."

"Would she have someone attack?" asked Sarah.

"That's not what I'm concerned about," reassured Kadaklan before he waved at Amdirlain. "Tales have spread about Am, so if you want the Vermillion Bird to do something extravagant that runs for weeks, surprise her. I'm pretty sure you'd want to give her time to calm down and, with a cool head, decide how best to greet you. Which, if she's listening to the other winds, won't include a sudden party for a few thousand people."

"She's known Sifu has been on her way for some time," protested Jinfeng.

"That won't make a bit of difference," said Kadaklan. "The difference is between knowing a Grandmaster Artificer will eventually take your commission and having a new Jian delivered into your hands. Would you want to try using it straight away?"

"That would depend on how strong the enchantment they made felt," Jinfeng replied suspiciously.

Kadaklan nodded towards Amdirlain. "You've heard tales but can you feel any strength from Am? What would you do as a warrior if you didn't know your Sifu?"

Jinfeng sheepishly eyed Amdirlain. "Try to gauge her strength, like I did when we first sparred."

"How did that work out for you?" asked Kadaklan. "Did Am put you through the wringer or give you a nice calm lesson?"

The pair laughed briefly before Jinfeng smiled. "It was educational."

"The Vermillion Bird can be impulsive, much like Am in some ways. Those who are the most alike sometimes create the biggest sparks socially. Gauging each other's strength among the big social gatherings The Vermillion Bird adores and Amdirlain tolerates wouldn't be to her advantage."

"Let's avoid a party. How about we go to a remote point of the region and then head towards her court from there?" asked Amdirlain. "No flying straight there but stopping off at villages and towns along the way so news can get ahead of us?"

Kadaklan frowned. "Some remote spots would be more suitable than others."

"Are you worried I'll stick my nose into local problems? I'll admit that's always a possibility," said Amdirlain. "Though I try to let people handle their problems, there are things south of here that are beyond what I feel is right just to let be."

"What is it you're concerned about?" asked Kadaklan.

"Sahuagin armies. The ten kingdoms fought a war against them until a group killed the Sahuagin Queen, and several of their nations are south from here."

Sarah sat beside Amdirlain. "But Sahuagin are yummy. It's like dark salmon meat but has more bones to crunch."

"Thanks for that insight," drawled Amdirlain.

"Any time," snorted Sarah.

Kadaklan scratched behind an ear. "They aren't the only dangers in the south, but they terrorise coastal cities and towns. Nagas and various other magical beasts in the countryside also create problems for the locals. Trying to cross some islands on foot would trigger a nonstop battle from the moment you step ashore."

"Pick a familiar spot, and we'll go there," said Amdirlain.

"I know somewhere suitable," said Kadaklan. "It's a southeastern island."

"I'm happy to listen."

"There is a small town I'd like us to stay at for a short time," explained Kadaklan. "There is someone I'd like to catch up with, but at this time of year, he might be out gathering."

"Catch up with for yourself, or a different reason?"

Kadaklan flushed. "For multiple reasons."

"Who? Are we going to end up involved in local politics by stopping to see him?"

"My alchemy teacher is one of the local elders. He doesn't charm or sweet-talk people; he's more the type to smack someone in ear when they're stupid."

"I'm surprised he's still around. I thought you learnt from a village Alchemist after you left your parents," said Amdirlain.

"He helped me find my way to Immortal Spirit during my apprenticeship with him. It surprised him so much that he also found his path. You could say our understanding of Ki and spiritual matters blended well."

Sarah groaned. "Has Klipyl been helping you brew up alchemical puns?"

"Maybe she's just stirred up a few old jokes," replied Kadaklan drily.

"Just no," said Jinfeng. "I'll take whatever letter you want to send via the Duty Pavilion, Sifu. It will be good to travel again. Hopefully, we find something suitable to try my new techniques against."

"I'll have it ready shortly," said Amdirlain.

Amdirlain got a letter composed before Klipyl arrived and dropped beside her with a scroll. "This arrived at the Duty Pavilion when I was there to collect other things."

"You know there is a formality to the delivering of letters,"

"The desk clerk likes me, so she made an exception," replied Klipyl.

The invitation contained a request for Amdirlain to attend Qinglong at his pagoda the next morning. Amdirlain claimed it from Klipyl and tucked it away.

"He made time in his schedule for me tomorrow. I'm flattered."

♫ ♫ ♫ ♫ ♫ ♫

The morning radiance turned the dome's blue marble walls and turquoise roof tiles into a shimmering wonder.

Though the courtyard and pagoda were unchanged externally, she sensed someone had placed white tatami mats in the pagoda's centre, a low table sat on them.

It was a strange change given that though some different attendants were on duty, each positioned themselves identically, matching the previous attendants' heights.

The pair of dragons in Human guise on either side of the pagoda's entryway were the same individuals wearing familiar white veils and blue-white kimonos with herons flying along their limbs. This time, the male stepped forward, his ceremonial staff carved from white jade, clicking an even tempo with his steps. Rather than koi, his staff featured a headpiece shaped like a sun, with light rays crossing a rolling wave carved into the white jade.

"Lady Am, I bid you welcome as a herald for Lord Qinglong, his imperial Majesty the East Wind. He wishes to host you for tea within."

"Thank you for the greeting. I will gladly accept his hospitality."

He turned side on and motioned towards the door with a sweeping gesture. "If you would, please follow me."

As Amdirlain started forward, he led the way, and a lifted hand opened the door before they reached them.

Qinglong rose from his throne as the doors swung open and advanced towards the low table under the pagoda.

Amdirlain matched his pace, so they arrived at it together, and Qinglong nodded appreciatively.

"Thank you for seeing me again, Lord Qinglong."

"The pleasure is mine, Lady Am. All things should be in balance."

"I hope my disturbances haven't created an imbalance."

"The benefits of the insights you provided blessed many," replied Qinglong. "If there is an imbalance, it is in what this court owes you for guiding so many."

Amdirlain knelt first, and Qinglong mirrored her.

Two attendants stepped forward and poured tea for them, setting the cups in place simultaneously.

"May your travels continue to bring you opportunities to heal and find enlightenment, Lady Am."

"I appreciate your best wishes, Lord Qinglong, and hope those in your care also advance along their chosen path. I've gained insights to help the courts during my stay here, but I'll need to grow stronger before I can act on them," advised Amdirlain.

"In your own time, Lady Am."

Qinglong raised his cup, and Amdirlain echoed him. Her mind translated the smooth notes of the warm tea into a rich aroma. "To teachers and the wisdom they share."

After sipping the tea, Amdirlain set it back down. "Who was your favourite teacher, Lord Qinglong?"

"Like all the four winds, Quan Yin helped me find enlightenment. She was the gentle hand that showed me my way."

"Would you share your memories?"

Over the tea, Qinglong shared stories of her gentle chastisement for his seeking tribute from coastal villages.

At the end, Amdirlain smiled. "I'm not very good at administering subtle lessons."

"Just ones aimed at precisely breaking bones?"

Amdirlain shrugged helplessly. "He had it coming."

Qinglong laughed and, giving a bow, rose. "On that note, we'll have to end our conversation for now. I've other appointments I need to consider."

After exiting the pagoda Amdirlain took herself back to their residence.

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