Amdirlain's PoV - Outpost of the Monastery of the Western Reaches

A few days later, a Gate contracted behind them, disappearing into the shadows beneath the trees. Amdirlain could see the fields outside the Outpost of the Western Reaches through the gaps between the trees. She had already examined the forest and the mountain for kilometres, Livia's Domain greeting her touch with a welcoming warmth.

"Race you." Amdirlain wiggled her brows.

When Sarah vanished and reappeared in Livia's manor, Amdirlain howled with laughter. Before the echoes died, her smoky presence blurred through the trees and up the mountainside. Beyond the fields, the lowest tiers were now filled with finished grey and red construction. The guards at the gates of the inner tier spotted her halfway up the mountain, only for her to sweep past before they had the chance to react. She raced past the training halls and grey stone manors with their red wooden trim until she arrived at a distinctly Norse building. Students packed the long hall that made up the front of Livia's manor, but she was greeting Rachel, Ilya, and Sarah on the rear porch, which overlooked the paved training yard.

As Amdirlain drew closer, her filtering allowed more details to slip through, and she caught the sound of twin lives that pulsed within Rachel. The fetuses were five months along and held the golden souls of Anar. While one was a blank slate, she caught the echoes of the second's recent life. Her mind racing, she solidified on the training yard's packed earth and stepped towards the porch. The ladies differed widely in style, from Sarah's sturdy crimson leathers to Livia's grey and black uniform, which featured a layered Persian design. Rachel's dress was light pink at the shoulders, darkening to burnt amber at the hem. It was a soft contrast to Ilya's practical green and grey silk shirt, pants, and woven boots.

Mal? Do I tell Rachel, or does she already know?

Rachel smiled brightly at Amdirlain's arrival and touched a hand to her stomach. "Do you hear him?"

"Yeah, my brother was always in a rush to live life. His being reborn so fast doesn't surprise me." Amdirlain's throat thickened, and she carefully embraced Rachel, all too aware that her Mortal flesh no longer possessed Celestial resilience. "I thought you'd have waited longer."

"Well, it seems you have to be careful about giving the Titan openings," observed Ilya.

"You took advantage of mine," quipped Rachel.

Ilya laughed and got drawn into a three-way hug by Amdirlain. "Thank you for helping Rachel."

"Always."

"I can look after myself now that I'm no longer being prompted," protested Rachel.

Amdirlain's eyes glistened when she released them and hugged Livia close, earning a squeak of surprise.

When the hug ended, she looked up at Amdirlain in surprise. "What's wrong, Móðir?"

"It's just been a while for me. Time loops and experiencing past lives added up to centuries apart from everyone," explained Amdirlain.

Livia nodded. "Experiencing my past lives has often given me a strange sense of elapsed time, and they've all been Human. The longer Elven lives you mentioned to Master Cyrus must be as weird as the seventeen years absent from the realm."

"Those absent years are weirder since I can't remember them. The maker restored me to how I was before they elevated me," said Amdirlain.

"I don't quite get how that would work." Ilya narrowed her eyes thoughtfully. "Did they unwind you like when Rachel removes someone's recent memories, or just reset you to a temporal point?"

Amdirlain shrugged helplessly and released Livia with a kiss on the cheek.

Livia motioned them to the seats encircling the engraved, polished wooden table on the veranda. A porcelain tea set, decorated with yellow flowers and bees, appeared on the dark tabletop.

When Amdirlain sat down first, Livia gestured for Sarah and Rachel to take seats on either side of her and then sat across from them at the table. "Greater powers can be odd. Master Cyrus and I discussed the challenges of interacting with higher powers. He said their perspective can be so abstract that years can pass in moments of conversation"

"We had a similar conversation. It's why the Jade Emperor and oracles are the only ones in the courts that deal directly with them."

Rachel grinned. "Maybe they increased your insanity levels and then medicated you afterwards."

"I won't reject that possibility." Amdirlain poked her ribs. "Are you enjoying the medication for calmness that Ilya provides?"

"Bitch," laughed Rachel. "Yes, I'm loving it. Your treatment plan gave me a new lease on life."

Ilya groaned and reached past Rachel to touch Amdirlain's arm. "Thank you."

Is she going to keep saying that?

"For keeping her around to torture you with chirpiness?" asked Sarah.

"We'll go with that," said Ilya.

"Hey!" protested Rachel. "Be nice."

"Later." Ilya gave her a slow smile that made Rachel wiggle cheerfully. "Sorry, I know I'm embarrassing you, Am. I'll try not to keep saying thank you, but I'm buzzing out of my skin."

"It's fine. Tell me about what you've been up to?"

The group exchanged pleasantries as Livia poured the tea and distributed the cups.

"Such a nice little gathering, two gods, a Celestial, a creator, and me, the only Mortal," Rachel winked.

A creator. That's politer than being called a Fallen.

"Sarah mentioned the Lómë figured me out after seeing you," said Amdirlain. "Have they said anything about Erwarth?"

"No, Erwarth's parents know about her, but she's been keeping a low profile from the other Lómë," said Rachel. "She's busy teaching the Enyalië."

"From the reports I receive, the Lómë attitude seems to have changed," offered Livia. "When they first arrived, they were fairly distant, though receptive to guests. Recently, they've sent groups to help villages with defensive construction."

Ilya smiled. "I might have mentioned that, amongst other things, Am provided healing and helped clear several villages' graveyards of Di Yu's demons."

"Inspiring through actions even when not present, Móðir," Livia raised her teacup in a toast, and Ilya clinked hers against it with a wink for Amdirlain.

"How are things locally?"

"Though arrangements with the metallic dragons had their challenges, they've settled down nicely," said Livia.

"They've caused trouble?" Sarah's nostrils flare in annoyance.

"The number of students with affinities had kept them quite busy teaching, so they had little time to get into trouble. Now that most of them have graduated, they've cut back on the number of dragons teaching, so that's keeping things mostly calm," explained Livia.

Sarah's mouth thinned. "Will you give the names of those who found time for trouble?"

Livia patted Sarah's hand. "Relax. They're not abusing your agreement. Occasionally, some prickly pride led to vigorous arguments, but there was never any violence. It's more egos that needed gentle handling."

"How are the duties that Custodian arranged?" Amdirlain asked, and Sarah huffed as she sidetracked the topic.

"They've worked out well despite some conflict. The Enyalië have helped warm up Círbann to reverse the ice age caused by the gates to the Para-Elemental Plane of Ice," said Livia. "I missed you. I wasn't expecting to see you again until after the plinth."

Amdirlain braced herself and delivered the bad news. "My trip to the plinth might take a while."

"Your first assessment only took days." Rachel squeezed Amdirlain's hand.

"I've received a warning that I've done too much since last time." Amdirlain smiled sheepishly. "Yet there are still more things I need to do to give myself the best chance."

"Then let's discuss them, and what you'd like us to monitor while you're busy."

"I'd like the Enyalië to help me with an exercise."

"They'll be thrilled. What did you have in mind?" Rachel gushed.

"To spend time with them, but in a telepathic simulation. That way I can spend a lot of subjective personal time with each and stretch my psionic abilities simultaneously."

"They'd love to have individual time with you." Rachel's grin widened. "How many at a time can you handle?"

"It depends on how fast they've been levelling."

"Most of our focus has been on developing skills," said Ilya.

"I probably think several thousand times faster than they do. Hopefully, I should be able to host a few thousand in separate mind palaces to talk and get to know them. In those, a few minutes of talking and getting to know each other would be the equivalent of days spent on the physical."

Rachel clapped excitedly. "They're so patient, but they always have questions about you. Let's start with a thousand and then assess from there if you're going to offer more than simple chats."

Tension eased from Sarah's theme, and Amdirlain looked at her sideways. "You were feeling paranoid about it?"

"I'm still concerned about them, but not this plan. I hope they don't let you down."

"They feel the same way," said Rachel. "Some of the most frequent questions have been them checking if their progress would meet your approval."

Amdirlain rubbed her neck. "Please tell me I didn't infect them with my workaholic standards?"

"They certainly share your grind approach and have interesting ideas about what makes something fun. Literally hundreds of hours of just singing sunflowers," said Rachel. "Would you be able to meet with Rainith? She's been working with Gail and teaching the younger children. She has a request for you."

"Is there a reason you're approaching me about it?"

Rachel sighed. "I think she has a valid point, and she's worried, so I hoped you'd hear her out before you headed off. I can't help her with it."

"You've got many people who'd treasure time with you, but none of us would endanger you by adding unnecessary delays," said Livia. "I'll speak with her if you'd like."

"I've only had time to help her once. Roher and Laleither have been the most supportive among the Lómë, it would be a poor repayment to ask someone else to help their daughter." Amdirlain squeezed Rachel's hand. "I'll get in contact with Laleither after we return to the Demi-Plane, then we'll line up the exercise with the Enyalië."

"There were groups that showed up to help the Enyalië repair worlds. Laleither's been prodding them along," said Rachel.

"That's good to hear, but tell me what you've been up to, and where you're living. Every time I see folks, they want to hear my news, yet I'm sure a lot has changed in seventeen years."

"Mostly I've been training the Enyalië. Though we've been living on Vehtë, we're staying among the Andúnë. They're experiencing a baby boom from the apples you made to restore their fertility. The increase in children has things in a state of flux."

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Ilya smiled. "Both of us do well amid chaos."

"Did you know the apples are an effective little blue pill for humans?" asked Rachel.

"Oh, crud." Amdirlain hid her face in her hands.

"Yeah, a Human merchant accidentally got his hands on one, and the elves found they had an unexpected trade good on their hands." Ilya drawled. "Though given an Anar made the apples for them, things looked dicey at first."

"You're kidding me." Amdirlain groaned, not lifting her eyes.

Rachel patted Amdirlain's head. "I calmed it down and told them you wouldn't have an issue with someone growing a staff for their wife. It doesn't increase Human fertility rates, just makes things stand to attention."

Sarah started laughing. "Just like on Qil Tris, you're getting people hot and bothered, sweetie."

The observation brought laughter from everyone gathered, and Amdirlain rolled her eyes at Sarah.

"I've heard from Verdandi far more frequently," Livia offered when things quieted. "She seems back to her old self."

Amdirlain perked up at the news, and Livia started on other changes in the kingdoms. The group groaned and laughed as they exchanged tales and news.

♫ ♫ ♫ ♫ ♫ ♫

Sarah was off assisting Livia when a Gate opened precisely at the coordinates Amdirlain had provided. Rainith was first across the threshold.

Her genetic heritage should have had a greater influence on her appearance, yet Rainith matched the historically consistent Anar appearance. Nearly at full adult height, even if her emotions and mind were still developing, she possessed a bronze-gold skin tone, delicate cheekbones, golden eyes, and platinum-blond hair. A golden sash cinched the sky blue silk blouse and pants she wore, paired with woven black boots. Her song invoked some of Ori's memories, overlaying sharper features, but Amdirlain pushed the mental image aside.

Laleither followed her through the Gate in a dress of midnight with shooting stars sparking across it and matching her silver irises and hair with their radiance. Her usually generous mouth was tight with worry, her gaze resting on her daughter, who was at her shoulder height.

As they reached the steps, Amdirlain smiled and motioned to the porch's furnishings. "The breeze off the lake is lovely, or we can sit inside. The local wildlife have learnt not to bother the house."

"Here is fine," replied Laleither.

Rainith stepped forward to clasp Amdirlain's hand. "Thank you for agreeing to listen."

"Rachel said it was something she couldn't help with," said Amdirlain after they'd sat.

"I don't want to remember my previous lives," Rainith said.

A rejection of the traditional adult rite, or something more?

Amdirlain stiffened slightly. "At all?"

"None of it. I want to build on my own efforts, not depend on memories from past lives to speed along," Rainith explained. "It feels like having all those memories would be a slow poison."

"I'm sure this isn't just a spur-of-the-moment decision."

"I heard how the elders spoke about you and then saw their hypocrisy when they realised what Rachel's return as a living Anar meant. I never want to possess that self-important arrogance that they needed ripped from them. Their gratitude was so fleeting."

Rainith's hands clenched, yet Amdirlain remained silent, waiting for her to finish.

"I've heard the themes of Human villagers, and compared to them, I've lived an incredibly privileged life. What have I done to deserve any shortcuts to regaining any strength or knowledge? I've not suffered like you, Rachel, or Sarah. I had a complaint about isolation from some of my family's activities, yet that's effectively nothing, and you addressed it immediately. People say I'll understand after the adult rites, but that feels wrong."

Her gaze grew distant, and as the silence drew on, Amdirlain prompted her softly. "Why is that?"

"I've experienced snippets of memories, and they had such toxic arrogance. The attitude the elders had and my own memories feel so appalling. I can't bear the thought of believing that as normal."

"Perhaps don't put it that way when they can hear you," Laleither cautioned.

"Ilya said they had their heads up their arses and were gurgling shit to their faces."

Laleither coughed. "She's graphic, but not completely in the wrong in her intentions."

"My years are so few that it's daunting getting any memories. Even when I'm a hundred, recovering a few hundred years of memories could drown who I am, let alone if it's thousands of years. People say it doesn't work that way, but why do I want memories that will probably come from the aeons while estranged from the Titan? Some poisons can kill in a microdose. I don't want to risk poisoning myself with memories from lifetimes of unwarranted arrogance."

Amdirlain nodded understandingly. "I'd mentioned this to Sarah, and I remember Gideon objecting to the Anar and Lómë being able to recall past lives. I made a mistake in setting up the recall the way I did. Prideful memories reinforced pride until it turned poisonous. There are changes I could make that won't erase them, but you'd need to get me to reverse it or follow the techniques of the Jade Court to access those memories."

Rainith looked at Laleither. "Please, mother."

"Gideon? As in the Aspect of Knowledge?" questioned Laleither, not meeting her daughter's gaze.

"Yes."

"I don't understand why you're determined to follow this course, yet I must admit that hearing that the Aspect of knowledge objected to it makes me see it in a new light." Laleither squeezed Rainith's hand. "Is it fully reversible?"

Amdirlain nodded. "I went over the memory of True Song design repeatedly, and I've experience with memory blocks and the song for recalling memories."

Laleither squared her shoulders. "We've clung to customs that have hurt us in the past. Roher and I discussed this and agreed to rely on your confidence."

"Do you have questions about the approach?" asked Amdirlain. "I can go over the songs involved, and how about I set a crystal to allow Rainith to release it if she changes her mind?"

"I won't need it," insisted Rainith.

Laleither lightly touched her wrist. "However, I'd feel better if you had the option."

"I don't know how long I'll be away at the plinth or even if I'll ever be in a state to remove it," said Amdirlain. "I'd feel better to leave the choice in your hands."

Amdirlain presented the music in the air between them, composing it to match Rainith's theme.

The pair had dozens of questions about the music of the Soul, yet none about her approach to blocking the memory recall.

As the notations vanished, Rainith's gaze sparkled with curiosity. "Did you create the Enyalië to replace us? It had the elders so worried, you should have heard the way it took the wind out of their sails. If you did, I can understand it."

No question to confirm who I am.

"No, they came about accidentally. But they gained the True Song Power since they arose from a Domain wellspring and my Ki." Amdirlain patted her shoulder. "All done."

Rainith leapt across and hugged her ecstatically.

"Why don't the three of us sing a few things together before you head home?"

"I'd love that." Rainith's eyes glistened.

Laleither nodded gratefully. "It would be an honour, Songbird."

Just ready acceptance, and I'm getting everyone emotional.

"I'm not there yet. Did you want to work on plants?"

"I prefer minerals," replied Rainith.

Amdirlain presented the music for a crystal geode similar to the thunder egg, and they sang the bright notes together. Hours later, when they headed home, Amdirlain sat quietly, considering her next step.

With her psi reserves being the lowest of the three, she poured a significant amount of points into Zen Meditation. As it raced through the ranks, she had to prevent the Skill from merging with Enduring Flame as her investment grew. Without cycling her Ki, she knelt and then let her mind empty before transitioning to her soulscape. The advancement of her True Song powers and architecture had unlocked dozens of classes since she'd last checked, but the focus of many was too narrow for comfort. While they promised advantages in the construction of her crystalline armies, or planar refuges, they wouldn't benefit her full range of creativity.

Lethe floated beside Amdirlain. "I felt you open yourself up."

"I hoped we could continue some knowledge recovery."

"What are you seeking to learn?"

"More about planetary engineering and related skills. I feel like I've been doing things the hard way," said Amdirlain. "I'm hoping with more knowledge of them, I'll get access to True Song classes focused on them."

Lethe's brows lifted. "Is creating planets supposed to be easy?"

"It shouldn't be, but I've got the feeling I'm making it harder than it needs to be. I want to learn as much about planets and setting them up for biomes as I can."

"Everything is difficult until it becomes easy," said Lethe. "Let us begin."

By the time they were finished, Amdirlain's mind was swimming in the details of billions of new planetary and biological phenomena.

♫ ♫ ♫ ♫ ♫ ♫

Not wanting dinosaurs to catch anyone unaware, Amdirlain had moved to a more sedate grassland Demi-Plane to meet with the Enyalië.

As Amdirlain exchanged messages with Gail, Sarah looked over the open landscape.

"You're talking only about a few subjective days each, but it will add up if you can manage that for all two hundred thousand of them." Sarah cautioned.

"I know, but I think it might help with my healing," said Amdirlain. "Time spent with people instead of rushing about working on the next goal. It's an investment in myself and them."

"Do you think dealing with all the interactions will be a match for the impact of the plinth's assessment?"

Amdirlain wrinkled her nose. "I don't think I'll attempt to match that pace."

A glowing Gate opened from Laurelin, and a thousand Enyalië streamed through wearing a myriad of colours and styles; their azure hair and rainbow feathers shimmering in the radiant sunlight. Irini and Tinu were at the front of the group; the mental chatter of the others was a low, excited hum. Gail followed at the group's rear, her long blond hair waving in the breeze. The group looked out over the grasslands and cooed over the flowers they hadn't seen before; some of them created bouquets of living flowers by duplicating the new species.

"How would you like everyone arranged, Mum?" chirped Irini excitedly.

"Please find a spot on the grass to relax. You'll be unaware of your surroundings, so ensure you're comfortable and not having to support yourselves. I'll be extending connections to individual mind palaces. It'll be up to each of you whether we talk, experience worlds I've seen, or something else."

They fanned out across the grass to form concentric circles, with each row having enough space to stretch out.

When everyone was set, Tinu gave her an excited grin and a thumbs up. Amdirlain knelt and, cycling Psi energy through her sigil, projected individual mental links to the gathering.

Doorways opened, and a thousand minds swarmed Amdirlain.

* * * * *

Irini stepped through the warm amber door to gaze at the white staging room, lined with mementos on shelves that lined the walls.

"This is weird. I know the others surround us, but I've never been alone with just one other person before."

"I'm speeding up your mental perceptions between us, but that doesn't include your other mental links."

"Okay, so it's a localised subjective time," Irini nodded. "I'm a limp rag doll outside?"

"Correct. What would you like to talk about first?"

"Since you can show me memories in here, there are so many things I'd love to see. Would you show me some worlds you healed and let me listen to the songs you needed?"

"I'll include the music from the plants to see how much you can pick up. Don't try any of the songs without more instruction."

A megawatt smile lit Irini's face.

* * * * *

In her own link, Tinu ignored the mementos and charged Amdirlain to hug her tightly, and cheered happily at the sensation. "This is so cool. I wasn't sure if hugs would feel different."

"The sensations involved are based on my experiences, but your mind is translating them," said Amdirlain.

"That makes sense," Tinu allowed. "But expectation doesn't always meet reality. This is lovely."

Amdirlain patted her back when Tinu eventually released her to wipe the happy tears away. "I'm glad you enjoyed it. What would you like to do together?"

She fixed Amdirlain with a doe-eyed look. "You talked about experiencing worlds. Does that include your concerts on Qil Tris?"

"We could do that, though I'm curious why."

"I'd like to hear the enjoyment all those people felt, and see the big stadiums filled with Catfolk," gushed Tinu. "Gail told us tales about them."

* * * * *

Each request from the Enyalië differed, ranging from sitting and talking to touring oceans or forests, or seeing specific types of wildlife. Though some requests were a greater strain, Amdirlain had fun playing tour guide as days' worth of their requested activities sped by in a few minutes. With her focus split in so many directions, the slices of subjective time added up to years of interaction through Amdirlain's mind.

The group awoke as one; some hopped up and cheered, clapping, only to receive amused looks from those nearby, others stretched sedately as they considered the places they'd walked or flown with her. A few sang melodies they'd heard, and beyond the gathering plants, reached up from the grasslands. The hum of thoughts contained their shared experiences, journeying together with Amdirlain.

Sarah crouched beside her. "What was it like?"

"Roughly eight years and three months of chirpiness; a mix of shy girls, party girls, requests to wander forests or mountains and hundreds of other places. It was very relaxing. I'm glad they're such a very diverse group," said Amdirlain.

Gail clapped for attention and opened a Gate. "Come on, your sisters are waiting for their turn."

"Yes, cousin." The Enyalië waved and blew kisses, as they called out farewells and headed for the exit.

Amdirlain waved as she continued cycling her Psi, causing a purple luminescence to leak from her skin as her reserves refilled.

"Did you need a little while, Auntie?" Gail called.

"My recovery won't be long. If you want to bring another group of the same size, I should be right by the time they're organised."

Gail nodded happily. "Do I get a catch-up session with you as well?"

"Of course."

"I'll get other groups moving in so they're organised in advance," said Gail, eying the group departing through the Gate. "This was fine for the first group, but it's inefficient."

"Being protective of my time?"

"Of course," mimicked Gail. "It will be a few minutes before I open the next Gate."

When Amdirlain rolled her eyes, Gail laughed and shooed the last of the gathered Enyalië through.

"How was it?" Sarah asked once the Gate closed.

Amdirlain leaned across and stole a warm kiss, caressing Sarah's face as she settled back on her heels. "It feels like I spent years away from you."

"Are you going to reduce the time you let each experience?"

"I managed that simulation goal, yet with my attention divided, it felt like it was that long, not just an escalated perception of time. I'm going to experience more years through this exercise than the time loop or the lives I've attuned to with my sigil."

Sarah smiled. "Centuries with daughters who idolise you might do you some good. Still, it might be wise to give yourself increased recharge time."

"I'll balance it as I take a break at the midpoint. Most of them wanted to hear some songs, and keeping all the environmental themes straight was an effort."

"Did it help?"

Amdirlain nodded confidently. "Yeah, with all the details I needed to convey for the sessions to be realistic, it wasn't simple or focused like teaching an Affinity. We might have to increase the group sizes if my Psychic-Lord Power increases too much."

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