Reality hits like a slap to the face as my eyes snap open wide, but all that greets is darkness.
Slowly, I sit up from my lying position and scan the dark room with Sense Mana. Tabitha was still where I left her when I entered my soul, sitting like a statue on the stone bench. She didn’t have her light spell activated, but her mana network was calm and steady, a good sign that she was healthy and that nothing happened while I was out.
Tabitha was probably awake, but she could be ditating or resting her eyes, so I didn't call out to her. Instead, I do what I do every ti I wake up in a dubious location and scan for anything dangerous. We were deeper underground now, but my senses could still reach the surface from where we were. I quickly confird that I still couldn't sense the winged serpent before focusing on our surroundings, mainly the sinister feeling chamber below us.
In the nine or so hours I’d been out, more of the remaining death mana had been pulled downward and gathered there, so much so that the air in our room felt less sickly. The death mana had been replaced with earth mana; the air was still stale, but it was slightly more bearable than what it was. At least it no longer felt like we were sleeping on our graves.
Luckily, the change in mana was the only thing I sensed, so I was free to let out a sigh of relief.
"You're up." Tabitha's soft voice echoed in the quiet room.
“Yep,” I yawn as I stand up and stretch my arms and legs. “Thanks for watching over ," I smile toward Tabitha, forgetting she can't see for a second. You know what— I'm not dealing with this again.
“Cicsh het ploetts lages!”
As soon as the ball of light forms in the palm of my hand, it starts slowly drifting above , banishing the darkness around us and allowing to see Tabitha again.
She squints due to the sudden brightness but doesn't look away. “If you asked, I would’ve cast it.”
“I know you would’ve," I smile knowingly. "But which of us will use less mana to maintain it? How’s your arm doing?” I stare at her scared left arm.
“Better,” Tabitha copies and stands up. “I should be able to move it again by the end of the day. So how was it,” she pauses as if unsure. "How was your soul?” Tabitha awkwardly asks .
Funny, I've never seen Tabitha this unsure of herself before. I guess talking about souls was awkward, even for a person like her. Or maybe it just went to show how taboo soul skills are to everybody. I thought talking about my soul with Tabitha would be easier since she unlocked Sense Soul, but I suppose that was just being optimistic.
But seeing as I wanted Tabitha to beco more used to talking about soul matters, I ignored her awkwardness and proceeded as if we were having a regular conversation. "There was a lot of damage; it took a few days to patch it all up, but I think I’m better now. Thanks for asking,” I smile brightly.
“A few days?” Tabitha’s face scrunches up in confusion. “You were only out for nine hours. Ten, max. What are you talking about?”
"Oh yeah, you don't know," I puff up my chest and try to replicate the exact tone and stance Tabitha likes to take when she’s teaching . “When you’re in your soul, ti flows differently.”
"I don't understand; how can ti move differently?" I can see the confusion written across her face.
I’m about to wag my finger like a knowing teacher at an uneducated student and explain the difference when I pause— And for once, it wasn't because I was trying to be dramatic.
In truth, I didn't know how to explain the concept of ti dilatation to Tabitha. I only knew of it from dia back on Earth; I had no idea of the science behind it or how to explain how it was even remotely possible.
“Ugh,” I stamr, my professional deanor crumbling under Tabitha's unimpressed frown. "How do I explain this?" I rub the back of my head.
"You don't know." Tabitha's eyes narrow like a hawk as she calls my bluff.
“I don’t know how to explain how it works,” I correct her. “Listen, all you need to know is you can spend a long ti in your soul, and when you leave, it will only be a few hours in the real world. Does that make any sense?" I ask, hoping she understood my ramblings.
“I believe I do," Tabitha slowly nods along, but her expression quickly becos one of joy. “Wait, if you can spend more ti in your soul, then can you train in there!?” She asks excitedly. “I could spend more ti perfecting Sword Mastery!”
“Whoa there,” I hold my hands up, interjecting before Tabitha gets her hopes up too high. "You can ditate in your soul, but nothing physical transfers over to the real world— I'm sorry," I try to let her down easily.
All of Tabitha’s initial excitent vanishes as if it were never there in the first place, and she audibly grumbles. “Then what good is more ti?” Her shoulders sag slightly, practically pouting by Tabitha's standards.
This text was taken from . Help the author by reading the original version there.
"There are other things it's good for," I rush to tell her, seeing Tabitha's downcast expression.
"Like?" Tabitha didn't look convinced. "It's good that you can grow stronger while ditating, but not all of us are like that. I spent the last nine hours ditating like you, and I have nothing to show for it."
"You were practicing Sense Soul?" My eyes widen in shock. "I thought I said— I thought you didn't care about it?”
"You must not think very highly of ," Tabitha drolls. "Regardless of my reluctance, you told it's a tier 5 skill. I'd be a fool if I didn't try to see if it would help grow stronger."
Tabitha sees my concerned look and rolls her eyes. "You're too young to worry about my safety; I know how to ease into a new skill, and I took your warning to heart. I only tried to focus on the outer edges of my soul and avoided the core, as you said. It's strange," Tabitha brings her right hand up and touches her breastplate. "Ever since I got this skill, I've felt a small fla in my chest. Initially, it worried ; humans aren’t supposed to ss with souls; only the gods should have that power."
"But?" I prod, sensing a huge but coming.
“But, whenever I focus on the fla in my chest, I feel comforted. I feel alive,” Tabitha grins like a child being hugged by their parents. "It's soothing."
I smirked, knowing the feeling Tabitha was describing. There was nothing like looking at your soul to make you feel alive. Our souls were the center of our being, and seeing them burning strong was an indescribable feeling.
“I know what you an,” I beam happily. "I've heard a lot about how people frown upon soul skills, and I won't lie, there are risks to using them, but I don’t think they’re inherently evil.” I chuckle before adding, “And I don’t think the gods care that much.”
I hold my hands out in a broad gesture. “Feeling your soul might not be the most glamorous tier 5 skill, but it has many uses. It's how I realized the winged serpent was affecting us. It's also how I can enrage people with only a glance and can estimate their levels. And most helpfully, it allows to tidy up my status page."
Tabitha looked semi-interested by the first three uses, but the fourth earned another roll of the eyes. "Of course, that's the most useful thing to you," Tabitha shakes her head tiredly. "I'll admit, the skill sounds like it has many uses, but tidying up your status page, what does that even an?”
Now I get to wag my finger and not feel stupid. "A lot more than you would imagine. I can see how close my stats are to increasing naturally, thanks to Sense Soul. It also ans I can organize my skills however I want: by tier, by level, what have you, I can do it. I can pull up only a part of my status page if I want to, which is great for seeing my Health, Stamina, and Mana without clouding my vision with my entire status page," I smugly grin.
"That…. actually sounds useful," Tabitha begrudgingly admits. "And I can do the sa thing?"
“Probably. I've been practicing the skill for a while now, and it took ti to figure out everything I could do with it, but with my help, it shouldn’t be long for you to get the basics down,” I boast.
“And you’d give such valuable information freely?” She gives a skeptical look.
“Not for free,” I grin predatorily at my teacher.
“As I thought, " Tabitha nodded sagely, looking almost relieved to hear my knowledge had stipulations. “Na your price," she demanded confidently, making pause.
I just wanted to say sothing cheesy like 'You have to be my friend' and have fun finally having a way to pay her back for everything she's done for . I was only giving her a hard ti because she finally admitted that Sense Soul was remarkable in its own way. I had no intention of asking anything from her. Anything I could ask for, she was already helping with...
Actually, there was one thing.
It hurt to do so, but this was the best ti to ask since she brought it up and now was as good as any other. Clearing my throat, I lock eyes with Tabitha. "You've done so much for ," I start. "I wish I could give you this knowledge for free, but I have to ask for one thing."
Tabitha nods approvingly, "Say it.”
I gritted my teeth and forced the words out: "I'll teach you what I can, but in exchange, please don’t tell anyone what I can do.” My heart threatened to burst out of my chest, and I could feel myself trembling from anxiety. "If word gets out about my skills, who knows what will happen?"
“That is a lot to ask for," Tabitha doesn't break eye contact with . "You ask, I don't tell my king. Worse, you ask to say nothing to Master, to whom I owe everything. You realize this, yes?”
“I do,” I et Tabitha's intense gaze, managing not to flinch back.
For what feels like forever, Tabitha and I say nothing, the soft glow of my magic illuminating our battered bodies, casting deep shadows behind us.
In my head, I'm pleading Tabitha takes the deal. While the winged serpent was a blade hovering over our necks, Tabitha’s knowledge of my skills, what they could do, and how they could be used were a teor threatening to destroy my entire world. I could pretend it wasn't there and focus on the problem before us, but that didn't magically fix it. So, when Tabitha looks ready to answer, I can't help but swallow a nervous lump in my throat and anxiously listen to her decision.
“You saved my life at the cost of endangering your own,” a hint of pride leaks into Tabitha’s otherwise emotionless voice. “You helped obtain strength that would’ve taken decades to achieve. Even now, you fuss over my health as if our positions were swapped. You may be the one person besides Master I call a friend."
“Does that an?" I start, but Tabitha cuts off.
“But I cannot blindly agree to your demands,” she says with conviction.
My legs threaten to give out on , but I remain standing. “I see,” I lower my head in disappointnt. I thought Tabitha and I had grown close enough that she'd have my back, but I was wrong.
"Let finish," I hear her say while I still have my head bowed. “I cannot say whether I will ever disclose your secrets, as you and I will live long lives, and neither of us can predict the future. But you have earned my trust, and hopefully, I, yours. Of course, it will be impossible to hide the levels we gained here, but when we escape, and I an when— not if— you will not need to worry about spilling your secrets.”
"Even if Pacore asks you?" I look up, tears gathering in the corner of my eyes.
Tabitha looks uncomfortable seeing my teary-eyed expression, but she powers through it. “I believe Master will understand if I tell him I can’t disclose what happened to us. While I hope you realize you can confide in him one day, I understand your weariness toward Master. So, I will not outright lie to him, but I will not disclose the specifics we’ve gone through.”
“And you think he’ll accept that?”
Tabitha scoffs. "Gods, no, he'll be more of a pain in the ass than you are. But unless extenuating circumstances happen, your secrets are safe with .”
"Thank you, thank you, thank you," I repeat, rushing forward and wrapping Tabitha in a hug. Of course, while being careful of her arm still in the sling.
Tabitha flinches at my sudden closeness but doesn't imdiately tell to let her go. And even in her current condition, it wasn't like she couldn't have dodged if she really wanted to.
"Alright, enough," Tabitha finally says after a few minutes. “The two of us are warriors; this is unbecoming."
“I’m a craftsman, so I can be touchy-feely all I want,” I retort, giving Tabitha one last happy squeeze before letting her go.
I don’t think Tabitha realizes how much of a weight off my mind this is. I’ve been focusing on healing and thinking up a plan to escape the lesser dragon, but in the back of my mind, I was constantly worrying about what would happen once we succeeded and made it back to the village. But now that I have Tabitha’s word, I can devote 100% of myself to the here and now.
If there was one thing I knew about Tabitha, it was that she was extrely loyal to those she cared about. Of course, I could ask her to form a contract with , but that might sour our relationship, and depending on how well she takes to her soul studies, she’ll eventually realize how to break contracts herself. So, there was no reason to form one, mainly because I trusted Tabitha with my life.
"Alright, no more of this," Tabitha stepped back, and though it was hard to see in the faint light, I could see the slight blush she was trying to conceal. “I’m sure you’re healed fully?”
“I am,” I nod happily.
“And I’m just waiting on my arm,” Tabitha notes before turning toward the doorway leading out of the room. “I no longer have a shield, so I don’t need to use my left arm. Let’s check out that chamber you were going on about.”
“Sounds good to ,” I grab our gear and bounce happily beside her. I don't care what happens next; it wouldn't affect my mood.
Today was a new day, or at least I think it was. It was hard to keep track of ti down here, but no matter what ti it was, it was irrelevant. We were mostly healed, so it was ti we explored our surroundings.
Whatever that may entail, we were ready.
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