Abyssal Road Trip

Amdirlain’s PoV - Outlands - Outpost of the Monastery of the Western Reaches

Sarah repeatedly hopped between planes throughout Amdirlain’s training session with Klipyl. The music of her planar shifts signalled various planes, but each trip saw her return with tonnes of new equipment for the forge and workshop spaces. With each load of gear, Amdirlain carefully noted the songs in case she ever needed to create new workshops from scratch. As Sarah was tinkering with the workshop, rearranging equipment to the precise placements she desired, Kadaklan arrived.

He paused in the courtyard entryway, one hand on the gate with a view straight through the open hall doors into the vast expanse beyond, his eyes wide. His theme resounded with shock at the impossible space on the mountainside and the glowing barriers that marked out the massive practice spaces. Not wanting to topple his mental equilibrium as it tilted back and forth, Amdirlain gave him time to adjust, got Klipyl’s attention, and started her on the next stage of a kata. As Amdirlain took Klipyl through another sequence of dance-like moves that flowed from a throat strike against one foe through a crescent kick to open another’s guard and into a vicious elbow, Kadaklan eventually moved forward to watch quietly from the doorway.

“You can keep practising those moves while I have a lesson with Kadaklan,” offered Amdirlain, and her words grabbed Kadaklan’s attention.

“Are you going to have time to show me more after your lesson?” inquired Klipyl.

“Not today. I’ve got Master Payam showing up for an exchange of pointers,” explained Amdirlain. “Then, after Master Cyrus’ session, I’ll have to find Master Lu, whom I’ve not met yet. Unless you want to continue when the evening meal starts?”

Klipyl clapped excitedly. “Oh, can I stay around? I’m sure Master Payam was holding back his interest in me. Maybe I should allow him to flirt.”

A snort from the door drew Klipyl’s notice.

“Unfortunately, he’s got a wife, Kli. Unless you’re looking for a position as second wife?” asked Kadaklan.

“I’m open to lots of positions,” countered Klipyl.

The pair laughed eerily in sync with each other, and Amdirlain shook her head.

“You two sound like you’re conspiring,” noted Amdirlain. “The synchronised laughter signals you’re up to no good.”

“It’s not one of your trace dramas,” huffed Kadaklan.

Klipyl tilted her head curiously. “Trace?”

“There are plays on Qil Tris projected between locations like fully detailed illusions,” explained Kadaklan. “The locals called them traces.”

Klipyl’s themes giggled away, and Amdirlain spoke up to add to the explanation. “Catfolk are natural hunters, and that heritage influences their local language.”

“Don’t a race’s strengths influence every civilisation?” asked Klipyl.

“That is a good point,” said Amdirlain, mentally kicking herself for underestimating Klipyl’s understanding. “I didn’t understand what had you so amused.”

“It wasn’t their heritage. I was thinking about all the fun I could have putting on a show,” explained Klipyl. “Sometimes it’s especially arousing to have someone watching. I thought about having people watching whose presence I didn’t even know about. Now that would be cool.”

Oh dear! Klipyl wants to do porn.

“It seems I was missing the point,” said Amdirlain.

“Though thinking about strengths influencing cultures, I have another one,” Klipyl grinned. “I wonder if there are any dwarves that are naturals at working wood. Can you imagine what sort of tree house a Dwarf would make?”

“Would they be a Dwarf if they weren’t working with metal?” questioned Amdirlain.

“Trees grow out of the earth, and dwarves are supposed to lean towards that aspect,” observed Klipyl. “You could find out.”

“I’m not going to even ask Gideon,” rebuffed Amdirlain.

Klipyl clasped her hands together and looked pleadingly at Amdirlain. “Please, sis, won’t you find out for me? All it would take is a few questions for Gideon. I think they’d be so cute, in their little tree houses, beards braided with flowers instead of metalwork.”

“No,” Amdirlain said firmly. “It’s not happening. Now that you’ve got a particular image, the reality will only disappoint you.”

“Not fair!”

Amdirlain waved her away. “Talk to the hand.”

“Yeah, yeah, ‘cause the face ain’t listening. I heard that one from Isa,” huffed Klipyl with mock indignation. “Big meanie.”

“Yep, I’ve got myself a little sister, alright. She’s throwing temper tantrums already.”

Klipyl giggled mischievously. “I thought you’d like it.”

“What have I let myself in for?” asked Amdirlain.

“Fun!” exclaimed Klipyl, throwing her arms out wide. “Hug?”

Though she kept her laughter contained, Amdirlain provided the requested hug. After Amdirlain released Klipyl, she pounced on Kadaklan and gave a fierce hug that pressed her body tightly against his. “You healed my sister’s legs. You’re going to get lots of hugs.”

Kadaklan’s eyes bugged out. Squeezed within Klipyl’s embrace, he could only pat her back gently. “Thanks.”

“He’s a bit more delicate than I am, Klipyl,” advised Amdirlain.

Klipyl hopped back to arm’s length, clasping Kadaklan’s shoulders. “Did I hurt you, Immortal birdie?”

“I’m fine. I was just surprised. Why are you mentioning that when you’ve hidden wings, too?” inquired Kadaklan.

“Yeah, but you turn into a bird. I have wings when I want them, but I don’t even need them to fly, only to look intimidating and official,” huffed Klipyl, bouncing on the spot as if about to leap into the air. Her ribbon bravely rose to the challenge and kept everything contained.

“Is that the purpose of your wings—to intimidate someone?” asked Kadaklan, keeping his gaze on her face.

Klipyl shrugged broadly, and her amusement grew fever-pitched when he didn’t so much as peek down at her jiggling bust. “They intimidate the heck out of demons, so that works well enough in my books. I can stand around looking all Elf-like. If a Demon comes charging up roaring, I pop out the wings, and they practically shit themselves, which is hard for a Demon to do. It’s good fun.”

“But did you still look like an Elf, or had you transformed into the whole Archon appearance as well?” Kadaklan asked. “The complete transformation might be the reason for their fear.”

She released his shoulders, and Klipyl laughed as she tapped his nose. “Now you’re ruining my fun with logic. Not fair! I say the wings are intimidating all on their own.”

“True, your wings frighten them off,” responded Kadaklan. “Big, glowing and white. Certainly, that alone would prompt a Demon to run away.”

“That’s more like it,” said Klipyl, and she darted in to kiss him on both cheeks before turning to Amdirlain. “Can we keep him? Though don’t adopt him, I might want him for other things, and some people get weird about that.”

Kadaklan’s determination quailed before his resolve firmed again.

“He’s not fled yet, and he hung around me for nearly six years,” noted Amdirlain.

Klipyl pretended to check Kadaklan’s temperature with the back of her hand on his forehead and examined his eyes. “Are you feeling well? Perhaps you’ve been running a fever for a while now. Have you known about your mental instability long?”

“I see your sense of humour is infectious, Am,” drawled Kadaklan to hide his flustered state. “Shall we get started on your lesson?”

“I think he’s trying to run away from me,” laughed Klipyl. “Did I do something wrong, sis?”

“I’m not sure what you mean,” insisted Kadaklan. “We simply have limited time each day.”

Amdirlain shrugged in pretend confusion. “Kli, if you want to practice your moves here, feel free. I’ll give you feedback later.”

“This place is huge,” said Klipyl, and she moved a little to give them space and turned in a circle. “Just imagine the size of the orgy you could have in a place like this.”

Before Amdirlain could respond, Klipyl teleported hundreds of metres away, her giggles echoing throughout the chamber.

As Kadaklan restrained his snickers, Amdirlain pushed the unwanted mental image aside. “Kadaklan, I just wanted to check something. Some terms in the texts I’ve been reading are strange, and I feel like they’re talking about something else. Kli mentioned that the children’s training included time spent on the classics. Do the technique manuals reference them?”

Kadaklan paused in surprise. “Haven’t you read the classics?”

“No,” said Amdirlain. “I know bits of Chinese and Nipon customs, or at least a variation from my home realm, but I never read the classics.”

“Well, that will make things awkward for any manual you study from the Middle or Western kingdom,” said Kadaklan. “Since techniques involve a particular mindset and the study of the classics ensures a base to work from, many technique manuals use them as a foundation for their explanations.”

“But not the manuals from the southern or eastern courts?”

“No, we use different texts as references,” admitted Kadaklan. “Yet I hadn’t even considered that you might not have studied the classics. How could you possibly be so advanced as a Monk without doing so?”

The broad wink Kadaklan added at the end had Amdirlain rolling her eyes. “Much was self-taught, but Master Cyrus and Farhad beat the rest into me. It seems more studying will be involved than I had expected.”

“You picked the right word there,” announced Kadaklan. “Merely reading them isn’t enough. You need to study and ponder them. I’ll have to check the library to see if it has a proper version of the southern texts.”

“The purpose of the classics is to put someone in the same mindset?” asked Amdirlain.

“I think we’ll settle for you simply gaining an understanding of what the text means, and we’ll work to determine what works for you,” reassured Kadaklan. “Changing your mind is beyond anyone’s ability.”

“I’m trying to look at things differently,” said Amdirlain. “This may help me expand my outlook. Should I stop practising and work through those texts?”

Kadaklan shook his head. “I’ll work through the applicable sections with you, and we can review the meaning of the references. What observation have you made with the cycling exercises you’ve done for Master Cyrus and myself?”

“The pathways between nodes are shifting and changing, more organic than I had expected,” replied Amdirlain.

“After having your spiritual net regrown, are you surprised about them being organic?”

Amdirlain frowned. “It makes sense now, but it wasn’t how I used to visualise the connections between the nodes, I feel it’s a new observation for me. Part of that is how they flex and change.”

“Did you see them more as a static pattern like Sarah’s runes?”

“Something close to that but the way there were key points in the spiritual net was like a children's game of connect the dots,” replied Amdirlain. “On paper, those never got to change.”

“Perspective is the keyhole through which you view truth, not truth itself,” offered Kadaklan.

“Maybe a keyhole perspective is my way,” countered Amdirlain. “Though perhaps acceptance would include the keyhole and everything on the far side, not just the view the keyhole provides.”

“Spend a quarter of the session on the basic cycling exercise, and then we’ll work through the text,” instructed Kadaklan.

Smoothly kneeling, Amdirlain sat back on her heels, set a crystal beside her leg and nearly emptied her Ki pool into it. The rush of the energy into the crystal’s confines provided a lively and fiery tune and Amdirlain took in its complex interactions with the crystalline tempo. With its limits nearly reached, she sent the crystal to Foundry, retrieved a spare from its storeroom, and placed it where the other had rested a moment earlier.

“How many of those do you have?” asked Kadaklan, having knelt opposite her.

Amdirlain smiled. “A few hundred. Though I might have to make some more, as I’ll continue stockpiling my Ki in case of an emergency.”

“Best to be prepared,” acknowledged Kadaklan. “Who knows what freakish event you might tip into next?”

“You’ve gone ages without using that word until today,” laughed Amdirlain.

“Your friends returned it to my vocabulary,” replied Kadaklan. “For years, I thought I just didn’t have a good enough understanding of you. Then I found out your old friends also found your achievements equally unbelievable.”

“You’ll have to remember they were teenagers when we studied together,” advised Amdirlain. “While they saw some tricks I had up my sleeves over the years, they certainly didn’t get to experience all of my tricks.”

“I won’t ask questions, though my curiosity is certainly...” Kadaklan paused and faltered as he sought the right word.

“Stimulated, or over-excited, perhaps?” questioned Amdirlain.

Kadaklan huffed. “Now you’re teasing me, and that’s certainly not playing fair. There were many revelations in your conversation with them I won’t touch upon. I’ll comment that it surprised me you even allowed Master Cyrus and myself to hear it.”

“Master Cyrus already knew, if you’re talking about my former state as a Goddess,” advised Amdirlain.

As Kadaklan lifted a hand to his face, he restrained himself and rubbed his thumb against his chin. “Of course he did. Let’s set that aside. It’s time to cycle your Ki alone.”

Amdirlain rested her hand on her thighs and, as she closed her eyes, Harmony allowed her to draw on the wisps that rose from her Ki Pool. As the delicate strands of energy swirled through the curves of her spiritual net, Amdirlain focused Resonance on it alone.

In places along its course, Amdirlain heard areas of resistance and burrs in the energy’s music. Rather than adjust the path, Amdirlain focused on smoothing out the roughness of its song. The process consumed more power than she'd expected, so Amdirlain recalled and sipped from the crystal sent away to refill her pool just enough to counter the loss. As her sigil ignited, the energy’s music echoed faintly along the connections to her Soul.

Is that how cycling polishes the flaws in the Soul, an energy feedback loop? The overflow from the sigil floods the spiritual net, and the net connects my Soul with the flesh, so it’s logical. Though that’s an issue, isn’t it? I’m not supposed to be relying on logic. Can I direct more Ki into the connections to improve the process, or is that dangerous?

“Are you stopping?” asked Kadaklan.

Amdirlain opened her eyes and smiled apologetically. “I just heard the connections between my spiritual network and Soul for the first time.”

“I know you like to improve things, but I would suggest you leave that be for now and let your spiritual net and Soul determine the amount of energy that takes that route,” advised Kadaklan. “Others have done experiments in the past and suffered for it.”

“Duly noted.” acknowledged Amdirlain. “What about if I notice issues inside the sigil’s route?”

“What sort of issues?”

“Rough patches, where I can hear eddies forming and slowing the energy flow,” clarified Amdirlain.

“Those tend to smooth out as you improve the reinforcement of your sigil,” explained Kadaklan. “From the reading I’ve done, it’s not something most notice until they’ve progressed further along the improvement to their sigil.”

Amdirlain grinned sheepishly. “More freakishness from me, right under your nose. Resonance lets me hear them, and I was trying to smooth them out.”

“Let’s go with the same process. Acknowledge and understand they are there and continue the exercise without looking to fix anything yet,” instructed Kadaklan. “The key purpose of this exercise is to understand your sigil and its energy flows. The more you try to fix it the less acceptance and understanding you have for it.”

“Oops,” muttered Amdirlain.

“Can you ignore the noise for now?”

Amdirlain nodded. “I’ll try to turn down my sensitivity further, but it’s posing a challenge.”

“Turning the Power off isn’t an option?” asked Kadaklan. “Most people close their eyes during this exercise initially to focus on the feel of their Ki and its behaviour.”

“I’ll cut back on the multi-tasking,” agreed Amdirlain. “I can’t turn it off completely as I’d like to listen to this dimensional space for a little while.”

“Isn’t it stable?” inquired Kadaklan, and he glanced about nervously.

“It is, but I just want to monitor it for a little longer. I’m a touch paranoid,” allowed Amdirlain. “If I couldn’t hear it, the possibility of issues arising undetected would distract me.”

Kadaklan shook his head ruefully. “Being a touch paranoid would have you studying it from a distance, not kneeling in your creation.”

“You might have a point there, but this is me,” countered Amdirlain. “It’s an expansion of what I did with Nolmar, so I’m only a smidge paranoid.”

Kadaklan sighed. “Then cycle and take in the flows and music of your Ki’s pathways but without trying to change anything. You should look to understand the nature of those distortions as well.”

Amdirlain resumed cycling and stuck to moving the Ki as efficiently as possible between the nodes regardless of the dissonance she experienced as it rubbed against rough patches in the net. After multiple completed cycles, Amdirlain’s sigil started to glow through her flesh, and she refilled the original crystal and started on the second one before she continued.

When Kadaklan finally signalled Amdirlain to stop, she had managed more loops in the same timeframe.

“You went from empty to repeatedly glowing in that time,” observed Kadaklan. “What else did you do besides levelling up your new Class?”

Amdirlain smiled. “It also increased my Willpower considerably.”

“Considerably meaning?” interrogated Kadaklan.

“Over a thousand points,” admitted Amdirlain.

“Given what I saw from the records of others on Qil Tris, that is mind-blowing,” muttered Kadaklan.

“It was a nice upgrade to my offence, defence, and Ki pool,” allowed Amdirlain, and she gave a cherisher-cat grin. “My Endurance jumped a truly ridiculous amount.”

“Do I want to know?” questioned Kadaklan. “You appear quite ecstatic.”

“My Phoenix’s Rapture provides regeneration as a percentage of my health, so I can handle a lot more True Song use now,” explained Amdirlain. “I’ve doubled my previous health, and my Magic rating jumped as well, so I’ll be able to empower the music even more efficiently. That’s not including the upgrades I’m experiencing because my senses are sharper.”

More than double, but that’s close enough.

“You remind me of a vehicle enthusiast on Qil Tris describing the newest custom model blitzing the competition,” noted Kadaklan.

Amdirlain nodded happily. “Once I get these improvements settled, I will fill those dead worlds with life again.”

The excitement that bloomed within her pulsed down through the same Soul connections that had savoured Klipyl’s happiness. It was a connection she’d not felt before the Resonance upgrade.

Maybe I should focus on things I enjoy for a time.

“What about what it’s doing to you?” questioned Kadaklan.

What has Cyrus said? I was careful to let my Ki Pool fill enough to cause my fingers to distort.

“What do you mean?”

Kadaklan sighed. “The pain you’re enduring while pushing your limits. Are you just going to ignore it?”

Oh!

“Think of it like muscles tearing so the person can get stronger,” advised Amdirlain. “I’m not even experiencing muscle burn if I keep it within my limits. Or upgrades to lab equipment. I’ve got more sensitive instrumentation now. That will let me hear where the impurities are entering my process and improve by reducing those.”

“I’m still going to be concerned despite the attempt at Alchemist references,” said Kadaklan.

“A girl can try,” quipped Amdirlain before she grew serious. “Pain Eater means I’m not experiencing it as pain but rather am aware of the amount of damage I’ve taken. Would any of the individuals following a warped Dao take that approach? I’ve not used that liquid pain potion again since you asked me to stop.”

Kadaklan's shoulders slumped slightly. “I hope I’m not being a nag.”

“I was misusing something you had given me, I understand your worry,” said Amdirlain. “How about this? I’ll take you to see my latest colourful Demi-Plane, and then mentally link while I make another and you can judge for yourself my pain levels. If you find them intolerable from your perspective, I’ll look for a different way.”

“Now I know you’re confident that I won’t feel that way,” said Kadaklan. “Will Klipyl and Sarah be okay in these rooms?”

“Yeah, I’ve not heard even the slightest stress from the dimensional folds, and the anchors are under minimal stress,” confirmed Amdirlain. “I’ll add some conditional songs to alert me to any problems.”

“It’s good to be adequately paranoid about others’ safety,” said Kadaklan.

Amdirlain laughed and shooed Kadaklan out into the courtyard before shifting planes.

The pair reappeared near a grove of trees whose leaves were as pink as cotton candy. Overhead the bright yellow sunlight silhouetted purple clouds and sparkled off bright red rocks and fluorescent yellow plants.

Kadaklan looked around, shaking his head, and tentatively poked a finger into a branch whose bark was a whorl of colours that matched a peacock’s feather.

“Your laughter did this?”

“Aspects of True Song are based on intent, and I started to giggle while I worked and couldn’t stop,” explained Amdirlain, waving her hands about her. “There are many medicinal plants, but good luck recognising them.”

“Are you going to adjust the colours or leave it this way?” asked Kadaklan. “It’s very bright and cheery, but is it healthy for the plants?”

“Their songs adjusted, so their biological processes will be fine with these shades,” reassured Amdirlain. “They all contain the same properties the normal-looking ones possess.”

“Do you have enough training complexes yet?”

All the work she still had to do made Amdirlain sigh in frustration. “Not even close. I’ve created enough Demi-Plane shells, but most don’t have established landscapes or challenges. I intended this one for the monastery, subject to certain agreements being reached. Though I’ll have to fix the colours.”

“Really?” Kadaklan eagerly asked, looking around appraisingly before a sly smile appeared. “Would you let gatherers come here if you changed nothing?”

“What did you have in mind, Kadaklan?” asked Amdirlain. “Your theme is full of mischief.”

“I’d be rich if I had a silver for every time I’ve told people they shouldn’t make assumptions because something looks right,” explained Kadaklan. “Here, nothing looks right, so they’ll have to get into the habit of testing everything. I take it there are gathering challenges here?”

“Combat, gathering, and mining,” confirmed Amdirlain.

Kadaklan coed excitedly.

A crystal floated before Kadaklan as Amdirlain finished priming it to allow access. “Now you’ve got the only key to the place. Send whoever needs to learn some discipline along.”

“How do they get out?” asked Kadaklan as he tucked the crystal into his robes. “The same way as the training complexes?”

“Yep, the exit pylons will punt them back to the mountain’s base,” confirmed Amdirlain, motioning to the crystal she’d given him. “That one will only work for you, and I’ve secured the Demi-Plane, so it's not just a matter of knowing the right Spell to shift here.”

Kadaklan joined his hands before him and bowed. “My thanks, Lady Am.”

Did Nomein pick it up from Kadaklan? He’s never been this formal to me.

“Really?” huffed Amdirlain. “I thought you’d refrain from hitting me with titles after we’d been flatmates for so long.”

“Such grandiose gifts deserve respect,” quipped Kadaklan.

“My name is Amdirlain,” said Amdirlain. “The most respect I could want from a friend is that they’ll speak to me without titles. Don’t make me regret deciding I need to learn proper etiquette for the rest of the mob at the monastery.”

Kadaklan's wide smile lit up his gaze.

“You’ve guarded your name until now,” said Kadaklan. “What made you decide to entrust me with it now?”

“You’re the only one in my circle of friends who doesn’t know it in full, so I corrected that,” explained Amdirlain.

“I’m not a Wizard or a Wu Jen, so your name doesn’t help me get in touch. However, I appreciate your display of trust,” Kadaklan advised.

Amdirlain smiled reassuringly. “Kli said I couldn’t adopt you, but I can at least upgrade your knowledge.”

“Did she mean what I thought she meant?” Kadaklan questioned cautiously. “Or was that her version of joking around?”

“Why? Are you interested in her?” teased Amdirlain.

“I barely know her, and I don’t want to send the wrong signals,” replied Kadaklan. “My question is more around my desire not to offend.”

“Kli’s friendly, and she enjoys intimacy. If you change your mind, my only advice is she loves hugs,” replied Amdirlain.

“She gives firm hugs,” confirmed Kadaklan.

“That’s not the only thing she likes… firm,” quipped Amdirlain, and Kadaklan blushed. “Goodness, I made you blush. After you’ve seen me naked and even exchanged dirty quips without so much as a flush.”

“I get very focused when injuries are involved. There was no medical examination today,” grumbled Kadaklan.

“If her attention isn’t welcome, just set the limits, and she’ll follow them,” explained Amdirlain.

Kadaklan blinked. “The only ladies I dealt with who’ve displayed similar appetites haven’t reacted well to being told no.”

“Those in your experience follow a particular Dao?” asked Amdirlain.

“A range of them,” clarified Kadaklan. “Those following decadent daos often crave new experiences.”

“Don’t worry about them. Kli isn’t that way at all. She’s more interested in being happy and bringing happiness,” reassured Amdirlain. “I’ve never heard a hint of irritation in her when someone’s turned her down.”

“You can hear everything on the mountain, can’t you?” asked Kadaklan.

“And beyond,” admitted Amdirlain. “When I care to listen, I can pick up precise details, but most of the time, I handle it as aggregated information. How about I make another Demi-Plane so you can partly share what I’m sensing? I can hear your concern, but you’re not telling me what to do, so providing some reassurance is fair.”

“That would be very interesting,” replied Kadaklan.

“We’ve got enough time for me to make a bunch, but I’ll take my time and make one,” explained Amdirlain as she opened two gates. Beyond their thresholds was an empty void that blazed with light as Amdirlain started work to create a crystal sun to emanate Radiant Mana. “One big one.”

Something more extensive than any training complex I’ve set up previously. Maybe a sphere with loads of biomes, segmented by mountains so I can take it one zone at a time. No, that will be my hollow earth project. I’ll stick to a larger hemisphere with the sun at its peak this time, though mountain ranges could be laid out in spokes to make Dragon honeymoon suites.

I’ll keep levelling Olindë since it’s the lowest level and provides significant attribute increases over Pure Scion of the Sun or Ascetic Triumvirate.