Chapter 12: 11: Those Who Dine on Mana

                I lay on my back and cursed to myself. Having resolved to be the voice of reason I’d attempted to get Lulu into the dress taken from the bathhouse. The endeavor had resulted in several blocks of runaway frenzy before I’d finally cornered Lulu in an alleyway and blocked all potential avenues of escape. “Seriously… what’s the point of being lazy and not doing things if you’re going to exert that much effort…” I let out a long sigh. With my injured leg having been raised above in order to alleviate the painfully pulsing blood flow, I gingerly lowered it. Without any ice to put on the injury, elevating the leg had thus far been the best method for relieving the pain, but I couldn’t keep it held up and expect to be able to sleep… Plus I still wanted to see what Pik’s offer would bring to the table in terms of finding a way back to the human world. Wincing from the pain in my right leg, I gingerly lowered it back down onto the soft futon.

                I could hear a low snoring seeping out from the adjacent futon. Lulu, still dressed in the same black dress I’d forced her to wear, lay face down on top of the futon. At least getting away would be easy enough since she was already asleep. But Lulu wasn’t my guardian so far as I could tell so there likely wouldn’t be any reason to worry about whether or not she’d would allow me the chance to head out on my own. Secrecy was best in this scenario. I had no idea Lulu would do if I told her that I wanted to go out and see the young goblin again…

                “Oh gods that hurts…” Eyes forced shut, I winced, pain echoing up my leg as I attempted to stand up. The pain felt worse than earlier at the bathhouse. Too much strenuous activity, not enough resting and healing… The baths in their own right had done a great deal to soothe the pain but Lulu’s antics after leaving completely turned my leg’s condition around. Foregoing the standing attempt, I chose to instead crawl into the bathroom on both hands and the one good knee. Sitting in front of the shower, I proceeded to pop the two ends of the shower rod apart and remove the curtain. One half of the rod would be sufficient to act as a cane that I could then use in aiding my nightly stroll.

 

*             *             *

 

                Thankfully the earlier walk back home from the baths brought with it enough familiarity to me that I could recognize the surrounding city now so getting back to the bathhouse where Pik awaited me wouldn’t be too much trouble. My hobbling movements with the cane did draw the attention of several night dwellers but most of the creeping figures paid no heed beyond a quick glance. The same white t-shirt and brown shorts from earlier adorned my body since I’d opted not to change into sleepwear. “Wish this place had cabs… I would’ve called someone and they could’ve dropped me off at Pok-Nok’s…” Grumbling to myself, I couldn’t help but think how, despite the obviously advanced society and paved roads, not a single car or truck could be seen anywhere… It was bizarre, yet at the same time the lack of an efficient transportation system sort of made sense… The sheer variety of people and creatures I’d seen attending the arena match to watch my fight with Kregnok would make for an equally diverse transportation system. It likely wouldn’t have been a sustainable one with how much variance would be required in order to make it work. The Minotaur… “That bastard can just go and die for all I care…” I cursed under my breath. Thoughts of what I would do to the arrogant Minotaur after Pik taught me how to use magic flooded my mind, coaxing a slim smile to cross over deeply shadowed features.

                Passing by stores, apartments, and homes, the bathhouse came into view after about thirty straight minutes of hobbled walking. Relief flooded my emotions at the sight of the gaudy structure, its closeness signifying a near end to the physical trauma my leg suffered with every second step taken. Though I was relieved, I didn’t feel exhausted despite the constant leg pain. This demon’s body contained great physical endurance within it. Too bad the body hadn’t also been blessed with insanely fast healing capabilities…

                Looking past the structure and spotting a small humanoid figure leaning on a fence, I took in a scene I hadn’t originally noticed before. Pok-Nok’s bathhouse sat immediately next to what appeared to be an enormous ravine. Approaching the fence bordering the edge where Pik stood looking out, I peered down and noticed the ravine’s depth went on for quite a long ways. “Wow… that’s a long way down isn’t it…” I stated rhetorically. Being a large cut in Neth’Lareese’s surface I’d fully expected it to be a dark crevasse but an earie glow emanated from somewhere far below, illuminating the space and several creatures that were unlike anything I’d seen in the human world.

                “How could you…” Pik muttered, her voice quivering.

                “What?” Lifting my gaze from the soft glow of the pit, I offered Pik a quizzical stare. Pik held what appeared to be a cellphone in front of her with both hands.

                “I lost everything…” This time I could pick up the hint of a sob coming from the young goblin.

                “I’m sorry, I don’t think I understand what it is you’re saying to me right now…” My brows furrowed in confusion. What could she possibly be referring to?

                “Everything! I lost everything because of you!” Sorrow and rage intermixed, rising into a shrill outburst. I could see now that Pik looked at me her features were red with the crying she’d been doing and tear paths stained her face. “I lost all five hundred because of your match today!” She shrieked and sobbed, shoving the phone in my face so I could see the zero balance of whatever app it was displayed on the screen.

                “I-I’m sorry…” I raised my hands defensively. I honestly didn’t know what to say to her. It wasn’t like I’d gone out of my way to lose the match on purpose… I hadn’t been prepared for it. I’d been literally thrown into that fight without so much as a warning! How was I supposed to have known people were betting on the outcome? “I don’t have it on me right now but I’m sure I’ve got five hundred dollars I could give you to cover your losses. Maybe we could call it an even exchange for teaching me how to use magic?” It was a long shot, but perhaps this offer would help calm the young goblin who was currently shouting unreasonable accusations at me.

                “Not five hundred dollars! It’s five hundred solid gold coins!” Pik’s phone visibly cracked as her clawed fingers dug into its sides. Renewed tears flooded out and she became consumed by a sense of loss I couldn’t immediately comprehend.

                “Five hundred coins…?” Five hundred gold coins didn’t seem like much if I thought about it from a video game standpoint. But the exchange rate in my world for real gold at present was around one thousand nine hundred and fifty dollars per ounce… at three gold coins per ounce, five hundred coins would translate to about… Pushing the numbers in my head, my face fell into a look of utter horror. Three hundred twenty-five thousand!? (AN: This number is in USD in case you want to figure the scale)

                The look of horror on my face must have made an impression as Pik’s features softened up and she put away the now damaged phone into a pocket of the blue jeans she wore. “It’s fine… I can’t really blame you. I shouldn’t have been so stupid and put all my money down on a single bet...” The still emotionally unstable Pik attempted to reassure me but I could see tears continuing to flow from her eyes.

                “Today was a really off day for me… Maybe I should just head home for now? I’ll think of some way I can make this loss up to you.” After inadvertently taking all of her money, I no longer felt right making her teach me how to use magic. Certainly Lulu could teach me, though it’d probably be an uphill battle since she might prefer doing nothing…

                “No. I offered to teach you how to use magic. I have an obligation to do so now regardless of how I feel about what happened. Goblin’s decree.” Pik stated while wiping away tears. She then balled up her right fist and proudly thumped it against her chest.

                “O-okay…” I’d be lying if I said I didn’t feel a bit sheepish accepting her demands, especially after my failure today had just lost her a ton of money.

                “Sit over there. First I need to show you something.” She demanded, pointing to the ground several feet away from the fence. It was as if a switch had been flipped. Pik’s personality shifted, turning from sobbing crybaby mode to demanding teacher in an instant. I did as ordered and sat where the little goblin girl pointed, waiting for further instruction. Now that the sobbing drama had ended I couldn’t help but wonder just how old Pik actually happened to be. Accumulating the kind of wealth she’d just lost couldn’t have been easy, especially if it was obtained separately from her parents.

                In a strange display of movements, Pik reached out as if touching something before stepping up to me. Reaching out with the same hand she’d performed the motions with, the goblin reached toward me and touched her fingers to my forehead. “You should now be able to see them.”

                “See them? What am I supposed to s-“ Perplexed, I started my question only to stop abruptly upon noticing the pale silver figure come into view right before my eyes. No taller than Pik’s knee, the spindly-limbed bipedal creature watched me with socketed pitch black eyes. A long slender appendage which appeared to be some sort of tail extended from the wrong place, protruding from atop the creature’s head. “W-what is that?”

                “This is my mana spirit, he helps me guide my magic in exchange for the mana that my body naturally absorbs.” Pik explained plainly. “You have mana spirits too.” Pik pointed, drawing my eyes to look where she directed.

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                “Those…?” I’d never been a fan of spiders but there, not far from where I sat, was the largest one I’d ever laid eyes on. If I were standing, the spider would measure halfway to my knee in height. Its sleek blue body folded into eight legs which spindled at each joint. Long fangs, and a multitude of tiny black beaded eyes stared at me, unblinking. The spider’s abdomen was unusually long, narrow, and oval shaped.

                Contrasting to the oversize spider, an unusually small red boar stood roughly the same height as the spider. Its eyes glistened red and white tusks protruded from the beast’s snout. Unlike the blue companion however, the boar held focus on the spider, snorting and angrily stamping its hooves.

                “These are mana spirits?” Looking over the two color themed creatures I apparently possessed as well as Pik’s own, I raised a questioning eye to her.

                “Yes. The easiest way to use magic and cast spells is to communicate your intentions with them while offering up a portion of your mana. Without a proper contract though, the most you’ll be able to do is force crude magics into existence. Kii’Tar, My spirit here, has learned the common language in our time together so we can communicate normally. Your spirits on the other hand are still technically unbound and wild so I doubt they know any language other than ancient English.”

                “This is a lot to take in…” Taking in the three new appearances was one thing, but the spirits disappeared as quickly as they appeared, causing me to shoot a questioning look towards Pik.

                “True sight. It’s one of the spells I can use thanks to Kii’Tar and my mana type. I didn’t offer him much of my mana so the spell’s effect didn’t last long. Your spirits are both red and blue, and so is the mana you exude.” Walking around behind me, Pik then sat, bringing her back against mine. “The mana surrounding you is in chaos right now and I think that might be why you didn’t do well in the match today. Red and blue mana naturally conflict with one another so the first thing we need to do to restore your strength and balance is separate the two mana types into their own spaces.” Pulling away from my back, Pik guided me to turn around to face her. Grabbing both my hands she closed her eyes. “Close your eyes and focus on me.”

                I closed my eyes and focused on Pik’s voice, her soft hands. With my eyes closed I could still, in a strange way, sense that the young goblin was sitting in front of me. It almost felt like I’d developed a sort of sixth sense. “This feels strange.” I commented aloud.

                “Good. Now I’m going to push some of my mana over to you.” Focus on that feeling and embrace it. Tell me once you notice the change.”

                The sensation I got which told me Pik was sitting right before me strengthened was this the change she was talking about? I couldn’t tell. I brought my attention inward, removing my focus on the fact that my eyes were shut and that my hands were touching somebody else’s. I’d tried self-meditation at times when work had become stressful so I did get the gist of what I was supposed to do here. Empty my focus and focus on something I wasn’t familiar with. Reach out and grab at it, embrace and absorb it. A floaty feeling entered my consciousness, weighing up and onto my body. Describing it, this sensation reminded me of balloons pulling on the place they’d been tied to but without having the string attached. “I think I feel it…?” I audibly questioned. Then the sensation waned.

                “Take that feeling you just had and search for it. There should be two sources within. They’re tangled together. Find them and untie them.

                “Alright.” Acknowledging the instruction, I delved back into a meditative state, searching the blackness that now enveloped my entire body. I searched, but without Pik’s mana present to guide me I could now sense something deeper, darker, and far heavier. Was this what I needed to search for? I swam aimlessly through a seemingly endless pitch of darkness, sinking deeper. The whisperings of Pik’s words faded behind me and I beheld a light in the distance beyond. Two lights. One red, one blue. Was this what I was searching for? Floating through the void of blackness I aimed myself to approach the colors. A sensation I couldn’t begin to describe rose up around me, growing to a grand crescendo the closer I came to the lights. They were pillars now, each entwined within the other. Were these the sources of mana I needed to find? Should I pull them apart? Was a separation of the two really such a literal prospect that all I needed to do was untangle these tangible lights before me? I reached out with one hand and the other interjecting and blocking each before the point at which the lights tangled into the other. The floating sensation I’d sensed from Pik’s interaction returned and I lifted my hands away. In doing so, each pillar instantly burst upward to pierce the darkness above.

                “I-I did it! I felt the mana inside me and I untangled it!” I exclaimed, returning to consciousness. I’d never felt anything as uplifting as this before. Perhaps it had something to do with the fact that I’d never known the physical presence of mana before but it felt amazing! Like a weight had been lifted off my shoulders for the first time in my life!

                “Great…” Pik wheezed. Her features looked strained and horrifyingly distraught. She attempted to form a smile and instead heaved, becoming sick.

                “What’s the matter!? Are you alright!?” Panicking, I reached out and held onto Pik’s shoulders. Why was she suddenly so ill?

                “Your-… mana, Turn-… it-… off.” Pik managed to utter between violent bouts of sickness.

                “H-how do I do that!?” I cried. I’d only just learned how to sense and access the mana I’d never known I had. I didn’t know how to turn it off.

                “The same-… way.” Pik’s complexion was becoming deathly pale.

                The same way? Did she mean with the meditation? Delving inside myself through meditation? The lights! That was it! I just needed to recreate that image and block off the lights right? Closing my eyes I searched, following the incredibly lifting sensation back to its source. The two plumes of mana had become gushing fountains overflowing with brilliance and I needed to put a stop to them. This likely wasn’t a physically literal representation. I just needed to imagine that I was turning off a faucet and stop the flow of water, or in this case, mana. I focused on the sensation, forcing myself to suppress it, closing off the light and sealing it into darkness.

                Pik coughed, retching but no longer looking like she’d been on death’s door. “Are you alright?” I flustered, worried she might not actually be okay.

                “I’ll be… fine, I think...” Pik offered a weak smile as she leaned against me for support. “I don’t… understand how you lost against a… minotaur... You have so much mana… I couldn’t even resist… the pressure...” Recovering herself, Pik appeared to be regaining strength.

                So far I hadn’t done Pik any favors… Stealing all her money, making her cry, and now my first dip into mana had caused this to the poor goblin girl? I was beginning to think that asking Lulu for help might’ve been the better choice, difficult as it might’ve been to get her to cooperate with me… At least then I wouldn’t be needlessly causing trouble for people who hadn’t even met Lyssa until today. A warm wetness touched against my feet drawing my distracted attention back to Pik. “Pik?” I asked in bewilderment. Her face was drawn back in an expression of sheer terror. Her eyes stared past me in a way that made it seem as if I no longer existed to her-.

                “Trouble.” Lulu’s voice. I looked up, surprised to see Lulu standing in front of me and the terrified Pik. Her arm raised, she was pointing at something behind me.

                I knew hell was supposed to be a place where nightmares were born and I’d always imagined how terrifying the demons and other horrors might be if they ever ended up being real, but seeing them in person had never been my desire… With my limited experience I convinced myself that this Neth’Lareese place I’d landed in was a relatively quiet, pseudo-humanoid community of convenience that could be tolerated, even by a human of my standards…

The gargantuan monstrosity I saw looming over us from beyond the fence when I turned to see what Lulu and Pik were looking at was a nightmare level threat I would never wish upon anyone…

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