Chapter 39: Chapter 34 – Stoking the Embers

As I fall asleep, I’m greeted by another strange dream. They’ve become a constant. If what Avilia says holds true, what I’ve been dreaming of is the seventh god of the Church of the Six.

Considering their behavior, none of them seem very godly.

This time, I’m in a damp cave. It’s massive. It’d be easy to get lost in here. A perfect place to hide.

I’m not alone.

There’s something here with me. Something large lies in the darkness. I try to look at it, but its form is cloaked in shadow.

I concentrate on it with all my might. I feel I need to know what it is.

Ah. Yes. I see.

I know what it is. Its blurred form is unmistakable.

It’s the being I have been dreaming of, lying on the cave floor. It is grievously wounded. Its dark blood is creating small streams and puddles, flowing deeper into the cave. Labored breathing. It tries to maintain consciousness. It manages to do so only with great difficulty.

You can’t die!

I want to help it, but I can’t. I must not really be there. I’m here just to observe.

Am I viewing the distant past? Honestly, that seems likely. What else could it be?

I notice that it is using its magic to try to heal itself. It seems to be working, but it’s a slow and arduous process. This creature may be considered a “god,” but it was attacked by a number of its equals. The fact that it still lives is miraculous in itself.

I now understand why it can’t fall unconscious. It would mean certain death.

Muffled sounds from deeper within the cave.

We aren’t alone here. It must’ve not had the chance to ensure it was actually alone.

I move to observe the source.

Speech?

They are human!

The group is wearing fur clothing. At least a dozen. Maybe fifteen of them? Hunter-gatherers, probably?

I can’t understand their words. Some sort of early language, perhaps?

They haven’t noticed the giant creature ahead of them in the darkness. I find myself wondering if this cave has multiple entrances, and these people are just using it to travel between locations or something.

Not that any of that matters.

They’ll soon notice the wounded “godling” unless something happens to them first!

And something did happen.

Suddenly, their leisurely talking turns to screams and confused yelling.

Some of them had accidentally walked into the puddles created by the creature’s blood. Soon, the entire group is affected. Their compassion for their fellow man is their downfall.

The screams turn to increasingly bestial wails.

They find their bodies irrevocably changed by the blood. Corrupted. There’s nothing the creature can do. Nothing I can do.

It didn’t want this.  It didn’t know its blood could do this. I can tell.

Why does it want me to see this? There has to be some deeper meaning to all this. But I‘m not sure what it could be.

I’m pulled away from the cave.

I’m close to its entrance. But it feels… Different. Older. As if millennia have passed, and this cave has been forgotten by time.

I turn around.

The being looms over me. It’s still blurry. I try to focus, to no avail. I still can’t quite see what it looks like.

It speaks. As always before, I can’t understand its words.

“I don’t understand.”

It decides to write. They are the same words I have seen before.

YOU WILL.

Then I wake up again. Record dream, start the day as per usual.

The day of the attack creeps closer, and it makes me uneasy.

-*-*-*-*-*-

Another day, another visit to Karine’s workshop. I’m seated on the same chair as yesterday. She looks tired but excited. I hope she didn’t end up fine tuning the limbs through the night or something!

“Give them a try! I’m sure they’ll be perfect this time!”

I can’t believe we’re doing this already. I’ve only gotten a couple of hours of spell casting practice under my belt today. I really hope I’ll get to do some more of it before the day’s over.

I sigh. “Alright, alright. I’ll try them again.”

Again, I start by placing disabling my left arm, disconnecting it and placing it on the table. Honestly, doing this will never stop feeling strange.

Karine smiles at me with almost tangible excitement as I pick up her replacement arm and attach it to the socket again.

Errors caused by a fresh peripheral installation. It’s not recognizing it as the arm I inserted yesterday, so Karine must’ve really done some work on it! Have to do this right. I’ll run diagnostics all over again.

Analyzing … 0%

I look at the limp arm and then turn to look at Karine. “So, you think it’ll work better this time?”

She nods. “Yes! It’ll work perfectly, you’ll see!”

“Uh huh.”

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I’ll believe it when I see it.

Analyzing… 50%

I wonder how much is riding on these things working today? Our agreement was that she’d get me to work only after her replacement limbs work. Since I’ll be using them during the whole…Attack on the capital.

Jeez. It still feels so unreal. I’ve been here for three weeks. Just three weeks, and I’m already being taken to assault a place I’ve never been to, to try and overthrow people I’ve never met.

I hope I won’t have to meet that summoned hero…

Analyzing… 100%

Oh, it’s already done?

Wow. I can’t see any errors this time! She really got it right!

Arm activation… Complete. It's using magic particles just as it should. Seems like it’s using more ambient ones than ones inside me. The software seems to be able to connect to it. I guess the magic circuits running through it are analogous enough to tech?

Honestly, it feels a bit strange. In that I can feel it at all. It’s a dulled feeling, like my arm’s fallen asleep, but it’s there. How’d she manage that?

Karine’s looking at me with bated breath.

“It’s working. No errors.”

“Great! How does it feel?”

For a moment, I stare at the palm of my new left hand. The entire thing looks like medieval plate armor, but with the thickness of an arm instead of something covering one.

It feels a lot lighter than it has any right to. I wonder if it has some weight reduction enchantments on it?

I raise my gaze to look at Karine. “Like I’ve slept on my arm. But I can feel it!”

I could wear my clothes over these limbs if I wanted to. But… I should use the clothes I bought earlier instead. Mending tears in my old clothes… Yeah, they don’t have these fabrics here. It’d look weird!

She nods with a happy smile on her face. “That’s what I hoped!” She places the rest of the limbs in front of me. “You know what’s next.”

“Yes, yes,” I say as I stare at my left hand, moving my fingers, “You want me to try them all.”

Right arm… Disabled.

Alright, careful. Last time, I switched my left arm back before doing this. But I need to be able to use all of these things at once!

Even without the errors, the arm’s motor functions feel a little bit crude. But is that a matter of practice or just a part of their construction?

I’ll find out soon enough!

As carefully as I can, I take my right arm off of its socket with Karine’s creation, placing it on the table next to the left arm.

So, take the right arm… Socket it…

New device found. Error. Run diagnostics.

Analyzing… 0%

Karine’s excitement doesn’t seem to be going anywhere. “Looks like you’re starting to get used to this!”

I just hope I have some time to practice with them. Knowing my luck, though…

Analyzing… 50%

If the left arm worked, I’m sure she calibrated this arm correctly, too. But I’m going to err on the side of caution. There are no repair shops around here!

“To what? You experimenting on me?”

“Using the arms, of course!”

“You’re getting ahead of yourself. This is literally just the first hurdle. I still need to test them.”

Analyzing… 100%

No issues.

A sigh of relief. “Okay, both of the arms are fine.”

“I knew it! Using all that time wasn’t a waste! Give them a try!”

I look at my right hand. Wiggle the fingers… Make a fist. Clasp my hands.

Basic function seems to be okay. I can‘t believe we were having problems with this just yesterday!

What about casting spells?

Two basic gestures. Fire. Ball.

Am I just imagining it or is it larger than usual?

Third gesture. Cancel.

Speed isn’t perfect, but it’s okay. All that training has definitely helped!

“Looks like they work.”

“Great! Now, put on the legs, too!”

“Okay,” I say as I disable my left leg, “I hope I’ll have time to get used to all this.”

“Oh, there’s nothing to worry about! You’ll have time!”

“At least a couple of hours,” I say, jokingly.

She nods. “Yes, at least a couple of hours! I had to work this hard because today’s the day. Once you’ve had a moment to get used to your new equipment, we’re moving!”

… I don’t know what I expected.

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