Chapter 27: 26. Better Than Best

Liza wasn't sure if she was being promoted or punished. Given command of an entire legion is no small accomplishment. Sure she had several advantages over the common kobolds. Still, Liza outperformed many of her sisters with superior upbringing. 

Thinking back on her years of training and fighting, she can see exactly how her path led her to this point. Earning more glory for the Dragon's Roost was all she ever cared about, and as such, she would be damned if she lets any goblin or, even worse, bugbear get a hold of the core.

Just thinking of the glory Liza will bring to herself, and her sisters is enough for her to endure the excessive deaths she has experienced up until now. Glory led her headstrongly into the shadows towards her demise, and glory will lead her to victory.

Fortunately, whatever barrier was shrouding the mythical island before is starting to disperse. What once felt like sailing into a wall is now no more than a thick cloud. With any luck, they will avoid the dragon that has caused so much trouble before. Subconsciously she fights back the fear she felt when the flaming ball of darkness destroyed her ship, killing everyone on board on her last voyage into the dark. 

Standing upon the deck of her ship, Liza could see her sisters working hard to keep the boat sailing. For herself, she was at a standstill. There isn't much she can do on the ship that her more capable sisters aren't already taking care of, and she feels too anxious to take a break in her cabin. Though the company of her first huntress is very appealing. 

Liza and Dana just barely started their comforting rituals, a tradition long practiced by her people, as the sisters head into battle. Jezra, her mate of ten years, even encouraged Liza to embrace the ritual to ensure she was successful on her mission.

Gentle waves crash upon the bow of the boat. From where Liza is standing, she can see the massive ships of the goblins and the bugbears sailing beside her. The fact that this is a joint operation between the three rival dungeons shows how vital this soul gem is to her people. She can't even imagine where to begin to think of what has been offered in return for the other dungeon's assistance.

On top of that, the Slumbering Caverns sent a boss to oversee the operation. Looking toward the bear's boat, Liza gets a good glimpse of the boss. Massive even amongst the bugbears, which usually stand a foot or two taller than her people, the Fire Knight holds his command with an iron fist.

It's odd that the bugbears would send a boss out on this raid. Weren't they only here for support? One thing is for sure, Liza will keep a close eye on this so-called boss. 

Five days of sailing and they finally reach the shore! A feat that has never been accomplished since the island was shrouded. Few people Liza encountered were around when the island first arrived. She grew up listening to some tales about fierce battles between the wolf-borns, humans, and the goblins. 

Now, after a century, the goblins and kobolds have returned. 

***

My body is ripped into thousands and thousands of pieces. The process isn't new. I've been here before. I've experienced this many times already. I'm once again eluding a final death. Admittedly I'm a bit relieved that I will live again. Even though this has happened several times before, it's still not guaranteed to happen again. 

This time, the painful process has become much more bearable. I don't think the experience itself has changed. More so, I guess I have become more accustomed to it. Pain is no stranger to me. I owe a part of it to the spiders for their tempering. 

An added benefit of pain being less of a focus this time is that I can now witness what is happening. Even more, a deep impression inside my scattered mind tells me I can manipulate the restructuring process. However, I know I'm in over my head, so I take more of a spectator role. I'm blown away as I witness, piece by piece, I'm made new again. 

Essence begins to form my cores. First, it is spirit essence compiling and stacking to form a thin layer that interweaves with my outer cores, becoming more of the core than a layer. 

Next, mind essence replicates the process with the appropriate cores. Each strand is intricate and packed with vital energies that are the conduits of power. Or something of that sort. 

When the layer of the body essence begins to form, I can instantly see that it is wrong. Instead of developing naturally with the cores like the other two essences, my body essence is stacking rigidly as if it is refusing to connect with the core. 

Now that I understand my core restructuring better, I decide to act against my better judgment. I nudge the reluctant essence with my will pushing the body building blocks to become one with the cores. It resists at first, then after a bit more prodding, body essence gives way and merges. 

The three separate essences infuse with their respective cores. Thick, strong cores take shape, creating vessels for mana. 

Eager to test my core manipulations, I watch the rest of the rebuilding process. Admittedly, it is gross watching myself being put back together from the inside out. If it weren't for the changes I already made, I probably would have messed with my remaking a little more. 

When the process finishes, I feel my conscience enter my body and return to life. Except this isn't the life I want. I can't move. My body is numb, refusing to act. Not even my eyes will open. Paralysis quickly leads to panic. What was I thinking, messing with my body? My heart is racing as if it alone can will my body to move.

It cannot. Despite the urging of my soul and mind, my body is dead stiff. Maybe I can wait this one out. If this is anything like the first time I woke up in the desert, all I needed was some time. Good ole time and anger.

“Stuhpd un rspun suv budy!” I force out of my throat, generating the anger needed to kick my body into working. "Ust uuve." My inability to voice my objection to the situation helps to increase my dissatisfaction. Seething on the desert floor, I mumble all my complaints.

Time and anger aren't the solution. As the temperature begins to drop, it is evident I messed up. I inspect my core, trying to discover what is wrong. I thought for sure I had made the appropriate adjustment. In fact, my core layers look like they are perfect. Body, mind, and soul essences all look like they have been melded into the layers seamlessly.

I try over and over to manipulate my core layers. Maybe I can restructure them while I am still alive. Despite all the introspection and willing the cores to fix, nothing happens. I am stuck here. Exhausted by failure and the constant paralysis-induced panic, I let sleep overcome me. 

Waking me up bright and early is the unopposed sun beaming brightly in the eastern sky. Of course, I can't see the ever-enthusiastic sun since my sun-scorched eyelids refuse to open. I'm working off of assumptions. Riding the momentum from being kicked out of slumber unwillingly, I pick up where I left off yesterday, using my time to angrily inspect myself.

Around mid-afternoon, I call it quits. I got myself into this mess. However, I won't be getting myself out. Well, not entirely myself… Actually, I very well could just see this through. I can wait here until the sun and exposure kill me, and I will never have to involve Bones. No, that is a silly thought. Who needs pride anyways? 

Before I summon Bones, I use my energy sense to make sure there are no eager predators nearby. Unfortunately, when I need giant scorpions, bears, or spiders the most, they are nowhere to be found.

I have summoned Bones so many times now that I no longer need hand motions to aid in the process. Humbley, I do so now. 

Bones almost looks the same with energy sense as he does visually. The pale gray mana coursing through the skeleton is more abundant when I look at him through the lens of energy. His beard is a lot more defined, and it almost looks like he is using the excess energy to form a hat, a detail I never noticed with my eyes. 

"I freaking hate spiders. So many spiders. So many nightmares." Bones instantly begins venting. "My thoughts will forever be haunted. I need more arms. We could have made it out of there if I had more arms. When can we burn the Dark Deep Woods down? That place is plagued by the hive." Bones leads right into more rambling, not giving me a moment to interject.

"Also, sorry I killed you. If you feel any better, I gained nothing and died with you." Only now does he glance down to notice my prone body. Even though I can't see him, my energy sense gives me a very vivid portrayal of Bones' response. Disgusted indifference is quickly replaced by curiosity which turns into a fear of missing out. 

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Without questioning my behavior, Bones joins me in my involuntary sunbathing excursion. His body squirms in the sand like he is trying to find the most comfortable position for his skeletal body. Only when he finds himself in the most heroic tanning position—hands behind his head acting as a pillow and his hat of energy tilted down—does he speak up again. "I think I want to utilize fire. So if you ever forgive me for that last stab, I'd like additional arms and possibly fire to go with them."

I could have spoken earlier, but I didn't want to come across as too desperate, so I let Bones be Bones while I wait for my chance to plea my case with some dignity. He finally checks in on me when I don't respond to Bones' requests. "You OK, Captain?"

"Absolutely," I respond casually through our energy link. Even if I am currently cultivating humility, mumbling for my minion to adjourn this aptly leisure life of mine is a stage I have not yet reached. "I tell you what, Boss, when we make it to camp, we will work on your upgrades," I say, skirting around the problem.

"Sounds good. You almost done napping? I got some arms that need implementing, and if I'm being honest, I'm not the biggest fan of the sand. Admittedly I don't know what I am talking about, but sand seems kind of tacky if there isn't any water nearby."

"Right, Boss?" His spot on sand assessment validates my earlier complaints lifting my prone spirit in the process. Riding the small validating victory, I ease right into my request. "Hey, um, no hard feelings about you killing me earlier. In fact, I think your technique was kind of sloppy, and maybe you could use some practice."

"Cut the crap Captain," Bones defends his technique lightheartedly. "That was a good stab, and you know it."

"Yeah, it did get the job done. It's just—" This is a bigger waste of time than waiting for the desert to off me. "Look, Boss, I kind of screwed up and am going to need you to kill me." I let it out, breaking barriers towards the next stage of humility. 

"Look," I follow up my request with appropriate justification. "When I was being put back together after dying, I tried to make some changes, and now I am stuck here. Gonna need to kill me so we can try this again." Unabashedly, I purposely exclude the 'you' to keep the request passive.

"Is that why you are talking with your eyes closed? Kind of weird." Bones asks his skeletal form still bathing in the sun.

"There is no way I was getting the reconstruction right on the first try. I am not a soul smith." Despite humility, dignity demands defense in the name of trial and error.

Bones turns his body over, exposing his back to the sun. "Body sculptor." He interjects while he resettles, once again using his arms as pillows.

"What? That's nonsense."

"I think you are talking about a body sculptor. Soul smith can't be right. You were messing with your body essence, and that is why your body is so limp. Ergo you are a failed body sculptor. Though you might be onto something with this sunbathing."

"It's definitely soul smithing. I was tinkering with my cores, you know, the anchor of the sou—" There is no way I need to defend my stance on soul smithing versus body sculpting. Bones doesn't even have a soul. What does he know? "Can we just get to the killing part?"

"That's definitely not right. The core can't be the anchor of the soul. That would make you soulless." Bones says with a matter-of-fact tone.

"What does that mean?" I ask because I am a sucker and got suckered into it.

"Well, when I stabbed you, I did some peaking around in the chasm of your chest while you were dying. There was no core. I would know I checked. Not that I was trying to claim it for myself. It just happened," Bones says suspectly.

"Did you try to take my core? Would that work? Would I be able to survive without my core?" Now I am curious if we solved Bones' lack of a core problem.

  "Like I said," Bones cuts off my line of thought, "you don't have a core. There was nothing for me to take, not that I was trying to take your core."

"I don't think you would have been able to see my core through a stab wound."

"It was more of a stab kill if I remember correctly. And what would you know, you were dying."

"If we are getting into technicalities"—this has gotten out of control—"you can't actually see. Your sensing more than anything."

"Precisely why you should trust me on this one. I sensed no core when you were open for examination. So if you are without a core, and the core is your soul…Vampire!"

Yup, it is out of control. "I'm not a vampire." I refute his nonsense immediately, giving it no thought.

"Then why do you hate the sun and are susceptible to dying via stabbings?"

And now he has me thinking. There is no way I am a vampire. Am I a vampire? No, I can't be. "I don't like blood," I respond, using my most solid defense.

"So you are a vampire with bad taste. Most certainly not the first of your kind."

"Kill me now," I respond as more of an expression than a request. I think I need to see this argument through before we can move forward.

"Do you want this to be a more hands-on experience or by way of stabbing?"

On second thought, I don't care about vampirism. I answer Bones' question with a sharp blade that forms on my lifeless hand. Bones casually pushes himself to his knees, stands up, does a stretch, and then grabs the knife. I choose not to watch as my summoned companion ends my life for the second time.

I screwed up the resurrection process three more times. Each time Bones is summoned to reset the cycle. On my fifth attempt, I get it right. 

As it turns out, body essence needs to be merged into the appropriate cores and my entire body. A revelation that was revealed as I studied mind essence being merged with my cores. Not only did the essence become an intricate layer of the corresponding cores, but it also reinforced my brain. The solution became more evident when I witnessed spirit essence merging with my channels similarly.

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