EG Book 7 Chapter 33 (Patreon)

*** AUTHOR’S NOTE ***

Chapter 2/5 today!

*** AUTHOR’S NOTE ***

The next day drug on, and on, and on. Gathering was always a fairly boring prospect, though the level of focus required did help to distract from it, and healing internal injuries was worse. Once I got to a large burn on my lower gathering meridian, all I had to do was set up the healing runic structure, then hold them in place while feeding Aether into it. I didn’t have to concentrate on it, which left me entirely too much time to think.

Sia was a lifesaver, even if he did berate me for my depression spirals I’d get into. After a few hours of travel, Vaya was able to reduce her support of my heart. They had figured out that healing slowly was better, as the Disease Aether especially seemed to react poorly to quick Aether applications. Several times, it tried to split apart and seek out new hiding spots from which to spread.

“Whoa, careful,” Jamila said, and a streamer of Life Aether reached out and covered some Water Aether from Vaya. “That Corruption really likes to change Water.”

“Thanks,” she responded. “This is the first time I have had to use advanced Aether types to heal.”

“It does take getting used to.” Jamila’s Aether sank into the Corruption Aether while Vaya mixed Wood into the Water to make Healing Aether.

They were quiet again for a little while, and I finally finished the first gathering meridian. Sia was still only a third of the way through his efforts on my top gathering meridian. It had been closer to the damage and the bleed off of the Disease, Corruption, and Death Aether had affected it more. The rush of Aether through the repaired meridian made muscles relax that I hadn’t even realized were tense.

A few hours later, I vaguely heard Aleks timidly ask, “How is he?”

“Recovering well,” Vaya answered. “Very little chance he will die now.”

She slumped forward a little, “Oh, good.” She sat next to where Vaya still lay and put her left hand on Vaya’s shoulder. “And how are you two?”

“Tired,” Jamila said, “but I can continue for hours still. How are Xiao and Lilianna?”

“Knight Kaminski and Hanna have them stable,” Aleks responded. “The others are watching for more Naga while flying the Skysurfer. Jon is barely holding it together.”

“What about you?” Vaya asked, and I felt one of her hands let go of me to grab Aleks’s hand. “You know we are here for you.”

She smiled, a fragile small one but still real, “Yeah, I know. I will need to speak to City Lord (Name) when we arrive at (city). I do not know how much of her forces are available to scour this area of the Zaboj for more Naga presence. She needs to be warned about the Gallu and the plague they can spread as well. I do not know how this is going to go over on top of the war with the Illyrian Empire.”

“The world is getting more dangerous,” Jamila said.

“We will face it together and triumph,” Vaya said, gripping Aleks’s hand and reaching over to squeeze Jamila’s shoulder. “Aleks, can you bring some broth for Aiden? I think a bit of Aether rich liquid will help.”

“Of course,” she said, hopping off the bed and rushing out of the room.

A few minutes later, she came back with a bowl and spoon and sat just next to my head. “All you need to do is swallow,” she whispered to me, gently stroking my hair. She carefully dribbled a spoonful of broth into my mouth, and I reflexively gulped it down.

That was how the next hour went, with Aleks channeling a tiny stream of Heat Aether, created from Fire and Air, to keep it steaming. Even if it was boiling, it wouldn’t hurt me now, but the taste was best below that temperature. We’d figured out a workaround to my inability to speak, and just had Sia relay anything I had to say.

As the day turned into night, Vaya started to nod off on my chest. She’d been able to gradually shift from supporting my heart and lungs, keeping me alive, to healing them and the surrounding tissues. I’d probably have been able to support myself, but that would have prevented me from working on my gathering meridians. Once they were all fixed, progress sped up on healing everything. Using my Aether as a supplementary source of energy let Jamila and Vaya both relax their draconian control of their own.

“You … should … sleep,” I said aloud, each word taking a new breath.

Jamila jolted, “What? Don’t speak, save your energy.”

“Sia, can you tell them to take a break and sleep?” I asked. “They’re both drooping and need the rest.”

“And what about you?”

“I’ll be fine. I may not make any progress healing, but I won’t regress or die, and they are going to pass out soon. Even with the advance to Core making us need less rest, they’ve had a really stressful and busy day.”

“I will tell them, but you know they will disregard it.”

“Gotta try.” I felt Sia talking with both girls, Aleks having gone to train once she was done feeding me and didn’t have anything else she could do to help. I could tell that not being able to help heal was eating her up inside, so I had Sia tell her to work on tempering.

Vaya yawned, then nodded, “Fine, I will rest. Right here, though, just in case.” She snuggled up tighter against my side and laid her head on my chest before nearly instantly falling asleep.

Jamila frowned, “There is still so much work to do,” she said.

“Rest,” I breathed out.

She climbed all the way into bed and pulled a pillow over, “Okay. Sia, you will wake me if anything changes.” Her voice grew tight at the end.

Sia nodded, “Of course. I will not allow him to get worse anyway.”

“You better,” she said, though the last word drowned itself in a yawn.

Again, she was asleep in seconds. “You need rest as well,” Sia told me.

“I will sleep when they wake up,” I told him. “You can rest though. I will scream if I need you.”

I felt his eye roll. The next three hours passed even slower, until Vaya stirred. “Why are you still awake?” She asked, her voice holding a dangerous edge.

Now it is my turn to sleep.” I stretched and managed a smile.

“Yup,” she said, and a twist of Water and Wood Aether seemed to slam into my mind. I was asleep in seconds.

I woke when the entire Portable Home seemed to shake. Vaya jumped off the bed. “I will find out what is happening,” she told Jamila, who nodded. I was still covered in injuries, Disease, and Corruption, but was getting close to where I could get up and walk around, at least.

“How long?” I asked Sia.

“One and a half days,” he told me. “Vaya and Jamila have taken turns keeping you asleep and healing. We have just arrived at (city).”

“I need to be able to stand and talk,” I said, diving into my center and rushing down along my legs. There were a few places were Corruption was disrupting my nerves, keeping my legs from responding to my commands, so I focused on the first of those. Jamila and Vaya hadn’t been too concerned about those and were trying to make sure that major organs, my brain, and center were safe before moving outward.

Sia felt my urgency, and threw his own focus into my other leg.

Jamila smacked me lightly on my head, “Do not make me put you back to sleep. You are not ready to meet with the City Lord.”

“The lich that was on the other side of the portal might be able to open it again,” I told Sia. “We need to make sure they send a strong presence, at least one Perfect Core but preferably two, along with a full century of troops. The Naga seem to want to give this world to a deity associated with death, which seems worse than Chaos. Whoever Inanna is, she seems to be allied with Chaos anyway, and any weakness will lead to our destruction.”

“I will tell Aleks, Jamila, and Knight Kaminski,” Sia said, “but I doubt Vaya and Jamila will let you get up anyway. So rest, heal, and I will answer questions for you.”

“Oh, fine,” I growled at him, then dove back into healing.

“This is remarkable,” a voice I didn’t recognize said. An older woman walked into my room, then bowed to me. It was a slight bow, only a bit deeper than just a nod, but it was telling from someone at the peak of Perfect Core. “I apologize for intruding, Kupiec Aiden, but I had to see that you were truly laid low.” Her short, black hair framed her thin face, an arrogant smirk revealing her opinion of me.

“Will … you … send … troops?” I asked, each word difficult.

“A decurion has already departed, with a Complete Core leader,” she said dismissively. “Any more would weaken (city)’s defense too much. I do not know what you children saw, but I will not risk my people on your word.”

“Even with my order?” Aleks said, stomping into the room.

“You are a child,” City Lord (name) said, waving her hand dismissively.

“Sia, tell her this,” I told him, rage welling up inside me. “You will send at least one Perfect Core to watch over the portal’s location, or your city will drown in its dead and our nation will be lost to your hubris! Do it now, or King Craesti will force your hand and you will lose political power and influence.”

“Who are you to speak to me that way?” She growled.

“I am Knight Kupiec Aiden, hero of Craesti City, champion of the International Tournament of Champions, Munqinz of the Ashkhas, chosen bearer of the Legacy of the M’Zee, betrothed to Princess Aleksandra, and the youngest Seed Core gatherer in history. I can and will see to your destruction if your own actions do not lead you there anyway!”

I saw Aether collecting around her hands as her face twisted into a hateful glare, only for Knight Kaminski to arrive next to her. “Do not make me kill you,” she said quietly, her voice full of malice.

“Fine,” City Lord (name) spat, “Centurion (name) will take his century to the ruins. You will regret this.” She blurred away and Knight Kaminski vanished after her.

“Wow, Aiden,” Vaya said, squeezing into the room. “You put her in her place.”

I laughed, a wheezing sound that made me grimace, but they seemed to recognize it. “I wish she had done what is right without the threats, but I will not regret making an enemy if it prevents a zombie apocalypse.”

Five minutes later, Knight Kaminski came back. “She did as she said, and a Perfect Core centurion has departed with his troops towards the ruins. We can leave for Craesti City. We will stop ten kilometers from the city, and I will take Princess Aleksandra to speak with King Craesti. I believe that he will want to hold a parade welcoming you back to the city.” She paused for a second, then nodded. “You have three days. Do your best to get well enough to fake health, please.”

“Of … course,” I said with a grin.

“Good,” Knight Kaminski said, then she stepped forward and put her hand on Jamila’s back. The flood of Aether between them was easily visible, and my Aether Senses told me that Jamila went from nearly empty to completely full of Aether in only a few seconds. Knight Kaminski drooped a bit afterwards, but winked and then vanished, rushing back into the common room.

The bed shuddered when Skysurfer rose into the sky again, and we continued our journey back home.

I worked at healing my legs more, and noticed that, after removing the Disease and Corruption, the remaining tissue was stronger. It’s like the damage is tempering my body to it, I thought, but its limited to the areas where the damage is greatest. How can I spread this out? Increasing my strength and decreasing my vulnerability to Corruption and Disease seems like it would be highly useful. Hmm, maybe if I push the Corruption around?

I smashed a hammer of Wood Aether into the ball of Corruption blocking the nerves headed deeper into my right leg. This time, I let the pieces left over spread around and grow for a few minutes before breaking them apart again. Over and over again, I traced the damage down my leg. Each bit healed afterwards let the benefits encroach on a larger area, though to a lesser extent. I growled at it, then tried feeding unaspected Aether into the growth to enncourage it.

The Aether just burnt it away, instead of fueling its growth. “Light blind it,” I growled. “I was hoping to get more tempering out of the stupid Corruption, but it looks like that won’t work.”

“You should just focus on healing,” Sia said, “we can figure out how to temper more evenly to Corruption, Disease, and Death later. For now, you need to be able to walk, run, and fight. Without that ability, being slightly stronger against Death Aether will mean nothing.”

“Fine,” I sighed, then gave up on spreading the Corruption Aether out, and focused on just obliterating it where I could.

This continued for another two days, with Jamila and Vaya enforcing a three hour nap every day on me. I reciprocated, making them sleep as well. Halfway through the third day, the Skysurfer set down again. Two hours later, Aleks walked into my room. “Can he walk?” She asked Jamila.

“For a bit,” she said, looking at me. “What do you think?”

“I … will … stand,” I said, talking still difficult.