Qorth was sparring with Cecelia again. Her flower was like mine now, blood red but it lacked the black streaks in it. She drank from someone until they died. I shudder again. She sees my distress and comes over.
“‘Clear distress’ what has come over you?”
Cecelia kept her distance, it just hurts more.
“Sara…”
I look up, “Sorry, were you part of the Elf purge? Did you… did you… kill for me… did you eat them because of what I have given you?”
She looks annoyed at Cecelia, but then crouches down and puts her hands on my shoulders.
“It was the night before the order, I was accosted. They spoke of Tapestries. He attempted to kill me after he used his life sight on me. I over powered him but his blood was on me. I must admit that his zealotry enraged me. I bit down and ended his life.”
It's still my fault…and yet I feel anger. Their fucking geas stained my daughter. She who wanted to show me a better way has devolved to my own. She hugs me.
“Rage can be good but you said it yourself. You didn't wish to kill every Elf.”
She is right, I only want to kill one Elf. Cecelia is walking away. The pain is agonizing. My hand catches the hem of her shirt. She turns and gasps…I suppose detaching my hand lassoing it with blood to grab her wasn't the best idea. The blood pulls back in as she hurries back to me hand in hand. Qorth moves to the side.
“Sara, do not fling your body parts around. You ‘bout gave me a heart attack.”
I wince as the nerves reconnect, but I smile at her mom's tone. It trembles. No, I need to be strong. She kneels and places a hand on my shoulder.
“Stop, I can still feel your emotions, sweetie. You don't have to put on a brave face for me. I'm sorry for pulling away. It's hard, you've shamed me for what I know was the right thing to do.”
“I'm sorry.”
She flicks me in the forehead, “You're not wrong in how you feel, just as I wasn't wrong for what I did. They were killers, Sara and they had come for those who I cared for.”
I've killed for less, I give her another shaky smile which just exasperated her.
I spent the evening focused on my smithing.
-----
This is a daily reminder: You have 48 unallocated stat points
I take in the surrounding smells. Just barely in range, cloud berry to the north east. I start heading that way. Mags to my right and Kalidia on my back. Running is freeing. I don't have to think as much. Just need to avoid various hazards on the ground. And trees in front of me. My speed increases. It's hours but then I stumble.
“Thank the system, I felt like you weren't ever going to stop.” Mags huffs next to me.
A fairy pops out to speak for me.
“Oh … sorry.”
“What's wrong dear?”
“I passed the point where I have a connection to my sister. I can feel her but I can't hear her thoughts anymore.”
“Your soul?”
I smile, “Still present, there's no pull like before. If there is a limit, I'm not anywhere close to it.”
She nods. I turn my body and see Kalidia has passed out. Perhaps a bit too fast. My one tail is behind her. Seems kitsune Sara is a bipedal critter. I wonder if my sister knows. The cloud berries are closer but I can see Mags wants to rest. I nudge Kalidia and she wakes up.
“That was a nice nap. Time to eat?”
Guess it wasn't speed, I laugh. She slides off me. I become an attendant again…I can feel my blood passively maintaining my form. It's not much but I wasn't in my true form for that long. I was planning on removing my second set of arms. Is—
Kalidia touches my arm.
“Yes, Kal?”
“You seemed lost in thought. I was remarking on your superiority to a horse.”
I bark a laugh at that. I'm not pushing myself off the ground like in a gallop but pulling myself across the ground. Guess it makes for a smooth ride.
“Want to talk about what you were thinking about?”
“Oh nothing really. My current form is requiring mana as if it's no longer really me…”
I look behind myself and my three fox tails. A sad smile forms. It becomes one cat tail. The blood passives release. My sister has diverged but our soul is still whole. I bet she even down to one set of arms. I think I will keep my two sets, just one bend though for each. Perfect. Is she even the spider anymore?
-----
This is a daily reminder: You have 48 unallocated stat points
The distiller is finally done. Hopefully it won't explode. My blood pulls out of my hand into the pot. I have to cut it for it to plop in. Let's see, a third of this should be my creeping vines…Best to find out if my hair works. I remove enough, then grind it down to dust. I pour it into the pot and use my kinesis to stir it. I then hold the pot and begin to heat it in my hands. I continue to channel the mana to keep it heated. An hour is going to take awhile. I sit cross legged with the pot on my legs. My other attention maintains the heat while I gaze at the illusion galaxy above me.
“Whatcha cooking.” Lea pops in next to me.
“Seeing if I can make a potion out of my blood. I can't actually follow the recipe given to me. My blood changed.”
“Would my blood suffice?”
“Let's see if this works before I start making demands, Lea.”
She laughs at that. I look away from her.
“The Elves are gone if you want to…”
“I'm fine as is Sara. No need to change my status quo.”
Not good enough. I take one of my glass bottles I had cleaned. Bleeding adventures had left tons of these inside my dungeon. I force my blood into it with a piece of my soul. I handed it to her.
“Lea keep this on you, always. It's your freedom, should you desire to leave it will make you real. As always, it's your choice.”
She gets annoyed when she tries to throw it away. “You say it's my choice but I can't make it leave my hand.”
I laugh at that, “I am certain if you put it in your pocket it will stay there.”
She does and grouses.
“Since you are making an unknown concoction, how will you test it?”
If you spot this tale on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.
“Uhhhh. Not actually sure. My body is so different from others, and you're dead. I'm not sure it's a valid test to use it on anyone with a piece of my soul.”
“Because you might inadvertently use your soul to protect them?”
I nod. I drink a bit of blood. My blood passives haven't really released from my arm changes. It's kinda annoying.
[Blood Regen] becomes [Blood Regen 2] Basic 1
Blood Regen 2 - the ability to make mana blood
Basic - should your body be dead, your blood will inflict a curse of undeath to those who it touches, watch them rot Sara
Gain 2 exp
-----
Okay, that is just literally cursed.
I sigh.
The other two are still asleep. I sit out and look at the stars. My chest warms. I clutch it as the fire core grows in. Seriously, just adding tails to yourself sister. I start filling it with my personal arcane core.
-----
Now we add the berries, another hour to boil. Tempted to use our soul's arcane core to fill more of the fire core. But there was no rush. I eye the distiller. Best to see if this even works before making modifications. I smile at my fourth tail. Not sure how they all fit. They seem bigger too. I move them around. They should be twisting on themselves but they are able to rotate and change positions. So bizarre.
I hum to myself as the mixture boils on my lap.
-----
I hear the scampering of a critter. I get up and walk towards it.
30 Spectral Fox
Well breakfast for Kalidia and Mags. A surprise for our budding kitsune. My soul warms at that. I pounce, the creature yips and dissipates. Huh. I hear its heart thudding in that direction. I turn towards it and suddenly I can hear it in two places.
I ran to the first spot. It dissipates again. It's now in the other spot. I saw the blood before it changed places. It was there. I charge to the next. I seize its blood before it can move again. It trembles as a ghost fox leaps at me. It's not really there though. Gah, it's trying to enter my body. It's in me…ha funny, it's trying to control my body. Your soul is not that strong little fox. The actual fox collapses. I picked it up and pulled its blood into my mouth. Delicious.
Gained 75 exp from Spectral Fox
Long lived fox. I shrug and bring back our camp's breakfast.
-----
I feel like my sister killed that on purpose. I'll wait to sleep till she reconnects. I pour my mixture into the distiller. Some fire magic to start heating the apparatus. The mixture begins to percolate. Four hours to boil it down? I start making void constructs. It will be awhile still before that core adds a tail.
You have gained the skill [Alchemy] Basic 1
Alchemy - the ability to make potions, not clap your hands and make pillars…thats dirt magic
Basic - the quality improves based off skill level and how consistently you follow the recipe
Gain 2 exp
-----
“What did you say this was?”
“Spectral fox.” Mags answers before I can work my magic.
Kalidia sips more of the soup. Trying her best not to show her displeasure. Mags already threw hers out. Rude.
“Violet, I'm sure you know carnivores are rather tougher and more gamey than herbivores.”
My fairy pops out, “But its blood was just as sweet.”
“You plan on torturing your sister again.”
I give her a toothy grin.
“Why not be in your attendant form?”
Mags winces at Kalida's question. I look at my temporary mistress with a sad smile. The fairy speaks.
“Being away from my sister is making me feel further away from my attendant form. It's not onerous to be it but it's not free anymore. It might not be me anymore. Perhaps I am just enjoying the time as myself.”
Mags walks over and hugs me, “Whatever you need to be, dear.”
-----
I place the bottle in front of Isabella.
“You procured a distiller faster than I expected.”
“Is there a way to evaluate it?”
“Cut your hand and drink it, [Priestess].”
I roll my eyes, “My body isn't exactly typical, Dame Isabella.”
She is about to cut her own hand but stops.
“Did you follow the three steps?”
“Wellllllll, the slime body was part of the first step.”
She grows annoyed and puts the knife down.
“So we have an unknown potion then. I do not currently have any prisoners to test this on.”
My eyes widened at her statement. The fuck. “You're messing with me right, ha ha say something outlandish to get a rise out of the eleven year old.”
“Hmmm no, I wouldn't test this on anyone but those condemned to die.”
She is absolutely serious. I grab the bottle and cut my hand. She begins to protest. I ignore her and pour a bit and watch the wound heal.
“That was foolish, [Priestess].”
“I'm the dungeon boss, Dame Isabella. Death here is but a temporary annoyance. Pity I can't drink it. I think it's too different from blood at this point.”
Gregory snatches the bottle and drinks it to the last. His hand was already cut. It heals.
“What, fatal wounds are just an excuse for the dungeon to expel you.”
“Well congratulations trainee, you get to stay in the dungeon for a week.”
He pales, ”But why?”
“Because, fool, your body could be slowly being poisoned. The key, trainee.”
He hands it over. Isabella slithers out the exit while Gregory slumps into a chair.
“I can take you to Qorth if you want but I need to return to the mistress after."
He nods. I take him over.
“Hey Qorth, Gregory went and drank the potion I made and Dame Isabella is curious if he is going to die in a week or not.”
“Less lethal than your cooking then.”
…Rude. It was the one time.
-----
“So those are the cloud berry plants.”
My fairy pops out, “Well I can make a seed for now but…”
“Something wrong?” Kalidia asks.
“I'm not sure it has a soul, I can't exactly absorb its traits.”
“Well as long as you can make seeds, dear.”
“What if you ate the plant?” Kalidia ruins my day.
Thank the system Red can't hear this. She definitely would tell me to do it since she had to eat grass for me…damn it. I walk over and pull up a plant. The stem is awful tasting in my hands. I stuff it into my mouth and try my best to swallow as fast as possible. I scan the rest of the patch. There…another down the hatch. It's awful, how did she eat grass and then dirt.
“Why did you eat two…”
“The plant is actually sexed, the male flowers only grow on one plant while the female grows on a different one.”
She peers closer, “I can't tell.”
I point to one of each. She just shakes her head. I motion her on to me. Time to head back.
-----
So if I make the receptacle like this I could divert power from the distiller and the stove? Not like they would need all that much. Now the heating—
-Ah Sister I have returned to our mental telephone range, can you hear me now?
I send a mental eye roll. She laughs.
How far are you from being able to enter the dungeon?
-Still half a day away. Going to go to sleep now. I suggest you do the same.
I already saw the exp notice, Violet.
-You know, that kinda ruins the surprise.
What can I tell ya? O I may have poisoned Gregory.
-Did you try to make pizza again?
What no, it was one time.
-That was enough to remember. But enough about culinary disasters, how did you poison Gregory.
He decided to test my potion. Now he is staying in the dungeon for a week to see if his inside becomes goo.
-Exciting, here I just got to eat two cloudberry plants.
Two?
-Apparently it's a sexed plant.
Never really knew that about plants till I ate a dryad.
-----
This is a daily reminder: You have 48 unallocated stat points
Almost to the edge of the dungeon. I convinced the others it was better to rest there then on the ground. Sister may have seen that I ate the fox but she thinks I am half a day out. I hear Kalidia snoring behind me. Guess it wasn't a hardship for her at all.
-----
I get up and nothing is different…except my blood passives are larger. The hell. I accidentally let go for a moment before I regained them…I didn't just lose my progress did I? I look to my sides and find them still having one set of arms. I shrug. I go and find Qorth.
She is busy doing drills with the spear. I wave at her and she waves back. I sit down and watch. I should practice this with Violet later.
She wraps her two sets of arms around me. No wonder my passives are so large, she has been maintaining a different form. She speaks before I do.
“Miss me?”
“I did but why are you keeping the arms? I have been having a harder time maint…ing my form be…cause of it…”
I'm having a hard time pulling enough air to speak… I turn to Violet with scared eyes. She looks at me with sadness.
“Let go of your passives, Red. I think you know what happened.”
I start to tremble. Mags comes behind her.
“Whats wrong?”
-Sister…
I let go. My teeth grow, becoming instruments of tearing flesh. No more mastication of plants. They are all sharp. My tails gain the color of each of my cores. I hardly notice it as my lungs shrivel up to nothing. Why… I force the lungs back, no I can not be this way.
“I'm sorry sister, we are [Voiceless] in our true form and it seems you have defined yours as a kitsune.”
My soul trembles as the blood passives just keep growing. I can't hold it. I let go and begin to weep. She holds me in her double arm embrace. It's comforting. I just want to scream—
“Why does this keep happening to me?”
We look up and I look down at myself. I'm in both places…I swap to my other spot. Violet arms pulls in and my spectral side vanishes in her arms. I still can't talk.
“But I can.”
I look at myself again. I am by my side. One is real and mute the other a ghost and can talk.
“Is there a third Sara?”
I look at Mags with both my heads.
“No, my talking half is almost an illusion. I can swap places with it. It feels like a ghost. Intangible.”
Violet chimes in, “The fox would do that. Swap places. I swear at times there was just one though. What if you overlap yourself?”
I walk into myself. It doesn't feel right. Like if I am to be in the same place I need to be different. That it has to mean something to overlap with an illusion. Perhaps I must be an Illusion myself. My form changes. I am back to being an attendant. I look behind myself. My spine doesn't turn as easily anymore but I see one cat tail.
“Well say something, Red.” Violet encourages while Mags looks on. Both their eyes glow purple, hopeful.
“Something.” I place a hand to my chest and allow myself a moment. Relief. I can continue on.
