EG Monster Island Chapter 7

I slept through the evening meal and most of the night, waking a few hours after midnight and before the sun rose. I quietly changed clothes, the others in my room still sleeping, before heading up to the main deck. There were still a dozen sailors working, their efforts required to keep the ship on track and in a good state. I nodded to the few that noticed me, before climbing up to the spotter’s nest on top of the main mast. “Good morning,” the Ashkha sitting up there said.

“Good morning. Do you mind if I join you?” I asked. He shook his head, so I sat and watched the sea. I slowly gathered, letting my Pool fill the last little bit that hadn’t occurred while I was sleeping. After an hour, the sky started to get lighter, and I watched the sun rise over the ocean. This world is beautiful. Light, Darkness, I will save it. I left the nest and headed down to the galley to get breakfast.

“Aiden!” Jon exclaimed. “Have you tried gathering today? It is so much easier!”

“I didn’t notice, but I wasn’t pushing hard,” I said. “Guess I’ll find out at training. Oh, speaking of training, Librarian Narwan showed me how he made his tattoos invisible.” I proceeded to explain the technique to them, then attempted to demonstrate it. It took me three tries before getting it right. I found that the color was removed entirely from the tattoo until I reversed the technique, rather than reappearing if I let it fade. Neat!

After breakfast we had another punishing training session. Lunges in enhanced gravity strained our muscles and meridians, but Aether flowed through them so much smoother than even two days ago. I finished the last lap dripping sweat and weak in the legs, but I was able to stand up rather than collapse. “Excellent!” Librarian Narwan said. “You have all done well in absorbing the pill. I will speak to two of you later about the second dose. For now, shower, eat, and use the afternoon to work on what you wish. We will be reaching Monster Island sometime this evening or tomorrow morning. Make sure you are ready to disembark soon thereafter. Wear your best clothing, we will be making an impression.”

“Yes, Master Narwan,” we said, bowing to him. I stumbled and nearly fell when my legs decided bowing was for cramping up. I laughed, then followed the rest to our rooms.

The afternoon flew by as I finished the last of the Inscriptions for Ambassador Saf’Ir and then carefully packaged them up. I spent a little longer than normal cleaning, making the entire place spic and span. After finishing up, I headed to the captain’s quarters, below the poop deck. I recognized the sailor who was standing guard, but didn’t remember their name. “Uh, is Ambassador Saf’Ir available?” I asked.

“One minute,” he responded before opening the door and walking in. He came back out and held the door open. “Go on in.”

“Thanks,” I smiled and entered the captain’s meeting room. Inside was a large table, with Captain Alborz, Ambassador Saf’Ir, and Captain Svik all sitting around waiting for me. They had been discussing a document, evidenced by a pile of paper sitting between them, but they all turned to me as I walked in. “Uh, sirs,” I bowed. “Ambassador Saf’Ir, I finished the commission of Inscriptions.” I stepped forward and handed the bag with them in it to him.

“Thank you, Aiden,” he responded. “Captain Alborz, half of these are yours.” He carefully pulled out the Inscriptions before sliding one over to Captain Alborz.

“May I?” Captain Svik asked. Ambassador Saf’Ir nodded, and gave one to him. “Remarkable. Where did the crystal come from? I do not think I have ever seen one this color blue.”

“Uh, I came up with a method of creating them, sir,” I said. “The Inscription is what saved Xiao’s life, and stopped an attack from hurting me on your ship.”

“Phenomenal, how much are you selling these for?” he looked at me hopefully.

I paused for a second, before shaking my head, “I’d have to talk to my parents, or at least Librarian Narwan, before selling these. I probably should have done so before trading with Ambassador Saf’Ir, actually.” I smiled sheepishly at him.

“It is fine!” Librarian Narwan yelled from somewhere outside the room.

“Honestly (First name). Stop listening in on conversations that do not involve you!” Ambassador Saf’Ir yelled back. He turned to me, a feline grin on his leonine face. “But, since you have permission, we could speak of purchasing more.”

“I’ll have to think about it, sir,” I said. “I am unsure what I will be doing with the rest of the crystals I brought with me, and do not have the apparatus to make more here. I am assuming that more tattoos or similar enhancements are not in the picture?”

He gave me a quizzical look, then nodded, “Correct. At least until after the first round of the tournament. I would be unable to do any more until after we arrive, and it would be improper for me to assist you in any way before the tournament begins and after we have arrived.”

“Thank you, sir, then, for your assistance prior to our arrival,” I bowed to him again.

“Come see me at the Craesti Merchant’s Guild Compound sometime in the next couple of days,” Captain Svik said.

I nodded to him, then bowed to Captain Alborz and left the room. I spent the next few minutes trying to find Librarian Narwan. After some fruitless searching, I gave up and headed towards my room to grab a snack. So, of course, he met me in the hallway outside my door, attempting to get a jump scare out of me.

“You were looking for me?” he asked suddenly from behind.

I went with it, screaming and leaping into the air, hamming it up.

“Ha, ha,” he gave me a look, rolling his eyes at my antics.

I laughed, then stilled my face and asked, “Sir, have you given any thought to modifying the Affinity Powders to be usable by our Bonds?”

“I have. There are three possible options I have come up with,” he said, turning and heading towards one of the workrooms. I followed him, and then we spent the next hour talking about the Ice Affinity Powder and the variations he’d devised. After a few minutes, I pulled Sia into the conversation mentally, and then was surprised when Librarian Narwan sent a greeting to him as well. He gave some insights into which plants and Beast parts he had eaten before, along with a list of reactions.

“No, definitely not adding Kaneq Hare blood,” Sia said, “Last time I ate one of those my stomach hurt for a week.”

“Hmm, we may need to differentiate by Beast type,” Librarian Narwan said, “I had hoped we would not need to. So, replace the Kaneq Hare blood with Qanuk Fox hair, and then add in the Snieg Pine sap to finalize the recipe. We will be able to source those in Monster Island. Now, onto Wood.” He read off the recipe to Sia, then suggested, “I believe Dzungla Ivy is poisonous to many Beasts, including nearly every avian I have heard tested, so we need to replace its stabilizing effects. I would recommend Gaszcz Python scales.”

“Uh, in the Firebird book it recommended not feeding them Chochol Nuts, so we might want to replace those,” I added, glad to finally be adding something to the discussion.

“Hmm, I believe Annatto Seeds will serve the same purpose, deepening the connection of the center to the Aether around you. Monster Island is the main source of Annatto products, so I will make sure to stock up. Excellent, now...,” Librarian Narwan responded. We talked for another hour before quitting. Librarian Narwan and I would take some time tomorrow to procure the needed ingredients and then test the powder before giving it to Sia.

“With this, your Affinity in Wood, Water, and Ice will increase significantly. Well, compared to what it is now,” I sent to Sia after leaving Librarian Narwan. “Is that going to be what triggers your evolution?”

“I do not know,” Sia sent back, seeming unsure. “I know I am close. I can feel it. Knowing what will push me over the edge, though, is not something my instincts are telling me. We will have to try it and see. If nothing else, it will increase my gathering speed, and I can hunt more effectively afterward. Zimnodlot and I will be hunting one last time before landfall. You should rest.”

“Thanks Sia. Good luck, and happy hunting,” I sent back. I quickly cleaned up the chalkboard we’d been taking notes on, then headed to grab dinner. Vaya and Aleks were sitting together eating, so I grabbed some food and joined them. “Evening, ladies,” I said, smiling at them.

“Good evening,” Vaya said. “What has got you in such a good mood?”

“Well, Librarian Narwan and I think we may have a formulation of the Affinity Powders that Sia, and probably Zim now that I think about it, can take. Uh, do you have any books on what Lampart can or can’t eat?”

“Yes, uh, I can get it to you after dinner,” Vaya said. “Going to compare the powder recipe with known problems?” I nodded.

“I am jealous of you all having Bonds,” Aleks grumbled. “Father did not let me try to find one, said there was not enough time before the tournament to really grow close.”

“How long ago did you advance to Condensation?” I asked her.

“About a month before the Craesti Tournament,” she said sheepishly.

“Wow, we advanced at least a month prior to you, and you are at or above our level. That’s awesome,” I said.

She ducked her head and blushed, “Only because I have a really advanced gathering technique. Your talent and hard work means you will definitely pass me by.”

“Nah,” I said, and Vaya shook her head. “You’ll keep up, if only because you work just as hard as I do. I’ve seen you training, remember? If anything, we’ll have to give it our all just to stay in shouting range of you.”

“Thanks,” she mumbled.

“Maybe you will find a Beast to Bond with on Monster Island,” Vaya suggested. “I am sure they have Bestiaries around that the Princess of Craesti could visit. What type of Beast would you be interested in?”

“Hmm, a bear, I think. Specifically a Sloneczny Bear. They are big, cuddly, and pretty,” she said. “And Father would approve of it, since it could help protect me.”

“I’ve never heard of one,” I said.

“Uh, they stand taller than I do on four feet. Their fur is a beautiful white that shimmers in the sun. They are Light and Ice Affinity and fairly rare, being an offshoot of the Polar Bear, but I love the way their fur glimmers. I met one, a couple of years ago, that was level six like Sia.” The stars in Aleks’s eyes were cute.

“They are pretty,” Vaya said, “but Lampart is a sleek and elegant Beast, and I love her.”

“Good. We should all care for our Bonds. I will do my best to make the powders help Lampart and Kami, and whatever Bond you make as well Aleks. The stronger they get, the stronger we are. Hopefully we’ll have time to test before the tournament starts.”

“If not, there should be time between rounds,” Aleks said. “Father said the last tournament had a week between events, to let the competitors rest and recover. That should give enough time to explore as well.”

“That’s awesome!” I exclaimed. “Do you know if we will get rewards for the rounds immediately or have to wait until the end?”

“I would assume right after the rounds. So anything you win will make you stronger for the next round,” Aleks said. We talked for a bit more about the tournament, guessing what possible rewards they could give out. After half an hour or so, Vaya announced that she needed to pack, and we all went back to our respective rooms to do just that.

Jon was already packing, with half of his stuff laid out on the bed and floor. “Dude, really?” I asked, gesturing. “I can’t get to my bed.”

“I’ll be done in a minute,” he said, not even looking at me as he stuffed stuff into one of his spatial bags.

I rolled my eyes and left the room, wandering the hallways for a couple of minutes before heading back to my room. The mess was mostly gone, confined to Jon’s bed rather than the floor. “Tomorrow we see (City Name). Ready for it?”

“I cannot wait,” Jon responded. “I wonder what the tournament will entail.”

“Me too, my friend. Me too,” I said, digging into the drawers and moving my clothing out of them and into my bags. It took me twenty minutes to pack, during which time Ming and Xiao both came back.

After finishing packing, Ming looked up at us. “Have you started tempering with another Element yet?”

“Uh, no, not yet,” I said. “I wasn’t thinking we should until we’d advanced again.”

“I was talking with Knight Kaminski, and she suggested that a second Elemental tempering would be useful, to at least start. Especially on the last day of the week, like today, where we still cannot perform the Pool Expansion Technique, but I have already finished smoothing the resulting ripples out.”

“Any specific Element?” Jon asked, sliding down from his bed.

“Your second highest,” Ming responded. “That is what Librarian Narwan directed before.”

“That’s Fire for me. Air for you?” I asked. Ming nodded. I turned to Jon, “Ice?”

“Yeah.”

“Well, I’ve got a level one Fire Core. If you’ve got an Air, and Jon an Ice, we can take turns using the Formation,” I gestured at the floor.

“It is a good thing Librarian Narwan’s technique can use any Aether, though it is not very efficient,” Xiao said.

“Can we set up the Formation to use the Cores in sequence?” I asked. “If we start, we’ll have to finish tempering our hearts at a minimum, or we could get seriously hurt or, you know, die. I’d like to not do that.”

We investigated the Formation for a little while, and then rigged up a small mechanism to drop a new Core on when the first one was emptied and broke into dust. Realy, it was just a small tower of random stuff to keep the Cores from rolling away. I stacked in six Cores, alternating between Air, Fire, and Ice. All at level one, which we’d ended up with a massive surplus due to Sia and Zim’s constant fishing.

“Ready?” I asked, holding the first Core just above the Formation’s contact point. My friends responded with a nod, so I dropped it down. The Aether exploded out, filling the room. I quickly backed up and sat on my bed, crossing my legs under me as I focused onto my center. I spun up my gathering technique, placing the runes and spirals with fast but exacting care, then directed the incoming stream of Aether through another series of runes.

Up and through my heart meridian, I guided the affected Aether, and then began the process of burning my heart to ashes and reconstituting it. Cell by cell, muscle by muscle, I destroyed one of my most vital organs. Slice by slice, I remade it, full of Fire and Lightning Aether, stronger than it was before. My consciousness had to keep skipping back to my center and transforming the Aether from Air to Fire, using four motes for every one transformed.

After an unknown amount of time, I didn’t have to do the transformation, and my progress sped up. I hit a point where part of my mind had to focus on forcing my blood to continue to flow through my body, redirecting it away from the open wound in my chest. It worked. Wow, I stopped to think for a minute. My heart is almost superfluous. If I could maintain this cycle, I wouldn’t need it. Is this why high level gatherers and Beasts are so hard to kill? Being stabbed through the heart isn’t fatal if I can just move my blood with my mind and heal the damage later. Light! I need to get better at this.

Once the Fire Core ran out, though, my progress stalled to almost nothing. Rather than the four motes to one conversion rate of Air to Fire, it was sixteen to one. At least Jon didn’t need water. I can make some progress here. Water to Fire is almost impossible. Okay, focus. I worked on making any progress I could, then the Core finished and switched to Air again. It took three full cycles before I was done, nearly three hours of continuous gathering and tempering. Just a few months ago, I wouldn’t have been able to do this. Advancing has let me focus better, move Aether more precisely and in higher quantities, and made me tougher overall. I’m strong enough to be a superhero, and can get away with very little sleep. Soon, I might not need any at all. Now isn’t the time, though.

I looked up to see Jon, Ming, and Xiao were all still working on tempering, though I could feel they were close to being done as well. I got my toiletries out and got ready for bed, hoping to wake up in a new city. “Good night,” I told Jon as he walked into the bathroom just before I left.

“Night,” he nodded at me. “Ming and Xiao are done as well.”

“Thanks,” I said, then went to bed.