Chapter 53: Rest And Recovery

Chapter 53: Rest And Recovery

Sakura

My body ached, and most of my time was spent in a swirling malaise of gray from the medications the doctors nearly forced down my throat. But I do remember flashes of conversation, little snippets as people talked to or about me.

What exactly happened? A male voice, filled with authority and annoyance came through the fog.

Children got carried away. It is not an issue for you to handle. I will take care of it. That was Manao, her voice clearly frustrated. You focus on getting this school ready for the evacuation.

Ive been giving that some thought . . .

Yes?

I . . . I dont know if I can leave you here. In good conscience.

Manao sighed deeply, as if this were a conversation they had had many times. You have to. There is no other option. I am too old, my shell too heavy, and I am nowhere near where I need to be for advancement.

Thats not entirely accurate

Oh really? And you know my cultivation so much better than I do?

The male voice came back filled with a hint of annoyance. Yes actually. I am your companion after all.

Alright then, companion protector. Tell me what it is that we can do, to allow my old legs to walk that far, for that long, unsupported by these canyon walls? Manao sounded resigned and annoyed, but not completely closed off to the possibility.

Those students, the ones who attacked her. They say they might have found a vein of Anthrosite.

Bah, theyre just trying to get out of trouble.

Last night was a full moon. Anthrosite is only visible at the full moon, and in the presence of Star or Moon mana. Even if it's a small vein, I'm sure we can have you ready to go on the last trip out. I . . . I dont know if I can lose you.

Oh Zinny. My precious boy. If it would make you feel better, then we will send scouts up there tonight with testing kits. But I hold little hope in it. That princess is not above lying to get out of trouble.

Thank you . . .

The conversation drifted off to other things, and I found myself quickly back in the gray oblivion that drugs thankfully provided.

A new conversation came in the darkness that night. Two shadowy figures stood over me. How can we pull the Gamera from her Vault? a young female voice said. By all accounts hes just as damaged. If not in worse shape.

Yes, and I do not wish to see my mentors wrath should we fail in this. A younger, nervus male voice said in response. I have the extractor. It shouldnt hurt him, unless he fights it.

Ill call my spirit, see if he can coax him out so we dont have to use that thing.

Good idea.

A few minutes later, a bird I only briefly remember having a multi-colored visage squawked angrily as a snake lept from my spirit vault at it.

Leave mistress alone! Leave alone, or I bite! I bite, you die! The snake screamed into my mind.

No one said she had a sky snake companion! The man screamed as he backed away from me.

It doesnt matter. Get the net, hell be safe in the artificial vault. She commanded her junior partner through the sqwacks and hisses of protest and warning that the two spirit beasts exchanged.

Good idea!

I tried to soothe my new companion, but the drugs were too strong. It was all I could do to focus enough to hear what was going on. Let alone actually interact. Whatever drugs they were giving me were extremely potent things.

Yes. Im lying.

Rex narrowed his eyes at me for a moment, before letting out a deep and profound sigh as if I were at the center of every ailment the dog had ever suffered, before he laid his head on my lap. I scratched behind his ears, and after a few moments I was sure I had been forgiven.

Rayce handed me a full cup and I downed it in another single swig. Is that snake yours? He asked pointing twoards a gem filled with a swirling mix of white, blue, and yellow mana. The mana it contained swirled in a leith, and angry pattern. As if the snake inside were pacing, waiting for its cage to be opened so it could visit violence on whatever thing had imprisoned it there.

Are you alright? I sent the words through my still tenuous connection with the creature.

Yes. Sky God is fine. Is walking little girl fine?

Walking little, you mean me?

Yes. Who else? You. Yes you. Be smart or I might bite you to make you smart.

Interesting. And . . . and youre Sky God?

Yes. Am Sky God. Nothing else eats sky titans, with talons, beaks, lightning from feathers of crystal, but sky gods. Right? So, I am Sky God.

I suppressed a sigh, one of my companions' names was literally King, an admittedly silly thing for me to have named the giant Turtle. But I had been a kid. You cant blame me for making that mistake. Besides, I wasnt going to do it again, lesson learned. But now, my new snake companion, was . . . well, was named Sky God. I had no idea what that would do to his ego going forward.

I shook mentally myself, and focused back on the conversation.

Youre getting better at talking to me.

Yes. It's new. New thoughts. New . . . ideas. Share with your brain. Your brain is filled with lots of things. Most silly, but some? Some are tasty things. Like words. New words. I like new words. Like new fangs, made from ideas not cloud and venum. Hmmmmmmm.

Are you alright in there? I asked, concerned my snake companion might get lost in the sea of new thoughts and ideas that he had received through our bond.

Hmmm? Yes. Am alright. Learning how to bite new things. Wonder what tasty things I can bite when I get out of here. This . . . floaty place. Like being in a cloud without the cold. Just the cloud. All around.

I felt the Sky Snake focus back in on himself and our connection which had grown strong while we were talking, became a distant echo. A low murmuring in the back of the room coming from one muffled corner of my mind.

I tuned it out, and looked back at Rayce. Sorry, did you ask something?

Is that snake yours? He repeated, and his expression had grown concerned. As if he were expecting me to grow another head at any second.

Oh. Yes. Hes my new companion.

I thought you were going for one of those Eagle things. You know the ones with the crystal feathers?

I was. But, he was closer. And a better choice.

Rayces eyebrows went up in an unspoken question.

He has a bound spell. I havent tried it out yet, being stuck in here. But Sky Snakes bites are some kind of spell, or technique. That made Rayces eyebrows shoot up even further. Yeah, wild idea, but King said he felt chie in the attack he used to take down a Crystalline Eagle. Mana and chie mixing, in a bound spell? What else would you call it but a technique?

That is some amazing luck you have.

Its good fortune, sure. But not really that astounding if you think about it. There are plenty of creatures with bound techniques. Rare at steel and silver, yes, but theyre not unheard of.

True. But have you checked him out yet? Really given him a hard look? I shook my head. Well, give it a shot. Tell me what you see.

I brushed my aura across his, and found . . . found something far more vast, and potent then my own.

Hes. . . . He feels like you, but bigger. Much bigger.

Oh yeah. Hes Gold, at least. Might even be peak gold. You my dear sister, just fell out of the viper pit, and into a gold mine.