Intermission
Over the days since Aerien and Gaerien first discovered they could exchange words directly mind to mind, they had several nightly conversations. Below is a collection of a few of the more note-worthy ones.
Later the same night
After going over a few of the basic exercises with Gaerien, talking and strengthening her neck muscles being chief among them, I was quick to get back on the topic of our discussion.
'I still have quite a bit I would like to ask about,' I told her, 'I think it's a pretty fair deal that if I'm your exercise coach you will essentially be my magic knowledge tutor.'
'A fair trade, yes. I am quite eager to try out what you have taught me and it would frankly be less embarrassing to do this at night. I suppose you have questions now though.'
'Forget about things like embarrassment, the only reason I hid my progress until now was because the voice training exercises I was doing would immediately give it away I lived a previous life. I don't want these boys getting excited and telling that elf guy before I'm ready. The exercises I gave you though are just fine to do during the day when people can see you, but we can only talk like this at night.'
'Well, you certainly don't know how to treat a girl nicely, do you?'
'We're both girls now. And besides, I'm the younger sister. Spoil me older sister.'
'Right. Well, I guess I can see the logic in your reasoning. Very well then. What did you want to ask about?'
'Well, so much really. How about we pick it up where we left off. You were talking about fey, "god-born," spirits, and monsters. Also this arcane energy stuff and magic. I think I sorta got enough understanding for now about the arcane energy, basically it is the waste by-product from a spell, and it turns normal creatures into monsters. I also understand god-born, as you call them, well enough. It's basically just plants and animals. I think I can figure out fey more or less. How about you tell me some more about spirits?'
'Spirits is it? Spirits are a lot like fey in that they are created from god-born clinging to life. However, a spirit does not actually need to form from a sentient god-born. Most of them form from plants, and some from unintelligent animals. Also, any sentient god-born who fuses with a plant spirit will usually not become a fey. They become special kinds of spirits of the forest. I believe in the former world, they were called Nymphs. However, the most powerful plant spirits become a different kind known as Dryads which oversee the nymphs and even have the ability to command the pseudo-fey in their forest.'
'Can spirits form from things other than plants? I have heard the stories about things like fire spirits and water nymphs on Earth.'
'Really!? Well, normally not. At least, not in a normal world. I suppose things like that might be possible in a world with special rules, but why would a god ever create a system like that?'
'I'm sorry, world rules?'
'Yes. World rules are created by the barrier. The barrier around Earth had the world rule that no magic could be cast, fey would not be born, and only neutral energy can pass the barrier. The last one was actually added in later in order to prevent magic further. Some mages began figuring out ways to get around the world barrier and cast magic anyway. So, the flow of all energies was blocked in order to try and prevent even mana from outside coming in as well as. There is a tendency for any one kind of energy to start suppressing the others once it gets concentrated enough, so having the spirit energy increase in density would force down the activity of mana and arcane energy.'
'Ok, and what is neutral energy?'
'Well, just like the fey turn spirit energy into mana, humans turn neutral energy into spirit energy. Further, gods can cleanse arcane energy and turn it back into neutral energy.'
'Well, if dense energies displace and suppress other energies, doesn't that mean neutral energy would be repressed as well by the spirit energy?'
'Well, unlike fey, humans don't actually need the neutral energy to live. It just makes their hearts feel a little lighter while they are turning it into spirit energy and makes their bodies feel like they are moving more freely. I heard several of the gods who maintained their power began rewarding anyone who prayed to them by forcing neutral energy toward them. It's kinda genius really. It makes it so the human can feel an actual sensation while praying, and then it also increases the level of spirit energy they are producing while in prayer.'
I had to stop at this point. I was fairly stunned at discovering such a thing was going on back on Earth. I had felt that light sensation several times in religious services before. So, this was the reason for that then?
'Well then, I think that might be enough for tonight.'
With that, I rolled back to my own spot and started to go to sleep. As I was trying to do this though, I could start to hear Gaerien's wobbly babbling baby voice as she began to put what I had just taught her into practice.
Several days or weeks later
'I've got something that's been bothering me.' I say to Gaerien during one of our nightly chats, as has become our habit lately. 'I understand the whole thing with "god-born," fey, spirits, and monsters. But, how about gods themselves? Where do they come into the picture?'
'How do you mean?'
'Well, god-born are created by gods, and then fey and spirits each come from the god born. Are gods separate from this picture completely? Are gods created somehow, or are they just simply there?'
'I see, that's a good question. Well, gods are actually former spirits or sentient god-born who manage to ascend to god status by gathering enough spirit energy. The exact process is a little more complicated than that, but does that answer your question?'
'Hmm… I suppose so. I have to say, a part of me is surprised while part is not. You say spirits and god-born though. Does that mean that fey cannot become gods?'
'Well, I have never heard of it happening, I guess that doesn't mean it is impossible. Usually, for the final steps of ascending into godhood, you need to begin to gather spirit energy from worship. Normally, god-born tend to get that worship from their own species while spirits can often gain the worship of a god-born. The fey cannot receive spirit energy from other fey, so this obstructs them from this step.'
'Well, I suppose that makes sense. There are several things that are still not clear, but… well, this is a touchy subject for me being from Earth. It took quite a bit of effort just to ask this question honestly, and now I have to take a bit to process this.'
'Disillusioned a bit? Well, I suppose that can be expected. I will tell you this much though, I have walked the road to godhood once, and I am planning to do it again. If you have more questions, you ought to be able to get the answers first hand by watching me.'
'Quite the declaration. Not even bothered by the fact that you're a member of a fey race now?'
'Well… I have something of a secret weapon here that I think ought to get me over that little hump. There are still a few issues I'm working out, but I have found my own path to godhood here that ought to work out just fine.'
'Right, whatever. I'm just going to go back to my exercises for now.'
'Don't leave me out of that. You gotta make sure and hold up your end of the bargain.'
'Well, I've already told you what to work on for this week, so you don't need me giving you any extra input.'
'Right. I bet I might even be able to pass you up if everything goes well.'
World barriers and world rules
'I have been thinking a little. You said the other night about how you were trying to do the same things as before that allowed you to reach godhood. What is that process exactly?'
'Oh, ready to hear it now? It's not going against your soul anymore to hear these things?'
'It took me a little while to accept these things, but the god I worshiped is on Earth, and now I am away from home. It would be good for me to learn a little about the world outside of the safe confines of my home now wouldn't it?'
'Hmm… still sticking with the safe answers huh? I never understood how that one managed to cultivate so many fanatical followers, and you aren't even one of the more dedicated ones either.'
'I think we have had this talk before. Leave digs at my faith out of this.'
'Right. Well, to break it down as best I can, you go back and forth between using spirit energy to remodel your spirit, and remodel your body. Along the way, you gain the ability to perform magic and miracles of various types. All those hopeful to become gods will, at some point, have to become a spirit before ascending to godhood. So, if you happen to be a god-born attempting to become a god yourself, you will have to cast off your physical form.'
'So, all gods are spirits then?'
'Sort of. I did not become a spirit again when I fell from godhood. Once you cross the threshold between spirit and god, it causes a permanent change.'
'I see. Well, you said that you were having trouble with the process. What exactly is the issue?'
'It's pretty simple. The world rules of this world are different, and it's resisting my path to godhood.'
'You have mentioned world rules a few times before. Can you give me more details?'
'Ok, well… world rules are basically rules governing the way magic and the energies behave in a world. The world rules are set by the gods, specifically the gods responsible for the world barrier. This is because the world barrier is the method used to set the rules. Anything inside of the barrier is subject to those rules.'
'So, something about those rules makes it so you can't do whatever it is you are trying to do?'
'Well, actually… I found a way to cheat. I haven't been able to make heads or tails of the way the world rules in this world work, I have just about reached the conclusion that part of the rules here are specifically set to make it so you cannot do the things to become a god here. Nothing new really, that's how Earth was too, but there are fey here, which means there's also magic. Magic and the path to godhood are actually linked, so it's crazy that they've managed to come up with a system in this world that could resist the process wile still allowing magic!'
'I see. So, there go your aspirations of godhood then.'
'Wait! What's with that self-satisfied tone!? And no, I'm definitely not sunk yet. I can't understand the rules of this world, but I've got a way to just straight up disobey them and work from my own rules anyway. It's quite the work-around, but I've had some success with it so far.'
'So, a way to cheat the system is it? Well, normally I might roll my eyes and leave you to that, but since this is probably going to keep affecting things for me I guess I might as well ask how exactly you are cheating the system and such.'
'Well, believe it or not, the method is you.'
'What? Me?'
'Yes. You remember how I said that I don't think I could communicate with anyone except for you with this thought connection like this? Well, that's because the rules of this world are also resisting my ability to use that simple level of divine magic. This communication is the simplest divine spell of all of them, but this world resists it. However, you have an ability to disobey the world rules, and being your sister it seems I can get some benefits from this as well if I'm close enough to you.'
'Well, that's quite the revelation. I DO hope you plan to elaborate on how exactly this works, do you know?'
'Oh yes, it was the reason I chose you in the first place back on Earth. You remember what I asked you to do in order to help save your daughter?'
'Granddaughter. And yes. My combat meditation was able to help you do that somehow.'
'Yes. Earth has an even stronger resistance against miracles, to the point a mere fallen goddess like I was would be incapable of anything. However, when you were in the middle of your meditation, it pierced a hole in the world barrier, which not only allowed me to gain power but also created a small little area without any active world rules. In this area, I was able to enact any miracle I wanted.'
'I see. And, that was also how we wound up in this world too I take it?'
'Yes. Because you were creating that hole in the world barrier right up until the moment you died, when you died it expanded that hole further and allowed your spirit to slip through. I kinda hitched a ride with you.'
'So then, you said you could cause any miracle you wanted while I was in the middle of my meditation. I take it you could also have simply healed my granddaughter without transferring her injuries to me?'
'Well, yes. Actually, it would have even been easier to just heal her, but… well. I didn't say anything though. I saw my opportunity and wanted to take it in order to leave that world. So.. um… are you angry?'
'Honestly, no I'm not. I actually suspected as much. It was your deal to make, and I took it. You have to be getting something out of the deal, right? I think of it like a business transaction. I was quite satisfied with the deal to tell the truth. It was either I take it, or my granddaughter dies or is permanently crippled for my mistake. Also, even if you had just healed her, I don't think I would have worshiped you or anything. You made the best deal so that you would get what you wanted, and meanwhile I got what I wanted as well. It all works out in the end.'
'Well, I'm glad to hear that. I was worried about how you would react when you found out.'
'Well, thank you for not lying to me when I asked you directly.'
'Are you kidding? If there's one thing I have learned about you, it's that you are quite good at spotting lies. You would have just gotten pissed off and started making my life miserable until you finally dragged the truth out of me if I had lied to you.'
'Well, you're not wrong. I hate lies. I believe they are a cardinal sin for a reason.'
Why Aerien doesn't sleep.
'You know? You mentioned a while ago about how you aren't sleeping at all anymore. I had to think for a while, but I think I might have figured it out.'
'Oh? Well, I'm interested to hear this then.'
'When that elf put you to sleep with that medicine, I could sense that your meditation also stopped.'
I actually wasn't surprised she would know this. I had told her myself in a previous conversation that I managed to reach a constant state of meditation in my previous life, and a few months back I straight up told her that was a goal I was working on for this life as well. By this point, I had largely succeeded.
'Well, of course I can't maintain a meditation even when I'm asleep. This has to do with more than just my meditation though, doesn't it?'
'Yes. And, also, it was right around the time you started really getting good at keeping up your constant meditation that you stopped sleeping as well.'
'Now that you mention it, that does sound right. It didn't have that effect in my previous life though, so how is it doing that here?'
'Well, you know how fey live off spirit energy, right? Well, high level fey like faeries normally also don't need to sleep. However, there is one time that faeries will fall into a sleep that is more like a hibernation. That is when they start to run really low on spirit energy.'
'So, you mentioned before that I seem to be getting spirit energy with my meditation. You are saying that it's enough to override my need to sleep since I'm a fey now?'
'That seems to be the case.'
'It's a good theory. So, I assume that this means it's kinda an opposite effect from what happens with faeries. The faeries only sleep when they are low on spirit energy. Meanwhile, elves don't need to sleep when they have very very high levels of it. Well, I guess at least that bastard putting me to sleep like that solved this little mystery. Thanks for catching that.'
The night after my confrontation with "Ether guy."
After I had talked with Rolwen and Levin about how we were going to fake being sick, Gaerien suddenly called me over. She gave me a look, a look I had come to recognize as her having something to say that was complicated and would require our mind-to-mind communication in order to work. Curious about what she was going to say, I decided to send the boys off to practice on their own while I sat next to her and took her hand.
'I just wanted to tell you something to help you out if you want to really make this faked illness thing work.'
'Well, I don't mean for it to be too good. The larger point of this is just to show Ether guy that we will do as he said and fake illness in front of other people, that way he might give all of us a little more freedom.'
'That's the thing. No matter how good a performance you give, it will never be believable unless you cancel that meditation of yours. I mentioned before how you take in spirit energy and such while you are doing it, right? Well, it actually gives you so much beyond your own needs that there is an overflow. If he can sense that, then the illness thing is not going to be believable.'
'I see. And you're only telling me about this whole excess spirit energy thing now, why?'
'Well, I thought that the boys produced so much that probably not many people would notice. I've started to see that Ether guy acting a little different around you lately though, ever since he took you off on your own to that room. You said he just had you in there a minute and took you right back out, right? I think he cast some sort of spell to scan you and see your energy flow.'
'Again, I think you could have told me about this as soon as you realized that if it was that long ago.'
'Well, I wasn't sure, and…'
'You didn't want me to start holding off on my meditation because it would close that world barrier hole you needed, right?'
'Umm… yeah, I guess you got me there.'
'-sigh-, well, I guess even if you had told me then it would be too late. I do wish you would have told me sooner, but I guess it wouldn't have made a difference. If anything, it would raise suspicion if I had suddenly stopped after he noticed it.'
'Sorry. Also, I think it's kinda funny that you can sigh inside your own mind like that.'
'Whatever. Well, at least you are telling me now. It lets me plan accordingly. So, thanks for that at least.'
Later, the night of the same day.
'You know? What you told me today got me thinking. I've always gotten the impression that you know a fair bit more about my own meditation that I do.'
'Well.. I guess I might know some things you wouldn't.'
'Would you like to elaborate on those things? I don't want to suddenly be caught off guard like I was with Ether guy picking up on my spirit energy from the meditation and all that.'
'So, I told you about how your meditation pierces the world barrier before, right?'
'Yes.'
'Well, your meditation is actually one of the latest and most polished versions of something the ancient mages of Earth started working on in desperation after the Earth's world barrier was first created. When the barrier started resisting their magic, they came up with it as a way to get past the barrier's limitations.'
'Makes sense. So, they came up with a way to put a hole in the world barrier just so they could keep using magic.'
'Yes. It's more than just making a hole though. Remember, the barrier also stopped the fey from being born and so all the mana in the world was eliminated. So, these newer mage's meditations all also had the ability to convert spirit energy into mana on their own, just like a member of the fey would.'
'Hmm… I can't say I ever remember something in my meditation that had something like that.'
'Well, you actually did it all the time in your past life. Remember, I was actually watching you for quite a while. The reason I was following you around was because I saw the haze of mana always surrounding you and your students. So, it's not just you, it's also a lot of the other people in your style who also practice this meditation who can do it.'
'Well, I was never conscious of doing something like that. How can it have that effect without me being aware of it?'
'Well, you might have confused it for something different. It involves taking in large amounts of spirit energy. You remember me saying how spirit energy contains the thoughts of the person who uses it, right? Well, you call your meditation a combat meditation, I can see where reading the thoughts of your opponent might be seen as a part of that.'
'It doesn't read thoughts, it reads intentions. And, on that note, wow. If that's how it is, then I know exactly what you're talking about. The chi of fire and the feeling of fire is a portion of the meditation where you practice spotting your opponent's intention, and getting in to act before them in order to shut down and capitalize on whatever action they were about to take. Interesting something like that should be associated with fire. Perhaps the fire chi is being used to literally burn the spirit energy into mana.'
'Anyway, so, the meditations that the ancient mages came up with that could allow them to still use magic under the world barrier had three things in common. One, they could pierce the world barrier. Two, they could convert spirit energy to mana themselves. And, three, piercing the world barrier actually takes a whole lot of energy in and of itself, a lot more than any normal mage could control. So, all of these meditations have the ability to pull energy from another source and use it immediately to drive it into the world barrier and make the hole that they need. In the early days, it was kinda like they were casting a spell to control the energy and use it as a weapon against the barrier. If you are any example though, it looks like over the millennia it was refined so much that now you can cut a hole in the world barrier with minimal effort of any kind. Honestly, I actually don't even understand how it is that you do what you are doing.'
'Well, I don't understand enough about all this magic stuff to give you a complete answer, but I can tell you that you are absolutely correct about my meditation pulling energy from an outside source. But then, I've told you that already, and you also just mentioned that all the good meditations these days do that anyway. At any rate, I can help you out a little by telling you that the source I pull energy from for my meditation is heaven. I was actually in prayer to god all the time when I did my meditation, and in doing that I got his power and it flowed through me.'
'What!? He actually gave you energy for that!? He literally gave you the energy to pierce his barrier! You've gotta be mistaken!'
'No mistake, that was my method.'
'Well, I suppose it's probably a good thing you never cast a spell. If you were deliberately pulling his attention to you while using his power to help you cast some magic, he would have likely marked you for death. You've heard about the opposition most religions had to witchcraft, right? The gods of Earth absolutely do not like mages. They have a decree that all of them should be put to death.'
'I can't really speak to that one way or the other, but I know I never had any trouble form it.'
End