Hold firm, I have got to hold firm.
Lightning struck from ceiling to floor, smiting me with massive bursts of divine retribution as the pill dissolved itself into my gut. I felt my body burning from the outside as I sat myself down, meditating to numb the pain.
I focused on spreading this energy inside of me to a consistency across my body, like butter and jam against warm toast. It wasn't efficient and I had to desperately focus. Perhaps in the example I gave, it would be as if I were using my nose to spread the substance. My extant control over this vague and foreign energy was not exactly up to par with my control over Void Energy, Alchemy, and Magic. Whatever this was, it bent to none of my commands without serious focus and the restructuring of my internals. I felt my veins flip and spur around in circles as my muscles spasmed from the lightning, like fighting a foe from the outside and inside at the same time.
I thought back briefly, to those men struck by lightning. They were so serene in their meditation that in comparison I likely look like a toddler throwing a fit over some lesser issue.
Flowing through my body, I felt energy slowly clearing its way back into my… my flow was being balanced, energy was created and now pumping out of me- that Void that devoured me inside out began focusing on that, subsisting off of the natural flow of energy. The lightning itself was also a nice boost, as it flowed directly from my body into my core- tickling and stimulating like you would a… umm, ahem.
Once satisfied with the amount of lightning poured into me, the disembodied voice seemingly granted me an approving nod before leaving. Before considering what sort of implication the idea that I can judge a person's expression and actions without even seeing them, I collapsed onto my back and sprawled out. I was a charred mess, as black as coal.
I coughed for a bit, laying out on my back and staring up at the ceiling of my small room. Everything hurt, same as usual with my day to day life.
Perhaps I need some pain killers because I'm getting too old. Damn, hmm… all this time and still no children besides adoption, a shame.
Post-Shock-Therapy-Clarity aside, it's best I continue working forward. With new power comes new capabilities. Now that I'm not actively dying to activate my abilities, I can focus on honing this new power… and continue with earlier plans.
Primordial Realms, let's see…
I lifted my cell phone / pod thing to my face, squinting with blurry eyes to the screen. Personally, I've never used one of these things before so the uptake was quite slow. Memories of cellphones and computers reminded me of the original programing I'd done for Automata using hard magic triggers. Primitive, but it worked.
I don't suppose newer models implement computer tech, but I sure hope Scarab at least standardized that. I'll have to pull one of these soldiers apart one day, if merely to research them further.
The messages were slightly overwhelming. Notifications for new missions for the Automata, information broadcasts, and plenty more of streamlined data. I checked and scrolled bitterly through the device, clawing down through it's paths and trying to wrangle out where I make calls and send personal mail.
Through the notifications tab, I found I had a missed call from Arch. Pressing on it, I was automatically placed into the messaging app. I simply pressed the green button with a ringing phone on it, which was guided after a few ten minutes of agonizing pain for my younger souls.
"Ah, morning morning-!" After a short ring, he picked up. "Avery, whew. Looks like you finally figured out the message system."
"Y-yeah, um- you can hear me properly right? This is so much more clear and efficient than magic but I'm not used to it-" I fumbled around with the volume keys for a bit as more and more memories snapped into place.
"Good, good. It's good to see you getting up to some interesting stuff again after not hearing from you for so long, it takes me back- you'd only contact me when you discovered some new magic and I'd call you for favors."
I smiled as I remembered the past, "I recall very keenly you still owing me back after a certain someone ran out of rations."
"Yeah yeah, " He replied with a metaphorical eye-roll. "Alright, well, I can make it up to ya. I got these rocks recently, massive plumes of Chronurgy Magic inside of them. I've already sent them your way funny enough, Scarab offered a good deal for me."
"Haha, well, shit, you really do have the luck of a human. I was coincidentally looking for that sort of thing, so that makes my job easier… hah…" I sighed into the phone.
"It takes you back, doesn't it?" He sighed as well. "Working together like this."
"Yeah, it really does."
…
There was silence for a brief moment. I could almost feel the tears welling up in his eyes. I didn't even need to mention her name, nor their names, for us to both think about our lost friends and family.
Luriel was once a great witch, her unique magic being one known as 'Sepulcher'. It was… so interesting, and so lovely. They made a really good couple, and… yet, I can't help but wonder if those days are truly gone. Melody should still be around, perhaps within the world tree busily working away, or perhaps she has perished- and none of us are any wiser.
"Arch." I whispered. "Do you remember… when we first made a world together-? H-Hah… I still remember your True Name…"
"Avery- Stop, you are going to make me cry." He lightly sobbed. "Hurry up and fix this damn world, okay asshole?
I gave out a soft, saddened smile. "Sure thing."