"Your days are numbered. Use them to throw open the windows of your soul to the sun. If you do not, the sun will soon set, and you with it."
― Marcus Aurelius, The Emperor's Handbook
Mara stretched her back. Several pops filled the air and she let out a heavy sigh. Kalina had kept her busy all day. The little imp had puppeted Ven like a marionette, then placed him in all kinds of embarrassing situations. Mara left the tiny goddess to her fun, an escape that left her a bit guilty.
"Ahh... he'll be fine." She rubbed her eyes and pushed open the door to the guild. "I need to get cleaned up..." The filth from her breakthrough still covered her body, a tacky film that trapped sand and dirt in her fur. She trudged through the random hallways that made up ninety percent of Aangor's guild. She'd long given up on learning the layout. Instead, she walked without a destination, aimless until her door appeared before her.
"I swear it takes longer when I'm trying to find it..." Mara shook her head. "I bet it's just Aangor's idea of a joke."
"I would never!" The big ape's voice rumbled out from behind her.
"AANGOR!" Mara yelped. "DONT.... don't sneak up on me, ok?" She turned to face the ape, tired eyes squinted in his direction. "I get enough of that with Kalina."
"Apologies," Aangor bowed his armored head. "But we must step up your training."
His words weighed on Mara's shoulders. She just wanted to sleep. Today's events had been stressful and she needed some time to herself.
"Tomorrow," She raised her hands. "We can start tomorrow."
"A Nirvana tier cultivator can go for weeks without sleep." Aangor frowned. "Is there a problem with your foundation?"
"Nothing like that..." Mara shook her head, hand on the latch of her door. "It's just been a long day, I need to give my brain a rest." She smiled at the confused ape as she opened her room.
"Very well." Aangor bent his kneck in another bow. "I will return tomorrow." His large frame shifted, a mountain of iron and fur that strode away from her.
The idea that the ape would obey someone like her still chilled the blood in Mara's heart. He said Ooulin gave me the guild, so I'm his master now... The big avatar held the highest position in the Knights of the World, and now she could command him as she wished. I hope he's up for managing the order for me, Mara's first command to Aangor had been to take on the role of the current Grandmaster.
Until she was strong enough to take the position, it needed to be filled. No one would accept anything less than a Semi-Divine as the leader of the Knights. A sigh escaped her lips as she pushed her way into her quarters.
"It might take a hundred years to become a Nirvana Lord, and longer than that to even touch the edge of semi-divinity..." Mara padded into the large bathroom and put aside her worries. "Whatever, at least this place has an amazing bath!"
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"Ahhhhhh!" Ven extended his limbs, a mighty stretch that cracked every joint in his body. "That's much better!" He sat up and flexed his arms. "Hmmm, I look the same, but..."
Ven poked at his smooth black skin. Underneath was a vast amount of power. His aura naturally absorbed some of it, but he would have to be more careful than ever. Ven winced, the mental image of accidentally exploding Mara or Brull was enough to motivate him. He urged his aura into action and suppressed himself in a layer of shadow.
"That should do it..."
"Awake, are you?"
Ven's face twitched and he turned to face his halfling nemesis. Eventually, I'll just go numb to jump scares... Nothing he did could detect the little monster's presence.
"Can you please stop that..."
"No, now come on!" Rafe reached out and grabbed Ven's shoulder. The halfling tugged, but Ven didn't even shift in his bed. "Oh! You've gotten much heavier, huh?"
"I guess... hey stop that!"
Rafe shoved the end of a flattened metal rod under Ven's butt. The halfling levered it back and forth as he shifted Ven towards the edge of his bed.
"Let's go!" Rafe ignored him, and soon Ven was forced to stand or fall. "You missed the royal banquet, but the king left a command that you come to see him as soon as you wake up!"
"What does he want?" Ven rubbed his lower back as he glared at the halfling. "I'm not interested in playing with nobles and diplomats."
"Pffft!" Rafe laughed. "The king is the strongest Semi-Divine in the country," He grabbed Ven by the coattails and dragged him out of the room. "He's a half-step from accending to an Earth Deity and I didn't ask him what he wanted."
"Really?" Ven's mouth watered. The core of someone at that level would be delicious...
"Hey!" Rafe slapped Ven on the back of his head. "No thinking about eating the King!" The small man gave Ven a dark look. "He might be a pompous dragon-kin, but he's the only one protecting the country."
"Yah, yah. I wasn't going to try anything, just a bit of fantasy." Ven waved off the halfling's rebuke. Maybe if they start the fight it would be ok... He grinned. Nobles usually liked to pick fights with others. If they made the first move, he would be eating dragon tonight.
"I don't believe you..." Rafe frowned. "But whatever, if you try something I can watch the Dragon King squish you like a bug."
"We'll see about that..." Ven squeezed his fist. The tribulation energy had tempered his body, maybe a fight with a peak Semi-Divine was just what he needed.
"I doubt it," Rafe rolled his eyes at Ven's casual remark. "His majesty isn't good at much, but he's a terror on the battlefield." The halfling tugged Ven along, out the door and into the marble streets. "If you're not careful, he'll eat you."
"Eat me?" Ven raised his eyebrows.
"Dragon, remember?" Rafe flicked Ven between his eyes. "Just like you, they get stronger the more they eat, and the Royals are over fifty percent dragon."
Rafe's words widened Ven's grin, as if compelled to mimic a shark. Maybe his trip into the labyrinth had twisted his brain, but this information only caused his stomach to rumble.
I bet real dragon is tasty...