Zane blinked at the Spirit.
"โฆHow do I do that?"
๐๐ฃ๐๐๐ ๐๐ช ๐๐๐ฃ๐, said the Spirit. Its face was as stern as always, but Zane got the sense it was enjoying seeing him a little stumped.
๐๐ ๐ฆ ๐๐ฆ๐ค๐ฅ ๐ก๐ฃ๐ ๐๐๐๐ฅ ๐ช๐ ๐ฆ๐ฃ ๐ค๐ ๐ฆ๐! ๐น๐ฆ๐ฅ ๐ฅ๐๐๐ฃ๐'๐ค ๐๐ ๐๐ฆ๐๐๐ ๐ฅ๐ ๐๐ฅ. ๐๐๐ ๐ ๐๐๐ช ๐จ๐๐ช ๐ฅ๐ ๐๐๐ ๐จ ๐๐ค ๐ฅ๐ ๐๐๐๐ ๐๐ฅ ๐ช๐ ๐ฆ๐ฃ๐ค๐๐๐. ๐๐ฅ'๐ค ๐ ๐๐๐ฅ๐ฅ๐๐ฃ ๐ ๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐.
With that rather unhelpful tip in hand, Zane turned back to the drake. It started opening its mouth. And a smoldering blackness gathered in the depths of its throat; a wicked heat poured out like some hellish furnace opening.
๐'๐ ๐๐ฆ๐ฃ๐ฃ๐ช ๐๐ ๐ ๐จ๐๐ฃ๐ ๐ช๐ ๐ฆ.
The Spirit was definitely enjoying this. It was even smiling a little.
Zane frowned at it. Then he closed his eyes, sank his mind deep into his body. Feeling things out.
He heard a rumbling before himโfelt a tide of heat washing over, crackling, sizzling, felt sparks of it pricking at the edges of his soulโฆ.
โ๐๐ฃ๐ ๐๐ฅ ๐๐ ๐๐๐ค! said the Spirit.
Zane took a deep breath, probing deeper. Inโฆ outโฆ inโฆ
The fires blasted him in the face.
A crashing wave of smoldering shadow-flameโbut his Red Moon Shield flickered up too, instantly blocking it off. The flames splashed against the barrier, sputtering out harmless. Zane heard the Spirit sigh.
๐๐๐๐ค ๐๐ค ๐๐๐๐๐ฅ ๐ฅ๐ ๐๐ ๐๐๐ฃ๐ฃ๐ ๐จ๐๐๐, ๐ช๐ ๐ฆ ๐๐๐ ๐จ, grumbled the Spirit. ๐๐๐ โ๐๐ ๐๐ ๐ ๐ ๐ผ๐๐ก๐๐ฃ๐ ๐ฃ ๐จ๐๐ค ๐๐ฆ๐ค๐ฅ ๐๐๐ ๐ฆ๐ฅ ๐ค๐ ๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐ค๐๐๐ ๐๐ฅ ๐ฅ๐๐๐ค ๐ก๐๐ฃ๐ฅ.ย He ignored it.
He was noticing something interesting now that he paid close attention. His soul-body was not as solid as he'd first thought. It was pretty fuzzy at the edges. And his insides all felt the same.
He scratched his head.
It was not really a body, now that he looked at it. It was more likeโฆ a bucket. A bucket that held the stuff of his soul.
The shape of him was simply how he perceived himself. Big enough to hold all his soul. But that was all.
"Huh," said Zane.
This made a good deal of sense to him, actually. He had felt just how squishy his soul was when he had brought it into his body during his Nascent Soul breakthrough.
If you thought about it like that, maybe Skills were sort of like shapes. Shapes that held essence and soul.
It popped into his head as an idle thought, more of a feeling than anything. But the moment he had it something seemed to click. It just felt right.
In Zane's experience, if it felt right, it was. He seemed to have a pretty good sense of these things. Reina thought it was more than thatโshe was sure he had a gift for it, maybe because of his soul. That bit Zane wasn't so sure about. But it was how he tended to learn Laws and Skills. It was a good thing to trust his intuition.
In the background, he got blasted in the face again. The drake made a whining sound.
๐ ๐๐๐ ๐จ, ๐ ๐๐๐ ๐จ, sighed the Spirit. ๐น๐ฆ๐ฅ ๐จ๐๐๐ฅ ๐๐ ๐ ๐ค๐ฆ๐ก๐ก๐ ๐ค๐๐ ๐ฅ๐ ๐๐ ๐๐๐ ๐ฆ๐ฅ ๐๐ฅ? ๐๐ฆ๐ค๐ฅ ๐๐ ๐ ๐ ๐๐ฅ ๐๐๐!
Zane kept prodding around in his soul. Tried extending the shape a bit, right around the bellyโand the moment he did he knew he was right. It did feel like it kind of fluid. It stretched just as his shape did.
It was tied to how he thought of himself, he realized.
He kept poking around with it, fascinated. Trying to loosen the hard boundaries of himself. He quickly found changing his body shape here wasn't so easy.
Firstโhis size made making any big changes pretty hard. But it was deeper than that. He thought about transforming his fist into another shapeโmaybe a hammerโand got whacked with a splitting migraine instantly.
He groaned.
It seemed Zane simply did not believe he was a man with hammer-fists. It was a matter of identity, of ego. It wasn't so easy to change on a whim.
Maybe he didn't really need to change it, though. Maybe he could just loosen the shape in placesโpour some of his soul-stuff out. Release some of himself to chuck into an attack.
"Hmm," said Zane.
Another hot blast whacked him in the face.
He felt like he might be able to do it, if he really focusedโฆ it was worth giving a shot, he supposed.
๐๐๐๐ค ๐ ๐๐'๐ค ๐๐ ๐ฅ ๐ค๐ ๐๐๐ค๐ช, ๐๐ค ๐๐ฅ? said the Spirit, stroking its beard. It sounded distinctly smug. โ๐๐ฃ๐๐๐ก๐ค โ๐๐ ๐๐ ๐ ๐ โ๐๐๐ ๐๐ ๐๐ค๐'๐ฅ ๐ค๐ ๐ค๐๐๐ก๐๐ ๐๐๐ฅ๐๐ฃ ๐๐๐! ๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐ค ๐ฅ๐ ๐๐ ๐๐ฉ๐ก๐๐๐ฅ๐๐โ๐๐ฅ ๐๐ค ๐ ๐ง๐๐๐๐ฃ๐๐๐๐ ๐ฅ๐ฃ๐๐๐ค๐ฆ๐ฃ๐ ๐ ๐ ๐ฅ๐๐ ๐ป๐ฃ๐๐๐ ๐๐ค๐ก๐ช๐ฃ๐ ๐พ๐๐๐๐ฉ๐ช. ๐๐ ๐ช๐ ๐ฆ ๐ฅ๐๐ ๐ฆ๐๐๐ฅ ๐ช๐ ๐ฆ ๐๐ ๐ฆ๐๐ ๐ค๐ฅ๐ฃ๐ ๐๐ ๐๐ ๐๐๐ฃ๐ ๐จ๐๐๐๐ช-๐๐๐๐๐ช ๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐ฃ ๐๐ฅ๐ค ๐๐๐๐๐๐ค ๐๐ ๐ ๐๐๐ชโ
Zane raised one big hand.
Light streamed out from him. Gathering before him, making a blob, burgeoning fast, growing more solid each passing second. Zane just held it there, brow creased, as it trembledโit wasn't an easy thing.
He had to cradle it with his will from the outside. And hold it together from his inside too, pulling with his soul itself. It was quite a strange sensation, pushing and pulling, keeping the shape. But the more he poured the more he felt solid with it.
His main body dimmed as that blob grew bigger and brighter.
The Pagoda Spirit choked off, eyes bulging. It was quiet for a few seconds. Then it hung its head and sighed. โฆ๐ธ๐๐ ๐ ๐ ๐๐ ๐ฆ๐ฃ๐ค๐ ๐ช๐ ๐ฆ'๐ง๐ ๐๐ ๐ฅ ๐๐ฅ ๐๐๐ฃ๐๐๐๐ช.
"What now," said Zane.
๐๐ ๐ฆ ๐ค๐๐๐ ๐ฅ๐ ๐๐๐ง๐ ๐ฅ๐๐๐๐๐ค ๐๐๐๐ฆ๐ฃ๐๐ ๐ ๐ฆ๐ฅ, said the Spirit.
"โฆaren't you supposed to be helping me?" said Zane, a bit perplexed.
๐๐ ๐ฆ ๐๐ ๐'๐ฅ ๐๐๐๐ ๐๐ช ๐๐๐๐ก. ๐๐ ๐ฆ'๐ฃ๐ ๐๐ ๐๐๐ ๐ฅ๐๐๐๐๐ค ๐๐ฆ๐ค๐ฅ ๐๐๐๐. ๐พ๐ ๐ ๐โ๐๐๐๐ ๐ ๐จ๐๐ช ๐ฅ๐ ๐๐๐๐ ๐๐ฅ.
He got the sense the Spirit was a little miffed. Thenโ๐ธ๐๐ฃ๐๐๐๐ฅ, ๐๐๐ฃ๐๐๐๐ฅ. ๐ฝ๐๐๐! ๐๐๐๐ ๐๐ ๐๐โ๐๐ฆ๐ฅ ๐ช๐ ๐ฆ'๐ฃ๐ ๐๐ ๐ฅ ๐๐ ๐๐ ๐ช๐๐ฅ! ๐๐ ๐ฆ'๐๐ ๐๐๐ง๐ ๐ฅ๐ ๐ค๐๐๐ก๐ ๐๐ฅ ๐๐ ๐จ. ๐๐๐๐ ๐ ๐จ๐๐๐ก๐ ๐ ๐ ๐ ๐๐ฅ, ๐จ๐๐๐ฅ๐๐ง๐๐ฃ ๐ช๐ ๐ฆ ๐๐๐๐: ๐ค๐ก๐๐๐ฃ, ๐ค๐จ๐ ๐ฃ๐, ๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐ ๐ช๐ ๐ฆ ๐จ๐๐๐ฅ. ๐๐๐๐ ๐จ๐๐๐๐ ๐๐ฅ.
Zane blinked at the Spirit. Then at the drake, which was also patiently waiting for him. It appeared to have given up on blasting him. It had accepted its fate.
He inspected the shapeless shining purple blob floating above. It was like a giant boulder now, churning with thick currents of soulโฆ there was quite a bit of weight on it. It shone at least as bright as the drake.
He considered how he would go about shaping it. There was a lot of soul floating thereโit was quite hard just keeping it up. He got the feeling changing its shape would be quite a headache.
Thenโ
"Do I have to make a weapon," said Zane.
The Spirit stared at him. ๐๐ ๐๐ ๐ฆ๐ฃ๐ค๐! โ๐ ๐จ ๐๐๐ค๐ ๐๐ ๐ช๐ ๐ฆ ๐ก๐๐๐ ๐ ๐ ๐ค๐๐๐ช๐๐๐ ๐๐ฅ?
"Why can't I just drop it."
๐๐๐๐ฅโ๐๐ค ๐๐ค?
"Yes."
The Pagoda paused. Squinted at Zane's blob. โฆ๐ ๐๐๐๐โ
Zane dropped it. The drake shrieked.
There was a crunch, and then a silence.
His blob rolled over.
The drake had been flattened quite nicely. It was mostly a bloody splotch, with chunks of bone sticking out here and there.
๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐ฃ๐๐๐!
๐ผ๐๐ก๐๐ฃ๐ ๐ฃ'๐ค ๐๐๐๐๐ฅ [๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐ฃ๐ช (๐)]
Nice.
โฆ๐๐๐๐ฅโฆ ๐ฅ๐๐๐ฅ'๐ค ๐๐ ๐ฅโ the Pagoda Spirit was twitching a little. ๐๐๐๐ฅ'๐ค ๐๐ ๐ฅ ๐๐ ๐จ ๐ฅ๐๐๐ค ๐๐ฉ๐๐ฃ๐๐๐ค๐ ๐๐ค ๐ค๐ฆ๐ก๐ก๐ ๐ค๐๐ ๐ฅ๐ ๐๐ .
It seemed to work out for Zane, though. He happily put away his blob.
๐๐ ๐ฆ'๐ฃ๐ ๐๐๐๐๐ฅ ๐ฅ๐ ๐ค๐๐๐ก๐ ๐๐ฅ ๐๐๐ฅ๐ ๐ ๐จ๐๐๐ก๐ ๐, said the Spirit. ๐๐๐๐ฅโฆ ๐จ๐๐ค ๐๐ ๐ฅ ๐ค๐ฆ๐ก๐ก๐ ๐ค๐๐ ๐ฅ๐ ๐๐ ๐๐๐ ๐ฆ๐๐ ๐ฅ๐ ๐๐๐๐ ๐๐ฅ.
"I am big," Zane informed the Pagoda Spirit.
๐ ๐๐๐ ๐ค๐๐ ๐ฅ๐๐๐ฅ, snapped the Spirit. It took a deep breath, pinched the bridge of its noseโ๐น๐ฆ๐ฅ ๐ฅ๐๐๐ฅ'๐ค ๐๐ ๐ฅโ๐๐ฅ'๐คโ๐ช๐ ๐ฆ ๐๐๐ ๐จ ๐จ๐๐๐ฅ? โ๐๐ฃ๐.
It waved a handโand a new ghost began to form. A broader shadow, lengthening fastโsoon it eclipsed the size of the drake, rising to towering heights. Four heads, each drooling black tar, smoking black flames, eyes piercing redโฆ.
๐พ๐ฃ๐๐๐ฅ๐๐ฃ ๐๐ฆ๐ฅ๐๐๐ฅ ๐๐๐๐๐ ๐จ ๐ป๐ฃ๐๐๐ (๐ผ๐ค๐ค๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐ง๐๐ ๐๐ก๐ก)
Zane considered it.
๐๐ ๐ฆ ๐ค๐๐? said the Spirit. ๐๐๐๐ฅ ๐๐๐ก๐ก๐๐๐ค ๐จ๐๐๐ ๐ช๐ ๐ฆ ๐๐๐๐ฅ ๐ค๐ ๐๐๐ฅ๐๐๐๐ ๐ช๐ ๐ฆ ๐๐๐'๐ฅ ๐ค๐๐๐ก๐๐ช ๐ค๐๐๐ค๐? ๐ธ๐ฅ ๐ค๐ ๐๐ ๐ก๐ ๐๐๐ฅ ๐ช๐ ๐ฆ'๐๐ ๐๐๐ง๐ ๐ฅ๐ โ
It cut off.
Because right then, a new blob was beginning to form.
The blob got bigger.
โค๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐ฃ! said the Spirit. ๐๐ ๐ฆ ๐๐๐'๐ฅ ๐ค๐๐๐ก๐๐ชโ
It choked off.
Since at that point the blob had swelled past the size of the drake, looming over it, drenching the realm in shocking Stormfire purple. It was like a scene out of time, a freeze-frame of a meteor about to wipe out a dinosaur.
"โฆ"
The Greater Drake shrieked.
Zane dropped his blob.
CRUNCH.
His blob rolled away. The Spirit looked like it didn't know whether to laugh or cry.
Zane nodded, quite pleased.
There really was a simple pleasure to bigness. After all that confusion today, this was a nice healing moment. It was just as he'd thoughtโbigger was better. This experience was restoring his worldview quite nicely.
๐๐ ๐ฆ ๐๐๐'๐ฅ ๐๐ฆ๐ค๐ฅ ๐๐๐๐ก ๐ค๐๐ฅ๐ฅ๐๐๐ ๐ ๐ ๐ฅ๐๐๐! cried the Spirit, throwing up its hands. ๐๐ ๐ฆ ๐๐๐ง๐ ๐ฅ๐ ๐๐๐ฅ๐ฆ๐๐๐๐ช ๐ฆ๐ค๐ ๐ฅ๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐โ๐ฅ๐๐๐ฅ'๐ค ๐๐ ๐จ ๐ช๐ ๐ฆ ๐๐๐ง๐๐ ๐๐ฅ ๐ฆ๐ก!
"Okay fine," said Zane.
The next time it summoned a creatureโsome Earth GiantโZane gave his blob a shape. Made it a bit smaller on one end, a bit bigger on the other. He named it the 'Club of Zane,' and whacked the thing. It got the job done nicely.
๐๐๐๐๐ ๐ฆ๐ก!
๐ผ๐๐ก๐๐ฃ๐ ๐ฃ'๐ค ๐๐๐๐๐ฅ ๐ -> ๐๐
Next the Spirit chucked up a Bog Hippo. It was much like a normal hippoโbut bigger, messier, and muddier, with two tombstone-like front teeth.
This time Zane added a spike to his club. It was more of a dulled tooth than a real spike, but he was happy with his progress. WHACK!
๐๐๐๐๐ ๐ฆ๐ก!
๐ผ๐๐ก๐๐ฃ๐ ๐ฃ'๐ค ๐๐๐๐๐ฅ ๐๐ -> ๐๐๐
It didn't take many more whacks before he could fashion his soul into all the basic shapes. Triangles, rectangles. Rectangles on trianglesโsomething like a sword. The shape didn't much matterโthey all squished the sameโbut he enjoyed playing around with it anyway.
๐พ๐ ๐ ๐ ๐๐ฃ๐๐๐, muttered the Spirit. ๐๐๐๐! ๐ธ๐๐ฅ๐๐ฃ ๐ฅ๐๐๐ค, ๐๐๐ช ๐ธ๐ค๐๐๐๐๐๐๐ฅ๐ค ๐ช๐ ๐ฆ ๐๐ ๐๐ ๐๐๐ฃ๐ ๐ค๐ค ๐๐๐ ๐๐๐ฅ๐ฅ๐๐ฃ ๐ก๐ฃ๐๐ช ๐ฅ๐๐๐ช'๐ง๐ ๐๐ ๐ฅ ๐ค๐ ๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐ค๐ฅ๐ฃ๐ ๐๐ ๐ค๐ ๐ฆ๐-๐ค๐๐๐๐๐๐คโ๐๐๐ ๐๐ง๐๐ ๐ฅ๐๐๐โฆ It shuddered. ๐๐๐๐ฅ ๐ฅ๐๐๐๐ ๐๐ค ๐๐ฃ๐๐๐๐๐ช ๐ฅ๐๐ฃ๐ฃ๐๐๐ช๐๐๐.
"What thing."
It just gestured to Zane. Or rather, his soul-body.
"Oh."
Zane was getting a bit exhausted by the end of the session. But he had made good progress. It still wasn't easyโeven moving his soul around took a lot of effort. But he could see a clear path to that next Stormfire Concept.
Now he'd gotten this far, he also saw how much there was left to go. Making basic static shapes was not the same thing as lighting raging Stormfire. He would have to use those Skills in the physical plane and the astral, all at onceโฆ.
He wasn't so convinced anymore he could put it together with just Law Visions. To get Plasma and Focused Intensity he had to experience greater Stormfires in flesh. He needed one more piece. But he felt pretty close.
๐๐๐๐๐ ๐ฆ๐ก!
๐ผ๐๐ก๐๐ฃ๐ ๐ฃ'๐ค ๐๐๐๐๐ฅ ๐๐ -> ๐
๐๐๐๐ฅ'๐ค ๐๐ค ๐๐๐ฃ ๐๐ค ๐ช๐ ๐ฆ ๐๐ ๐๐๐๐ ๐ฃ๐ ๐ธ๐ค๐๐๐๐๐๐๐ฅ, said the Spirit. It looked like it had been through a lot. ๐ ๐ค๐ฆ๐ก๐ก๐ ๐ค๐ ๐'๐๐ ๐ค๐๐ ๐ช๐ ๐ฆ ๐ฅ๐๐๐. ๐๐ ๐ฅ๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐ฅ๐๐๐โฆ ๐ ๐๐ ๐๐ ๐๐๐ ๐ฅ๐ ๐ฅ๐๐๐ ๐ ๐ง๐๐ฃ๐ช ๐๐ ๐๐ ๐๐๐ก.