Chapter 49:
Gathering courage
Constantine:
Nahndor’s words, that there is a ghost around the oldest Caltea, back on Ursula 590, worry me. Robin just told me this morning, after he got a clearance from his Chief. I know it is selfish of me, to leave the transformation up to Daniel, but I am, oh, so, afraid.
A full-body transformation is not to be taken lightly. Not even the most experienced of shamans will do it, without preparations. We are speaking about purification of their mana, clearing of the mind, and, yes, drinking your own emotions, to get more in tune with the surrounding mana.
We lay on the bed, with Daniel being hooked up to the mana bottling machine. The headset looks good on him. His potion is a beige color. I am glad. If it were light blue, my guilt would be drowning me right now.
“Don’t worry about it,” he tells me. “It is not like I will be made to do this tomorrow, or today.”
“A week is too little time to prepare,” I say, and he chuckles.
“I think it is plenty of time, little snake,” he pokes my nose then, and I can’t help but rest a hand over his.
“There are so many things that,” I catch myself trying to talk him out of it, and glance at his potion. It is still the same serene beige color it was moments ago. I breathe a sigh of relief.
“You have nothing to worry about,” he repeats himself for what must be the tenth time tonight. “Or, maybe, you do. I mean, the thief might come after our fun time, and steal this potion.”
“How could you think about sex at a time like this?” I snap, my frail nerves at their end.
“Well, you make me feel like I am a prisoner on death roll,” he says, and I snuggle closer to him. “What with all that doom and gloom. I am just going to perform a bit of magic, little snake. Nothing much to it.”
Even though he sounds sure of himself, the potion color just the faintest shade of blue. I prop myself up on my elbow, and capture his lips in for a kiss.
“What are the chances that we can do it with the headset on?” He asks, wiggling his eyebrows. I chuckle, and look at the potion. The blue glow is replaced with an orange one.
“Pervert,” I tell him, after which, I kiss his nose. He hums his agreement. I lay back in his arms, and do my best to drift off. The last thing he needs, right now, is for me to cause him worry. What if a potion that has undertones that hint at fear makes him confused, when the time of the transformation comes? I hum as he begins to rub my back gently, and slowly, I drift off to sleep.
When I wake up, it is to a noise so quiet, that, had I not been close to waking up already, I would have missed it. The ghost, or whatever the thief is, is standing by the bedside table, with his hand on Daniel’s beige potion.
“Hush,” he tells me, a smile tugging on his lips. “Go back to sleep. There is nothing you can do.”
“Don’t you dare,” I yell, and that wakes Daniel up. He blinks around furiously, until his eyes land on the thief.
“What?” He asks, as the traces of sleep slowly clear from his eyes. “What are you?”
“Someone who is an elderly citizen, and doesn’t like being called a what, or having his home invaded,” the thief picks up the potion, but I am quick. I take a hold of the bottle, and tug it to myself.
“You are not stealing that,” I snarl. I do my best to hide Daniel behind me. Suddenly, I feel a surge of mana behind me. Turning around, I see that Daniel has a black ball of energy in his hands.
“You will leave, without the bottle,” Daniel says, as he throws the ball up and then catches it.
“That is quite dangerous. Did you know you are holding the equivalent of an atomic bomb, in your hands?” The thief asks. Daniel pales, and dispels the ball. “If that thing had fallen anywhere, the entire moon would have gone up in flames, boy.”
I don’t like the drawl in the creature’s voice, but then, the shadows begin to merge with the dust, and the creature begins to absorb the bottle.
“Wait,” I call out to the Naga, in a last-ditch attempt to try and save the potion. “I can trade you for a happiness potion bottled by a child whose family was reunited.”
I don’t really like the idea of pawning off Noah’s potion, but it is the best in our arsenal. Besides, in order for the full-body transformation to work, the potion that the shaman has to drink must be something bottled by him.
“Just where did you hide such a treasure?” The Naga places Daniel’s beige potion back on the bedside table, and looks around. “Well, where is it?”
“Why do you want the potions?” Daniel asks suddenly. I nod along, showing that I too want to know.
“They have a nice kick to them. The best memories are captured in them,” the thief says.
“So, are you saying that for you, bottled emotions are like books?” I ask, as I stand up, and go to the safe, where all the potions have been relocated after the former safe place was proven easily to break into. I hold out the bottle with Noah’s happiness, and the creature takes it. He cradles it in his hand like it is a treasure.
“We can’t read them, per se,” the Naga being says. “But we get a reading for the emotions. And pictures. We can bottle emotions too, but the pictures are clearer, when they are mixed in with the mana of, how do you call your dimension again? I think it was something snobby, but can’t remember.”
“Dimension Alpha,” Daniel says. He goes to me, and takes out a couple of other potions.
“If you turn yourself in, we will give you more potions,” he suggests. The Naga chuckles.
“Nice try, human. As if I will let myself be reprogrammed. I will be taking these,” the shadow Naga snaps his fingers, and all the potions from the safe fly to him.
“Hey,” I try to protest, but the Naga is gone. Still, he gave us a lot of useful information. If he can be reprogrammed, then, how can he be dead?
Chapter 49:
Gathering courage
Constantine:
Nahndor’s words, that there is a ghost around the oldest Caltea, back on Ursula 590, worry me. Robin just told me this morning, after he got a clearance from his Chief. I know it is selfish of me, to leave the transformation up to Daniel, but I am, oh, so, afraid.
A full-body transformation is not to be taken lightly. Not even the most experienced of shamans will do it, without preparations. We are speaking about purification of their mana, clearing of the mind, and, yes, drinking your own emotions, to get more in tune with the surrounding mana.
We lay on the bed, with Daniel being hooked up to the mana bottling machine. The headset looks good on him. His potion is a beige color. I am glad. If it were light blue, my guilt would be drowning me right now.
“Don’t worry about it,” he tells me. “It is not like I will be made to do this tomorrow, or today.”
“A week is too little time to prepare,” I say, and he chuckles.
“I think it is plenty of time, little snake,” he pokes my nose then, and I can’t help but rest a hand over his.
“There are so many things that,” I catch myself trying to talk him out of it, and glance at his potion. It is still the same serene beige color it was moments ago. I breathe a sigh of relief.
“You have nothing to worry about,” he repeats himself for what must be the tenth time tonight. “Or, maybe, you do. I mean, the thief might come after our fun time, and steal this potion.”
“How could you think about sex at a time like this?” I snap, my frail nerves at their end.
“Well, you make me feel like I am a prisoner on death roll,” he says, and I snuggle closer to him. “What with all that doom and gloom. I am just going to perform a bit of magic, little snake. Nothing much to it.”
Even though he sounds sure of himself, the potion color just the faintest shade of blue. I prop myself up on my elbow, and capture his lips in for a kiss.
“What are the chances that we can do it with the headset on?” He asks, wiggling his eyebrows. I chuckle, and look at the potion. The blue glow is replaced with an orange one.
“Pervert,” I tell him, after which, I kiss his nose. He hums his agreement. I lay back in his arms, and do my best to drift off. The last thing he needs, right now, is for me to cause him worry. What if a potion that has undertones that hint at fear makes him confused, when the time of the transformation comes? I hum as he begins to rub my back gently, and slowly, I drift off to sleep.
When I wake up, it is to a noise so quiet, that, had I not been close to waking up already, I would have missed it. The ghost, or whatever the thief is, is standing by the bedside table, with his hand on Daniel’s beige potion.
“Hush,” he tells me, a smile tugging on his lips. “Go back to sleep. There is nothing you can do.”
“Don’t you dare,” I yell, and that wakes Daniel up. He blinks around furiously, until his eyes land on the thief.
“What?” He asks, as the traces of sleep slowly clear from his eyes. “What are you?”
“Someone who is an elderly citizen, and doesn’t like being called a what, or having his home invaded,” the thief picks up the potion, but I am quick. I take a hold of the bottle, and tug it to myself.
“You are not stealing that,” I snarl. I do my best to hide Daniel behind me. Suddenly, I feel a surge of mana behind me. Turning around, I see that Daniel has a black ball of energy in his hands.
“You will leave, without the bottle,” Daniel says, as he throws the ball up and then catches it.
“That is quite dangerous. Did you know you are holding the equivalent of an atomic bomb, in your hands?” The thief asks. Daniel pales, and dispels the ball. “If that thing had fallen anywhere, the entire moon would have gone up in flames, boy.”
I don’t like the drawl in the creature’s voice, but then, the shadows begin to merge with the dust, and the creature begins to absorb the bottle.
“Wait,” I call out to the Naga, in a last-ditch attempt to try and save the potion. “I can trade you for a happiness potion bottled by a child whose family was reunited.”
I don’t really like the idea of pawning off Noah’s potion, but it is the best in our arsenal. Besides, in order for the full-body transformation to work, the potion that the shaman has to drink must be something bottled by him.
“Just where did you hide such a treasure?” The Naga places Daniel’s beige potion back on the bedside table, and looks around. “Well, where is it?”
“Why do you want the potions?” Daniel asks suddenly. I nod along, showing that I too want to know.
“They have a nice kick to them. The best memories are captured in them,” the thief says.
“So, are you saying that for you, bottled emotions are like books?” I ask, as I stand up, and go to the safe, where all the potions have been relocated after the former safe place was proven easily to break into. I hold out the bottle with Noah’s happiness, and the creature takes it. He cradles it in his hand like it is a treasure.
“We can’t read them, per se,” the Naga being says. “But we get a reading for the emotions. And pictures. We can bottle emotions too, but the pictures are clearer, when they are mixed in with the mana of, how do you call your dimension again? I think it was something snobby, but can’t remember.”
“Dimension Alpha,” Daniel says. He goes to me, and takes out a couple of other potions.
“If you turn yourself in, we will give you more potions,” he suggests. The Naga chuckles.
“Nice try, human. As if I will let myself be reprogrammed. I will be taking these,” the shadow Naga snaps his fingers, and all the potions from the safe fly to him.
“Hey,” I try to protest, but the Naga is gone. Still, he gave us a lot of useful information. If he can be reprogrammed, then, how can he be dead?
