Chapter 397: Tests and Discussions
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Chapter 397: Tests and Discussions
Tala might have made a mistake.
Flow had just let out a resonant crack, which had vibrated through the very structure of her sanctum.
That made sense. Both were soulbound to her, and so they affected one another on a deep level.
Still, Tala could see precisely what had occurred, and so she wasnt panicking yet.
Rane and Master Tai had noticed that something had happened, but that was about all that they were capable of perceiving.
Master Tai had likely felt void be introduced into the weapon maybe.
Actually, probably not.
She didnt think he would be able to penetrate her aura around her soulbound weapon when it was in her hand, and she wasnt trying to let him examine it.
Still, it might have resonated in a way that made the void able to be sensed.
So, focus on what is happening, Tala. You only have a moment to fix things, here.
As a soulbound weapon, Flow was as indestructible as her own soul.
Her iron was basically dust, so it being penetrated wasnt it being damaged or destroyed.
Huh I should probably absorb some iron plates That might make incredibly powerful armor.
But no, her elk leathers could be damaged sort of. And soulbound armor wasnt actually invincible, otherwise everyone would just get marginally magical clothing and soulbond it for near invulnerability.
So, Flows magic is almost as durable as my soul, but its physical shape is not.
It was also important to note that the effect created by the magic wasnt as durable as her soul, just the magics themselves.
With regard to analysis, that was a good start, because the physical shape now was full of jagged cracks.
She was not panicking. That would be counterproductive.
She grimaced.
The cracksthe voidhad not followed her guidance or desires.
The void had not obeyed her directives.
Because I have no claim on the void. It was like throwing a steak I own before a wild dog then being angry that it didnt bite the meat how I wanted it to.
That was fine.
Well, no, it wasnt fine, but it was fixable.
She even had the perfect magic within her bag of tricks.
Her elk leathers had inherent magic for the drawing back together of sundered, dead matter. Which was a long-winded, slightly technical, way of saying that those magics could repair nonliving things such as Flow.The source of this content nov(el)bi((n))
They wouldnt be a perfect match, but they should be able to help.
Thus, she aspect mirrored those magics onto and into Flow.
Then, with intense focus, aided by Alat, she forced the knife back into shape, using its own magics to bind it together.
To add to the process, she burned her magics to massively magnify Flows gravitational attraction to itself, directly across the largest cracks, splitting her working in more directions than she had ever managed before.
When it was pressed tight, but not quite whole, she forced power through Flow, changing it into the form of a sword.
The morphic qualities of the weapon allowed it to flow almost like a liquid, taking the new shape.
There was no damage to Flow in its sword form..
With a bit of trepidation, she cut off the increased stream of power from Flow, and it returned to the shape of a knife.
She examined Flow from tip to pommel.
It felt like she examined every molecule, looking for inconsistencies or flaws.
Finally, she let out a sigh of relief.
That was a rusting terrible idea, Tala.
-...youre acting as me again.-
Well, moving the realization of my own stupidity from you to me seems like a step in the right direction.
-I suppose you arent wrong? We definitely should have consulted some people before we tried that.-
Noted.
-Also, maybeand hear me out hereyou should probably heal from one slightly crazy experiment before trying another?-
yeah. Ill try to keep that in mind.
Still, her weapon was whole once more.
She had a splitting headache from hyper focusing, the world seemed a little fuzzy, and her gate feltoff, but Flow was back in top form.
At that point, Rane and Master Tai reached her.
Tala, is everything alright?
Mistress Tala?
Tala forced herself to smile up at them. I just tried something that I should have researched more thoroughly first.
Rane huffed a laugh, clearly not surprised. Well, you seem whole. Will there be any lasting damage?
No? She was able to focus more, and blessedly, her gates offness was mainly just a nebulous feeling of soreness, as odd as that sensation was, but she couldnt see anything wrong with it or with Flow. I dont think so.
He nodded once. Alright then.
Master Tai gave her a long look, clearly more uncertain than Rane. Is there anything that we can do to assist?
No, thank you, Master Tai. You two can continue your conversation. I apologize for the distraction.
Ranes countenance had changed, and he now looked a bit concerned. Honestly, Ive got a lot to digest, mentally speaking.
Master Tai shrugged and sat down along with Rane. Lets talk through some of the more esoteric things about void-magic that Ive come across.
Tala hesitated, obviously realizing that theyd picked up on something crazy happening, and they didnt want to leave her to it.
-That actually is a bit kind. Theyd leave if you asked, but at least Rane is biasing it toward him being here for you. Master Tai just isnt interested in wandering away on his own.-
Yeah.
So, the three began to discuss the void.
* * *
Tala did not like times of recovery, even if they mostly consisted of her eating and lightly training rather than being bedridden or anything similar.
This time, however, she had another thing to focus on, and it made the whole process more bearable.
Honestly, it gave her insight into how some people could spend centuries in contemplation.
In her discussions with Master Tai and Rane, something blindingly obvious had come to her mind.
Kit was a voidling.
-Oh, We were just granted access to the results of scans.- Alat went silent for a long breath.
Tala felt like she was on the edge of her seat, even though she was standing.
Then, the little iron construct that she had over her left shoulder popped with a sound like a bursting balloon, raining iron dust down over that side of her body.
The others turned and looked her way.
Master Grediv raised an eyebrow, but both Mistress Vanga and Rane were smiling, having gotten used to similar things over the past weeks.
Sorry about that. I got distracted. Tala closed her eyes, grimacing. Really, Alat? Now?
-We want to be always vigilant.-
Tala growled internally, but easily willed all the iron back together over her left shoulder. Fine.
She then immediately deflected an attack on the shape above her other shoulder. That started a back and forth clash of Alats will against Talas. Since they were equal in power, they both had to be clever in their tactics.
They continued their internal dialogue, even as they mentally circled one another. So?
-Well, hes got a good chance. Mistress Vanga puts the success rate of those in similar situations at a solid fifty-five percent.-
Tala carefully controlled her expression as Rane seemed to be contemplating as well.
-That is really, really good, Tala.-
I know. I know. She knew that she shouldnt panic; she shouldnt see this as a bad result.
After all, it was more likely than not that he would succeed, and even if he didnt, hed be around for a very long time.
It was even more difficult, though, because her own odds hadnt been able to be calculated. No one had ever Refined with quite the same set of circumstances as she had.
She had been in a place of trying to Refine and maybe die, or dont Refine and definitely die sooner than later.
How is the success rate if he goes for the less intense or shorter sessions?
-Lets see twenty percent. Thats not great, but he wont take that path.-
He might. Refining is rusting awful, and it would be nice to lessen the difficulty.
-Lessen the felt difficulty, while increasing the actual difficulty and lowering the chance of success.-
Yeah
Talas gaze flicked to Master Grediv, confirming what her threefold vision had shown her.
He was regarding her with calm intensity.
That doesnt make sense. How can something be calmly intense?
-Is the description wrong?-
No She sighed internally, still keeping her outward reactions to a minimum.
Though, she did smile at Rane reassuringly when he glanced her way.
Rane nodded once. Alright. How do I choose the intensity and length?
Mistress Vanga smiled encouragingly. That is an excellent question. Intensity is set before each session begins and cannot be changed once it starts.
That makes sense.
As to length, its as long as you can hold onto the Refining device, up to the maximum for that session, when the construct will power down.
As long as I can hold on?
Yes. The initial session locks you into the process, as otherwise regardless, the intensity and duration are fixed for the first session, and once begun, they cannot be altered.
I noticed that.
For all further sessions, you can let go at any time, ending the session.
But if I do that, I have to recover before the next session?
Exactly, yes. If you stop, that is the end of that session.
I think I understand. Can I ask some other questions?
Of course.
Mistress Vanga and Rane continued to discuss the very results that Alat had just analyzed. Master Grediv interjected occasionally, but generally let the other two discuss things uninterrupted.
As Tala thought about it, she had to admit that Master Gredivs concern made sense.
It was reasonable to be cautious for one very simpleincredibly importantreason.
There was a way of lowering Ranes chances of success even further. They could very easily make the twenty percent chance of success offered by weak, short sessions look like a good option.
Rane had only a five percent chance of succeeding if he took the more intense set of sessionsfor the full length possibleagainst his will.
There could not be even a hint of belief in the one Refining that this was anything but their own choice.
Tala had absolutely no idea how theyd gotten that information, but she didnt doubt the estimate. If it werent true, then Tala had no doubt that Master Gredivand others in his positionwould simply force those undergoing the Refining process to undergo as intense of Refining sessions as they could survive, locking them into the full lengths regardless of their own desires.
Who cared about free-will if you could force the person through into immortality? After all, theyd have an eternity to come around and forgive you.
That was, of course, utter foolishnesseven Tala knew thatbut it also wasnt something they had to truly consider because it wasnt an option.
Regardless, it was no wonder that Master Grediv had been nearly beside himself with frustration that Ranes stated reason for Refining so soon was to keep up with Tala.
Blessedly, that was still his own choice, and she had been incredibly careful to in no way nudge him toward doing it or doing it sooner, but it was a delicate line to walk.
Tala refocused on the dialogue between Rane, Master Grediv, and Mistress Vanga as they discussed some of the more nuanced results. Letting herself just absorb what they said without interjecting or commenting.
Finally, Mistress Vanga seemed to have answered all of Ranes questions, and Master Grediv was obviously satisfied.
Rane smiled gratefully and bowed to the Healer. Thank you, Mistress Vanga, it seems like I have a lot to think about.
That you do. You know how to contact me if you have further questions.
I do. He bowed again, and that was that.
He turned to Tala as Mistress Vanga and Master Grediv departed.
Shall we go celebrate somewhere?
She gave him a mischievous smile, more to pull herself out of her deeper, darker thoughts than because she actually felt like being whatever she was being. Oh? What do we have to celebrate?
He snorted a laugh. Im going to be immortal, of course. If the spacing continues like this between sessions, Ill be Refined by early summer.
She forced a genuine smile, suppressing her concerns and letting her happiness for her friend truly shine through. Yeah. Thats definitely a cause to celebrate. Do you want to eat in the sanctum? One of the battle-view towers, or?
Rane considered as they walked toward the exit of the Archon Compound.
When he remained silent, Tala continued, If youre not quite hungry, yet, we could find something else to do first. It isnt quite lunch time yet. Also, I already finished my shift before we came here this morning. So? What do you want?
He looked at her for a long moment as they walked, before giving a half smile.
What?
His smile grew. Just thinking about your question.
As they exited out onto the street, he finally answered. Food first, I think.
Alright. Lets go.
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Chapter 397: Tests and Discussions
Tala might have made a mistake.
Flow had just let out a resonant crack, which had vibrated through the very structure of her sanctum.
That made sense. Both were soulbound to her, and so they affected one another on a deep level.
Still, Tala could see precisely what had occurred, and so she wasnt panicking yet.
Rane and Master Tai had noticed that something had happened, but that was about all that they were capable of perceiving.
Master Tai had likely felt void be introduced into the weapon maybe.
Actually, probably not.
She didnt think he would be able to penetrate her aura around her soulbound weapon when it was in her hand, and she wasnt trying to let him examine it.
Still, it might have resonated in a way that made the void able to be sensed.
So, focus on what is happening, Tala. You only have a moment to fix things, here.
As a soulbound weapon, Flow was as indestructible as her own soul.
Her iron was basically dust, so it being penetrated wasnt it being damaged or destroyed.
Huh I should probably absorb some iron plates That might make incredibly powerful armor.
But no, her elk leathers could be damaged sort of. And soulbound armor wasnt actually invincible, otherwise everyone would just get marginally magical clothing and soulbond it for near invulnerability.
So, Flows magic is almost as durable as my soul, but its physical shape is not.
It was also important to note that the effect created by the magic wasnt as durable as her soul, just the magics themselves.
With regard to analysis, that was a good start, because the physical shape now was full of jagged cracks.
She was not panicking. That would be counterproductive.
She grimaced.
The cracksthe voidhad not followed her guidance or desires.
The void had not obeyed her directives.
Because I have no claim on the void. It was like throwing a steak I own before a wild dog then being angry that it didnt bite the meat how I wanted it to.
That was fine.
Well, no, it wasnt fine, but it was fixable.
She even had the perfect magic within her bag of tricks.
Her elk leathers had inherent magic for the drawing back together of sundered, dead matter. Which was a long-winded, slightly technical, way of saying that those magics could repair nonliving things such as Flow.The source of this content nov(el)bi((n))
They wouldnt be a perfect match, but they should be able to help.
Thus, she aspect mirrored those magics onto and into Flow.
Then, with intense focus, aided by Alat, she forced the knife back into shape, using its own magics to bind it together.
To add to the process, she burned her magics to massively magnify Flows gravitational attraction to itself, directly across the largest cracks, splitting her working in more directions than she had ever managed before.
When it was pressed tight, but not quite whole, she forced power through Flow, changing it into the form of a sword.
The morphic qualities of the weapon allowed it to flow almost like a liquid, taking the new shape.
There was no damage to Flow in its sword form..
With a bit of trepidation, she cut off the increased stream of power from Flow, and it returned to the shape of a knife.
She examined Flow from tip to pommel.
It felt like she examined every molecule, looking for inconsistencies or flaws.
Finally, she let out a sigh of relief.
That was a rusting terrible idea, Tala.
-...youre acting as me again.-
Well, moving the realization of my own stupidity from you to me seems like a step in the right direction.
-I suppose you arent wrong? We definitely should have consulted some people before we tried that.-
Noted.
-Also, maybeand hear me out hereyou should probably heal from one slightly crazy experiment before trying another?-
yeah. Ill try to keep that in mind.
Still, her weapon was whole once more.
She had a splitting headache from hyper focusing, the world seemed a little fuzzy, and her gate feltoff, but Flow was back in top form.
At that point, Rane and Master Tai reached her.
Tala, is everything alright?
Mistress Tala?
Tala forced herself to smile up at them. I just tried something that I should have researched more thoroughly first.
Rane huffed a laugh, clearly not surprised. Well, you seem whole. Will there be any lasting damage?
No? She was able to focus more, and blessedly, her gates offness was mainly just a nebulous feeling of soreness, as odd as that sensation was, but she couldnt see anything wrong with it or with Flow. I dont think so.
He nodded once. Alright then.
Master Tai gave her a long look, clearly more uncertain than Rane. Is there anything that we can do to assist?
No, thank you, Master Tai. You two can continue your conversation. I apologize for the distraction.
Ranes countenance had changed, and he now looked a bit concerned. Honestly, Ive got a lot to digest, mentally speaking.
Master Tai shrugged and sat down along with Rane. Lets talk through some of the more esoteric things about void-magic that Ive come across.
Tala hesitated, obviously realizing that theyd picked up on something crazy happening, and they didnt want to leave her to it.
-That actually is a bit kind. Theyd leave if you asked, but at least Rane is biasing it toward him being here for you. Master Tai just isnt interested in wandering away on his own.-
Yeah.
So, the three began to discuss the void.
* * *
Tala did not like times of recovery, even if they mostly consisted of her eating and lightly training rather than being bedridden or anything similar.
This time, however, she had another thing to focus on, and it made the whole process more bearable.
Honestly, it gave her insight into how some people could spend centuries in contemplation.
In her discussions with Master Tai and Rane, something blindingly obvious had come to her mind.
Kit was a voidling.
-Oh, We were just granted access to the results of scans.- Alat went silent for a long breath.
Tala felt like she was on the edge of her seat, even though she was standing.
Then, the little iron construct that she had over her left shoulder popped with a sound like a bursting balloon, raining iron dust down over that side of her body.
The others turned and looked her way.
Master Grediv raised an eyebrow, but both Mistress Vanga and Rane were smiling, having gotten used to similar things over the past weeks.
Sorry about that. I got distracted. Tala closed her eyes, grimacing. Really, Alat? Now?
-We want to be always vigilant.-
Tala growled internally, but easily willed all the iron back together over her left shoulder. Fine.
She then immediately deflected an attack on the shape above her other shoulder. That started a back and forth clash of Alats will against Talas. Since they were equal in power, they both had to be clever in their tactics.
They continued their internal dialogue, even as they mentally circled one another. So?
-Well, hes got a good chance. Mistress Vanga puts the success rate of those in similar situations at a solid fifty-five percent.-
Tala carefully controlled her expression as Rane seemed to be contemplating as well.
-That is really, really good, Tala.-
I know. I know. She knew that she shouldnt panic; she shouldnt see this as a bad result.
After all, it was more likely than not that he would succeed, and even if he didnt, hed be around for a very long time.
It was even more difficult, though, because her own odds hadnt been able to be calculated. No one had ever Refined with quite the same set of circumstances as she had.
She had been in a place of trying to Refine and maybe die, or dont Refine and definitely die sooner than later.
How is the success rate if he goes for the less intense or shorter sessions?
-Lets see twenty percent. Thats not great, but he wont take that path.-
He might. Refining is rusting awful, and it would be nice to lessen the difficulty.
-Lessen the felt difficulty, while increasing the actual difficulty and lowering the chance of success.-
Yeah
Talas gaze flicked to Master Grediv, confirming what her threefold vision had shown her.
He was regarding her with calm intensity.
That doesnt make sense. How can something be calmly intense?
-Is the description wrong?-
No She sighed internally, still keeping her outward reactions to a minimum.
Though, she did smile at Rane reassuringly when he glanced her way.
Rane nodded once. Alright. How do I choose the intensity and length?
Mistress Vanga smiled encouragingly. That is an excellent question. Intensity is set before each session begins and cannot be changed once it starts.
That makes sense.
As to length, its as long as you can hold onto the Refining device, up to the maximum for that session, when the construct will power down.
As long as I can hold on?
Yes. The initial session locks you into the process, as otherwise regardless, the intensity and duration are fixed for the first session, and once begun, they cannot be altered.
I noticed that.
For all further sessions, you can let go at any time, ending the session.
But if I do that, I have to recover before the next session?
Exactly, yes. If you stop, that is the end of that session.
I think I understand. Can I ask some other questions?
Of course.
Mistress Vanga and Rane continued to discuss the very results that Alat had just analyzed. Master Grediv interjected occasionally, but generally let the other two discuss things uninterrupted.
As Tala thought about it, she had to admit that Master Gredivs concern made sense.
It was reasonable to be cautious for one very simpleincredibly importantreason.
There was a way of lowering Ranes chances of success even further. They could very easily make the twenty percent chance of success offered by weak, short sessions look like a good option.
Rane had only a five percent chance of succeeding if he took the more intense set of sessionsfor the full length possibleagainst his will.
There could not be even a hint of belief in the one Refining that this was anything but their own choice.
Tala had absolutely no idea how theyd gotten that information, but she didnt doubt the estimate. If it werent true, then Tala had no doubt that Master Gredivand others in his positionwould simply force those undergoing the Refining process to undergo as intense of Refining sessions as they could survive, locking them into the full lengths regardless of their own desires.
Who cared about free-will if you could force the person through into immortality? After all, theyd have an eternity to come around and forgive you.
That was, of course, utter foolishnesseven Tala knew thatbut it also wasnt something they had to truly consider because it wasnt an option.
Regardless, it was no wonder that Master Grediv had been nearly beside himself with frustration that Ranes stated reason for Refining so soon was to keep up with Tala.
Blessedly, that was still his own choice, and she had been incredibly careful to in no way nudge him toward doing it or doing it sooner, but it was a delicate line to walk.
Tala refocused on the dialogue between Rane, Master Grediv, and Mistress Vanga as they discussed some of the more nuanced results. Letting herself just absorb what they said without interjecting or commenting.
Finally, Mistress Vanga seemed to have answered all of Ranes questions, and Master Grediv was obviously satisfied.
Rane smiled gratefully and bowed to the Healer. Thank you, Mistress Vanga, it seems like I have a lot to think about.
That you do. You know how to contact me if you have further questions.
I do. He bowed again, and that was that.
He turned to Tala as Mistress Vanga and Master Grediv departed.
Shall we go celebrate somewhere?
She gave him a mischievous smile, more to pull herself out of her deeper, darker thoughts than because she actually felt like being whatever she was being. Oh? What do we have to celebrate?
He snorted a laugh. Im going to be immortal, of course. If the spacing continues like this between sessions, Ill be Refined by early summer.
She forced a genuine smile, suppressing her concerns and letting her happiness for her friend truly shine through. Yeah. Thats definitely a cause to celebrate. Do you want to eat in the sanctum? One of the battle-view towers, or?
Rane considered as they walked toward the exit of the Archon Compound.
When he remained silent, Tala continued, If youre not quite hungry, yet, we could find something else to do first. It isnt quite lunch time yet. Also, I already finished my shift before we came here this morning. So? What do you want?
He looked at her for a long moment as they walked, before giving a half smile.
What?
His smile grew. Just thinking about your question.
As they exited out onto the street, he finally answered. Food first, I think.
Alright. Lets go.
Chapter 397: Tests and DiscussionsTala might have made a mistake.Flow had just let out a resonant crack, which had vibrated through the very structure of her sanctum.That made sense. Both were soulbound to her, and so they affected one another on a deep level.Still, Tala could see precisely what had occurred, and so she wasnt panicking yet.Rane and Master Tai had noticed that something had happened, but that was about all that they were capable of perceiving.Master Tai had likely felt void be introduced into the weapon maybe.Actually, probably not.She didnt think he would be able to penetrate her aura around her soulbound weapon when it was in her hand, and she wasnt trying to let him examine it.Still, it might have resonated in a way that made the void able to be sensed.So, focus on what is happening, Tala. You only have a moment to fix things, here.As a soulbound weapon, Flow was as indestructible as her own soul.Her iron was basically dust, so it being penetrated wasnt it being damaged or destroyed.Huh I should probably absorb some iron plates That might make incredibly powerful armor.But no, her elk leathers could be damaged sort of. And soulbound armor wasnt actually invincible, otherwise everyone would just get marginally magical clothing and soulbond it for near invulnerability.So, Flows magic is almost as durable as my soul, but its physical shape is not.It was also important to note that the effect created by the magic wasnt as durable as her soul, just the magics themselves.With regard to analysis, that was a good start, because the physical shape now was full of jagged cracks.She was not panicking. That would be counterproductive.She grimaced.The cracksthe voidhad not followed her guidance or desires.The void had not obeyed her directives.Because I have no claim on the void. It was like throwing a steak I own before a wild dog then being angry that it didnt bite the meat how I wanted it to.That was fine.Well, no, it wasnt fine, but it was fixable.She even had the perfect magic within her bag of tricks.Her elk leathers had inherent magic for the drawing back together of sundered, dead matter. Which was a long-winded, slightly technical, way of saying that those magics could repair nonliving things such as Flow.The source of this content novelbinThey wouldnt be a perfect match, but they should be able to help.Thus, she aspect mirrored those magics onto and into Flow.Then, with intense focus, aided by Alat, she forced the knife back into shape, using its own magics to bind it together.To add to the process, she burned her magics to massively magnify Flows gravitational attraction to itself, directly across the largest cracks, splitting her working in more directions than she had ever managed before.When it was pressed tight, but not quite whole, she forced power through Flow, changing it into the form of a sword.The morphic qualities of the weapon allowed it to flow almost like a liquid, taking the new shape.There was no damage to Flow in its sword form..With a bit of trepidation, she cut off the increased stream of power from Flow, and it returned to the shape of a knife.She examined Flow from tip to pommel.It felt like she examined every molecule, looking for inconsistencies or flaws.Finally, she let out a sigh of relief.That was a rusting terrible idea, Tala.-...youre acting as me again.-Well, moving the realization of my own stupidity from you to me seems like a step in the right direction.-I suppose you arent wrong? We definitely should have consulted some people before we tried that.-Noted.-Also, maybeand hear me out hereyou should probably heal from one slightly crazy experiment before trying another?-yeah. Ill try to keep that in mind.Still, her weapon was whole once more.She had a splitting headache from hyper focusing, the world seemed a little fuzzy, and her gate feltoff, but Flow was back in top form.At that point, Rane and Master Tai reached her.Tala, is everything alright?Mistress Tala?Tala forced herself to smile up at them. I just tried something that I should have researched more thoroughly first.Rane huffed a laugh, clearly not surprised. Well, you seem whole. Will there be any lasting damage?No? She was able to focus more, and blessedly, her gates offness was mainly just a nebulous feeling of soreness, as odd as that sensation was, but she couldnt see anything wrong with it or with Flow. I dont think so.He nodded once. Alright then.Master Tai gave her a long look, clearly more uncertain than Rane. Is there anything that we can do to assist?No, thank you, Master Tai. You two can continue your conversation. I apologize for the distraction.Ranes countenance had changed, and he now looked a bit concerned. Honestly, Ive got a lot to digest, mentally speaking. Master Tai shrugged and sat down along with Rane. Lets talk through some of the more esoteric things about void-magic that Ive come across.Tala hesitated, obviously realizing that theyd picked up on something crazy happening, and they didnt want to leave her to it.-That actually is a bit kind. Theyd leave if you asked, but at least Rane is biasing it toward him being here for you. Master Tai just isnt interested in wandering away on his own.-Yeah.So, the three began to discuss the void.* * *Tala did not like times of recovery, even if they mostly consisted of her eating and lightly training rather than being bedridden or anything similar.This time, however, she had another thing to focus on, and it made the whole process more bearable.Honestly, it gave her insight into how some people could spend centuries in contemplation.In her discussions with Master Tai and Rane, something blindingly obvious had come to her mind.Kit was a voidling.-Oh, We were just granted access to the results of scans.- Alat went silent for a long breath.Tala felt like she was on the edge of her seat, even though she was standing.Then, the little iron construct that she had over her left shoulder popped with a sound like a bursting balloon, raining iron dust down over that side of her body.The others turned and looked her way.Master Grediv raised an eyebrow, but both Mistress Vanga and Rane were smiling, having gotten used to similar things over the past weeks.Sorry about that. I got distracted. Tala closed her eyes, grimacing. Really, Alat? Now?-We want to be always vigilant.-Tala growled internally, but easily willed all the iron back together over her left shoulder. Fine. She then immediately deflected an attack on the shape above her other shoulder. That started a back and forth clash of Alats will against Talas. Since they were equal in power, they both had to be clever in their tactics.They continued their internal dialogue, even as they mentally circled one another. So?-Well, hes got a good chance. Mistress Vanga puts the success rate of those in similar situations at a solid fifty-five percent.-Tala carefully controlled her expression as Rane seemed to be contemplating as well.-That is really, really good, Tala.-I know. I know. She knew that she shouldnt panic; she shouldnt see this as a bad result.After all, it was more likely than not that he would succeed, and even if he didnt, hed be around for a very long time.It was even more difficult, though, because her own odds hadnt been able to be calculated. No one had ever Refined with quite the same set of circumstances as she had.She had been in a place of trying to Refine and maybe die, or dont Refine and definitely die sooner than later.How is the success rate if he goes for the less intense or shorter sessions?-Lets see twenty percent. Thats not great, but he wont take that path.-He might. Refining is rusting awful, and it would be nice to lessen the difficulty.-Lessen the felt difficulty, while increasing the actual difficulty and lowering the chance of success.-YeahTalas gaze flicked to Master Grediv, confirming what her threefold vision had shown her.He was regarding her with calm intensity.That doesnt make sense. How can something be calmly intense?-Is the description wrong?-No She sighed internally, still keeping her outward reactions to a minimum.Though, she did smile at Rane reassuringly when he glanced her way.Rane nodded once. Alright. How do I choose the intensity and length?Mistress Vanga smiled encouragingly. That is an excellent question. Intensity is set before each session begins and cannot be changed once it starts.That makes sense.As to length, its as long as you can hold onto the Refining device, up to the maximum for that session, when the construct will power down.As long as I can hold on?Yes. The initial session locks you into the process, as otherwise regardless, the intensity and duration are fixed for the first session, and once begun, they cannot be altered.I noticed that.For all further sessions, you can let go at any time, ending the session.But if I do that, I have to recover before the next session?Exactly, yes. If you stop, that is the end of that session.I think I understand. Can I ask some other questions?Of course.Mistress Vanga and Rane continued to discuss the very results that Alat had just analyzed. Master Grediv interjected occasionally, but generally let the other two discuss things uninterrupted.As Tala thought about it, she had to admit that Master Gredivs concern made sense.It was reasonable to be cautious for one very simpleincredibly importantreason.There was a way of lowering Ranes chances of success even further. They could very easily make the twenty percent chance of success offered by weak, short sessions look like a good option.Rane had only a five percent chance of succeeding if he took the more intense set of sessionsfor the full length possibleagainst his will.There could not be even a hint of belief in the one Refining that this was anything but their own choice.Tala had absolutely no idea how theyd gotten that information, but she didnt doubt the estimate. If it werent true, then Tala had no doubt that Master Gredivand others in his positionwould simply force those undergoing the Refining process to undergo as intense of Refining sessions as they could survive, locking them into the full lengths regardless of their own desires.Who cared about free-will if you could force the person through into immortality? After all, theyd have an eternity to come around and forgive you.That was, of course, utter foolishnesseven Tala knew thatbut it also wasnt something they had to truly consider because it wasnt an option.Regardless, it was no wonder that Master Grediv had been nearly beside himself with frustration that Ranes stated reason for Refining so soon was to keep up with Tala.Blessedly, that was still his own choice, and she had been incredibly careful to in no way nudge him toward doing it or doing it sooner, but it was a delicate line to walk.Tala refocused on the dialogue between Rane, Master Grediv, and Mistress Vanga as they discussed some of the more nuanced results. Letting herself just absorb what they said without interjecting or commenting.Finally, Mistress Vanga seemed to have answered all of Ranes questions, and Master Grediv was obviously satisfied.Rane smiled gratefully and bowed to the Healer. Thank you, Mistress Vanga, it seems like I have a lot to think about.That you do. You know how to contact me if you have further questions.I do. He bowed again, and that was that.He turned to Tala as Mistress Vanga and Master Grediv departed.Shall we go celebrate somewhere?She gave him a mischievous smile, more to pull herself out of her deeper, darker thoughts than because she actually felt like being whatever she was being. Oh? What do we have to celebrate?He snorted a laugh. Im going to be immortal, of course. If the spacing continues like this between sessions, Ill be Refined by early summer.She forced a genuine smile, suppressing her concerns and letting her happiness for her friend truly shine through. Yeah. Thats definitely a cause to celebrate. Do you want to eat in the sanctum? One of the battle-view towers, or?Rane considered as they walked toward the exit of the Archon Compound.When he remained silent, Tala continued, If youre not quite hungry, yet, we could find something else to do first. It isnt quite lunch time yet. Also, I already finished my shift before we came here this morning. So? What do you want?He looked at her for a long moment as they walked, before giving a half smile.What?His smile grew. Just thinking about your question.As they exited out onto the street, he finally answered. Food first, I think.Alright. Lets go.
