Chapter 70 - Adventure Awaits

“That will not work,” Mayalyn shook her head slowly.

“What? Why not? I don’t know how you expect to get enough mana without bringing more people into the project. My mana clearly isn’t working and you can’t produce enough yourself to charge this one voltree within the next week, let alone the ten you want to do. Not only that, most of these parts are rusted or broken, you’d be lucky to get one in three working.”

Mayalyn looked away from him, her fists shook and her jaw clenched. “We cannot tell the others. We must do this alone.”

Must be what the Aahmra said to her. Why wouldn’t he want us to fix the drives? That doesn’t make any sense. I could try to teach her my method for converting density to mana. No, I’m not ready to trust that wholeheartedly just yet. There’s still things I don’t understand, things she’s not telling me.

“Alright, if we can’t get help with the mana issue, then we should look at other solutions. What do you know about the previous korokos? Specifically, the challenges they had to face. If we can figure out what’s coming, it would be a lot easier to prepare.”

“All of their legends are different. The first koroko battled an army of fiends that invaded the ancestral caverns below Adelphoros. The second, Marapheso, held back the lava from a ruptured tunnel for a week before she succumbed to the heat. The third blocked a meteor that was destined to bring our tunnels down upon our heads. And the fourth fought the first alpha, gaining its respect. To this day, they leave us in peace so long as we continue to appease them with the makerdrives.”

“I thought you said the alphas are tier seven? How the heck did a tier five gain the respect of a tier seven beast? The others I can understand but that one seems pretty far-fetched. And why do you only remember the name of the girl koroko?”

“Because she was the most courageous, obviously. You will have to ask an elder for the full story of the fourth koroko, the legend was too dull to remember. A real fight should not last months, the victor should be obvious from the start and crush their foes without remorse.”

"Maymay! Are you still down here, little one?" A light, musical voice called down the stairs.

"Yes, Pepa," She called back and a moment later, a slim mouseman’s silhouette appeared in the doorway. He set down a tray full of the fruit they always ate, causing her and Jiran to share a cringe.

"I brought you dinner. Oh, you have a guest. And not just any guest, but the Aahmra’s newest disciple no less! Greetings, Jiran of Feylon. It is an honor to finally meet you.” Mayalyn’s father spoke with the same lilt and over pronunciation of each syllable that she did. “We did not get a chance to meet at your feast. Not for lack of trying though, I assure you. Why, if my memory serves, every time I approached, you were dancing with my daughter again." The man showcased his terrible poker face as his lips quivered with a barely repressed grin.

“It’s an honor to meet you as well, Peparalla Aloyhee, low-brother of Aahmra Marakha,” Jiran swept into a bow while sending a quick prayer to the Fathers for the amazing memory granted to him by his attributes.

“None of that now, young man! For the one who became the Aahmra’s top disciple in record time, it is I who should be scurrying for your favor.”

Uh, what? I am? When did that happen?

“Pepa,” Mayalyn’s tone turned sharp as she pursed her lips but the man continued as if she wasn’t growing more threatening by the second.

“Mayalyn has not been able to shut up about you, you know? I can see why too, with how clean your emotions taste, your aura is practically a storm shelter! It certainly is a comfort to know the boy who stole her core does not have any ill intent,” Pepa flashed Jiran a wink which he barely noticed as his mind was whirling from the implications of his statement.

How my emotions… taste? They can taste my emotions through my aura?!

“Pepa! What are you doing?!” Mayalyn’s voice turned shrill as she advanced on the man.

“What? Can a father not be happy for his daughter? I have never seen you dance with the same boy twice, let alone for half a night. You were both smiling and laughing. It was all I could do to keep the tears from my eyes,” Pepa skipped to the side, easily avoiding her sudden lunge.

“It was not half the night!” Mayalyn bristled, her cheeks turning a rosy pink.

“This whole time? You’ve been—”

“Then you two left together…” Pepa raised his eyebrows suggestively.

“What?! No-no-no! He-was-drunk-and-those-hyenas-were-eyeing-him-like-fresh-meat,” She took a deep breath then continued at a normal pace, ”I merely felt responsible for him because I am the one that brought him to town. I only showed him where the disciples slept so he would not end up in the grass like a drunkard,” She turned her scowl on Jiran, daring him to refute her claims only to find him blinking at her with his mouth hanging open.

“Hmm. That is a shame. You are so dreadfully inept at keeping a boy's interest with your violent nature. And with only two makerdrives left, we are almost out of time for me to get to play with my gra—” Pepa ducked as Mayalyn roared and dove headlong at him. With impressive acrobatics, the man bounded past her to land at the foot of the stairs. He turned, giving Jiran a friendly wave before speaking in a rush “And Jiran, whatever you do, do not run away. If she is anything like her mother, that will just make her chase you all the harder,” The man was already scampering up the stairs before he finished speaking. Mayalyn’s scream, and the chunk of bent metal she chucked at him, were all the motivation anyone would need to move quickly.

Mayalyn spun on Jiran the second Pepa was out of sight. He froze like a beast before an emperor as she stalked his way. Her finger jabbed into his chest, luckily, without an extended claw. “Do not even think of running, you would not escape.”

“You can taste my emotions?” Mayalyn had the decency to blush lightly before her tongue flicked out of her mouth and she nodded.

“Oh, okay. Noted,” Jiran shrugged and grinned as he grabbed a piece of fruit for each of them with his aura. He took a big bite, crunching the hard, citrusy meat between his teeth as she narrowed her eyes from only a few centimeters away. “So, about those preparations…”

She scented the air, which he now realized was her tasting his emotions through his aura, before her face shifted to smug satisfaction. She snatched the offered fruit and turned back toward her workstation. After taking a bite and chewing, her voice returned to a calm, light tone. “We should start by eliminating the obvious attack from below and the meteor. The alpha is unlikely as well since we are protected from their wrath.”

Their conversation devolved into semantics about what was possible and what was not. By the end of the night, Jiran was exhausted as he rode his aura back to the Aahmra’s estate and his waiting bunk.

. . .

The next morning, Jiran ate breakfast before retreating to his favorite spot in the corner of the garden. He firmed his aura to block sound and then activated Revelation to feed Daughter. For the first time since he left Feylon, he asked her a question, “How is my family?”

“Everyone is fine. There have been no changes.”

Jiran only hesitated for a moment before deciding to dive into the awkward conversation he had been avoiding. “Is it true that density and the system are sentient?”

“Yes and no. Madra is certainly sentient as are many of her children. This should be obvious to you, as you have been hearing her voice directly for some time. Density is far more complicated, but your question falls under the purview of the edicts.”

“What are the edicts?” Jiran asked after clicking his tongue.

Daughter did not respond.

Did she not hear me? Or is this like the first rule of Challenger Club?

“What are the edicts?” He tried again and was once more met with silence. Jiran threw his hands in the air with a growl. “How can I trust you if I don’t know what you are or how connected you are with the system? Are you part of the same consciousness, or separate? What do you want from me? Why are you helping me?”

“Father, you are confusing faith with trust. Trust is earned and I have never given you any reason to doubt me. Faith is given freely, without thought, and I do not desire that from you. I want nothing from you but your mana. If there is any reason to trust me, it is that I would not desire to see our mutually beneficial arrangement come to an end, as your death would also be mine.”

She didn’t answer whether she’s a part of the same consciousness or not. Damnit.

“That's reasonable, I guess. Though I definitely don't like you refusing to answer my questions," Jiran sighed, releasing the tension in his shoulders by cracking his neck. "Last question: Do you know what catastrophe is coming for the people?”

“Yes, but I am bound to silence. We will speak again soon. When your options are reduced to two, call for me again,” Then she was gone, along with the rest of his mana.

When he stood up, a tapping sensation spread through his aura.

One thing after another, is this going to be one of those days?

He moved quickly to answer the Aahmra’s summons, arriving before the man’s personal dojo while floating on a platform of aura, feeling prepared for whatever the codger threw at him next.

The Aahmra spoke without preamble the moment Jiran stepped into the room. "You have made no progress! You will fail.”

"I have done my best but I don’t know what I lack, Master Aahmra."

"You lack conviction! You lack belief. Your heart holds many doubts. You see mana and aura as different, do you not?"

Here we go. The conversation we should have had two days ago.

"Yes, of course. Aura is natural, a part of everyone from the moment they are born. While mana is not natural at all. Mana empowers the aura to give it substance. So yes, in my eyes, they are very different."

"You believe mana to be unnatural? Your people are certainly strange to hold such beliefs. That is beside the point. It is true that mana and aura are different. You agree with this, yet you understand little of what those differences are. Aura without mana is nothing, as you say. Do you think that makes mana superior? You say mana is unnatural, but in your heart, you believe it to be superior. Tell me, Jiran of Feylon. Why do you believe something that you claim is unnatural to be greater than aura?"

Is that true? Do I believe magic is stronger? Is it just because it's magic?

Jiran flexed and concentrated the aura around his right hand while he created a Coating around his left. He smashed them together, knowing before they even met, which he thought was superior. The coating prevailed, easily crushing his aura.

"Now you know what you lack. Our training is complete. In two hours, the hunters will be assembled and you will fulfill your end of the bargain.” He spoke with finality.

That’s it? Really?

[Quest accepted.]

[Hide and seek: Reactivate the density absorber node at the designated coordinates.]

Finally! Sus timing there, system. Where have you been for the last two weeks, huh?

Seeing the Aahmra’s deepening scowl, Jiran bowed, touching his forehead to the floor as he spoke with conviction. "I understand, Master Aahmra. Thank you for your guidance. I will lead your people to the tier five beasts as promised.”

He taught me a ton about my aura, invited me into his home, and treated me fairly. He’s a bit harsh for sure, but I hope he isn’t going to get himself killed. Hah! Who am I kidding, this guy’s a monster. It’s the beasts who should be quaking in fear at his arrival.

The old mouse closed his eyes in meditation, which Jiran assumed was his dismissal. He left the dojo and hopped into the air for a clear view of where the quest marker was pointing.

Directly in the middle of the mountain. Because where else would it be?

His feet took him to the bunker. She was waiting for him outside. Her usual smile evaporated the moment she was within range of his aura.

“What happened? I have never seen you look so serious, Jiran of Felyon,” She grabbed his hand and then led him down the stairs.

“The Aahmra said my training is done. He wants to leave in less than two hours. I’ll be back as soon as I drop them off. There’s more I have to tell you, do you remember when we first met?” He asked while blocking off their conversation.

“What?! So soon? Yes, I remember, how could I forget? It was a most memorable day,” She tapped the spot on his chest where her claws had pierced his flesh.

“I asked you about the location of something that looked like the portal we used to reach the empire. Well, I know where it is now.”

“And you believe this is related to you being the koroko?” Her tail began to twitch as her back stiffened.

“I never said that. I honestly don’t know what it is—beyond its name—or what will happen when I get there. It's certainly possible though. ”

“Are you going to tell me or leave me here to brush my fur? What is this mysterious thing called and how do you know about it? Why do you believe you need to go there?”

No point holding back now.

“I received a quest from Madra to turn on something called a density absorber node, which is apparently in the center of Adelphoros."

“From M-Madra? The Great Mother speaks to you?!” Mayalyn began pacing around the laboratory, the fine hairs on her ears standing straight up. “When, this, how?” She mumbled incoherently, unable to contain her distress. Suddenly, she spun to face him with her mouth open in shocked realization. “You plan to go alone?!” She hissed, as she dropped into a crouch with her claws extended.

“Nothing she's ever asked me to do has been simple, or safe. I’m confident I’ll survive, but I won’t risk bringing you. No way. Look, we can discuss it more after I drop off the Aahmra, but don’t expect me to change my mind. Some of the stuff I’ve been through… There’s no way I would have survived while protecting someone.”

“I do not need your protection!”

“You’re probably right, but I would protect you nonetheless, and likely get myself killed in the process.” Jiran squared his shoulders, his jaw firm.

Mayalyn’s eyes filled with unshed tears as she tasted his determination. Her face contorted before she took a deep breath and slid into his arms, hugging him tightly. “You better not die. Please,” She whispered.

“I’ll do my best. Don't do anything rash while I'm gone, okay?” He could feel her face scrunch up and she pulled back from his chest to look up at him.

“Why would I do anything rash? Do I look as foolish as you?” Jiran released a bark of laughter as he shook his head.

“No, you don—” He was cut off as she rose to tippy toes and gave him a peck on the lips.

“Goodbye, Jiran. I will be busy working on the voltree charger, so I doubt I will even notice your absence.”

You are so freaking amazing.

He kissed her forehead, which for some reason made her blush deeply. “Goodbye, Mayalyn. I’ll try to remember you during all the excitement of playing delivery boy to an old man. No promises though,” He shrugged.

Her jaw jutted forward and when her claws extended and began to inch into his skin, he turned and beat a hasty retreat.

. . .

Several minutes after Jiran left, a horrific crack resounded throughout the bunker. Mayalyn turned with a horrified gasp as the irreplaceable celophite spilled across the floor through a wide crack in the voltree charger.

“No!” Her scream was a primal thing born of rage and pain as she rushed across the room. She only made it two steps before she was roughly grabbed by both arms as two tier five hunters descended into the laboratory in a flash of movement far too quick for her to track.