A deal worth making

Melo does not feel like transforming back. But according to her estimates of oxygen consumption they must have used up a third of their supply. You can’t sigh without lungs, hence she doesn’t, and transforms back.

She returns to some sort of costume party. The human sacrifices are wearing robes of grey linen. At least they are not chanting and calling for the help of the gods. More importantly, the air is actually quite good. Has the barrier collapsed? Ignoring the pain in her joints she rushes to the gateway and is disappointed. She should have known better, as the leash hadn’t reestablished itself. And why does she bother? She has caused a commotion. One of them even offers her a blanket. Simply taking it is the easiest option. She still wants revenge. How do you hurt a wizard? You reveal his secrets to a rival.

Somebody is shaking me. „Go away“ I mumble. The shaking persists. Very well, I open my eyes. It might be an urgent and important matter. I find myself facing an attractive, but inhuman face. She is very striking with her striped skin.Although her eyes look sad and there is an undetone of pain around her eyes. I cannot help myself. I put my fingers on her cheekbone. She could outcheek Angelina Jolie. Who is Angelina Jolie?

Anyway, is this a pain I can do something about? This time I slowly let the power flow out of me. The power is perplexed. Once part of it reports pain, but the other reports no reason for pain. I probe deeper. That turns out to be a mistake. I get a lot of incomprehensible data. She smiles and puts her hand on mine, as if to gently remove my fingers from her face. Before I let her, I can at least remove the pain in the manner of an analgesic.

That makes me remember. I hope it is not too late.

A pain block and yet he runs away. Humans are odd. No, he is healing the demon. Nice. The pain gone is nice, maybe they could do a bit …

No, first things first. She has to tell him about the bomb.

The pregnant lady has followed me and offers me a blanket. I take it, mumbling an apology she cannot possibly understand. I do not regret my nude dash, for a life was potentially at stake. So I now also look like a member of the KKK. What is the KKK? Maybe I should meditate and go on some journey of discovery in my inner spheres. Trouble is, as tired as I am, I’d fall asleep.

The magical lady is either lucky or knows this place. She has opened one of the chests to retrieve pieces of chalk in multiple colours. They have been put to extensive use. The blackboard is almost a piece of art now. I see a room very closely resembling our room, a conflagration and a kind of diagramm marking a position with a kind of arrow target.

Zewrepa is luxuriating in her health. It allows her to get up soundlessly. Her allies are looking at maps. A true warrior’s eyes are sharp. There is no practical need to get closer. But it feels so good to stalk something. This will take a song of redemption, but for now just life.

Anjali finds her experience validated again. Few men can resist a dryad. A nacked demon did not figure in her design, nor in her experience for that matter, unless you count succubi. Yet the dryad knew where she was heading when she opened that chest. She knows this place. That warrants consideration.

My patient is back on her feet. Can you be proud of a simple application of an inherent power? I don’t care. If I understand these drawings correctly, I am standing on a bomb, worse potentially a time bomb. I like barbecue, but only in some manners of participation and I want to be invited rather than abducted to it. That is not exactly an honest complaint. My inner voice has a remark to make.

Hildegard is watching the Indian woman. It looks to her like she is watching the new wizard with a lot of interest and calculation. She heads for the backpack nobody has wanted to touch.

I am standing on a bomb. My new life may have drastically improved my life expectancy, but I would like to keep that advantage. What?

Anyway, I wish for a pickaxe. Nothing happens. That is disappointing. Am I really disappointed because I cannot manipulate reality at will? This is hubris. I can just as well go on my knees and do to the floor what I did to ropes and chains. This feels like punching into cold mud. Disgusting. The floor is secured against my power.

Zewrepa pulls the wizard back onto his legs. This is a job for a woman. Her mana isn’t full, but there is plenty. She energizes her fist and rams it down. Her allies have been propelled into the air. She might have warned them. The wizard is actually hovering a few centimeters above the ground, as is proper for a male. She thought that humans can’t do that. Anyway, first things first. She extends her swordclaws and rips open the ground.

Anjali is shocked. The wizard can fly, spontaneously, without preparation or equipment. Air sorcery? She deemed him to have some kind of time based powers. Time for reassessment.

Helena is ashamed. Her cousin is right. She needs to get a grip. An intent she can now realize literally. Keeping a pregnant woman from a bad fall is good, even if she twists her own ankle.

Holy cow, the lady is packing a punch. I am deeply impressed. So impressed that I rather stay in the air. That is also impressive. I need to get out of this cave. But first I need to avoid being roasted.

Zewrepa carefully exposes a crystal with her hands. Just smashing it could set it off.