Discordant Note | TBATE

Chapter 66: Fruit of Labor

Toren Daen

I used the downtime I had to grow more accustomed to the Will. I didn't mesh with it as I had before: instead, I inspected it with my mind, seeing the metaphysical divots, dips, and crests in the runes etched into the outer layer of my core.

Keeping my metaphorical eye trained on the runes made my mind burn after too long. I had to look away, or else my brain would be seared by the pressure it exuded.

"You must be patient with this power," Lady Dawn chided as I lurched away from my corespace, having been staring for too long. "Your mind is not accustomed to the strain. You must learn to accept the Will in a gradual melding."

"It's a tricky process," I said. I had taken to speaking out loud in this zone instead of using mental communication. The utter silence of the forest unnerved me. Lady Dawn, thankfully, allowed me this simple act, even though she normally insisted on talking through our bond. "It's difficult to keep myself separate when I grow closer to it. It's like... a magnet, being drawn to my mind as I grow closer."

The asura glided over the mud, her dress not picking up a speck of dirt. I, however, was absolutely covered in grime. "You will learn in time. The Will's purpose is to pass down its insight. To grant the next generation its vast wealth of knowledge. So it seeks a mind with which to meld."

The forest hadn't changed since the end of my pitched battle several hours ago. I spotted a few tall spires dotting the forest as I continued on, however. Those were the only islands amidst the sea of white trees.

I looked up at the sky once more. The clouds had begun to build again, but the cover was far from where it had been when the storm struck. I was starting to get a picture of how this zone operated: as water evaporated into the atmosphere, it created clouds. Once those clouds grew dense enough, a storm was triggered, which would send water cascading down to the forest below.

And the trees would greedily devour the water, lapping at it like a beast. And as the water suffused their roots, their fruits would drop, sending tree demons to propagate the cycle more.

I turned my focus inward once more. One of the things I knew I needed to be careful about was my latent Vritra heritage. When I got too close to the Will, I began to feel it stirring, scales and wings shifting against the confines of my mind. It was dormant, but the light was its anathema. Whenever it felt like I had prodded the beast too much, I would back off quickly, allowing it to fall back into slumber.

"Your Vritra heritage clashes with the fire of my Will," the asura said, sensing my thoughts. "We will have to find a way to suppress this alteration. Or perhaps purge it entirely, if that is possible."

I frowned. "Couldn't there be a way to have these two work together?" I asked. The powers one could get from Vritra heritage were diverse and powerful. "It's another avenue of power, after all."

"Do not let yourself be tempted by the beast within you," my bond said with a hint of venom. "The basilisks and phoenix races are as opposed as one can be. There is no harmony between us. No unity. They are snakes that slither on the ground, sprouting false wings to try and take the skies. But the skies are the domain of the phoenix, and for this, we will never relent. The basilisks decay and destroy with every touch, while our arts build something from nothing." The phoenix shook her head. "No, the beast within you is a poison. It will slowly kill you once you start to utilize the Will unless something is done."

I looked down at my sternum. I could feel my core there, shining with internal light. I didn't want to agree with my bond. The condemnation was so final. "Is there something that can be done?" I asked. "To suppress my Vritra blood?"