“Ahahaha, you got royally chewed out!” Karen- was ughing as she swayed about, drunkenly leaning on my shoulder. Shit, when she rexed after accepting my offer she got hammered…

  “You looked like a deer in the headlights. Yes father, sorry father, no father, I uand, father! Pfft hahahahaha!”

  Yeah, she’s a truly, truly annoying drunk. Still, I ’t bme her, and I’m happy to see it. Looking at her, all beaten down and having given up on life, well, if this is the other option I’ll take it, even if she is spitting and drooling all over my shoulder.

  “Whoopsie!” she sniggered as she stumbled, her heel catg on the pavement. I caught her, careful not to grab anywhere I shouldn’t, a her upright, which brought mhter.

  “You ugh all you want, but…” I said, ready to get my own back. “… e the weekend, there’ll be your first ued request.”

  “What, you wao go on a date with you? We already did hahaha! Oh God, ugh…” Suddenly her ughter was interrupted as she turned green and staggered to the side. Bending over she was noisily sick, the tension and alcohol having proved a bad bination. After spending some time patting her back while she was unwell, eventually she had emptied her stomach.

  “Feel better?” I asked her, getting her a bottle of water from a nearby vending mae. As she took a drink and used some to wash her face, she sighed.

  “Sorry, my bad. I’m not fired on my first day, am I?” She gave me a wan smile.

  “Nope, I’ll be sure tet everything. But in exge, you’ll carry out your ued and unusual request, which is, you’ll have to meet my father and reassure him I’m not doing anything shady. That’ll be punishment enough…”

  ***

  After seeing Karen- home and puttio bed, leaving her some food and water I bought from a twenty-four hour supermarket, I returo my own room and undressed, throwing my soiled top into the bathroom for ter. It was time to re-join Shaeu in my Territory. Hopefully everything is okay. She’d surely have retreated if not…

  The Anchor still stood, the halo of ether around it a shining silver steltion. There was even more than before, probably from all the invaders we had killed. Cheg the progress of the Anchrade, there were still seventy-two days remaining. I hate the Territory being defenceless, but then I least a quarter of a millioher for my pn, ideally I’m going to need another hundred and fifty thousand or so on top of that for the quick build of a new set of Ether Spires to start raking iher as soon as possible…

  Yeah, it was a thorny problem. Still, leaving all this ether out and unprotected could potentially lead to enemies finding my Anchor, so… Oh man, this hurts my soul, but… Most of the ether around the Anchor and Silo were suddenly absorbed into the Anchor, a huhousand of my stock vanishing nigh instantly. The glow around the Anchor intensified and the shaft thied ahened, small buds f at the bottom, three of them, the purpose as yet unclear. Cheg my Territain I sighed. Sixty-one days left now. A full huhousand, and all it gets is eleven days. Most of the bounty I had gained in Las Vegas was gone now, though luckily I still had a full Silo. Oh, and some Etherite ores too. Mustn’t fet them.

  Having made my decision, and feeling a twinge ret at spending the ether for a slender gain, I left and headed for the shrine. As I did so I was met by Shaeu, who had sensed my entry and had hurried over.

  “Master, are you well-well?” she asked. “I felt the Territory tremble.”

  “Don’t worry about it. I decided to use some of our excess ether to try and speed up progress. I may regret it ter when I’m pain, but for now… sixty-one days. I could bring it to an even fifty, but that would leave us way too g iher…”

  “I see-see.” She nodded. “Well, whatever your decision is, Akio, I shall-shall support it. Now, to business. We should return to the shrine and hold cil. We have this area under watchful eyes, have no-no fear.”

  At her words I gnced around and could see several white snakes hiding amidst the rubble, their innate earth essence helping them blend in. “I see. Clever. Have there been problems with mhosts?”

  “We have spotted them lingering outside of our borders, watg our movements, yet they have not-not dared to intrude. Perhaps they fear-fear my fmes, as they should!”

  “That’s good news. And other attackers?” As I talked with Shaeu I discovered that while there had been a few minor incursions while I was gone, mostly the enemy was quiet. Shaeu asked me in turn about the girls and whether they got off safely. When I expihat Karen- would be w for us and the trouble she went through, Shaeu was quiet for a moment, befring at me, her eyes stern. “I agree-agree. We should make her oppressor rue the day he was born. A male should secure a female by his charm, wit and nobility, not-not through vulgar force. I insist that we crush-crush this pany when we are able!”

  As we tinued our banter we arrived at the shrine, crossing the salt barrier, Shaeu once more hopping over it, as if it was something dirty. Grulgor was seemingly out roaming again, but the White Snake Kami was there, and we had a small war cil.

  “Since you spare us some time now, we should try-try and discover the eerritory, like we did in the desert.” Shaeu posited. “If we are only defendiually we will be worn down-down, or an attack will break us. After all…” She took a pose, one I had seen on the magical girl anime she liked to watch. “… attack is the best-best form of defence!”

  The Kami hissed assent, deg that it was ‘an inssssult to the ssssshrine…’ for intruders to be allowed to assail it. Looking around I could see more weaselkin than before, all well-armed with looted onry. trating, I could feel trickles of aether leavihrough Kin Bonding. Seeing my tration, Shaeu grinned.

  “Indeed, with us both supplying energy to my kin, and us being far-far strohan before, they return rapidly. Soon-soon I feel even my Kamaitachi shall be beside us again.”

  “You know, I’ve always thought your Mystic Eyes was a broken Skill, but seriously, Kioration might just be the most overpowered Skill of all. Doesn’t that mean if you were strong enough, you could practically repce your forces as soon as they fell in battle?” Yeah, she won the superpower lottery all right.

  “Not-not you, Akio. We. For do you not-not share my Skill now? I dare to say the Skill is not-not as almighty as you believe, for a being sin in quick succession will be damaged, and the energy to restore them greatly increased. Also… legend tells of vile creatures that destroy the very e to one’s spirit. Should that happen, they would-would be lost to us…”

  She shivered at that, and I could hardly bme her. Yeah, every Skill does have its drawbacks, but even so. If she ever did make it to the Throne of the Seelie Court, wouldn’t that… make all of the Fae her kin? Just thinking about it … damn…

  Putting that aside for now, I had ahought. Most of the essence of earth that the shrine geed was being drawn into the wards, but I could still see a red haze of energy. After my success with mastering fire, I felt I should be able to take the step and master earth energies too. I hope, anywway...

  Seeing my gaze, Shaeu swallowed nervously. “I shall pass-pass master. If you ordered I would try, but…” Her gaze ure yet shy, eyes aglow.

  “No way.” I cut her off with a rough hug. “I told you, I don’t want to see you die. I believe you will be able to tame earth energy too one day, but until we be sure it’s safe for you, I forbid it!”

  Shaeu nodded in relief, before raising one eyebrow sardonically. “I appreciate your care master, but what-what would Eri think, should she see you manhandling me like this-this?”

  Damn, I did it instinctively. She’s been so flirty and upbeat tely it was an involuntary respoo her being cute and bashful. Letting her go I ughed nervously. “Yeah, sorry, my arms moved by themselves.”

  “I five you for being enraptured by my many charms. So, if you wish-wish to begin, I shall observe you, for reference.”

  After cheg with the Kami that it was biously acceptable to take the energy, and would not disrupt the wards, I moved to where the energy was thickest, a heavy, earthy feeling surrounding me as I approached the hill behind the shrine, where the ruby energies were stro, blowing from cracks in the soil and rock.

  trating, I began to draw in the crimson light, where it began to pool in my root Chakra, the sensation solid, gritty, unpleasant… I tio draw more, and when ruby met emerald there was a csh, energies exploding violently through me.

  I vomited silver and red blood, which was steaming with a mix of fire, earth and wind. e oh… earth… it… well, damh is plex as hell. Different types of stones, soil… is metal cssed as earth? I don’t uand it nearly as well as air or fire… Even as I struggled to use my insights I ran into another problem. Citrine fiery energies were being swallowed by the gar glow, the earth energies growing in strength, my Chakra work hiccupping at the unstrained powers.

  “Master, I suggest…” Shaeu was saying something, not that I could clearly hear her, but I got the gist of it. Yeah, this is way too hard…

  With some effort I expelled the rampaging crimson light, and staggering away from the source I slumped dowen, feeling like I had terrible cramps all through my body. Shaeu came over and pulled up my head, sliding it onto her p, where she began patting my head gently. “Poor Akio. I suspected so, but it was too-too much, even for you. Trying to bahree energies, both opposing and ing… such a feat is nearly unpreted. Only a rare-rare few of the , most-most talented Fae have managed such.”

  “Yeah.” I groaned, my throat raw, the tang of scorched soil and hot wind in my mouth. “I also realised I didn’t know enough about earth after all. I thought I did, but well…” I wao get up, but my body was ag and it was rather fortable, lying on her legs. “I wonder… what does darkness oppose? Light, I’m guessing? Maybe I could master that…”

  “Foolish master, ever-ever eager to push your limits.” She said fondly. “But before, you knew little of shadow and darkness. Has this ged?”

  “Yeah, I’m afraid not. If it was light, then I re I’d know pretty much everything about it. Darko me is just absence of light. Still, maybe if I try to take in a little it’ll spark something, some breakthrough or even just a hint. I think it’s worth a try.”

  “Very well, but you must first recover, your work was not-not damaged for you wisely stopped your efforts, yet the energies withiill turbulent indeed-indeed. I will allow though…” Shaeu gazed into my eyes from above, amber meeting moonstone. “… seeing your efforts first-hand has proved rather-rather enlightening. I still would perish, trying to mix earth and wind, yet… perhaps a path does exist…”

  “Cool. Well, I’ll hear your insights aime. For now I’m just going to enjoy the momentary peace.” We spent a little time making cheerful small-talk about trivial things, until Shaeu advised me I was stable enough to attempt my feat. Somewhat regretfully I got off her p and we headed towards the graveyard. Her legs were soft, and she smells good… smell huh… damn, I do love thinking of poihings. Besides, I shouldn’t be smelling irls… sorry Eri.

  The graveyard was as I remembered it, and because it was uo be targeted sihe Tree seemed to be a naturally thing, we had left it unguarded. Although thinking about it, the Tree is probably providing something like half of my iniher right now… “I think we o make sure the Rhyming Tree doesn’t fall to the enemy. It’s too valuable.”

  Shaeu nodded. “I shall have some-some of my kin stationed here. Should there be an attack they raise the arm, or should-should the worst happen, I shall know if they fall in battle. So, are you ready?”

  “As I’ll ever be.” I said, taking my pder the gloom of the Tree. Adopting a meditative pose, I couldn’t help but grin. “You know, iaiern stories, people meditate for years urees like this to gain wisdom.”

  “I would like my master to be wiser indeed, yet we do not-not have years to spare, so do your best!” Shaeu snarked.

  All right then… Grasping at the darkness energy that permeated the surrounding space, I started to absorb it. Uhe prig of wind, burning of fme, or solidity of stohis was… intangible somehow, both cold and hot at the same time, hard yet also soft as fi silk, an impossible diy. As the dark energy trickled in I could see that it wasn’t in fact bck at all, no, it was a deep blue. The energy started moving to my throat, and the Chakra there began to absorb it.

  So, darkness. An absence of light. In fantasy stories it is often used by neancers and other evil beings. It also doesn’t seem to have mutera, if any, with the wind and fme energies…

  As I wracked my brain to e to an uanding with it my lunar Chakra started burning, spikes of pain jabbing into me everywhere. Regardless, Shaeu motioned for me to tinue, so I struggled to draw in mrasping for uanding.

  Darkness and Light. Yin and Yang. Female and Male. Dark is more associated with females in Cultivation myths. Yin also tends towards the emotions of turmoil and chaos…

  I meditated uhe Tree for several hours as the pain tio build, until finally I was defeated, expelling the darkness from my Chakra work as best I could, helped along by aether to se it. As I staggered to my feet, the torment diminishing, Shaeu iserated me.

  “A noble effort indeed, and one much-much more successful than with that vile earth energy.” she said, taking my hand in hers.

  “You think? I guess I didn’t do myself any damage, not that I made much progress.”

  “I believe I told you when we first met-met. It takes a great-great deal of time to master the uanding of a of the four, let alone a rarer one such as this darkness. Only by uanding the essence of it will-will you tame it, and if you do not-not know, then slow, ial steps, by taking in and feeling the nature of it, is the only-only path to mastery.” She gave my hand a reassuring squeeze. “We have time yet, master. If it takes you months, or years, or even decades, I shall be here-here, watg.”

  “I hope it is quicker than that.” I returhe squeeze, grateful for her support. “Still, that’s enough for now. Time to find out where our enemy is lurking. I would love to refill our ether stocks…”