ã€ŠGuardian&#x27;s Conquestã€‹


 Change on the Horizon

    The first warning the world had was a piercing screech that was heard by everyone at once, followed by a brilliant light the shone from every reflective surface on the planet. The brilliant light dimmed to reveal a beautiful young woman sitting in a wooden armchair that dwarfed her. The heavy wood was only a few shades darker than her own skin contrasting well with her deep black hair that had been left loose to hang over her shoulders. She was dressed in an elaborate pleated leather skirt and tight fit top dyed a deep sea blue, gold thread traced swirls over her shoulders below the high V-cut neck before running in a line down the center of her body; snowflakes of silver thread fell from the gold accents at first dense near her shoulders and then thinning out as before vanishing where the top was tucked into a simple belt. Her outfit was topped off pale knee high leather boots decorated with sapphire accents giving her the look of video game character.

    ¡°Now that I¡¯m sure everyone is paying attention let me first apologize for disturbing you. Unfortunately, we have some announcements to make that everyone should hear. When I¡¯m done addressing everyone there will be a series of unusual events, I have to stress that you not panic. Yes, they will be disturbing, and given the locations affected some of them will be frightening for some of you. I can assure you the people within the affected areas will be taken care of, unfortunately circumstance and necessity don¡¯t afford me the liberty to provide a proper explanation.¡± There was a brief pause as she seemed to be silently speaking to someone outside the mysterious reflection before she faced forward again. ¡°To the governments of the world, I need to stress: This is not the work of any nation on the planet, nor is it an act of aggression. Some of you are no doubt already receiving urgent messages so I will be frank: your missing soldiers and their families are with us. Due to the nature of impending events don¡¯t we don¡¯t have adequate time to train or recruit through traditional methods. I assure you they will return those who survive their training within a decade.¡± She stood up and stepped to the side of the chair as an imposing figure that towered over her appeared.

    The figure was dressed simply in a pair of loose leather shorts with a set of pale leather bracers with fist sized blue gems set in them. The creature was covered in white fur striped with brown and resembled a creature of myth with its blend of human and tiger features. As it settled into the chair that had obviously been designed for its immense size he nodded to the woman and thick fangs flashed as he spoke silently to the woman. Before addressing the people watching in a rumbling bass.

    ¡°As my bonded said this is a matter of necessity, if it wasn¡¯t I would have taken a gentler and more cautious approach. We are acting to prevent a disaster that could shatter the planet and this message alone while necessary posses¡¯ significant risk so I will be frank: do not attack the barriers, they are designed to retaliate against any aggression directed at them and they are precise but not gentle. I also encourage you to find peaceful solutions to your disagreements, humanity is facing a crisis of the sort less than a thousand beings in all of existence can even imagine and fewer still understand. As such every available person will be needed to address it. If word reaches me that any nation has instigated a war for any reason the ones responsible will dealt with before the day is over, I¡¯ll give you a week to recall any troops you have deployed. I particularly detest pointless killing so be assured the first to do so will be made a particularly memorable example of.¡± The creature¡¯s expression was unreadable but the ultimatum was issued with the same flat tone that one spoke simple facts like the sky was blue. Apparently finished speaking it stood up and walked away. The woman shook her head and then faced into the reflection again.

    ¡°Forgive his rudeness, his day has been extremely busy already. Arrangements have been made to ensure additional relevant information will be made available to those that need it.¡± With that final message she waved to those watching her and the image faded away.

    <hr>

    Frosthome Fortress, unlisted void space

    I walked out of the simple chamber Marisa had chosen to deliver the message from and gently rubbed at my temples. I¡¯d been awake for nearly a week straight laying out the foundations for the barriers and had worked myself to the bone for the month before that helping the First Tactical Battalion with preparing the old training grounds for their unsuspecting recruits and arranging enough living accommodations for an expected influx of noncombatants.

    ¡°You need to rest kitten¡± Marisa said as she came out behind me.

    ¡°Tonight, I promise. I still have a few tasks left to do.¡± I replied and gritted my teeth against the pain as my bones broke and reshaped and my body twitched at the sudden itch of my fur retreating. After a moment my feline form had vanished and I looked as human as her. The pale fur had been replaced by sun darkened skin and work hardened muscles. I closed my eyes as Marisa combed out my unruly mass of waist length copper brown hair with her fingers and pulled it into a ponytail for me.

    ¡°I¡¯m serious Cadfael. Despite your power you still need to take care of yourself. I already ordered Ferith to activate the barriers, and the others are more than capable of training the recruits.¡± I chuckled and shook my head; Marisa still hadn¡¯t adjusted to her new reality. She had a natural talent for manipulating energy which had helped her adapt to her newfound power after she¡¯d ascended to divinity.

    ¡°Do you remember what you¡¯re training under Synbel and Drystan was like?¡± She visibly shuddered at the brutal memory. ¡°Precisely, and they were being gentle with you out of deference to me. With this group they are going to be beyond brutal. Not only do we have to make them accept the fact that magic is real, we¡¯re also going to have to train people from countries that frankly hate each other to work together with the same unspoken understanding the First has. It¡¯s going to take several years to get them up to even the minimal standard their work will require.¡±

    ¡°Fine, but I¡¯m going with you, and you should probably put on some clothing that fits this form.¡± I glanced down and realized the simple leather shorts I¡¯d worn to maintain a semblance of propriety had fallen off when I changed my shape leaving me naked. Marisa followed my gaze and blushed.

    ¡°Ah, sorry I didn¡¯t think of that.¡±

    ¡°I can accept you can bring down a blizzard on a whim, travel between planets, heck I¡¯ve even gotten used to the fact that you can change between the forms of your past and present lives- oblivion, I even enjoy using your wings as a blanket when you have them now. I can even accept my position and the fact that I can quite literally summon a house out of the ground and heal with a touch.¡± I laughed at her confession and nodded. ¡°But I¡¯m not sure I¡¯m ever going to be as casual about nudity as the rest of you.¡±

    ¡°Trust me we¡¯re all aware, why do you think everyone leaves when you use the main bath? It¡¯s probably going to get worse once the new recruits settle in. I can look into arranging a private bath for you, no promises as I honestly don¡¯t remember the layout well enough to know where there is room to carve one out.¡± She shook her head.

    ¡°I¡¯ll adapt eventually, not reason to go changing traditions older than Earth on my account of me, besides I doubt you¡¯d do anything with the female members of the First.¡±

    ¡°Please, even if I wanted to all of them except Davina are terrified of offending you,¡± I laughed, ¡°and the only reason she won¡¯t is because she tried before I met Corena and I left her floating in space for a year.¡± This time it was Marisa¡¯s turn to chuckle at the image of the towering draconian floating in the void.

    ¡°That would do it. Enough stalling though. The sooner you take care of things the sooner you can sleep.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll go get my armor on before I met the soldiers we just shanghaied into this mess, in the meantime maybe you can see about getting the noncombat arrivals settled in? Synbel and Sunrunner didn¡¯t arrange to collect just the soldier¡¯s families.¡± Her eyes flashed as there was the bone shaking thump that accompanied the displacing of air and power whenever a large group appeared on the planet and she grinned as she rushed off down the hall to greet the new arrivals, a fur lined coat materializing on her shoulders as she ran. I managed not to laugh at her eagerness; it had been almost a year since I brought her with me after saving her from my enemies. If it weren¡¯t for the fact either of us returning to Earth would have caused catastrophic fallout, she would have at least gone back to see her parents. We¡¯d resorted to having a messenger deliver a letter saying she was safe, and to bring back most of our personal belongings.

    I stepped out of my rooms rolling my shoulders to help my armor settle into place. The rings of the chainmail were so minuscule the suit looked more like a set of woven silver than durable metal wrapped around a sturdy set of tanned leather. A symbol of an eight-pointed star enclosed in a circle resting in the palm of an open hand was marked in a brilliant blue on the right breast of the armor. After a bit of consideration, I¡¯d decided to leave my weapons behind even my arm guards had been left on my nightstand. I was going to be dealing with mostly normal people so showing up armed to take down a titan would be overkill. Synbel stood at the end of the hall dressed in in loose fit grey pants and he¡¯d elected to let his floor length black hair hang free over a set of pale wings that managed to make even the seven foot tall man seem small.

    ¡°Another report?¡± I asked with resignation. He nodded and pulled out a sheet of paper. ¡°Read it to me as we go. Don¡¯t want to spook the trainees more by appearing from thin air.¡±

    ¡°Right, well most of your predictions about the barriers going up was correct. It took them a few hours to work around the gaps in the communication network the barriers made. At first most of the nations tried throwing those missiles at them. We overheard some talk about nuclear weapons but apparently nobody could reach them?¡± He said making a mark next to something on his papers.

    ¡°The barriers are versatile but I wasn¡¯t sure they¡¯d be able to manage the fallout from a nuclear warhead. Figured it would be easier to lock them away than deal with cleaning that up.¡±

    ¡°Fallout?¡± he raised an eyebrow and I frowned as I remembered he¡¯d never had to deal with warfare the way humans waged it on Earth.

    ¡°Hmm, imagine the result of compressing all the heat energy on a planet into a space the size of a dagger tip and making the dust from the resulting explosion when it was released toxic to anyone that touched it for several decades at least.¡± I offered as a rough explanation.

    ¡°Forgive me sir, I say this having blown up entire battlefields and slaughtered planets, but that seems insane.¡±

    ¡°Why do you think I prevented them from using them? Keep going.¡±

    ¡°Right, a few of the larger countries tried wave tactics, Ferith tuned the shields so they mostly just suffered minor inconvenience in the form of the barriers releasing a burst of power that should have broken their limbs and caused significant incontinence. Nothing they should recover from in a day or two.¡± I stopped and stared at him.

    ¡°You need to talk with Marisa and Davina about the state of Earths medical abilities.¡± I sighed and shook my head. ¡°It¡¯s gonna take at least a year for their bones to heal, and even then, most are going to be impaired for the rest of their life unless they get a proper healer to treat them. How did the messages get received?¡±

    ¡°Mostly poorly. Diplomats and ambassadors have been arguing all day blaming other nations, some have blamed aliens-¡±

    ¡°Technically not wrong¡±

    ¡°Yes, so I was told. And every Head of State is vying to be the one that leads an assembly to discuss how to proceed. So far, they don¡¯t seem to even be considering taking your advice to form a planet wide legal system, or even acknowledging the suggestion that they form a unified government. Mostly all the leaders have been hiding in bunkers ever since Sunrunner delivered those letters.¡± I shook my head, really the list of directions were just suggestions this was also proving to be a steep learning curve for the First Tactical Battalion and our allied pantheons. I¡¯d wanted to try and unify Earth for the trials it was going to face, and hopefully so when the soldiers I was about to meet returned there wouldn¡¯t be too much backlash to their unified front.

    ¡°The culture on Earth was built in its early stages mostly by people that barely remembered fragments of their past lives, most of them can¡¯t even do that now. Without the ability to manipulate Energy or create proper constructs they didn¡¯t start intermingling until well after they had been firmly set in their ways which has caused a lot of conflicts and as a result there are some very old feuds almost as bad as those between me and the lower council members. I¡¯d hoped this might push them to set those aside but I guess it will have to wait till the first awakened person loses control.¡±

    ¡°Hmm speaking of feuds the recruits have split themselves based on their origins and we¡¯ve already had fights although nothing to lethal since we took away their weapons when we brought them here. On top of that we underestimated the number of their relatives so we don¡¯t have enough housing for everyone.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s easy to deal with, combat recruits can sleep outside for the time being, we¡¯ll dangle the ability to build their own barracks over their head as a reward once they advance in their training as incentive.¡±

    ¡°Which still leaves the issue of them fighting with each other. There frankly aren¡¯t enough in the First to train all the recruits, maintain surveillance on the barriers, handle discipline, and deal with our other duties.¡±

    ¡°Well then, it¡¯s fortunate I thought to ask for help. The Night Queen has agreed to let my nephew assist in training.¡±

    ¡°Do I want to know what that¡¯s going to cost you?¡±

    ¡°He want¡¯s a new weapon. More precisely one on par with his previous axe that¡¯s soul linked.¡± Synbel gave a low whistle.

    ¡°Can you even do that? I mean I know you forged most of your own gear, and Lady Marisa¡¯s weapon, but wasn¡¯t that forged by your father?¡±

    ¡°Yes, which means that in order to make something equivalent I¡¯m going to need to deal with his guild. Given our last discussion ended with me ripping apart the souls of half the Master Smiths and tossing a majority of their journeymen in the crystal prison I doubt they will be in a charitable mood. Weyland at least is still friendly but most of them are terrified of what I¡¯ll do, or more precisely that I¡¯ll break with the council entirely and lead the First in a purge.¡±

    ¡°Honestly most of us would be willing to do that. The Lifesmiths aren¡¯t exactly what they used to be under the Cyngof. Perhaps you should consider following his will and taking charge.¡± I shook my head and waved off the suggestion as we approached the massive granite walls of the arena that had been constructed as a training ground.

    ¡°Drop it. I¡¯ve got far too much on my plate to take on more projects right now.¡± As I neared the training grounds entrance the sounds of shouting in dozens of languages. I stopped for a moment before entering to draw in and weave the energy around me into a simple construct to translate the languages which did little to make the deafening arguments understandable. ¡°Oblivion take it.¡± I swore and exercised a minor effort of will to summon more of my men.

    The two of us walked past the crowd to the elevated platform at the far side without much notice, which given I was dressed in chainmail being followed by a seven foot tall bare chested angel in what looked like sweatpants carrying a clipboard. I stood on the small stage and observed half a dozen fist fights breaking out as soldiers hurled accusations and insults.

    ¡°Should I stop them?¡±

    ¡°No, I¡¯m going to have Exzo make an example.¡± Synbel noticeably paled for a moment before a trio of men appeared at the training ground entrance and looked around. The one in the center was a sleek figured dressed head to toe in form fitting leather that had been stained black with substances I really didn¡¯t want to think about. Behind him were two bemouths, Drystan had dressed in simple leather armor that did little to conceal the heavy slabs of muscle that would shame a grizzly bear with a mane of red and blue hair hanging around his shoulders. On the other side Oros would have been intimidatingly large next to anyone but Drystan and was dressed in a simple pair of trousers and a green silk shirt, his bald head and face were a patchwork of uneven skin covered in a mess of scars that highlighted the missing bits of flesh. Honestly, he could have healed the scars but he seemed to take pride in the fact his face, and the chest hidden under his shirt, looked like someone had run him through a food processor and then stitched the results back together with all the skill of a sleep deprived novice tailor. I nodded at the trio before taking a deep breath and weaving power into my voice.

    ¡°ATTENTION!¡± my voice carried and a few of the conscripted soldiers turned to look at me out of ingrained reflex while some glanced at me for a moment before going back to their arguments. I paused to note the faces that actually did pay attention.

    ¡°FALL IN OR FALL APART!¡± The threat barely made an impact and I made a gesture to the trio still standing at the entrance that was noticeably angered. Oros promptly grinned and waded into the melee picking up and throwing adult men dozens of yards into the air as he broke up fights while Drystan simply started walking through leaving a trail of men sunk into ground that had suddenly softened and hardened around them. Exzo just quietly followed the other two his leather covered head occasionally shifting as he glared at particular individuals. By the time he¡¯d reached the foot of the stage he¡¯d picked out a handful of ring leaders to use as examples. The three jumped on the stage and banged their fist to their chest before turning to the crowd. Exzo waved at the crowd and close to a hundred men were promptly lifted into the air and exploded.

    You could be reading stolen content. Head to Royal Road for the genuine story.

    Actually, an explosion would have been nicer. Instead, they flew apart like an exploded diagram from an anatomy text book with all their parts more or less connected, worse they survived and the sound of a hundred men screaming as their bodies were pulled and held apart by magic was enough to settle the fights. Exzo held the men suspended in torment until everyone had oriented and looked at us with expressions of fear. It was one thing to die and kill, but seeing another being suspended mid air screaming while impersonating a medical lesson so you could see their heart beat and lungs expand was shocking the first time.

    ¡°Lesson one, when your assembled and the commander calls your attention, you will give it.¡± Exzo¡¯s voice echoed through the stadium managing to drown out the screams without being loud.

    I stepped forward and looked at the men before nodding at Exzo who reassembled the men and set them back down on the ground looking noticeably shaken. I couldn¡¯t blame them; Exzo¡¯s particular talent for deconstructing things was unnerving to be on the receiving end of when it was used to help, used as a punishment it was downright terrifying to live through seeing your body pulled apart while you were alive and put back together.

    ¡°Now that everyone is behaving let¡¯s be clear, that right there was mild discipline. You¡¯re here because you already most of the skills necessary to confront what¡¯s coming. But don¡¯t be mistaken, any one of the people that will be involved in your training can and will use you as an object lesson. The next few years of training will make whatever you¡¯ve been through before seem like a walk in the park. There is no dropping out, no refusal, or quitting allowed. Trust me every single one of them will motivate you to move.¡±

    ¡°What right do you have to make that decision!¡± a voice shouted from the crowd.

    ¡°Well setting aside the fact that I could literally rip apart the souls of you and everyone you know and turn the corpse into a puppet. I¡¯ve made agreements with powers you frankly can¡¯t imagine exist that designate Earth as my territory. To that end I have a vested interest in keeping it, and the people living on it, in good health. Due to the lack of foresight by bureaucratic idiots that everyone here should be familiar with. Earth is facing a significant crisis in the form of an impending return of its natural energy, I suppose for you it would be easier to understand as magic, qi, prana, or mana. Trust me this isn¡¯t anything like what you are thinking. Your first round of training will focus on what exactly that means and why it¡¯s risky but in simple terms if you don¡¯t work with us, it is almost guaranteed the planet will be literally shattered. That¡¯s not counting the panic that¡¯s going to follow when other beings start showing up, or other factors that will be discussed during your more cerebral training.¡± I paused and looked around the group. ¡°Now some things to make clear before I introduce you to your instructors. First as will become obvious once you leave here this is not Earth, we are currently in an abandoned corner of the universe. There are predators that will kill and eat you and your regiment before you know they are there; our healers are good but they have little tolerance for stupidity. You¡¯ve already seen what one of them can do when moderately annoyed, trust me they can do much worse. I also need to stress that each of these people is part of a group known as the First Tactical Battalion. More commonly outside of Earth they are a source of nightmares. Every single man, woman, and thing among them has seen and done more in their life than all of you combined, at least half of them have personally been involved in depopulating planets overnight using methods that scarred their victims through several reincarnations. As Synbel here demonstrates with his wings not all of them are human in shape or appearance. As such unless you want to discover how creative someone can be when using magic to torture someone, I advise you treat them with respect and express any concerns politely. Is that understood?¡± There was a moment of silence before Drystan let out a loud grunt and the ground around them promptly surged up and grabbed them.

    ¡°Yes Sir!¡±

    ¡°Right, now with the basic warnings out of the way let me introduce you to some of your new instructors. First up those of you with experience in combat engineering will be learning from my great nephew Drystan, as he¡¯s demonstrated twice now on top of being able to pull a whole building from the ground, he can also effectively use it as a weapon, this time next year anyone learning from him will be able to do such minor works as easily as breathing.¡± Drystan gave a slight bow.

    ¡°Oros,¡± The scarred man stepped forward with a twisted grin, ¡°is going to be in charge of training those of you with reconnaissance specialties. Don¡¯t let his looks fool you, he can vanish in broad daylight and I doubt any of you scouts can track him.¡±

    ¡°For combat operatives you will be introduced to your chief instructor tomorrow as he¡¯s otherwise engaged with prior commitments, but for the time being Synbel will show you your dormitories and explain the facilities.¡± Synbel lifted one wing as a gesture of greeting. ¡°And since you¡¯re not going to be doing anything today for training your going to be in charge of making food for when the rest come back.¡± A small Mediterranean looking man wearing loose monk robes with obvious ink stains on his fingers and nose appeared on the stage without notice.

    ¡°Ah, this is Ferith. All of you will be spending time with him each day. He¡¯s going to be teaching you the basics of energy manipulation, starting with the how to accomplish the bit of neuromancy that¡¯s enabling you to understand me, translation constructs are going to be bread and butter of your daily life for a long time since none of your instructors speak English and he himself doesn¡¯t even speak a language present on Earth. He¡¯s also going to handle general education such as the politics at play in reality and the more notable groups and organizations to be aware of.¡±

    ¡°Now for those of you with expertise in medicine, you get the special treat of two instructors. First off you already met Exzo. He knows more about anatomy and physiology than any living being and can take you apart and put you back together in less than a heartbeat. As for the other instructor,¡± I glanced up and looked around the edge of the training grounds walls before spotting a burly outline against the blue sky that promptly swooped down and landed with a dull thud on the stage. Davina had the sort of build associated with female body builders and was mostly out of place due to the large leather wings on her back that matched the purple edged black scales along her back and arm. Her face was the same heavy reptilian features of most draconic creatures. ¡°Davina here will be instructing you on the finer points of magical healing and treating toxins and diseases that you may encounter.¡± There were a few muttered comments deep in the crowd and Davina bounded off the stage before I could react and snatched up the offending party before coming back to the stage holding him under one arm like a sack of potatoes.

    ¡°This one¡¯s mine Commander. Seems even humans have the sense to recognize good looks.¡± The other three shot the struggling man a look of sympathy before noticing he was passed out and promptly began pretending that he didn¡¯t exist.

    ¡°You know the rules, as long as they are willing and can serve, I don¡¯t care what the people serving me do in their free time. Just remember they are still fragile.¡± I said and then looked back at the troops. ¡°For those of you worrying about your families, rest assured they are cared for. In a few months you should have all learned enough control I won¡¯t have to worry about redrawing my maps on accident at which time you will be able to see them, and for those that have the means you will be allowed to build your own homes and live with them when not training or on missions. Until then they are being kept safely away from you so you don¡¯t turn your family inside out by accident. At present they are getting a similar, if more polite, speech from my wife and being introduced to teachers whose methods are far gentler what you will be subjected to. This is for your sake and theirs as I¡¯m well aware that several of your countries would treat your disappearance as treason, they are protected. Your personal items have been placed in storage for safe keeping as well, once you have advanced far enough in your training those will be returned to you.¡± I stepped off the stage and Synbel took my place.

    ¡°As you heard we will be in charge of training, if you find you would prefer to focus on a different area or have trouble grasping the lessons, speak up and we will find a role more in line with your aptitude. I would also advise you learn to get along. You all serve out commander now which means you and your kin are under his protection, he will fight for and with you so long as you treat the rest of us with respect. If any of you try getting into a stupid fight like I saw when I came in, I will save him the trouble and personally correct your behavior. Now while most of the instructors are here let¡¯s start your training with the basics of combat. The room to the side has an armory, I suggest you pick a weapon and then we will split you up in groups and start drilling.¡± I didn¡¯t bother paying anymore attention, Synbel was going to have to break most of the soldier¡¯s notion of combat and get them used to the idea that firearms were no longer useful for them. Despite my best efforts I hadn¡¯t found a way to enchant bullets with enough power to force their way through the defenses used by the first tactical. A few hours of fighting with more traditional melee weapons would be enough to ensure all of them became personally familiar with Exzo and Davina¡¯s unique brands of healing.

    ¡°Are things going well on your end?¡± I asked projecting the thought through my bond with Marisa as I passed through the exit.

    ¡°Harder than I expected. Most are having trouble with the idea this is a different planet and magic is real. Sprouting an apple tree helped, I think Khan appearing out of thin air next to me solved a lot of that. Did you know he likes kids?¡± I frowned at the reply. It had been an eternity since I had seen the great tiger with children and the memories were bittersweet, ¡°I see, your son?¡±

    ¡°Yes,¡± was my short reply ¡°and other times. Crotchety beast will protect and treat them like his own cubs but as long as he doesn¡¯t offer to teach them to hunt it should be safe enough. Any problems?¡±

    ¡°Nothing serious. Though I wouldn¡¯t mind if you happened to appear looking particularly awe inspiring. I¡¯m not confident in controlling my strength if some of these men do more than leer.¡± I grinned at the thought focusing on a shape from my past lives and gritted my teeth against the wash of pain again as my body twisted, stretched and expanded to fit the mold my energy and will gave it. Shape shifting of any sort was unpleasant unless you were born to a race that was adapted to it. Even for me while I was limited to taking the forms I¡¯d held in past lives and it hadn¡¯t been that long ago when doing so would cause me to blackout from the pain. For someone that hadn¡¯t learned to endure pain by ignoring it, or who like Davina could simply sever their nerves the pain could be lethal. Still after a few moments I managed to straighten up, fanning the double set of wings on my back and rolling my shoulders as I tried to get the armor to settle into place after it adjusted to the new form. Like this I was nearly a head taller than even Synbel, the added muscles in my shoulders and chest that enabled me to move the wings also made me more barrel chested and my hair while still floor length had bled from its unremarkable sun lightened brown into a pale white with streaks of metallic silver. Even the four massive wings were eye catching, the feathers looked nearly transparent and were visible only due to the light that reflected off them causing a halo of refracted light that made the almost equally clear bones to be hidden under a rainbow of color.

    I kicked off from the ground as I cleared the training field and the first down stroke of my wings lifted me higher as it kicked up a small dust devil in my wake. I climbed higher with a hearty laugh at the simple joy that always came with taking flight and then looked around to orient myself before flapping my wings and diving towards the small city that had been built in the valley below the mountains holding the training grounds and my home. I spotted Marisa talking to a group outside the massive communal building we¡¯d built, I twitched my wings to adjust my angle and came down in a near vertical dive before pulling up at the last moment and landing next to Marisa kicking up a cloud of dust before lifting her in a hug that was greeted with a laugh.

    ¡°I take it the soldiers are settled in then?¡± She said with a grin.

    ¡°Well, they are getting their first taste of training, I doubt settled is the right term for it though.¡± I replied as I set her down. ¡°Any trouble with the civilians?¡±

    ¡°Not too much. A few snide comments from some of the more bigoted individuals though once Khan showed up most of them quickly quieted down. The usual leering from a few men-¡°

    ¡°I could volunteer them to Davina. She could use a few people to demonstrate regrowing organs.¡± She glared at me.

    ¡°No. I appreciate that you¡¯re protective but looks are hardly a problem. And if anyone wanting to do more than look isn¡¯t polite, well, I can volunteer them myself. Mostly a few people complaining about the lack of amenities, I made reassurances that we will take steps to address those. A few worrying about work as though their jobs took priority over being abducted to another planet. Some arguments about eating arrangements, demands for religious accommodations, and several other civic issues we really didn¡¯t plan for.¡±

    ¡°Religious accommodations? Oblivion¡¯s hunger. Religion isn¡¯t exactly our priority. I don¡¯t suppose inviting Odin and Hades to attend a feast with them would solve that problem?¡± Actually, I hadn¡¯t seen either man in a few months, some of the other gods had visited regularly once news about me reincarnating again had spread out but aside from their help in the issue that had pulled me back into the public eye, we hadn¡¯t seen each other in person.

    ¡°Sure, if you want to gain firsthand experience with quelling riots. I¡¯m not sure you realize just how deeply some people hold their beliefs. Most people aren¡¯t like you with memories of their previous lives where they are friends and literal mentors to gods. Look at how I reacted when I woke up in Sessr¨²mnir. I freaked out, and bludgeoned a valkyrie over they head with Freyja¡¯s journal. After, I should point out, I had seen you turn into your feline form and rip a dozen people apart bare handed. That¡¯s not exactly the sort of introduction to the universe that makes one feel safe.¡± I mulled the thought over for a few moments and nodded.

    ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll see about getting some of the more friendly people I know to help construct some temples or something. Anything else?¡±

    ¡°A few demanded to know why we kidnapped them, others screamed a few profanities about their new neighbors, the entitled ones demanded to know why they had to live in dormitories. Somehow, they couldn¡¯t understand why building individual homes for several thousand families in a year wasn¡¯t possible. Of course, there were more complaints when I told them they would have to find useful roles for themselves, a few that complained about the mandatory lessons, it took me bribing them with longer life and better health to get them to shut up.¡±

    ¡°Heh, as always humanity will die in search of immortality.¡±

    ¡°And sex. Some of the First ran through doing their daily exercise. Not surprisingly the idea of being able to spend time close to them appealed to most of the younger people.¡± I grinned.

    ¡°I wouldn¡¯t worry about it to much. The First will follow the rules, they have too much respect for both of us to do otherwise. If they didn¡¯t, they wouldn¡¯t be here now.¡±

    ¡°True, however there is something else we need to discuss aside from work.¡±

    ¡°Oh?¡± the sense of concern I felt through our bond made my gaze sharpen as I looked down at her.

    ¡°It¡¯s not anything major. I suggested to the members of the First that aren¡¯t needed for training that it would be a good idea if they had a feast here in town to welcome the newcomers. However, we can¡¯t attend, my parents while accepting of the fact were bonded insist on meeting you, which means the four of us will be having dinner tonight in the fort.¡±

    ¡°If it¡¯s a dinner to met family perhaps I should see if Melisandre is free?¡± She paused and thought about it for a moment.

    ¡°No, as much as I like her, I think she might be a bit much for a fist meeting, particularly given my parents are a bit more conservative.¡±

    ¡°Fair, I¡¯m not sure having her usual escort of sanguinarians among the newcomers would be a good idea either. A shame though, I¡¯ve had a boar roasting in the oven all day. I guess I¡¯ll have to find something else. Any other dietary limits I should be aware of?¡±

    ¡°No, just don¡¯t prepare anything to bizarre, Dads already a little shaken up. Apparently, he had a heart attack after waking up while they were still bringing everyone through the path and he woke back up to see Exzo standing over him fixing his heart.¡± I winced.

    ¡°Right. I have some elk steaks, quite a few vegetables, and there¡¯s some cream I can use as a base for a dessert. I¡¯ll have to trouble to search the store room for something suitable to drink, and I suppose both of us are going to have to change into more suitable clothing. Rather that didn¡¯t meet me the first time dressed for war or hunting leathers.¡± I paused for a moment. ¡°Gifts. I need to get them gifts for a first meeting. Shit,¡± Marisa smiled at me.

    ¡°Relax Kitten. Just treat them with the same respect you show everyone and you¡¯ll be fine. Besides you are already giving them a home and safety from the coming disaster. You plan to give them the opportunity everyone else has here to learn, to grow, to reclaim what Quertas and those cowards in the High Council took from Earth without being destroyed by it. I highly doubt some trinkets and fine clothes will compare to that. Go ahead and head home I¡¯ll pick out a drink and prepare a room for them when I get back. Right now, they are helping Khan with the children while the adults get settled. They don¡¯t seem to be bothered by him and he said he¡¯d stay with them until dinner.¡±

    ¡°Alright. I suppose my formal uniform will work, and I¡¯ll change back to my current form. I suppose I should probably lock up the frost forge as well, at least all the weapons are already locked up. And necessary or not I should give them some sort of gift. Their daughter is a goddess now after all, and given I¡¯m essentially their son in law it¡¯s inevitable they will draw the attention of some of my enemies. Perhaps a necklace for you mother, and a- actually is there anything your father would wear regularly? If we were on Earth, I¡¯d give him a watch but I¡¯ve never made one.¡± Marisa gave an exasperated sigh and shook her head.

    ¡°If you insist, like most men dad wanted to be a knight when he was young, and as you know he served in the military. A pendant with the First Tactical¡¯s emblem should be fine. And since, as you said, our enemies are theirs perhaps it wouldn¡¯t be bad to give them the tools to protect themselves.¡± I frowned at her. ¡°Not like that Cadfael, I know how much calling for another ascension would cost you. But you can offer to restore their bodies and offer to teach them.¡±

    I thought about the idea. Marisa had guessed correctly, meeting the requirements and arranging for another person, let alone two, to gain divinity was beyond what I could currently manage with my resources and connections. But it would be a simple thing for any of the First¡¯s healers to restore them to the peak of health. I could even restore them to the prime of their life once I recovered the massive amount of personal energy I¡¯d expended activating the barriers around Earth¡¯s key sites. After that I could train them if they wanted. With the resources available to me in Frost home, and through the First Tactical Battalion¡¯s contacts, I could ensure both had skill and power comparable to some of the younger gods.

    ¡°If your parents are willing, I¡¯ll train them. Through from what you¡¯ve said I think your mother would be happier to have free reign of the library. I¡¯ll go get started, do you want me to take you back?¡±

    ¡°No, I¡¯m going to stay here for a bit longer and keep helping. I think having an angel swoop down and hug me should deter anyone from being pushy. And if they still won¡¯t listen, well Davina and Exzo just got a bunch of students that might need some practice.¡± I nodded and stepped back leaping into the air and circling around before raising my voice.

    ¡°I¡¯ll see you at dinner love!¡± I watched as Marisa waved, her blush obvious even at a distance and then flew back towards the towering mountain Frost home had been carved into. Fortunately, I wouldn¡¯t have much cleaning to do to make my home presentable, but I would have to seal a few things down before I started cooking. Some of the books in my library could kill a reader if they didn¡¯t know how to protect themselves, and the Frost forge that was the central point was filled with a cold so intense it defied physics and could melt flesh as easily as metal which meant I¡¯d have to seal it, and I should probably put away some of the riskier artifacts until her parents got used to the idea that even a seemingly benign object could cripple the unwary. I tried doing a mental inventory of all the objects and places inside the great mountain that could pose a risk to a normal person. Somehow, I don¡¯t think most men had to worry about accidentally killing their future in-laws on a first meeting. Not to mention tomorrow we had to start the actual training for the soldiers, and Marisa would begin actually teaching the civilian population. At least we¡¯d managed to terraform a significant enough portion of the planet to be habitable to ordinary people over the last year. As long as no one wandered to far into the snowy zones they would be fine.

 Chapter 2

    Earth, UN Headquarters, North America

    Her day had been a remarkable shit show. As UN Secretary General every member nation had been trying to contact Shereen since the bizarre message had gone out. No sooner had she quelled accusations of responsibility in the delicate balance of political negotiation than every head of state had discovered the list they had been delivered. She assumed whoever had written the list was remarkably informed on the state of every nation and its activities given that the list was different for each country and largely revolved around ending long standing internal and external conflicts as well as ending certain events that had turned her stomach to hear admitted. She¡¯d had more nations self-report themselves for committing war crimes than the international courts had tried in their entire history. She had more than once contemplated stepping down from her position and leaving the entire headache inducing mess to whatever poor soul the Security Council put forth as her replacement except that would still be weeks before she was actually able to discharge her responsibilities.

    ¡°Excuse me Madame Secretary I apologize for the interruption but there is a large box here with a letter addressed to you.¡± Shereen rubbed at her temples and sighed at her aid¡¯s interruption.

    ¡°Has it been screened?¡±

    ¡°No, it appeared in the General Assembly Hall ten minutes ago and nobody has been able to open it since. It¡¯s not radioactive but every attempt to scan it beyond ambient measurements results in the machine dying until it¡¯s moved away. We did confirm the attached letter was safe but nobody has been able open it.¡± The young woman looked exhausted and a bit frazzled. Understandable after the day they had been having.

    ¡°Fine, I¡¯ll look at it. Maybe the Tigerman plans to assassinate me as a mercy killing.¡± She took the offered letter and noticed the handwriting addressing it to her was nearly perfect aside from a trailing line at the end of her name. She tried opening the envelope and was surprised when it opened without resistance. The page inside had the feeling of the thick vellum of high class invites rather than proper paper.

    For the eyes of Shereen L. Younes, UN Secretary General;

    I do not know what struggles you are facing at this time. By necessity this letter and the attached package were made prior to me raising the barriers and making our announcement. Unfortunately, aside from a few agents that are unable to exercise their power I do not have any well-informed eyes on Earth. As such as the closest thing to an elected representative for the planet I am designating you as my proxy. Your primary goal should be to mitigate the loss of life over the next eight years at least and bring rival nations to the negotiating table. To facilitate this, I leave in your hands alone an incredible power and a way to ensure your safety. The box is enchanted, simply designate an area on the included maps and any person located inside it will collapse for twenty-four hours. Use this with consideration as repeated exposure can be harmful to individuals.

    As this places you at incredible risk, there is also a set of enchanted items. Wearing any of the items will provide you with protection from any known weapon on Earth. Be forewarned though that they have limited use, such magic is difficult to create in a self-sustaining was and so has limited uses available, research indicates that any one item could potentially block two direct missile strikes before losing their power. How you choose to employ them is up to you. The box and its contents will only respond to your touch, or to whoever you designate as your replacement. Exact directions on how to do so can be found inside the box. Please accept my apologize again for the situation, I would provide more details if possible but that poses a risk that I cannot take. If necessary, you can use the authority I¡¯m granting you to seize power and declare yourself Governor General of the planet though I hope you can find a less tyrannical method to end present and future hostilities.

    With all sincerity,

    Isa, Prime Elemental of Ice, Lord of Frosthome, Commander of the First Tactical Battalion, Heir to the Cyngof, and Guardian of Earth.

    ¡°I¡¯m going to be the first Secretary General to get assassinated in office because of this bastard. Let me see the box.¡± A quartet of security officers carried in what looked like a plain but well-made wooden sea chest. There was no visible lock beyond a plain silver square of metal on the top inscribed with the words ¡°open alone¡±. As she touched it a chill swept up her arm and into her body that made her shiver and there was a gentle snapping sound as the lid raised up, she gestured to her aid and the security to leave before touching the silver plate open revealing a. she pushed the lid open the rest of the way to reveal a set of maps, a tray of what looked like charcoal sticks, and a crystal clear box covered with carvings that she thought looked like runes, she opened the box and lifted out a single sheet of what felt like basic copy paper covered in the same precise hand writing.

    When you¡¯re done reading this letter place it back in the box with your signature on the back. What you read next is for you and the limited number you trust. The magic of fantasy stories is real, the barriers I erected are a temporary measure to contain it until such time as preparations can be made to help humanity as you know it adjust to its reality. Unfortunately, unlike in childhood books it is an extremely volatile power. Stray emotions can cause unexpected reactions and I would prefer a hapless teen doesn¡¯t cause an earthquake that erases the British Isles during a quarrel with their first love.

    The missing soldiers will be trained to use this power, and to respond to it¡¯s untrained use to prevent loss of life. They and their families will be returned when that training is complete. At that time the barriers will also be removed and the individuals trapped inside will also be returned.

    -Isa

    PS, you may designate a successor and place their name and picture the box. I¡¯ve made arrangements for authority over the box to be transferred if needed. In event of your death without being transferred. For leverage you can let the General Assembly know that in event of your death or separation from the box someone has already been designated to receive it. I¡¯ve also designated several individuals to ensure your safety and the death of any responsible for attempting to harm you.

    ¡°Well, that¡¯s not ominous at all. Nothing like knowing your being spied on for safety.¡± There was a flash of light and a slip of paper with an almost childish scrawl on it appeared in the still open box.

    We don¡¯t like it either. This planet is stifling, your food is horrible, and you people are boring.

    She frowned and looked around. Her office was routinely checked for bugs. which made the notes prompt appearance after her stament disconcerting. She was about to reach for her phone when there was another camera like flash.

    Your thoughts are loud. We have limited use of our power but can still hear everything in the area. You will only see us if the Commander approves it.

    Prove your worth and he may let us teach you

    ¡°Right, well thank you then.¡± She said feeling foolish as she addressed the air and then silently signed the first letter and placed it in the box. Hopefully this whole day was a nightmare and she¡¯d wake up soon.

    <hr>

    Frosthome Fortress, unlisted void space

    John and Marriam Misolten proved to be genuinely kind souls that emanated a welcoming warmth to my metaphysical senses. Despite his advancing age Marisa¡¯s father had the broad and powerful build of a man who was not only accustomed to manual labor but enjoyed it and a bald suntanned head to testify to his time in the sun. To his credit he hadn¡¯t been at all intimidated when we first met despite having to look up to meet my eyes, though he looked almost as uncomfortable in the five piece deep grey suit he was wearing as I felt in my formal uniform. By contrast his wife was a petite woman that walked with a cane and I had to make a conscious effort to block out the waves of arthritic pain the rolled off her. Still, she sat straight backed in her chair with a dignity and stubbornness to match any monarch I had ever met and the dinner dress she wore was a match to both the severe braid she wore and her husband¡¯s suit.

    The meal had passed in polite discussion, mostly them complementing me on my cooking while I asked simple questions about their day and the abrupt relocation. Being mostly agnostic the two had taken it in stride when told about some of the more arcane ingredients and items featured in the meals preparation and had accepted Marisa¡¯s assurances it was safe and the myths around them were largely exaggerations. I decided it wasn¡¯t my place to point out if her parents had a few less wrinkles and her mother¡¯s hair was a bit darker after a few glasses of cyser made from Idunn¡¯s apples.

    ¡°John, Marriam, you don¡¯t have to worry about upsetting me. I know you both have questions your avoiding. Please speak freely.¡± I refilled mine and Marisa¡¯s glasses as I spoke and offered the clay bottle to her father who took it and refilled his own glass.

    ¡°Very well, I¡¯ll be blunt then. Marisa explained what you two have done in the last year and while it sounds like a fever dream, or nightmare at times, I can¡¯t ignore the reality facing me. However, there is an impossibly large age difference between you two and her explanation of what it means to be ¡®bonded¡¯ sounds suspiciously akin to marriage.¡± Marriam spoke with an accusatory tone before her husband could say anything.

    ¡°I assure you the situation isn¡¯t my ideal either. Frankly I¡¯m not sure how we became bonded only that it happened in this lifetime before I regained my memories. Which means for reasons even the most educated and studied souls in existence can¡¯t understand, our souls resonated and connected when I was seventeen and she was sixteen. I can¡¯t really say much about the age difference, except that we knew each other long before my memories started coming back about three years ago now.¡± John placed a hand on his wife¡¯s arm and gave me a look that reminded me of the first time I¡¯d picked a girl up for a date as a human.

    ¡°I spoke with some of your people today, and while I had expected a very different person from their comments about you I understand age has less meaning to people like you, and I suppose Marisa now. What I¡¯m more interested in knowing is if you¡¯re going to protect my little girl and treat her right.¡±

    You might be reading a pirated copy. Look for the official release to support the author.

    ¡°Only as much as she¡¯ll allow sir. Much as I¡¯d like to place her on a pedestal and shelter her; I¡¯m sure you know how she would respond to that. I respect her to much to treat her like a green house flower instead of the wild rose she is.¡± Marisa blushed at the comment but Marriam¡¯s face transformed into a broad smile that made her eyes sparkle.

    ¡°Clever boy. Mari was right about you having a glib tongue.¡±

    ¡°My first father made sure to instill in me the virtue of honesty and taught me to use it for flattery Ma¡¯am. Truthfully, I¡¯ve done what I can to ensure Marisa is able to protect herself be it in power or skill, and in return your daughter has saved the lives of myself and my warriors a great many times.¡± I grunted as Marisa drove an elbow into my side drawing a speculative glance from both her parents.

    ¡°Unfortunately, her importance to me means she¡¯s drawn the attention of olde enemies, a risk you two now share which brings me to another subject.¡± I made an idle gesture over the edge of the table and two boxes appeared. ¡°It¡¯s tradition in most cultures to give gifts when you meet others. After some discussion with Marisa, I made these for you.¡± I opened the first box and presented it to Marriam showing a simple butterfly shaped pendant with delicate glowing wings and an iridescent black body. ¡°Jade and corundum wafers for the wings, and the body is formed from eitr. If you¡¯re in danger it will notify Marisa and create a protective cocoon around you.¡± She examined the delicate necklace for a moment before looking at me with a suspicious glance.

    ¡°What is ¡®eitr¡¯?¡±

    ¡°Actually, perhaps that is something Marisa can help with. Mari why don¡¯t you show her the library? The details on eitr are in one of the material encyclopedias in the open shelves.¡± Marisa grinned at the suggestion and stood up waving to her dirty dishes causing them to float across the room to a basin of water.

    ¡°That sounds like a wonderful idea, mum you¡¯ll love the library.¡± I watched as the two vanished out the door noting that Marriam followed Marisa out with the stride of a much younger woman. I glanced at John who was eyeing his wife¡¯s cane where it leaned against the table.

    ¡°It¡¯s the drink. Idunn is a goddess of youth, in myth her golden apples are what give the ?sir immortality. Marisa picked out the cyser expecting that it would take a few years off your age during the meal. Enough to fix arthritis and I doubt she realized it but it¡¯s made that tumor in your pancreas shrink to about half it¡¯s size.¡± He gave me a look of surprise.

    ¡°How did you-¡°

    ¡°I¡¯m sure Marisa already explained what I am to you. Vampires like me, though I prefer the phrase pranavore, can instinctively sense illness. Couple that with my experience and while I can¡¯t fix everything, I can sense the degree and nature of a person¡¯s health issues.¡±

    ¡°You just happen to have a drink that can cure cancer?¡± He asked eyeing the clay jar suspiciously.

    ¡°No, it just rewinds your physical age, the disposition towards your health issues means they will come back if not treated. Fortunately we have some talented and discreet healers among First Tactical Battalion that can treat you without Marisa or Marriam knowing about it.¡±

    ¡°What would be the cost?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m not sure you understand your current position, John. While you yourself may not have much power at the moment Marisa is loved by everyone in the First and she has earned their respect, she¡¯s also my partner in their eyes as well as mine which means they would treat you with the same courtesy and respect they would give my own father if he somehow returned from his current state of non-existence. They would treat you without any cost beyond what their nature demands. Marisa said you already have experience with Exzo¡¯s form of healing, Davina¡¯s is more painful due to her nature, Ferith could literally build you a new body and transplant your consciousness to it. Honestly, I recommend asking Davina, she feeds on pain like I do from energy but it¡¯s a passing thing and far less disturbing than Exzo¡¯s methods.¡±

    ¡°Exzo was the one that fixed my heart?¡± He asked pensively.

    ¡°Yes, his talents let him separate parts of complex systems while allowing them to continue working, hence him being able to remove your heart without preventing it from pumping blood.¡±

    ¡°And I assume you found an excuse to get my wife and daughter out of the room to talk about this for my sake?¡±

    ¡°Oblivion¡¯s end no. Frankly your wife intimidates me, and despite your observations about my age I have no experience dealing with a mother-in-law. I do have an actual gift for you that¡¯s a bit more elaborate than the one for Marriam.¡± I lifted the lid from the neglected box on the table to reveal a silver pin with the same open hand as the First Tactical Battalion¡¯s emblem though I¡¯d replaced the circle and star that was my family sigil with a twisted sunburst of red and gold. ¡°While her orders to the First Tactical share the same weight as mine she doesn¡¯t have a force of her own. The sunburst is her emblem, I was wondering if the man who raised her would be willing to be her first knight. If you trigger the pin¡¯s enchantments it will wrap you in a protective armor and give a substantial boost to your physical abilities. I also wanted to extend an offer to train you, Marisa said you were a soldier which would give you a solid foundation for the kind of fighting we do.¡±

    ¡°You really think you can teach me more about fighting than the royal marines did?¡±

    ¡°I was waging war before Sol had even formed an accretion disk. I have quite literally forgotten more about warfare than the people of earth have ever learned. Which is another thing I want you to discuss with Marriam tonight after this. Marisa and I are both functionally immortal due to the power we hold, frankly elevating her to godhood and giving her the ability to control her power as well as she does was a stroke of luck. I lack the resources to give anyone else the same chance, but I can return both of you to your prime, and I have enough favors owed that if you show aptitude in an area there are people that would teach you so you can reach her level by more traditional methods. I don¡¯t know how long that would take but within a few centuries you could both reach the level of a minor divinity and possibly forge the connections needed to get support for your own ascension rites.¡±

    ¡°I can accept that, I¡¯m still not sure about being given power like Marisa. She was vague on the details of it but I gather it wasn¡¯t a simple matter. But I would want to know what kind of training you would offer.¡±

    ¡°Ascension is easy if you can get a few existing gods to cooperate, in Marisa¡¯s case I secured the aid of Hades, Odin, and Iusaaset. But it can be harrowing to have multiple gods force power into your soul until it breaks down and rebuilds itself. As for the sort of training, I have pretty much every active member of Earth¡¯s special forces starting their own training tomorrow if you want come and observe what they go through.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll, consider it. In the mean time I want to talk about you. Marisa explained some of what happened, and emphasized you can shapeshift,¡±

    ¡°Not quite. Shapeshifting is talent some people have. All I can really do is force my body to take shapes I¡¯ve had in past lives and the process is rather painful if done wrong.¡±

    ¡°Yes, she said as much. She also said you¡¯re a, I think she said energy vampire?¡±

    ¡°I psychic vampire would be more accurate, but yes. In short, I feed on the vital energy of others. An annoying and self-inflicted flaw resulting from experimenting with things that I shouldn¡¯t have with the limited understanding I had at the time. I¡¯m unable to naturally restore the energy I expend with rest and time like most can, the trade off being that I¡¯m particularly sensitive to energy and also able to manipulate and hold much more than most beings. And before you mention it yes, I¡¯m an elemental, more accurately I¡¯m the original ice elemental which means I instinctively manipulate cold and with an effort can utilize it and sense it in ways literally nobody else can. It¡¯s also how I got the moniker Ice Father.¡±

    ¡°Hmm, which raises my question. Why are you interested in my daughter?¡±

    ¡°Because she¡¯s beautiful, intelligent, and capable of most anything she chooses to be. More importantly as I said before my affection for her developed before I remembered who and what I am. My hunger for energy is a result of permanent changes to my soul, it partially severs my link to the natural process of reincarnation so my memories aren¡¯t entirely erased between lives. Truthfully, I don¡¯t really have a solid grasp on how it works just speculation. I only remember a handful of lifetimes; the others let¡¯s just say were significantly longer. What I can say previously it took a few centuries before I started regaining my memories, longer than any human on Earth can hope to live. But that time growing and living without my memories means by the time I regain them I am a different person with new desires and hopes. Although ¡°Lord and defender of Earth¡± certainly wasn¡¯t an aspiration I had in this life and a title I hope not to keep. I can say from experience being a ruler is more tedious and boring than it¡¯s worth.¡±

    ¡°I can¡¯t help but notice that this dinning hall seems rather empty, much like a mess after hours. And Marisa also mentioned that you have an army.¡± He said swallowing down the last of his cup.

    ¡°The First Tactical Battalion is a military unit of sorts, but as a cohesive group they have existed since my second life time. You¡¯ve served, imagine what a regiment of soldiers would be like after fighting together for several million years. There are other issues most of them have but those are their stories to tell. They are skilled, and more than capable, but there is a reason they are referred to as the Element¡¯s nightmares, granted no sane person would do so to their face. I also figured maybe the first time I met my mother and father-in-law shouldn¡¯t be surrounded by a bunch of rowdy soldiers with ages of experience with military mischief. Unfortunately, Frosthome was built as a garrison fortress. While it has some luxuries and a wing of private rooms it¡¯s very much a place built for function. When I first started carving out these halls, I had other homes. Most of those places though have either been destroyed or claimed by others.¡±

    ¡°I see. I don¡¯t think Marriam would have appreciated being surrounded by a bunch of drunken soldiers. That still raises the question of your intentions with my daughter, I understand being bonded to someone is akin to marriage to people like you but Marisa was rather vague on what it means.¡±

    ¡°As the phrase implies, we are bound together, our souls are quite literally linked and have a general sense of each other¡¯s emotions, in close proximity we can even hear each other¡¯s thoughts. It¡¯s even possible if we want to share our senses so she can see, hear, and taste what I do. After regaining my memories, I made a conscious effort to block the bond to prevent her from knowing but after she came here with me she gained a sense and we spent some time teaching her to block it in a similar way. So you don¡¯t have to worry, right now we are both alone in out own minds. And I swear sir, by all that I am, all that I have been, and all that I may ever be that I bear your daughter to ill will and would sooner vanish into Oblivion that harm or bring her harm.¡± There was a sudden pressure in the air that snapped like a taunt strong and he looked at me with a startled expression. ¡°A consequence of having power is that our oaths are quite literally binding and enforced by our own power.¡±

    ¡°I¡­ see. Do you mind if I ask why you and Marisa both speak of Oblivion with the same tone a christian speaks of hell?¡± I paused at the question and studied my empty cup.

    ¡°I think she picked up the habit from spending time around me and the First. It¡¯s not a secret but, and I don¡¯t mean to be rude, you don¡¯t really have a frame of reference for why it¡¯s a source of fear. Simply put though it¡¯s the end of reincarnation, no more lives and no more chances to reconnect with lost friends and family. Death is a temporary thing for us, but oblivion is permanent and there are very limited ways to reach that point.¡± My tone was more bitter than it sounded and I shoved the emotion aside and waved at the air. ¡°If your curious you can ask the others about it, or read through some of the text in the library about reincarnation. There¡¯s always someone in there perusing their own interest and anyone can explain how to find things.¡± John sat silently examining me as I refilled my cup and sipped at it quietly.

    ¡°It¡¯s somewhat disturbing you know.¡± He finally said continuing as I raised an eyebrow quizzically at him. ¡°You look like your in your early thirties at most, and you sound like it most of the time, but then you¡¯ll say something and you get a look in your eyes like some of the old veterans I knew talking about their time during the World Wars.¡±

    ¡°Hmm, I am a young man; I just happen to have several eons of memory crammed in my head.¡± I tilted my head as I sensed a shift in my bond with Marisa and stood up. ¡°It looks like our better halves are done with their talk.¡± As I stood Marisa and Marriam entered their hair damp though their clothes were still dry. Marisa gave me a firm hug as she came over and leaned against me.

    ¡°Everything okay love?¡± I asked through the bond.

    ¡°Wonderful kitten, Mum enjoyed the main bath and it was a fight to pry her away from the library once I showed her how to use it. Don¡¯t worry she only has access to the lower shelves. Did Dad behave?¡±

    ¡°He¡¯s worried about you, and is still uncertain about me, but I don¡¯t think he¡¯s going to kill me for stealing his little girl from him if that¡¯s what your worried about. He said he¡¯d talk to your mom about the offer to restore their bodies and teaching them.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s good, let me get them settled and we can see about getting you some less solid food before we sleep.¡± I grinned at the suggestion, for a psychic vampire like me feeding from someone I was close to was uniquely energizing for both of us. Marisa¡¯s subtle telepathic offer of sex was hard to refuse even when I wasn¡¯t drained from a day of heavy energy work. I gave her a quick kiss on the forehead and then gave my best courtly bow to her parents.

    ¡°I¡¯ll let Marisa show you to your room. I have a few things to take care of before my day is over, and I¡¯m sure you two have a lot to discuss as well. It was lovely to finally meet you both, and I hope to see you at tomorrows training John.¡± I gave Marisa another short hug and left heading towards the bedroom and my writing desk to sort out any correspondence from the day.

 Chapter 3

    Energy is a fundamental force of reality. It¡¯s presence or absence in an object will determine its nature. However, it¡¯s an unstable force influenced by the thoughts and emotions of those it surrounds to the same degree they influence it. This makes manipulating it intentionally an act of extreme control, to manipulate energy reliably we must control not only our personal reality, but also our thoughts and emotions.

    While a skilled individual can create wonders and disasters with ease, an untrained child can cause startling devastation if precautions are not taken. Regardless of the term your culture places on energy it is important to always treat it with caution for it is a tool with limitless potential to aid or destroy balanced on the possibility of a stray thought.

    True masters of energy manipulation like those who have attained godhood through their own efforts are capable of focusing the entirety of their thoughts on a single mental concept in an instant and providing the will and energy to make it real without extraneous thoughts, without external aids attaining such skill takes centuries and is why novice energy manipulators are discouraged from investing any significant power into their work as the energy involved can behave unpredictably in response to subconscious thoughts, if such individuals must attempt more demanding works aids such as spells and rituals are the preferred method to prevent themselves from over drawing their body¡¯s energy reserve to lethal effect.

    Andras Frostson ¡°Fundamentals of Energy Work¡±

    *~*~*~*~*~*~*

    I looked at the group of soldiers that were quietly gathered in orderly lines in front of me as I stood on the slightly elevated platform. Without orders they had formed up into tidy blocks while the available members of the First Tactical Battalion had taken up positions around the edge of training area.

    Much to my delight John had met me at dinning hall early when I¡¯d woken up wearing the pin I¡¯d given him along with a set of chainmail Synbel eventually confessed Marisa had asked him to procure from my armory. I¡¯d thoroughly checked it to ensure it fit and was worn properly and to make sure it didn¡¯t have any problematic enchantments. He¡¯d raised an eyebrow when the dinning hall had fallen into silence as soon as I stood up from breakfast and hadn¡¯t voiced any complaints about joining the First in a morning run to the training field and had taken a position at the back of the open arena without prompting when we entered and watched with a slightly amused grin as Oros and his team had started waking the recruits by unceremoniously throwing them out the door into the field.

    ¡°Let this be your only notice,¡± I said in a crisp tone. ¡°The bell that will ring at set intervals for you each day. The first ring is your notice to wake up, the second will mark the end of your breakfast and time to assemble, the third will call you to dinner from your allotted free time. It will ring twice each time. If you miss a meal that¡¯s your fault, if you miss morning assembly, well¡± I gestured to Davina at the side of the platform. ¡°We are not drill sergeants like your used to. My goal is to make you warriors that can act and make decisions independently or with your unit in the midst of cataclysmic events, not a bunch of grunts. Nearly all of you should have gotten a taste of Davina¡¯s healing yesterday, be assured our idea of discipline will make that feel like a papercut.¡± I paused to observe the group letting their imaginations magnify the threat.

    ¡°As I said yesterday you will be trained based on your expertise, any one of your instructors has eons of experience in their field. That means you will have centuries worth of experience and knowledge crammed into your heads in less than a decade. It also means we have to ensure you have the ability to use it. We also need to break a lot of your misconceptions. Since none of you have left the training area yet we¡¯re going to start the day with a small tour. You¡¯ll see where your families are living from a distance, see Frosthome Keep where you will barrack once you¡¯re done with training, and see some other notable locations. Of course, this is training so we will do this with a tradition you should all be familiar with.¡± I pointed down the entry hall that had been warded to prevent use last night. ¡°Outside that archway are packs. Each of you is going to grab one, and only one, and we are going to ruck through this tour.  I¡¯m going to set a slow pace for you and your instructors will be carrying their own packs alongside you and ensuring you keep the pace. We¡¯ll take a break for lunch after that, and then it¡¯s off to a favored tradition of the First- establishing the pecking order and some new exercises for all of you. Don¡¯t worry you¡¯ll get your choice of weapons for that.¡± I nodded to the group as I hopped down from the platform and pushed through the group. ¡°Oh, and there will be coffee and tea for you at the first break stop.¡± I announced as I noted the number of sleep blurred eyes around me. ¡°Now, fall out, the chest in your barracks have your new uniforms I suggest you wear the coats unless you want to freeze on the run. You have ten minutes to dress and assemble outside, anyone late will be motivated to be quicker. Keep slacking and Exzo will give you more dissection demonstrations. Your time starts now.¡± As soon as I finished the soldiers¡¯ broke ranks quickly returning to the rooms they had been thrown from. I looked to a single soldier already dressed in the simple blue and white uniform standing with the feigned relaxation I¡¯d had made for the recruits and then towards Davina and sighed before walking over to him.

    ¡°Name soldier?¡±

    ¡°Chief Master Sergeant Hector Watts, United-.¡± He stopped the reflexive response when I held up a hand.

    ¡°I asked your name not your rank. This isn¡¯t an interrogation I just wanted to clarify things with you. I¡¯m well aware the sort of night you had Hector and you¡¯re not in trouble. We are a different sort of military than your used to and have different rules, I also have very specific rules for my soldiers of a more relaxed nature than your used to. You can have relations with anyone you want as long as both parties are consenting, it doesn¡¯t interfere with your duties, and given you and your families just got shanghaied into this scenario I want anyone currently attached to avoid disrupting things too much. The First Tactical values respect and a simple No from any of you will stop them. Beyond that I don¡¯t care what you do with your personal time.¡± Hector blushed furiously enough I thought his hair was doing to catch fire.

    ¡°Sir I,¡± I held up a hand to stop him.

    ¡°Relax, I¡¯m in no position to judge other¡¯s proclivities or interest. I just want to ask you to pass it around the other recruits. Balancing your free time and duties is your responsibility and any warrior under me that has problems is free to bring their grievance to me, Synbel, or Drystan. I also want you to understand it¡¯s perfectly okay to share any advance knowledge that¡¯s shared with you, the First may be many things but none of them are loose lipped, quite the opposite in Davina¡¯s case as I¡¯m sure you experienced.¡± That earned a deeper blush from the man and a forced smile.

    ¡°Are you saying I should tell them what was being done when they were getting patched up yesterday?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s entirely up to you, personally I would leave it as a pleasant surprise for them to figure out on their own.¡± He nodded and frowned for a moment.

    ¡°Sir, how bad will it get?¡± He asked with a note of concern.

    ¡°You¡¯ll be getting some first hand knowledge of that later. Trust me when I say your first few weeks of training here will make your time in the pipeline seem like an afternoon stroll and is necessary to prepare you. I fully expect at least half of you to fail out before your finish training. Or at least think you¡¯ll fail, one way or another your all going through hell and coming out the other side.¡± Davina appeared beside me at that moment.

    ¡°Everything okay?¡±

    ¡°Yes ma¡¯am. The, Commander?¡± She nodded to confirm the title was appropriate, ¡°Was just confirming the rules you told me last night.¡±

    ¡°Cadfael would be my preference. I was just having a polite chat with a new arrival.¡± I patted Hector¡¯s shoulder as I walked past him towards the exit. ¡°Oh and Hector? The First Tactical is home to a variety of people with very diverse shapes, I¡¯d strongly suggest you let the others know not to fetishize them for their forms. It can lead to some very awkward moments. I imagine a scalie can experience worse things than a night with a dragon, but not everyone is as accommodating as Davina.¡± There was a sputtered attempt at protest as I walked away accompanied by a bunch of raucous laughter from the First Tactical that had been close enough to hear the warning. As soon as I left the training arena, I nodded to the soldiers that had already arrived and collected my own weighted bag and waited as the stragglers arrived and hefted their bags as well and then gestured to the First Tactical members that came out carrying noticeably larger bags.

    ¡°Alright men, first leg is going to be a warmup. Final word of warning- if you think you see something moving in the trees ignore it. We¡¯re in a big group so the local predators should leave us alone but some will attack if you stare at them and I really don¡¯t want to have to drag your bodies back to be pieced back together.¡±

    ¡°What sort of predators?¡±

    ¡°You ever met a Kodiak? We have things hear that can eat a couple in their sleep. So, unless you want to finish this run with brown pants just ignore any movement you think you saw. Keep your questions till after the run, we¡¯ll explain the plants and animals later if you really want to know. Now keep it down and follow me.¡± I turned and ignored the path to Frosthome that had been broken through the snow and instead headed through the three feet of untouched snow.

    Three hours later I called a halt atop the second hill we¡¯d crested to find a dozen campfires burning with kettles bubbling on stands above them, the crystal like trees around them glowed with an inner blue fire. Synbel cam trotting up with a cup in hand.

    ¡°Your late sir, I expected you an hour ago.¡± I nodded and looked behind me as I took the offered cup from him.

    ¡°Most of them don¡¯t realize what¡¯s happening yet. There was a lot of stumbling at the beginning. If not for disorientation the trees cause I¡¯m sure they would have figured it out already. Although I have to ask what did you load their packs down with?¡± I asked as I watched a few drop the packs with a heavy thump that tossed clouds of snow in the air.

    ¡°Leftover building supplies from the training hall. Mostly the metal stock Tyr and Hephestus provided.¡± He said off handedly as he poured a cup of tea for himself from a nearby pot. Drystan had taken over directing the trainees and helping them identify what was in each burbling kettle. I eyed the pile of massive packs and considered the density of the metal in them.

    ¡°That¡¯s, two, two and a half tons by Earth¡¯s measure? Davina and Exzo did better than I expected fixing them up yesterday. Do me a favor? Replace the tableware in the training hall with some of the studier materials. Marisa will kill me if they break all the plates and mugs.¡±

    ¡°Hmm. Should we change the plan for the afternoon to strength control?¡± He asked and I replied with a head shake before taking another sip of warm coffee.

    ¡°No, that will come with time. They have the seeds of the necessary mental discipline but those need to sprout fast. Will Ferith be finished on time?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t know. I tried getting a status update and got hit with a lightning bolt before I even got near him. Shot through my shields and blew my ass halfway to your front door.¡±

    Unauthorized duplication: this narrative has been taken without consent. Report sightings.

    ¡°That¡¯s a good sign, it didn¡¯t do any significant damage, but I¡¯ve told you to work on your shields. Sounds like he¡¯ll be done with the setup before we get back though. And our guests?¡±

    ¡°I received word Kerion would be here by noon our time. The other¡¯s set word they would wait until your recruits would benefit from their knowledge.¡± I nodded and finished my drink before handing him the cup.

    ¡°PACKS ON!¡± I shouted and watched the men scramble to their feet and struggle to pull the straps of the immense packs onto their shoulders. ¡°Good, we have two sports left to see before this ruck is done. Now let¡¯s move out.¡± I turned and set off at a quicker pace than before ignoring the groans behind me as I led them down the hill and up another. The full lap around the valley to show them, from a distance, where their families lived with dire warnings about go anywhere near the place before they were approved, and then to the great carved steel doors of Frosthome took less time than the first leg of the trip although the mildly hypnotic effects of the ice trees with their pulsing cold fire sap probably made it seem much longer to them. There had been nods as the men passed around binoculars to observe the town and confirmed when they spotted friends and family moving around and working, and a moment of stunned silence as they stood before the enchanted doors of Frosthome set into the mountain side with the detailed engravings of sigils that gave off an intimidating pressure. By the time they had stumbled up the hill to the training hall again and collapsed to the ground around the entrance they were all covered in a heavy sweat and completely exhausted.

    ¡°Congratulations you all just ran about two hundred kilometers in five hours carrying more than double your body weight. Take an hour to recover, then meet me in the arena. Yesterday you were flailing around against each other with our preferred weapons, today I¡¯m going to give you all a chance to try a fight against any member of the first tactical- including myself- with the weapons of your choice.¡± There was a collective sigh of relief as the soldiers started to drop their bags again, ¡°Those are your bags now, take them to your bunks, then you can get to the mess hall for food and drink. You¡¯re going to be doing that same run with the instructors tomorrow and every day until your told otherwise.¡± There was a wave of surpassed groans and they began carrying their burdens back into the training hall. John looked at me as he stood with his bag still on his back.

    ¡°Two hundred kilometers in five hours? I thought you kept the pace slow for me.¡± I arched an eyebrow at him.

    ¡°I don¡¯t coddle or lie to people when I train them. They spent most of yesterday doing some fairly major damage to each other with melee weapons. Every time Davina or Exzo patched them up they made minor adjustments. You however spent a night eating a drinking food I made with the intent of restoring and strengthening you and Marriam. It had a similar effect, which is why you probably don¡¯t realize your backpack weighs enough to crush a car or small building. Everyone here including you can outperform the best Olympic athletes like they were toddlers.¡± He frowned as he thought that through.

    ¡°Surely we would have noticed?¡±

    ¡°Hardly, this isn¡¯t the first time I¡¯ve done something like that to someone. I warded your room to suppress your physical abilities or you would have likely launched yourself through the wall getting up this morning. Once everyone started moving the limitations would have gradually worn off without you noticing it and allowed your brain to rapidly adjust. Of course if anyone had a strong burst of emotion they probably would have broken the wards so it¡¯s a good thing most of the local predators have learned to recognize my smell and aura and avoid it.¡±

    ¡°I see though so far this training of yours seems otherwise mundane. And I can¡¯t help but notice that there are only about eight hundred men here.¡±

    ¡°I may be a divine power but I¡¯m not omniscient and neither are my people. We had to limit the size of the groups which is why after we abducted some eighty thousand people, I arranged for them to be split up and trained in different locations. The ones here were determined to have the best aptitude, the rest ended up on other planets since I¡¯m somewhat attached to this one and that many novice energy manipulators could have shattered the planet by accident. As for being mundane? That was their warm up. Next, they will get humbled. After that¡¯s where their real training starts.¡± Something in my tone or expression made him take a step back at the last comment. ¡°Don¡¯t worry nobody will die, and Marisa has a gentler way to teach you what they are going to learn. But a trial by fire will do them some good. Come on, I can feel Marisa up on the observation deck, and¡± I paused for a moment extending my perception through our bond to sense Marisa¡¯s surroundings ¡°Yes, Marriam is there as well though she seems engrossed in a book.¡±

    *~*~*~*~*~*~*

    As we reached the top of the steps Marisa was setting out cups and sandwiches and idly humming to herself.

    ¡°I¡¯m glad to see your not torturing the soldiers.¡± She said as settled the last plate on the small table she must have brought up herself.

    ¡°That¡¯s on the schedule for this afternoon. Synbel and Drystan have been debating who¡¯s going to fight them, I was actually hoping you might be willing to turn the training ground into a maze. A slight display of your ability should establish some respect for the future, and it might ease the blow.¡± I poured myself a glass of water and nodded towards the field below us.

    ¡°Wait that¡¯s what you meant by establishing a pecking order? I understand your First Tactical is powerful but surely taking on eight hundred men alone is to much even for them?¡± John asked as he sat down and looked between us.

    ¡°Honey, I¡¯ve spent most of the day reading history books. If these are even half true either of those men could destroy Earth without trying or using a weapon.¡± Marriam said as she closed and set the book to the side, I glanced at the title and pushed down the wave of emotions.

    ¡°True which is why for this bout I told them to motivate rather than demoralize the soldiers. I notice your not reading history at the moment?¡± She glanced at the book and smiled.

    ¡°No Marisa suggested I should learn magic first before diving into more academic interest. I must say this author seems like a talented teacher.¡± I nodded and picked up the slender book.

    ¡°My son was far more patient and talented than me in that field, I¡¯m not very good at breaking things down quite so simply and succinctly. If you¡¯d like sometime, I can ask someone to get his original notes and manuscripts from storage for you.¡±

    ¡°Was? Oh, I¡¯m,¡± I waved her words away.

    ¡°Don¡¯t be, it¡¯s an old pain and I¡¯m not one to avoid topics just because they hurt. If anything, I think Andras would be happy to know a born scholar was enjoying his work. And please, books should be used and I¡¯m afraid my library has been neglected for to long. Hopefully you can put both his work and my collection to good use, and feel free to ask questions if you don¡¯t understand anything. I can¡¯t promise to answer every question but I can try my best and at least explain why I won¡¯t give an answer when necessary.¡±

    ¡°Knowledge is dangerous, as the saying goes?¡±

    ¡°Very much. Both to have and to share in some cases. It¡¯s why some of my books are locked away, and why even moving the keys to access them is so difficult as I¡¯m sure Marisa explained.¡± She nodded and I held out my hand over the table with my palm down gathering energy. ¡°Even simple things like this can be dangerous if you don¡¯t have the proper abilities¡± The mass of energy I¡¯d gathered drifted to the table and coalesced drawing the moisture in the air together and forming small statues of ice depicting the four of us present. That got John¡¯s attention and he leaned forward to examine the small sculptures.

    ¡°Impressive.¡± He said with a low whistle.

    ¡°Experience has it¡¯s benefits,¡± my ears twitched as a low clamor echoed across the arena and I grinned. ¡°Ah, it seems Synbel just opened up the armory containing the recruits old weapons.¡±

    ¡°Seems cruel not to tell them guns won¡¯t work against the First.¡± Marisa said as she pushed sandwiches onto everyone¡¯s plates.

    ¡°Of course, it¡¯s cruel. Most military training is by any standard cruel. But I¡¯m also wanting to motivate them. You were motivated in learning by lack of choice, you could have taken my offer to go home and forget about all this, or simply chosen to stay behind and be protected but you choose to push through an learn because you didn¡¯t want to be helpless. Your combat experience before this was strictly martial arts, they have been trained and taught to think of fighting with firearms.¡±

    ¡°Why does that make such a difference?¡± John asked as he swallowed the bite of sandwich he¡¯d been chewing. I glanced at Marisa and she nodded.

    ¡°Because if someone has enough rudimentary skill to form a shield anything not backed by someone else¡¯s energy is mostly ineffective. Take the gifts Cadfael gave you last night. They will shield you from any weapon short of a nuke, and even then, I¡¯m not entirely sure they wouldn¡¯t block it.¡±

    ¡°They would stop the blast; radiation would be the real problem. I had to deal with a kitsune near Fukushima before the seals started crumbling and the radiation had screwed up the ambient energy enough, I had to keep constantly tweaking my shields and constructs to block it out. Granted once you were away from it the damage can be repaired but for the time being I have to assume fallout like that has some peculiar interactions with energy. For most other conventional munitions though a simple rigid shield is enough to block them. Even with older weapons like swords and axes you have to be able to push your energy into the weapon in order to do anything to someone that can protect themselves with energy.¡± I pointed at the volume Marriam had been reading when we arrived. ¡°The later chapters of that book explain the basics of using energy to defend yourself but using it in actual combat takes practice and experience. It¡¯s why we usually start teaching energy manipulation when someone is a child rather than an adult. But well, you¡¯ll see the difference it can make in a little bit.¡± I took a bite of my own sandwich and moved to the observation deck¡¯s railing holding the plate to give Marisa some personal time with her parents while I mentally reviewed the last two days. There was a slight vibration from the silver bracelet on my wrist and a sheet of notebook paper appeared in front of me. I frowned for a moment and then read through the short report.

    No new wars. Existing ones have ended in ceasefires

    Your proxy has activated the contingency twice. Will need to recharge it soon.

    Barriers are currently being treated with suspicion and blockaded by soldiers.

    Lake Maracaibo barrier attacked late last night, casualty numbers unconfirmed for political reasons, please advise.

    Proxy has been effective in reducing panic but more information has been requested and proof of soldier¡¯s condition requested.

    -G¨¹lten

    I frowned and mulled over the message. If anything I was surprised more nations hadn¡¯t attacked the barriers though learning the Secretary General had already shut down two regions was unsettling. I mulled over the request before pulling a simple Bic pen and paper from the pouch at my side and wrote out a short reply.

    Monitor conflicts for the time being.

    Synbel will dispatch charged crystals for resupply shortly. Allow Ms. Younes discretion in handling attack and casualties and informer her someone can speak to the soldiers next week, but stress they would need to come here and the implications of such a trip.

    -Isa

    I folded the page and tapped it against the bracelet letting the constructs worked into carry the letter to the last sender and observed the solders that were forming up now dressed in their preferred uniforms and plate carrier vest. Most were carrying with automatic weapons and carried grenades and side arms. Drystan came out wearing a loin cloth and carrying a large axe.

    ¡°Marisa? It looks like they are ready to begin. Would you mind giving them a maze to use for cover?¡± There was a pause in the conversation behind me and Marriam excused herself gathering her book as she headed down the stairs while John walked up beside me to watch the impending fight. Marisa stepped up on the other side of me and closed her eyes with a deep breath. I felt the ripple of her power spread out and a moment later vines and trees began to sprout from the arena floor in a complex twist of open halls, alcoves. The soldiers gapped at the suddenly changing environment before eyeing the plants warily.

    ¡°Alright this is a simple exercise. It will be considered finished when your all incapacitated or one of you makes Drystan bleed in any way. The maze is here to give you some cover and maybe give you a fighting chance. Medics will be on standby to patch up and remove anyone incapacitated from the field. Oh, and try not to shoot each other. You can start when you¡¯re ready.¡± I watched as they quickly split into groups and began moving through the maze with professional caution. Drystan for his part just jumped over the maze with a loud shout as his skin darkened and appeared to become more jagged and rock like before landing in the middle of the maze. A few of the soldiers had fired at him mid jump but the bullets had bounced off harmlessly.

    ¡°Is that what a shield looks like?¡± John asked curiously.

    ¡°No, he¡¯s just being an asshole. Drystan is the grandson of the Prime Elemental of earth which gives him a leg up when it comes to manipulating that element. He just turned his entire body into stone, which means even if by some miracle they do hurt him he won¡¯t bleed. Someone must¡¯ve annoyed him at lunch because he¡¯s toying with them right now.¡± We watched in silence and true to my expectations it proved to be a blood bath. Drystan simply ignored the gun fire and only bothered forming a shield the few times they used grenades or explosives and would barrel through each squad swinging his axe while whistling merrily as he left severed limbs in his wake.

    ¡°I can see why you said guns wouldn¡¯t work. They are doing everything they should and he¡¯s simply shrugging off anything they throw at him like it doesn¡¯t matter.¡± John noted looking a little green as Drystan ripped a leg off as he ran past an unlucky soldier and tossed the limb into the air towards another group.

    ¡°Yes, I¡¯m starting to think it would have been better to have Synbel or myself down there. I¡¯m afraid his approach might traumatize most of them if we aren¡¯t careful.

 Chapter 4

    The Prime Elementals were the first recorded life and predate the time to the best of any records. That is not to say they were the first, even among themselves they retain a certainty that they came from somewhere or somewhen before they first awoke in the void that would become our reality. The eight of them complete a delicate balance that forms the basis of everything and as a result are tied to reality in ways we don¡¯t fully understand but the balance the create means they are largely unable to exploit those connections at will and are limited to their immediate environment.

    It should not be assumed that their limitations weaken them. As someone that has learned from one of the Primes and fought against their family I can saw with sincerity that they each holds a remarkable well of power they can draw from and have had longer than any other soul in existence to learn how to manipulate it. Further they have staved off the melancholy and detachment that so often drives the oldest of souls to sever their connection to the cycle by indulging in hobbies. The Prime Elemental of Ice is adept at creating constructs of varied natures, His sister the Prime Elemental of Wood can bring life to the most barren and inhospitable of climates, Fire is possesed of the heart of a scholar and has read and written more books than one can count often under assumed names, Water is a healer by nature and has learned to even treat maladies of the soul in fact many healers have learned methods she created, each of them has similarly excelled in there chosen fields and contributed to realities collective knowledge in was even the Akashic archive may not know.

    If you find yourself confronted by one it¡¯s advised you treat them with respect. While many on the High Council and among it¡¯s retainers will say they won the war for power the truth is they quit the battle for fear of what would happen if it continued. Should you encounter them I urge respect as they are a fearsome foe when motivated to act and once roused to anger, well there is a reason their personal army is called the Nightmares of War and even they are merciful compared to what the Primes can do when pushed to anger.

    ~First Seat Horlet, ¡°On the Elementals¡±

    *~*~*~*~*~*~*

    There was a gust of wind and a soft thumping sound and I turned to see Synbel taking the last few steps to burn off the momentum of landing as he settled his wings in place.

    ¡°Commander Kerion has arrived; He should be here-¡±

    There was a sudden burst of heat and I turned to see the hedge maze Marisa had created crumble in a burst of flame. Drystan paused as he was lifting a soldier by his ankle and unceremoniously dropped the man as he turned to face the training ground entrance.

    ¡°I¡¯m disappointed Ice Father, you promised I¡¯d get to train recruits with real potential and yet I see them being demolished with nothing more than basic body enhancement.¡± Kerion strolled through the fluttering ash and nodded at Drystan. ¡°Cousin.¡± Kerion was dressed in unadorned chainmail and had pulled his scarlet and blond hair back into a tight braid that hung from the base of his skull to his waist. I heaved a sigh as I felt Marisa¡¯s aura disappear beside me and appear behind him at the same time, Kerion started to turn just as her fist crashed into his spine and launched him across the arena leaving a crater in the wall below the platform I was on. There was a low whistle from John at the sight.

    ¡°It seems to me, Kerion, that you think because we were polite in requesting your assistance you can take liberties. Make no mistake, it was only a courtesy. We could have asked your queen for aid and she would have ordered you here, or invoked my husband¡¯s authority as a prime elemental and compelled either of you. We asked because we both value free will.¡± There was a burst of grey ash in the air and she appeared next to where he had only just begun to pull himself from the crater in the wall and a delicate looking Jian sword with a guard shaped like an open book appeared pinning him to the wall like a butterfly on display. ¡°But if you EVER show such disrespect to us or another instructor, I will personally deliver your flayed and living body to the torture chambers of the Queen of Night and inform Cassandra that she has free reign to use you for her test.¡± I cleared my throat loudly and Marisa¡¯s eyes snapped up to look at me.

    ¡°I appreciate the display dear, but we still need him to do a job. Besides we want the men to admire their leaders, not piss themselves at the thought of angering us.¡± I said through the bond and looked to the side at John who was staring at his daughter with his mouth gaping like a fish. ¡°As I said last night, she doesn¡¯t need me to protect her.¡± There was the sound of something heavy falling and Kerion coughed weakly splattering blood on the ash covered ground in front of him as Marisa withdrew her sword and it slowly melted into itself and up her arms to form a pair of weighted gloves.

    ¡°I never thought I¡¯d find my own daughter intimidating.¡± John noted in a mutter almost too low to hear.

    ¡°That was just physical ability. I wasn¡¯t lying or exaggerating when I said she¡¯s a goddess now, give it time and you¡¯ll be at the same level.¡± I whispered before raising my voice to a more conversational tone. ¡°If you had exercised some patience or read the briefing you were sent Kerion you would have known the recruits are from a world with only the minimum level of energy to support life, and that they haven¡¯t gone through their first trial yet.¡± I jumped down the natural bend of my knees helping to absorb most of the impact from landing as I twitched my tail back and forth to steady my balance and looked at the soldiers who were staring in mute awe at Marisa. ¡°Davina? Would you be so kinda as to patch him up, he won¡¯t be any good with that hole in his lungs and I¡¯d rather not explain to Kenaz¡¯s daughter why we killed her general.¡±

    You could be reading stolen content. Head to Royal Road for the genuine story.

    Davina hurried over and after a moment to examine the wound shoved her hand in and pulled it out with a few bits of meat and tissue hanging from her talons. Kerion let out a deafening scream of pain as the edges started to visibly knit together. She gave an exasperated sigh and punched him across the jaw with a heavy thud.

    ¡°The noise really wasn¡¯t necessary, it¡¯s not like I was regrowing his spine. Just had to dig out the stone shards in there.¡± I shook my head at the behavior.

    ¡°Right, as you all know by now our medics are effective if a bit unorthodox. I was going to give you a chance to pick another opponent from your instructors but I believe my wife just aptly demonstrated how wide a gap there is between you and everyone here. While Davina and Exzo put you back together as they finish with each of you, you¡¯ll be tossed into your next lesson. How you get out is up to you but I strongly suggest you quickly learn separate your thoughts or it will become more unpleasant as time passes.¡± A few quickly stood up to demonstrate they were fit, between Kerion¡¯s example and memories of Davina¡¯s healing from yesterday they were heavily motivated to ignore all but the most significant injuries. I gestured to my side and a slit of light appeared before expanding to a broad door way of shimmering blue light.

    ¡°This is commonly called a doorway, step through and you appear at a corresponding designated location, think of it as something like an artificial wormhole for you sci-fi nuts. DO NOT try experimenting with them please, even Exzo can¡¯t reassemble you if your turned into spaghetti. Those with aptitude will be trained to set them up at the appropriate time so don¡¯t rush it. I repeat again that you¡¯re going to need to learn to control your thoughts to finish this, until then you¡¯re going to discover a new definition of hell.¡± I gave a slight nod and a dozen members of the First Tactical lead by Drystan and Synbel rushed in and began grabbing the standing soldiers and throwing them through the doorway. It didn¡¯t take long before agonized screaming started coming back through the doorway. The training space Ferith would be uncomfortable in the best of times, the ground had been littered with small spikes and the temperature changed rapidly. The real challenge though was the increased density and responsiveness of the area¡¯s natural energy coupled with a subtle suggestion of regret. A perfect cocktail to conjure anyone¡¯s inner demons.

    Earth¡¯s energy had been so thin and diminished for millennia that most of its inhabitants never had to learn to control their metaphysical reactions. Sure, if you made enough people mad at you the negativity could cause some bad luck, but for the rest of the universe that kind of thing was fatal to the recipient if they couldn¡¯t defend themselves. Even a stray thought could leave an undefended person dead, and given the way my personal defenses had been buzzing since the introduction yesterday most of them already wanted me dead. Shame I was going to have to disappoint them, they number of people that had wanted me dead over the years could populate a galaxy. Of course, the baptism I¡¯d mentioned was more that just forcing them to learn to divorce their thoughts from their power. I was also going to have to play a role in making sure they could move more than just a small bit of it. Marisa wrapped my arm in hers and broadcast reassurance through our bond.

    ¡°You don¡¯t have to do this alone. There¡¯s nothing in there I haven¡¯t faced, and nothing up here you haven¡¯t already shared.¡± She tapped my forehead gently with the last comment and I found myself smiling on reflex.

    ¡°Maybe, but I don¡¯t know what¡¯s in those men¡¯s minds and I can¡¯t ask others to expose their minds to another. You know my rules with things like this-¡±

    ¡°Yes. You won¡¯t ask others to do what you¡¯re not willing or able to yourself, and you would risk your body and mind for any of us. I¡¯m not asking love, we both know I can go where ever you are.¡± I shook my head and sighed.

    ¡°Fine, we best get going before they are to overwhelmed though.¡± I looked up at Marriam still on the viewing platform and John where he stood a few steps away pointedly ignoring his daughter hanging on me. ¡°Khan? Please see to the Misolten¡¯s, maybe introduce them to your new friends.¡± The massive tiger shimmered into sight beside me with a reproving look.

    ¡°I¡¯m not your bat man or servant, and I am quite enjoying playing with the cubs now their parents aren¡¯t afraid of me. Is it too much to be allowed to enjoy some peace before the fighting starts?¡±

    ¡°No brother, it¡¯s not. If anything I wish I could join you, but duty calls and I need someone to make sure Marisa¡¯s family is safe while I answer that call. The First is otherwise engaged and even the ones here have important task to finish. Davina and Exzo are still preparing to teach medicine to the recruits, Drystan is doing ground work for a earthworks training field, Synbel is monitoring the eyes still on Earth, Sunrunner and his lance are managing the town and the Sweep Patrols are pretty much useless unless you want someone killed or brutalized.¡± Khan gave a snort at the list and finally relented.

    ¡°Sir John, Lady Marriam if you would please? I will carry you to town,¡± I smiled at the mental image of the two clinging to his fur as he ran full speed through the snow and nodded at John as me and Marisa turned towards the doorway that was still open on the field and watched as Drystan threw a panicked looking recruit through it.

    ¡°That¡¯s the last of them commander. You sure you don¡¯t want one of us to do this?¡±

    ¡°You know my rules, never ask of others what I won¡¯t do myself. Besides I¡¯ve done and had done to me even more than the rest of you. These men need to adapt to their new reality fast and the more brutal their baptism the better. You know what they will face, would you spare me at the risk of weakening them?¡± He sighed and shook his head.

    ¡°We could take turns, a few memories at a time will amount to the same.¡±

    ¡°You know it won¡¯t, the formation will weaken every time the eye is changed. No. I can do this, Marisa is already risking herself to be at my side for it.¡± I pressed my fist to my heart and nodded. ¡°I will see you in a few days. Make sure Kerion is settled when I come back, if he makes a fuss tell him I will personally ensure the next lesson is slow.¡± I stepped towards the doorway again before impulsively turning to lift up Marisa and kiss her before carrying her through the doorway.

 Chapter 5

    The amount of power an individual can handle directly without harming themselves is dependent on their soul and their physical body. This also tends to relate directly to an individual¡¯s longevity as the simple act of holding power enhances the natural recovery of a body. While in general the human and anthropomorphic species have a lower capacity to hold power than for instance the draconic races if a sufficiently powerful soul resides in them it can make up for the difference.

    Which brings us to the matter of how souls accumulate power, in the most basic of terms it¡¯s by accumulating experience. The weakest souls will have almost no memories attached to them, as it¡¯s born, lives, and dies, only to be born again from the cycle it will accumulate experience and memories of past lives it can draw on, the longer a life last the more memories it attaches to the soul. Once it reaches a certain level of accumulated experience it becomes possible to recall past lives from that point forward. This system isn¡¯t perfect as shorter lives can result in memories being lost, and if your mind in your current life lacks the appropriate context for memories it can forget them. In a tangible representation of a soul these experiences are represented by protective shells that encase the core of the soul. Short lifespans, particularly brutal deaths, and certain other actions taken against the soul that have been expressly forbidden by every awakened power in existence can result in these layers of protection being stripped away or broken which will also result in the loss of memories.

    Consider this a warning- while those with the correct sensitivity can manipulate the energy of a soul to devastating and miraculous effect it¡¯s strongly discouraged as permanent damage to the soul can return it¡¯s existence to the weakest levels, or in more extreme circumstances cripple the soul and cut off it¡¯s principle functions in more detrimental ways.

    Andras Frostson ¡°Fundamentals of Energy Work¡±

    *~*~*~*~*~*~*

    The area for the baptism was a barren field filled with a white haze that obscured anything past a few feet, it would have seemed almost ethereal if not for the screams of agony from the soldiers currently being tormented by their worst memories turning it into a pale imitation of the actual hells. I relied on memory to guide me through the area to the source of it¡¯s power where Synbel had left a broad padded couch and a steaming pot of tea. Marisa gently opened the pot and sniffed it before smiling ¡°Apple tea, seems they expected me to join you.¡± I nodded and settled onto the couch taking advantage of the extra space to stretch out my legs while Marisa conjured up a cup and wiggled under me so I was laying with my head and shoulders on her lap looking up. I took a deep breath mentally counting to ten before exhaling it the same way and closed my eyes as I centered myself.

    ¡°Focus on my voice, what you¡¯re feeling is the result of your power being ruled by your emotions. The only way to make it stop is to separate them. Find your core, the thing that defines you and focus on it, feel it¡¯s pull and push as your power moves in response to your thoughts and emotions.¡± My voice carried out as I released a predatory aura creating a stifling oppression for those that couldn¡¯t muster enough power or will of their own and gradually the screaming began to die down after the initial shouts of frenzied panic. ¡°Much better. Consider this your introduction to magic. The reason you¡¯re training here with our best is because your souls haven¡¯t accumulated the necessary metaphysical mass to retain memories between lifetimes. No shame in that, honestly given how rare it is on earth I was quite surprised at the number of people among Earth¡¯s militaries that had managed it. Usually, you need to have a couple very long lives before that happens. But you can¡¯t wield strong power without a strong soul and the only way to gain that is to live through experiences that engrave themselves into your soul¡¯s memory. That¡¯s why were here, over the next however long it takes till I judge your ready I will give you those experiences. There is a risk you will lose your mind, if that happens, I will personally see the memories wiped away and you will be discharged and we will find work among the civilians for you. Those that manage to retain their sense of self will continue their training with a new understanding of why you¡¯re here. So let¡¯s begin.¡± With that I settled deeper into my spot and released the barriers in my mind that kept me from bleeding my emotions and thoughts over the entire planet. ¡°This is also so you know the sort of man that will be leading you, and as you weigh what your about to go through you should know- I would do it all again¡±

    ¡°War,¡± I began. ¡°Has been a constant almost as long as intelligent beings have existed. I should know I was among the first. War on Earth is relatively easy and painless by comparison to those in which magic is a weapon and tool. My first fight I was disemboweled¡± As the words left my mouth I projected the memory out, the feel, smell, and visuals as a set of four massive claws raked across my stomach spilling vitals across the earth beneath. ¡°It was my first experience with true pain, but that was nothing compared to the feeling of my body mending,¡± again another sensory flash as my intestines flowed backwards into me in a macabre mockery of a waterfall, the searing pain as they twisted and realigned to their proper place and the freezing burn as the skin stitched itself back together. And with that I began recounting every injury I could recall from a fight small and large and the feeling of the healing afterwards. I recounted countless millennia of fighting being carried on my voice. A spear piercing through feathered wings, teeth grinding on bones, the terrible agony as something with far to many teeth and an oversized muzzle bit down and ripped out everything in my abdomen to the right of my spine, a group pulling me down and beating and me till my wings were barely stubs and I didn¡¯t have an unbroken bone, the frustration and anger of recovering from what should have been crippling injuries.

    ¡°But the wounds are not the worst part of a war, the loss and what you do in response are just as great. I have knelt and screamed my anger over a thousand corpses even as I knew I would meet those souls again in time¡± countless memories poured out of me and washed over the now whimpering soldiers the magic of the space we occupied warping their memories so they saw their friends, parents, children and siblings going limp as the last light faded. ¡°But being able to manipulate the very nature of our reality also brings horror like earth has never witnessed. I have had my very soul flayed and torn¡± short screams echoed out as I recalled every time I¡¯d endured the worst torture that had been conceived, the feel of your mind unraveling as something intrinsically you was beat, sliced, and stripped bare a man that was more mental than physical but hurt all the more for it. ¡°I have watched worlds burn, and frozen entire solar systems¡± the memory of standing high above a planet as a visible wall of heat passed over it leaving nothing behind but molten stone and metal followed by a memory of standing in a valley as power poured out of my body in an intoxicating rush the landscape around me freezing and shattering under it¡¯s own weight as it reached temperatures no material could endure. Then back to the memories of more intimate battles of swords piercing and slicing my body, the feel of sharp fangs ripping through flesh and the hot taste of blood in my mouth. Again and again, I kept pouring out the most brutal memories from lifetimes so long the existence of human history was barely the blink of an eye. The soldiers around us screamed and whimpered as the enchantment woven into the land around us took those memories and manifested them on their bodies making the pain real for them. Even as my memories ran dry of horrors, I let another barrier in my mind come down and embraced my connection to the cold and the memories of millions and billons of souls echoed through that connection and poured out into the world around us. Children shivering as they froze to death, a man slicing his hand on a sharp icicle as he tried to climb out of a cave, a woman bleeding out in the snow as a man pushed on barefoot through a field of ice even as his feet turned black. And also, memories of children celebrating solstice laughing with innocent cheer as they played games. The memories all across reality touched by both the destructive and preserving chill that had been frozen since before the first souls recognized the passage of time poured over me; and I barely acknowledged them as they were shunted into the spellbound soldiers who had never experienced even a fraction of what they now felt and saw with their own bodies.

    Even if I was trying my best not to feel what was passed to the soldiers around us the memories and sensations were in a very real way tied to me. As the Prime Elemental of Ice I was in essence the source and anchor for all cold in existence. That also included all the memories and emotions tied to the cold by other souls which I generally kept a solid barrier in my mind to block out because it was overwhelming. So overwhelming in fact that my mind had drifted and become detached from the sensations of my physical body which I was dimly aware Marisa was holding in place as it was wracked with seizure like convulsions while she herself struggled to keep the sensations I was broadcasting from affecting her as she began to softly murmur to me.

    A case of content theft: this narrative is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation.

    ¡°That¡¯s enough, my love. Raise your walls and come back to us. They are strong enough, set aside your burdens and come back to us.¡±

    I focused on the steady rhythm of her voice, anchoring myself to the sound and the warm emotions she was pushing into me as I fought to rebuild the barriers in my mind. As I regained control of my body I impulsively pushed myself up and kissed her, drawing on her energy and letting it flow through me and back into her as was our normal custom and she responded in kind. The rest of the world faded away except her and I finally pulled back from the extended kiss with a grin feeling my body tingle with dense and heavily refined energy that feeding from someone that intimately always created. And saw her grinning.

    ¡°What?¡±

    ¡°I think you were still broadcasting when you kissed me. The boys are going to need some time to recover.¡± She replied and a voice echoed out of the mist in response before I could say anything.

    ¡°Ma¡¯am, ain¡¯t no man recovering from that. Think I speak for everyone when I ask if we can get some fresh uniforms and maybe have someone teach my wife that.¡± His voice had the unmistakable rough and lazy tone of orgasmic afterglow and Marisa blushed.

    ¡°Right, let¡¯s just say that was a good memory to chase away that terror. Everyone try and group up the mist should be clearing and there are some things to say before I take you back for fresh clothes and a hearty meal.¡± I stood up and offered Marisa a hand her natural tan doing little to hide the bright blush as she waved it off and promptly vanished. I made a minor effort of will to rewarm the tea and poured a cup sipping it in silence as I listened to the soldiers compose themselves. By the time I had finished the cup the mist had dispersed along with the enchantments on the land and the soldiers had managed to form into ranks. Most of them looked exhausted and haggard, their uniforms soaked through with sweat.

    ¡°To start, congratulations on making it through that, believe me when I say I know exactly how brutal that is and that quite a few souls have destroyed themselves rather than deal with even a portion of those memories. As I said before we separated you out from the others we shanghaied into this because you didn¡¯t have multiple lifetimes of memories to draw on. They have their own initiations of sorts to go through, in their cases rather than having memories and experiences shoved into their head they had all their old memories forced to the front. If you think this was bad imagine dozens or hundreds of lifetimes of your own memories being made completely fresh. Still that doesn¡¯t make what you went through less harrowing, and it wasn¡¯t without some unique benefits.¡± I stood up and walked towards where Hector was standing at the front of the row.

    ¡°I know how the rumor mill works with soldiers, so I also know all of you here are aware Hector didn¡¯t sleep in the barracks last night. This isn¡¯t a punishment for him, but I¡¯m assuming his bedmate already explained the point of this.¡± I grabbed Hector¡¯s shoulder and flung him into the air with a startled shriek. ¡°What you just experienced was intended to strengthen your souls. The main perk of this is that you can handle far more energy than before without burning out your brains, that particular experience is unpleasant and messy for everyone involved. That said, holding more power has some other perks.¡± There was a loud thump from behind me and I pointed over my shoulder. ¡°Case in point, Hector just fell about half a mile through open air with no preparation or safety measures.¡±

    There was a groan followed by the shuffling of feet as Hector returned to his position.

    ¡°Shrug it off, you won¡¯t have more than some sore muscles. As you can see, a larger energy well to draw on improves your body functions. That means increased strength, stamina, and durability among other things. It was probably hard to grasp due to the effects of the trees, but our morning run was done at about forty kilometers an hour, or for those of you still stuck on the imperial system roughly twenty-five miles an hour if you exclude the time spent standing and resting. That was thanks to Exzo and Davina rebuilding your bodies when they were patching you up, now doing three or four times that shouldn¡¯t be beyond your abilities. On top of that you can be considered immune to nearly any disease and even without medical intervention you¡¯ll recover even from broken bones in a few days. You¡¯re going to put that newfound endurance to work for the rest of the training.¡± I paused and looked at the soldiers.

    ¡°Now some important details. Do not under any circumstances talk about what you experienced here. This was a ritual of sorts, one that can only be performed by a limited number of people and hasn¡¯t been done in a very long time. An Elemental baptism essentially adopts you into the family of a prime element, since I¡¯m the only one of my siblings free to act for reasons we won¡¯t discuss that means you¡¯ve all become Ice elementals of one sort or another. That¡¯s going to give you a hefty boost in power, and also make it easier to do any sort of energy manipulation involving cold. It¡¯s also going to make you more resistant to feeling the effects of extreme temperatures, which I will warn you does not make you immune to those effects. So keep in mind not feeling cold doesn¡¯t mean you wont have to worry about frost bite, and not feeling hot also won¡¯t make you immune to heat stroke. Make a stupid mistake and trust me the healers WILL make you regret it. Your going to get some bare bones history lessons during your training to explain why, but simply put Elementals aren¡¯t exactly popular with everyone, and some have particularly violent responses to us.¡± I took a deep breath and shoved aside the unpleasant memories.

    ¡°Once we return, you¡¯ll be spending time with the instructors. They are going to put you through exercises to learn the new limits of your body and how to control it, that means time running laps in the arena and time with weights. On top of exercises everyone will also be doing some unarmed sparing and combat training. Those of you with medical training are also going to be getting your first specialized lessons with Davina and Exzo.¡± I flashed a predatory grin at the troop formation, ¡°And trust me you will be getting plenty of hands-on practice. All if you just went through a growth spurt that will make your hormone ridden teen selves loos elegant and graceful, except instead of bruised shins your going to be running the risk of dismemberment if you¡¯re not careful.¡± Which was true, Marisa had adapted at an astonishing rate to her increased power but Drystan and Synbel had still spent months constantly repairing equipment and fixing the holes she¡¯d made in the walls when she reacted to quickly to things. Even now she still occasionally got out of bed with enough speed and strength to fin herself on the other side of the wall to the small en-suite bathroom. ¡°Just so where clear that¡¯s going to be all you do beyond conditioning training until your instructors are confident you can get out of bed without launching yourself across the room. Once you have control of your body then we will start on how to use your power for more than punching things, till then I would prefer you avoid trying to figure it out on your own. Your squad mates will likely feel strongly if you atomize their skull or limbs by accident, to say nothing of how annoyed Davina and Exzo will be that they have to heal and reattach their soul, your all former soldiers, you should know the value of a happy medic and doc.¡± I raised my hand to my side and mimed opening a door and a door way shimmered into existence leading back to the training barracks. ¡°Change your clothes, get cleaned, and then assemble in the hall. I pulled some strings so you will all be getting some of the best food you could imagine. Do good in your training and we might make your next reward a hunting trip to catch the ingredients for you.¡± There was a wary shuffle and with a sign I went through the doorway and gestured to Synbel as I came out.

    ¡°Give them some time to clean, they smell of fear and sweat, do some light work outs and Katas and have the others pull the makings of a feast from the deep cellars, and don¡¯t skimp. That means Odin¡¯s mead, Idunn¡¯s Cyser, go ahead and roast up a lesser dragon and some luan, those herbs from Airmed, and invite Aegir and Freyr to visit us.¡±

    ¡°Both of them commander? We¡¯ll be lucky if the recruits can stand tomorrow as it is, those two at a feast means we¡¯ll be lucky if they can start training next month.¡± He replied cocking his head. Which was true, Both men were famous for their celebrations, but I was also hoping Aegir would bring his cauldron so I didn¡¯t have to empty out all my wine cellars.

    ¡°That sounds very much like a them problem. One way or another they will be back to training tomorrow, even if that means I have to get Kerion to burn the alcohol out of them. Besides I¡¯m not inviting Freyr for the soldiers. I¡¯m inviting him in hopes his sister and Lady Saiga would come. The three of them would be perfect host to introduce the civilians to some of the neighbors without inciting a riot. If Odin shows up they can send him to the soldiers. Besides, this is the first time I ever created a frost touched, I¡¯d say being adopted into the elementals as second generations a celebration is in order for that alone.¡±

    ¡°And will you be joining us?¡±

    ¡°No, these men aren¡¯t used to a commander that drinks and feast with them. I¡¯m going to be in town. I haven¡¯t introduced myself to the citizens and me and Marisa should probably hold a relaxed court and let them air their grievances.