The Novel's Sidekick

I was too tired to worry about the chilly water, but my heart was racing at the speed of sound. I found Yeriel was just a few metres away, swimming up, and the same was true for the other two. Magically speaking, if it was before I wouldn’t be able to see even past Yeriel who was barely ten paces away, much less the others.

But after I took the Moonwater, the world changed. Or it was me who changed. Anyway, I have a new perspective of the world now. The moment I got out of the rift, I could feel the maternal world better. I could feel the spiritual sparks around me and delve further into my own power. There still seem to be some restrictions in place that I couldn't break free, only could barely feel with the power of dominion.

Anyway, that's not important now. All the problems were solved. Finally, I can rest.

After climbing up to the surface of the water, I found the others laying half-dead on the cold earth. Well, I did the same just beside them, gasping.

“I . . . We saved a city,” I muttered. That earned a celebration, right?

“Yeah,” Noyar added. “We definitely did it.”

I was about to check everyone else, but then the ground shook, and I gulped, remembering that this cavern would collapse with the rift space soon.

“Crap!” swore the Victorian woman. “Ayaan curse us. What’s now?” Even though she was swearing and felt the disturbance, she hadn’t moved even a little.

“We should get out of here,” I said as the creaking noise increased. “Let’s go.”

I tried to manoeuvre the suit to shoot out, but it was malfunctioning again, or perhaps there was not much fuel left. Well, I wouldn’t be even surprised if all the stream thrusters melted away. I wasn't in my right mind to protect them, after all, while also doing other crazy things. In the end, I had to use my two legs and carry my heavy body out of there. The others followed, but I found Yeriel, standing lost beside the pool as its surface undulating.

“Yeriel?” I called.

She just stood there as the stony walls and ceilings crumbled. I groaned and ran next to her. I nudged her strongly on the shoulder, only to see her drawing her arms towards the pool.

Furthermore, I looked around to find some sparks of light glittering out of the undulating water. A frown appeared on my brows as the light brightened to form a silvery silhouette of a Winterheart Reindeer as it flew towards us. Towards Yeriel, to be specific.

My first reaction was to draw my sword, but Yeriel clasped my fingers as the beast image stood before her. Yeriel drew her palm closer to its head and touched it. The beast cried and flew past us towards the exit. Its legs are getting blurry.

“Let’s go,” Yeriel said as she chased after the silvery silhouette.

We exited after the blurry silhouette as it danced in the air. Noyar stopped with Jon's unconscious body, leaning against her as she peered at the figure. The beast's figure was turning to mist, getting bleak in the cloudy night. The clouds were clearing in the sky, and the glow of the moons could be seen through them. It climbed far into the air, dissolving, slowly reaching for the moons.

I found Yeriel tearing, staring at the silhouette, but then something magical happened yet again. The broken antlers on top of her head. They turned to mist as well, drawn by the silvery figure to disappear into the night. That left Yeriel more humane than she had not been for some time. I'm sure she liked that more.

“Yeriel,” I called, and she cried harder.

After several seconds, nothing was left of it.

“Did it,” Noyar asked hesitantly, “die?”

I shook my head uncomfortably. You can call it death if you want, however.

Then the cavern collapsed in whole, the entrance closing off to create a crater.

“It's over,” I mumbled and sat down. “How’s Jon?”

The uptight Knight was still unconscious, but I found a halo of light surrounding his body. Spiritual power undulating around his body. Noyar sat down with the unconscious Jon on her lap. Yeriel was the last one to sit. She was still watching the night sky.

“Better,” Noyar said. Her eyes glowed to see the changes as well. “I’m not sure what to call it, though. You can see it, right?”

I nodded. “His physical wounds would need further care,” I said. My dominion is still running. I haven’t figured out how to close it yet, though I could tell it was running on standby, most likely. “As for the spirit, I think he’ll be better than before. He might be able to integrate his second Dominion easily after this.”

Jon’s situation could be called fortune from misfortune.

“What did you give to him back then?”

“A precious thing. I think you have dibs on a couple of drops in it as well,” I said, and brought out the small vial. “Moon water. It’s solidifying his soul body, strengthening it to the core. The next time he woke up, he would be much more powerful and probably could handle soul attack better.”

Noyar swallowed a breath. “Where are you getting so many precious things off?”

I smiled while holding the vial. There were still fifteen drops left in it, and it would be useful to a few people. But both Yeriel, Noyar, and even my aunt deserve them after what they had been through.

“Anyway,” I said to Noyar. “Do you want it now? Or perhaps after we get out of here.”

Noyar shook her head. “It would be a waste to use on myself,” she said. “A Magus would go crazy if they even get a drop of it. Where I as a knight, it's not much of a use.”

I snorted. “Do you know about the second awakening of Dominion?”

Noyar raised an eyebrow. "You mean? Can it?"

“Noyar, how would you feel about seeing the future?”

Noyar’s eyes beamed with excitement, though she still seemed to have some second thoughts about taking it.

“Alright, two drops for you after we get out,” I said and then turned towards Yeriel, who was silent with her arms wrapped around her knees, looking down. I sighed without knowing.

“On the topic of Dominion,” Noyar said. “You have an entirely new path of Dominion. Dominion of Shift or something you call it before.”

“That name doesn’t do justice to it,” I said. “Thankfully, I have a better name in mind. What do you think about Dominion of Disorder? Sounds cool, right?”

“It does, but didn't you mention, it was a power that kept the balance between realms or something?”

“So what?” I snorted. “I’m the owner of it, and I’ll name it myself and besides, it's not like the first time, someone named a Dominion the opposite it was used for.”

“Huh?”

“Dominion of Gravity, yet all the time it was used to nullify gravity.”

“That’s some weird reasoning, but I’m glad you gained something out of this disaster.”

Oh Noyar, you have no idea what I gained. I was about to say that to her, but stopped looking at Yeriel. It's not all about gaining. What Yeriel went through couldn’t be undone. The people that died and crippled . . .

“Anyway, Noyar, I would be grateful if you keep silent about this Dominion until I announce it.”

Noyar gave me a look and nodded.

After two hellish nights, the disaster finally ended.

“Hey look up.”

The clouds cleared in the sky and the star-filled sky unveiled itself with five moons together sharing the same sky. Two of them were full moons, and the other three were halves, but the sky looked strikingly beautiful with them.

I don't know when, but watching the sky I fell asleep, and I'm sure it's not only me.

* * *

“Wake up, wake up. It's time to leave.”

I groaned at the call, throwing away the palm and rubbing my cheek.

“Come on, Scar,” the voice called again.

“Five more minutes, Mum.”

The palm on my cheek withdrew, and the voice didn’t call again, but I felt the coldness on my back reducing as someone lifted my body in a warm embrace. I didn’t feel much discomfort and went back to sleep again.

The next time I woke up, it was already dawn. The sun rays cast through the window glass, enlightening the small room.

“You’re awake,” a voice said.

I blinked a couple of times, shading my eyes with my finger to find Shailyn sitting on a chair across from the small bed.

“Aunt,” I called and sat leaning against the hardwood. I found my left arm hanging on my chest, already plastered while not wearing the false-ward with medicine applied all over my body, especially on my back. I swirled my spiritual power to refresh myself. “How long was I asleep?”

“Not long enough,” she said and came near the bed to sit next to me. “With your condition, I recommend you sleep all day. Your broken arm would’ve healed within a week, but it would take more time now as you haven’t left it rested all that much. I can’t blame you there. For a normal person, it would have taken months, but your friend seemed hopeful about you. As for other wounds, look at them yourself.”

I did look at my chest. With brown ointment added to them, I couldn’t see the condition, but I’m sure I was burned well. Well, they would heal sooner than the arm, though leave scars for a month or two.

I can only hope I’ll be stronger next time.

______________________

Well, next is the epilogue. That will wrap up the things for this volume.

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