Chapter 303

  Picking Up The Pieces

  War.

  Probably the most terrible thing we can do to not only ourselves, but the planet is war.

  Right now, I am standing in front of what is actual living proof of the destruction that can be caused by war.

  “Sorry, we tried to patch it up, but nothing seemed to work,” Penelope began.

  “It’s okay,” I replied as I just shook my head.

  It wasn’t their faults, but judging by the look of all four of my tag-alongs, I could tell that this was something they knew would be bad. Or at least, something that I would need to check out on my own.

  Here it was, “ground Zero.”

  “What, huh?” Zero asks, shaking himself to consciousness after hearing my words. In this case, he has taken to manifesting his now comically oversized head from the tiny tattoo on my arm.

  “I said ground Zero, this is the event that caused me to go to you so rapidly.” I reply.

  “Oh,” was all Zero said as he began to emerge from my body.

  As he did, I could feel his spirit, his essence sliding off my right arm, through my back and torso, and out my arm. But even now, he still showed his scars from his time away, as his tail did not fully unwrap itself from my arm. Worse, at least one wrapping of his overly flexible body existed inside my body, and one existed outside.

  From there, he raised up and towered around able to move dozens of feet in seemingly any direction.

  “It is alive?” Zero asked.

  As he spoke, I knew exactly what, or in this case whom Zero was talking about.

  “She is,” I responded. Knowing somehow that this building was feminine in nature. That or maybe part of me was projecting aspects of myself onto the building. Either way, the building was barely alive.

  A giant burn marks, along with scarring from fire damage could be seen on the front of the building. There were boards and other carpentry related objects nearby, indicating that patches were attempted to be applied. But traditional carpentry wouldn’t have worked on this building, just as you couldn’t use plaster or nails to fix your own body.

  “You poor girl,” I say as I go up to the building.

  “ANGRY GURGLE.”

  At my approach, the building just lets out a long angry moan of pain. The sound an old house would make in a windstorm, one where boards and joists were pushed and stretched to new limits.

  Hearing her, the others backup. Well, everyone other than Zero, who just shifted his position. His body was arced over and behind me, using my small frame as a shield, but he did allow his head to peer over my own shoulder. Not that my tiny body could do much to hide his newly found size. He could still shrink his size, but for whatever reason he chose not to now, which was fine.

  This was good, as it was a sign he was getting closer to accepting himself as he was.

  “Good girl, there’s still fight in you yet,” I call out, as I release my multiple healing auras and energy producing auras over the building and pause for a second. This is just enough time for the building to do the equivalent of sniffing my hand, the way a wounded dog would. Or maybe feel my energy signature, the way some beings would.

  Honestly, I didn’t know how this living house felt or experienced the world. I also couldn’t tell if it being inured to such an extend completely crippled its senses, or if it was in too much pain to recognize me, its inadvertent creator.

  Regardless of what happened, I gave it a quick three count. A pixie three count, so maybe a little faster, then moved in.

  As soon as I was on its curtilage, I began casting the sacred healing spell that I fought for so long ago, and barely had a chance to use.

  Dual Quintessence Healing.

  Instantly, I felt my mind linking together two forms of energy, that of Arcane Geomancy and actual Healing Magic, and fusing them together to help heal this poor building.

  Within seconds, I could feel the scarring caused by the residual flames of the initial blast, no wait, there were apparently two blasts, get cleaned up. From there, I went a layer deeper, getting to any rot caused by rain or other inclement weather that might have happened to the building over the past month. Then once that was all taken care of, and the interior structure of the building was repaired, only then did we begin healing the outside walls.

  I focused on the walls first, then the window and door frames, then finally finishing with completing the windows and the doors last.

  “Whoa,” everyone called out as one behind me.

  Startle.

  Not going to lie, the four of them just standing there silently while I worked and focused, only to then talk at the end was more than a bit creepy. Especially as I had used my third-eye to help with the healing efforts, meaning that I was mostly unaware of the rest of the world around me for a time, despite having a remarkably high rating of Angel’s Sight.

  Now that I was done healing, and closed my third-eye, which specialized in helping me focus my Angel’s Sight down to very granular levels of study, I was once again able to see the four amigos standing there.

  Gwen, Jhonny, Penelope, and Apprentice.

  Yeah, really regretting getting an Apprentice, giving her a stupid last name and then leaving for a month. Really awkward coming back and knowing you chose her, but for the life of you, you cannot remember her name at all.

  Worst of all, she would likely take offense to that.

  I think her name is Spray-Tan? Right?

  Shaking my head, not the time to guess on poorly given names. No, I will just focus on overhearing their conversations and get her name, when someone from the group calls out to her.

  To my defense, it has been a long month, one that I would rather not talk about.

  Stolen story; please report.

  “What do you think?” I ask Zero.

  Not that I really need his opinion, as the building itself is nearly perfect, but I want Zero to get out of his shell and be more personable again.

  “It’s good,” Zero responded.

  And like that, there was an awkward silence.

  The four amigos stared at me, waiting for me to do something.

  I wanted Zero to give me something to go off of, but nothing.

  Realizing I needed to do something, I decided to go into the school.

  Going forward, I reached out for the looping brass door handle, one that could be pushed or pulled to enter the building.

  Tingle.

  The minute I touched the door, I felt it involuntarily flinch at my touch.

  Pause.

  Everyone paused at the sudden quivering movement of the door. The four, Gwen, Penelope, Apprentice, and Jhonny all took a half step back, apparently out of trained reflex.

  I was shocked at the sudden movement from the building, a building that didn’t seem hostile, and even seemed to be relaxed at my presence now.

  Only after thinking about the situation for a moment did the events make sense.

  “Oh, you are ticklish?” I began, then after thinking about the situation for a moment, I continued with my prognosis. “I guess that makes sense, you did just regrow this outer layer of your skin, it would make sense that your senses are unmuted, at least for the moment.”

  At my evaluation, the four others relax slightly as they seem to retake their previous position away from me.

  Honestly, they are sort of being creepy, like children of the corn creepy. Maybe Students of the Corn? Regardless, they are all too powerful and have too many methods of evaluating the world around them to be frightened by this.

  Still, I am sort of thankful that they are giving me space for the moment.

  They had a lot of questions at first, but when neither Zero nor I wanted to answer what had happened, they thankfully dropped the subject.

  Though, now we both had to deal with them just staring and watching.

  “I’m going to just place my hand on your handle. When you feel comfortable, you can let me enter, but I would like to see my office,” I begin.

  With that, I once again reached out, and just lightly held my hand around the handle, not quite touching the handle, but close enough that it was clear I was there.

  Quiver.

  At first the door tremored and gave what were the equivalent of nervous tickling laughs. But slowly over time, the tremors subsided, and the handle finally stood still.

  Seeing that the building no longer reacted to my presence, I nodded. This was good, I made a mental note to expect something like this in the future, while healing living buildings. That when their extremities were damaged and eventually repaired, there was an adjustment period that needed to be observed before the building could be touched without causing a physical reaction of some kind.

  For a moment I wondered how much of this reaction was due to the amount of time it took to be treated, and how much of this was due to the event that caused trauma, followed by subsequent failed attempts to repair the building?

  A month was a long time to get used to what was likely the equivalent of not having a face. Then to suddenly regain that at a moment’s notice was likely jarring to the system. Additionally, the last time people truly entered the building, at least per my understanding, was when there was a double explosion attack.

  This of course was the same attack that I sensed and felt, the one that clearly killed a number of skill books that I brought to life. I knew this, because I could feel their departure, or severance from my spirit. At which point I Teleported straight here, and got sent to space for my efforts.

  Clench.

  Tremor.

  Once again, the handle vibrated ever so slightly under my touch, but after a second I could almost feel the building breathing and trying to calm down its nerves, before relaxing again at my touch.

  Seeing that it was calm, I just paused and waited.

  Right now, this building was my patient, and I would do what I needed to make sure they were feeling better. That was why I just nodded and waited.

  Just when I thought I would have to take matters into my own hands, the building reacted.

  Click.

  With that, I could hear the internal locking mechanism of the door opening and thereby allowing me to use the door for its intended purpose.

  While I could have easily Teleported into the hallway and sped up this procedure, I avoided that option for multiple reasons.

  Now that the building finally felt comfortable enough to let at least me in, I once again nodded and let myself enter the building.

  Slam.

  The moment Zero and I entered the building, the building slammed its doors behind me, before locking the doors behind me.

  Click.

  Seeing its response, I could tell that it was frightened, thus the otherwise creepy gesture of being locked into a living building.

  Seeing the building act this way, I immediately stood up straight. Well not stood, I was still flying with my pixie wings after all, but I did stretch myself out to be my full four feet two inches tall and took on a stern demeanor.

  I paused for a pixie three count, before speaking.

  “Now, how am I going to get it so my students can see how to help you in the future, if you lock them all outside during this process?”

  Nothing.

  I crossed my arms over my chest and pursed my lips together.

  After a second, I began tapping my right foot in the air impatiently. By the time I got to my second toe tap, I took a deep breath and was prepared to act.

  Fortunately, before I needed to act, the building seemed to give in.

  Click, long oil-needing creek.

  Then as one might expect to hear from a spooky haunted house, or in this case a haunted faculty building, the door groaned its way open and invited the four students to come in.

  To no ones real surprise, the four amigos just stood there and stared at me.

  “Well come on,” I stated, while gesturing for them to come in with me.

  “Into the creepy…” my Apprentice began, but was quickly cut off.

  Cough, and hard shove by Jhonny.

  “Hey, what was that?” The Apprentice asked.

  Fortunately, my daughter was the first to act in a seemingly positive way as she stepped forward and called out over her shoulder, “come on.”

  “But that place is haunted,” my Apprentice continued to protest. Though once she realized she was the last one standing in the otherwise empty courtyard, she looked around, likely for an exit, before she finally took a deep breath and charged forward to catch up to everyone.

  I would have chastised her, but I couldn’t remember her name. As such, I just shook my head.

  Then once she got into the building, the door closed behind them all.

  Bump.

  Apparently, my Apprentice didn’t enter the building fast enough, as the door smacked her gently on the backside, while pushing her all the way into the building.

  “Hey!” She called out.

  “This building is not haunted,” I stated defensively, trying to ease the tension that fell over everyone’s faces, even Jhonny’s.

  Fluttering of page feathers.

  Of course, just as I say that, I hear the unmistakable sound of pages flapping. Similar to the sound one might expect if they were raising a flock of communications pigeons, and were disturbing the resting spot.

  Hearing them, I smile brightly, as I realize that sound means one thing, a few of my books survived the blast.

  Then with horror, I truly look in the now brightly glowing and living building, only to find that other than myself, and my four students, I don’t see any other living entities here.

  But I just heard them.

  Distant pages fluttering.

  Then, as if awoken by my sudden silence, I hear the pages again, this time coming from an unmistakable location, my old office. The one with no windows and surrounded on all sides by unclaimed teacher offices.

  Thinking back, I realized that originally, this building felt haunted. But now, I was reasonably certain…

  Flashing dim lights, and fluttering sounds.

  This time I saw it, the unmistakable cold sights. Or areas where the energy levels were lower. They are hard to see or identify at first, until you kind of know where to look, as you are looking for a graying or dulling of colors, versus a true form of life.

  But this time, I had to admit my mistakes to everyone.

  “No wait, I was wrong, this place is haunted,” I exclaimed excitedly, as a giant smile filled my lips and I all but darted up the staircase to the second floor, before zipping left, towards my office.

  Once I got to the doorway, I drowned out all my other sight related bonuses, and opened my third-eye, and that is when the most magical sight filled my eye.

  Tears.

  I could feel all three of my eyes tearing up, I was so excited.

  “You stayed?” I exclaimed as I entered the room and then tried to inspect the skill books that still remained.

  Seeing them in this state was both saddening and relieving in equal measures.

  In this state, it was clear that they were all dead, that many had died or been burned alive in the bombing attacks by the Legrand Empire, a last stab of defiance, right where it hurt the most.

  Knowing that they were dead was not what was relieving about this situation. What filled me with relief was the fact that they were still here, that they chose not to move on in the afterlife, which meant that there was still hope.

  “See, I told you this place was haunted,” my Apprentice called out from behind me.

  Hearing her, I turn to look and see her. Well, using my third-eye, I can see everything in her and about her. I see her underdeveloped core that only goes up to Tier V. Sad that I think what was at one time near the apex of known magical prowess was lacking, but here we are.

  Then shaking myself I turn back to my books, as I steel my mind and prepare to do the impossible.

  Turning left, I focus at Zero who never hid or stopped his odd position of having his head right next to mine.

  “You ready to help?” I ask.

  “Always,” Zero responds, not even having to ask, as this act this gesture was something he and my second Simulacrum, Heal-Ulacrum, would do daily. Now that he was here with me, he once again easily fell into the role of my trusty assistant with ease.

  “What exactly is it that are you going to do?” Penelope asked.

  Hearing her voice call out from behind me, I don’t even turn to look. Instead, I just call out loudly enough for everyone to hear.

  “I’m going to Resurrect the dead,” I explained.

  Then, reaching out I found one of the first Skill Books, one that lay resting on a shelf. Half of its body had been burned away in fire, causing scars that remained on its body even in death.

  Seeing it, I could all but feel its pain.

  It was clear from the way the other spirit books seemed to take care of this one, that they held this particular book in high regard, which was why I decided to start with this one, first.

  “Ready?” I called out, but this was merely a formality.

  “Ready.”

  Yet, despite the formality, Zero responded just the way he always had for Heal-Ulacrum. Memories of their time together flooded into my mind, as I remember merging with the memories of Heal-Ulacrum and seeing how well he and Heal-Ulacrum worked together. Now he was with me, filling the same role and I felt even more confident in my abilities, knowing that he was here to help, and that is what he did.

  I took control of the operation, and began giving out instructions. Instructions that I knew Zero would handle with precision and care.

  “Begin casting Perfect Resurrection on my mark,” I began.

  Out of the corner of my eye, I could see Zero nod in understanding.

  “Mark,” I began as I too started casting Dual Quintessence Healing, at the same time that Zero began casting Perfect Resurrection. While he didn’t have a unique Trait for the spell like I did, giving him his own unique well of power for the spell, he did know how to cast the complex spell thanks to our shared soul.

  Thanks to our shared soul, Zero began casting an open ended version of Perfect Resurrection, one that I was able to grab the opening of easily and fuse it directly into my Dual Quintessence Healing, creating a new hybrid spell that began working instantly on the soul of the dead skill book.

  Within seconds the new hybrid spell took hold, and I could feel a smile of satisfaction fill my lips as not only were we back, Zero and I, but we were making an immediate impact.

  Most importantly, we were making this impact together.

  Sizzle.

  Arcane magics flashed to life, and I finally felt like I was back home, where I truly belonged.

  And yes, after a second, I did realize that my tongue was out and slobbering on the side of my face, but I didn’t care, not this time.