3) Meditations [ Between the covers ]

  “Well. That was… informative.”

  Viola slowly nodded. “Yeah, it was.” She paused. “Please tell me there ain’t no chance you’re going to trust that guy?”

  I made a short sniffing sound to express my disdain. “Of course not. But one of the things he mentioned? The ability to leave this place… it does give me something to keep in mind.”

  The Fairy’s eye went wide. “Like what Fell?”

  Hrmmm? “Like... what I just said? Being able to leave here. Start over somewhere else. A place where at least three different groups all know that I even exist.”

  Is she playing with me?

  Viola nodded. “Oh. But what about, and hear me out, what about making sure you live through the week?”

  Ah. That. “Yes, that is a concern. But first, we need to make it through the day, then get ready for when those four return in a week.”

  Speaking of which, now that my Domain extended to the outer corridor, I had a line of sight up an open topped shaft that led to the surface. Which meant that I could now see the sky and the daylight.

  And with that, I now had some way of telling time. Or, considering the fact that my view of the sky through the shaft was a narrow slice of overcast sky from between the walls of two tall buildings, I could at least count the days and nights.

  With that, and my God’s gift of innate knowledge, I knew a week was going to be something like six more nights from this one.

  That was how much time I had to ready myself.

  I needed to make plans, or rather, we needed to make plans… “Viola.”

  The Fairy was nowhere in sight. At least not from my Core. Sighing, I wondered why I had even tried to talk things over with her. Viola was the muscle, and I was the brains. Which left me, and me alone, to figure out what to do.

  First, what did I have to work with?

  The circle of blue light, which measured how much magic I had available to me, was about one tenth full, and right then and there, I decided to always try to keep it at least half full from now on. Which meant that I couldn't raise the ranks of my Summons for the moment.

  Pit, I couldn’t even afford to spend the Magic to Summon Innate Summons, the Salamander Caesar.

  Let alone any of my other Totem creatures, at least now at the moment. If I could, then I could count on them and Viola to guard my Domain while I leveled up again. If it was safe to Level up in whatever direction you would call the whereabouts of the Tower of Ascension, my ability to refill my Magic pool, right from the source, so to speak, would at least be at an accelerated pace.

  So right now all I could do was… wait. Wait and let the Magic creep in at the same pace it always did. Except… there was another way.

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  Well, one way besides turning my Beacon back on to pull in extra Magic, along with every creature out there who decided to follow the increased flow. So no. But there was also meditation. Someone, I didn’t remember who, had mentioned it.

  Probably Unity, my Liaison, but I wasn’t sure. I guess I would have to ask her the next time I saw her, and thank her if Meditation did anything.

  But how does it work? I myself have no idea. But I do have a library of books that were once owned by Nictob, who had a Class that used mystical Sigils to do both messed up, vile rituals as well as simple, everyday ones for lights and cooking… as well as for setting up some elaborate traps, which at some point I should really look into learning how to do myself.

  But first… One of the books around me had to have something about Meditation in it. And in the area of my Domain, I see all and know all.

  In fact, I hadn’t really needed my Fairy’s Gaze to listen in and watch the four adventures since they had been having their little plotting session well inside the new borders of my Domain. But… The outer corridor had only recently become my Domain, and… I thought it was important for Viola to hear their conversation too.

  Yes. That was foresight on my part. Keeping everyone informed, that is.

  What was I doing… Oh, yes. Meditation.

  There were two hundred and forty seven mentions of the word, in five different languages and nine different books. And one hundred and eighty three mentions of the word all in one of them.

  I turned the focus of my attention to that book and began reading it from cover to cover.

  With some difficulty.

  It was a little hard to focus down to one word at a time. Not with all the words around it, and more on the other side of the same page. Books just aren't set up to be read by someone with the ability to see something from every direction all at once.

  Frankly, I needed a set of hands to flip “Loa Chi’s Practical Book of Enlightenment” from page to page.

  Which meant I had to break my brand new rule to keep at least half my magic in reserve.

  Oh, well. If needs must require breaking my own rules, then I should just do it and be done with it.

  You can’t win the game if you never make a play. “Skeleton.”

  The now rather sturdy looking Rank one, Level six skeleton rose from my Orangey red summoning circle to stand before my Core. Which was still sitting on a pile of stone inside the ruined trap room.

  “Hrrmm. First, pick me up and carry me to the library. Then tuck me away on my shelf.”

  As soon as the Skeleton reached the library, a squealing Fairy came flying at it from where she had been out in the hallway, sitting on top of the head of a goat. “Bonyparts! You’re back baby boy!”

  Viola circled the Skeleton Summons several times while examining it for any sign of lasting harm, as I did the same to the furry, horned monster patiently chewing on something out in the hallway.

  What is it chewing on?

  ...Cud. Why the Pit did I ask myself that? I could have happily gone on for the rest of my life, no matter how short or long it might be, without ever knowing that Cud was a thing. Is there no end to the horrors that creatures with fleshy bodies could come up with?

  And why the Pitt was the goat still alive after my Domain was invaded by Ratling, Adventures, and an embodiment of Madness?

  What does it take to kill the thing?

  And why is that Fairy still acting so excited over the Skeleton!

  “Viola. I did Summon the Skeleton for a reason. Skeleton, fetch the book.”

  Not that I needed to speak out loud to command my Summons, or even direct each little thing they did. I had already learned that lesson when trying to control each footstep of my innate Summons Caesar. But it helped focus my often scattered thoughts, and let my Fairy know what I was up to.

  You know, so she didn’t interfere with my Creatures when I had them doing something important.

  Viola tugged at the skeleton’s arm as it reached for the book. “Noooo. Don’t go Boneyparts. I want you to help me clean things up. Fell, make him help me! Get your own book.”

  I sighed... And the Fairy scolded, “I heard that! Stop sighing to yourself Fell.” Ignoring her antics, I had the skeleton carry the book over to a clear spot on top of a table before it flipped open the first page, and then had it turn to look at the back of the Fairy fluttering in the air, hands on her hips, as she glared at my Core, where it was tucked away on a shelf.

  The Fairy began waving a finger at it. “Fell, be nice. I got a big- Hey!”

  I had the Skeleton grasp Viola in both of its hands before turning to walk out of the smashed remains of the door to the library and out into the hallway. Carrying the kicking and yelling Fairy with it.

  “Fell! Stop it! I’m ticklish!”

  I sighed, out loud this time. “Go help Viola Skeleton. Obey her commands.”

  As the Skeleton headed out to where the Fairy was now pointing at a broom, I turned my attention back to my book.

  “...I still need something to turn the pages.”