Vigor Mortis

Chapter 43: Penultimate Practice

Penelope and Theodora are still talking by the time I finish my soul-cuddling session, so I head their way. The wispy, tattoo-covered Theodora seems to be quite animatedly enjoying a nerdy magic talk with Penelope. For someone whos not that much older than us, she sure is strong. Shes even more powerful than Penelope, and from the way her soul sparks and flutters its pretty clear that its due to one hell of a talent.

Are you sure? Id love to analyze your healing formations, especially if youre going to be heading back to Skyhope at some point, Theodora presses.

Well, you dont have a biomancy license, do you? Penelope asks. Explicitly because I may be returning to Skyhope, Im loath to break the law. Although I must admit, Im very curious if you know one or more masking formulae.

Theodoras eyebrows rise.

Er, masking formulae? As Im sure you know, those are also illegal

But common, nonetheless. With a talent like yours, Im sure youve picked up a few, yes?

Well, ah, I suppose if youd be willing to part with a few healing spells, I could certainly make it up to you

Penelope grins a predatory grin.

Id love to, darling Theodora. And hello there, Vita! Do us a favor and pretend you didnt hear that, hmm?

Theodora yelps and turns around as Penelope addresses me. I wave, grinning.

Hear what? How are you two doing?

Quite well, I should think, Penelope answers. Yourself?

Great! I answer. Seong is super cool! Melik too, to my surprise.

Penelope nods, getting the message.

Melik is a sweetie, Theodora agrees. I hope the new Melik is just as nice. I couldnt help but be a little sad when Taline said shed made him one of us, but Im glad you two are getting along.

The new Melik, huh? Thats one way to think about it. Out with the old and in with the parasites.

Speaking of the new us, I cant believe how much you lucked out, Theodora! Penelope coos. A magical analysis talent is the stuff dreams are made of.

Penelope, thats a secret! Theodora whines. Skyhope will be even more all over us if they find out about my talent! Besides, it wasnt luck. We fought for the right to have this body, you know. Father put almost a dozen of us in here. I just won.

Oh, well congratulations! Penelope says with impressively faked sincerity. It should be fine to tell Vita though, yes? Shes one of us. You should tell her about what you told me!

Oh yes, thats right! Theodora exclaims cheerfully, clapping her hands together. Vita, I noticed some incredible magical patterns while you were inside with Seong! I couldnt get a good look at them because Penelope kept distracting me she scowls playfully in Penelopes direction as she says this but if that was you, Id simply love to see more of your talent! It was like nothing Ive ever witnessed before!

She saw me use my soul-yank through a friggin wall? Holy shit! I spare a thankful glance towards Penelope, who is looking even more smug than usual. Okay, shes earned that, I guess. She saved my ass. What the heck do I say now, though?

Youre coming with us to the forest, arent you? Penelope asks, immediately saving my ass again. Youll be able to study her talent in detail there. I think it just flashes every once in a while as she looks around. Im still figuring out how her sensory abilities work, but my theory is that its actually a form of kynamancy.

Kynamancy? No way, Theodora remarks. She said her ability detects life. How would that be kynamancy?

Have you heard about the kynamancy-thermomancy inclusion theory? Penelope asks, grinning an incredibly nerdy grin.

The one about how powerful light mages tend to burn things?

Yes, exactly! Some of them burn without any noticeable light, but its still kynamancy! It has to be some kind of heat-wave. An overlap between schools. So what if Vita was detecting those heat-waves somehow? After all, all living things produce heat

They continue nerding out and I start getting increasingly lost. I wander away, having told Penelope what she needed to know and gotten what I needed to know from her. If Theodora can see magic happen through walls, I more or less cant use the Everfull so long as shes conscious.

Which means I pretty much have nothing to do until nightfall. I guess that means its Pentas turn.

What, just the whole rest of the day? she asks, surprised.

Yeah, why not? I hatched and havent felt any weird, possibly self-destructive urges since. No promises I wont need something later, but

Penta hesitates for a moment.

Er well, I was actually going to say we should practice your cancel commands.

I blink.

Really?

Well, yes. Um, if thats all right. Ive never actually cast a spell in your body before, and youll need to become a learned mage if you want to well. You know. Learn your discipline more completely.

Well, I suppose I WAS just thinking that my existence isnt illegal enough

Penta chuckles.

Thank you, Vita. I didnt get to say it before, but thank you. I needed some hope to look forward to, especially considering where we are.

Yeah. It must be rough. Sorry, Penta.

You knew you were killing a person, Penta whispers. You know it. You know were people. But you killed them anyway.

Ill keep the souls safe, Penta. Well make them something better.

You can eat the one in Remus, Penta grumbles. Did you hear what Theodora said? About how he put a dozen of us in her body and made them fight over her?

It seems like a logical enough way to divvy the strongest bodies.

Watchers eyes, Vita! Bodies arent food for orphans, theyre people! And fighting isnt a good way to divvy food, either!

I didnt say it was good, I said it was logical. I never exactly appreciated the system when I lost, but if nothing else it makes the decision clear. The one with the most bread is the one youre too afraid to steal bread from. Its fair in the sense that no one can argue over it; the other slimes lost under their own power.

Eat him anyway.

Hey, I was gonna. You dont have to tell me twice.

She chuckles, shaking her head.

No, I suppose I dont. Now come on, Ill help you practice.

The pair of us go to find Remus and figure out where well be sleeping for the night. He has a room prepared for us in Talines place, so we head back there. Taline, thankfully, isnt going to have the feast ready tonight, and after confirming that we go to our nice little guest room and shut the door to practice waggling my fingers around.

I sit down on the bed and get ready, trying to think back to that single day of training Orville gave me and trying not to instead think about how weird it is that Im now used to sleeping in a bed. Lets see, how did it go?

It goes like this, Penta answers, moving my hands for me.

Oh yeah. She can just do that. I try to copy her, and she corrects me again. Its so much easier to get a feel for what Im doing wrong when she can correct me with my own hands.

Im glad you think so, Penta comments with a smile.

We should have been doing this forever ago!

The spear training was useful too. Youre setting yourself on a hard road trying to be a polymath, but its not a terrible idea considering how quickly you can grow and how long youre likely to live.

How long Im likely to live? I ask, trying to continue getting the commands right as we talk.

Youre friends with two biomancers, one of which is absurdly rich and liable to get richer. Not to mention how huge of a soul youre getting so quickly I would be very surprised if you died of old age. And who knows! If you arent mauled to death by a monster or slapped into paste by fucking God, maybe well figure out immortality before old age can take us.

Is immortality possible?

Hypothetically yes, and there are rumors that mages on other islands have achieved it. There arent any on Verdentop, though, at least that I know of.

I frown, considering that.

Do Nawra age? How long do you have to live?

I dont have the faintest idea. I only have myself to compare against, so ask me again in a year. Perhaps well see if my body changes at all by then.

Well shit, now Im worried Penta might have something like a dogs lifespan. Or worse!

Keep doing those commands, she reminds me gently. Youve got to be able to do them on reflex.

Right, yeah. Got to get them perfect, no matter the distractions. Ugh, this is going to take so long! I want magic already!

Penta chuckles.

Its not like you to be so impatient. Youre not getting spoiled by all your luxuries, now are you?

Wh how DARE you, madame! I am and will always be from the streets!

I settle back into practice with renewed vigor, ignoring Pentas laughter. Hours pass before we get back into conversation, but Penta seems a lot more engaged with the magic practice than she was with the spear drills. She remembers a lot of mean tricks and nasty practice methods from when Penelope was learning magic, and she uses the worst ones quite gleefully on me. Im getting the distinct impression that Penelope might have a few deep-seated hangups about whoever the hell taught her magic that Penta picked up on. Despite doubtlessly having heard that thought, she declines to comment. It seems as though shes trying to build up to some other conversation, uncharacteristically struggling with finding the words to convey herself.. Finally, however, she does say it.

I Im sorry, Vita, Penta whispers. Ive been resenting you all this time, when I should be thanking you.

Oh?

Yes. When I look back at my actions now, after what Ive heard here, I cant help but be disturbed. Ive been frightened of your instincts when I should have been frightened of mine.

I give her a light pat with a tendril, eliciting a mirthless smile. Ive nothing to say, so I just wait for her to continue.

Taline. She said the same thing I did, remember? I cant let my host go because shell kill me. Which is true. The original Taline would kill her torturer if she could, just as Penelope would have killed me. But how hard did I really try?

Her voice comes out in halting spurts, the girl in my head holding back tears as best she can.

Oh, shell kill me, I thought. I suppose Ill just have to keep her trapped. It tore at me, Vita. It really did. But did I think to compromise? Did I think to look harder? How much did I really try to find a way? It should have crossed my mind, Vita. To press her more. To give her more. But I didnt. Despite my horror, I didnt. And now, with you, I just want more and more. I didnt even care about the danger I put you in. Is that is that part of what I am? Or is that just part of who I am?

Pentas own body, the bundle of ooze in my neck, shakes softly.

Instincts can be insidious, I tell her. We both know that well. Theyre not just for us monsters, either. Get a man angry and hell do things hed never dream of when calm.

What if were designed to not let our hosts out? To never let anyone know, no matter how we empathize? It gnawed at me, just waiting around inside you. I hated it, Vita. I almost tried to kill you a few times.

What!?

I know! Im sorry. It was stupid, beyond stupid. Some of that might be your, ah, aggressive tendencies bleeding over, but its not fair to say its all you. Youre the only person that ever cared about me, but I agh! Its just so hard to stand! Sitting in your body and not taking control it drove me crazy! Like an itch I couldnt scratch! It still does! I couldnt tell you. Im sorry. Im so sorry.

I Penta. I didnt know it was this bad.

It is. I fear the others may feel the same way, even if they dont realize the cause. Bioweapons. It just makes too much sense! I dont know what to do with this information! But I still

Like a wall crumbling, she dissolves into sobs. I feel her tears fall down my cheeks, the only sound in the room being gasping, ragged breaths for many minutes. My body weeps of its own accord, emotions not my own flowing through my flesh. In the moment, I try hard not to focus on how odd and freakish it feels. I try as best I can not to add to my friends pain. Im not sure how well I succeed.

...I still dont want to kill them, Penta eventually chokes out.

Yeah, I agree. But we have to free the hosts. And if we dont, EVERYONE on the island burns. Penelope cant stop Gladra if we fuck this one up.

I know! Watchers eyes, I know. Which is why youre the best option. Youve always been the best option, our only ally, and Ive just been

I let my feeling of understanding cut her off, sparing her from saying the words shed find so painful to repeat.

Youre annoying sometimes. But I decided to save you, and despite everything I dont regret it yet.

Can I please just she takes another shaky breath, tears still flowing even if less than before. Can I try? At the banquet. I want to try to explain to everyone. To save everyone another way. Please? I wont reveal much. But I need this. I need one last chance. Can you bear to give me even more than what Ive already asked for?

As long as it doesnt get us killed or fuck over the plan? Yeah. And, uh, thanks for finally opening up to me, Penta.

She snorts, shaking her head.

Dont expect Penelope to be so easy. And since I value my life, Im not saying any more than that.

Wait, this was easy?

Penta just laughs, the sound genuine despite our still-wet eyes.

No, I suppose not. Now come on, we have practice to do. And tomorrow

Tomorrow, well finally end it.