This is a daily reminder: You have 16 unallocated stat points

  You have gained [Sustainer Magic] Basic 7

  Intelligence raised to 301

  Ooo a new minor Intelligence boon, the 300 variety

  Double the amount of mental constructs you can maintain

  Huh, the system seems to not care about consistency anymore.

  -A sign of our further madness.

  Not funny.

  -Another sign of our further sanity.

  I just want to go in there and tackle my sister. But best to not leave rifts to my soul open for prying eyes to see. I take my snood off and retrieve my errant hairs. I have a drawer in my desk for them. Hopefully no one finds my desk drawer of mithril. I see the knights in training start their exercises. I go out to join them.

  -----

  “Lyin truth teller, you gone from poise and indifferent to lagging and exhausted.”

  Qorth was my morning spar partner today. Running around with both an anvil and these shackles is a lot. But my skills grew which was important. That my hunger did as well was a pain. Block. I had left my blood skin behind. Parry. Soulbinding it would be useless, having it never leave my aura means no one could fill it but me. Gah that one hurt.

  -Aw, getting used to others filling your bloody needs.

  Okay that just came out weird. Block. Strike.

  “You were much better against Gregory.”

  “Decided on a handicap. Wouldn't be fair otherwise.”

  I took another hit.

  You have gained [Resist Blunt Force] Intermediate 8

  Constitution raised to 260

  -Aw, we haven't seen that one in forever.

  I fear you're becoming masochistic, sister.

  -Says the one training under a handicap and an anvil.

  “Is that why you were at the back of our running group?”

  I just smile and take my lumps. After the spar I heal the various injuries accrued, mine and the others. There are more now. The knights in training are becoming more sure of their strikes.

  -----

  More grease.

  “You would think they would feed the knights in training better.”

  “It's an incentive for the knights in training to procure their own meat from the dungeon.”

  Tim illuminated why I suffer.

  “Lot good that does us when we’re not allowed to go in till a month from now.”

  I give a brave face to Qorth. Keeping up appearances is the worst. Wait a second.

  “Will I even be allowed into the dungeon?”

  “Afraid not, and seeing how the knights are expected to also cook their own meals from their hunts, your meals aren't going to improve.”

  Can't expect Tim to hunt extra just to provide me meat just for appearances sake.

  “Why not just swear up as a knight then.”

  “Still ten.”

  “Ah right the lie.”

  I look annoyed at her. I feel annoyance from Tim as well, but he can not inform her of the truth. Even confirming things I tell others about myself is verboten it seems. I pat him on the arm when Gregory plops a tray in front of me.

  “Do you intend to make me look the fool after your shameful display today?”

  “Alas my complete domination of you has shown the need to shackle myself, it is a true pity that my lack of poise has made you look all the more dumb.”

  He squints at me as Qorth laughs. I roll my robes sleeve up to reveal my shackles. Tim quickly pulls the sleeve back down. I look at him and he just shakes his head.

  “The princess is back in chains, fitting for a traitor.”

  I look at Gregory with annoyance. Where Qorth mocked me in mirth, he aims to wound. He leaves when he finishes his grease. Qorth engages me after he is far enough away.

  “Sara, just one of those shackles reduces a user's strength and agility by fifty.”

  Ah shit, right it's a flat amount removed, unlike the strength sleeves that adjusted to your strength stat. Guess that's why Tim was shocked I had them all on. Tim responds before I do.

  “I would request your discretion in this, knight in training.”

  “I feel as if liar of truths might be having a greater amount of play than I thought. I will not speak of this less I myself become someone to not be believed as well…how many of them do you have on anyways?”

  I smile, “Four, of course.”

  She laughs at the absurdity, I wonder if Tim is gaining [Acting] with how stoic he must maintain his face.

  -----

  Isabella quirks her neck when I arrive at her classroom. I just smile as she pushes more mana into her four students. The fifth was busy circulating his life mana into his eye.

  “Dame Isabella, I have succeeded at opening my eye.”

  “Excellent, Kanim.” She looks at me, “[Priestess], would you be willing to help him train his eye. Just resisting his view should be enough.”

  I nod and approach the knight in training. He appears nervous. His green dot in his eye stares at me. I do not need to negate him to resist his efforts.

  -Pity, he will get skill ups while we do not.

  He winces as the dot grows. Isabella joins us after she has finished supplying more life energy to the others.

  “Thank you for your assistance [Priestess], I am surprised to see you though.”

  “I am mostly self taught. I figure it best to learn what I can in case I missed anything.”

  She nods at that as Kanim eye winks out. It looked to have grown again right before hand.

  “Thank you, [Priestess] for expending your mana to resist me.”

  “You're welcome.”

  Isabella places a hand on him and channels more mana into him. He squirms a bit until the mana becomes his.

  “Do continue Kanim, the more your eye opens the better you can heal.”

  “I could not ask the [Priestess] to devote more of her reserves to me.”

  Tempting to burst his bubble but that would only gratify for the moment for future pain.

  -Ya think?

  I give a mental raspberry to my inner heckler.

  “Please continue, what burden you cause now will be worth it.”

  This narrative has been purloined without the author's approval. Report any appearances on Amazon.

  He stares at me some more, his eye dot growing again. Out of curiosity I turn my life eye on full and watch the magic flow.

  “You only have one eye open while still being recognized as a [Priestess]?”

  “I use various other senses to view the soul image, ma'am.”

  “You are all so very curious, [Priestess], come stare at me. I will resist you.”

  I do as she says. My eye stretches even as I can not go beyond her aura.

  You have gained [Life Mana Sight] Apprentice 7

  Perception raised to 288

  “How do you prevent me at the aura layer instead of at your skin.”

  She smiles at me, “I do forget you are ten, basic [Mana Aura 2] allows the resistance of master class magic resist to apply to your aura. Better to block there than to wait till the mana is at your skin.”

  “Is competent [Mana Aura] for advanced class magic.”

  She nods. More things to add to our training.

  You have gained [Life Mana Sight] Apprentice 8

  Perception raised to 294

  -Ja ja.

  “Do you have a recommendation for the best ways to train mana aura?”

  She thinks on that.

  You have gained [Life Mana Sight] Apprentice 9

  Perception raised to 300

  Ding another minor boon, Perception 300

  You now have a 25 hour swap on your boosted Perception slot

  “Constructs at the edge strain the aura the most. After competent you can resist magic in the aura which helps as well.”

  -Ah well I have no aura edge in here, we will have to train it outside.

  I clutch my growing life eye.

  You have gained [Life Mana Sight] Competent 1

  Competent - hey you can see life depth, you now know how shallow someone is, maybe

  Perception raised to 306

  I look at Isabella and pierce her aura, the skin layer has various graftings seared in under her scales. Beyond that I see her skeleton structure that resembles snakes. All vertebrae and ribs. No venom glands. Weird how their skull is held together with muscles and not fused like a human.

  “Sara.”

  “Huh, O sorry.”

  “Get a good view there, [Priestess]?”

  “Sorry, that was rude of me, gaining my other eye let me see more and I was curious.”

  “As long as you keep it between us, it's fine.”

  I nod. Kanim's dot winks out again. The dot was looking closer to becoming whatever shape it was meant to be. Wonder what he will end up with. It had reached the end of Isabella class. I thanked her and left.

  -----

  “So morning it's just work out spars and afternoon it's these one on one everyone gets to watch.”

  “Aye truthful liar, the afternoon is for preening. Will you be dueling again?”

  “Eh, the morning spar is enough for me, I prefer to work on my other skills.”

  Like maintaining an invisible bird directly above me. It does little loops above me at the edge of my aura. I smile.

  You have gained [Mana Aura] Apprentice 6

  Presence raised to 335

  The construct is suddenly shot out of the sky. It's jarring. I wasn't sure what type of magic was used. A very annoyed knight came to the sparring ground.

  ? ? Human Knight, Competent Mage

  “Which one of you is deploying a magic construct in the air?”

  His voice sounded familiar. The trainees murmur amongst themselves. I raised my hand and stood up.

  “Sorry sir, I was trying to practice my mana aura without being disruptive.”

  “Of course it's the Pimar, practicing how to spy, were you?”

  Oh it's the knight who suggested detainment of all the Pimar. Tim steps in front of me.

  “Escort your charge to containment C, knight. I will question her there.”

  Tim looked ready to fight but I just grabbed his arm to make him look at me. I shook my head and he led me away.

  -----

  Tim stood outside the mana draining cell. I was in it. My fire core and reserves emptied. My others were fine. Curious that it couldn't pull the mana out of my soul core. Sister was still asleep. I emptied my blood skin. It's all rather boring. Worse is I can't even nap.

  -----

  You have gained [Two Separate Minds] Competent 7

  Intelligence raised to 322

  -Are you serious? He still hasn't come here to question us.

  Like a heart attack. It's really boring. Tim left a while ago. He never came back. Sister, how much blood do we have?

  -We got three containers filled.

  Get sustainer up as much as you can. I know, it's aging the rabbits but…I don't think they plan to question us.

  -... are you sure?

  Could be paranoia. Being left to my thoughts for the last six hours tends to make for worst case scenarios thinking. But better to be ready for a long hall. I'm going to focus on resisting the mana drain.

  -We could attempt to burn out the cell.

  Probably be considered an escape attempt. No way I could flee the various knights I felt at that table.

  I ponder my situation. My soul core can't be drained by this apparatus, perhaps due to a mana type beyond master level magic. It's like touching a mana interface before I had [Mana Manipulation:Self]. Most artifacts I've seen usually are just system skills inscribed into the object. Could it be as simple as it being [Drain Mana]. I can't see the workings, unfortantly. But perhaps if I use [Drain Mana] myself, I could get some back.

  -Mister rabbit died…

  Sorry sister, it will be my turn soon enough. He will be back in three days. I give her a mental hug. Not risking entering my soul scape. Besides the possible eyes watching, opening the rift might allow my soul core to drain. Back to the matter at hand.

  I place my palm on the floor. I channel and pull the mana back into me. It was immediately pulled back out.

  You have gained [Drain Mana] Basic 2

  Mental Fortitude raised to 320

  But it was there. A moment I held onto it. I channel more [Drain Mana], at this point it's almost a loop. Into my hand and then out of hand. I try to focus on holding the mana. To not let it go. The futility of it hammers my thoughts. It just keeps being pulled back. But I must make it mine. Time slows and I focus on trying to hold it but for a moment longer. It just keeps slowing. If a moment longer is unachievable then half a moment. Time slows further. A sixteenth of a moment. The mana flows through my hand as it does before. How many fractions can one divide a second into. There are eternities between these divisions. I focus further on these eternities. My arcane core begins to dip. Just one eternity I have the mana. The next I don't. I just want an eternity followed by another where I hold the mana. A single mote. It was held. For two eternity.

  I gasp. My head is hurting fiercely.

  -Um, are you back sister?

  Was I gone?

  -For a moment I couldn't feel your thoughts, I started getting notifications on top of each other. You might want to look.

  I gained six levels of [Attention to Detail]...forty-eight stats. I swipe through them.

  You gained the skill [Attention to Detail] Intermediate One

  Intermediate - You can spend mana to slow time further

  Perception raised to 358

  My arcane core is empty, so is mental.

  -It all got pulled out the moment I saw the notification. I was worried you were going to start on the soul core itself.

  I flick the next notification.

  Warning Mana is meant to flow.

  Uhhh. I flick again.

  Warning Mana is meant to flow.

  Sister, how many of these are there?

  -I don't know, they all appeared at once, but my soul was on fire as if we were being deeply etched.

  I start rapidly flicking. Waiting for the message to change. It was an hour when I flicked past the soul etching notification.

  You have gained the skill [Resist Drain Mana] Basic 1

  Resist Drain Mana - mana was meant to flow, till you demanded it be yours

  Basic - your mental fortitude now resist drain mana effects

  Gain 1 exp

  Can't say I etch something stupid this time, sister.

  -We've accepted all that we etched into ourselves.

  I feel her warmth. But we did skip out on fur and hand claws.

  -Those were dumb.

  I bark a laugh. I place a palm on the cell floor again. Best to get started. I can't hold most of it but what I do I use to refill my arcane core. I have time.

  -----

  You have gained [Two Separate Minds] Intermediate 1

  Intermediate - three hours of sleeping all you need

  Gain 8 exp

  -Well less time to dwell alone.

  So the assumption is we've been left to die.

  -You think that every time I wake up.

  It has been a week plus. The blood is running out. Splashing the blood onto my skin was quite smart of you, sister. Soon though it will just be sustainer keeping us alive.

  -At least we subsumed the fire core. Undead Sara won't be breaking that one.

  Ah but we could have had a life core instead.

  -At this rate we might be making another core soon.

  Before I could retort, I watched a knight walk by my cell, a prisoner being led by him. O new cell mate. The knight turns and sees me sitting in the cell. They seemed shocked to see me. I tilt my head. They quickly deposit his prisoner in a cell further down from me and then I watch him run back out.

  -You know that's the first time we've seen anyone since Tim left.

  Huh, suppose you're right. A new knight shows up.

  “Um, who are you and how long have you been down here?”

  “Sara Maxwell Magdeline, and I dunno. At least a week. I had a knight with me, Sir Timotran. He has been gone for a week too.”

  “Sir Timotran was executed for helping a Pimar spy escape…”

  What.

  -Calm sister.

  But he was our guardian. That bastard killed him just because of me. Why?

  -We need to get out.

  I look to the paling knight, no doubt realizing a travesty of justice having occurred. Bleeding bastard saw my mental construct, mental mage.

  -Sister…

  Right, “Could you inform [Count] Ericnae or Dame Isabella that I am here?”

  He runs out. More waiting…

  They both show up with the knight. The count releases the barrier.

  “Not sure how you still live. Isebella?”

  He motions the life knight to me. She starts scanning me with those familiar life eyes. She then cuts her hand and places it against my lips. It helps, but she takes her gift away before I've had enough.

  “That should stabilize her.”

  “Is it true, was Tim executed?”

  “He confessed to letting you escape the citadel.” Isabella confirms my fears.

  “The one who sent me here could see my mental construct, he could have forced a geas.”

  “That’s a grave accusation.” The count seems to want to waste my time.

  “Well I don't got any other explanation for being left here to die while my knight was executed for a confessed crime he didn't commit.” I rebuke him.

  Isebella asks the important question, “Do you know who?”

  “It was the knight who wanted to detain all the Pimar.”

  “Sir Watson?” Well now I have a name.

  I shrug, “Never caught his name, he just saw my construct and told Sir Timotran to take me to containment C. Thought I was a spy.”

  “Sir Watson had left only a day ago, sent to the front. He wasn't exactly ecstatic about leaving.”

  And left me to die. Why?

  “Doesn't make sense my body would have been found here.”

  The count speaks his thoughts on the matter, “It doesn't make sense unless the goal of killing you specifically was more important than his life.”

  The knight who discovered me interrupted the count, “Um my lord, Sir Watson was in charge of this area until he left. He redirected any new prisoners to other cell blocks.”

  Was that bastard watching me starve? I never sensed another soul down here though.

  “So he planned to destroy the body after you died then.” More count musings.

  “Surprised he didn't just stab me.”

  “If an [Inquisitor] asked him what happened to you, he could answer that he believed you starved. Killing you personally would make him confess that.”