“I want to control and shape materials, like your bones or rocks.” — Said Auriz with shame.

“You can’t do that with the Ice?” — Asked Basil, confused.

“I can only group them with my ability. Changing their shape is not something I know to do.”

“That’s going to be difficult. I learned to grow bone in shapes because of something I ate. I still remember the pain. But you can learn to do it with those Ice spikes.”

“How so? I only know to produce them, not to change their shape.”

“That’s going to be your practice. I can see you have a notable control when moving the Ice Spikes in the air, but now, try shaping them. Try doing this.” — Basil grew a long curved spike with smaller ones protruding around it, ejecting the spike out of his body.

“Growing that out of your back must bring you pain.” — Said Auriz with concern.

“If I produce them out of my principal bones, yes, it hurts. But before you woke up, I learned a new trick from creatures in pools below. So now I can create them from small spots on my skin.”

“That’s clever. I want to meet these creatures at one point.”

“I didn’t expect to see that.” — Voiced Evalyne while seeing the screen.

“‘Me neither.’” — Said Mardok and Bik, making them see each other with questioning looks.

“At some point, they had to look for ways to develop, and it seems they complement each other. Flesh and crystal are a curious combination.” — Stated Moraeus.

“Yes, but at that pace, they will fall behind other champions.” — Said Evalyne with worry.

“You have a point, but we can’t go there and teach them what we know, not now, of course.” — Responded Mardok rubbing his forehead.

“Wait, you can go to the planet and help them?” — Asked Bik, excited at the thought.

“No, not exactly is more like a ‘spiritual guidance’.” — Answered Moraeus, moving his form in the seat.

“And what? We will appear like ghosts in front of them at some point?” — Asked Bik again.

“You can say it like that. Few instructed their champions in these games because most die in the initial part. Anyway, that’s if the administrator permits you to do so.” — Voiced Mardok.

“What we can do is wait. Those two have to conquer that zone to survive in other places. If they play their roles right, they will have a considerable advantage when they move out.” — Explained Bik with seriousness.

“There is something else we can do for now. And that is to prepare suitable fighting styles and energies for them to master with time. Do any of you have ideas to offer? I can help find compatible uses for Auriz’s abilities, but it will be her choice if she takes them. I don’t know if she will have a liking to fight with weapons in the future.”

“For what I know, main Golemites use their fist or even concentrated rays of energy as their weapons. There are some variants that produce a body with great agility and are adept at using weapons. These last ones are more dangerous because they took a different path from their cousins. When they defend their territory, many will die.” — Explained Moraeus.

“I can vouch for that. In one of my expeditions, my group and I found one in an open zone filled with Nature Asther crystals. It was sitting, looking at the floor in a trance with a spear and a bow at its side. It had the form of a slender anthropomorphic creature with no face. A body composed of metal, stone, and plants, all of them in significant places like its joints. We didn’t know what to make of it, but we prepared ourselves.” — Told Bik.

“The moment we put a foot inside the golemite’s territory. The thing raised from the floor, and arrows made of roots formed below his feet. He was an unusual archer, so much so that he killed three of us before we could approach. All of them were shield bearers. When we got close, he used the spear with a stupid efficacy. Even one of my group, being a spear bearer herself, felt incompetent at using her weapon at the display of the thing. It took four hours and seven of my companions to make it fall. And I couldn’t even feel mad at the creature for defending its territory with its brethren.” — Continued Bik with some pain in his voice.

“If we observe these two and see how they develop, we can think of ways to polish them with my martial knowledge. For now, the one with more chance at using weapons is Basil. That if he somehow learns to change his shape to an anthropomorphic one.” — Finished Bik, closing his eyes in thought.

“I can instruct them both in the art of infusing energy in oneself to a greater extent. And some other knowledge that might be useful for them, like the Esoteric branch of the Asther.” — Voiced Moraeus.

“I can instruct them in the ability to control materials, and the Aura Branch of Asther. This last one is difficult to learn, but it might help them compact and control their souls.” — Completed Mardok.

“I can help them in the Elemental branch of the Asther area, and how to extract more from their surroundings. How to understand the energy they use and develop it as well. With this, each of us can think of ways to help them in a short and extended period. For now, we have to wait.” — Concluded Evalyne, crossing her arms and looking at the screens.

Basil and Auriz practiced their new abilities for hours until they couldn’t. They hunted more Nurn in the vicinity the next day, giving Auriz more control over the Ice Asther. Meanwhile, Basil still tried to infuse his Bones with Toxic Asther. With little progress.

Another day passed. Both Basil and Auriz understood more about their limits and how to help each other in battle. For now, Basil worked as the bait while Auriz destroyed the Nurns. On the same day, Basil took Auriz to hunt Salpabit because he needed to eat, unlike her. Both learned something interesting that day called mineralization. Auriz already had it but didn’t know how to use it, and Basil used it without noticing. With the mineralization ability, they could change the composition of materials. The Salpabits only knew how to grow sulfur out of their bodies. For these creatures, this was useless unless one of them ate iron or another mineral.

More days passed, and both of them understood how to work together. On their seventh day, Basil infused one bone without puking blood or feeling worse after. Auriz instead changed the shape of the Ice Spike to a more bent one, but it drained her because she used all her Asther.

“I think I am getting the trick, but it still hurts when I do it wrong. I wonder if at some point I can do it quickly.” — Said Basil with some glee to Auriz.

“I suggest you don’t rush it, also, It’s still a mistery to me how you organics change your compositions all the time.”

“What do you mean?” — Asked Basil, confused.

“When you get better at understanding knowledge I will explain it to you.” — Said Auriz with some joy on her voice.

“I think you are mocking me, but whatever.”

On the following days, Basil and Auriz progressed more in the areas they were practicing. Now Basil could infuse more bones, but he couldn’t use it yet to attack others. Auriz diminished the amount of energy she used to change the shape of the Ice. With luck, she could do it with other materials in time. Basil knew he couldn’t keep hunting the Salpabits for food because there were fewer each time he go down. He needed an additional source of food, and the Nurns were more a nuisance than a treat with Auriz´ help.

“I can’t keep eating the small creatures. It seems they don’t reproduce fast enough, and I am tired of eating their meat. Also, the snow orbs don’t seem to stop appearing, but they are harmless by this point.”

“And what do you suggest? There is only snow, rocks and ice in the other directions.”

“I don’t know, but I could swear there were more creatures in this place.”

“When you remember, tell me. For now, try to focus. By now you can apply the toxic energy to your bone spikes, but it seems it does not affect the rock.”

“Yes, it is weird...” — Said Basil, looking at the marks he had left on the practice rock.

On the Fiftieth day. Basil talked with Auriz about looking for other zones because they outgrew the pools and their surroundings. Somehow, he felt they needed to push themselves more or they would become prey to other creatures. Not wanting to repeat the incident of Auriz shattering.

“I know what you mean. We have become complacent in this place because we are practicing other things. But you are right. We need to take down stronger foes if we want to survive this world. So tell me, what do you have in mind?”

“If my mind doesn’t fail me, we should look for a white creature that hides in the snow. I can gain something from it as you did with the orbs of snow and ice.”

“Then we have a goal. We need to prepare for the journey tomorrow.”