Sepeti’s eye went cross as Gran slowly, gingerly, pulled their large fingers out of his skull. Unlike when they’d been inserted there was no pain. With a wet pop, the fingers came free. Mana leaked out of his temples, damming up the magical insertion points. He could feel the skin being restored and understanding dawned. A message popped, ringing in his ears as he quickly figured out how Gran had established the connection. He ignored the message, willing it not to interfere with his current thought process.

“It’s still strange,” Gran rumbled from behind him. “That I can’t pull up your status. Even if yer an Offworlder, I can usually pull up most folks' screens.”

“Mmm,” Sepeti grumbled, unable to answer with more than noncommittal grunts. With the psyche effect wearing off, he was feeling much less talkative and a lot more grumpy. Random tingles fired off at random points around his body and he was pretty sure, just from his baseline knowledge of how the {Lie Detection} magic worked, that this was a side effect of Gran’s haphazard application.

“What level are ya?” Gran asked as the sound of large, heavy footfalls echoed within the room. Within moments, a large humanoid was standing before Sepeti. As he’d suspected, Gran was very much an old man looking thing. It was huge, head nearly scraping against the ceiling of the cave-like room. He found it funny how Gran had much more beard than body, much of its body obscured by the stringy mess. The beard made him think of someone wearing a cape the wrong way, an apron even.

“Dunno,” Sepeti answered grumpily. He’d seen enough to know that Gran was some sort of giant, since it clearly stood at a height nearly double his own. He just wasn’t sure what they were called on this planet or what they were classified as. With his mind being able to work properly, he took stock of the fact that he was unable to tell the difference between languages now that he had more than one language skill at his disposal.

“Come on now, don’t be like that. We can still have a talk, right?” Gran sounded very much like a grandparent trying to coax an unruly toddler. And Sepeti felt like a grumpy baby.

“I guess,” he sighed between his wired teeth. “It’s just hard to talk like this.”

“Right, right,” Gran stroked his scraggly beard and Sepeti watched as flakes of dandruff fell. For some reason, this annoyed him. “Well, yer still healin’, so not much we can do about your ability to talk. Unless you want me to connect to ya again?”

Sepeti gently shook his head as a wave of nausea crashed against him. It came out of nowhere and he was sure he would have thrown up had he not been in the strange pool. The thought of having those large fingers jammed into his skull once more nauseated him. Even if he would welcome the return of the psyche effect, it wasn’t worth the pain.

“How long I been in here?” he managed before breathing heavily. His lips flapped as he spoke and that annoyed him as well. He was going to need to take a nap soon or something.

“A couple days now,” Gran continued to stroke his beard. “After ya came down with that fever, they transferred you in here to make sure yer brain don’t fry itself.”

Sepeti mulled things over, head still a bit fuzzy. He was aware that something had happened when the caretaker had read the tablet in his presence. The memory of the fever dream was vague but he had some recollection. Namely, he remembered the prophecy from the Presage. It made him shiver as he remembered the event that had led to his first life of grueling hardship.

“How ya feeling, by the way?” Gran asked, still playing with his large, billowing beard.

“Alive,” Sepeti mumbled. He was happy to still be whole but he wasn’t going to admit that to a stranger. Especially since that stranger had just been knuckle deep in his mind. He still didn’t feel the need to get too close to someone.

“Good, good,” Gran mumbled, still studying him. “Your carers said you should be good to come out soon enough. So, whenever yer ready, just say the word.”

Sepeti grunted noncommittally, unsure of whether he actually wanted to leave the confines of the pool any time soon. He couldn’t tell how his body was feeling, he just knew that it was enjoyable to laze around without pain.

“I can have the carers come in and talk to you about your options.”

Sepeti gave another grunt, shaking his head. He wasn’t ready to talk to the rhyming folks. In fact, he wanted to limit his communication to Gran. The giant may talk too much but at least he was helpful. Sort of.

“Let’s not call them,” Sepeti said with some difficulty. He could only manage so many words before pausing. “Keep this a secret, will you?”

Gran took a second to comprehend what Sepeti was asking. He was surprised the dense looking giant even caught his drift. Maybe he wasn’t giving the large man enough credit. He did claim to be an anthropologist, after all. That had to denote some form of intelligence.

“Sure, sure,” Gran mumbled. The giant began plaiting his beard. His large fingers deftly twisted the mass of hair into a single braid. Sepeti couldn’t help but feel envious. He’d always wanted to grow a long, healthy beard. But his previous body had proven completely incapable of growing anything more than stubble. The most it could muster was a patchy goatee. He got the feeling that this body wouldn’t be able to muster much facial hair either.

“What is this stuff?” Sepeti asked, changing the subject and trying to fill the dead air. He wasn’t much of a conversationalist but it felt odd floating in a pool of strange liquid while watching a giant of a man braiding their beard.

“It’s a medicinal slime bath,” Gran stated matter-of-factly. “They use them here a lot. Especially since some visitors tend to come down with heat strokes. They thrive in dark spaces so all of the slime rooms are carved directly into the land.”

“So, we’re underground?”

“Yep,” Gran said as he twisted a band around the end of his freshly braided beard. “Technically, we’re in the basement. The Extuano are incredibly capable geomancers and they do some of the best architectural geomancy around…”

The giant began another lecture and Sepeti couldn’t help but notice how he easily slipped into a proper form of speaking, like an aged teacher who couldn’t help themselves. The cool drawl he usually spoke with was quickly replaced by a perfunctory, no nonsense speech pattern. Sepeti appreciated the giant’s willingness to share information but found it tedious to actively listen.

“Over the years, they’ve developed a knack for utilizing the natural floral, fauna, and monstra of the island. You’ll find that Extuahal-Tol is one of the few cities and nations in the world to actively commingle and cohabit humanoids and monsters…”

Normally, Sepeti would have been more than happy to cut off the old giant just like he would anyone else who spent too much wind talking. But, seeing as he had nowhere to go, he might as well learn as much as he possibly could. Knowledge was power, as his father had always said.

For what felt like hours, Gran continued his extensive lecture. The giant focused mostly on the Extuano and Extuahal-Tol, sprinkling in tidbits about various visitors and how he’d ended up on the island state.

Sepeti floated helplessly in his medicinal bath. He had long entered a meditative state and was pretty sure the giant couldn’t tell that he wasn’t actively listening. He dug into his memories and was able to remember a healing technique his mother had taught him. One that relied on stealing the ambient energy of wherever he was and converting it into a form of vitality that could help boost his body’s healing factor. When he thought about it, the technique was pretty sinister since it actively stole from other living things rather than drawing in environmental mana. Not that he was worried about any ethical quandaries. He would steal from anyone or anything if it meant his own survival.

With the giant’s long-winded lecture continuing as background noise, Sepeti settled into meditation. The technique wasn’t an instant cure that would restore his body automatically. Rather, it focused on absorbing nutrients through every pore. It would have taken longer if he were to do it with nothing but the arid desert air as a catalyst. He was sure that with access to a medicinal slime, he would be able to patch himself up much faster. As he meditated, he thought about how he could modify the technique to include mana circulation. It would probably boost the amount of self-healing he could enforce if he supplemented some of the ambient nutrients with mana. The only thing he was worried about was accidentally turning himself into a manaless husk due to not balancing things out properly.

The message tone dinged a few more times in his head as he practiced the technique but he ignored them. He concentrated on Gran’s droning voice, using it as an anchor so he wouldn’t fall into too deep of a meditative state. The trick with the technique was taking just enough to supplement himself without taking too much and causing an imbalance.

The light from the pool dimmed, blinking a few times as it drew Sepeti back to full consciousness. He noticed that Gran had fallen silent. The giant stood, strangely still as he studied Sepeti intently.

“That’s…” Gran began, noticing that Sepeti was fully aware once more. “That’s an interesting technique ya got there.”

The giant spoke slowly, carefully. Almost fearfully, if Sepeti was reading the room properly.

“You noticed?” Sepeti asked, voice still muffled. His jaw was feeling a lot better than before but it was still wired shut.

“Of course. Just ‘cause I’m an anthro doesn’t mean I ain’t seen my fair share of interesting things. And that there is one interesting tech.” The giant tugged at his beard before reaching out and slapping the surface of the pool. “Interesting and downright nasty.”

Something about the Giant’s eyes disturbed Sepeti. There was a longing deep in the man, a gnawing hunger that had yet to be fed. He got the feeling that beneath the anthropologist veneer was an insatiable thirst for knowledge.

“See, med slime’s don’t lose their luster like how this one has,” Gran said as he pointed at the pallor of the monster Sepeti was floating in. “This is the first time I’ve seen a slime get drained like this. They’re hardy monsters, able to survive in most climes without a problem. What did you do?”

If Sepeti wasn’t confined to the pool he would have stepped away from the giant. The glint in his eyes was disconcerting.

“Nothing. Just borrowed some energy.” Sepeti wasn’t going to reveal his hand. Not until he was certain that Gran was someone he could trust. And even then, he wouldn’t trust the giant. Trusting other beings was something he rarely did.

“Come on,” Gran said as he lowered himself into a cross legged sitting position at the edge of the pool. “Just tell me a little bit. Just a little.”

Sepeti sighed. He wasn’t going to get out of this little conversation without at least giving the giant something.

“It’s a meditation technique,” he began before stopping abruptly. “Can you get this undone?”

He pointed up at his jaw, unable to break the surface of the slime. It seemed like a pretty ingenious method of containment, making sure that his whole body was isolated without the off chance of his head going under. If he found some time, he would ask to study the med slime pools and their constitutions. Maybe he could develop some sort of skill or magic with further understanding.

“Sure,” Gran said before letting out a high pitched whistle. The door leading into the room opened and a pair of feet shuffled in behind him. Sepeti focused on developing his spatial awareness, trying his best to force the system to give him a spatial skill. He wasn’t one hundred percent sure but he had a feeling that the pair that had entered were the two caretakers.

“Yes, yes, Gran d’emas Ter/ How can we be of assistance, sir?” The woman from befores melodic voice instantly filled the cavern. Sepeti didn’t find it as annoying as he had, probably due to his body feeling a little better.

“Please, Ciel-Ko, it’ll be but a moment,” the giant began rhyming in an odd voice. It was perfectly understandable but it was apparent that he wasn’t a master of the lyrical language. “Can we dispel the bindings on our guests jaw?/ ‘Tis difficult, the way he stays silent.”

The one named Ciel-Ko hummed as she, Sepeti suspected, appraised his condition. He could feel her discerning gaze raking over his exposed, naked body. Not that he felt any shame.

“Yes, it seems he improves/ The slime has served to soothe.” A tender hand touched his jaw from behind. He would have jumped had he not been actively focusing on expanding his awareness. The message tone had yet to ding in his head but he was sure it would arrive soon.

“Is it not too early?/ We musn’t rush, surely.” The male voice that answered was familiar. He recognized it as the other caretaker. At the moment, he couldn’t quite remember their name.

“The bruising has come down/ The scarring, it seems, has healed/ Soon, the wounds will peel/ I think he is ready.”

“I still object/ It is still too suspect/ The timeline, too short/ An error can occur, can it not?”

“Your hesitance is noted,” Gran interjected. “For his well being, you have doted/ But he assures me that he is ready.”

Gran winked and Sepeti was unsure whether he was doing so to himself or to the caretakers. Whoever the giant was addressing, he was pretty sure they felt just as confused as he did.

“Then we leave it at that/ Come now, Mo-Ka’ilo, be not worried,” the woman sang as Sepeti felt her fingers brushing up and down his cheek as if they were feeling for something. “Help me with the other side/ So we may dispel that which we applied.”

“I still object/ Deny, reject/ This is foolish/ He hasn’t had enough time to heal/ He needs to lavish/ And we need a name for the seal.” The man, Mo-Ka’ilo, placed a hand on his right cheek despite his protests. Sepeti couldn’t help but notice how soft the man’s hands were. His touch was light and refreshing. Sepeti was pretty sure he was already channelling some sort of healing magic.

“His name is Sepeti,” Gran rumbled, stroking his braided beard as he watched the pair of healers intently. That greedy, thirsty glint had returned to his eye. The man really was some sort of knowledgephile, whatever the word for that was. Polymath? Is that what they were called? He couldn’t remember. “He speaks my native tongue/ For that, I believe him to be one of our young.”

Sepeti frowned at Gran as he thought over what had been said. The giant gave him another wink and he was left confused once more. He would have asked Gran what the hell the giant meant but he wasn’t sure he’d be able to regulate his skill so that he spoke only the other two languages.

The pair of healers murmured as they took in his name. A tugging brought his attention back to the hands on his jaw and cheeks. Satisfaction slithered through his head and jaw as, bit by bit, an invisible string was pulled out of his mouth. It was heavenly. He closed his good eye and squeezed it tight as he enjoyed the sweet release. He hadn’t realized that there had been a slight pressure holding his mouth shut the whole time. As the last bit came free he felt an inaudible pop as his hearing sharpened.

“Good, good, the healing is done/ The web was strong, just as we spun,” Ciel-Ko said as she expertly ran a finger along his jawline. Little spikes of mana probed his mouth, bouncing off his teeth and bone. “Please let Sepeti know that it will be tender for a time/ For him to be careful, to enjoy the slime.”

“I still object/ This is hasty and rushed,” Mo-Ka’ilo was also scanning the other side of his face, albeit slower and much more stringently than Ciel-Ko. Mana buzzed in Sepeti’s ear as the man peered deeply at his jaw. He got the feeling the man was looking for any reason to reapply the magical sutures. “But I will acquiesce/ I see no heavy scarring, the bone has been flushed.”

Sepeti wanted to pull away from the pair’s touch. It reminded him that he was in an incredibly vulnerable position and it was beginning to annoy him. As if they sensed his growing annoyance, both sets of hands released his face. Before he could fully relax, a rush of mana engulfed his body in a bright film. The mana poked and prodded at the various wounds along his body. A thick layer gathered around his ankle, which had been broken during the fighting.

“Yes, I do believe he is ready to come out/ Incredible, how his body has healed/ Much of the scarring has been resealed,” Ciel-Ko chimed as she placed her hands on his head. A larger mass of mana flowed through his body. It made everything vibrate, even the dull slime bath. His fulcrum reacted to the foreign mana, tightening up as it readied to defend itself. “His core is nearly flawless/ It has rebounded quite well/ It is no longer a husk, a mere shell.”

The slime began to bubble restlessly. It began to push him up and out of it as a pair of hands wrapped under his armpits and dragged him out of the pool. A pair of towels were quickly wrapped around his lower body and torso, shielding his nakedness. A long, flowing robe was quickly tugged on over the towels. Feeling returned to his body and he was thankful, just a tad bit, that most of it wasn’t crushing pain.

The caretakers lowered him into a compact, legless chair. It floated, bobbing up and down as his weight was transferred onto it. He was surprised by how comfortable it was. It felt like he was sitting on a cloud.

Mo-Ka’ilo knelt in front of him and began scanning his right leg with dense layers of mana. The man was still pouting and Sepeti took this as a sign of the fact that the man took his job very seriously. He gingerly rotated his formerly broken ankle, more to show the healer that it was nearly fully healed. It surprised him how little pain there was as he made the motion. Even the lingering nerve pain that usually shot up and down his leg was muted.

“The med slimes use a numbing agent to help ease patients after they’ve been taken out of the pools,” Gran said, his slow drawl returning. Sepeti knew he would have to ask, eventually, what language they shared but he wouldn’t do so in front of the caretakers.

“We are ready, please let Sepeti know/ We will take him for a stroll/ A brisk walk around the compound/ To restore some of his glow.” The woman’s voice was soothing but he still couldn’t get over the cadence and the rhyming. He scrunched his face up and waited for Gran to ‘translate.’

“Ya understood that, right?”

Sepeti nodded and so did Gran. He had hoped the giant would suggest that he take over so that they could talk one on one. Not that he wanted to do much talking, he just wanted to be free of the insufferable rhyme schemes.

Still grumpy, Mo-Ka’ilo led the way. He flung the cave-like door open and stepped out of the now stuffy room first. Ciel-Ko pushed Sepeti out as Gran brought up the rear, stooping as he narrowed himself so he could slip out of the room.

“By the way, Gran d’emas Ter, I have a question/ Did the medicinal slime look a little dull?/ It is odd, I have never seen one so/ And I’ve been around these since our wards conception.”

Gran chuckled as he slid the door closed behind him.

“Could be a trick of the light/ Maybe adjustments to your sight?”

Sepeti grimaced, hiding his face from the caretakers and the giant. He found it annoying that the giant was trying to kiss up to him. At least, that’s what he assumed. For now, he would sit and silently observe. He would quietly work on circulating, readying his atrophied muscles for whenever he would need to use them again. He got the feeling it would be soon.

Magic Learned!

Physical Manipulation - {Invasive Communication}

Understanding limited...

New Skills Acquired!

|Meditative State|, |Meditation| - Full Body Treatment, |Meditation| - Open Yourself, |Meditation| - Take What You Need