As we walk through the gate It’s no surprise Samira’s waiting. The second spear however, that’s surprising. Than my request to practice with the spear echo’s through me.

Groaning I raise a hand. “Can this wait until after I’ve had a conversation with Baba.”

She looks ready to nod but when she looks off to my side and her eyes harden I know my hope of forestalling my beating has failed.

‘Will waiting an hour or two endanger anyone?” Samira asks, her eyebrow raised.

Sighing I shake my head. The grubs weren’t affecting anyone save the dead and I doubt they care either.

Huh. Now that I think of it, I wonder if Ma buried me or had me cremated? Nine hells! What if she cooked me and then put me on the mantle next to my dad? Eeesh, that’d be awkward.

He and I haven’t gotten along in years.

“Fine.”

She tosses a crook like spear to me and I snag it from the air. I wish I could say that Vandal’s vast knowledge of the spear unfolds in my head but it doesn’t, so I can’t. In fact I nearly drop it.

“Hey!”

I jump at Kida’s yell and the spear tumbles from my fingers even as they curl about my sword.

Whirling I prepare to snap at the kid for startling me when I see the pure joy on her face.

“The warriors are on their way back! Danda just spotted them in the spyglass!”

Wait he had a spyglass and didn’t mention it? Not cool. The things are a rarity!

Aster crouches beside the kid and asks.

“Do you know how far out they are?”

Kida nods excitedly. “Danda say’s they’ll be here around nightfall!”

“Perfect! What say you we get the others and cook them up something wonderful for an evening meal?”

“Ya!”

Kida grabs Aster and begins dragging her off. I laugh for a moment before turning back to Samira. One look at her and I know one thing for sure. Samira is about to kick my ass.

“Wait!” I call before she can even start getting ready. “This is the middle of the street! Shouldn’t we head the training grounds?”

She shakes her head. “Do you see anyone here to complain? No? Better now I think.”

Damnit. That was the last thing I could think of! Placing the cruiser against the wall I move back to my place and pluck the spear from the sand. Raising it above my shoulder I ready myself.

“What stance is that?”

I grin.

“I call it the whack-a-mole position.”

Silently she raises her spear and leaning forward she charges. She moves so fast! Its like she’s blurring toward me. Her spear high ready to sweep at my legs.

I knock the spear aside. It hooks my hand as she pulls back. A jolt of pain sears my hand and I drop the spear.

Her’s slides free and sweeps upwards. Bone spear meets my face and my world begins to ring as the light undulates around me. A figure moves into my vision blocking the light.

Am I on my back? When did that happen?

“What was that?”

Samira grabs me and pulls me to my feet and shoves the spear back into my hands.

“That was just pathetic! Prepare yourself.”

She takes her previous place as I try to blink away the taste of the color blue. Wait you can’t hit someone into being a synesite can you?

“Nine hells woman, you hit like a truck.”

“As would you if you managed hit something! Wait, nine hells?”

Uhhh. “No.”

I charge and open with a sweep that would have cut through her stomach if it hit. It didn’t.

Jab. Jab. Jab. Jab. She dances back and out of the way avoiding each strike without issue. Sweat trickles down my face as I pause for a breath.

She swings the weapon about above her head before lashing out at me. I throw up my spear. They meet with a ‘crack’ and I feel myself slip back in the sand. I blocked it.

Her spear goes up and as I move to position myself her foot slams into my stomach sending me to the ground once more. The air driven from me.

Grabbing my chest I fight for a breath.

Samira is once again above me, this time she’s blotted out the sun. She looks angry, afraid, and confused.

“Highness when did you forget the spear?”

I shrug as if I’ve no idea. “If I forgot how would I know it?”

That stops her. A small amount of pride for besting her wells within me.

“Than I suggest you get up so we might begin your lessons again.” She says.

Those few words are all she needs to break down the pride I’ve built. Damnit.

Pushing myself up I grab my spear, take to my feet and hold my spear at the ready. A single motion is all it would take to sweep upward and eviscerate her or to hook her leg and pull it out from under her.

It must be a good stance too as Samira looks at me in surprise.

“Did you remember a bit of spearmanship in the last few seconds? If so I’m more than willing to keep bruising you until you remember.”

I shake my head even as a vision of her wailing away at my head assaults me.

She sighs. “Well, while poorly done that is a stance you’ll use later. For now just follow along with my movements.”

I nod and settle the point of the spear into the sand.

She flips the spear up sending a small wave of sand up with it and freezes in another position where it almost looks like shes about to spear a fish.

For the next hour we shift from one position to the next freezing for a few beats of the heart before flowing into the next. THen the next.

The motions are in no way difficult. Its nothing like riding a bike of course but the muscles of my current body had been trained for the strain even if it had atrophied to some extent.

Eventually Samira stopped flowing and turns to me. I start to raise my self from the sweep she glares at me.

“Go through them again.”

I don’t argue. Shifting to the next in the pattern I freeze. She grabs my arm and begins repositioning me. Posture, grip, position of my feet. She corrects me bit by bit.

“We’re done Highness.” Samira says after another hour of corrections. “I’m pleased to note that the distance isn’t so great as I previously thought.”

Did she just say she thought I was going to suck worse than I do?

Actually, I agree with that. Plus I’m not to far off from being where I was? Perhaps she means that more physically than skillfully but I’m going to take it as a win.

Dropping on to my back I take a breath relishing the burn of the sand on my skin.

“So I’ll be able to beat my enemies into the ground with this soon?”

She snorts.

“Perhaps, should you run into an enemy currently, I recommend throwing it instead.”

So much for my ego.

“Get up Highness, you did need to speak with Baba didn’t you?”

I groan.

“Must I? I stink.”

“Than get up and clean yourself up.”

She’s not amused.

“I wish I could make you listen to ‘Who let the dogs out’ on repeat until you’re a gibbering mess.”

I grumble and from the way her eyebrow raises she had not trouble hearing me. She just has no idea what it means. But since she doesn’t want to admit it she’s keeping silent.

“Stop dawdling Highness, you need to get cleaned up and get a meal into you.”

Samira walks toward the buildings. Still grumbling I make my way after her.

As we near the rooms Samira pushes me toward the scrub closet, which is actually nothing more than small rooms with scented scrubs, clean sands and the smallest amount of water.

It’s not pleasant but its not painful either. Just different really.

It is not however a decent replacement for a shower. At least not relaxing wise. Gods what I wouldnt’ give for a stream of hot water. I wonder if I could make that a reality. I don’t know the much more then the basics of it but I might be able to do it.

As I exit I find Samira there, a plate of fruits and bread in hand.

“I ran into Danda on my way over Highness and he informs me that Baba has gone to patrol the mines in case the bandit decided to hide there instead of fleeing.”

Accepting the plate I pop a piece of into my mouth. Its cool juices swept across my tongue.

Nodding, I gesture her to lead the way.

***

Ripping a chunk from the bread I start to open my mouth and the world disappears. In it’s place as a room which had unending darkness for walls and a ceiling.

Endurance is there, his arms crossed over his chest and I can’t help but notice that he looks alot like a genie. How in the hells did I not notice that?

He gestures to the plush crimson chairs on opposite sides of the table.

“Have a seat.”

I shake my head. “Damnit Endurance. I thought we were starting to get along!”

The manifestation nods, “if we weren’t, do you think I would invite you into my space? As you can see I do not have an unlimited amount of space.”

Endurance drops into a seat and stares at me.

Thats true, and while I have mentioned Endurance having a space I never described it. Looks like he kind of got screwed.

Still. “People who are getting along make requests! They don’t kidnap people!”

He raises an eyebrow, “I fail to see how this is kidnapping when you are not a child and even if you were you are inside part of your brain.”

I hate that he makes sense.

“You still should have asked! I must look like an idiot stopping in the middle of the street like that!”

He waves his hand as if he’s Qui-Gon trying to convince me these aren’t the droids I’m looking for. “I assure you, you’ve not stopped.”

“Thats worse! Now I’m wandering about like an idiot!”

He sighs and places his head into a hand. “You are following the guard.”

So he put me on auto-pilot? “So you put me on auto-pilot?”

“If you mean your body is working on barest directives of the brain then yes.”

That could be handy.

“So are you going to fill me in on whats going on out there when were done.

The manifestation shakes his head. “I’ve my attention here and keeping you here.”

“So if she’s talking I’m not going to have any idea what about?”

Well so much for an automatic out of getting dressed down. But you can’t win them all.

Finally I sit and Endurance leands forward on to the table. He’s obviously waiting.

“Well,” I say, “Go on.”

“I believe I’ve proven that I am not your enemy?”

Slowly I nod. An ass? Most definitely. An enemy? Not so much.

“Good. Now, explain.”

So I do. Every bit. My thought is: whats the worst he can do? Tell someone? Yeah, I doubt that will happen. He’d die to. After all, if the manifestation is mad, than so is the master.

Endurance just waits as I speak, from the moment I slipped on the sock to my coming training with Samira. All in all it takes far longer than I expected it would. Save for grunting, the manifestation didn’t make a sound. Hells he didn’t even move.

When I finish, he stands and stretches backwards to lok up at the ceiling.

“I’d ask you for proof but If you had phsyical proof I believe you pragmatic enough not to his it.”

I nod.

“There’s that, but I’m pretty sure these two are halfway decent indicators I know what I’m doing.”

He grunts again.

I may have broken him.

Jerking forward he turns to look off into the darkness. “I came to being because of you. I am here because of you.”

I nod. Not that he’s paying attention what with the way his eyes are locked on to his knuckles. Than he looks up.

Endurance stares at me, his face a whirlwind of emotion. “I believe I may hate you.”

Again I nod. That I expect. Where he’s at in his existence leaves much wanting. But I don’t think it’ll get better any time soon.

“I understand that.”

He turns to the fire, “I guessed you would, you are the one who keeps calling me just to have me die in your place.

Had I really been treating him like a 1UP mushroom? An extra life to spend as I please? Actually that sounds right. Damnit. I’ll have to make it up to him.

“I’m working on that.” I answer defensively.

He hmms. “I’m not quite certain what I should do.”

“Our body has stopped. I believe its time for you to go creator.”

I don’t have a chance to say a word and the world around me has once more been lit in vibrant color. The plate and food are gone and I’m holding my spear.

In front of me is the a large mine shaft.

“Did we talk aboutt anything important?”

Samira frowns, and I can almost see the dark clouds forming around her head.

I make the only safe choice I can think of. Clapping her on the arm I rush into the shaft. Better a possible cave-in than a stormy Samira.

The mines are far and beyond anything I imagined. The yellow veins of Dartite lightly aglow, not a surprise considering they never get a chance to get direct sunlight to charge them. Stone columns stretch from the floor and nearly up to the ceiling this way and that.

Fireflies that glow a bright cherry flutter through the room looking for th emoss or vines that would serve as their next meal. Flying about in controlled patterns some even flashing in unison as they continued their slow descent.

Something about it, maybe because its so much better than I ever hoped it would be, or maybe because its just beautiful, either way it takes my breath away.

“Are you alright Highness?” Samira asks.

Wiping at an eye, I nod. “Perfect, now lets have a look around.”

With any luck I’ll find a ball of those glow in the dark centipedes! It’s be so cool!

“You mean find Baba, right Highness?”

Sparing her a small glare I allow my shoulder to slump and wander deeper into the tunnel.

“You know, your like a bucket of cold water sometimes?”

I say over my shoulder.

“Whats thats supposed to mean?” Samira rushes up to my side. “Highness, what did you mean by that?”

I don’t answer, instead picking up a pickaxe that had been left to lean against the wall. Not a bit of it is made of ivory. It’s wood and metal. They also happen to be the very reason we were open to trading in the first place. The helms on the end of the shaft however, those are made of ivory.

“Should you really be playing with equipment that isn’t yours?”

I shrug and set the pick back on to the ground where I’d taken it from. “Probably not, but I doubt anyone would care so long as I don’t damage or keep it.”

She purses her lips but makes no further comment.

I shoot her a smile and continue on. Each step takes us deeper into the shafts and with each level we descend my excitement grows. As a biome its not what many would call super impressive but when you pass beneath a web and see a light blue spider just bigger than a hand with swirling green glowing marks stretching across its body narrowing its eyes at you, hell I know I did right designing it.

I feel like a kid in a candy store.

“You are far to excited to be in a hole in the ground.”

Samira says and its obvious that she’s less than impressed but I don’t care. Mostly because I can’t be bothered to try and come up with an explanation. Because seriously, she’s right, its a big hole in the ground.

“I like learning new things.”

She hums, “of course you do Highness. I imagine you’ll have an idea for improving the process in no time at all.”

I nearly swallow my tongue. Did she just give me homework? Hell no. I barely did it when I was in school.

Then again, arming them with birds as the animal they end up using as their extension might be a good idea. After they don’t use birds to check for gasses. Perhaps tracks and a mining cart?

Hmm.

Voices echo off the walls around us.

“Is that Baba?”

“Kida did say she was down here. I would assume that she is the only one available to patrol in the area.”

I have to fight the urge to roll my eyes. Samira really needs to learn to relax.

We round the next curve. A soft blue glow illuminates a section of the mine ahead. Someone’s speaking, though I don’t recognize the voice.

“You old fool! I’m the only one left! Taking the city, hells bells even the mine is not going to happen now! I can’t hold them. Just give me time and I’ll be back with more men!

The next speaker, her I have no problems identifying.

“As I’ve told you when you had me start smuggling those worms in to the city! Your plan is not going to work.”

Babaleon.

And she doesn’t sound happy. Not that I’m not okay with that. Her being unhappy while conspiring with an enemy actually makes me very happy. Or it would if it were Baba. The manifestations wont make a difference, not so long as she has her Stolid. Bastards frail looking thing armed with a shield of all things. A tankier character I have never made.

“Do nothing.” I hiss at Samira. She’s capable in her own right but its the difference of age. Even if Aster, Samira and I throw ourselves at her at the same time, we’d all die. No question.

So options. There have to be options. The soldiers are still half a days march away, so they’re no help.

Send a note to the warriors. Use the Kida girl.

Endurance suggests and I realize I must be projecting my thoughts. Still its a better idea than the none I have.

“Come on.”

Gripping the spear in my hand tighter I take a step back the way we’d come. Samira’s half a step behind me. Step by step I move until my heel strikes a pickaxe that lay against the wall.

It turns and tips knocking into another, with hooks a third, the third manages to catch the forth which seems to somehow be entangled with a fifth. Like that they fall, the helms on their handles clattering to the ground in a symphony of hollow crashes.

No longer was there time to be silent.

“Go!” Samira snaps and shoves me toward the entrance of the shaft. I barely move a step.

I know running is an option, but there exists a problem with running.

“I’m not really good at leaving people to do things for me Samira. So, if you want to stay, then we’ll stay.”

She opens her mouth, no doubt about to rip me a new one, or possibly strike me in the face and try and hide my body before Baba shows up but, Baba racing around the curve stops that.

The buff old woman doesn’t look pleased either.

“I had hoped by meeting in the mines we’d avoid troublesome problems like yourself, Highness.”

She says, not even trying to hide her treasonous actions. She pulls a needle like sword from her side as the air on either side of her filled with a haze from which two manifestations step.

Two! That’s it, as soon as this is over, I bashing myself in the face, or getting Aster drunk enough that she’ll do it for me. I deserve it.

“H-how.” Samira asked

Baba laughs, its a creaky noise that sends a chill through me.

“Age and practice. I’d normally be happy to attempt to teach you but I doubt you’ll be able to wrap your head about it in a moment.”

Wait, did she just?

She charges and I no longer have time to think. My spear comes up and throw it at her as hard as I can. After all, my skill with a spear has stagnated so badly that I’d be better off throwing it at my enemy and relying on my swords.

Endurance!

The manifestation is already forming before I finish the command. He rushes forward catching the manifestation armed with an axe with a punch to the face as Baba knocks my spear from the air.

Turning I take hold of Samira’s arm.

“Samira we need Love.”

She doesn’t move.

“Samira.”

I shake her but she’s still as a statue.

Pain lances through my head alerting me to Endurance destruction. Wow, I really do use him as a sacrifice.

Not that the sacrifice matters this time.

Baba is breathing a touch hard but its clear she’s ready to continue the fight.