Sania woke me just before dawn. I felt her warm breath against my cheek as she kissed me and spoke quietly. “I wanted to speak with you before anyone else awoke.”

“Sure,” I said, blinking sleep from my eyes. “I have a few things I need to tell you, too.” I said following her away from our encampment in the darkness, so as not to disturb anyone.

“How are you feeling?” I asked once we were a few yards away.

“I feel more,” she murmured so softly, that if I didn’t have such high perception I would have missed it. “The growth I experienced is special,” she continued. “I can’t shoot ethereal bullets like you. The power is more grounded. But I can do this.”

She knelt down on the ground holding out her hand to hover a foot above the bare area of dirt we’d stopped at. For a moment nothing happened, then the ground underneath compressed slightly, and a shard of rock spouted forth.

“You can manipulate the land? That’s amazing! I can see so many uses for that. Possibly even militarily,” I said considering the Dwarven tunnels leading to Far Reach.

“I haven’t manipulated the land as such. This is not rock from beneath the soil. It’s rock created from what’s in the soil and the air.”

I eyeballed her doubtfully. “I thought I was supposed to be the future god of bloody Creation,” I laughed. “It’s amazing, Sania. Can you do it again for me to watch?”

She obliged, seeming more than happy for the excuse to practice herself.

This time I really focused on what she was doing, using Singularity. Tiny infinitesimal particles neuma, barely perceptible to my sight, left her hand and began rapidly buzzing around, creating a rough dome around her that reached about thirty-feet wide. It quickly began to condense under her hand coalescing into the shape of a rock.

I knelt down beside her staring in wonder at the rock. “Okay, Sania. I want to try and recreate what you just did. Do you mind if I copy that power of yours?”

“Of course! Why would you feel you need to ask?” She asked, seeming genuinely confused and slightly offended.

“It’s your power. A special god power specifically for you.”

She shook her head vigorously. “Maybe for others, but never for you.”

I smiled. “Yeah, we need to make sure you learn my skills now, too.”

“I doubt very much that will be possible, Clive. You are different. I have the ether, the light and land. Whereas you have access to everything.”

“You can sense that?”

“I see some colors stronger than others, but that is most likely because you haven't accessed those powers. Beyond Dark and Light, fire and Nature are the next most apparent. The others are all barely perceptible.”

“Right, so I would probably need to try and access the energy of the land first. Just the gray of the mountain? Or so I need the earth as well, like the soil and shit?”

She shrugged, “I'm not sure, but up until now I have only used the power of light and of the mountains.”

It made sense, so I took the opportunity to draw power from her rock and the surrounding rocks in the soil. As Nature had before, I saw the Gray energy lift from a number of different places, leading to me like the tendrils of followers. I didn’t really know what to do with it, so I drew it into my arms, then pushed it back out again at the ground. There was an ever so slight tremor in the ground around my knees.

“Did you feel that?”

“I did.” Sania said, “It seems there’s a lot of things you could have been practicing on our journey. And you can once we’re home.”

“Yeah, we need to talk about that,” I said, looking at her rock. “Once I try this.”

I started by trying to visualize what Sania had done. Creating a pattern in the air with my own Neuma. To my amazement it did exactly what I visualized. Tiny particles of my glowing white Ethereal Neuma spread out, then did nothing.

Yeah Clive. Your Neuma will do what you want, and you wanted it to spread out in a giant orb, so it did. Dumb ass!

Drawing the Neuma back in, I began again. But this time I didn’t copy what I saw Sania doing. I focused instead on what I wanted to happen. Which in this case was for many Neuma to go and collect the building blocks from the air and the soil and create a rock. While I didn’t know the chemical composition or specifics, I knew what I wanted, and it appeared my Neuma was capable of filling in the blanks of knowledge.

As it left my hands, the color changed, matching the same colors as Sania’s power. The rock formed underneath me in seconds.

You have created your first physical entity with the use of Neuma and unlocked The Neuma Forge skill in the process.

Ethereal skills:

Singularity, Level 36:

Innate understanding of Neuma.

1) Visual awareness Optional: Active/Passive

2) Manipulate ambient Neuma around you.

Active.

Neuma Forge, Level 1 :

Manipulate ambient Neuma into a physical, lasting entity.

“You did it Clive!” Sania said elated.

“Got a new skill, too. Though I never get any Experience points when I develop Ethereal skills.”

“Imagine what else you could do given time to learn.”

My reply was stopped short, as a rare communication from Johan entered my mind. “My lord. Head Guardian Grimstrom is here in Far Reach again and he wishes to speak with you urgently.”

I grimaced physically at the news, though Johan would never see it. “Shit. Has he said what he wants?”

“He has not, my Lord. Though I should also inform you that he has recalled the dwarven builders.”

“Right. Yeah, that’s not good. Can you tell him he’ll have to wait. I can’t travel until mid-morning at the earliest. And Johan, don’t let him know, but prepare as best as you can for an attack from the dwarves. Have the scouts watch their entrance continuously and speak to Joel to see if there’s a way we can block it off in a hurry if we need to.”

“Of course, Lord Clive. May I ask what has prompted the change in our relationship?”

“You may, dude. We’ve had a bit of trouble with them up here. A little misunderstanding where a few people may have died. Hopefully I can iron it out, but if not we need to be prepared.”

“It will be as you command, Lord Clive.”

“Thanks, Johan. And let me know if anything else happens.”

“Until then, My Lord.”

I turned to Sania who looked troubled. “What was it?”

“Grimstrom wants to speak with me. I think we’re about to find out the result of my little fuck up.” I had a horrible churning pit in my stomach just thinking about it.

“Do you have to go?”

“We could chance not going. Make them come to us if they’re that desperate to speak with me. But it depends on how pissed they are. They might attack Far Reach if I don’t go.”

“The others are up now. We should go and speak with them to plan.”

I nodded mutely, going through scenarios of conversations likely to play out when I went back. Part of me was certain I could smooth the situation out and it was a good opportunity to clear the air. Another part feared the worst, if they’d pulled their builders out without a word to me, then they were seriously pissed.

We gathered the others who were part of most of my decision making circle these days and I regaled them of the message and the connotations.

“Surely it can wait for a week until we return,” Grigor said.

“It would be worth pushing the length of time before you return,” Danivra agreed. “Though if they are out for some form of recompense for the altercation, then I doubt we will be able to stall for very long.”

“Well, that’s what it looks like. I’ll have to go sooner or later unless I can convince Grimstrom to come out here. Though it seems odd they didn’t do that in the first place. They know where I am.”

“That is because it is a clear message,” Ewan said. “A direct threat to Far Reach.”

“Which means I have no choice but to go.”

“I wish there was a way I could come with you. How long would it take to fly the remaining distance?” Sania asked.

“Not sure,” I shrugged. “A couple of days at least.”

“I will come with you,” Ewan said. “If anything untoward happens I can help you or return here to alert everyone of trouble at the very least.”

Surprised as I was by the offer, I accepted it gratefully. “Thanks Ewan. It’ll be nice to have you backing me up. Now might be a good idea to speak with Devotion, too. Though she might not be happy with the Intrusion.”

“It’s why you made the bond with her in the first place,” Sania replied. “If she’s no use now, then she’s no use at all.”

“And regardless of the result. If there’s a choice between good and bad communication between allies, I’m fairly certain the former will be of greater benefit to us.” Danivra added.

“Obvious. But well put,” I replied. Taking a deep, calming breath, I found the glowing Ethereal bond and followed it to the goddess of Devotion.

“Hey there, Devotion.”

There was no reply. I tried a few more times before giving up.

“Well, she’s not biting, so I assume we’re on our own in this,” I said to my friends as the sense of foreboding deepened. “Let’s get moving and I’ll try again later. The closer we are to home the better.”

Everyone moved off to get our troops up and ready to go again when the scene suddenly slowed.

“Lord Clive. I wondered when you would attempt to contact me.”

“Yeah, sorry, Devotion. Grimstrom’s called me back to Far Reach for a little chit chat and I reckon I do not have a good feeling about it.”

“I understand. What do you expect from this meeting?”

“Not a damn clue. He could be coming to tell me not to worry about what happened or he could be coming to declare war on me.”

“I would hope he is coming with peaceful intentions as your actions were in keeping with what you agreed with him at the start of the relationship, correct? And it was his people who broke that agreement?”

“Yeah, that’s about the size of it. But these damn dwarves are hard to judge. Never know what they’re thinking.”

“You assume it is the dwarves who are asking you back to Far Reach?”

“Well, until you said that… yeah, I kinda did.”

“The timing of this is too much of a coincidence. You are no doubt aware that Darkness has now attacked the surface of Kalabri? Do you know they have taken all major points of contention within the day?”

“I had a little scope about with my Protectorate ability and guessed as much. Is the surface completely conquered?”

“For all intents and purposes, yes. Justice’s army and much of Destruction’s have had no choice but to flee through their portals back home. The cleanup will no doubt continue for a while, but that he is suddenly at odds with you. I fear his followers leading the Dokalfar out to be executed, may have even been staged, with the express purpose of provoking you.

That Helvien was burning just as you were passing? You know how long it took his forces to take the city. Hours. But it happened when you could see it…”

Now he has a reasonable excuse to remove you if he wishes or more likely, use the whole event as leverage to manipulate you. I believe we are about to find out what his true intentions have been all along.

“Oh shit. I hadn’t seen any of that,” I replied flabbergasted. “He’s a crafty bastard, and that makes a frightening amount of sense. Which means he already knows what he’s gonna do with me and no amount of talking is going to change that. Even not coming to see me here, compounds your theory. He’s using Far Reach as a clear threat because he can’t really kill me, can he?”

“His followers can’t kill you at the moment. I have no doubt he will be working towards changing that. I see they can no longer kill Sania,” she added with an odd quirk in her voice.

“Yep. She’s like me now. But that doesn’t help with Far Reach. Can Malatian troops help us?”

“Until Darkness makes his true intentions known, we will not be able to defend you. If we did so, it would be an act of war. Which is likely what had been intended all along.”

“Have we just been played like a damn Fiddle, Devotion?”

“Not in a preventable way. We are both small players in this game, and we have had no choices, really.”

“Shit. I need to find a way to protect Far Reach beyond giving him what he wants. Wind of the Wild is returning with me today. He might be able to set us up a shield that can hold long enough for everyone to get back. With shields and our Amaroks and Nanooks, we’d have a decent chance at defending the place.”

“With the right set up of Shields and your little army, I am inclined to agree. For a while, at least. There is still hope that Justice and Destruction will cause distractions enough for you and Malatia to hold against him.”

“Unfortunately, we’re still over a week away and you’re the one god I know who doesn’t have Portals in their locker.”

“Even if I did, using them to get your army back would draw Malatia into the fight immediately, and I can’t risk that until there is no other choice. You would have to come up with another way to use a portal home.”

Knowing she didn’t say anything idly her words stopped me in my tracks and I quizzed her on what she meant. “Huh?”

“There are limits to what I can say. But… remember who you are and what you can do. You have a rare gift, even among the gods. ”

“Unless I can somehow randomly develop the ability to make portals in the next five minutes, then I really can’t see any options.”

“Very funny Clive. Five minutes is too short a time.”

My mind screeched to a halt. “Wait a fucking minute, Are you saying… Shit! Why didn’t I think about that? I copied Sania’s power. I should be able to… can I make portals, Devotion?”

“Only you know your capabilities. When you came to my temple in Laurel, I cannot remember you being able to fly, nor shoot Neuma projectiles. You certainly couldn’t dismiss the Neuma constructs of others. You must have had a very good teacher.”

“Teacher! Fucking chance’d be a fine thing. Natom taught us a little bit, but most of it was bullshit, anyway. Did more harm than good. We had to work most of it out ourselves by what we saw others doing.”

“Ah, I see. Very intuitive of you. And on that note, I must go. The longer we communicate, the greater the risk of our bond being observed.”

“Sure, yeah. Thanks Devotion. While you haven’t told me anything, you’ve been a hell of a help.”

The bond broke from her end, as I finished speaking causing time to speed up again.

“Wait a goddamn minute everyone!” I shouted to my friends who were going to rally the troops.

“There’s been a slight change of plan.”