“Am I seriously wearing this?”

Tomoee nodded.

Isirith sighed. She learned what it was later, and copied what Tomoee did. It is a great way to show displeasure.

It seems along the way the red warrior was creating fur clothes. The only time Isirith really saw her doing anything was when she was putting water in her helmet over the fire. The water started bubbling when she did that. It looked and sounded weird, but it was fun to watch.

Now that she noticed, Tomoee’s hair was a bit shorter. She probably used it to piece together what Isirith is wearing. She had put the tough furry skin of the creature together to make her new clothes. While it would probably make her harder and warm, it still felt… uncomfortable. AND it is heavy, way heavier than she thought it would be. She preferred staying the way she was earlier.

By now there is practically nothing left of the invisabear. It was either put to food, Isirith’s stuff, or fuel. She even somehow used the bones! Weird.

When Isirith asked what she was going to do with the claws, she only got silence as a reply. She’s learned how to be wary of them though, they may as well have melted the stone they came into contact with. They are VERY sharp.

Also, they don’t taste good. Isirith shuddered. She regrets trying to eat them.

Anyway, she is still displeased with the situation. The creature skin she wore was put into tiny plates and stitched together, which she has to admit looks very easy on the eyes, though she didn’t know how that was better than just putting it all together. Not only that, but it is the same armor as Tomoee’s! Without the helmet. At least I still have stabby.

Oh. She almost forgot. That gunpowder stuff. She would stay away from it for her entire life. Tomoee got really, really mad, and the next hour was the same as getting thrown into a mud pool in the tarantula room they used to live near. She is pretty sure that she has what the humans call ‘PTSD’. Plus, she learned it doesn’t even taste good. What a waste!

Still, she is very happy about getting a lot of sleep last night, as well as a full belly and water. And, though she didn’t like to admit it, she felt better. Well, not in combat, but that’s because Isirith’s difficulty kept getting ramped up every now and again. At least, she thinks it did? Maybe? She’s not so good at telling yet.

But at what Tomoee called ‘sorcery’? She had major improvement in that area. She felt much more powerful, and output it at a greater intensity for a longer time. She could keep a small stream of water spouting out of her finger indefinitely! She did find out something… disturbing when she used her abilities as well.

Whenever Isirith made fire, a different part of her showed more. Courage? Bravery? No, more… expressiveness. Like she wanted to show who she is more. Water was the opposite, it made her feel like she wanted to keep it all in. More… inside.

To add onto it, it shifted based on the ferocity of the emotion. When she made water she usually didn’t talk as much, but when she continued to be hit it caused conflicting feelings inside herself. The water she shot out started to get warmer. When she felt satisfied, again the opposite happened, and it became frigid.

So, it is based on her feelings. The more modified it is, the more complex you have to feel to make it work. Well, no, not to make it work. To make it more changed? Ugh, she didn’t know enough words to describe it.

The more you feel that way, the more the thing is going to happen! There. That was tough.

A bonus. The more she used it, the less she had to focus on feeling that way.

And she found this out all by herself! Well, then again, it wasn’t surprising. She is a genius after all.

She never stopped talking about it as Tomoee picked up camp by herself. She crunched the ashes, a word she recently learned, underfoot, and cleaned up the rest of the campsite, another word she learned. Standing up stiff and rolling her shoulder, a nice pop sound resounded, and she looked visibly less tense.

Ooooh, maybe I should try.

Holding onto her shoulder, she rolled her arm around. And again. Why isn’t it working?!?

She heard a sigh, but it didn’t come from her. With a violent jump she tried to turn around but was stopped. From behind, a hand glided across her body, guiding her on what to do. Isirith followed along, and soon made a snug pop as well. Her mouth produced a crazy sound she’s never made before.

“U-hooh-wuh-whoah!”

She wanted to melt right into it.

Pop.

Her other side now felt heavenly.

The pops came from her over and over, accompanied by strange mouth noises. Her smile was absolutely dopey, and Isirith could not believe it herself that she had not become a pile of mush. She had to lean on the rod in her hands so she wouldn’t fall over.

Her lower back, her arms, her hips. She felt like an entirely new person. Isirith might have even started drooling at some point. What an amazing new sensation!

Tomoee said a new word called acupuncture and that she needed needles, but Isirith couldn’t hear her. She usually listened since the ‘samurai’ never chatted much and it was usually one way, but now she didn’t know if she even could.

After a small recovery she stood straight again, straighter than she ever had before, and wiped the drool off her chin. Yep, she drooled. Embarrassed about it? Not a chance.

Maybe when she met up with her sisters, she could convince them to let her out of the hut sometimes. Then they could all get messages and Tomoee could be happy! Win win!

Not waiting for her and already a few meters ahead, Tomoee motioned for Isirith to follow, and follow she did.

…

Isirith apologized to her clothes profusely. She loved them now, adored them even. Her whole body is red from the cold, but only red, not blue or black or whatever color you were when you got even colder than red. Why do you get red though? Isn’t fire red? Why did she get red when she got cold? She looked towards Tomoee, and how is she warm. There is no fur inside. It could be that armor also made people warm. She would have to ask an elder sister who did wear armor if that was true.

Isirith frowned, even upon seeing the art of the land, shades of blue clashing beautifully with the snowed landscape, and the grade above.

If she were to choose, would she be on the sides of her sisters, or this stranger? A life of mundane yet stable boredom, or a life of excitement and danger. If they were to meet each other, would she help the people she considered family, or this person she’s only recently become friends with, yet has made her so happy, even though she hurt Isirith a lot.

…

She would have to think about it.

…

An old enemy had returned. The deadly tundra of snow and ice, plotted with storms, flatlands, and deserts. She would not repeat her mistakes she made before. She felt prepared this time. Not yet truly one with herself, but prepared enough. Time waits for no man, she could return to her full strength later. Her cockiness and fake display of power are gone, a warrior remained.

She turned back to her furred companion. The ugly leather stitching is covered by the white hairs, making a lovely set of armor. The extremely durable bear hide and the partial camoflauge will keep her alive while still being light. She looked cold, but in an endurable way. She would survive.

If she were to be honest, she didn’t like that Isirith had grown so attached to the spear. Not that she cared about it in a personal way, but the mass at the end is awkward, and the shape for stabbing is awful. It is more used for control, capture, and momentum such as on horseback. For it to be used as any more than that requires a hard mastery. Isirith does not have that.

She looked in her bags. All I need is a rod.

It is true she could have used the bones, but they aren’t the right shape, and carving them would make the non-uniform density even worse. It was better to use the marrow for meals.

And speaking of bodies, it reminded her of her own.

She frowned in frustration. She would like to find running water, or make a hole in the ground somewhere warmer. It’s not that she didn’t enjoy ice baths, though she didn’t and only used them for meditation, but using them to bathe is not something she is willing to do unless absolutely necessary. Even she has standards, at least in the position she is right now.

It would become a problem soon, however. Not just in hygiene, but in terms of sanitation as well. Her immune system is extraordinary, but not supernatural.

Oh, and her ribs. Healing, but not healed. Not having a surgeon able to perform on her made the progres… tedious. Self surgery is not pleasant.

Hmmm… She found herself complaining more. She really needed to stop that. With a work ethic like hers, it would be gone by the time she went to one of the exits.

While it may have been dissimilar to operating on himself as he was before, he has operated on women before. The point of view was switched, but that was all. At least she has more hair. Makes for great stitching.

Or a nice garrote wire.

“Which way did you come from.”

Isirith awoke from whatever thing she was thinking about. Her childlike demeanor returned in full force, and she pointed towards the ceiling, the tunnel that came to this floor. Obviously, she can climb.

Tomoee made an immediate decision.

Her gauntlet plated hand pointed towards the left, at the tunnel on the eleventh floor. “There.”

She would not climb again, her ribs in no condition to do so unless forced upon her. Instead, she would take the slant down, and walk through storm infested area. After a trek, it would take her to a ramp that leads to a rather craggy fourth floor platform. Another ramp leads to the seventh floor, which she could see none of, and to somewhere else. If she had to guess, somewhere on the eleventh floor. Eventually it would all lead to the ledge that she could see. Plus it would help her avoid some unsavory creatures…

“Ice eels…”

“What?”

“What?”

They stared each other down for a few minutes, but Isirith eventually ceded. She already knew she was going to lose. Instead, she opened up again with another question, “Why not take the bridge across?”

Tomoee stopped.

After taking a moment, she went on. It would be better not to indulge her in her stupidity.

“Hey, why not the bridge?”

She resisted the urge to palm her face.

“Hey, I’m serious! HEY!”

She kept walking. A good few seconds later she heard a sound of realization.

“Ooooooh, that’s why.”

SMACK

She couldn’t help it.