Author’s notes: last part of chapter eight. I may get another chapter out this week. Enjoy. And comment on anything, if you have questions or ideas, go ahead and say them. Oh, and please review. Best to do it in the early stages so i know what to fix, right?

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Reina asked the question with a bit of hesitation and worry.

“Well, I think you should find a few battle techniques,spells or such that will be useful to you. I have a lot of high-grade techniques in my head, but I can’t remember them all. Even if I suggest something, your innate abilities are a lot higher than those students and so trying to teach you the same way would be useless. People like us cannot be handled the same as other people." He shrugged. "So whatever I pick may not be what suits you best. Just look for yourself.” He saw her quizzical glance, the question in her gaze obvious.

“Use the link between us to tap into my inner mind.” Roland explained. “This place is similar to a meeting point, a bridge between us. You need to cross it.” Roland said, as if it was something that she would naturally know how to do.

Reina looked at him a bit uncomfortably

“. . .Right. Um, how do I do that again?” She laughed nervously and scratched her head in slight embarrassment. She noticed that she got embarrassed a lot more recently. She wondered why.

“Ah, yes. Right, sorry. Since it’s your first time, it can’t be helped. Here, I will connect you to my mind directly.” Having said so, he stepped forward and placed a hand on her soft cheek.

She was startled by the unexpected action, but she surprisingly found that she made no move to back away. Somehow, even though they had no real bodies, she felt that his hand was pleasantly warm.

“Okay, here I go.” He paused, looking at her.” . . . You might want to brace yourself.”

. . . And then suddenly she was assaulted by a great tidal wave of knowledge.

It was overwhelming, a mixture of images and magical formulas, of forgotten empires and secret knowledge, forbidden spells and world-rending scenes of unimaginable battles across the stars, each fought by gods, demons,and other races she had never even knew of.

She was utterly blown away by the fantastical amounts of things that flowed into her mind, thrown about like a toy boat in a great, roaring sea.

She felt her as if her head would spilt open. Everything hurt.

It hurt, it hurt, IT HURT!!!

But this pain, it wasn’t hers. It was something long gone, a mere echo, a memory.

Her thoughts were scattered, the pain wiped away everything else. Her throat felt raw. Was she screaming?

“Reina.” A voice. Roland. ”Calm down. You’re absorbing too much much, you need to block out all the unnecessary information. What you are feeling isn’t real, it is but a mere shadow of my past experiences and knowledge. Things within myself that even I am no longer able to recall. You have to filter it all out. Don’t feel, just observe. Visualize strong walls to guard youself. Reach out and call for the knowledge, the skills, that resonates with you. Those will be the ones that will give you the most benefits, the ones you are meant to have.” His voice, currently soft and gentle, woke her from her stupor.

With a force of will uncharacteristic of her, she put up mental barriers around her inner mind.

They were transparent, like glass, and blocked out everything. The pain left as suddenly as it arrived, as if it never existed in the first place.

Reina let out an awed breath. From behind the barriers, everything that washed away her senses before now seemed an amazing sight.

She saw the rise and fall of great civilizations, witnessed the impossible sight of universes being born. Countless worlds and stars and galaxies, hundreds of thousands of races and cultures. Amazing.

But how could anyone know of such things? How could they have witnessed such events?

Her view shifted.

The scene was of an impossibly large azure-colored dragon. He beat his mighty wings and the sky trembled, he let out a roar and mountains collapsed. Brilliant azure fire seeped from his mouth, his scales shining like precious gems.

Next, countless other dragons looked up at the magnificent being and lowered their heads in a show of submission, of worship.

Last, an image of multiple universes and dragons spread before her like a painting, the Azure Dragon depicted as holding them all in his claws, as if his influence touched everything.

Dragons. . . Proud, haughty creatures that held unimaginable might, the kings and queens of all other beasts.

Once, they were a mere scattering of tribes across the vast worlds, but many eons ago they mysteriously united, becoming a powerful and influential empire spaning thousands of worlds.

The Seven Major Pantheons combined may not be able to subdue them.

Again, the scene changed

Now, she stood in the sky above a vast wasteland littered with dead bodies and countless weapon

These people, even in death, the aura they gave out individually was terrifyingly powerful. Combined, it was oppressive, making the field seem like a distortion in space.

Reina saw the same distortion before. It wasn’t often, but during the past few days there were times when Roland himself caused the strange phenomenon to occur.

But, the distortions here were caused by the combined might of all these people, yet Roland caused them single-handedly.

What kind of existence was he?

Reina looked down, and saw an achingly familiar figure hovering not far from her, a giant sword by his side that was taller than Reina herself. It had a domineering presence. She knew who it was. Roland

He seemed different, colder. A supreme ruler looking down upon everything.

Yet suddenly his gaze became softer, more caring.

In his arms, a young girl looked at him. She looked sweet, innocent and pure . . . but something in the girl’s gaze when she looked at him unnerved her. It was. . . Madness? Obsession?

No, not something that dark, but it seemed like the beginnings of them.

The two whispered intimately to one another. And then, with a bright flash, they were gone.

. . . What was that? A memory?

Somehow, Reina felt it was something she should not have seen.

“It’s been quite some time, Reina. Are you done? Have you found them yet?” Roland was worried. It wasn’t good to stay within his subconscious mind for so long. He could not control what happened to her.

“N-no. I’m still looking.” She lied, feeling guilty. For some reason, she couldn’t bring herself to tell him what she saw.

“You have to hurry, I don’t know what might happen if you remain in my mind much longer. Worst case, your subconscious will be absorbed into my own and you’ll have to remain trapped in my mind until I find a way to get you out. So, I suggest you find what you need quickly”

She shook her head mentally. Right, she had to look for what techniques or skills would be of best use to her.

Focus,focus, she scolded herself.