Zero Six-Six

The temple yard is tiled stone with the courtyard filled with image curved totems standing tall about the area. My senses are scattered preventing me from sensing everything with my mana domain, the totems maybe? Each depicting beastly visages that stand out amongst a platera of symbols. Many people with vacant stares are being nursed by children covered in white powder.

I walk through the courtyard up the stairs and into the temple hall, various people sit lost in meditation or sleep. Each carrying an object in their laps; a comb, a dagger, a chain, a bow, a sword and many other tools I can’t readily name.

I follow my guide through the temple hall down into a cave and indoor natural spring where we’re told to bathe. I don’t know the 9 others chosen by their king but they seem to know each other well enough.

I thoroughly clean myself in the chilling waters flowing through a hole in the wall.

Two half-naked barefooted young men come into the room.

‘’Strip,’’ one on the left with the silver eyes says. Both mortal, Hito by the look of their appearance. I’ve seen them fight enough to identify them on sight now, they all move the same way even.

I strip, it’s troubling that my senses are scattering about the walls not getting anything beyond what I can see around me.

‘’Come.’’

I follow them down a twisting passage with sharp corners, the walls close, ice cold to touch. We reach an atrium round and wide. There are people around the cave sewing, weaving, carving into gems and the likes all about, they ignore us as we walk through.

It gets warmer as we get lower, shallow screams coming up from one of the side tunnels we pass. We take a side tunnel coming into a room with a fire burning blue from a hole on the table. A sweaty older Hito man half-naked holds a large bowl of black sand up to me, he points to me to the bowl then to the fire.

A broad-shouldered dwarf with completely black eyes grunts tinkling the gems in his beard. ‘’You lose a body part we sacrifice to the smelting to ease and help strengthen the bonding between you and your finished zanpakuto,’’ he translates. He indicates to a rune-covered table with straps, ‘’lie there.’’

I look at the two guys behind me shifting their feet making ready to grab me, I smirk. ‘’Any body part in particular?’’

‘’Anything you like, the more the better for the smelting.’’

I nod and walk to the table, it is pleasantly warm at least. ‘’Don’t tie me down,’’ I warn the taller Hito kid. He nods moving away as the old man and dwarf come forward.

‘’What are we taking?’’

‘’My left ear, my left eye, my left arm and my left leg. Some of my teeth, no, all my teeth.’’

‘’Woe woe woe, you know we won’t be responsible for healing you after this, and you can’t be unconscious for any procedure here,’’ the dwarf says.

I look the Hito man straight in the eye connecting with his mind, ‘’the more the better?’’ I send telepathically.

The old mute man grins a gap filled grin, his eyes sparkling as he summons a bucket of the black sand disappearing the smaller bowl.

A table of glistering torture implements is rolled forward by the shorter kid with silver eyes, the old mute smoothly scoops a spoon and comes to the table excitedly. He grabs my head gazing into my eyes, why not.

‘’Take both.’’

He cackles from the throat, scooping the spoon into my face.

They take my eyes to dump into the bucket of metal sand, it hurts but I’ve been hurt worse. I Recover manna bursting behind my eyes. Nothing happens.

Wait, what?

‘’Wait,’’ I say as they grab my arm.

The straps grab me as I try to get up, I’m pulled surprisingly snugly into a tight spread-eagle from which I can hardly move.

Recover. Recover. Reconstruction. The spells executed perfectly as they've always been but I don’t recover my eyes even as manna is used up.

‘’Wait,’’ I shout as I feel something sharp at the edge of my left shoulder. I thought I could heal, if I can't losing limbs takes new meaning.

THWAA!

Fuck!

I grit my teeth as the bloody dwarf chops into my shoulder rattling my entire body, they dress the wound quickly. My leg goes next without ceremony or preamble, a roar of pain explodes from me, that fucking hurt! But more traumatising than the pain is the fear that I'm being permanently maimed, I can't allow that.

I can't move, I'm not healing.

Working Core, I'll get a working core. Think Core Luthando, I tell myself trying to stay calm even as I struggle against restraints.

My ear is surgically removed by practised hands, two assistants there to bind the wound in sap covered bandages that quickly stops the bleeding. I let a bit be inserted into my mouth and one by one my teeth are knocked out of their socks.

It isn’t nice (understatement), but if I get a Core it is worth it. If I use chi again it’s worth it.

After the amputations I’m helped into a chair and listen as they smelt the sand along with my body parts, mixing the whole thing telling me what they’re doing throughout. They collect the molten mixture through a tap in the wall into a vase that closes with a click. A second vase collects the molten impurities to be used as well. The whole time I'm trying to regrow my body with Reconstruction and it's a no go.

We leave and I’m passed along to another pair of young men that present me and the two vases to two people I can hardly feel with my senses scattering about as they do.

‘’We are going to try to capture a piece of your soul into a physical object, the shape that object takes is important but any type of soul object is powerful. Having said that, do you have any preferences on what you’d like made?’’

I didn’t know this would be coming. What do I want to be made? I’m honestly not the best with swords and such. I’m a Bantu-jin, taught from infancy to fight with my hands like every one of my people. But I’m also a mage because of necessity, and I think I’m pretty good at it. What kind of object would suit me best?

Something that can kill, something that will be on me always. Not a sword that can be taken by someone stronger, it would be funny getting a Core stolen. Not.

What did Uncle say, ‘a Bantu-jin’s body is his greatest weapon’. Fucker.

‘’Give me eyes, teeth, an arm and a leg,’’ I gesture to my amputated body.

There is a grunt, I'm studied under a surprisingly intense gaze.

‘’There isn’t enough here for a proportional leg even using the dross.’’

‘’You’re not really considering making body parts are you?’’ a voice asks.

‘’We’ll see what comes of it.’’

‘’Skip the leg,’’ I can heal that hopefully. ‘’And skip the one eye and teeth.’’ I’ll heal the one eye lest you idiots leave me completely blind.

I’m escorted into a room with multiple people who whisper to each other, papers rustle then a hand is laid on my chest.

‘’Please do not resist.’’

It’s like being ducked under ice-cold water, the cold slitters towards me through vicious fluid pressing all around it.

‘’Do not resist.’’

I let go somehow and the cold suffuses me until it's all I know, the feeling settling about me uncomfortably. I hear and feel the molten ore being poured into another crucible and then a part of me is yanked forcefully into the molten liquid.

''Mgh.'' It hurts; a pain unlike anything I have ever before experienced. I pull away from that pain.

‘’Get Khan, I’m gonna need help with this one.’’

I scream as a part of me is pinched, stretched and pounded into by a crashing world. There is no defence natural or otherwise by which I can better endure the pain. The hammer falls on the metal and I feel it viscerally.

BAM!

{Pain}.

Shit, all I know is pain.

{Pain}.

*

Prince Theodor Sanderson

‘’Why aren’t your people better friends with the kingdom?’’ the king asks after a sip of his tea watching his guest closely.

‘’The Conclave would more than welcome the opportunity to form better ties with all the territories of Sandoria," the Conclave ambassador says crossing her legs producing pheromones that excite the males in the rooms attention.

‘’Yet you build training camps only with Paradisium, you trade only with Paradisium even as my ambassador here has been trying to attract your attention for some time.’’

‘’Your Majesty Sanderson, the Conclave would more than welcome building a relationship with Sandersoria. One unique to Sandersoria and the benefits we could respectfully gain from one another. A relationship that cannot be compared to our relationship with any territories as all Conclave relationships are unique in themselves.’’

Quickly she glances right into my eyes as though seeing through my visor, she can’t see me staring but maybe she can feel me. I keep staring at her anyway, as the closest unknown sitting to the king she’s currently of greatest threat, and she’s definitely dangerous from what I see.

‘’Then let us establish such a unique relationship starting today. You’ve been here on this continent long enough to have studied the neighbourhood so tell me. How could my kingdom best help you?’’

She bows at the waist without getting up from her seat, ‘’I thank you for your grace and the opportunity King Sanderson. Times are chaotic, nothing is stable and no one is safe. Things seem bad here but believe they are worse in a lot of other places.’’

‘’You’ve been in communication with these other places?’’

‘’Which is something we could help you with that would immediately benefit your kingdom, a network of trade and communication to other parts of the world. What would that be worth to Sandersoria?’’

The king smiles his charming smile, ‘’are we now merchants to haggle about value or are we two entities working to ally? As you said times are chaotic and at times like these survival is the greatest priority. You saw what I saw out there, so few of those bantujin strangers managed to kill thousands of our best fighters. Strength to resist that can only be found in all of us coming together for the good of all.’’

‘’Begging your pardon majesty but if your intention is for all of us to come together I find it curious that I am the only foreign ambassador you are meeting with.’’

‘’Why the suspicioun Ambassoder Hara, from where does it stem?’’

She circles the liquid in her chalice looking into it, she places it down with a sigh. ‘’Forgive me your majesty if I seem suspicious, it is just a lot is going on and I did not appreciate being so suddenly summoned,’’ she glares at Ambassador Olando.

‘’Sandersoria recognises the threat we are all facing and we want to be effective allies to all of you for all our sakes when the outworlders come.’’

She inclines her head. The king leans further forward pulling her with his eyes, ‘’we have armies of warriors but our strength has always been in our magic. The entire magister governmental system of the kingdom is based and promotes magical scholarly pursuit that has produced 20 archmages in for us the last 400 years.’’

Because of watching her intently I notice her stop herself from smirking, ‘’what do you propose?’’ Or was that an intentional smirk only I would catch? One never knows with politicians.

‘’Out front, we will not be worth much in this fighting, most of our body awakened warriors are only tier 1. Most of whom recently having woke to mana and even tier 3s could barely keep up in that battle. It is not our kind of fight but give us access to your spells and we will act as support for the fighters with our mages.’’

She smiles openly, ‘’unfortunately mana based-‘’

‘’Attacks don’t work on the outworlders. Yes, I’ve been informed, but mana base spells work as well as ever if not better than they ever have on our own people. As demonstrated by the revival spell we can cast healing and other supportive spells to boost our warriors during battle.’’

‘’That was a sidhe spell your majesty.’’

‘’A spell the sidhe has shared with this alliance, I am informed you yourself were part of the working that set it up.’’

‘’You are well informed your highness,’’ she almost sounds genuinely surprised and impressed. ‘’You are correct, the spell was gifted to this alliance but it would have been impossible without the spirit-ore reserves of the Barbarians to make the soul-catchers, the engineering of the dwarves to build the three anchoring citadels in the exact celestial dimensions, the expertise of the fae to weave the enchantments.’’

"That's all very impressive ambassador," King Sanderson says placatingly.

‘’What I'm asking your majesty, what necessary ingredient does Sandersoria bring to the table?’’

The king smiles easily, ‘’the alliance and information of one of the outworld Bantu-jin against its people.’’

*

Asreal

‘’Its their bodies, tough sons of bitches they are,’’ one of Chief Bjork’s fighters says to nodding by many that were part of the squads. ‘’I’m sure I stabbed one of those mirrorfaced fuckers through the heart, I’m sure.’’

‘’They can take punishment that would kill anyone of us a hundred times over. I had my axe a hand deep into ones spine but still it managed to rip my throat out,’’ Bjork drinks generously from his tankard. ‘’If they come in numbers we’re fucked.’’

Assent from many around lounging throughout the room in various chairs, couches and mats strewn about. Attention mostly absentmindedly at the fire burning white in the middle of the room. Steam fills the chamber, circles then clears through the vents above leaving the room clear till another drop falls on the hit stones.

‘’Psionic energy doesn’t seem to be that effective against them either, I don’t even remember how I died.’’ A tall man I don’t recognise says shaking his head, a highlander by the look of him.

‘’They work, I felt one falter when I managed to get into its head. But they’re tough, tough to control but their mental defences aren’t as good as you’d expect for their level of power.’’ The woman sits back down after saying her piece, Sandersorian by her look and colours. Quickly more details are enticed out of her by the warriors and scribes sitting close by.

‘’Zanpakutos and bound artifacts hurt them at least, they aren’t indestructible.’’ Someone says brandishing his spirit bound longsword with blood still crusted on it.

‘’Ay,’’

‘’Ay,’’ people drink.

‘’I feel like shit,’’ a hairy dwarf says.

‘’Ay,’’

‘’Ay,’’ they drink.

There are hundreds of us in a stone longhouse built within the shadow of the Titans amongst many such buildings built as a forward base to supply the wall and citadel. It’s turned the settlement of longhouses built at the foot of the third citadel into a recovery retreat of snorts.

‘’We have their bodies, the healers will find the best way to kill these fuckers,’’ someone says.

‘’Ay,’’

‘’Ay,’’ they drink.

Everyone that was watching the battle at the wall is ecstatic with eager excitement about the victory and the possibilities of the next fight. While every one of us that died feels like shit, lethargic.

I was an Awakened King when the fighting started but I’m back to being a Lord now. Everyone that was revived has lost a tier of power, no one warned us of the cost but I’m certainly grateful to be alive. I caress Erazor for comfort, many have vacant stares; even though we came back death is not a woundless experience.

I accept the pipe of dream-weed passed to me gratefully, the discussion on the fights going to the background as I relax into the high.

It’s both a debriefing and strategising session with scribes taking note of everything said by the warriors that actually fought. I admire the Barbarians that. They fight and live like brutes but they strategise and adapt their fighting to best counter their enemy, a culture that has influenced the whole allied army.

I follow the other soul-armed warriors into the temple hall where thousands are gathered sitting in quiet meditations or having silent conversations with each other. I find a spot by the wall resting with my back against it; I’m not the only one who looks like they’re feeling like shit. I can’t believe I’m tier 2 again, it took me ages to get where I was in power and now I have to accumulate all that meaning and mana within me all over again.

Qing, a bell sounds a long low note that gets everyone’s attention.

Master Sensei Sanada steps on the stage taking a seat joined by two other soul samurai I don’t recognise.

‘’There are three stages to the forms of a zanpakuto,’’ he says without preamble. ‘’It’s first form is the forged form we force the soul to take, no one here is unaware of this.’’

I’m only now noticing that most of us here are those not of Hito lineage, but each of us here is a soul-armed warrior. There are thousands of none Hito warriors with some sitting on the courtyard and steps leading to the hall. Everyone of us wielding a zanpakuto.

‘’The second stage of a zanpakuto’s growth is Shikai, when the soul within the tool is strong enough and in synchronicity with the wielder enough to take on an evolved form not made by humanoid hands. Some of you here have already achieved this august benchmark.’’ Sanada looks about the room, the katana on his lap waving silent flames that lap about but don’t burn him.

‘’There is a third stage not many living have reached; the evolution of zanpakuto and soul warrior achieving Bankai. A higher state of synchronicity.’’

There is some murmuring, everyone knows Sempai Sanada killed one of the invaders with a Bankai. Bankai, a state whispered about but rarely seen or openly talked about even by the Hito amongst each other.

‘’Most of you know us as people from up north with settlements hidden amongst the valleys of the Titan range and rightly so for that is who we are. But our nation is in the underworld where most of our citizens exist as undead of various kinds, mostly vampires as I’m sure some of you already know.’’ The man sitting beside Sanada smiles a toothy grin revealing the sharp canines within his pale mouth.

There is some startled reactions grumbling and exclamations but most are too tired and lethargic to really care still recovering from the effects of the revival spell.

Sanada waits for the grumbling to calm before continuing with his speech.

‘’There is a shortcut to achieving Bankai that my people discovered many centuries ago which has helped us achieve the power to stave off calamity once before in our history that may be what saves us here again today.’’

He has everyone’s attention now, everyone here having fought in the battle so we realise how utterly outmatched we are. Everyone here would love to know a shortcut to more power especially having all been reduced a tier in mana awakening.

‘’To achieve Bankai a Shikai able soul warrior has to die.’’

Huh?

A chaos of reactions occurs but quickly burns itself out as the outrage and confusion finds no purchase.

‘’We have already died,’’ a muscular orc woman says pulling her grey locks behind her pointed ears.

Sanada nods, ‘’it has already occurred. A recently revived has already achieved Bankai. Congratulations on your likely evolution, I advise you all spend some time commuting with your zanpakutos spirits.’’ He stands in sync with the two men on either side of him and leaves with no further words.

I died, I can still feel the kink in my spine where it was broken. Does that mean I can achieve Bankai?

With the staff Erazor on my lap I close my eyes meditating in jinzen.