6 – Engage your Core

Seven people stared at Celestine’s bright red face. She did not pay them any mind. She was too busy fighting through it. Now that the NPCs were healed, she needed to take care of herself.

“[Holy Venom Antidote],” she tried.

Nothing happened.

“Simon? What happened? And what is the new nun doing there? Is she unwell?” The middle-aged woman, Simon’s wife, stood up from her bed. Her voice was raspy but steady.

“[Holy Misericordia].” Ashley tried again. She was connecting words at random. Or not quite at random. She reached for the most religious, Latin-sounding terms she could pull out from her memory.

“Who?” Simon answered his wife. “Ah. That girl. No Agata, she is not a nun. And I think she is trying to pull off some sort of miracle.”

“[Holy Water Saint Maxima].”

Celestine’s face was now as red as a tomato. The pressure in her neck built until it felt like a vein might pop.

“I do not think that quite does it, mistress.”

Aury’s voice was crystal clear. Everyone except Simon took a step back. The patients huddled together: their eyes wide with renewed fear.

“You are not activating your core.”

“Yes I am.” Ashley’s voice was sharp. “I’m keeping it tight. See?”

She punched her stomach lightly. The impact was dull, hitting muscle that was coiled like a spring.

“I believe you are thinking of that ‘yoga’ from before, my lady.” Aury’s response was even sharper. “That is not how it works, I am afraid. I am talking about another kind of core.”

Ashley stopped. The sharpness in her voice could have cut diamonds. A sudden cold prickle crept up the back of her neck.

“Wait a second. How do you know what I was thinking before? Aury?”

The halo stayed silent. It spun slowly. A golden, mocking circle.

“D-do not tell me you can read my thoughts.”

Celestine’s face deepened to a shade of crimson that had nothing to do with muscle tension. The embarrassment was a physical heat radiating off her skin.

“Do not do that. Just… don’t.”

Everything? Can she hear everything?

“I am technically a ‘he’,” Aury said. “Well, in this form I am genderless. But some of my other forms are definitely male.”

Ashley’s foot tapped against the stone floor. It was fast and rhythmic. The sound of someone deeply annoyed. The echoes filled the quiet room.

Great. Just great.

“Sorry, mistress. It is just that I cannot stop it. My essence and your holy mind are entwined.”

“Sure you can’t.” She huffed, crossing her arms tightly over her chest. “Okay. But you are forbidden from talking about my thoughts to anybody. Is that understood?”

“Yes, your grace.”

The halo pulsed once. The soft gold light felt almost like a shrug.

“Simon, dear. Can you help that poor girl over there?” Agata asked. “You had the power she is trying to call forth. You should be able to.”

“Me? No, Agata. I know you love me, but you should know my powers are no more since the Saint went missing.”

Agata stepped uncertainly closer to him. She looked into his deep chestnut eyes. She did not say a word.

“Okay, okay. Bossy as always, I see.”

Simon smiled at the small crowd of shaky patients surrounding Agata. They giggled. Simon’s eyes darted back toward Agata. But it was obvious how weak she was, her legs and arms were shaking. Dark bags hung heavy under her eyes.

Agata leaned in and whispered something to the priest. Her words were too low to make out. But her gaze kept flickering between Ashley and the picture of the Saint on the wall.

Yes. Yes, it is me. Should I say something? There isn’t any point in pretending it’s not me. This is kind of awkward now, though.

“Agreed,” Aury said.

Ashley’s fingers went rigid.

“Do you want me to do introductions for you, mistress?”

Zip it, Aury. I swear it was better when I could not hear you talking.

“Mind if I try to help? Um… Ashley?”

Simon was coming closer. He flashed a painfully unconvincing smile. The intonation of her name was all wrong, but he’d said her name just fine before. Now it came out slow and careful.

I see. I will play along. This has to be the training tutorial for the Saint powers I must have skipped. No wonder I could not use them before. I can’t blow it.

“Accept.” Ashley’s voice was solemn, almost mechanical.

Simon frowned. “Um… thank you?” He said with a tone of uncertainty.

Simon turned his head back to Agata. She willed him to proceed with a stern look. He raised and lowered his shoulders in a slow shrug. Then, he stepped closer to Ashley.

This narrative has been purloined without the author’s approval. Report any appearances on Amazon.

“So. I see you are trying to cure yourself of that venom. Am I right?”

“Any problem with that?”

“No. No. All is well and good.” He held his palms in front of his chest in an apologetic gesture. “Long ago, I cured people here and there. Sometimes broken legs. Sometimes cuts on the arms. But venom… Venoms and poisons were my specialties. See, I knew a certain adventurer. As soon as she saw some colorful animal, she could not restrain herself from touching it. Pity that color in nature usually signals danger. I tried to explain that to her. But her head was thicker than her shield.”

“Hey!” Agata called out from behind. Her hands were on her hips. Her back was straight and indignant.

A smile touched Ashley’s lips before she could stop it. Small, soft, and totally unexpected.

Now I see. So she was calling his name earlier. It’s so romantic. Really sweet.

“I see how you mages do things. You pour energy out with force.” The priest moved in. “Miracles don’t work that way. Or at least, they did not when I could still perform them. This isn’t something you have to push.”

“Gotcha. I should pull, then.”

Ashley closed her eyes. She focused, reaching for the magic hanging in the air. This was the first time she had tried this in person. But she had the sensation that here, in this city, the mana was particularly dense and heavy.

“N…”

“[Mana Well]” Ashley tried to brute-force the system as she always did. The air in the room surged. It followed the swirling of mana from outside. The immaterial substance came rushing in, passing through the walls as if they weren’t there.