CHAPTER ONE-HUNDRED-SIX: THE POWER OF WARPING – PART ONE

A [Skyview] window focused on Niva sat in the middle of the table.  

“Niva doesn’t realize the truth of what she prevented,” said Tilde, her tone more serious. “Her revenge is more than valid. However, how you obtain that revenge separates you from the beasts. Killing his—as of now, with the information we know—uninvolved daughter is one thing, but there are far better ways to hurt Thaddeus.” 

“Let’s hope Niva understands that,” I added.   

“I’m sure she does.” Sekh added her thoughts, her helmet sitting loosely atop her head since Sera had returned to her room to finish preparing the coordinate crystal.   

“Niva’s biometrics confirms her hesitation. I’m sure it wasn’t easy. She may even believe to have made a mistake, although… Yes. Perhaps she’d use what she’s feeling now to fuel her determination for tomorrow morning. Why enact revenge upon a father’s daughter when it would only delay the confrontation with the man himself? The short-term benefits would almost immediately fade, causing the long-term concessions to remain out of reach. I’m not referring to the goal of ‘getting revenge.’ The aspirations are much broader. They encompass so much more.”   

“A bit more scientific than I would’ve put it, but yeah.” Tilde stretched. “Right on the money. I think we can thank Aetos for this. Little Mister Eagle’s training must be good because you know it’s not just physical. Even subtle words can affect the psyche without the listener knowing. But… You know… Seeing this reminds me of Erin’s situation.”  

“How so?”  

“Well, Bart Barclay is the second family head that needs their comeuppance. But is it in our place to even do anything when Erin isn’t here? Don’t get me wrong—he sounds like a right bastard—but ask yourself if it’s really your choice to put a bullet in his brain.”  

“…”  

“See? We know what you want to do, except it’s not your choice. It’s Erin’s. Unfortunately, the girl isn’t here. I know we can ask via the lions. I’m just worried she won’t understand the severity without seeing her grandfather in the flesh. It’s like… Yeah, I can order someone to kill a target from 1,200 miles away. It’s another thing to stare at a man’s eyes while ordering his death.”  

“[Void Warp] is ready to be tested, my lord. Should it not reveal any glaring errors I cannot fix before the meeting, we could use it to teleport Erin should they backtrack to an indexed area.”  

“That’ll take too much time,” explained Tilde. “Unless you warp to Plymoise? Then you can fly to them.”  

“An option to consider, although the travel time may be in the hours. The latest report from the lions suggests they’ve traveled across much of Parthina to reach the opposite coast.”   

“Okay. Let's keep that in mind if we can't think of anything else. Sound good, Master?" Tilde smiled when I nodded.  “Go ahead. Test it out.” I knew that look. Tris might’ve processed more information in a second than Tilde could in a year, but Tilde had much more life experience to draw back on. She was a master of thinking outside the box—something someone so logical had trouble doing.    

We had a solution—yet could there be a better one?  

Perhaps. I was sure it’d be found before the night was over if it existed. 

It was time to start the test. I recreated the bird clone that cast the invisibility spell on Niva. It flew through the window. Even though it was open, Tris’s seals prevented anyone from peeping. So, only we could see the [Skyview] window focused on the bird as it flew fast and hard to leave the city.   

“This should be good.” Tris looked at the forest the bird had found. Thick, fat leaves made it the perfect spot.   

“Okay, take it away, Tris. I’m giving you command over it.”  

“Thank you, my lord.” The clone morphed into a vaguely humanoid being with no discernible features. It was roughly my size and shape. 

A blue waypoint appeared over a rock. A second one manifested, targeting nothing. Except that wasn't the case. Tris explained after seeing my confusion. “The destination coordinate is an air particle. This first test is about measuring my precision. I’m about to begin. Are you ready?”  

“Do it.”  

Tris initialized the warp… The rock vanished in the blink of an eye, appearing ten feet from its destination. A heartbeat later, the air particle just…  

It just exploded, sending a cascading shockwave dozens of feet. My clone was knocked away, yet it remained unscathed even after being battered through a large tree.   

“… No… No way! Tris is that… Is what I’m thinking just happened?” 

“How intriguing… You’re correct, my lord. I must’ve accidentally split an atom during the warping process. Or perhaps my target was too specific? This confirms you can warp ‘part’ of something instead of it in its entirety… So… Increase the size?” Tris walked in circles with a hand on her chin. Her tail danced from side to side as Sekh inquired about what we witnessed. 

I’d just gotten through the basics of nuclear weapons and how they were used in my world when Tris announced a second test.   

The same rock was chosen, and even though it appeared closer to its destination than the last, there was still an explosion. “It’s smaller this time. The clone didn’t even feel it.” 

“Hmm… Ah!” Tris clapped. “It’s the gravity displacement formula. I’ve made an error in how it reacts to the mass equation. A molecule of air does not have the same gravitational pull as a rock. So… If I… And then… So… Take the remainder… Accounting for errors…” Tris was lost in her own little world as the tests continued.   

Her next target was a larger rock, which missed the mark while softening the impending boom. She repeated that four times before using a tree limb. The explosion was even smaller. They continued to shrink the more she used different items. Her last test was a treadmill created by [Wooden Gym].   

“This should be it…” Fourteen destination waypoints appeared. “They’re chained. The following one should activate approximately three seconds after the previous one…”  

The treadmill suddenly appeared where it wasn’t—resulting in… nothing destructive? It vanished again, warping exactly every three seconds as Tris’s smile grew larger with each success. She was jumping up and down by the end.  “My lord! I did it!”  

“You did! I’m very proud of you!”  

“Good work.” Sekh rubbed Tris’s head.   

“I’m not finished yet. Inanimate objects are fine, but I have no data on live subjects. So… Ah, but before that, something that must be done. Rather, something must be collected.” A second [Skyview] appeared, except it wasn’t in the default satellite mode. It was like the first version—where it resembled an overlayed map you’d find in a book. The displayed waypoint marked the boat we parked near Aetos Village.   

“Holy hell, that’s awesome!” I probably sounded like a kid in a candy store, but why wouldn’t I?! The clone just… It just showed up on the ship’s deck. The travel speed was instantaneous! No delay! None!   

“There’s a deviation of 0.0001 inches. Unfortunately, I cannot currently target an object or designate a destination smaller than that unless it comes from you.”  

“Why me?  

“Do you remember Lord Enele’s journal? He’s searching for someone with void scars across their soul. While you may not be his target, you bear the wounds. So, you’re more connected with the void than anyone else. This circumstance grants us a special exemption. To answer your query, the object needs to be crafted from you. There’s one more thing. Waypoints aren’t necessary for warping to occur. You can think of them as visual indicators of your target destination, but the ability will still work without them.” 

The clone’s surroundings changed to the remains of Aetos Village. Then, it hovered above Plymoise. A second later, it looked upon Ria’s burnt ruins before returning to the ship—accomplishing all without waypoints. It grew wings and flew around our vessel. “The processing occurs behind the scenes.” The window with the map zoomed out as Tris plopped a waypoint. The chosen location was about an hour north of Aetos Village. “Waypoints are still vehemently vital to other aspects of our ability. Our ability to convey information relies heavily on them.”  

“Okay. What’s here, then? What are we going to find?”  

“The next test, my lord,” said Tris as the clone shot a single strand of webbing toward the boat to stash it in our near-infinite storage. 

*****

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*****

“Wolves, huh?” The invisible clone had erased its smell and sound, so the pack was unaware of their impending fate.   

“It may seem cruel, but this must happen. Don’t worry. I won’t let their lives go to waste. We can use their meat and fur.” 

The testing began after the clone restrained the ten wolves. They growled at nothing, snarling wildly toward the unseen foe two feet away.    

The first two experiments were fatal. Only half of the first wolf arrived at its destination. The second fared better, except the heart didn’t make the trip.   

Tris talked herself in circles again, contrasting the undecipherable output—to me, at least—of the failed tests to each other. Fifteen minutes later, the variables she needed to account for revealed themselves via an epiphany. The remaining wolves emerged unscathed from their short trip.   

Tris tried to explain it, but the math drastically differed when a void-touched entity was the target or destination.   

“This ability is strong,” I said, watching the teleporting wolves try to make sense of their never-ending fate.  Tris let them run away for ten or fifteen seconds before warping them back. She didn’t have to touch them. Everything was strictly handled through the data given to her by our map. [Void Warp]’s only mandatory arguments were the target and destination coordinates.    

We could be in Plymoise and warp a straw from Atrix to a cup in Requiesta.   

“Why didn’t Remy use its true potential in our fight? She could’ve shattered the Spiritual Grove by setting off a chain reaction of explosions. I don’t think we could’ve guarded against that.”   

“The version Remy used is much more ‘on-rails,’ so to speak,” explained Tris. “I removed the limiters to access the ‘expert’ mode. In exchange for precise control over all aspects of the skill, many more things can go wrong. For example, Remy’s ‘beginner’ mode refuses to allow warps that might result in explosions—her feeble mind literally could not comprehend such outcomes. However, I strongly advise against purposely failing a warp calculation to attack. The void remains an enigma, and until I’ve analyzed and fully understood its nature, the long-term consequences of such actions are incalculable. It’s far too risky.”  

“Can’t blame you for being wary. One small mistake could result in the equivalent of a nuclear bomb.” 

“Agreed, which is why I’m adding safety checks. Should one fail, the warp will be canceled. The resulting error will be analyzed for further correction. The more we use [Void Warp], the safer it becomes. With this? Initial testing is complete! I am not comfortable using it on allies. I recommend inanimate objects, monsters, and our enemies until I’ve gathered more information. You’re a safe target, my lord, so feel free to integrate warping around to distract your enemies into your combat repertoire. Would you like to test it out?” 

I nodded and asked how it worked. “Two ways. The first is to select a location manually with a waypoint, which is useful if you desire exactitude above all else. Then you use [Void Warp] like any other skill. The second is to picture Aetos Village in your mind, which is less accurate, although not by much.  Once you do—”  

Tris’s voice was immediately cut off because she wasn’t there anymore. Because I had warped to the remains of a village, standing where the mighty Eagle Yew had been a stalwart sentinel.  

The wind picked up a pile of ash and carried it like a swirling blanket, scattering even more across the memento to a forest long gone.   

I pictured the room I was just in.  

And I was back, sitting on the bed—just like that.   

“Wonderfully done, my lord! Would you like to try it again? I have a request.” 

“Anything. Let’s hear it.” 

“Do you remember the cafe where you reunited with Chax and Ginnie?” 

“I do. Are you thirsty?” Tris nodded. “What are you craving? I’ll get whatever you want.” 

“One sweet tea with milk and cinnamon, my lord. Is that okay?” 

“It’s more than fine. Be back in a few, okay?” I manually set the destination— an alley behind the café just around the corner as I put on a cloak and mask.   

It wouldn’t feel right for the High Elf of Liberation to show up and suddenly leave.   

The familiar sensation of… nothingness enveloped my body. It was more than nothingness because…  

Well, because nothing happened in terms of feeling something. The warp worked via the void—an unexplained realm that didn’t play by the rules. I could blink and find myself thousands of miles away in an instant. 

That’s going to take some getting used to.  

I emerged onto the street. It was dark in Requiesta, yet dusk was still a few hours away. No one paid me any mind as I bought Tris’s drink, which was in her hands six seconds after I walked between two stopped carriages. Whoever saw me enter the gap wouldn’t see me emerge.   

“Mmm! It’s so deliciously sweet! Thank you, my lord!”  

“Don’t even mention. Consider it a reward for your hard work. Seriously, you’re amazing.” 

“Hehe!!!” Tris bounced on her feet at hearing my praises before sitting between my legs. Her fluffy ears twitched, so I gave my Beacon of Wisdom what she wanted as Sekh fondly smiled.   

“Anything to add?” Sekh asked Tilde. “It’s not like you to be so quiet. I told Longtooth the potential plan, and she estimated it’ll take eight hours to reach her from Plymoise.”  

“I could shorten it with a speed spell, but the return trip... Tris, is it too soon to use it to warp Erin?”  

“I want to say no. I’ve done the math," Tris answered, sipping her drink. “The chances of it turning fatal are less than it is being eaten by a shark flung from a tornado ravaging a desert, but I don’t have that guarantee. I can fix that through more testing since I've identified three potential flaws.”  

“How long will the testing take?”  

“Until morning, I’m afraid. I don’t want to leave anything to chance. I’m also reworking the plan for Gloria now that [Void Warp] is usable. This drink is good, my lord. Would you care for a sip?” 

“I do.” Tris carefully held the cup to my lips as the deliciousness flowed onto my taste buds. “You’re right. I’ll get one myself next time.” Tris offered it to Sekh, who liked it. Tilde…  

Tilde just remained quiet. She was seriously deep in thought—more than I’d seen before.   

“Hey, you’re starting to scare me.”   

She still didn’t respond. I warped to her side and…  

Snooooore!!!  

“She’s asleep.”  

Sekh rolled her eyes. She gently flicked the snoozing maid.   

“Mmmnn… It’s too early…”  

“It’s too late, you geriatric. Wake up. Stop making us worry.” 

Tris poured a few drops of her drink into Tilde’s mouth. She licked her lips before finally waking. She yawned, stretching like a cat.   

“Eh? Why are you looking at me like that?”  

“Because you fell asleep?” Sekh replied.    

“Is that a bad thing? They say the best ideas come to you when you aren't thinking about them.”    

 “Come up with anything?" 

“Yeah. I think I did. Can I tell you about that over a drink? Where’d you get it—” 

I warped away, bought another drink, and returned posthaste. I wasn’t gone for maybe two minutes, but Tilde had already been caught up.   

“Hell yeah, Master. It’s like fast travel in a video game. You can literally go anywhere you’ve ever been—‘enemies are too close to travel’ warning be damned. Ah! Thank you very much!” Tilde wasted no time.   

“I got one for you, Sekh. One for me, too.”  

“Thank you.”  

We sat at the table—drinks in hand. “Okay, care to let us in? What’s your solution?”  

“Her.” Tilde pointed at Sekh.   

“I can’t teleport,” replied Sekh. “Not now, at least.”  

“Can you really be sure?” Tilde had that sly grin again.   

“Yes…? I’m looking at my skills.”   

“Are you sure about that? You have something others don't.”  

“I’m not following.”  

“Neither am I.” Tris was also stumped. She didn’t know Tilde’s aim.   

“Here’s a hint. They’re on fire. They roar. They can now transform into a humanoid. Yewie’s probably hugging one right now.”  

“The lions? How can they help?” 

“I’m glad you asked, Master. Enjoy another informative lecture from your adorable maid. Oh, we need Surtr’s help with this. Are they on their way back?” Sekh nodded. “Okay. So, basically, a Lord has a constant connection to their Soul Warriors. So do you. You know where the lions are at, except yours is way better because the pathway grants telepathy. You can chat ‘em up whenever you want, no matter where the distance.  So, why not modify the telepathic link to accommodate something larger?”  

“Is that even possible?” Sekh looked at her hands.    

“The lions are as much you as they are themselves. I bet a DNA test would return a perfect match. It might be easier to understand if you consider them 'relay' points. Wait, think of them as your version of Sera’s coordinate crystals. Yeah, that’s a better comparison.”  

“You say it like it’s easy.”  

“I usually wouldn’t say so, but you have something to fill in the gaps.”  

“[Conferment]?”  

“Yeppers. I don’t know if the connection can accommodate anything other than voice without that gap filler.”  

“Sounds like you’re uncertain,” noted Tris.   

“I am. I mean, run the data, Tris. It makes sense on paper. Sekh’s connected to the lions because they’re made from her mana. They’re as much her as she is. Something magical connects them. Yes, it’s only used to transmit voice and general location data, but only because we assume that’s the limit. What if it’s not? A limit is only a limit because no one has breached it. You just gotta be that someone, Little Miss Lioness.”  

We turned to Tris to get her input.

“Theoretically… Yes. I can see why Tilde came to that conclusion. Unfortunately, I can’t offer much help. Wait... I can use waypoints to visualize the mana connection between you and Surtr. I can also overlay a map to reflect the link between you, Kengu, and Longtooth. But without their exact location coordinates, I can only offer approximations. It may still help you, however.”   

That was right. My map’s initial form had defined outlines for the world—since it was a world map. Non-indexed areas were blank, yet I could still ‘look’ at a country even if I had never stepped inside. 

I wonder if the borders would change if land were to be won or lost after a war or conflict? I need to find a way to test that.  

“I won’t refuse to try. Surtr must return, though. I doubt I can do this without his help.” 

“Okay. Let’s finish our drinks, then. Wait, Master. Do you think Yew wants one?”  

“Point taken. I’ll be back,” I said, warping to Plymoise. The barista was even more confused. 

“I knew we’re known for our drinks, but you’re the first to show up so many times in one day.”  

“The café means a lot to me,” I replied, taking my drinks. “Take care.” I left, walked to an empty spot, and warped to my room.   

“I think that’s a new record,” said Tilde, who greedily reached for her cup after I placed them on the table. “I see you bought another round for everyone.”  

“Just in case.” I stashed the other drinks for safekeeping.   

Yew and the others returned shortly, but Niva immediately retreated to her room with Prim and Lei. “I’ll see if she wants to talk,” said Yew, who loved her drink. She carried two for the summoner and her spirit.  

I thanked Yew as she left. “I’m ready to assist, my lady," said Surtr, returning to his regular size.  

Sekh nodded as she held out a hand, focusing deeply and intently.   

Surtr closed his eyes. He stood—tail raised high—a swirling circle of flames entrapping Sekh like a vicious tornado. [Status Cloak] meant the enormous mana was blocked—even the most magically observant could be blissfully unaware next door.   

Tris overlayed a zoomed-out map of Longtooth’s approximate location, then visualized the mana connecting lioness and lion. The other four must’ve been doing something since the flaming circle became more intricate. The force increased, nearly knocking over the table as Tris held steady to Tilde’s wheelchair.   

Then... 

The flames arose like a constrained wave localized within the circle. The curtain of deadly fire obscured Sekh from my vision like a blackout curtain of abyssal iceflame. It then shattered, dissolving like salt in water as ash gently rained upon where Sekh had just been.    

“I cannot claim it wasn’t messy, but the experiment was successful,” Surtr announced, his voice tinged with pride. Flames leaked from his toothy grin. “My lady has safely arrived at her destination."