Chapter 43: Penultimate Practice (1/2)

Penelope and Theodora are still talking by the time I finish my soul-cuddling session, so I head their way. The wispy, tattoo-covered Theodora seems to be quite animatedly enjoying a nerdy magic talk with Penelope. For someone who’s not that much older than us, she sure is strong. She’s even more powerful than Penelope, and from the way her soul sparks and flutters it’s pretty clear that it’s due to one hell of a talent.

“Are you sure? I’d love to analyze your healing formations, especially if you’re going to be heading back to Skyhope at some point,” Theodora presses.

“Well, you don’t have a biomancy license, do you?” Penelope asks. “Explicitly because I may be returning to Skyhope, I’m loath to break the law. Although… I must admit, I’m very curious if you know one or more masking formulae.”

Theodora’s eyebrows rise.

“Er, masking formulae? As I’m sure you know, those are also illegal…”

“But common, nonetheless. With a talent like yours, I’m sure you’ve picked up a few, yes?”

“Well, ah, I suppose if you’d be willing to part with a few healing spells, I could certainly make it up to you…”

Penelope grins a predatory grin.

“I’d love to, darling Theodora. And hello there, Vita! Do us a favor and pretend you didn’t hear that, hmm?”

Theodora yelps and turns around as Penelope addresses me. I wave, grinning.

“Hear what? How are you two doing?”

“Quite well, I should think,” Penelope answers. “Yourself?”

“Great!” I answer. “Seong is super cool! Melik too, to my surprise.”

Penelope nods, getting the message.

“Melik is a sweetie,” Theodora agrees. “I hope the new Melik is just as nice. I couldn’t help but be a little sad when Taline said she’d made him one of us, but I’m glad you two are getting along.”

The new Melik, huh? That’s one way to think about it. Out with the old and in with the parasites.

“Speaking of the new us, I can’t believe how much you lucked out, Theodora!” Penelope coos. “A magical analysis talent is the stuff dreams are made of.”

“Penelope, that’s a secret!” Theodora whines. “Skyhope will be even more all over us if they find out about my talent! Besides, it wasn’t luck. We fought for the right to have this body, you know. Father put almost a dozen of us in here. I just won.”

“Oh, well congratulations!” Penelope says with impressively faked sincerity. “It should be fine to tell Vita though, yes? She’s one of us. You should tell her about what you told me!”

“Oh yes, that’s right!” Theodora exclaims cheerfully, clapping her hands together. “Vita, I noticed some incredible magical patterns while you were inside with Seong! I couldn’t get a good look at them because Penelope kept distracting me—” she scowls playfully in Penelope’s direction as she says this— “but if that was you, I’d simply love to see more of your talent! It was like nothing I’ve ever witnessed before!”

She saw me use my soul-yank through a friggin’ wall? Holy shit! I spare a thankful glance towards Penelope, who is looking even more smug than usual. Okay, she’s earned that, I guess. She saved my ass. What the heck do I say now, though?

“You’re coming with us to the forest, aren’t you?” Penelope asks, immediately saving my ass again. “You’ll be able to study her talent in detail there. I think it just flashes every once in a while as she looks around. I’m still figuring out how her sensory abilities work, but my theory is that it’s actually a form of kynamancy.”

“Kynamancy? No way,” Theodora remarks. “She said her ability detects life. How would that be kynamancy?”

“Have you heard about the kynamancy-thermomancy inclusion theory?” Penelope asks, grinning an incredibly nerdy grin.

“The one about how powerful light mages tend to burn things…?”

“Yes, exactly! Some of them burn without any noticeable light, but it’s still kynamancy! It has to be some kind of heat-wave. An overlap between schools. So what if Vita was detecting those heat-waves somehow? After all, all living things produce heat…”

They continue nerding out and I start getting increasingly lost. I wander away, having told Penelope what she needed to know and gotten what I needed to know from her. If Theodora can see magic happen through walls, I more or less can’t use the Everfull so long as she’s conscious.

Which means… I pretty much have nothing to do until nightfall. I guess that means it’s Penta’s turn.

“What, just… the whole rest of the day?” she asks, surprised.

Yeah, why not? I hatched and haven’t felt any weird, possibly self-destructive urges since. No promises I won’t need something later, but…

Penta hesitates for a moment.

“Er… well, I was actually going to say we should practice your cancel commands.”

I blink.

Really?

“Well, yes. Um, if that’s all right. I’ve never actually cast a spell in your body before, and you’ll need to become a learned mage if you want to… well. You know. Learn your discipline more completely.”

Well, I suppose I WAS just thinking that my existence isn’t illegal enough…

Penta chuckles.

“Thank you, Vita. I didn’t get to say it before, but… thank you. I needed some hope to look forward to, especially considering… where we are.”

Yeah. It must be rough. Sorry, Penta.

“You knew you were killing a person,” Penta whispers. “You know it. You know we’re people. But you killed them anyway.”

I’ll keep the souls safe, Penta. We’ll make them something better.

“You can eat the one in Remus,” Penta grumbles. “Did you hear what Theodora said? About how he put a dozen of us in her body and made them fight over her?”

It seems like a logical enough way to divvy the strongest bodies.

“Watcher’s eyes, Vita! Bodies aren’t food for orphans, they’re people! And fighting isn’t a good way to divvy food, either!”

I didn’t say it was good, I said it was logical. I never exactly appreciated the system when I lost, but if nothing else it makes the decision clear. The one with the most bread is the one you’re too afraid to steal bread from. It’s fair in the sense that no one can argue over it; the other slimes lost under their own power.

“Eat him anyway.”

Hey, I was gonna. You don’t have to tell me twice.

She chuckles, shaking her head.

“No, I suppose I don’t. Now come on, I’ll help you practice.”