The ashes before Strife

Episode 8 : Changing ; 4

'Well, all you'll be doing really is replacing your old flesh with attrium effectively healing you faster making something that's supposed to be impossible. There's no form of enhancement since your not undead or a spirit yet.'

"Then what if I was one of those?" I kept growing intrigued just as much as incursik was as he explained it

'well, you'd no doubt have a greater enhancement than simple mana enhancement. By my estimation, you could probably punch a hole through a 1000 meter squared magic enhanced titanium wall with ease if you use just a little pure attrium in that complete state.' His bluntness of saying it made it to be simple and normal but even for me now that'd still be an impossible challenge.

nervously I asked, "Is that considered normal for Duatten?" He nonchalantly looked at me "not really but I'd say about half of the residents of Duatten could do it. Even though they can only use mana mainly along with a little of whatever other energy they use like you with attrium.' I grew shocked at this new information, if I could use just pure attrium untainted by mana I would be unrivaled in laegii!

I looked at my casts and bandages all along my body pondering what incursik said it could do and decided to try and heal myself

'hey your not actually thinking of doing that are you? You'll basically be turning yourself into whatever that liquid is changing you into without even knowing its goal!' I drowned his voice out as he continued to explain every reason I shouldn't course the attrium in my circuits throughout my body using my blood veins as guides instead.

I could feel the attrium float inside me directing it with my will as much as possible as it tried to resist my instructions and felt its coldness inside me as it spread from my sternum all the way to my fingertips in my left arm.

As it traveled I could feel the stinging pain from the frostbite before being erased as if it never existed in the first place 'well this is most interesting.'

I opened my eyes to see my left arm covered in silver veins with the cast now shattered in pieces floating in the air as lupra played about with them trying to catch them.

I pulled my silver-lined arm right in front of me and inspected it closely feeling for anything out of the ordinary yet I couldn't. It just felt like regular mana circulation except I simply guided it without any circuits or blood veins.

"Your positive all it's doing is replacing and fixing my flesh right?" I stared at the happy purple sludge spirit as it inspected my silver-lined arm alongside lupra who was sniffing at it saying it smelt like salt not responding to my question "incursik!" He pulled himself away startled at my shout noticing my gaze as I asked the question again.

'Y-yeah I'm sure it's doing nothing else princess. Though I'm still against you doing this since it wasn't something I could do before since I'm a pure spirit whereas it's turning you into a physical undead spirit which should be impossible!'

I decided to take on his warning and stopped the coursing of attrium into my arm eliminating the silver veins and their glow with no trace of them left with my now fully fixed arm, stretching it about to see if it really was.

After a minute of the three of us closely looking at it, no adverse effects were seen but he still implored me not to use it though I thought it would be fine, the thought of people questioning me on how I recovered so quickly then surfaced and realized I would not be able to pass it off as demon gene superiority. I then leaned back pondering how I'd explain it as Lupra offered me bandages from a tray in her mouth.

I thanked her and started wrapping it around my arm as incursik then sat at the end of the bed. 'So~. What are you gonna do at the trial for Fuden tomorrow?'

I could tell he wasn't simply curious and wanted to give his thoughts "I'm planning to simply be a face to strengthen Eloy and Damian's justice. They did nothing to me other than trap me in a cave so I'm lacking the motivation to do anything for revenge."

He then scratched his nonexistent purple chin as he thought quietly for a few seconds then smacking his fist onto his purple palm 'why don't you try the arrogant ass approach?' I stared at him slightly annoyed as I could tell the purple shit was insulting me "now why would I do that?"

'It's simple really. Maarten Fuden seems to have it out for you and thinks he can rely on his families wealth and prestige to put you under some form of punishment even though he's the one on trial." I slowly started drifting off to sleep as he continued to explain into boring details but when he realized he slapped me awake with two purple tentacles to my cheeks "what was that for?!"

'You're not listening is why!'

"I'm not listening because it's exactly how we got vengeance back in Bandero! The arrogant ass is the same facade we went with when we were the Nigredo! I'd rather do it as something else thank you!"

'Oh yeah!?' He phased through the bed walking closer clearly angry 'then tell me how you'd do it cayde since you seem so much better at these things!' I quickly thought up of an idea as I thought of all the possible scenarios I could

"they often say old is gold right? So then why not simply go with the angry narcissist then? I'll is blatantly rude, show no respect to them, and tear down everything he said the past few days, and when he's finally angry enough challenge him to a duel where everything is in his favor.'

Incursiks face then contorted a big white smile creeping me out as he began to laugh in glee. I had fallen for his trap, didn't I? "You tricked me into creating a plan for vengeance didn't you?"

'Oh yeah.' I was impressed at my brother's slyness but was also ticked off "I hate to admit it but between us your better at planning even though I've lived for longer. I'm way too used to hiding out and running away after all.'

I chuckled slightly as he lowered my bed back down to be flat 'make sure to live well Cayde. And remember, ill be there when I'm needed most.'