Nathan took in a deep breath as Kersara finished her report. “So you and the orcs did well on the beach but you lost four sisters in the fighting. To make matters worse two of them look like there had been some kind of foul play involved from amongst our own ranks.” In most cases having four warriors die on a battlefield was hardly a major concern for an army. Indeed such victories would be considered miracles. When your entire community only numbered a few thousand however and the average pregnancy took decades of trying that wasn't the situation. A dozens death's within the community tended to be felt for decades to come.

Kersara, “I'm sorry. I should have been more mindful of their age and placed them with more experienced sisters to help them battle.”

Nathan, “It sounds to me that you were quite busy. I don't believe there is anything that you could have done Kersara. At least I don't believe there is more that could have been expected of you. These last few days have really done a lot to show us our failings. I wonder. Kersara is there any chance that the two sisters who died were distrustred?”

Kersara, “No. I didn't have any sisters like that with me.”

Nathan, “I didn't believe you would but I had sort of hoped. We had a few sisters die in the main village as well however they were distrusted who.” Nathan found himself going silent as he considered his words. He wanted to say they didn't take shelter with the other sisters and brothers but that wasn't likely to be the truth. It was more likely that they weren't permitted to take shelter with the brothers in such a confined area. “Who weren't fighting alongside their fellow sisters. Thank you for coming to me with this information first. I'll be certain to speak with the brothers and see if we can obtain any information from the bodies.”

Kersara, “Nathan you don't have to speak that way around me. I know very well what happened to the distrusted in the village and I wouldn't have allowed them to shelter in the library either. I'm going to be speaking with some of the keepers today about what happened on the beach though and then we'll decide how the sisters will be handling this. I truly hope that those who had became involved in a personal conflict and that's why they died on the beach. If there is a third sister involved in some way.”

Nathan, “It's not a pleasant thought. So have you gone to see Mina yet? I have to say that child of hers has wonderful timing. Even if she isn't with us yet to have a new sister in the community so soon after we lost some of them will really help in the recovery.”

Kersara, “I haven't! Is she showing yet?”

Nathan, “No. At least not on a visual level but several sisters have been talking about smelling the change in Mina's body.”

Kersara, “That is showing! I'm glad that the orcs agreed to secure the beach so that we could return home for a while. They're a lot of decision that's to be made and I'd hate to be left out of them.”

Nathan, “That's true and it's good that you're here. Fortunately we'll also have the wisdom of a sleeper to help us in the decision making process. So Kersara where do you stand on training brother's as spirit hunters like they did in the past?” As the words left his mouth Nathan could see a change in Kersara's body language. He could see her muscles tensing as if she was preparing for an attack and her ears began to twitch and move about.

Kersara, “Well I. I can't say that I'm fond of the idea. From what I heard from the other sisters Zarena was pretty upset by the fact that we had done away with that branch of our brothers though and it's hard to argue with a sleeper. It's even harder to argue with the recent happenings. I don't like the idea but I can't really think of an alternative.”

Nathan, “I see. Do you have any brothers in mind for the position?”

None of them that are close to me immediately flashed into Kersara's mind but she knew that she could give that thought voice. “I don't really want to talk about this at the moment. How about giving me a chance to speak with the other sisters first?”

Nathan, “Sure.”

**********************************************************************************

As Nora carried the remains of a wall towards the processing point she couldn't help but frown. The wall had been part of her shop and the kobolds had burned it down during their attack. This included the new clothes they had been working on. Ever since Joseph had told them how unpleasant their clothing was to the touch she and Tera had been working on it. They'd become a lot better at making clothes that were comfortable for brothers reliably and even began working on clothing that could be considered luxury. She wasn't happy about the situation but there weren't any kobolds left for her to take out her anger on.

Tera, “Hey sister. Why the long face?”

Nora, “I was just thinking about the new underwear that we'd been working on. I was looking forward to having a few brothers try out the new design.”

Tera, “That was going to be fun.” A huge grin formed on Tera's face as she looked at her friend. They'd been trying different types of plant and animal material to make the new clothing. The most recent design had proven difficult to make due to the material's delicate nature. “For you to be looking that gloomy you must have had someone in mind you want to wear them.”

Nora, “Of course! That does have me down but I don't believe that is the saddest part.”

Tera, “What is it then?”

Nora, “Didn't you see the latest design of the new market we're going to build? They're moving us further away from the dining hall!”

Tera, “Whaaa!” Upon hearing this news Tera couldn't help her shock and this came out in her voice. “Why though? We provided our brothers one of their primary goods and need to be kept in relatively close proximity to one other related work areas so they don't have to walk too much.”

Nora, “Apparently they believe that as the brothers don't need to visit us as regularly as some other shops they can afford to move us further back. I guess that's just one of many changes that are going to be coming.”

Tera, “I really don't want to go to tonight’s meeting.” As she spoke Tera finally deposited the section of wall she'd been carrying on the remains pile. In a short while a brother would come by and cast a spell to cause the material to decay more rapidly and they could fill it up once again. This was a little uncomfortable for some of the community considering they had just finished dealing with a spirit that was in some ways a spirit of decay. It was clear to Tera that Nora was thinking something similar as she looked to her friend.

Nora, “Do you want to risk them making a decision you don't like and you not even having a say in it? That's the only reason that I'm going but I'm still not sure where I stand. I mean I know that the Amalgam was able to develop quietly because we had no spirit hunters watching for such things. Shouldn't the orcs have been the ones to notice it growing though? After all they have shamans and they're attuned to the spiritual realm.”

Tera, “Let's save that for the meeting but I'm going to have to disagree with you. As a society we can't trust those who are not part of the community with such a burden. This is our forest to protect.”

For a moment Nora was silent. When she considered what she'd said she really didn't like the idea of trusting others to protect their forest. She didn't like the idea of any of their brothers regularly going into danger that they couldn't be protected from either. “Do you really believe we're going to have much of a say in this with Zarena there?”

***********************************************************************************

Joseph felt rather nervous as he considered his options. He could either work on the life bloom and perhaps try to come up with a version that was more forest friendly or stronger. This would provide the sisters with more energy and given the resources of the forest he believed it could be achieved easily. He could help the brothers develop their spirit hunter program. Given their history with the sisters he worried they might need some help making the adjustment or he could focus on what he had found out while studying Maria. He was certain that the sisters weren't as lacking in magical talent as they believed and that had serious implications but he had no idea when he would get results.

Maria, “Prepare to be pinched!” The moment she said the word pinched Maria took hold of Joseph's rear and gave it a quick squeeze. He responded as expected with a sharp yelp and jumped up from his seat spinning around to confront her. Maria of course had a huge grin on her face. “I thought I'd come in and check on you.”

Despite having just been pinched Joseph had a massive grin on his face. “Well hey there you. How goes the clean up?”

Maria, “It goes about as you might expect. We've removed the bulk of the damaged material and set aside what could be salvaged which isn't a lot. Now there comes the issue of where we're going to take the materials from in order to rebuild what was damaged and the new design. A lot of sisters are calling for the structures to be built larger and stronger as many seem to think we're going to get to grow even more soon. I have to admit I hope they're right. Then that brings up the issue of how do we make the buildings larger without upsetting more of the forest. I think we're going to end up building downward like the library. We can leave the surface to the plants and animals.”

Joseph, “Depending on how big you become that might not be practical. Hey Maria which one do you believe I should work on? The spirit hunter program, the life bloom or should I consider my studies on the sisters and your attunement  to spiritual energies?”

Maria, “Naturally you should focus on your studies relating to the potential for magical manipulation and our bodies of course. That's the one that's most likely to result in me getting to test more things and eat more food.” As she spoke Maria came to stand behind Joseph while he had settled back into his seat. He was currently looking at a sheet of paper which she recognized as having alchemical formulas written on it but little else. “I don't believe you'd be much help whenever it comes to the spirit hunters and the life bloom can be left in the hands of others.”

Joseph, “Well that's solid reasoning.” As he finished Joseph gave his head a slight shake but was grinning. “I hear there is a big get together tonight with the sisters. I take it you're going to decide where you stand as a political organization on a lot of things.”

Maria, “Yes we are. I expect there is going to be a great deal of debate tonight.”

Joseph, “I'm sure I will be speaking with the other brothers soon as well. How are the sisters who don't have a home doing? I appreciate them making space for those of us that can't survive without shelter but they're giving up a lot.”

Maria, “Don't worry about that we're doing fine in the forest. Often we'd end up sleeping in the forest before this little event. Honestly sleeping in the forest is quite comfortable for us though we could do without getting the smell of the forest into our fur. So do you have any idea on what you might begin working on next now that you know we don't just soak up mystic energies without limit?”

Joseph, “It isn't just that. I found out that your bodies can indeed produce and radiate mystic energy in very small amounts whenever your hunger has been satisfied. That opens up quite a bit of potential. First I need to run some more test and insure my data is right.”

Maria, “Yay! More test.”

Joseph, “Not on you.” As he spoke Joseph looked back and immediately saw Maria's smile vanish from her face and be replaced with a look of shock.

Maria, “What! Why not me?” As she spoke Maria couldn't keep the surprise out of her voice. She had been looking for another nice meal for science and Joseph was telling her she wouldn't be allowed to have one. The reason was fairly obvious to her with a moment of thought but she resolved to let Joseph say it first.

Joseph, “Maria you're a mutated sister. I need to not only confirm what I found with the first test but I need to insure that it isn't just due to a sister's mutations. There are other variables as well of course. I really want to get in touch with Kersara before she leaves and have her run one of the experiments. I was wondering if a sister's physical well being might influence the results and she's the most physically well sister without a mutation that I can think of.”

Maria, “Hm. I don't know how long Kersara is going to be here at least until tonight for the meeting. I believe I know where she is though. I'll step out for just a few and speak with her.” As she spoke Maria turned away from Joseph and extended her tail. This had the desired result as she felt it smack lightly against Joseph's head.

Joseph, “Thanks Maria.” As the words left his mouth Joseph was made to smile. He would normally have tried to stop Maria but he was learning. She could run to wherever Kersara was in a few minutes at most. Asking Maria to travel to nearly anywhere in the village was roughly the same as asking for someone to check their cellar for something even at the furthest reaches of the village. Instinctively he rubbed the spot were Maria's tail had smacked him and looked back towards his paper. He was going to continue his studies on the sister's and put everything else behind him. Naturally this meant he would need to secure certain resources from the brothers.

***********************************************************************************

Dan, “Hey there Liza I can't say I expected to see you here.” As he spoke Dan approached the young guardian. She had been one of the more regular sister's he saw in the shop delivering supplies or bringing them to other brothers whenever she had been asked. As the one who took care of the alchemical shop for years Dan met quite a bit of the community even those members who weren't so social. Liza was a quiet one preferring to make her deliveries whenever there wasn't many around.

Mirin, “I see you came by to check up on them.”

There was no move on Dan's part to turn to look at Mirin. “Yeah. So when will the ceremony begin?”

Mirin, “Selecting the brothers that will take the bodies away has already been done and we're prepared to begin examining them. We've also began to review the research of the last group to study our sister's and make plans for new experiments. This is the first time we've had so many to examine in a long time but we're still determined to make the most of their loss.”

Dan, “You said that the brothers have already been selected but have they been informed?”

Mirin, “Yes. You don't have to worry about being one of them. This is a grim responsibility and it takes some time to prepare for it.”

To this Dan gave a slight nod. Sisters weren't buried and their bodies weren't destroyed. They lived too long and there was too much they didn't know about their own bodies for them to just be covered in the dirt. So whenever a sister did die her corpse was taken for examination in hopes that the knowledge gained from studying her would help those still alive. This was important but it wasn't easy on either side. So whenever a sister died she was given a ceremony during which her body would be taken away by a group of hidden brothers. Their appearance and scents were hidden so no one would know who had taken the corpse. They weren't even allowed to speak during the event. “Mirin who's idea was it that the brothers should hide who they are?”

Mirin, “It's a practice that began with the Luvarians if our information is complete. They noticed when retrieving the bodies of sisters for study the Luvarian who was made to retrieve the corpse would be looked upon strangely by the remaining constructs. In order to keep their creation from feeling animosity towards any one Luvarian they began hiding the identity of those who retrieved the corpse. After the fall of the main Luvarians we continue the practice for the same reasons.”

Dan, “Do they ever try to find out who the hidden figures were?”

Mirin, “To my knowledge no. None of them want to risk learning that the person who stole their sister's body was one of their favored brothers. My mother explained it to me once. So long as they don't know who it is they can believe the brothers they loved most aren't currently cutting on their beloved sister. You've been with us for a while Dan and you never spoke to Mina about this?”

Dan, “I remember speaking to Mina about her mother but she didn't like to talk about the ceremony. This is the first time that I've seen a sister die since I came to live here as well.” As he spoke Dan had made his way over to Liza's corpse. The body of the sisters were remarkable things even after they were dead. Currently she showed no signs of decay and where it a human body and a mage available he believed she would have been well within their ability to heal. “How long does it take for decay to set into a sister's body?”

Mirin, “We don't know. We've never given one of their bodies the chance to decay to dust.”

***********************************************************************************

Kersara, “So you want me as a test subject? But Joseph I don't know if I have time to work as a test subject. The orcs are going to begin setting up their new settlement on the beach soon and I need to be there in order to help them out. After everything that has happened our relationship with the orcs has changed and as one of the most experience in working with them I've been intrusted to better that relationship.”

Maria, “Well I could just come and get you during the testing days. It may take over a day for you to travel back and forth between the beach but that isn't the case for me and I wouldn't mind giving up my evening for research.”

For a moment Kersara said nothing but looked at Maria and then Joseph. She didn't want to say it but the possibility of a special meal to be allowed to violate her eating routine once in a while was very tempting. There was of course one major issue. “Joseph what happens if my body responds like Maria's and I end up growing more? She might have you to supply her with the additional food she needs but what about your other test subjects?”

Joseph, “That's why I'm preparing to make my proposal to the other brothers rather then simply conducting the experiment on my own. Currently I intend to grow a few more life blooms here for my personal use and should such an incident happen I can provide the sisters with what they need from my own collection. Naturally I don't intend for you to grow more then what you're allowed but I have to be prepared for it.”

Maria, “Besides. With you it's likely that you'll end up achieving keeper status before too much longer so it wouldn't be a long term problem.”

Kersara, “Huh? What makes you think I'm in the running to become a keeper?”

Maria, “Kersara don't try to fake innocents. As nice as you are we all know that you've been striving to achieve keeper status for quite some time now.”

For a moment Kersara went silent she then lifted her right index finger to her lips in a silence sign. “I'd prefer if you didn't speak about that.”

Maria, “So you'll do it?”

Kersara, “If the other brothers agree with his research project and you agree to transport me to and from the beach for testing I'll be a test subject. How do you intend to get approval for such a project with everything that's happening though?”

Joseph, “Because this is a worthy path of investigation and has the chance to radically change the way our sisters sustain themselves lowering the burden on the forest or reducing their hunger even further. That and even if it doesn't lead to an immediate solution I believe that it's knowledge worth having.”

A slight chuckle escaped Kersara once Joseph finished. “I honestly expected you to say that you have a history of success and have proven your capability with the life bloom. I like the argument you came up with more. You may have trouble even with that argument though not because of the argument but there is so much going on. We've been so busy with repairs that we haven't even held a ceremony for our fallen sisters.”

For a moment Joseph said nothing as he considered his question. The way Maria and Kersara were talking they didn't seem to be grieving over the loss of their sisters. Despite how they may be behaving though that didn't mean they weren't in grieving. “So I don't know how you handle the death of a sister. Is there going to be a time of grieving?”

It was impossible for Kerara and Maria to keep their smiles but Kersara gave a nod it was she who answered. “There is a time for grieving but we're guardians and can't let such feelings diminish our performance. There is too much important work to do and decisions to make. So until the ceremony we continue on to the best of our ability.”

Joseph, “I see. I hope I didn't offend by bringing it up.”

Maria, “It's alright. Just be careful about bringing such things up Joseph depression isn't the same for us as it is for humans. We can't afford a long time of intense grief.”

Joseph, “What?”

Kersara, “It can kill us. Our bodies respond very strongly to our emotional state so if the grief is too great or goes on for too long our hearts just shut down. Well not just our hearts more like our everything stops working. So we can only allow ourselves so much time for grieving. That's one reason we have the ceremony. The emotional release is good for us.”

It was impossible for Joseph not to be surprised. While he knew that the body of sisters' were mystical in nature he wasn't quite expecting their body to respond so strongly. “I see. So is that what tends to finally end a sister's life?”

Maria, “Yeah. If our spirits are weakened so are our bodies. After living for so long we tend to just begin to become tired as time passes on. We're constructs so it's not like we were designed to die from old age as after all. Joseph are you okay? You seem a bit lost.”

There was no immediate response from Joseph as he considered what Maria had told him. Due to their bodies magic nature it fed upon their spiritual energies. If something happened to weaken the spirit the amount of nourishment the body received was diminished. Perhaps after decades or centuries of sustaining such energies the spirit also began to grow tired? “I'm sorry. I was just considering what you'd said and what it may mean. Is there any research on such things?”

Maria, “If there is it would be in the citadel. That or in the more secure regions of the library. We don't talk about it often but some sisters fear that a mage using a curse to influence our minds and make depression more intense could kill all of us. I'm sure the brothers looked into whether or not such an event is possible and how to protect us from it at the very least.”

Joseph, “That's assuming it's possible to begin with. From what I've seen you're some of the most magically resistant beings around.  Do you think that it would be more dangerous then.” Joseph didn't get to finish as he felt a hand press into his mouth.

Maria, “Joseph stop and think about what you're saying.”

For a moment Joseph wondered what was going on and then his gaze turned towards Kersara. Mina had warned him that the book he'd been shown in the library contained information the brothers would consider dangerous and one of his rank shouldn't have it without approval. He hadn't even considered that Kersara might be a danger.

Kersara, “Okay. I have a feeling that I shouldn't have heard that. Maria you trust Joseph and he's been a wonderful brother to all of us. For those reasons I'm going to trust your judgment on this but I have to wonder. Joseph did whatever you find have anything to do with your current line of investigation.”

Joseph, “Yes.”

For a moment Kersara said nothing but then gave a nod. “Okay Maria. I'm going to go get some food before we have tonight’s gathering. You're going to be attending right?”

Maria, “Of course.”

***********************************************************************************

Allen, “So why aren't you going to tonight's gathering?” As he spoke Allen looked over at Pera who was currently setting beside him. It was rather strange. Pera had grown quite a bit while they were at the beach and in truth he was used to setting on a sister's lap once they reached her size rather then beside her. Pera didn't seem to have any intentions of picking him up at the moment however as she looked over and down at him.

Pera, “It's not like I'm old enough for them to take anything I say seriously. Besides if I wasn't here then your mother wouldn't be there.” A slight giggle escaped Pera upon hearing Allen groan and noting the look he gave her.

Allen, “I wonder what I'm going to have to do before she'll stop thinking that a gentle breeze may kill me.”

Pera, “Well it wasn't that long ago that you were asking her to let you cling to her leg while she walked. Do you remember looking up at her and calling her mommy?” It was clear to Pera that Allen did remember these as she heard the change in his heart beat and noticed a slight blush forming.

Allen, “I would have hurt her feelings if I'd called her anything else! She still doesn't like it whenever I just call her mom even now.”

Pera, “That sounds like Stella. I noticed that you only eat an apple with the skin on when she's not around. Is that because you don't feel comfortable asking me to peel it or because she usually peels it for you?”

It was impossible for Allen to keep from glaring at Pera. “I'm perfectly capable of peeling my own apple Pera. I actually prefer it with the skin on but my mom always peels it for me whether I ask her or not. Just two days ago I went to get a snack while my mother was relaxing and reading. I'd just picked up the apple whenever it's lifted from my hands and peeled before I can say anything about it.  She eats the skin gives me the apple and then kisses me on top of the head before leaving the room. Not like that's uncommon but I swear it's a fight just to feed myself.”

It was impossible for Pera to keep from laughing. Naturally Allen could put an end to most of that if he would just have a talk with Stella. He loved her to though and didn't want to hurt her feelings. “You know no matter how big or old you get that you're always going to be her little baby.”

Allen, “I just wish she'd let me grow up a little. Most brothers were at least able to walk around the market by themselves at my age. I have to be with you or one of the older sisters before mom will even let me out of her site.”

Pera, “Don't be silly! None of those brothers were trusted out of their mother's site either. They were just a lot more subtle then what Stella is.”

Allen, “Great now I'm going to be paranoid even whenever she finally lets me out of her site. Perhaps I should tell mom that I want to become one of the spirit hunters whenever I become older.”

Pera, “She'd have a panic attack if you did that Allen!” For a moment Pera went silent as she looked down at Allen. “You don't really want to become a spirit hunter do you?”

It was impossible for Allen not to hear the concern in Pera's voice. He wasn't going to lie to her given the situation. “I've given it some thought. Even if the sisters are against it there is going to have to be some brothers become spirit hunters and they're always going to have sisters who don't approve of it. So why shouldn't it be me?”

Pera, “Because I don't want it to be you.” As she spoke Pera found herself turning to face Allen. Her arms were made to tremble and she had to fight the urge to grab him.

Allen, “That's rather selfish Pera. Each one of us are going to have a sister or more that feels the same way to you now. Besides I believe that I may want this. It sure would show my mom that I had grown up if I could hold my own against her.”

Before she knew what she was doing Pera had reached out and slipped her hands underneath Allen's arms. She easily lifted him from his seated position and pressed him against herself. “But I don't want it to be you! I'd worry about you and you'd go to places where none of us could protect you!” Even as the words left her mouth Pera knew she was only thinking about her feelings. The idea of Allen going to such dangerous places frightened her though.

Allen, “Are you sure? The spirit hunters might be the safest brothers around.” As he spoke Allen wrapped his arms around Pera's neck and hugged her even as she held him.

Pera, “Huh?”

Allen, “Well think about it. For the most part we rely on you sisters to defend us and yet they're things you can't defend us from. How many of us would have died if it hadn't been for the orcs and their spirit allies? No matter how much security you may offer is there anything safer then being able to protect yourself?”

Pera, “The training is dangerous though!”

Allen, “It may be but Zarena considered it worth the risk. Just consider how devoted she is to the forest and our people. If someone who's lived as much as she has believes that it is worth the risk then don't you believe it maybe?”

Now Pera went silent. She knew enough about the talks to know that most spirit hunters didn't die. The sister's of the past wouldn't have allowed them to train in such dangerous abilities if they did. “Well it's not as if you're old enough to begin the training anyway. You haven't finished your basic lessons in alchemy or magic just yet or chosen on a path to focus on.”

Allen, “I know but if I'm going to become a spirit hunter in the future I should probably consider the magical path. Mom really wants me to become an alchemist but that's just because she has it in her head that it's safer then spell casting.”

Pera, “Is she wrong?”

Allen, “Well according to teacher casters tend to make more mistakes then alchemist do. On the other hand alchemist tend to make far larger mistakes then spell casters. In the end the likelihood of horrible injury or death is effectively equal for either group.”

Pera, “That didn't comfort me at all.”

***********************************************************************************

Flora, “I'm beginning to wonder how far along you may actually be. The fact that we were allowed to grow so rapidly while you were pregnant probably is influencing the changes.” As she spoke Flora pressed her fingers into Mina's stomach trying to detect any signs of the life beneath it. She could smell the changes in Mina's body but due to Mina's massive scale it was hard to actually see them and due to her incredibly dense muscles feeling them was even more difficult.

Mina, “Do you think my baby is okay? My body wouldn't harm my child would it?”

Flora, “Mina don't worry. The only situations in which a sister lost a child before birth involves either the sister being critically injured or killed no matter what mutations she had in the past. I'm certain that your child is fine. From the way you smell I worry that you might be further along then we believed.”

The fact that no healthy sister had given birth to a stillborn baby actually helped relax Mina as Flora reminded her of that fact. It didn't mean she was entirely relaxed and actually felt her cheeks growing a little warm. “I believe that the changes might be influencing my behavior as well.”

Flora, “Oh?”

Mina, “This morning I woke up and I had Dan's head pressed against my breast just a few centimeters away from my nipple. He was actually the one that woke me up when I started trying to sleep feed him.” It was impossible for Mina to keep from giggling. “You should have seen the expression on his face. Apparently he didn't know what was going on but I had suddenly shifted to my side and practically shoved my nipple into his mouth. At first he thought I was being frisky but then he noticed my breathing and my eyes were closed.”

Flora, “And he actually woke you up first?”

Mina, “Yeah. I guess that he felt that playing with my titties while I was sleeping wasn't appropriate.”

Flora, “You mean he's never woken you up by fondling your breast?”

Mina, “Of course he has! He just felt this time was different. I didn't know what to do at first whenever he woke me up and told me what was happening. I considered shoving my nipple into his mouth so he couldn't speak and going back to sleep. Instead I settled for giving him a kiss on the cheek and relaxing my grip on him a bit.

Flora, “I bet he would have preferred having your nipple shoved into his mouth. So have you noticed any other changes?”

Mina couldn't help but give her friend a grin. “Other then that despite my additional size I feel as hungry as when I was four meters tall. It doesn't help that my patience seems to be particularly thin now. It feels like I'm building up aggression again.”

Flora, “Now Mina. I don't believe that we can have you fighting a matron again just to release some stress. The baby is too far along at this point and you may end up killing your child.”

To this Mina gave a nod. “I understand. Do you believe that this was a design feature? The desire to claim territory whenever we become pregnant and make sure its established how big and dangerous we are? I have to believe it would make it hard for our creators to examine  our child.”

Flora, “I believe it's a design feature to insure we protect our child and they know when it's coming. You're probably feeling on edge because your territory was attacked and even if the enemy was driven back you feel vulnerable on some level.”

Mina, “It's hard not to feel vulnerable when I think about the Amalgam and that there could be another one growing and we wouldn't even know it.” It actually surprised Mina whenever she heard a low growl come from Flora. She didn't feel threatened and the growl didn't seem aimed at her but it was clear she hit a sore spot.

Flora, “I understand what you're talking about there. We have a vulnerability. We know about that vulnerability. There isn't anything we can do to fix that vulnerability. Instead we're going to have to rely on our brothers to defend us from it. At least for the moment.”

Mina, “Does that mean you're going to be encouraging the formation of a group of spirit hunters?”

Flora, “Yes. What about you Mina? You're amongst the most powerful of us even if you consider the matrons. What have you resolved about the spirit hunters?”

Mina, “I've talked it over with Dan and I'm going to be supporting the formation of spirit hunters as well. I'm a little worried that my relationship with Dan will cause some tension though. Those sisters who are against the idea are going to ask why Dan isn't becoming a spirit hunter if we support the idea. Naturally the fact that he isn't a mage is the primary reason but I don't know how well that will work given that we're not even sure about the spirit hunters training. What if it's just as easy for an alchemist to become a spirit hunter as a mage?”

Flora, “What indeed?”

A slight giggle escaped Mina. “Well we did talk about how nice it would be if he could endure me using more of my strength. Every once in a while Dan will down some potions to increase his endurance and even his strength but I still have to be careful not to snap him in half or crush him to a pulp. Perhaps after toughening up as a spirit hunter I could use a twentieth or a tenth of my strength without fear.” Once again Mina was made to chuckle even as her tongue flicked out and ran along her lips.

Flora, “You naughty girl! I believe you're a little ambitions if you're hoping for him to handle a twentieth of your strength. So you're prepared for Dan to become a spirit hunter if the training proves as tolerable for an alchemist as a mage?”

Mina, “That's what I said.” As she spoke Mina stood up and took in a deep breath. She was grateful that she and Flora had met in the forest well away from the others. “Who knows? Perhaps becoming a spirit hunter would be no more dangerous then Dan living with me. All of us could kill a brother in a careless moment but I could kill a sister in the same moment. How safe has Dan really been living with me despite how well I believe I control these muscles?”

Flora, “He seems fine to me.”

Mina, “Flora I know you've seen the bruises on his body.”

Flora, “I know those bruises only appear on nights when Dan has downed several augmentation potions. Of course you're going to be rough on him on nights you intend to be rough. I have never seen Dan injured without the smell of alchemical remnants. You were there whenever they happened upon the information weren't you?”

Mina, “Yeah. I don't see why so many sisters are speaking as if becoming a spirit hunter is dangerous. It's only when they began to push for the higher ranks that the fatality rate increased and we couldn't even produce them. Do you know why so many of the upper ranks died?”

Flora, “I assumed that the training was that difficult.”

Mina, “No. Apparently to further augment their abilities they would brand mystic markings or glyphs into their skin using mythril.”

For a moment Flora went silent. They had some mythril on hand and she had even been in its presence a few times. Once they had even hoped that items could be constructed from mythril to provide the sisters all the energy they needed. Naturally they couldn't even come close to obtaining the required supply. “It's no wonder they died! I know you've felt the energy mythril radiates. Can you imagine how much it must have given off when intentionally shaped and treated to channel magic?” 

Mina, “Yes. From what Dan told me the death rate isn't nearly as bad as many believe it's not like the Luvarians were recklessly throwing away their lives. I have been wondering about the old brothers that became spirit hunters since learning that. Zarena talked about them as if we used to have a few of the higher ranks as well. What do you believe happened to the mythril they used to produce them?”

Flora, “It's not likely that it wasn't recovered. It's too valuable to simply leave it behind. Perhaps the brothers stored it away somewhere? Then again perhaps we stored it away whenever it was resolved that no more brothers should be trained as spirit hunters. Do you think our ancestors might have hidden it from them so they couldn't produce anymore fully developed spirit hunters to make them easier to give up?”

For a moment Mina went silent. She didn't like the idea of their past sisters hiding such a valuable resources from the brothers but it seemed possible. “Where do you believe that they would have hidden it? Surely they would have realized that losing such metal would be a huge lost to our resources.”

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Julia took in a deep breath as she looked at all the corpses of fallen sisters. Currently there were two of note which had been placed separately from the others. These two she walked over to. “Cita and Azala. It's a shame that we didn't keep you at the library. We really believed that the water front would be a safe location for all of you. Who would have expected that the Amalgam would called upon that kind of the kobolds from so far away. I'm sorry and I'm sorry for what I'm going to do.” As she finished speaking Julia pulled her hood up over her head. To many it would seem like she was hiding her face but in truth she was protecting it. “Are you ready Ridon?”

Upon hearing Julia's voice Ridon turned away from the body he had been looking on. “Yeah. I'll say my final good byes later.”

For a moment Julia didn't respond but she had an idea of what Ridon was thinking. “I know that the temptation is great especially when you consider the conditions of the sisters body. However, as well preserved as they seem they're not natural bodies and respond poorly to being turned into undead.”

Ridon, “When was the last time that was tried? We've learned a lot since then and even if her body wouldn't function like it once did she'd still be back with us. She'd be with me again.”

Julia, “It was tried by necromancers who have far more knowledge and experience then we do. If the ancient Luvarians had been able to extend a sisters performance time by restoring her as one of the undead don't you believe they would have?”

Ridon, “Perhaps they were using techniques meant to be used on humanoids instead of constructs! I've been studying the old studies of the sisters and seeing how it could related to necromancy ever since the files were opened up. I might be able to do something for her.”

It was clear to Julia that Ridon was grieving however she'd seen those records as well and there was nothing to make her believe they were ready to begin restoring the sisters as undead. “We have other things to attend to. If you want to try to convince the brothers afterwords that we should make such an attempt that's your choice. However, you know what can go wrong with such spells. Are you prepared for the consequences of not just failure but what happens if something else gets into the body or the connection is flawed?”

There was no immediate response from Ridon. The corpse of a sister was too valuable of a resource for him to just try to raise her. He knew that Julia would stop him if he made such an attempt. He also knew that it would be difficult to get the approval of the others without hers. “Julia if I were to ask the brothers for permission to use necromancy to raise a sister would you support me.”

Julia, “No.” It didn't surprise Julia whenever she heard Ribon growl. He was in deep grieving at the moment but he would have to deal with it. They had a purpose here. “We came to examine how these two sisters died and if a third is at fault. All your sisters are waiting for the ceremony to release their feelings and until then working as hard as they can to do what is required. Now it's time for you to show equal resolve.”

Ridon, “The only reason I began learning necromancy was so I could extend my life to match that of the woman I love! Now I have no reason to continue down this cursed path. No more reason to manipulate the corpses and hear the whispers of spirits in my ears asking to let them take the body!” A cold chill ran down Ribon's spine as Julia looked at him. She had been mentoring him for some time now so of course she would disagree with him no longer having a reason. Her reasons wasn't his own.

Julia, “Leave.”

Ribon, “What?”

Julia, “I called you here to teach you something and give you a better understand of the working of a sister's body. You were to support me in the casting as well but in your condition you would be of no help at best and more likely a hindrance. Now leave.” Speaking with those who had died, seeing how they died, making corpses move once again, warping flesh and draining life from the living. These things required a certain mind set and a resolve. Julia knew that Ribon had it but at the moment he was poisoned by grief.

At first Ribon felt his throat go dry. He wanted to say something and his lips moved to do so but no words came out. Julia's eyes looked back at him with that same cold stair she always wore. Did she truly care about the sisters or was she only taking advantage of the situation to advance her necromancy to later leave them? She probably didn't care about the sisters in the least being an outsider female. She didn't love them. The thoughts flashed through his mind but Robin couldn't speak them rather he found his feet carrying him out the door.

As Ribon walked out of the room Julia still knew she would be help to do this safely. Fortunately there was help readily at hand and rather affordable. With these thoughts she focused her thoughts and forced a name to the front of her mind. Grizon formed in her mind and her lips spoke. “I required your aid spirit in keeping with our accord come forth.

There was no move from Grizon to enter into the physical world but he felt Julia's pull and responded to it. “What is that you desire from me?”

Julia, “I am going to take the memories from these once living and you're going to aid me in the process.” When dealing with Grizon Julia didn't bother with her regular polite ways. The spirit and she had an agreement. They used one another and that was effectively where their relationship ended. It kept things simple and both of them benefited from the mutual use.

There was no hostility towards Julia despite her choice of words. Grizon preferred her strait forward way and both of them knew what they would be getting. “Then lets begin. I have my own agendas and the longer I'm with you the more likely I'll miss out on an opportunity to gain strength.”

Julia, “Okay Cita I'm going to start with you. Hopefully one of them will contain enough information to find out what happened so we don't have to examine the other one. Grizon I'm going to need you to provide me with additional energy to make this work and help process the information to find what I want. Your responsibilities don't extend beyond those two. You are not permitted to feed on the corpses either.” As she finished speaking Julia placed her hands on either side of Cita's head. Naturally the Luvarians recognized the danger of having a construct with a memory necromancers or other mages could search. Yet they also realized the value in it as well if the corpse had been recovered. So they had made searching a sisters memory tricky and with very few bodies to work with if any it was unlikely an outside necromancer could do so. Fortunately Julia had several of the Luvarian's documents on the subject and the research of the past brothers.

She needed energy? Grizon couldn't help but look around the room. If she was willing to drain power from the corpses in the room she would have more then enough energy for this task and wouldn't have to demand anything from him. Apparently she desired to keep those bodies whole for some reason. Perhaps she was just demanding the energy from him to insure she gained as much from their contract as she could. He sure intended to do the same to her when it was time to collect payment. As the spirit felt some of its energy fading it also felt a small bit of the energy returning to it. The energy had changed in shape and color to reflect the memory contained within the body. Now it had to begin taking that information and forming it so that a flesh being could understand it.

While she cast the spell Julia had to be careful about how she worked the energy into Cita's body and how she brought it out to make sure it was a true reflection of the information. This task was difficult enough. Grizon then handled the translation of that information into a useful form. This was the task she had intended to leave up to Ribon as there was no way for her to handle both at the same time. Unfortunately there was a third step as she felt the information flow into her. Assimilating the information would take some time as well. There was no way she could process the information while casting the spell after all.

Grizon knew that Julia wasn't even tapping into her own energy. She was just making use of his so she wouldn't tire herself out. Their contract kept them from fighting against one another in most cases so there wasn't a trust issue. So why was she making him provide the energy for the spell? “You know if you leave me too exhausted I'll be vulnerable to attack from other spirits.”

Julia, “Quiet! You may hide in my locket until you've recovered.” Julia's regular cold tone had changed to one of slight annoyance upon hearing Grizon speak. She needed to focus to insure she didn't flaw the spell and the information gained from it.

It was impossible for Grizon not to be annoyed. He had been serious whenever he told Julia that he had his own plans. A powerful elder wyvern was nearing the end of his life span. Grizon had been watching him before being summoned and had intended to feed on the creature's death. If Julia left him exhausted he wouldn't be able to risk being in the open and would have to take her up on the offer to hide in her locket.

***********************************************************************************

Zarena set quietly looking out over the remains of the village. She couldn't recognize anything but she couldn't recognize anything when she had awoken earlier. They might not notice it but the town did change if slowly and what she had once known had been gone when she woke up. Things had changed more then she realized as she considered what was doing. She wouldn't be able to relent on the sisters when it came to the spirit hunters that was a must. She also needed to speak to them about their own physical conditioning. All sisters were naturally strong, fast and armed with deadly weapons. They had an instinctual desire to hunt and feed but hunting wasn't war. She was going to speak to them about their neglect of combat training as well. She would have to praise them for staying united at least. She had feared that one day she would awaken and find their society had broken into two or three.

Nathan, “Hello lovely lady. You seem distracted.”

Immediately Zarena's eyes turned towards Nathan at the same time her hand lowered towards him with her palm facing upward. “I've been allowing my mind to wonder about the coming hours and what me and my sisters are going to talk about. I'm glad that none of them have forgotten that despite all our strength we can't survive on our own. We need our brothers there with us if we're to develop as a species and as a people.”

None of them? Immediately Nathan realized that Zarena was mistaken in her choice of words. He chose not to mention that mistake to her though. “Are you still feeling alright?”

Zarena, “You mean do I desire to eat something? I'm doing fine. I fed while fighting the Amalgam and the energy you've been supplying me has worked quite well. That reminds me I have yet to speak in detail with the brother who developed that life bloom you mentioned or even try the fruit from it. Before I sleep I'll have to do both. For now it's good to hold you again.” While she had been speaking Nathan had climbed into her hand and moved to the center of Zarena's palm. Now she raised her fingers up around him in order to provide some protection as she lifted him.

Nathan, “Don't forget to talk about the idea of keeping a sleeper in an awakened state from now on even if it's in a rotational pattern. This is the first time in a long time that we've even been able to consider such a notion.”

Zarena, “Nathan I can't do that as a sleeper. It would appear that I'm trying to take even more then I already have. If such a suggestion is to be made then it will have to be the brothers who approach the situation and I will have to remain out of it.”

Every brother was used to being picked up by a sister. However being lifted by Zarena was an entirely different situation. Matrons could easily hold a person in a single hand but often their fingers were made to wrap around you. When Zarena lifted you her hand engulfed your entire being. It became the ground beneath your feet and to some extent the walls to your side. The only thing that it was missing was the sky. With Zarena's smiling face looking down at him Nathan felt like she became his entire world whenever she held him and he was happy with that. “It might be a hard suggestion for me to make considering how fond of you I am. I'll just have to make my argument that we need a sleeper to help us during this time of recovery and to share their wisdom all the stronger.”

Zarena, “Yet this time of change and recovery will end and so will that argument.”

A large grin formed on Nathan's face even as he looked up at Zarena. “Yet we stand ready to increase our energy supplies. Joseph gave us a wonderful tool but others have been developing it. Besides from what I hear he has another idea as to how the sisters could sustain themselves. Perhaps we're moving towards a time whenever the sleepers won't need to sleep anymore.”

For a moment Zarena said nothing but looked back towards the forest once again. “That would be wonderful but that means we'd have to come up with a new name. Nathan if I do have to sleep once again what are your intentions?”

Nathan, “I intend to be around whenever you next are awakened and that isn't just wishful thinking. I'm not sure if I should throw myself even more deeply into the development of new energy sources or work on extending my life span first but I don't plan to die while you're sleeping.” Even as Nathan spoke he didn't mention that he was considering some unsavory ways to extend his life span. None that would harm the forest but he wasn't certain if he wanted to give up his humanity.

Zarena, “That is a welcome thought and I appreciate it but don't do anything that would kill the you who's standing in my hand now.” Turning her gaze back towards Nathan it was a bit depressing. She had met many brothers briefly during times of awakening but she had become very close to Nathan in a short time period. Was that because she was becoming more desperate for a connection with each awakening, due to the extra time she had spent awake or was there something about him?

Nathan, “Now what has you chuckling?”

To Zarena Nathan's question was a surprise as even she hadn't realized she was laughing. Despite a slight fog of sadness she was made to smile. “I was just wondering if I became a sleeper for so long so that I could meet with you. If I had lived out my natural life span I probably would have been dead before you were even born.”

Nathan, “Zarena! That's an awfully romantic way of thinking about the situation.”

Zarena, “I suppose so. But that means you'll have to make certain to be here whenever I next awaken or I'll be so sad that I'll end up crying. Now what do you think that would do to our sisters to see a sleeper crying?”

Nathan, “Now that would be a site. So what subject do you plan to address first tonight?”

Zarena, “The reformation of the spirit hunters and this annoying notion that our brothers are made from glass. I can understand why they would see you as delicate but you don't protect someone by leaving them in a delicate state. You help them to grow stronger even if you don't stop protecting them.”

Listening to Zarena was strange. It was clear she had a different impression of what the brothers were suppose to be like then current sisters. “Zarena how capable where the ancient brothers in combat?”

Zarena, “Well for example. I have noticed that you rarely go into the forest with the sisters and I can only imagine what kind of protection you have with you when you do go. The generation of sisters I belonged to typically had a brother join every other sister on patrol to search for any form of imbalance or sign that things weren't going wrong. They would then fix it on the spot or if necessary send a message back to the citadel asking for assistance.”

Nathan, “Didn't that limit the amount of time they could devote studying ways to improve food supply? Our sisters were the largest they had been in a long time even upon Joseph's arrival. If we had been out in the forest.”

Zarena, “The brothers would have been actively practicing their magic and interacting directly with the plant life of the forest. If you then account for the alchemical nature of those forest plants and how important hands on study is then it's quite possible that by restricting your activity the sisters have slowed down your societies rate of progression.” As Zarena looked down at Nathan she was happy to see that he was still grinning. Her response had clearly caught him off guard. “That's the danger of speculation. You can't be certain that by becoming more isolated the brothers have somehow increased their rate of development. All that you can know for certain is that the sisters sacrificed a major source of military strength in the name of protecting you and the brothers allowed it to be taken away.”

A long sigh was made to escape Nathan as he looked up at Zarena. “From the documents I've seen the brothers never were front line fighters though and allowed themselves to be taken off the battle field when it was clear that a significant danger to them posed no threat to a sister. Are you going to tell me that is flawed as well?”

Zarena, “They are two issues here to address. Current sisters seem to subscribed to the idea that because you're naturally weaker then them by a large degree you need their protection from every threat. Now as you are protected by them from every threat you don't need to learn to defend yourself. That is remarkably flawed. We can't be with you all the time and a strong target is much easier to defend then a weak. My niece Itana had a pet wyvern named spikes and it was the safest pet in the village because no young sister would dare try to eat him.”

Nathan, “She had a pet wyvern! As in the village pet wyvern?”

Zarena, “Well yes in the village. She didn't let spikes out of her site whenever she was in the village of course and he was very well trained. And.” For a moment Zarena went silent as she considered Nathan's response. “Do they even let you have pets larger then a wolf anymore!”

Nathan, “Well. No. The largest pets typically allowed are birds.”

No immediate response came from Zarena as she looked at Nathan. “Please tell me that some of these birds are birds of prey.”

Nathan, “Only if you count insects.”

Zarena, “I. I. I can't believe this.” Taking in a deep breath Zarena was careful not to inhale Nathan but she didn't consider the influence it had on him. Had she looked at him and realized his proximity to her face she would have noticed both his clothes and hair being ruffled.

Nathan, “I take it the changes are more drastic then you realized.”

Zarena, “Nathan do you believe the ancient Luvarians would have tolerated their creations treating them like invalids? Yes they were weaker then us physically but some of them knew spells that could protect them from boulders and even send a sister running for cover.”

How much more capable in battle were the brothers of Zarena's time? It was question Nathan knew Zarena could answer but he didn't want to ask that question. “Zarena the brothers of your time. They didn't function like we did but we've always strove to make our situation better. To find better ways for our sisters to sustain themselves. How did the brothers of the past do that?”

Zarena, “They didn't work on improving the amount of energy we obtained from eating for one thing which is one of the major benefits your sisters have. You provide them with alchemical potions and even infuse their preserved food with magic. They were more focused on recreating the energy system the Luvarians used to provide us with energy and thus focused their efforts on studying the citadel and forcing their way in further.”

Nathan, “Forcing their way! That's never succeeded.”

Zarena, “Which generation do you believe was the one that found out that's never succeeded? They were always trying to find new ways into the citadel of figuring out ways to bypass the protective glyphs without upsetting the guardians. I once saw my brother and I mean biological brother Azon carried out by one of the citadel protectors. She actually packed him out the front door and set him down on the steps. She even took a moment to pat his head before walking off.” A slight chuckle escaped Zarena as she remembered the image. “He was furious!”

Nathan, “Did they let him back in?”

Zarena, “Yeah but only after three weeks when he managed to get back in without us knowing. We were worried that after angering the citadel protectors they might kill him if he returned. I went looking for him when he didn't show up for dinner and found him in the library scribbling away in a book. There was a protector around ten meters away from him but she didn't seem to be hostile, worried or even paying attention to him. She was busy working on one of the books that had apparently been damaged. Hey have you ever seen a brother fall asleep at a table and a protector put his books up?”

As Zarena spoke Nathan couldn't help but feel rather alarmed. They rarely saw the protectors anymore and yet Zarena was talking about watching one work. Then the notion that they would put away the books of a sleeping brother seemed even more surprising. “Did that truly happen?”

Zarena, “It wasn't common but most brothers didn't work themselves to exhaustion like that either. It did happen from time to time though and I even saw one doing it. Watching her gently lift the sleeping brother from his seat for a moment to adjust his position then retrieve the books really shattered any fear I had of the protectors. I spent a lot of time at the citadel myself when I was younger and I only saw one frightening moment. Two brothers started to fight in the library and we're preparing to start using magic. Before they could a protector grabbed both their arms and broke them dropping both brothers to the floor. I swear they're so gentle so long as they don't believe you're going to damage the citadel but if they think you are they put an end to it fast.”

Nathan, “Then how did your brother get set outside?”

Zarena, “He had been trying to force his way past a glyph by disrupting the magic and pushing himself into the mystic barrier. I honestly think the protector set him outside to give him time to cool off and keep him from hurting himself. Azon you see had a bit of a temper and was quite determined. He could get a bit reckless with his magic when something wasn't working like he intended especially when he believed more force would solve the problem.”

Nathan, “So was he a spirit hunter?”

Zarena, “Yes but not like you were thinking. The spirit hunters have to be able to channel their magic through their body which Azon could do. The problem was he was too aggressive in his use of magic. This tended to make him a powerful mage but it meant he would destroy his body using certain spirit hunter techniques. He trained to level three but never showed the control that's necessary to go further in his training. After that he focused on his mage craft and did very well at that. Actually now that I'm awake there is something I'd like to look at.”

Nathan, “What is that?”

Zarena, “Azon was still alive whenever I became a sleeper. He also said that he would do his best to end our energy crisis but he left me something in the event that he died before that time came. He wrote a book in which he kept the happenings of his day to day life, interesting development in our society and other details. I try to read it whenever I'm awake but I'm awake for such a short period of time that I never make much progress.”

Nathan, “What? Where is that book?” As he spoke Nathan could feel his heart rate speeding up. The fact that Zarena would have an extremely difficult time turning pages in a book hadn't occurred to him yet. He had no reason to doubt her word after all so if she said she had a book she had a book.

Zarena, “I keep it in my private storage in my chamber. Nathan if you're about to ask me to dedicate it to the library the answer is no. That book is one of the few things I have from my family and I'm not finished with it yet. If I was to awaken and find out something had happened to it I don't know what I would do.”

Nathan, “When you say a book are you actually talking about paper?”

Zarena, “No. He seemed to take into account how long I would be sleeping and didn't make it from anything so delicate. If you were to look at it then it appears as a sheet of copper with some markings on the bottom of it. You just tap the marking gently and letters appear. You then tap the ones you want like turning the pages of a book. I use to fear waking up and finding out that the magic had been disrupted and I would never finish it. Then I reached page twelve where he finally mentioned that there were actually solid copies of the book inside the copper plate and that the magic was just viewing what was inside the copies not retaining information.” A delighted giggle escaped Zarena. “I was so mad at him! Had he still been around I might have spanked him for not telling me something that important sooner. Even if the magic is disrupted I just have to have a mage brother fix it.”

Even as she spoke Nathan already knew how to fix such a spell. The plating was most likely just for protection and carried a few glyphs with it. It even seemed probable that repairing the plate would involve little more then directing energy into it. “It sounds like he really made it to last. Zarena even if you don't want to dedicate it to the library would it be alright if I read his writings?”

Zarena, “Yes and you may copy them if you desire. However, that book isn't to leave my chamber even if I'm asleep. I can't promise that you'd get caught removing it from my room but if I did awaken and saw it being removed I would not respond well.”

Nathan, “Of course. It's important to you. It looks like it's about time for me to be on my way.” As Nathan spoke he looked up towards the sky past even Zarena's face.

Zarena, “Yeah. You should come by and visit me once the meeting is over. I would offer to go visit you in your home but I fear that I would end up breaking something on my way there.”

***********************************************************************************

Flora currently set with Mira and Maria waiting for the wrest of the sisters to make their way to the meeting place. Due to Zarena's scale and the need to accommodate matrons as well they were meeting outside though rather far from the village. She didn't need to look to know that Zarena was coming to join them as she felt the influence of her foot steps. A second set of rather heavy foot steps got her attention though they didn't even compare to Zarena's. Giving the proximity she knew who they belonged to. “Are you going to be joining us Mina?”

Mina, “Naturally. It looks like we all made it a little early.”

Mira, “Perhaps they're trusting all the important decision to us.”

A slight giggle escaped Mina as she looked towards Zarena. “Given what we will be talking about that I highly doubt it. Hey Zarena! How are the ears feeling?”

Upon hearing Mina's voice Zarena's gaze instantly went towards her. “Honestly my left ear is still a little sore. I'm a little worried that it didn't heal quite right and I'm going to have to cut it again. At least this time I can have the brothers work on it to insure that it heals properly.”

Mina, “You probably just inserted your claws too deep. Then again it might be due to using your claws. Do they carry some extra damage with all that energy running through them?”

Zarena, “Yes they do.” A sigh escaped Zarena as she settled down. Whenever she scratched something she didn't do just physical damage she did spiritual as well. This tended to hinder healing and increase the odds that something wouldn't heal properly. “So Mina if my ears haven't healed properly do you believe you could cut them for me?”

Mina, “I'm pretty certain that I could. So feel free to ask after you've had the brothers give your ear a look. Kerara! It's good to see you!”

Kerara had a wide grin on her face as she looked at Mina. Due to her intensive training and physical development many thought of Kersara as a smaller but faster version of Mina. Granted Kersara's muscles were due to intense training while Mina's were brought about by a mutation. Given that Mina had willingly been put into a coma to conserve food for the community though Kersara didn't have any hostility towards her. “Yeah, I didn't realize how badly I missed my home until I got back. Of course then I learned you bunch of slackers had let those kobolds burn most of it down.”

Flora, “Yeah Mina. What were you all doing while we were away fighting the Amalgam?”

Mina, “Well we had to protect the brothers and.” Mina found herself going silent upon hearing an annoyed snort from Zarena. Immediately she knew the conversation was approaching a danger zone and turned her eyes towards the sleeper. “Is that something we should save for when the others get here?”

Zarena, “I would appreciate it.”

***********************************************************************************

Nathan, “How did looking into their memories go?”

Julia, “I can remember the fight but I can't remember what started the fight yet. The more their memories become clear to me the more concerned I'm becoming though. I have a very strong feeling that there was a third person involved in these happenings.”

Nathan, “I see. So I heard from Ridon that you sent him out calling him too emotional. The fact that he came to me to complain about your actions actually has me worried. How emotionally distressed do you believe he actually is?”

Julia, “He isn't fit to help examine the sister's bodies at this point but not allowing him to do so will only make him worse. They are too valuable of a resource for us to allow his emotional immaturity to hinder our work.” As she spoke Julia finally turned to look at Nathan. She had been examining a few notes she'd written down from the sister's memories. Unlike her own natural memories these wouldn't remain with her for long so she had to record important details.

That was Julia. She had been brought to them as a child. Her parents had actually been sending the young girl into the forest to gather valuable herbs while not risking themselves. The sister who had found her had taken pity on the young lady and brought her to the village. Nathan could still remember her as a happy smiling child. He wasn't certain when she'd lost so much of her warmth. “So what do you believe we should do?”

Julia, “Make sure he isn't alone or he might end up harming himself but give him space as best you're able. Perhaps it would be best if his mother spent some time with him if that's possible. Nathan there is something that I've been wanting to talk to you about.”

Nathan, “What is that?”

Julia, “I believe that you should put me in charge of developing the spirit hunter program regardless of what the sisters decide and allow me to become the first one. Once I succeed the sisters will feel more comfortable with other brothers learning to become spirit hunters. Plus as a human female I will be seen as more expendable by them and not trigger their protective instinct as readily.”

Nathan, “Julia! You make it sound like the other sisters don't care about you in the least!”

Julia, “I never said that. However, I am not one of them and unless I lay with a brother I have no hope of giving birth to a sister. They also see me as competition for the affection of the brothers thus my removal is easier for them to accept. If I succeed however then it will be easier for them to accept me later.”

Nathan, “They have accepted you though.”

Julia, “They have accepted me as a brother that can't hope to give them a child. They have not accepted me as a sister that they'd be comfortable losing a brother to.”

Nathan, “You have a point there. Even if you could match a sister using your magic it would be hard for them to accept you unless you can do so physically. Becoming a spirit hunter might force a change of attitude. After all you could stand by us in both the physical and spiritual world in that event. You already have a lot of experience working with such energies as well and even altering your body.”

Julia, “Indeed. It sounds like I have your support in becoming a spirit hunter then. On another case. Nathan would you take some time to speak with Ridon? I would speak with him myself but it's difficult for me to comfort someone while retaining my emotional control and well I can't risk losing that. The last time I did I ended up burning off the tips of my own fingers.”

Nathan, “I remember. You were pretty angry. I wonder if the training as a spirit hunter will condition your body to channel such aggressive magics better. Why the change of method in dealing with Ridon when you just suggested giving him some space?”

Julia, “It is my hope that it will. It would be nice to allow myself to experience emotions beyond mild annoyance or amusement and not have to worry about injuring someone or myself. I was reading some text a few weeks past and became frustrated with the main character only to find the book rotting in my hands.” Despite her attention to retain her composure Julia was made to release a sigh. “I was not amused by that happening either. As for my change in methods with Ridon. I just remembered that it's nice knowing someone cares about you when you're grieving. Just be careful if it's a sister that tries to comfort him. He needs to know someone cares but they can be overbearing.”

To this Nathan gave a nod. Not all areas of magic behaved the same and even within the same area they were different ways of learning and different behaviors. Julia had chosen to attune herself quite strongly to her mystic abilities which gave her an increase in power and made them more responsive. Unfortunately it also made them easier to trigger requiring one to keep tight control on their emotions and thoughts. “I'll have a word with him. I notice that you're directing him away from the path of study you used.”

Julia, “Nathan. I adore what my magic allows me to do for us. I've learned to hold back decay to make our food last longer. I've learned to take spiritual energies from one sources and store it in another even storing life energy. However, I detest having to contain my passions like this. Honestly I fear that is the true reasons the sisters won't accept me. How can I claim I love a brother whenever I hardly form a smile whenever holding his hand?”

Nathan, “The fact that you gave up so much for the community should prove that.”

Julia, “Perhaps but convincing beings who are used to being so free with their affection to see that isn't something I've managed to do yet.”

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With all the sisters gathered Fera stood up and moved to stand between the main body of the sister's and Zarena. “I'm grateful that you all have gathered here. We have much to discuss and a great deal to do in many areas. Many of you have concerns and they will be attended to but they are some concerns that we must resolve first. The first one I want to speak about is our failure in detecting the Amalgam, our failure to protect the brothers that had to journey to the spirit realm and how that can be corrected.”

That was Fera for you. Flora had a wide grin on her face as she could practically feel Fera's words cutting away at every sister who listened to them. It was Fera's nature to go for the attack as Fera seemed to quiet for a moment Flora chose to speak up. “I don't want this to happen but I can't think of an alternative. That's what I've been hearing from a great many of us and from myself. I've also heard talk about having the orcs protect the spirit realm. What rights would we be willing to give them for protection of the spirit realm? As we've clearly seen the spirit world is very much a part of our world and should we chose to task the orcs with protecting it then one we might say half the forest is under their protection.”

Tera, “We can't give up half the forest and we can't rely on the orcs to defend us!” Even though she was just a guardian Tera couldn't help but both speak and stand. We also can't rely on outsiders to protect our home. What would the previous generations say to us if we just handed over half our home?”

As she listened to the crowd Zarena couldn't help but look down at Flora. She had worried that Flora would support the notion of having the orcs manage the spirit realm. Instead it seemed like she was getting the issue upfront and out of the way. Of course the gathering of sister's hadn't changed. Zarena could hear at least a dozen debates going on as more sisters began to speak up. Yet at the same time she noticed that the keepers, matrons and herself were being quiet. The others would quiet down when one of them spoke but they needed a moment. She was surprised whenever everyone went silent but a keeper or higher didn't speak but rather one with the presence of a keeper.

Kersara, “I have fought with the orcs and seen their ability. They aided us in our time of need and fought with our brothers in the spirit realm. They're friends to me. So if I hear one more of you insult them I'm going to knock some of your teeth out.” While Kersara had been listening she had noticed a few conversations deviate into why the orcs couldn't protect the spirit realm. The insults she had heard as justification had been enough to prompt a response from her and her threat seemed to quiet such comments. “Now earlier today I spoke with Nathan and at the time I couldn't think of an alternative to reformation of the spirit hunters. That has changed. Our brothers have made contracts with spirits in the past. Couldn't we secure the services of a few powerful spirits and have them watch the spirit realm?”

Immediately Zarena gave a flinch upon hearing the sister's respond to that suggestion. The level of approval actually made her tail twitch as she felt herself heating up. It was Mina who responded. “We are not going to trust the protection of our home to anyone who isn't part of the family!” As Mina spoke she put as much power into her voice as possible. The end result being that all but the closest and most trusting of her friends were made to violently recoil. “I am currently carrying a new life within me a sister and I won't have our home her future safe guarded but someone who is not our family.”

Sora, “It would never work to begin with. You're all forgetting two things. We can't make contracts with spirits that depends entirely on our brothers. Contracting a spirit is tricky business and they can be corrupted. I know this because I've listened to Mirin throwing a fit when something went wrong when dealing with spirits. So the brothers aren't going to be behind it. Secondly the brothers are going to reform the spirit hunters no matter what we think.”

Zarena felt herself calm down but her whiskers were made to twitch upon hearing Sora's last comment even as a roar came up from many sisters. A large grin broke out across her face and she had to keep from laughing. “Sora what makes you say that?”

Sora, “They've spent the last few days digging up every book on the matter they can find and constructing the training program over again. They've already spoken to me about contacting some outside help and they've even began selecting who the first group of spirit hunters are going to be. I also know they've also spoken to several matrons about the issue and insured that their freedom of choice in this matter would be protected. Isn't that right Lanora?”

Lanora, “You were listening!”

Sora, “Lanora I'm almost always listening to what our brothers are doing. That and the sisters.”

Lanora, “That's a rude habit you have there. I understand that you like going around and not letting anyone see you but ease dropping isn't nice.” As she spoke Lanora wasn't surprised to see that Sora had already concealed her presence. Even whenever speaking with Sora face to face it was hard to be certain how long you'd be able to see that face.

Sora, “Let's get back to the matter at hand. We can't talk about if the brothers will form the spirit hunters or not. If we try to stop them the most we can hope for is to be slapped with our recent failings and for the brothers to resume their efforts. That is unless some of you are considering using physical force to stop them in which case I will stand with our brothers in this matter and I'm sure several more will. What we need to do is come up with suggestions as to who's going to become the first spirit hunters.”

Tera, “You said that they've already began making their choices. Who is the first?”

Sora, “Julia is going to be the first.” It didn't surprise Sora whenever she heard a rush of murmurs move throughout the gathering of sisters. They all knew who Julia was in this instance as there was only one female with both the name Julia and the ability to use magic. From what she heard they weren't entirely certain about how they should feel about that choice.

Nora, “Well she isn't really a sister. I mean. She can't protect the brothers like we can.”

Mina, “It sounds to me that she's preparing to protect them better then we can.” At first Mina had been surprised to hear Julia's name mentioned but it had only taken a moment of consideration to see why. “It's nice that they're thinking of us. After all if Julia can achieve a high enough level safely she'll serve as evidence that other brothers can as well given that she's pure human. Plus she's making use of the fact that we don't see her with the same protective eyes that we see our brothers. Of course, once she does succeed if the spirit hunters are as powerful as believed then we won't be able to say that she isn't powerful enough to protect a brother any longer. In fact as she'd be able to be with them in both the physical and spiritual world she has quite an advantage. This doesn't sound good for those of you hoping to compete with her who don't already have a mate.”

As she listened to Mina Flora felt her smile growing. “Mina do you believe that's what Julia is really up to?”

Mina, “Kiara you would know better then any of us.”

As one of the sisters who tended to the village at night Kiara was grateful for the meeting being held late for the others. Yet she still wasn't entirely awake and gave her eyes several blinks. “It wouldn't be surprising. She doesn't tend to like being treated like a brother. At times it really does infuriate her.”

Tera, “How can you tell?”

Kiara, “She has emotions you know. They're just subtle.”

Not every sister was social. Most of these sisters either worked away from the village or did things that were best done at night. Kiara was one of these sisters and thus saw the world differently then most of the sisters did. It was so rare that even Flora didn't know what Kiara's stance on the brothers were. “Kiara what brothers do you believe should be trained as spirit hunters?”

Kiara, “Julia, Mirin, Nathan, Martin and Dan.”

Mina, “Why do you say Dan?”

Kiara, “Well he clearly needs something to toughen him up for you.” A slight chuckle escaped Kiara as she turned to look at Mina and noted the expression on her face. Dan tended to begin working at the alchemy shop early so Kiara saw him often enough. She had seen the results of the rough nights. “Besides if a sister who loves her mate as much as you love Dan approves of the training then no one else should have grounds to protest. The only problem with that is that Dan is an alchemist and I'm not sure how well that works for them. Then again Sora and Mirin are quite close as well. Mirin is probably the second best choice after Julia to be honest.”

Tera, “How could you suggest Nathan though? He's one of the elder brothers.”

A sigh escaped Kiara as she looked at Zarena. “He seemed plenty energetic during his intimate time with Zarena. Hey Zarena how about speaking up? Is Nathan fit enough to become a spirit hunter and do you know if alchemist can be trained in it?”

Immediately Zarena felt herself beginning to blush. “Well. Initially the training for an alchemist to become a spirit hunter is slower then for a mage. That is whenever they're first leaning to channel the energies. It becomes easier for them once they reach the higher ranks then for the mages though as the alchemist body is typically better conditioned for the changes that go along with progression as a spirit hunter.”

Kiara, “That's good. Now Dan is one of our best alchemist. How do you believe this will help his productivity?”

Zarena, “It will slow down his work without a doubt. However, the training could also offer him greater insight in the working of magic that could improve his work. The spirit hunters didn't just protect the spirit realm.”

After a moment Kiara gave a nod. “Okay now how about Nathan's fitness?'

It had been Zarena's intention to dodge that question. She had hoped it was done whenever she answered Kiara's first question but apparently she was ready to bring it up again. “Nathan is in better physical condition then he tends to give on.”

Kiara, “How much better.”

Nora, “Um Kiara, I think you've let your mind get off subject.”

A sharp chuckle escaped Kiara followed by a large grin. “I suppose I have. You know what we could do if we really wanted to play it safe? Julia could begin the training several months before any brothers. That would let them get a good idea of the stresses the training puts on the body and give them a better idea of how to adjust the training. Then when the males begin to be trained as spirit hunters Julia could teach them. I'm sure she would love the one on one time with the brothers and once they began entering the spirit realms we couldn't interfere in the least. She probably even has a few brothers in mind that she'd love to train personally.” As she finished speaking Kiara couldn't help but chuckle even as she felt the eyes of the sisters upon her. She knew that she was rubbing them the wrong way but unless they overcame their dislike of the brother's training as spirit hunters it would happen.

The name Atia flashed through Zarena's mind as she looked at Kiara. She had been a quiet sister who always had more information then those around her it seemed due to the way she worked. At least she was quiet most of the time. Once that mouth began running though she was either friendly as can be or rubbing someone the wrong way. “Kiara you've been talking about keeping the brothers safe but do you trust this Julia and would you call her a friend.”

Kiara, “I'd call her my sister! Julia was found by my mother who is remaining oddly quiet a few decades ago and raised along with me.”

As Irina listened to her daughter she couldn't help the furious blush that was covering her face. She had been prepared to defend her adoptive daughter but then Kiara had started speaking. Her fur hid her bright blush but anyone near her could smell it. How her sweet little Kiara had ended up with such a warped sense of humor was beyond her but she was proud to see her girl sticking up for her sister. “It's true that Julia is a very trust worthy girl who I'd feel confident leaving any brother with.”

Zarena, “Hm, what is Julia exactly? I'm guessing she has some magic training.”

Irina, “My little Julia is one of the five necromancers we currently have and the most successful one despite her young age. However, she's paid for her training dearly. I believe nine years ago she underwent a ritual to increase her power but ever since then she has been forced to rigidly control her emotions.”

Zarena, “Oh! She's a channeler then. I knew a few brothers like that back in my time. I swear you would think Niton was a fire elemental whenever he became really worked up or prepared for battle.  Well your Julia has my backing to become the first spirit hunter in however long I don't want to know. She can then begin training other brothers but I believe we should leave it up to her who she chooses to train.” A collective what from many sisters seemed to strike Zarena at once. “Once she has undergone the training she'll be the most knowledgeable about it and thus the best suited to begin training others.”

Fera, “I'll support her as well. Well actually are there any matrons or keepers who won't support Julia becoming the first spirit hunter?” Fera hardly bothered to look around even after asking the questions. She knew that the matrons would support Julia in this. Keepers also tended to be very open minded and reasonable as well so she doubted that there would be any protest.

When Sora had mentioned the dangers of making deals with spirits Kersara had felt as if she'd been chastised. It was not thinking of such important issues that wold keep her from becoming a keeper. It was then that she felt a hand clearly the hand of a keeper come to wrest upon her shoulder. “Alora?”

Alora, “Kersara even keepers don't always agree on things. The fact that you tried to think of an alternative and you were brave enough to tell us about it speaks well of you. Your taking up for the orcs was brave as well.”

Kersara, “Thanks Alora.”

Alora, “No problem.” As she finished speaking Alora stood up. “Well then how do we approach our brothers about this? If you don't mind I'll just go speak with Mirin or Nathan and let them know that the sisters would prefer if Julia became the first of the spirit hunters while the others waited to observe. We can explain that she should be given at least three months advanced training before anyone else even considers training as a spirit hunter.”

Mina, “That sounds fine to me but what if they refuse to only train one spirit hunter? After all one won't be enough to watch the entire forest and in reality having two people training together often improves the rate of improvement.”

Flora, “We could just promote Landon from a claimed to an unclaimed and have him begin the training with Julia. He's well trained in magic and from the way Alexa speaks of him he'd make for a wonderful brother.”

Alexa, “What! Landon is a hard working mage and I fully trust him but he has almost no battle experience. Besides he's mine for the time being and I won't have you risking his life.”

Flora, “He's only yours until he's promoted to unclaimed which he could be if he agrees to train as a spirit hunter with Julia.”

Alexa, “I object!”

Alora, “On what grounds? We've been talking about unclaiming Landon for a while now and I've spoken with him. He seems quite smitten with you and would make a nice brother.” Even as she spoke Alora knew the true reason. Alexa was smitten with Landon as well and didn't want to do anything that might result in her losing him. It was possible she would even try to keep him as a claimed in order to insure she didn't lose him. Now they had put Alexa in a dangerous situation. If she refused too strongly it would call into question whether or not she was fit as a keeper.

Alexa, “I. I. I'm scared that he won't make and it and I really care for him.” As she spoke Alexa wrapped her tail around her body in something of a hug. She felt a few hands coming to rest upon her shoulders and looked around at her sisters. “I suppose we all feel that way about someone. But Landon is such a young mage.”

Zarena, “No brothers to my knowledge died during the training to become a spirit hunter before reaching the fifth step of the training program. They were some that were severely injured  but it was always healed.”

Alexa, “What happens at rank five?”

Zarena, “Active combat experience against rogue spirits. At rank four they begin training against spirits who have been contracted with but at rank five that safety is finally removed. They tried to start off easy but it's not always possible to gauge a spirits strength perfectly.”

Alexa, “I see. But Landon wasn't even mentioned in the initial pick of the best brothers to become spirit hunters and you don't want to use people from outside of the community. Wouldn't training Landon to be a spirit hunter be trusting him with too much power?” Even as she spoke Alexa truly didn't have trouble trusting Landon. She just wanted to protect him.

Flora, “Alexa, Landon is a mage that you let work unsupervised most of the time. I don't believe trust is an issue here.”

Alexa, “Yeah. He has to agree to it right? You're not going to try to force the danger on him are you just to gain his freedom?”

Flora, “Well make sure he realizes the risk and know that this is his choice.”

Alexa, “Okay. I guess that means you have a plan then.” Even as she spoke Alexa couldn't bring herself to smile. She didn't like the way this conversation had gone and couldn't help but wish that it had been another claimed that was chosen. Even if there wasn't a significant risk she didn't like the idea of losing Landon to Julia.

Zarena, “I'm glad we were able to come to a resolution. Now I hope you don't mind but I want to speak to you all about something rather important. I know that many of you aren't going to like what I have to say but you need to hear it. You need to stop making our brothers into easy targets.” It didn't surprise Zarena whenever a loud cry of protest struck Zarena's ears. She didn't believe they sisters would like such an accusation but she was prepared for it.

Tera, “What do you mean making them easy targets? We do our best to protect them!”

Zarena, “No. You do not do your best to protect them. No matter how carefully you watch them and no matter how hard you try to keep danger away that is not the best way to protect someone. The best way to protect another is to insure that they can defend themselves. When I first became a guardian we were much smaller then what you've all been allowed to grow to and weaker. We knew that they were dangers in the forest that if encountered a brother would have to defend himself at least for a while. So they were trained to fight either using magic, alchemy or weapons they all knew how to defend themselves. Now that you've grown larger you believe that you can protect them from everything but that isn't true. Just look at your burned down village and consider who faced the Amalgam in the spirit realm.”

Flora could actually see what Zarena was saying but chose to ask to help out. “What do you mean the village?”

Zarena, “My brother Azon was an elementalist who could deflect one hundred kilogram boulders traveling seventy kilometers per hour with his wind shield and even stronger attacks with his earth barrier if given time to cast it. It took him less then five seconds to craft an exceptionally powerful lightning or fire spell and could deliver a jolt strong enough to stop a tuskers heart instantly. He was not the strongest of our brothers. A bunch of kobolds spitting basic fireballs at just a few of them would have been slaughtered within minutes. Tell me though. Kersara you suggested the brothers make a deal with certain spirits to secure the spirit realm before Sora spoke up. Let's assume that they were trying to contact such a spirit for one reason or another. How long do you believe they'd survive if the spirit chose to attack them?”

At first Kersara said nothing as she considered Zarena's question. She didn't truly know how powerful a spirit would have to be in order to safe guard the spirit realm but considering what she had seen while with the orcs she had an idea of how long they'd last. “I'm not sure if we'd be able to respond in time to save them.”

Flora, “The brothers of your generation sound rather impressive when it comes to their combat abilities. So how often were brothers badly injured while training to reach such levels of power?”

Zarena, “Quite often. I don't think we made it through a week without someone being burned or cut up a bit. Those brothers who knew how to heal considered it part of their training actually.”

Flora, “Did any of them die?”

Zarena, “Nope. The lessons were set up pretty well based on the students ability. Those cases where someone ended up with a broken arm or worse pretty much amounted to the anomalies. A brother would prove more attuned to the elements then they expected or there would be some kind of fluctuation in the environment.”

For a moment no one said anything but then Mina spoke up. “I could live with Dan learning how to fight better especially if it improved his durability. How did alchemist tend to learn to fight?”

Zarena, “They used different methods. My father Izon actually had an alchemical potion that called for the blood of a sister to complete. In fact the one he used for himself actually required blood from my mother. He explained it to me once. As alchemist used potions their bodies adapted to them and they learned to adapt the potions. By using my mother as the primary source of blood he was able to adapt to it and bring out more of the potions power. I bet you even have some books on the methods he used if the brothers don't actively study it. The problem in your case Mina is there is no way Dan could use your blood.”

Mina, “What! Why not?”

Zarena, “The power of the potion depended on the power of the sister. The more powerful the potion the greater the strain it put on the brother's body. If Dan was to make a potion similar to what my father used and tried it then it would most likely end up causing his heart to burst. He would need to begin adapting his body using potions made from other sisters.” A slight giggle escaped Zarena as she looked at Mina. “You actually like the idea of strengthening your mate don't you?”

Mina, “I well. It does have benefits that aren't all related to protection. I don't see any harm in having our brothers develop their combat skills. Giving them the space to do so is going to be difficult of course. They probably couldn't learn to defend themselves if we were constantly stopping their attacks.”

Kersara, “Well you know there isn't any reason we couldn't be involved. They want to learn to defend themselves so they should learn to defend themselves against the most powerful predators in the forest.” Kersara wasn't surprised to hear several calls of agreement from the other sisters.

Zarena, “That's true but you'd have to be serious and actually there is something else I wanted to ask you all. I know I've already scolded you all heavily today but I don't know how much longer I”m going to be around and this needs to be said. You all need to do a better job of learning to fight. There are only a few of you that I've seen who actually know how to really bring out the maximum in their body and well more of you should be like Kersara.”