Radnul shrugged. "I know of a few locations, and some are devoid of other life at this time, allowing for ease of practice. It would also make for a place to keep the troops that cannot travel with you into the.. restricted areas the Gategem coverage misses in a realm of Harmonia's underground. You are becoming practiced with Magic, and your power is amazingly replenishable due to your own enhancements, Keeper, but I have to agree that experience is the best teacher. Besides.." Here Radnul gained a conspirational smile, while saying "..you truly itch to try the new summons out and see what you create."
Tenchi started to open his mouth.. then shrugged. "No use denying it, I suppose. That's the other thing, of course. I was uncomfrotable with being responsible over others' lives even before coming here, now they will come to me seeking life and a chance to fight to possible death? I frankly need a while to adjust to this before we start pitched combat."
At Radnul's nod, Tenchi continued "While I do this, why don't you figure out who's the best starting place? I mean, taking on the king straight off is a idea, but I suspect fruitless given what you mentioned of the Lords. Besides, I do want to give them at least the chance to surrender the Gategems as I deal with this."
"An excellent suggestion, Keeper, you've your wits about you. Oh, before I forget. Horny has hidden his Talisman's portions throughout a few select portions of the Harmonian Underground. Should you excel, you'l find them, and he will be confident in your ability to command him. I have already told you of the power of the imcomplete Talisman, so I'll not belabor it.." He concentrated for a time, then a placement informed itself into Tenchi's mind as Lundar finished "This is a place alone, ancient, and significant in some way. How I cannot say. Here you should be able to practice to your Heart's content." He left as Tenchi fought a pout over the emphasis and hidden wordplay in Lundar's statement.
Tenchi willed himself to step out of the new Heart projection, overlooking the unclaimed land and collapse-refilled chambers all about him. He gathered his will and drew upon his inner strength, refilling his mana reserves in steps until it felt like he would burst.
Her mind pulled away from the memory of her old people in the Previous Realm, so she didn't complete the memory. Thus Tenchi remained unknown to her.
Thus it was at this point, as Aeka had just entered when Washuu seemed to lose herself in a step and lurched back up almost instantly after. At the same time Ryouko fell back a inch and paled just a little. This passed, and Aeka said "Washuu! Ryouko! Are you both all right?" She'd been concerned about Washuu's Labspace since the Incident, another reason she kept trying to pull Ryouko out (not that she ever confessed to her comradely feelings towards the former Space Pirate.).
"Yeah, princess, we're fine. This kinda happens at odd moments, but it's VERY temporary. I've already been checked over by Girl Genius here--" Ryouko jittered a little as the electricity from Washuu's retaliation washed thru her along with a muttered "don't mock my manga tastes OR my preferred age, Daughter!" then smoothly finished "--and it's some venting of my power in a odd and untraceable way. I find it.. heartening, for some odd reason. Guess you think I'm nuts and all, but.. why are you staring at my neck?"
Aeka summoned up her frostiest Cool Factor (while blushing internally for getting into MST3K's final seasons then ordering all the tapes) as she stated VERY calmly "because you have all three of your Powergems, Ryouko. Ahh.. Washuu, do you have any idea why she wasn't aware of that?"
"Just a couple, and thank you for finally noticing, Princess Aeka." Washuu's clothes changed to her Professorial garb (resized for kid-age, of course) and the chairs appeared, as the now-experienced duo sat down before they could be pulled down into said chairs. The blackboard projection appeared and showed Ryouko animatedly being.. herself. "As you can see, my girl here's got a very strong self-image and does feel she should control her power after what Shithead did to her and through her." All three of them looked like they just had citric acid sprayed into their mouths at the reference to Kagato, before Washuu continued.
"On top of that, she regards Tenchi having a gem in the blade as a material link with him. For all these reasons, when her full measure of power returned, she simply didn't--wouldn't let herself--think of it. If you're worried about the link to Tenchi being broken, please don't. I suspect that untraceable draw of power is actually Tenchi drawing upon the power of the Gems, as they spent one heck of a long time in his sword. That and his closeness to Ryouko and to you as well makes it possible, even likely that he can and does share energies with my daughter, and thru that link my former Goddesshood. Hence my reaction as well. Unfortunately, all that also makes the link untracable, not that I would if I could. Tokimi might sense it if I did."
After that the usual argument eventually erupted, but even as Kappa, you could see the relief on Aeka's and Ryouko's faces. As she cleaned up, Washuu thought to herself And the only reason you didn't feel it, Princess, was the closer link to Tsunami Tenchi has by way of his bloodline. I don't know why you aren't helping us get him back, Sister, but I'll respect your wishes.. for now.
Tenchi had a Hatchery created, and a Lair. Then he decided to try a newer build once he discovered a Gemvein to fund whatever he wound up with and a 7*7 space for placement. This was a Elite setup, but a variant, and he was uncertain as to the result, but it looked promising.
"Okay, first off, a single Graveyard plot.." He was thinking of Kessler Von Doom and alternatives to the rather wild implications of needing TWO plots to summon the famed Elite vamp. I mean, does that mean he's seeking to bring a worthy person across? Sheesh! "Then, a training circle around there, non-functional but sufficient for one to train up on. No need for a Salamander yet." With that he added a single thickness of Training around the Graveyard, pale ring around dark unhallowed earth. "And finally a ring of Library like that of Van doom, but no freestanding bookstands. Just shelves, so you can research." Once that was finished, the room looked like a bullseye from the top-view perception Detached Keeping afforded one, Red Library around pale Training with a Grave centered. He willed his personal powers to merge into the Heart and influence the attraction, seeking a new draw and assuring himself no Warlock or Salamander would come and foul up the matrix. He was surprised when a response was immediately forthcoming..
As the velvet darkness enfolded her, Seras Victoria felt power surging in her, and her body healing. Whicvh seemed stupid as she had undoubtedly ceased to live, even ceased the unlife gained at Cheders. Okay, what the hell is this? she thought, as she felt herself moving without any sense of place to move thru.
*You are free, yet still were bonded with me, as Master' release on my power called me back frrom the Abyss.. you too are reborn anew, but no longer are you a slave.* Seras was mentally smacking her forehead a bit, but mostly stunned at how sensible it was once explained. She knew the mind-voice of Alucard too well to ever doubt it. this was her.. former Master, imparting a last lesson before turning back to his own battle. She therefore stayed 'silent' and let him finish. *Your agression is finally fully yours, as is your will. You're being summoned, as some part of you DOES so like a bond to another, but this will be your bond, like mine with the Hellsing line. Should we live, i will contact you again.. eventually. You have time and more than time, Po--no. Seras Victoria, this is the first day of the rest of your death.* Even as she just KNEW Alucard's savage battle-grin would have that insufferable smirk of his mixed in, Seras couldn't help but grin in her own delight. She'd finally gotten her name back. It felt very good.
Tenchi was pretty well unaffected visibly by feminine pulchratude by then, but he had to admit that this Vampire was pretty choice, being human in all the right ways despite clear signs of Vampirism. He watched as the newly called being looked about, then walked over to him. The instant she touched him, she curtsied with a shudder of reaction and.. acceptance, like the emotional flareup between the two was expected.
Seras smirked a bit, trying on a Alucardism for size. Nope, not all sadistic like his, but then I'm not jaded nor 'upgraded' like he was--I don't even wanna KNOW what the Hellsings put him thru to get him that tough! Aloud she said "Hello, Master. I am Seras Victoria. I hope you'll use me well." She didn't mention her own tendencies or relief in not being alone, as she sensed that'd just freak him out more. Besides, the more she didn't reveal, the more she could study him. Her new Master may be unassuming, but he had the clean lines of a fighter underneath, and she felt more.. alive in the attraction department than ever before. Seras decided to just revel in that and see what came. Hopefully I wil--Bad Seras, very bad!
"Umm.. Thanks? By the way, that large room with the books is your private study. I'll need to build one like it to call you to a Dungeon--a place like this complex. And call me Keeper, or Tenchi. That seems the term for the Masters of these Dungeons. I suspect you'll need to train in what you can do, as that happens when one is called thru the Portals. There's a man named Radnul walking about, if you have any questions and I'm not available." He was keeping it short for now, as he set up appropriate rooms for a few standard Elite--Furnace's Training Lair, and the Loaded Casino of Gervaise. That would allow for Rogues, a couple of Salamanders, and their Elite, as they seemed most likely to reside in this main complex and explore the ruined areas all about without hassle.
Seras nodded and started practicing, finding her guns missing and a pistol crossbow in their place. She shrugged it off and began trying out what she could do at the moment, while feeling that here at her new home it would grow beyond what she would learn and do in the field--at least until her master was victorious. She was fairly certain this subconscious surety was actually his knowledge, but--I always did take pleasure in having limits to myself, I suppose.--she snorted at that and laid down a fusillade as she figured out the best use of the small clip-load adaptation to her weapon. There was evidently much to learn.
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(Posted Sat, 22 Jan 2005 07:30)
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