Beginner's Luck: Growth 9

Fluke put on a strained toothy grin as his resonance flopped and fell apart a second time.

"Here kid, come sit down before you hurt yourself." Parche pat the grass next to him, and Fluke came and flopped down beside him, and then adjusted himself so he sat with his legs crossed.

"Focus your resonance into a ball, can you do that?" Parche held out a paw, toe beans up, indicating how he wanted Fluke to hold the energy. Fluke put out a hand and formed a bubble of energy that was still clearly inherent in the resonance surrounding him.

"Close. But now compress it and try and make that bubble separate from yourself." Parche dropped his paw and looked at his student. Fluke scrunched his face and compressed the bubble, the intensity of the energy spiraled and swirled intensely. Then with a small extension of his fingers, the ball popped and floated away.

"Don't let it go! Ahhh kid!" Parche covered his face with his paws. "You have to keep control of it. Think like... a ball of yarn! Still connected but also separate." Parche looked at Fluke again, but his face told him everything he needed to know.

"You don't know what that is... oh! How about a fishing rod and line?"

Fluke raised his eyebrows and understood the idea. Compressing the energy down with two hands this time, and the resulting energy ball was slightly bigger than an egg. This time he wound up and threw the energy towards the patches in the distance, straining his focus to keep it together. The energy landed on the distant island and then sank into the dirt.

"Okay kid! Now... Pull it in!" Parche ran to the edge and bounced excitedly. Fluke used all of his mental faculties and pulled the first patch in, hand over hand. When the two islands met there was a rumble that shook the Liminal. Both Parche and Fluke looked up and around expecting something to change, but when the world didn't collapse they both laughed and ran onto the new patch. The second patch was easier now that the distance wasn't as far and especially now that Fluke had the technique down. Parche was beyond excited, bounding all around like an exuberant child he laughed his deep booming laugh and rolled in the new grass.

"You have no idea how trapped I've felt!" Letting out a deep sigh he flopped on his side and panted after sprinting. A moment later he sat up and twitched his nose, his ears, and scratched the back of his head.

"So, marking things with resonance is like that, but you don't need to compress your energy as much. And most of the time, if you envision it right, you can mark anything within line of sight." Parche closed his left eye and made a finger pistol demonstrating the idea. Fluke thought about it and nodded, taking a short stroll around the larger island.

"Anyways kid, you're about to be woken up. See you around buddy!" Abruptly the world dissipated into smoke, and Fluke felt himself pulled from his slumber back to reality.

____________________________________________________

The Libarian stood over Fluke with his arms folded, and Mason stood not far behind him. Fluke rubbed his eyes and put on his mask, there above Mason was single star floating above his head. Confused for a moment, Fluke reached into his bag and groggily grabbed his pants and boots. The pants now had a label and so did the boots:

Fluke's Lucky Pants- A champion's blood, sweat and efforts have blessed this set of clothes.

Fluke's Lucky Boots- A champion's blood, sweat and efforts have blessed this set of clothes.

Fluke's Lucky Shirt- A champion's blood, sweat and efforts have blessed this set of clothes.

Looking up at the Librarian who hadn't said a word, he slowly moved his gaze back to Mason's star. The Librarian broke the silence.

"Explain."

Fluke still half asleep shrugged and tried to cobble together an answer.

"Mason gave me a quest... I did it... And now he has a star. I don't know man, you've been here longer... You explain."

In obvious frustration, the Librarian lifted his mask and shook his head.

"Star?? What are you talking about?! I am talking about the world outside!" Angrily he gestured with both of his arms in an energetic exasperation. Fluke lifted his mask, and blinked slowly at the older man, not comprehending anything. Growling the old warrior barked a single command as he stormed away.

"GET UP! Now!"

Fluked grabbed his things, struggling to put his pants and boots fully on as he chased after the man marching away. The stones on the walls lit up as the Librarian passed, telling Fluke he wasn't in control of any of his resonance or his emotions.

____________________________________________________

Fluke found himself back on the plateau nestled in the hills around the village. They had marched in silence and at a pace that may as well have been a mild run. The sun had not yet risen, and it was still the early morning dawn. Fluke threw his hands up and finally shouted.

"What the hell is your problem!? Why are you mad at me?!" Fluke felt his blood pound up his neck, as he struggled to control his temper. The older man paced back and forth shaking his head not responding.

"Is it because I didn't listen to you?! Is it because the goddess chose me?! I didn't ask to be brought here. I don't know what is going on beyond what you tell me! SO, WHAT IS IT?!" Fluke felt both his hands ball into fists and his teeth clench, he was at the end of his self-control and he knew it.

"YOU ALMOST DIED! I DON'T WANT ANY MORE OF MY BOYS DYING!" The roar of raw emotion shook the mountain and immediately mollified the young man who received it. The Librarian turned away and put his mask back on. They stood in silence, before the Librarian spoke again.

"I have lost every person I have grown to know. They were like brothers... sons... a father. And I will kill as many of them as it takes to make it stop." The conviction and venomous intent was potent that Fluke sat in silence. Fluke didn't know how to respond, he felt his frustrations fade, and his body relax. The moment dragged on in silence as they both processed what had just been said.

"Look... LOOK!" The Librarian barked the last word breaking the silence, shaking his head and pointing at the island. Fluke finally looked out across the village and island. The Island had grown. Not only had it grown, but the two empty villages and the portal were all now part of the same island. Where once there had been a wide channel of ocean, now a small river ran between the two once separate islands. In stunned disbelief Fluke tried to understand it. Then he remembered something from a dream he had not too long ago.

What was it that Parche had said?

"The Liminal manifests itself in reality."