Reisinling

Song "Victorius Titus" from "Titus" is the suggested background music for this chapter.

This time mostly intact (only its petals slightly crumbled). I could see its legs this time.They looked like young shrub branches, green-brown bark, yellow phloem peeking through from cracks. 

Another thing I could see this time, was its soul, a small ember, hiding close to the place where it’s “flower” must have been connected to the main plant. 

“Fly” “Run” “Danger” 

Only then did I realise, that the movement of its crumbled petals was actually it trying to fly away, their damage result of mother not wanting them running away.

And I experienced all of this after leaving the shell for maybe 5 seconds. Once again, my emotions whirled, making it harder to maintain meditation. I had to act now. I activated my original skill for the first time against real enemy. Front of my body raised up, and moved left and right,. The bug, uncertain, tried moving back. I followed. It backed up again. I followed, getting even closer. Realising escape is futile it decided to try fighting instead. While it couldn’t fly away, it could try ramming me, but that’s what I was waiting for. It got confused by my swaying movements, and the place it attacked was one I could easily dodge from. 

Except I wouldn’t. The moment it got close, I jumped forward. The bug, startled, instinctively tried to stop the charge, and move back, but it was too slow, it’s death certain!

Except, I also jumped back. The near death experience, sending a signal too strong for me to block. This unexpected failure made my concentration wane. While I was feeling internal turmoil, part of me , panicked, just went in. Three sloppy bites, last one also coated with venom. But you have no time, you bite again. And again. And again. And then goble the mangled body up.

“Good” You “waste poison” quickly go back “why hide?” into the egg. “Brother. weird,”

SHIT! This was much closer then it should have been… Well, I shouldn’t be so hard on myself. After all, even with all those improvements, meditation is still a relatively low level skill. I still have time…. Something feels wrong.

I looked down. The body of the insect still so close to the top of my head, that it was difficult to “look” at it, but then I noticed something. The ember of the insects soul, was still there. I didn’t pay attention previously, but I don’t think that was the case. 

As I started imagining Alien-like scenarios, except with little rose petals bursting out, and considering running to the lake I saw to drown my victim, the tiny soul, started sparkling even tinier embers, for a moment illuminating my soul sight… and then extinguished.

“Sssss” I sighed in relief. At least that didn’t go wrong. Barely did I finish relaxing, when the meditation skill, which for some reason was still going on finished.

And something I didn’t pay attention to before happened- all the things that were sent to the second snake? Emotions and.. Thoughts (as much as bugs can think) of the captured, taunted and then practically executed bug? They flooded my mind and soul.