Ruwen locked gazes with Rami. Her black eyes were larger and filled with tiny flecks of gold, just like Blapy’s. Scales had replaced her smooth black skin, and the indigo edges shimmered in the light. She now looked like the smallest dragon he’d ever seen.
You’re beautiful, Ruwen told Rami.
Rami flew in loop. Thank you. I feel amazing.
“You look fantastic, sweetheart,” Blapy said. “A beauty inside and out.”
Rami flew over and touched her nose to Blapy’s.
“Now before you two run off,” Blapy said. “I need you to understand the limitations of your current levels. Rami, use your Mind’s Eye ability on me.”
I can’t wait to see Mom’s memories, Rami said. She keeps so many secrets.
A moment later, Ruwen’s mind exploded with pain. Last Breath triggered, but he’d already collapsed. A debuff appeared.
Mental Whiplash: -10 Intellect, -10 Wisdom, Brain Fog
Blapy had caught Rami as she fell. The debuff lasted for thirty seconds, and it took all of Ruwen’s focus to remain on Last Breath’s island fortification, somewhat protected from the pain. Not only did the Brain Fog make it hard to think, it felt like spikes continually passing through his head.
Ouch, Rami said.
“Your Mind’s Eye ability is only as powerful as the two of you,” Blapy said. “Think of it like a fight. The closer you are in level, the more successful you’ll be. And if you try to invade the mind of someone too powerful, they’ll swat you away, and you just experienced a gentle swat.”
Ruwen rubbed his temple. “That was gentle? You could have just told us.”
Blapy tilted her head. “Not with you two. Rami’s stubborn and you have a history of questionable choices. Better to reinforce this lesson.”
Ruwen stood up and thought about Rami’s new abilities. “Any chance we could swing by your library again?”
“Not a chance,” Blapy said. “Plus, I plan on spending some time celebrating with my daughter while you complete your binding ritual.”
“What binding ritual?”
“The one the Addas have been bugging me about ever since you arrived.”
“I don’t like the sound of that.”
“You shouldn’t. But I don’t interfere with their Clan business. Have fun.”
Ruwen found himself standing in the middle of the upper library. Blapy had shifted him here with a thought. Padda and Madda sat ten feet from him, and both looked engrossed in the books they were reading. Ruwen slowly crouched. If he could touch his wrist to the floor, he might escape without them knowing.
“Hello, Adept,” Madda said. “We’re so glad we caught up to you.”
Chapter 27
Ruwen stood back up and bowed. “It is a pleasure to see you, Grandmasters.”
“You’ve been busy,” Padda said, holding up his book. “It is nice to have access to a library again.”
“I’m working on it.”
“Is Sift with you?” Madda asked, her voice neutral.
“He remains in New Eiru,” Ruwen said. He thought of Sift’s long list of things he didn’t want to discuss with his parents. Ruwen didn’t feel right telling Sift’s parents about their son’s business, but they needed to know he was okay. “Sift is doing well and hopes to return here very soon.”
Madda nodded. “It’s good to know he made it safely back into the Material Realm. I’m very interested in how you managed that.”
Ruwen’s throat went dry. The last thing he wanted to do was talk about the details of everything that had happened lately. The Addas knew he could Harvest, but they didn’t know he was an Axiom. And if he talked about the recent past, he might accidentally spill some of Sift’s secrets. Ruwen needed a way out of this conversation, and unfortunately, he could only think of one. “Blapy said something about a binding ritual.”
Padda waved at the chair across from them. “Please join us.”
Ruwen forced himself to move. He had a bad feeling about this, but slowly made his way to the chair. He used the short walk to glance at his notifications. He had twenty-one, and they were all for the same Rating. He studied the last one.
Gong!
You have increased your Knowledge!
Level: 69
The intelligent know true power is held by knowledge. The wise know knowledge can be dangerous. Greatness is found between them.
The twenty-one-point increase in Knowledge brought Ruwen’s Cleverness up to seventy-five percent and his Persuasion to eighteen percent. Raising the Knowledge Rating was difficult, but considering the things he’d just learned from Blapy, twenty-one seemed low. He closed the notification and sat across from the Addas.
Both the Addas set their books down, and Padda leaned forward. “We find ourselves in a unique situation. Normally, at this point we would know much more about you, having spent at least a decade with you, and you would have completed the first binding ritual around Step thirty to ensure you were worthy to continue.”
“Instead,” Madda said. “We know little about you, and you are ready for the Master test in both the Bamboo and Viper Steps. Worse, you were never judged worthy with the first binding.”
Ruwen bowed from his chair. “My apologies, Grandmasters. I did not intend to take a shortcut or circumvent the Clan’s rules. I merely took advantage of a unique opportunity to make up for lost time.”
“You explained that in the Spirit Realm,” Madda said. “And we believed you, which is why you’re still alive. But if you don’t bind your Step knowledge to your soul soon, you will lose it.”
Ruwen sat up. He had worked without sleep for over four and half years to learn those Steps. The thought of losing all that filled him with anxiety. “What must I do?”
Padda pulled the small table next to his chair into the area between the three of them. He set a small pouch on the table and then locked gazes with Ruwen. “First, three warnings. One, because you didn’t perform the first Binding, this
