Pieces of Sonder

“I-I got a notification,” Heilong stared out in front of her. “Meridian Manipulation! I got it!”

“Really!” Freya exclaimed, standing up from her seat in excitement. Then she scratched her head. “So, it’s just pushing your qi out from your body…”

Despite having the skill herself, Freya never understood what ‘Meridian Manipulation’ meant. She thought it meant moving meridian lines–a talent handy for fixing meridian line damage. The first step to that ability was learning to move one’s qi out of the body. The next step would be learning meridian line anatomy and how to delicately fix problems. But it seemed that it would not be necessary for learning Meridian Manipulation.

Heilong concentrated back on the stone and made it light up again, “I wonder if just making this stone light up would grind the skill.”

“By the way,” Infamous Biscuit asked, “What was that potion you had Heilong drink?”

“It’s a potion I usually use to relax meridian lines of people with chronic pain. Often their meridian lines are twisted and have extra energy stuck in knots. Essence of merkcantil makes a person’s meridian lines briefly more flexible. It can be dangerous if used repeatedly or at high concentrations because it can ruin meridian line integrity. But I thought here that property might be useful.”

Freya looked at the light, still shining out from the enchanted stone in Heilong’s hand.

“Can I see how your meridian lines look now? You can keep the stone lit.”

“Sure,” Heilong said, extending her hand with the stone out to her.

Touching Heilong’s skin, Freya sensed the effects of the essence of merkcantil waning. Heilong’s meridian lines were stiffening again.

“Is it getting harder to keep the stone lit?” Freya asked.

Heilong cocked her head to the side, “No, if anything, I’d say it’s getting easier. It’s like the usual feeling of learning a skill where you suddenly feel like you’ve been doing it forever.”

“Alright, good. I was worried you were relying on the effects of the potion, but it looks like it’s permanent.”

Freya tapped her chin. Apparently, meridian line flexibility was unrelated to qi permeability. She stored this knowledge away to contemplate later. Turning to Infamous Biscuit, she asked, “Are you ready to try then?”

He smiled, “Yeah! Let’s do it.”

After he drank the essence of merkcantil potion, Freya repeated the process of filling his meridian lines with energy. Since the effects of the potion were so brief, Freya wanted to give them a boost. Like the pressure from a full container, having saturated meridian lines should make creating a crack easier.

Grasping the enchanted stone, Infamous Biscuit concentrated. Freya sat back and waited. Her own meridian lines still hummed with energy from the excitement and anticipation.

After a few moments, a soft light emanated from the stone.

“Yes! I got it too,” he said beaming. The light glowed even brighter.

A notification went off for Freya too.

[Meridian Manipulation]

[Lvl 4 → Lvl 5]

“My Meridian Manipulation skill also went up,” Freya told them, tilting her head to the side. Since becoming a player, her Meridian Manipulation skill had stayed constant.

“Really?” Infamous Biscuit said, “I guess teaching it also levels you up?”

“She was probably using it to help us start. How often do you use Meridian Manipulation? Or just using qi outside your body?” Heilong asked.

Freya considered, “I use it often. To fill talismans, exorcise demons, and fix people’s meridian lines. Maybe not every day, but at least every other day. I think I also use it when activating my Shockwave skill.”

“I see,” Heilong said, adjusting her ponytail.

Infamous Biscuit looked over at her. He set the stone back on the table.

“Do you need a certain level as a pre-requisite for another skill?” he asked.

Heilong nodded, “I need to be at level 7 before I have a chance of successfully using a skill book I found.”

“Level 7!?” Infamous Biscuit said, “What kind of skill book did you find?”

Heilong smiled, “It’s a secret. Just wait till you see it.”

Disappointed, he turned to Freya and changed the subject, “Where did you get this stone from?”

“It’s from my master. I think he got it from a wizard. They’re the only ones that know the runic language.”

“Only wizards can learn runes? I thought that was just a rule applied to players, not NPCs,” Infamous Biscuit said, surprised.

“Wizards have monopolized almost all knowledge about runes,” Freya said, glaring at the print etched into the enchanted light stone. “I was offered a scholarship to a wizard academy when I was young, but I refused. I never really liked wizards. They think they know everything.”

He laughed, “Sounds about right.”

“They have to be knowledgeable though,” Heilong said, crossing her arms. “I almost chose the wizard class. I would still like to learn how to read the runic language.”

“You seem like a wizard,” Infamous Biscuit said.

Heilong glared at him.

“Anyway, maybe we could commission a wizard to make something similar to this,” he said, holding up the enchantment stone. “That way we could all have one and grind up our levels.”

“The man I learned arrow crafting from has a daughter who’s a wizard. But I’ve never met her,” said Heilong.

Freya frowned, “I would try the player wizards. The wizards here won’t give you the time of day.”

“We can post a special commission on the game forums,” Infamous Biscuit said.

As Infamous Biscuit and Heilong discussed the commission, Freya fidgeted in her seat. Something stabbed her stomach. Remembering the letter that came earlier, she finally took it out of her pocket. She looked at the sender’s name again.

{From: Calvo Calaren, the Shaman of Einskin}

Any letter he sent was usually meaningless, but since he was another shaman, Freya was obliged to open it.

Sighing, Freya ran her finger under the sealed flap.

{My Dearest Freya,

It’s been too long since we last saw each other. The world seems a bit dimmer without your presence. Nothing can match the sunshine you bring.}

Freya almost closed the letter and put it back in the envelope. Taking a deep breath, she continued reading.

{I would like to ask for your assistance. I have a young patient with a magical malaise I have not seen before. I do not know what course of action to take. The child’s condition has not changed, and his parents are worried. I’m sure they would be grateful for the second opinion of a distinguished shaman such as yourself.

I would be forever grateful if you could grace my humble town with your presence.

Love,

Calvo}

Freya rubbed her eyes and then crumpled the piece of paper.

“Who is that from?” Heilong asked, staring with concern at Freya’s clenched fist.

“A liar.”