Both Pua and I stare at the fae. Pua throws off her surprise faster than I do, which is good, because I have no idea what to say. The only Lady of the Lake I know of is the one that's responsible for giving Arthur Excalibur, and this woman certainly doesn't look like any of the depictions I've ever heard of her. Of course, a lot of those descriptions are nothing more than an arm sticking out of a lake holding a sword.

"So you wish to begin negotiations?" Pua asks carefully.

"You are mistaken," Vivain says with a smile, as though she ran into this mistake a lot, "I have come to observe young Ericka. From these observations I will determine both if I am willing to give her a sword, and what sort of blade would most compliment her. Only once these have been determined, will there be negotiations. As of this moment, there is no obligation on either side."

Both Pua and I let loose small sighs of relief and relax slightly, "Then would you accept hospitality?"

Behind us I hear the sound of somebody moving at a dead sprint towards us. Every so often the sounds would vanish for half a second only to reappear a large distance closer. I turn my head to see Ku arriving at a run with a broad-bladed sword, its brief crosspiece and pommel almost the same width, which looks a little odd. It's the pattern on the steel that almost looks like wood grain that really stands out, though.

At least until the mana rolling off the blade hits me.

We all freeze. Ku looks at his sister, then at me, and finally at the Sidhe standing examining him much like she examined Pua.

It's the Sidhe that breaks the silence, "Is that Vili's sword?" She sounds surprised and fascinated.

Ku glances down at the naked blade in his fist and slowly moves it behind himself. He looks like he's trying to pretend it's not there, "Um... yes. Pua?"

The Kahuna suppresses the giggles trying to escape with an iron will, and is mostly successful, "Hospitality?" The Lady of the Lake also looking faintly amused, nods, "Bread and salt."

Ku blinks, "What?"

"Bread and salt, brother dear. Now."

"Oh..." Ku starts backing up, "I'll just go get that then, shall I?"

Twenty minutes later all four of us have partaken of bread, salt, and water, and established hospitality. Which means we can all relax with some form of protection for everybody involved.

###

At first, not a lot changes. My schedule remains the same, mornings with Ku working on Mana Breathing, then learning how to fight with my new body, and how to fight better in general. Though Ku does start spending more time on my swordsmanship.

In the afternoons I spend my time on my new powers, split evenly between illusions, on which I make no progress, and sound tricks, on which I make small progress. For example, I do discover the resonance frequency for the bones in the human ear. Pua's pretty upset with me when I stumble on that one. Probably more than she otherwise would have been since my bones are troll bones now, so I escape unscathed.

Ku laughing at her can't have helped, either.

These sessions get less and less frequent, though, as whatever shark problem Pua has been watching has escalated. It's gone past concerning and she's spending more time trying to do something about it. I manage to use one of the days when both she and Ku aren't busy to show them the work I've done on the Mana Pressure Script.

I'm expecting them to have a long list of reasons why this is a terrible idea. I can certainly think of a litany of potential problems. So I'm surprised when they both agree it's a pretty good idea. Ku starts teaching me how to open myself passively and Pua starts helping me to adjust the pressure my Script will produce. We're trying to find the perfect balance between enough pressure to fill me up quickly and not so much that I damage myself.

Through all of this, there's Vivain, Lady of the Lake. Between one day and the next, a small forge appears by the stream that ran through the village, right next to one of the fish ponds. She spends her nights there, but otherwise spends all her time following me around. She watches me meditate and spar with Ku, sits in on my lessons with Pua, and looks over my shoulder when I work by myself. She even follows me to my enforced socializing time, which has turned into an intro to gymnastics class.

She examines my Scripts and asks permission to look at my analysis results. What really throws me, though, is when I turn around from adjusting my Mana Pressure Script and find her examining my prototype trait theft knives.

My iron prototype trait theft knives.

I'm reduced to staring, eyes wide and mouth opened. Leaning against a steel truck is one thing, but handling actual cold iron is just... "How?"

She glances up at me and smirks slightly, "I would be a poor smith if I could not handle iron."

"Well... I guess... but," I point at where she's testing the edge of the knife against her thumb, "how?"

"It's called being iron blooded. Sometimes one of us is born immune to iron's touch. Much like when on occasion a vampire is turned to a daywalker, immune to their racial weakness. We are highly desired by other fae, often to our detriment. We tend to stick together because of this, the elder helping to protect and hide the younger until they have the power to protect themselves," she explains, putting one of the knives down. "You use a great deal of the World's Script. Would it not be easier to have Pua enchant things for you?"

I shrug, processing the idea of iron blooded fae, and why I've never heard of them before, "Easier? Yes. Right now, anyway, I don't plan on staying in this universe any longer than I have to. Any equipment I plan on keeping will have to work anywhere I end up, as well as here. And ideally work in the same way everywhere, as well. Nobody I've talked to knows any way to do that aside from Script."

"Truly." She turns to look at me, "How do you plan to survive the Gap?"

"The what?" I have a horrible feeling I've forgotten something important.

"The Dimensional Gap." Vivain raises an eyebrow, then sighs disappointed at my continued blank look, "The place between universes. The place you must traverse in order to accomplish your ambitions. Anything that enters there unprotected is immediately reduced to its base concepts, coming apart under the lack of physics. Something you may wish to address before you journey forth."

I blink, then settle back down into my chair with a groan. Of course, I scrub my face in frustration. Of course that place is hostile, it doesn't matter what you call it, the Blind Eternities, the Warp, or whatever the hell it is in Bleach, it's always lethal without precautions. How the hell did I forget that?

"What will you do?" the Sidhe asks me, her face blank, but her tone interested, "What will you do to solve this problem?"

I don't think my first instinct, reaching for my Script dictionary, will help me here. If Script is, as Pua said, and I have no reason to doubt her, the source code of the universe, would it even work in a place that was defined as where the universe isn't? I don't think any kind of Script will help me here. Unfortunately, I only have one other tool in my tool box, which is to find something that is unbothered by the Gap, kill it, and steal that immunity.

Only problem is, as far as I know, the only thing that's native to the Gap is Ophis. Dragon god of Infinity and uncontested holder of the title of 'most powerful thing in the world'.

Yeah, I really don't think that trying to pick a fight with her is a great plan. It isn't even a bad plan. It's a suicidal plan. It's a dumb suicidal plan. Just no.

I have no real other ideas though, so for the moment...

I glance up at her with a sigh and shrug, "Right now? Nothing. One problem at a time. I'm nowhere near ready to try leaving, and have way too many other things on my plate. Which doesn't even count what you're going to charge me for my commission."

Strangely, that earns me a small smile and an approving nod. Not really sure why, but I'll take it.

###

It takes me another two days to get the mana pressure tuned correctly for my Script. Or at least tuned closely enough for me to be willing to try it. With Ku or Pua watching, of course. So the morning after I finish, I grab the reference sheet for the new Script and head off to the field where I spend my mornings meditating and getting the shit beat out of me.

Ku really enjoys the fact he could do pretty much anything to me shy of breaking bones in practice and I'd be ready to go again the next day.

To my surprise, I hear Pua there before I see either of the siblings, "...Kamohoali'i says they're not his."

I slow down to a walk to listen. Kamohoali'i, isn't a word I've heard before. I wonder if it's a name or a title?

"If they're rogue sharks we'll have to deal with them ourselves," Ku points out as I come around the bend in the path to be able to see them, "at least if they've tasted blood already, they can't have had much. They'd be attacking us already if they were too far gone."

"I'll try to figure out where we can pin them down on the beach. I know you can swim like a sea turtle but my Aumakua are more intellectual." As I approach, Pua turns to look at me over her shoulder, one eyebrow raised, "And don't you know it's rude to eavesdrop?"

I shrug, "You knew I was there and didn't stop talking, so I figure you didn't mind. Besides, if you really didn't want to take the chance of my overhearing, you'd be talking in Hawaiian. Or some other language that the two of you speak that I don't, it's not like you're lacking for choice. What's an Aumakua?" I say the last word slowly to make sure I pronounce it correctly.

Pua grinned at me, agreeing with my reasoning with a nod, "An Aumakua is a guardian spirit. They can be animal spirits, ancestor ghosts, mo'o, or even gods. Mostly they just provide advice or spiritual protection, but sometimes they'll teach their person some things."

"My childhood Aumakua was the sea turtle," Ku explains, "they taught me how to swim. I can hit twenty-two mph in the water if I really work at it." The big man shrugs and then moves on, "You're a bit early, what's up?"

I grin, I'm going to ask about Kamohoali'i as well, but I don't really care about sharks that aren't hurting anybody. If I need to know anything more about this, they'll tell me. My new Script is far more exciting, "I think I've got the pressure Script ready to try!" I bounce on my toes, for a moment I'm distracted by the still unfamiliar movement on my chest, but I move past that easily, "I was hoping that we could give it a shot." I hold out the paper to Pua who takes it, examining what I've written out carefully. "I know the pressure is still on the high side, but since it should be supercharging my regeneration while I'm using it I think I'll heal the minimal damage faster than it'll happen."

"That will hurt, you know," Pua points out, looking up at me.

I blink at her, "And?"

Ku leans back staring at the sky, laughing as though he can't quite believe what he just heard. Pua puts her face in her hands and groans.

I don't know what their problem is. A little temporary pain is well worth shaving fifteen minutes off my projected charge time. The difference between forty-five minutes, and thirty could be huge.

"Fine," Pua groans, having finished despairing of me, "You two get a piece of particle board big enough for this, I'll grab the bone chalk from my workshop."

Ku, still laughing at me, heads off to get the plywood. I look after the two of them before turning to look at where Vivain is still following me around, "What?" Vivain shakes her head at me, with what's probably the most subtle barely there smile I've ever seen, then shoos me after Ku.

###

The feeling of actually taking in the life of the world is an experience. The pressure Script works just about perfectly, so all I have to do is relax in the right way and the universe comes pouring into me, becoming me. Energy thunders through the channels I'd stolen from the vampires, filling my entire body with life. Powers that have only been barely working, like my regeneration and strength, explode into full bloom, working to a degree that I've only experienced when I first stole them. Little aches and pains that I hadn't even noticed vanish, and a lethargy that I haven't been aware I'd been fighting against, vanishes as well. I feel powerful for the first time in my life.

I kinda want to go find a stray devil and punch it in the face just for the hell of it.

Everything just feels better the longer I let the energy in. It fills me up, and up and up, until I start to feel stretched. The channels of my mana network swelling with the amount of power that's being forced into them. At first the stretch feels good, like a muscle that hasn't moved in far too long, being exercised at last. Then I start to feel a strain, then it starts to hurt. I grit my teeth and hold on as long as I can.

Finally, I can't take it anymore and slam myself shut, becoming separate from the universe once again. My breaths come in great shuddering gasps. My whole body aches, and then my revitalized healing soothes the damage I did to myself, and I feel better than I ever have before. I bounce to my feet, grinning at my observers.

"It worked?" Pua asks, stepping forward to check me over, "How do you feel?"

"It worked great, and I feel great!" I chirp. God, I'm still chirping. I'll grow out of that someday. I hope.

My cheer fades as I see the growing grin on Ku's face, "So now we have a reliable way to heal you completely? And we don't have to worry about you exhausting yourself if you work too hard?" I swallow hard and Ku's smile turns downright evil, "We are going to get so much more done now!"

What have I done?

###

Any sense of restraint that the Ke'Kua'Okolani siblings may have had, vanishes like smoke in a strong breeze. As it turns out, they've been taking it easy on me for fear of my starving to death from working too hard. Now that I can feed at least my metaphysical needs with half an hour of meditation, they start pushing me hard.

The new pace does produce results, though, and not just in improved skill. We learn that if I fill up on mana in the morning I can just about make it to dinner before I need to fill up again. As long as I'm not doing anything strenuous. So I need to 'feed' about twice a day with a fairly normal low activity level.

Sparing and working with my powers, though, I run through my meager reserves of mana, a term I decide I liked better than 'life energy', distressingly quickly. Which is a serious problem.

Learning to budget my mana is the only solution we have besides just waiting for my capacity to grow. So I learn to only use as much as I need when I need to, and rely on the skill that Ku is so cheerfully pounding into me, for as much as I can.

My pleasant routine is interrupted when I arrive at the training field and find both Ku and Pua there. The two are engaged in a discussion of some intensity, in what sounds like German? Whatever it is, this time they clearly don't want anybody else listening in. Ku spots me the moment I step onto the grass.

I head in their direction and Ku addresses me the moment I'm in earshot, "Ericka, today's training is going to be called off. Pua and I have a meeting we have to get to, no idea how long it'll last, but it's entirely possible that we won't be back until this evening."

I sigh at that. It's not that I begrudge them other duties, they've already spent a huge amount of time helping me out. Mostly it's that I'm not quite sure what to do with myself. Work on Script or find something to help out with around the village, I guess.

"I will teach her." I nearly jump out of my skin at the inhuman voice behind me. "For this morning at least." I totally forgot that the Lady of the Lake is still following me around. She isn't really hiding herself, she just doesn't do anything other than watch, quietly. It's easy to forget about her entirely, which I have no doubt is the idea. Ku and Pua glance at each other and Pua steps forward. Before she can speak though, Vivain holds up a hand, "No debt will be incurred. This will allow me to further assess Miss Rhostana, and she will continue to learn at her current pace. When both parties benefit, there is no debt."

I glance at Pua, who after a moment's thought, nods. So I turn to the Lady of the Lake and bow properly, "Then I'm happy to accept, th-" No, you don't thank fae, "I'm great-" No, gratitude is thanking by another name, "I look forward to your instruction." That works.

Vivain has a small smile as she watches my verbal flailing but doesn't say anything, she simply nods. Ku and Pua glance at each other again and shrug in unison.

"In that case, we'll get out of your way," Ku says as the two head for the parking lot, "Good luck, Ericka!"

"Well then," Vivain tosses me a dull steel two-handed European sword which I caught easily. Where the hell did that come from? "Shall we begin?" Her own one handed sword is flying at my head before she finishes speaking.

Fighting the Lady of the Lake is surreal. I imagine it kind of looks like bad fight choreography, because no matter what I do, she's always in position waiting for me. She never takes a stance, never hurries, never puts any effort into her actions, and she still hits like a truck, and always gets to position before I do. And through it all she lectures. They're informative lectures, she critiques my style, form, footwork, posture, everything. It's really good advice too, but she really can't have made it any clearer that batting me around takes absolutely no effort on her part.

By the time she lets me go I'm sweating, empty of mana, and ready to call it a day and just go to bed. Unfortunately, it's socialize Ericka day, so I don't really have that choice. I run back to Pua's house, shower, and spend half an hour meditating with my new Script to both remove the strange, gnawing, hollow feeling having no mana gives me, and to calm down after getting worked over so hard by Vivain.

I'm not really upset or angry, but going from fighting Ku, who I've never beat, to fighting Vivain who is an infinitely more difficult opponent, makes it hard to believe I'm making any progress. Intellectually, I know that I have to be getting better, and Ku is nothing but complementary about my progress. Still, it's hard to see in the moment.

After my half-hour break, I head back out to the central park where my unofficial gymnastics class waits for me. They're rolling and tumbling and cart wheeling all over the place. Though they've at least taken enough of my admonishments to heart that they are sticking to lanes and all going in the same direction, so they aren't running into each other.

I clap twice to get their attention and start them on their warmups. Rolls across the field, then cartwheels back, then back rolls across again. Back and forth until they've performed all the basics I've taught them over the last few weeks to my satisfaction.

Then it's time for something new. I make sure I have all their attention and start demonstrating how to perform one tumble into another. To start with we're going to do cartwheels into forward rolls. I demonstrate a few times, then set the older kids to work as I help the younger ones not hurt themselves.

I still don't like kids, but there is something hilarious about watching a five year old trying to coordinate all four limbs during dynamic movement and failing. It's adorable, kind of like watching a puppy fall on its face. Undeniably cute, but you still feel somewhat guilty for being so amused...

A sound, like being inside a huge bell that's just been struck, rattles the village.

I freeze along with everybody else as we all try to determine what the sound has been. A moment later it comes again, and this time I'm looking in the right direction. From the north side of the village, in between the road and the beach, the sound is accompanied by a flash of light, then an invisible dome around the village ripples into visibility, starting from where that flash of light had come from. Moments later the dome fades out again, only for the bell to sound again and the dome to once more appear.

Something is striking the village wards, and striking them hard. From how much longer the shield takes to fade every time it's struck they won't hold forever. Or possibly even very long, given how recently Pua put up the extra protections around the village.

The children huddle together around me looking up at the rippling sky. "Ericka? What's going on?" one of the younger boys asks, clinging to my leg.

Unfortunately the only answer I can give him is, "I don't know."