An Unbound Soul

"Please state the materials required for a type four soul interfacing crystal, an omnipresent thaumic projector and a universal multiplexer," I asked the fabricator, causing Serlv to peer at me in confusion. "Yes, I know I keep saying please. Politeness doesn't cost me anything."

"It's not that. Rather, were you not unconscious when Blobby told us of the parts we required?"

I blinked as I considered where, exactly, I'd heard that list. I was reasonably sure that I hadn't.

"Uh... Maybe I was half conscious when you were talking about it?"

Serlv gave me a doubtful look, then plodded her way over to the synthesiser. Given that the bill of materials for the soul interfacing crystal had included pneumalite, I was happy to let her take the job of carrying it over to the fabricator. The name alone was suspicious, but seeing the block of silvery metal light up to [Soul Perception] confirmed what affinity material it was.

But, despite her power as a rank five dragon, it would still be sensible to not try touching it with bare claws. Especially as I wasn't the only one sporting a soul injury.

"You shouldn't touch it," I said as she moved to pick it up. "Do we have... a long stick? I'm not sure what the options are."

"Nonsense. It is a mere material. It will not harm me through my scales."

"I'm serious. That stuff could be..."

She didn't wait for me to finish, but grabbed it instead, wincing and immediately dropping it again, flinching back as if it had bitten her.

"Yeah, definitely not safe to touch," I repeated.

She shook her head a few times, looking slightly dazed, but her soul didn't seem any worse for the experience.

"What was that?" asked Krana. "The output of [Athena's Insight] burns."

Huh? Even appraising it hurt? No way was I going to try then.

"Long stick," I repeated. I didn't even want to be in the same room as the thing. As I stared at it with [Soul Perception], I felt an odd tingle behind my eyes. I hurriedly shut the skill off, and thankfully the effect went away. "Very long. The sooner we're rid of that stuff, the better."

"We do not have any sort of lengthy implement capable of lifting it," pointed out Krana, while Serlv just stared at it, fascinated. And then reached out a claw again.

I fired off [Far Step] on impulse, getting in her way and keeping my back to the dangerous block of metal.

She blinked, still looking confused.

"Perhaps we should all get out of the room while we plan?" I suggested.

"That seems advisable," agreed Krana, swelling in size slightly and grabbing Serlv.

It took a handful of seconds to evacuate ourselves and the dazed dragon, Krana looking at Serlv with concern.

"I'm... okay," she said. "That was... unpleasant. My apologies for doubting you, Peter. You obviously know something of that material. What is it?"

"Soul affinity," I answered, trusting that knowledge alone wouldn't get wiped by the Law. It wasn't that knowledge of its existence was banned, but only the knowledge that the sapient races could utilise it. This experience only reinforced the knowledge that sapient races and soul affinity made for a poor combination.

"Items enchanted against soul affinity, then?"

"No. I'm carrying one, with rank five quality, and that block still stung to use skills on."

"Then tools capable of manipulating it remotely appear to be our only choice. I have seen no such tools here, nor do I possess any."

"Nor me. I could make some easily, but not here. I'd need a smithy. But in the absence of a proper pair of tongs, two long sticks should suffice. I can probably find something in my [Inventory] that would work."

"May I remind you that we have access to a universal fabricator?" added Krana.

Right. If it could produce universal thingamabobs and omnipresent whatsits, a pair of tongs should be easy.

"Please state the materials required for a pair of tongs!" I shouted at it from the doorway.

"Thirty-eight patterns match the description 'pair of tongs'. Additional parameters required."

Seriously?! Bah. I should have known the simplicity of the tool wouldn't be the limiting factor here.

"We desire something suitable for picking up a small block of pneumalite from a safe distance," clarified Serlv, once again taking over the role of talking to computers without smashing them.

Thankfully, that was enough for it to actually pick a design, and for the price of an ingot of steel from my [Inventory], we'd soon safely disposed of the pneumalite.

I was nervous about touching the resulting soul interfacing crystal, but every library on the planet used something similar, and none of them had ever bitten me before. After a few gingerly made prods, it proved safe enough to handle, and half an hour later we'd fabricated and enchanted the required bits.

A few more minutes, and the System had successfully integrated them.

"Now what?" I wondered allowed. "Do we need to..."

All hell broke loose below as the chamber flooded with mana, twisting and crystallising into incomprehensibly complicated structures.

"No, apparently we do not," I finished, somewhat redundantly.

"Indeed. It seems our efforts have borne success," agreed Serlv.

"I'm not going to celebrate until we confirm with people outside that they've regained access," I added. But even if they did, we were simply back to where we'd been a few hours ago. Earth still wanted us dead or gone, depending on allegiances. Maximilian was still running around, and Harry would still be a giant pain in the neck.

Would the System revoke our administrative access once it had finished repairing itself?

"Serlvrenalliacta," I snapped, moving my focus from the rebuilding System to the dragon. "You are under the effect of a soul magic spell that limits access to your memories. You asked me to remove it from you, but you can't remember doing so. If I try to explain, you'll forget all over again. You're going to have to trust me on it."

"What?" she asked incredulously.

"That sounds implausible," said a doubtful Krana.

"You have just seen that the weight of levels and stats doesn't protect you from a simple soul affinity material. What is implausible about a spell?"

"How would I have been hit by such a spell?"

"Again, if I try to explain, you'll forget the entire conversation. We can tell the System to add a trait to you that'll break the spell. But you need to agree."

And then she'd probably want to break it on Krana. And then things would escalate further, and before long, the entire world would be free. And, humans being humans, also on fire.

"That [Unbound Soul] trait you attempted to use earlier?"

"Yes."

She gave me another slow and methodical blink as she stared. Was it bad I hoped she'd turn me down? Then I could tell myself I'd tried to fulfil her request, and she was the one who'd stopped me.

"System. Am I currently under the effects of a soul magic spell of any kind?"

Bah. That wasn't a no. Now the System would confirm it. I gave the System my agreement anyway.

ding

Information: Yes.

A succinct answer, but one that told Serlv everything she needed to know. "Very well," she agreed.

"System, once repairs are complete, grant the [Unbound Soul] trait to Serlvrenalliacta," I requested.

"I find this almost as concerning as the damage to the System," opined Krana as he consented to the request. "More so due to your nervousness."

Too damn right I was nervous! What would a dragon be like without the reins of the Law? I should have ignored her plea for help. What if she went on a rampage?

But that was unfair. Just because she could, didn't mean that she would. As with Cluma, I hadn't seen her chains acting up when she made decisions. In fact, I'd rarely seen such a sight on anyone. And not-Blobby was still around, despite not being protected by the Law and dealing with delvers on a daily basis. Maybe this world wasn't that bad? But if so, why had it destroyed itself twice?

The System took over an hour to fully repair itself. Or phrased another way, it only took an hour. All the damage done by the Earthen assault was swept away, leaving the chamber looking pristine once more.

And then Serlv's chains dissolved away to nothing. Her soul was left wounded where they had pierced through, but it was free once more.

"So, I have obtained this new trait, yet nothing has changed," she commented, staring at me with suspicion.

So, no return of her lost memories then. Or maybe she just needed to think about them? It wasn't as if every memory of mine was permanently at the forefront of my mind, and if one of them changed while I wasn't thinking about it, how would I know?

But questions like that could wait. For now, all I needed was a demonstration.

"Kranakellicium. Can you hit me with your fire breath?"

"I cannot; that ability cannot be used on people. But why would you ask such a thing?"

"Just a simple demonstration. Why can't it be used against people?"

"It would..." his eyes unfocused slightly as his knowledge that nothing would stop it battled against the Law's insistence that it was impossible. With no reason to want to flame me, he put up no resistance whatsoever. "It is simply a rule of the ability."

I looked back at Serlv and made a spirited effort at raising an eyebrow. It didn't work, but she wasn't really focused on me, anyway, instead looking at Krana in confusion. Then, reaching a conclusion, she snapped her head around back to me, eyes narrowing.

"Why me?" she snapped. "This was not magic cast over me. It was cast over the world. And it... always has been."

"You almost broke out of it on your own. When it became obvious that doing so would break you, you begged me to help."

"When did I..." she started, before her eyes opened wide.

Serlvrenalliacta, the [Empress of Eternal Ice], the majestic, white-scaled dragon, always prim and proper when not drooling in her sleep, said a rude word.

I burst out laughing. It was just that sort of situation.

"Erryn did this..." she said rhetorically, as she settled back into a look of contemplation.

"Erryn blocked access to your memories? Why?" asked Krana.

"Why indeed?" she asked of me.

"She saw the corpse of a world, and didn't want to see another," I answered.

"I... see..." responded Serlv carefully.

"I do not!" exclaimed Krana. "How does sealing the memories of Serlvrenalliacta help protect the world?"

"Not just my memories, but my actions, too. And not just mine, but those of everyone."

Krana went blank.

"You have my pity," said Serlv, which seemed a reasonable comment until she turned, making it clear it was directed at me.

"What?" I asked, nonplussed.

"Forced to exist with a mind that knows evil, surrounded by those who do not, unable to relate or offer comfort. I see now why you hold such a fear of your old world. I also see how you have carefully manipulated my actions, and that much of what you have told me is lies, because I was unable to comprehend the truth."

She looked back to Krana, who was still blank. "System. Grant the [Unbound Soul] trait to Kranakellicium," she demanded.

"What? Why?" he questioned, snapping back into sudden consciousness.

"Because that which affected my memories affects us all."

He frowned, but nodded his ascent.

I did, too, feeling a little braver about it since Serlv had taken it so well.

And then I realised that we still had admin access.

There was still an opportunity for it to be removed. Maybe the System was still processing the results of the damage, or was waiting for us to leave, but right now, I had the power to safely and effectively free anyone I wanted. The Earth scientists. Cluma. Our families.

"What memories am I supposed to have lost?" he asked.

"Peter asked you why your flame cannot be used against people. What was your answer?"

"I remember that clearly. I answered that it was simply... a... rule..."

Now it was Krana's turn to frown as he realised the inaccuracy of his answer.

"We were neutered. Rendered impotent against any threats," he snapped angrily. "Were we to be pets of the dwarfs, ready to come when called?"

"The dwarfs are affected too, as is everyone else," I clarified, not wanting him to think it was some leash placed only around dragons.

"But not you," pointed out Serlv.

"Originally, it didn't work on me because it wasn't compatible with my Earthen soul. Later, Erryn granted me the [Unbound Soul] trait herself. She valued my outside perspective."

"I see," she responded, refraining from clarifying further, but she must be able to read the description of the trait. She'd have seen the comment about judgement already.

Krana seemed to have calmed down, too, his anger switching to thoughtfulness. That had... gone well. I was cautiously optimistic. I still thought a blanket lifting of the Law was a bad idea, but perhaps we could do something phased? Starting with small groups, checking with [Soul Perception] that the Law wasn't having an effect on them in their day-to-day lives, freeing them and using them to set up policing and management ready for the next stage of the repeal. I still didn't think it was a good idea, but I had perhaps overestimated the difficulty.

"System, please grant the [Unbound Soul] trait to Harry, Abigail, Cara, Calvin, Russell and Dominic of Dawnhold."

"No," answered Serlv, blocking the instruction.

"Huh? Oh, sorry, I suppose I should explain."

"There is no need. I can extrapolate from your behaviours that they are currently unbound by this mind control, but that the state of affairs will not continue forever. It is Erryn's will that those of this world cannot comprehend violence. I shall not stand against it. If they wish to remain unbound, they should return to Earth."

"What? But you immediately freed Krana!"

"That was required. Erryn left us to defend this world in her stead, which we cannot do effectively if unable to comprehend the threats arrayed against it. Once she has recovered, we shall once again come under the sway of this magic. Furthermore, I believe that you should, too."

What the heck? They were finally free, and among Serlv's first thoughts was that she shouldn't be? That she's only remaining unbound out of necessity, to do her job better? And she wanted me Lawified, too?

Was there any sort of lingering effect? Having spent centuries under its control, was she now unable to see the world in any other way, even without magical restrictions on her thinking? If so, she'd only been freed for minutes. Would her opinions shift with more time?

Maybe that applied to everyone, and that was why I so rarely saw the Law interfere in people's actions? They were so used to being guided by it, ruled by it from the moment of birth, that it had become an integral part of their personalities. But that was an aside... Right now, I had more important tasks to deal with.

"Then by that logic, we do need Harry and his colleagues. We need them to find a way to block further intrusion from Earth!"

"If that turns out to be the case, then yes, I shall consider protecting them for the duration of their task. But we now have a powerful new tool available. Do you not think that the System could prevent the formation of further portals from Earth?"

Oh. It almost certainly could. We knew it could detect them, and how hard could it be to disrupt one while it was still forming? And with our administrative access, we could easily instruct it to.

Great. In one fell swoop, it seemed that all our problems had been solved. So why didn't I feel better about it?