12 - Portion of Control

"What I mean by portion of control is this," the Ancient explained to me telepathically, "you would allow me some freedom in the physical world through your body. In exchange, I can grant you my abilities."

"Like, possession?"

"It is an apt word."

"Maybe another time."

"I understand. Our bond is new. You might want to know, speaking aloud is not required to communicate with me. You can simply think to me what you wish to say."

*Good to know. What kind of abilities do you have? They have to be of some value for me to give up control over my body to use them.*

"I can create barriers - with or without possession - and I am the only one I know who can speak to the unbonded Soulblades."

*Like them?* I asked, gesturing to a random cluster of swords.

"Yes. Like them."

*If I promised to protect them, am I allowed to leave?*

"None in the Temple of Swords will ursurp your will."

*You said that before. Does that extend to possession?*

"I can guarantee it, though rare circumstances may arise I which it does not. Each sword of the Temple has taken an oath."

Swords taking oaths. Who would have thought.

Silence had approached while I was engrossed in my conversation with Ancient and sat in the hallway against the wall. The long and powerful-looking Frost Dragon was propped up next to her. Katie was still whispering to the Angel. Thomas and Juliana were looking around at the other swords, talking to each other about them.

"You didn't answer my question, though. Can I protect them from outside the temple?"

"You may choose how to honor your promise. There is one path to this room. It holds trials that will disarm or dissuade the majority of uninvited explorers."

"I noticed." I muttered.

"Do know it was a necessary process. Many blades here are powerful and don't care who uses them. The Flame Dragon or Ice Sorcerer as examples."

I felt my attention directed to blades that couldn't go by any other names in the back corner of the room. Near a pathway leading out of the room, opposite of where I stood.

"Wait... You said there was one way here."

"Yes. One way in, two ways out."

"Couldn't someone just come through the other way out?"

"No."

"How do you know that with so much certainty. Is there a sheer drop or something?"

"I made a series of one-way barriers. Not even I can pass through them backwards."

"Can your barriers be broken? I can't imagine anything is perfectly indestructible."

"It would be easier to carve through the stone than to pass the outer barriers of the second path." the Ancient informed me.

I don't know how much time passed before we left, but it was dark by the time we had nearly reached the outside through the one-way barriers. We passed several, arriving at the edge of the building. A final barrier with a slight gray hue separated us from outside. From what I could tell, it opened up a few feet away from the main entrance.

"Was this doorway here the whole time?" I asked.

*Yes,* the Ancient replied, *the barrier is designed to blend in with the rest of the wall.*

"Wouldn't we, or at least Silence, have noticed it if it had been?" Juliana asked.

"Sorry, the Ancient just told me it's invisible from the outside. Just looks like part of the wall."

*The awkwardness of asking me questions could be minimalized if you were to ask telepathically.*

*I was thinking aloud. I'm not used to being able to ask a very knowledgeable sword with my mind.* I replied to the Ancient.

"Anyway," I addressed the others, "since it's dark, maybe we eat and sleep here and leave in the morning."

The others agreed it was a good idea, so we distributed ambush hamster around for dinner. We called it a night, and despite the hard stone, we slept relatively peacefully.

The next day, I woke up second. The strains of the previous three days seemed to have taken a toll on Katie, Thomas, and Juliana. They all lay somewhat comfortable in the stone hallway. Silence and her sword were not in the section between the last two barriers out. I saw her outside, practicing large, sweeping cuts with the Dragon.

I stood, and almost walked through the barrier before the Ancient spoke. *I suggest you don't leave me here.*

"Oh, right." I said, turning around and picking up my new sword. With the Ancient in hand, I stepped outside. Glancing behind me, it looked like I had just walked out of the wall. I put my hand to the portion I had come out of. My hand passed through some thin illusion before resting firmly on a smooth wall of glass.

I looked it over curiously before shrugging and heading over to Silence. She glanced at me, nodded, and went into a flowing series of strikes. I chose a spot alongside her and tried to copy her motions.

I felt like I was learning how to dance, somehow ending in twisted poses that made no sense to me.

Silence stopped after only a few minutes. I stopped too, but she shook her head, miming raising her sword.

I raised the Ancient in a forward, two-handed position. Silence thrust the Dragon in the ground, and pushed me. Thankfully, I had some stance training, so she only threw me off balance.

She squatted down, tracing certain specific muscles. Then she pushed the same muscles on me into position. It was awkward, but my feet stayed planted when she shoved me again.

We went over a few other parts. Grip, posture, and simple movements. I was so busy trying to internalize it all, that I only realized we had an audience until Silence nodded her approval, and returned to her blade dance.

Thomas and Juliana were sitting against the temple holding their blades and watching. Katie poked her head out, the rest coming with when she realized she couldn't pull back in. One of the sleeves on her sweater was over her elbow.

"Good morning," I called out to them.

Katie just waved, her eyes still half-closed. Juliana and Thomas greeted me back.

"We should make a plan for today." I suggested, sitting down facing them.