God's Garden - I've Got Skills 2

While looking up at the Stormchaser using his unique view of the battlefield, Norvin felt a pulsing throb at the base of his skull, a nagging ache that grew louder with each moment. As he exerted himself using "Archivist's Aegis," witnessing the chaos from above like a spectator in a video game, fatigue began to pull him back into the confines of his own body.

'We're starting to run out of energy kid.' 

Looking down, Norvin grimaced under his helmet. His armor—channeling the sleek form of Kamen Rider Ghost—was covered by dark streaks of blood, a grim reminder of the violence surrounding him. It clung to him, if it was the him from earlier in the day he would have wanted to puke from all the nasty guts. He needed to rid himself of it, and fast, so that he could become invisible again.

'Restore your focus, Norvin.' The voice of the sub-body chimed in his thoughts again. 'You must push the blood away and become invisible again. We can't afford to be a target anymore.'

'That's what I was thinking.' He concentrated on the warmth of his psychic energy. The feeling of his powers pulsed within him, a presence of energy that felt both familiar and foreign; invigorating despite his exhaustion. He visualized the blood on his armor. After a few moments he could 'feel' the blood itself with his energy.

'Feel the weight of it.' the sub-body advised, its tone steady. 'You have the power to expel it. Imagine it slipping away.'

Norvin set his will into motion. He pictured the blood like clumps that were half dry now, adhering to the pristine surface of his armor, and focused on sending out waves of that energy he could feel circulating inside him. It crackled from him like electricity, a force that pulsed against the dark stains.

As he exhaled sharply, he felt the energy shoot outward, shoving against the blood with a mental push. The sensation was fierce, a tug-of-war between his will and the physical matter he was trying to influence.

With a powerful mental shove, he could feel the blood begin to lift—first reluctantly, then eagerly, as if it realized it no longer belonged on him. Like smoke dissipating in the wind, it spiraled away, leaving his armor shining brightly in the sunlight once more.

"Nobody can save me now, no, nobody can save me now..."

The song that had been playing during the fight was slowly fading away now too. Norvin felt a little bit weaker and more tired as the hype the music provided started to disappear. 

'Excellent! Now, focus on becoming invisible, grab one of those stupid dogs and lets go!' The sub-body instructed, urgency started to enter its tone.

Norvin used the power of Kamen Rider Ghost again, summoning the energy that cloaked him in nothingness. He melded his presence with the surrounding area, his form flickering like a wavering flame ready to extinguish. The air around him thickened as he melded into smoke that was still rising from the fiery beasts below him feasting, becoming a hidden specter amid the chaos.

'Remember the Gale Howlers.' The sub-body reminded him. 'We need one for our survival. Look for the closest one.'

'Won't the bird see a dead Howler moving through the air as we run?'

'Good point, hurry up and catch a live one on the way out.'

As he darted from the flickering lights of the Stormchaser gathering up energy above, he quickly scanned the battlefield with keen eyes. There, just at the periphery of his vision, a fleeing Gale Howler ran; it had decided to abandon the place along with the other two of its kind and was already near the edge of the clearing.

With a swift movement, Norvin dove down and then hit the ground running, he maneuvered through the dead corpses, avoiding detection as he ghosted toward the escaping Gale Howler. He caught up and with one final burst of energy, he lifted the beast with ease by its throat, crushing it as he went. Its once-mighty frame now limp in his arms.

'Good, now retreat into the forest!' the sub-body urged. 'We must find safety and regroup. There's lots to do, we are a target until we are out of sight due to the way we arrived here with so many outsiders.'

Just as he felt the heat of the Stormchaser's gaze sharpen above, Norvin propelled himself into the cover of the trees, blending seamlessly into the underbrush as he plunged deep into the heart of the forest. The darkness wrapped around him like a cloak, and for a fleeting moment, he felt a rush of exhilaration as he escaped the immediate danger.

The Stormchaser had noticed him fell its underling at the last moment, but as soon as Norvin entered the tree line, it turned its attention towards the two beasts enjoying their cooked bug. The massive bird dove down to enjoy a few bites itself.

"Hold steady, Norvin, and prepare for a bit of a small hike," the sub-body reinforced, its presence a grounding sensation amidst the rush of adrenaline. The woods around him enveloped him in quiet, a brief respite in which he could plan and gather his strength for whatever awaited him next.

"There should be a cave about five miles to the north of the clearing. We can rest and talk there."

"How come nothing is following us, or attacking us now? And why are we finally speaking out loud?"

"The rules of the interior of the forest are different than the nexus clearing, you can let go of your transformation kid, you're just wasting energy now."

"Alrighty then..." Norvin reached for his wrist and pressed the face of the Holodex. The armor's solid form rippled around him, the Ghost armor appeared to dissolve into golden light as it withdrew towards his arm and into the device.

Instantly, Norvin felt a decrease in his mental exhaustion, the slight headache he had started to develop disappeared too.

"Ahhhh, that feels way better." 

"Tell me about it, kid. That was quite the fight. Why would you choose to use Ghost instead of a speedster type transformation?"

Norvin held up the wrist to examine the Holodex on it, while slinging the dead Gale Howler onto his other shoulder. 

"Seeing that we can talk out loud now, let's have a little chat. I chose to become Ghost because I simply wanted to. Rule of cool...I like how the armor looks. You could say I was feelin it."

"You were 'feeling' it? That is a pretty stupid reason to use an inefficient form, Norvin."

Norvin scoffed at that. "Pfft, so you can read my thoughts, but not my true emotions huh? At least that leaves some room to maneuver with you...By the way, what should I call you, Mr. sub-body? Number 106 was it?"

"I lack a proper name. I adopted a deeper tone that seems to fit your preferences, so even 'Mr.' is questionable, kid. I am a piece of a universal abstract entity, not an human like you. I suppose we can come up with something interesting for you to label me with...Let's get to that cave first though. It is getting quite dark already."

Norvin didn't respond to the nameless sub-body. He started marching towards the cave that had been mentioned before. His mind raced while he thought about everything that had happened so far. Norvin's thoughts circled back to all the killing in the bar, his friends that had been exiled to who knows where, even to what would happen to his motorcycle and His and Edwards rental house. 

He thought about the impact the events at the bar would have on the locals and how the police would react to the bizarre scene. He also wondered how Makoto was doing.

Norvin had always fantasized about becoming a super-powered person but now that he had, the taste was more bitter than sweet. 

Some time passed while walking. The sub-body had been quiet the entire time while Norvin had been traveling, as if it was giving him some time to think about everything.

As Norvin traveled, he observed a striking rock formation that dominated the landscape. Towering above the dense underbrush, it resembled a weathered miniature mountain, its rugged surface sculpted by centuries of wind and rain. Gray stone protruded in sharp angles, marked by veins of deep moss and clusters of lichen that tenaciously clung to its crevices, weaving a tapestry of green against the subdued earth tones.

''This is the spot, behind those thickly packed bushes and roots.'' The sub-body had finally started talking again. 

The cave's entrance was partially obscured by a cluster of thick, gnarled roots and intertwining vines that had woven themselves into the edifice like nature's own curtain. Above, the canopy of trees arched protectively, their branches intertwining, allowing only slivers of moonlight to spill down, illuminating the ground with a muted glow. Soft ferns and low shrubs crowded at the base, their branches brushing against one another in the stillness.

Norvin reached out with the same energy he had used to expel the blood from his Rider form. He thought about pushing the brush to the side. His energy responded to him much faster that the last attempt had. The bushes and other foliage were torn out by their roots and thrown to either side.

A large opening had been revealed.

"Whoa, that was way easier than the first time I tried to go Mob Psycho."

"...I'm not even going to bother looking into your memory to find out about that reference, I assume you're going on about your psychic energy. It's another of your abilities, kid. Every time you do something, you get much more efficient at it."

"What skill is that? That seems pretty useful. Using my power felt way easier, almost as if I'd done it hundreds of times rather than just once."

The sub-body was brief with its response. 

"Head inside the cave, cover the entrance back up and then use 'Cosmic Catalogue' on yourself."

"Not a bad idea I guess..." Norvin shook his head, slightly embarrassed that a self acclaimed RPG pro like himself hadn't thought to do this already.

"...You think it's safe inside there?"

"Safety is subjective, kid," the sub-body replied, its voice steady and unyielding. "But this is a good place to regroup and get some food inside us. We need a temporary base. As long as nothing wanders inside while you're resting or meditating, we should be fine."

"Meditating?"

"You'll see what I mean shortly. Once we're inside, I suggest we conceal the entrance," the sub-body advised again. "We don't want any critters like that Umbrantiss stumbling in and finding us."

He reached once again for the energy that now felt like an extension of himself. With a focused thought, he gathered it, feeling the familiar surge as the psychic energy responded to his will. The brush that had been unceremoniously uprooted earlier flickered at the edges of his vision as he called it back, using the foliage to obscure their hiding place.

As the leaves and branches rearranged themselves, Norvin glanced deeper into the cave, where darkness reigned.

"Don't worry, I've got this." With a bright flash, the sub-body made the Holodex emit a light that illuminated the cave.

As Norvin looked around the now visible cave, he noticed the air had turned cool and damp, wrapping around him like a shroud. The walls were a bit wet with moisture, the sound of distant drips echoing softly, creating a rhythmic counterpoint to the quiet. Shadows danced in the glow of his Holodex, revealing rough textures and formations that jutted from the rock face like ancient sculptures carved by the elements over eons.

The cave's interior curved and narrowed, leading deeper into its depths. Stalactites hung from above, their tips dripping water that pooled in small pockets on the rocky floor. The ground was uneven, strewn with small stones and patches of slick moss that made each step squishy.

To his left, he saw a small alcove that caught his eye, partially shadowed but inviting. Within it, a sturdy rock shelf protruded against the far wall. It was naturally formed, worn smooth in places, just enough to provide a bit of comfort. A light dusting of dried ferns and soft moss lay strewn across its surface, suggesting it could serve as a makeshift bed — a cozy, if crude, refuge in the otherwise emptiness of the cave.

"This could work as a temporary bed," Norvin murmured to himself, brushing his fingers along the shelf's surface and feeling the cool stone beneath. "Not exactly a five-star hotel, but it'll do."

He stepped back, surveying the space. The flickering light from his Holodex illuminated more of the cave's interior. Along the walls, intricate patterns emerged, perhaps the markings of ancient travelers or stories left behind in the stone — It looked like he wasn't the first person to have used this place.

"Incredible," he whispered, his earlier fatigue momentarily forgotten as curiosity was roused. "This place feels…alive.