Survival

The souls of both Richard and the broodmother’s avatar were wrapped up in a storm of spiritual energy, vortices of power crashing into them from all sides. The barrier he’d rebuilt was like a tiny bubble being blown about in the midst of this storm, about to pop at any time.

Regret was no longer an option. It was all he could do to watch these incoming vortices with full attention and avoid those that were far too violent, jumping between the gentle ones to minimise the impact. His blessing of truth allowed him to see the soul world as though it was real, giving him the opportunity to use his other blessing to find a safe path amidst the storm.

However, safety was relative. Even in the easiest pathway his soul-form and the tiny egg it was now holding was on the verge of breaking down under the...