Empyrean Iris Story Collection Vol. 4

The Mind Body Connection

"So its impossible?}"

"It can't be impossible; I've done it before." Adam began

Chal had long since drifted below the horizon, and Naktan's mountaintop sanctuary head been plunged into a deep evening shadow. The sky overhead faded slowly to purple and then to a deep blue.. From here the distant sound of fire reached them from the slopes of the holy mountain as blue sulfuric flame licked perpetually up from the depths of the earth.

Firelight flickered gently over them as they sat in a loose semicircle near the entrance to Naktan's cave.

He lay on his back in a bed of moss, Krill sitting at his side to carefully monitor the Drev shaman's vitals.

Turns out restarting someone's heart isn't like how they show it in the movies.

It tends to take a lot out of a person.

Naktan had awoken a few times but had been mostly incoherent. His half exhausted sleep deprived brain having a difficult time articulating into words.

So they let him sleep.

Adam sat shoulder to shoulder with Sunny atop the field of white moss, and looking around he imagined her training her under the tutelage of Naktan. All of that seemed so very long ago,

The drev shaman shifted slowly, rolling onto his side to lever himself up with one arm. Krill moved forward insisting he lie back down, but Naktan waved him away. His movements were slow and painful, and he kept one hand resting gingerly atop his chest where they had performed compressions.

Everyone shifted forward in their seats.

Waiting.

Naktan adjusted himself in to a cross legged sitting position, which krill grudgingly deemed fine as he backed away.

"that was, enlightening." The Drev said, a hint of irony passing into his voice, "If I had known I might have tried dying sooner." He laughed to himself though the rest of them remained silent looking on in concern as he spoke.

Naktan looked at them and sighed, "Very well ..." He rested his hands gently on his lap, "The path which we are trying to tread is impossible."

A chorus of protests rose around the circle.

"What do you mean impossible."

"So this was all for nothing."

Adam felt himself rise up a bit, heat coloring his face, "I know its possible, I have done it before."

Maverick chorused him.

Naktan Raised a hand and they all went silent, "You all saw what I saw, the bridge and the three in the sky."

Ramirez shrugged, "I mean yeah, but is that supposed to mean soemthing?"

"Yes, It...." Naktan paused and took a breath, "Here, let me see if I can explain this as far as I understand it." He shifted in his seat and Krill went o stop him, but the Drev waved him off settling into a more comfortable position as he began to speak. He raised all four of his arms illustrating his point as he spoke.

"When the Architect and the Makers designed the constructs, they needed a vessel to contain the Anima. The body is basically like an elaborate prison, a labyrinth of courts designed to dampen and contain the power. Parts of the vessel inhibit certain powers or certain parts of the anima. The brain, while being the nerve center of the body, is also a macrostructure specifically designed to house and confuse the anima until death, which is why you see only sentient species with anima, or at least anima as powerful as w understand them. The more anima the more brain that is required to contain it hence sentient species having larger or more complicated brains."