Chapter 56
"Well to tell ya the truth, we figured that ya wouldn't wake up at all, being in this weird kinda limbo of sleep and locked in ya subconscious." Yami tells him sheepishly.
"Well I'm awake and aware now so lets just do what we need to in order to repair my soul, I need to train, get stronger and work on making those bastards pay for what they did to my world." John says angrily.
"Cool ya jets, this can actually work out in ya favor. Being here means ya have more chance to train or whatever with the others here, even me! Plus being ya mind and all means ya can change some things to help ya train and stuff easier than outside." Yami explains hooking a arm around John and slowly walking him out the black void.
"And how good would that be though? I mean I won't have muscle memory of what I learn here, and well it would be good practice wont the fact its my mind negatively effects my progress? For example, if I where carve something here wouldn't the fact, I'm in my mind ensure the final product is what I desire and eliminate any mistakes it may have?" John couldn't help but counter, understanding that well he could practice here there was no guarantee it would work with the same principles as the real world.
"Uhm yeah no ya got me there, but im sure there is plenty other stuff ya can learn and do bud, I mean some of the ones that took residence can probably teach ya things you didn't know, and I mean even if there is a correction at least it would cause ya to remember the motions and experience from trying, then when ya do go back just train muscle memory." Yami tried to rationalize and help find a solution for him.
"Huh, I didn't realize you were able to think so logically or intellectually you colour coded eye sore." A soft childlike voice seemed to echo around them, the black surroundings receding as they came to a small lake with a cozy wooden house. the sky blue with cracks and large tears visible upon it along with a grid like net, mountains to one side with a large granite face visible between them, a large black dragon in the distance and a spire reaching up into the sky on the other. A creepy looking forest of black and white trees with nooses hanging from there branches and chains littering the ground, small slimes of various colours bustling about keeping things in order and transporting things around as needed. In the distance faintly visible where large marks on the ground, some as circles, others as squares, what they all had in common though where the strange unrecognizable words that made up there form and the faint glow they seemed to let off. John knew there where various other places here just out of sight, he created this world in his mind afterall.
"I will admit surprise that your awake but considering that you where able to create a complex mental plane such as this proves you have a good strength of soul, or rather had. Being conscious though should help hasten the healing and repairs though, well once your properly on your feet or adapt enough to handle the pain." The soft voice says once more but this time the source being visible.
Out of the small house came a young girl, looking no older than 13, her black hair falling down behind her and trailing the ground with a sleepy and bored look on her porcelain doll like face, her black dress with white trim giving her a gothic like appearance hugging a red pillow with black and white swirls.
"So ya finally woke up and decided to be a part of things did ya little witch? Figured ya would keep sleeping after ya helped stabilize John's soul and helped us put a small bit of ourselves into him." Yami quipped with a smirk.
"It was my original plan, but I could hear your voice all the way from over here and it disturbed me, so I listened to what you had to say and decided I would attempt to help a bit somehow. Maybe if I teach John some of my soul magic's it would prevent him form harming his soul so badly in the future." She says with a head tilt.
"Once his soul is a bit more repaired and healed though, I fear if he tried anything in his current state, he would end up worse than a whisp." She added with a yawn.
"You know I think this is the first time I've ever heard you speak, normally your silent like almost everyone else when I come here and interact with everyone." John couldn't help but say rather surprised to hear her speaking.
"Its because each of those times your visits where to brief, had no reason for us to really talk or due to split consciousness you wouldn't be able to hear us even if we did speak. But with you here in such a state your consciousness is fully here, and your soul is more connected with everyone." She explained well fiddling with her pillow. Yami at this point seemed to slip away without either of them really noticing, or rather John didn't notice, and the little witch didn't seem to care.
"So once my soul is a bit better and healed a bit you're going to teach me magic? Definitely not going to say no to that but are you sure I can actually even do it? Few times I tried never really resulted in much of anything." John couldn't help but ask
"Before the change to your world the quantity and purity of energy was extremely low making it far harder to do any sort of mystic arts without eternal help often through contracts with strong beings at a hefty cost. The change though has made it more possible now and your chosen class would also aid you, Afterall you will never be the best soul mage but you should be able to pick up on some of what I teach you and can use it. Even if you don't retain the second rank with my magic you should still at least be able to use it if needed." She says seemingly nodding off into her pillow.
"And we will be teaching you a bit as well, at least to a limited degree benefactor." A scratchy voice over to the side drew he attention to a tree looking creature, its fingers like dried tree branches around a thin staff that had a strange gem mounted on it, its body made of leaves and knarred wood and 2 dark red eyes behind a wooden mask. Along side him stood various beings, from a large skeleton general to a viscous looking human monster with sharp teeth, glowing eyes and sharp claws, its entire form radiating an intent to fight, a smaller greyish black dragon behind them just slightly taller and larger than all of them together with an odd prismatic like slime on its head.
"I got everyone together for ya bud, well almost everyone, these fellas just came first, but were all gonna teach ya as best we can and we aint gonna take it easy on ya just because your our saviour, friend and keeping you alive will keep us alive." Yami tells him with a wide grin.
Seeing all this John couldn't help it, as much pain as it caused him, he laughed loud, long and happily, glad to have such friends here to look out for him.