Seeing her instinctive protest, he raised a hand. "For reasons you have yet to share, you've chosen to press on with your agenda. I will do my best to make sure your body will withstand the demands you're about to place on it." Quillon speared Kira with a look. "But make no mistake, if the treatment fails, or your body continues to deteriorate, I’ll recommend you be failed as an initiate."
Kira opened her mouth to protest but closed it when she caught sight of Quillon's resolute expression. He wasn't going to be swayed by any argument. Fair enough. She'd simply have to make sure it didn't become an issue. Easily doable.
Her nod of agreement was grudging.
Quillon's expression thawed, and he gestured for her to lay back. "We can begin now, if you'd like."
Kira complied. "Might as well. It's the entire reason I'm here."
Quillon raised his hands. One he positioned over her heart, the other over her solar plexus. "This might sting."
Sharp needles stabbed into Kira's middle. A pained grunt escaped her as those needles began to dig, scrambling her insides.
That fucking liar. Sting, her ass. This was agony.
The needles heated up until a white-hot burning sensation spread through her middle. It wasn't simply muscle and veins that suffered. The sensation went much deeper than that, to a place she knew existed but had only caught brief glimpses of until now. The place where the broken channels of her power hung. Neglected. Abused. Torn and tattered until they were barely recognizable as channels at all.
The brief glimpse told Kira why Quillon had seemed faintly impressed she had survived so long. The maze of veins sustaining herkiwere tangled and disjointed. It looked like a pane of glass someone had taken a hammer to. Repeatedly.
Kira fought to hold still, knowing Quillon needed to focus. If this was what it took to be whole, she'd find a way to endure even if it felt like someone had taken a dull spoon and was trying to scoop out her insides.
The pain crescendoed as those needles began weaving, the broken pieces inside starting to move as they slid along each other. Nothing fit as it should, the damage was too extensive, but as Quillon kept working, she saw a pattern emerging from the chaos. It was still a mess, but there was hope where there hadn't been before.
Right when she thought she couldn't take a second more, the needles eased back, cool relief washing in to replace the fire of before.
"I think this is a good place to end today's session." Quillon's voice was shaky, his skin pale, effort and fatigue pulling the corners of his mouth down.
Kira forced herself up to a sitting position, her stomach feeling like she'd gone a few too many rounds with a core workout. Surprisingly, given the depth of pain she'd endured, there weren't many aftereffects.
Quillon crossed to a small table, removing an object and returning to Kira's side. "This is what we call a inhibiter. It'll help you modulate the flow of yourkiuntil you learn how to do that yourself. This will keep you from re-damaging what I've started to rebuild."
Quillon held a wide bracelet. It was silvery and plain, looking more like a cuff than anything. He took Kira’s hand, wrapping the bracelet around her wrist. The two ends fused together, not even a seam to show where it met.
Kira's ears popped, a metallic taste filling her mouth. The great weight she hadn't even known she was carrying receded. It was similar to pulling an eight-hour day in combat armor and then removing it when done.
She felt light and buoyant even as she still felt the press ofki, a hair's breadth outside her perception. She felt like she existed in a glass bubble hundreds of meters below the ocean, separated from its crushing weight by only the slimmest of barriers.
It felt wrong. There was an itch deep inside she would never be able to scratch.
She shook her head, dislodging the thought. Her wrist dropped, and she looked at the bracelet she now wore. Soft blue lines shifted and shimmered along its surface. Runes glowed before fading, leaving inert metal behind.
She felt adrift, cut off from her senses.
Quillon recognized her expression. "What you feel is normal. Many have likened the use of the inhibiter to losing a limb. Eventually, you’ll start to feel lethargic and fatigued. I'm told it feels like an extreme case of a hangover for humans. Your body will adjust as you begin to heal."
Kira could already feel the difference. She wasn't sure she liked it. It left her feeling vulnerable and slow. Not exactly something she was accustomed to feeling. She'd better be prepared to learn fast if she didn't want to get used to the feeling.
EIGHT
The morning detour to Quillon's med bay meant Kira missed breakfast. Already behind, reporting to the Warrior's Hall took priority.
Finn managed to unearth a small pastry filled with meat that he calledkueper, a protein-rich snack meant to tide a warrior over, kind of like a protein bar for humans. Only tastier. The spices burst on Kira's tongue; more vibrant than any quick meal bar she'd ever sampled.
If nothing else, she had to admit the Tuann had amazing food. It would be a shame when she left. Most human food didn't suit her taste buds in the same way.
Thekueperwas a faint memory by the time they reached the hall, a room much more impressive than she had assumed based on the name. Obviously intended for training, it, like the rest of the fortress, managed to seem ancient even while functional.
The ceilings were high, and voices echoed off stone walls.
