Colleöne nodded.

“First, why don’t you pull up your status?”

Ateia nodded.

Then she frowned.

Then her face scrunched up.

Then her face fell and her head dropped.

“Um…Great Victoria…I…can’t seem to find my status…”

Colleöne smirked slightly.

“That is correct.”

Ateia’s head popped up.

“Huh?”

Colleöne nodded.

“The status is representative of the assistance the Aesdes grant to the inhabitants of the Material Plane. While the dungeons and dungeon masters are necessary, we noted with concern their advantages over other life forms. So we developed this system to even the odds, and ensure that all life would have the opportunity to grow.”

Colleöne smiled at Ateia.

“You are now an Aesdes, so you no longer qualify for such assistance.”

Ateia frowned.

“So my strength…my skills…they’re all gone?”

Colleöne shook her head.

“Not quite. We do not grant the mortals power out of nowhere, after all. Your status records what you have already achieved, and molds our power to boost your own abilities to higher levels. And when we grant new boons, it is the molding of your potential, the increase of your stature on account of your deeds, into a form that is more readily mastered. Your skills, your abilities, your potential, they all still exist within your body, your mind, and your spirit. It is only that the power of the Aesdes will no longer guide and strengthen those things.”

Colleöne smirked again.

“Because you no longer need the help.”

Ateia rubbed her chin.

“My Exploratores mentor once told me I should ignore my skill at first, learn to do the attack myself and let the skill help me instead. Is that what this is?”

Colleöne nodded.

“Your mentor was wise, that’s exactly right. The skill will no longer help you. Instead, you must learn to draw upon your own power, and mold it as you will. Come, and take up the weapon or tool you are most familiar with. It does not need to be for battle.”

Ateia nodded and stepped forward, taking up a spot besides Colleöne. She took and strung her bow.

“Now, think of a skill you used often. One that you learned on your own, if possible.”

Ateia closed her eyes and thought. The skill she used most was the Power Shot…but that had been one she had selected from her boons. She always relied on the Aesdes for that one, so she didn’t really recall how exactly it worked. Instead, she turned her thoughts to the Harpoon Shot, the skill Miallói had taught her to do by hand.

“Don’t think of the status, or the activation. Think about the motions of your body. Think about the movement of your mana. And think about the effect of the skill. Think on what you want it to achieve. Once you have a clear image in your mind, try to replicate it.”

Ateia slowly opened her eyes and knocked an arrow, drawing it back. She reached out for her mana, and found it still reacted to her call, same as before. She wrapped the mana around the arrow.

Her metallic wings extended, and the arrow began to glow faintly with golden and silver light. But Ateia ignored the arrow, as Miallói had taught her. Instead, she looked out across the cove, to a boulder sticking out of the shallows. She imagined chains wrapping around the boulder, holding it in place.

She let loose her arrow.

The arrow shot straight forward with no deviation or wobbling, with a trail of golden and silver light streaming behind it. It pierced straight into the boulder…and then the golden and silver light formed into chains of mana that wrapped around the boulder as she had imagined.A case of theft: this story is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation.

Colleöne smiled and patted her shoulder.

“Well done. Your mentor taught you well. As I said before, we Aesdes are defined more by our spirits and our statures than our bodies. That goes for your skills and your abilities as well. You are no longer constrained by the paths we have set forth for the inhabitants of the Material Plane. Your skills are now only constrained by your power, and your skill at weaving it.”

Colleöne motioned to Ateia’s bow.

“Still, that comes with its own burdens. Lack of constraint can also become a lack of focus. Since your abilities can now be defined by your spirit, any hesitation, distraction, or disruption can impact your skills. Focus your power clearly on a singular task and you will eventually surpass any mortal relying on a skill. Try to do too much and your strength will be diluted, and you will end up even weaker than you were before. It is for this reason that each Aesdes has a chosen domain like Courage and Victory for myself or Light and Sky for Anualë, focusing ourselves on one or two aspects helps us to strengthen the definition of our spirits.”

Ateia nodded.

“So…do I need to pick something…or does someone else tell me?”

Colleöne shook her head.

“You are still young, both as a human and an Aesdes. You should still be exploring the possibilities of what you could be, aspects will emerge over time if they are needed. For now, just know that focus is more important than ever for you, especially during battle. It would be wise to have something to focus your power through. It could be a weapon, a skill, a school of magic, an attribute, or even another person. Something that you know well, and that has meaning to you. The bow can be a good place to start, try to see if you can replicate all of the different skills you could perform before. Once you can perform all the skills you already knew, we can explore what else you can do with your power.”

Ateia nodded. She knocked another arrow, thinking of another skill.

To the side, NSLICE-00P watched, her robotic eye flickering and recording all that Colleöne taught Ateia. Taog had finished cooking and walked over with two bowls of soup, handing one to NSLICE-00P. He, too, listened attentively to the lesson…

After Ateia practice with the bow for a bit, Colleöne called her over to NSLICE-00P.

“You have begun to explore your Aesdes nature, but that is only half of what you are now. I will admit that I am not fully versed on your other half…”

She turned to NSLICE-00P and smiled.

“But fortunately we have someone who is. NSLICE-00P, could you explain the ‘cybernetic components’ for Ateia? Perhaps start with the goal of the ‘NSLICE program’ and its nature?”

“Affirmative.”

NSLICE-00P began to explain the existence of superpowered beings in her original world, and how the NSLICE program arose to counter them.

As she did, she tentatively linked to Ateia’s cybernetic components, and sent them some data and records on the NSLICE program. Ateia’s cybernetic components still had most of their protocols disabled, acting as simple prosthetics at present. Ateia furrowed her brow as information entered her mind directly, but she did not react in pain, so NSLICE-00P continued.

Ateia stared at NSLICE-00P, moisture building in her organic eye as she parsed through the records.

“Seero…”

She shook her head and took a deep breath. NSLICE-00P was trying to help her learn about her other half. She should focus on that for now.

“Ok…so if I have this correctly…these are kind of like a golem? Attached to a person to make them stronger?”

NSLICE-00P’s robotic eye flickered.

“Affirmative Response: That is a reasonable approximation.”

Ateia’s face turned dark.

“And also…to control people? So they could be commanded like a golem?”

“Affirmative.”

Ateia took a deep breath.

“Ok…and you AREN’T listening to those people anymore, right?”

“Affirmative. Relevant Explanation: This unit is still searching for appropriate command personnel on recommendation of her previous Commander.”

Ateia’s eyes narrowed.

“Seero…can you tell me more about your previous Commander, and the people they recommended?”

“Affirmative.”

NSLICE-00P sent Ateia the records of her last Commander. Ateia blinked and her robotic eye flickered as videos played before her eyes.

“Wait…that Commander…looks like you?”

“Affirmative Response: This unit’s previous commander was an NSLICE unit whose organic components bore a superficial resemblance to this unit. This unit, however, could not identify the Commander’s cybernetic components and did not attempt to investigate as per intelligence compartmentalization protocols. The Commander’s organic components also gave off non-standard readings but this unit has not attempted to analyze them as per intelligence compartmentalization protocols.”

Ateia blinked but shook her head as she continued watching.

““I am sorry for what I must ask you to do. And I am sorry I could not set you free like the others. It will make it easier for you to complete your mission and you must succeed, at all costs. And…the journey is as important as the destination. If you survive, I am certain you will find your own way, and your own family. So…I’m sorry, and thank you. Please…complete your primary directive, and save the universe.”

Ateia jumped.

“Wait…you…or, um, ‘NSLICE units’ can talk normally?!”

“Observation: This unit’s commander occasionally made use of less precise organic speech patterns. This unit also observed a handful of other NSLICE units utilizing such speech patterns after regaining pre-upgrade organic memories.”

Ateia tilted her head.

“Then why don’t you?”

“Explanation: This unit was programmed with highly specific speech patterns in order to avoid any possible miscommunications.”

Ateia was about to respond about how she didn't understand a lot of what NSLICE-00P said when another message appeared before her eyes, translated by NSLICE-00P into Imperial.

“Hello, NSLICE-00P. If you’re reading this, then you have completed your mission and survived. I thank you from the bottom of my heart…”

Ateia’s jaw dropped as she read through the Commander’s final message to NSLICE-00P. She slowly turned to look at NSLICE-00P.

“Seero…um…”

“Acknowledgement: Does NSLICE Ateia have additional queries or updates for this unit?”