From The Ashes - 040

[A/N: Hey guys, the last few weeks were packed full with different appointments and other family stuff. I was hardly at home or had any time for myself, so I just wrote some chapters whenever I had a few minutes to myself. Things should get less stressful soon, or at least, I am determined to make it so.

Anyway, I picked up on this story again and may write a few chapters whenever I have some time, though my focus is still on 'The Wanderer'.

Also, I hope you all had a nice Christmas with your loved ones, and I wish you the same for this New Year!

Personally, I very much look forward to the new given that this last one was a bit of a drag. Still, thank you for your continued support over the year and your well-wishes, love you and see ya next year guys!]

Chapter 040 – Progress

[2012]

Days passed as I continued my training on Vormir.

I mainly alternated between practicing the advanced form of Armament Haki, Internal Destruction, and my swordsmanship while continuously keeping up the tempering of my soul and spirit with the Soul Stone's cosmic energy.

I could feel my Haki growing stronger with each passing moment while my spiritual perception developed further.

Apart from using Bahat for sparring purposes against animated elemental giants, I had also opted to meditate while trying to connect on a deeper level with the blade.

I basically never stopped infusing my Conqueror's Spirit into the blade but besides that, I also tried to guide and channel the overbearing nature of the remnant will without being consumed by it, instead of aiming for pure submission.

I didn't want to 'break' the blade's will, I wanted to master it.

Bahat's ferocious and arrogant nature was what made it such an exceptional weapon, destroying that would be a foolish mistake.

Still, even if the remnant will lacked true vitality and life, taming a behemoth that devoured suns was more than just 'difficult'. It would take more time than just a few weeks, even if the constant infusion of my Conqueror's Haki and inner fire was not without results.

Bahat's resistance to my infusion of energy and spiritual strength had weakened compared to the beginning but it was still hard to predict when I would gain full control over this blade.

Naturally, I also spent some time every day to gain deeper insights into the mysterious abilities of the two Infinity Stones in my possession, trying my best to unearth their potential and increase the control that I had over them.

This was especially true for the Soul Stone as ever since I had started to use it to temper my soul and spirit, I had sensed that there was something strange about my soul though I lacked the fine control and mastery over the cosmic ingot to explore this on a deeper level.

My inner fire had also started to darken by a few shades since I had started the tempering and while I wasn't sure if the two were connected, my instincts told me that this was the case.

For now, I could only be patient though and slowly explore the mysteries within myself.

On the plus side, I had already assimilated all of Marco's techniques with the blade after only a few days of training and was now on the path of slowly developing a style that suited my character and incorporated my various abilities.

Training aside, I still found it almost impossible to sleep alone in the bed. The few times that I had tried it, I had been restless the entire night and couldn't fall asleep at all, memories of the past haunting me.

Thankfully, with Johann around, the cottage wasn't as empty and quiet anymore, which helped me slowly settle down somewhat.

He, on the other hand, spent most of his days in the Royal Library, reading and studying anything that he could get his hands on. He hadn't yet started to learn any form of magic since he suffered from a serious lack of fundamental knowledge, which made any practical studies very dangerous.

Still, this had done nothing to quell his eagerness. On the contrary, his eyes positively glowed with boundless curiosity and the desire for knowledge that had formerly been inaccessible to him.

I enjoyed listening to his 'discoveries' whenever we had a meal together as it not only gave me a more comprehensive idea about magic as a discipline overall but he also didn't mind that I primarily took the role of a listener.

Most of the time, I wasn't one for long conversations but I had always enjoyed listening, especially so when the topic was as interesting as this one was. The origins and fundamentals of magic study, where else could I learn about these so leisurely?

A few weeks passed like this. Immersed in our respective training and studies, Johann and I could be said to live in seclusion on the flying mountain while Earth continued to experience the aftershocks of the 'Battle of New York' and Asgard slowly dealt with the Marauders.

With Thor spearheading the battle for the Asgardians, this ragtag group of interstellar pirates was mercilessly crushed on the fronts where he was present. Unfortunately, he couldn't split himself up so for Asgard to drive away or, ideally, exterminate the Marauders was still a slow process overall.

On that topic, I hadn't seen Thor or Sif since they had gone to the battlefield but every now and then, I found myself thinking about the dark-haired warrioress, wondering if she would survive this war.

After all, this was another reality and I couldn't be sure that things would go as I remembered them. Battlefields weren't stagnant pools of water, they were ever-changing and dangerous. A single wayward arrow was all that was necessary for her to lose her life.

On the other hand, I didn't worry about Thor at all. He was Asgard's Strongest and could take quite the beating, he didn't even lose his wrestling match with Banner's more interesting side so I doubted that the Marauders were even capable of taking his life even if he stood still.

Sensing the approach of Johann's presence, as well as another slightly familiar aura, I ended my morning meditation as I opened my eyes and turned my head towards him.

“My Lord.”, he greeted respectfully while bowing lightly, “The Queen has arrived with the Einherjar just now to look for you.”

Johann was clad in a tailor-made black brocade tunic and some simple yet fitting pants, along with a pair of handcrafted black leather shoes. His whole attire was a gift from Frigga as were most of my clothes.

He looked rather stately with his tall well-muscled frame while clad in all-black, almost distracting one from his sharp and somewhat hollow features and the red skin that was marked by the vicissitudes of age.

In stark contrast to his flawless black attire stood the ashen-black tattered robe that he had wrapped around his shoulders, though the way it seemed to move on its own added an enigmatic edge to his otherwise dark and wraithly presence.

Sensing the Queen's emotions with a quick burst of my Observation Haki, I noticed that she seemed mostly calm so I guessed that her visit was not an urgent one but likely one born out of courtesy and her desire to further smooth over the grudge between her husband and me.

To be honest, her timing was good since it had been a few weeks since I had last seen her. She was a patient woman, which prevented her actions from being perceived as an annoyance. If she had come by every few days, it would have been more of a bother than a pleasant exchange.

“Invite her to have breakfast with us, I will be there shortly.”, I instructed Johann lightly before closing my eyes again.

“Yes, my Lord.”, he replied, and I could 'see' him bowing and retreating quietly through my mind's eye.