The Storm Wolf: Gathering Clouds - 6. Ether

Ether: Filling the void, yet absent.

"Terminal, end program." I issued the command to the control system, and the projections around the training room flickered briefly before vanishing. The room began resetting to its original form, drawing various structures back into the walls and floor.

"This is completely unreasonable," Luther muttered, lying on his back and removing his protective goggles with a grumble. "How could you possibly focus on sensing while making moves like that?"

"Practice." I set down my goggles and walked back to the center of the room, offering a paw to pull up the mutt.

Luther stared up at me with a wounded puppy look, clearly unconvinced.

"Fine, I've got a bloodline advantage." I needed a way to counter those large, Rationalism damn brown eyes bearing down on me--this could become a real problem. "The unique neural connections and structure of Snow grant us dynamic vision and reflexes far surpassing others. Added to that, we have high-efficiency muscle tissue and bone density, giving me a physical edge."

The mutt crossed his arms, responding with a defensive "Mm-hmm."

"But I still spent over a decade mastering swordsmanship, not to mention years refining it to perfection--that took countless hours." I flicked his ear lightly, hoping he'd take the lesson to heart. "Talent is indeed crucial, but it's only something you worry about after investing significant time and effort. Besides, your psychic abilities grant you Perception far beyond what normal people could ever achieve. You stand above so many."

Luther's ears drooped, and he didn't retort--hopefully, he was grasping his own strengths.

"Sounds like a blessing..." he murmured. "Do you know how loud it all is?"

"Of course I don't." Sighing, I placed a paw on his shoulder. "We each have our burdens, and these trials are what shape us." My talent lies in Domination, so my Perception isn't as refined--I can't truly grasp what Luther feels when he opens his consciousness fully.

"I only know that, occasionally, a few drinks help make it a bit more bearable." Luther's shoulders slumped as he looked down at his shoes.

"Dulling connection with your psychic abilities isn't the answer." Since I'd banned his drinking, he'd complained about it from time to time. But Karl's medical report listing his liver's age as at least forty had cemented my stance. "Keep practicing--once you truly master your Perception, these troubles will fade."

Luther replied with a grunt--not fully compliant, but at least willing to accept it. We could dive deeper into this conversation another day; today seemed a fitting moment to deliver some good news.

"Alright, enough lecturing. I have a surprise for you. You're going to love it." Noticing the change in my tone, Luther perked up, tilting his head as he waited for me to continue. "I think you're ready to have your own sword."

I walked over to the control panel by the sliding door, activating it to reveal the sword rack, selecting the hand-and-a-half sword I needed.

A faint murmur of protest reverberated from the sword's hilt as I took hold of it, making me chuckle softly.

Hey, don't be like that--we agreed on this, remember?

"My sword?" Luther tried to sound nonchalant, but excitement seeped into his voice. He kept his arms crossed, but his fidgeting gave him away, his tail wagging broadly behind him.

I felt a sense of déjà vu, a grin creeping onto my face.

"Yes, a gift." I held the sword out by its sheath, extending it to him. "This is Ether, a complete adamantine weapon." I offered him an encouraging smile, gesturing for him to take it. "It will look after you."

"It's so... black." Luther frowned, bringing the sword close to his snout to inspect the hand-and-a-half sword.

"Yes, Ether's sheath, hilt, and guard are all black," I said lightly, feeling the deep resonance from Ether as it responded. "Black as night."

"I thought you'd make one for me." Luther finally reached out and accepted the sword.

"Sorry, I can't forge another complete adamantine weapon." I laughed quietly, swallowing the bitterness welling up inside. "If I keep splitting off more of myself, I'll lose my mind."

"Wait, I thought that was just a metaphor." Luther drew the blade, testing its balance with a flick of his wrist. Watching him reminded me of when he barely understood a guard stance--how time flies.

"No, forging a complete adamantine weapon literally requires infusing a part of your soul." I gripped Gray Snow's hilt, running my thumb over the hexagonal pommel, feeling its steady pulse in response. "That's also part of why this gift is so precious."

Luther nodded, running through a few stances as he swung the sword.

"It feels... awkward." He frowned. "The length of the blade is a bit odd; if only..." He suddenly let go, and the hand-and-a-half sword clattered to the floor with a metallic clang.

"What's wrong?" I tilted my head, not sure what had happened.

"I... I don't know," Luther muttered, eyeing Ether where it lay on the ground. After a moment, he crouched down, picking up the hand-and-a-half sword again.

"Although it wasn't custom-made for you, a complete adamantine weapon can adjust its structure through resonance once it accepts an owner." I continued, watching as Luther inspected the sword with a puzzled look.

"So I need its approval?" He tapped the blade, producing a faint hum. "How does a sword even know... ah!" He dropped Ether again, this time stepping back with a startled expression. "It shocked me!"

"Uh..." I scratched my ear, unsure how to respond to this unexpected situation. "That's... certainly unusual."

"Isn't this your sword?" Luther crouched cautiously, extending a single finger to touch the hilt, only to recoil with a yelp as his fur stood on end.

"No, I'm the forger," I said, analyzing the pulse from the adamantine weapon to detect any signs of rejection, but found none--this was truly odd, as I was sure Ether had accepted Luther. "I gave it to you as a gift, so it's your sword now; you're its owner."

I wasn't ready to dive into the complex rules surrounding ownership priority with a complete adamantine weapon--another time.

"It hates me!" the mutt concluded, sitting on the floor with a conflicted expression as he poked the blade with its scabbard.

"I believe you just need to get to know each other better," I sighed, mentally reviewing all my knowledge of adamantine weapons and wondering whom I could consult on this. "A little bonding will help."

"Easy for you to say," Luther grumbled, casting me a mournful look. "Your sword doesn't zap you!"

To be fair, he had a point, so I merely shrugged without arguing.

"I have to go," I said as a unique alert sound came from my terminal, notifying me that my meeting had been moved up unexpectedly. "Get along, alright?"

Luther gave a begrudging grunt, perhaps not as thrilled as I'd hoped. But honestly, I hadn't anticipated such an unexpected scenario myself.

Before leaving the training room, I caught a glimpse of Luther wrapping his shirt around his paw, gingerly lifting Ether by the hilt.

Seems like it's going pretty well--no doubt they'll be fine!

My optimism held firm, even as a loud yelp of pain pierced the air from behind the closed metal door.