His return was instant, in contrast to the turbulent impromptu skydiving session that was his entrance to his Path. His eyes flicked themselves open, and without waiting the sun's rays that struck through the gaps in the statue's body made themselves known to him. He raised a hand to shield himself, groaning as he struggled to move from his cross-legged position.
"All was successful, I hope?"
Raoul jaunted back, relaxing as Jhestine's worried expression hit. She had shifted from sitting behind him to fully standing, her hands sheathed in her pants' pockets.
"Y-yes…" stuttered the boy. "My Path underwent a rapid transformation once I realized what I needed to do. It's gone from a gray, featureless landscape to one of golden wheat fields and eternal sunset."
Her eyes widened in surprise. "Wow. It does sound like a big change. Did you go through anything rough while in there? Maybe a fight to the death with a person you hated in the past? Or a tense, heated argument with your boss? I've actually heard of a Driver who had to go through the latter…"
"Really? I'm afraid mine was quite the bore in comparison. I was met with my past self, and he and I told stories to each other to fill in the gaps with a memory I temporarily repressed in my past. When I had remembered and reconciled with what drove me to be what I am today, the Path began to shift."
"That's good to hear, actually," replied Jhestine. "I've not seen it myself in person, but there are stories of Drivers who fall inside their Paths and suffer injury. Worse cases include disfigurement or even death."
Shudders and goosebumps assailed Raoul's body like an unseen hand dragging ice down his spine. I suppose I should've realized that. It's exactly like Krocko to drop me headfirst into a pool of uncertainty without giving me all the details beforehand.
He kicked his feet up and took the hand Jhestine offered him, righting himself within an instant. "What was your Path like, Miss Marrow? Was progressing any difficult?"
"Oh, mine?" she brought a tentative pointed finger to herself. "It was… rough, to say the least. I had to fend for my life both physically and mentally. My Path conjured up countless projections of my past party members. Nothing changed. I fought for days straight, and was only let free when I had beaten all three of them six hundred and sixty-six times."
A tilt from Raoul's head. "Why that number?"
"I'm not sure. I've received mixed answers from people that practice and believe in numerology. A seer from Klanta told me it meant I was going to die in the near future—that was three years ago, by the way. A temple priestess from the North Sento divined it as endless luck, while a shaman from an isolated tribe deep in the Winding Forest mentioned the number was often associated with the ire of the spirits."
She continued. "The point is that sometimes, Drivers don't always understand what their Paths are trying to tell them. All we wish is to move forward, but for that we have to undergo many trials."
Raoul peered into his watch. He frowned. A few hours had passed since he had sat down and entered his Path. Jhestine noticed his gaze and moved to explain in an instant.
"There's a bit of time dilation and or jet lag when a Driver first enters their Path," she revealed. "It's a common point among everyone that modern technology like watches and phones are rendered useless when within your world. You didn't see it, but from my perspective, you disappeared a few short seconds after you got into your meditation."
"I think I've imposed on you long enough, Miss Marrow. You only came here to visit the statue, but I took a great portion of your time."
"No, really, it's okay!" Jhestine reassured. "It's just, it's been a while since I've played host to a budding Driver, so I impulsively decided to cancel all my meetings and wait for you to return. I'm glad I at least managed to assist you in your meditation."
Raoul brought himself back to his initial meditation with her words. He recalled the warm feeling that rapidly took refuge in his body. It was gone now, but the memory of it was still vivid and fresh. "Could I ask what you did to help?"
Jhestine opened her mouth to reply, but hesitated and stopped before the words poured out. Her resulting voice was of pure concern and mild fear.
"Are you sure you want to know? You might be terrified of me if I tell you."
"I… I suppose I've already asked. It would eat away at my mind for a short while."
A slithering white mass of scales crept up Jhestine's left shoulder faster than Raoul could blink. The hisses came before the recognition; piercing, slitted eyes of crimson locked contact with him so intensely it was like it was staring into his eyes. It was thick, and yet moved with such grace and fluidity that he had a hard time believing the woman in front of him could carry it without a single change in expression.
Jhestine brought a hand to caress the snake's head. "This is Sai. He's a Pahfrit Snow Snake. They usually lay hidden in the thigh-deep snowy landscapes of the country of Pahfrit in the northeast, and wait until unsuspecting prey approach before pouncing to bite. I happened to be bitten by him during an adventure there, but I managed to tame him before the venom kicked in."
The Snow Snake hissed, and with a click of the tongue from its owner, it opened its jaws wide. Inside, two a pair of dagger-sized fangs protruded from the roof of its mouth, curving downward in a menacing near-arc. "Snow Snakes are unique, because they produce two different kinds of liquids in their mouth—a thick, green venom known as Stone-Ichor in their left fang, and a near-transparent antivenom known as Snow-Theriac in their right."
Raoul already felt hot at the extended explanation, but he silently urged Jhestine to continue nonetheless.
"What's fascinating is this: Snow Snakes are able to control which of the two they release when they bite, or even both if they wish. Stone-Ichor, when injected into the bloodstream of a living being, rapidly begins to crystallize in their veins, cutting off blood flow and petrifying prey from the inside out. Snow-Theriac, on the other hand, possesses the properties of an antidote specifically for the former."
"It gets better. Stone-Ichor and Snow-Theriac, when injected into a person's bloodstream at the exact same time, and at the exact same doses, produces a feeling of intense relaxation and focus. It's like… when you're in the zone when studying for your exams. When I asked you to ignore the slight intrusion, that really was me sending Sai here to bite you in the back. When I saw you quickly falling into focus, I knew it worked, as it always did."
"You've… done this before?" Raoul managed to mutter out.
"I have. A reigning philosophy of mine is that if there's an easier, less stressful way to reach one's ambitions, I always strive to go for it. Pain shouldn't be necessary to achieve your goals."
A stark contrast to someone he knew, who was more than content to unleash trial-by-fire. Raoul frowned. On one hand, he did imply his acceptance of her help by letting it happen, but on the other he wasn't sure how to feel that a snake had bitten him on the spine and injected venom inside.
"I appreciate the help, Miss Marrow. But… Maybe it would be better if you were to inform people of your way of assistance before you send a ten-foot long snake to bite them. I am very grateful, of course…"
"I guess it was too much," she nodded. "Don't worry, I will from now on. More importantly—how do you feel after progressing?"
"Like I did the first time I awakened. I feel full of conviction and power. There's an inexplicable urge inside me to put into practical use my new experiences, but I'm not quite sure how."
"I can help," she proposed. "If you don't mind, I could certainly take you to visit the building I work in. We offer Driving tests to new Drivers. There, we might be able to put a name to the Cycle you first awakened to. It'll be handy for you to get a right frame of view of your person."
He checked his watch again—half an hour past one. Right on cue, his stomach growled loudly. He shrunk back, embarrassed. He hadn't had lunch yet, after all.
"We can also get lunch," Jhestine chuckled. "Don't worry, it'll be my treat."
She was so nice.
"Why are you helping me so much, Miss Marrow?"
"Why?" She repeated, scratching at the scales on Sai's head like she was rubbing the belly of an infatuated puppy. "I suppose… It's because I'm interested in your Driving."