The Innkeeper

Lex used his sixth sense, his instincts and his own better judgment all to determine the veracity of what Cassandra was saying. According to his own judgment, Cassandra did not seem like she wanted something from Lex, or wanted to set him up for something. Instead, her entire being reeked of objective neutrality. If Lex were really forced to assign an emotion to describe what she may be feeling, it might be akin to the feeling of a skillful jeweler upon discovering a unique gem - wanting to ensure the gem was polished and attached to a work that will make it shine like it deserves.

Ultimately, Lex could not detect any reason to doubt her, and the feeling emanating from deep inside of himself won. He stood respectfully in front of her and bowed slightly.

"Please teach me," Lex said humbly. Since he had become the Innkeeper, he hardly ever imagined himself lowering himself before someone else. But in this instance, where the other was much more learned than him and was guiding him, Lex did not feel any resistance or hesitation in bowing.

Cassandra showed the barest hint of a smirk before returning to her neutral expression.

"Before we begin your cultivation or training, we must establish a routine for you. I can see that your body has shrunk to that of a baby's size. Originally my suspicion was that this was a result of an energy deficiency in your body and that once your energy was replenished, you would grow back. But upon further analysis, I can see that in healing, your body truly has returned to an infantile state.

"Even the world's dumbest parent will know that babies need sleep and rest. Although your needs are not exactly the same, not following your body's needs creates a less than optimal result. Before you do anything else, you need to understand your body. It is what you will use your entire life, so the better you understand it and care for it, the better it will support you.

"For the duration of your stay at the temple, I will take care of your routine and nutrition. For the next three days, you must only sleep, eat and rest. Although you feel strong, babies should not be overly exerted. Once your condition returns to your peak after three days, we will begin your training.

"Be aware that once your training begins, it will be excruciating. To avoid any accidents, you will only be trained for a total of one month before you are led to deal with the deity. Mentally prepare yourself."

Cassandra turned around and indicated that Lex should follow as she led him towards his new bedroom. Lex felt slightly hesitant. Was it really okay for him to be napping around?

But then again, Cassandra had been able to dissect the nature of his inscriptions just as a projection, and apparently saw much more than anyone else. If she said his body needed him to sleep, she was probably right.

With a shrug he followed along until eventually he was brought to a strange, oval pod that opened up to reveal a bed submerged in water. The first thought Lex had was that this was a sensory deprivation pod, but that did not seem exactly right.

"While you sleep, your body will be gently massaged by the bed. The liquid inside is a special healing solution which will not only bring your body to its peak, it will boost your body's ability to heal for the next few weeks. For the next month you will be sleeping in this. It will help you recover fully after each training session, and be prepared for the next day. Now get some rest. When you wake up, I'll have a meal ready for you. Afterwards are a series of light exercises to gently stimulate your body without exerting it."

Intrigued, Lex stepped into the pod. The liquid was warm, and smelled quite soothing and pleasant. He could not help but relax and close his eyes, so that he could focus more on the smell.

It felt so comfortable, he could not help but lie back down and allow half his body to be submerged in the liquid. It covered his ears, but left the remainder of his face above the liquid, so that he had no problem sleeping.

The pod closed, though a dim, warm light filled the inside of the pod - not that Lex noticed. His attention was on the bed that was gently vibrating and moving under his body. Parts of it would protrude out in small spherical shapes, and move around underneath him, massaging his back.

It was physically impossible to resist the sigh of relief that escaped Lex's mouth, moments before he fell into a deep, restful sleep. His muscles relaxed, his mind let go of his worries and his soul allowed itself to simply float in its container.

When he woke up, he felt as if he had entered the pod for only a few seconds, but the difference he felt from his body was tremendous. He woke up feeling extremely fresh and without an ounce of drowsiness, so he got up and pushed open the pod.

He looked around and was surprised to see an entire feast waiting for him on a table right outside his pod. He jumped out, feeling like he had thoroughly acclimated to his new tiny body, and much stronger than he had been when he entered.

It was not just strength that bewildered him. Instead, his body felt so comfortable that he did not know how to describe it.

Still in somewhat of a daze, he grabbed a fruit that was laid out for him and took a bite. His pupils expanded as the fruit gushed out a sweet, pulpy juice staining his baby face and overwhelming his senses with sweetness.

Lex could not help but lick his lips as he glared at the fruit with some greed. In the duration of time it took for him to take a single bite, he completely forgot everything he was thinking before. Now, he was focused entirely on the food.

Opening up his mouth as wide as possible, he buried his face in the fruit.