Path of the Exiled [Suri]

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"That is a distinct possibility, yes," replied Oud at the notion of the autopilot being the main cause of malfunction. It was unfortunate that he was as technologically learned as he could have been. He would need to make a note of that for the future. "Either the components were damaged or inaccessible to the AI's protocol, or the AI did not have access to begin with. Either a malfunction or an engineering malpractice. But that no longer matters now."

The Magister reached in through the broken window, a bony finger outstretched to tap on a few of the buttons that were on the central console. No response. Whatever had happened when he crash landed had completely damaged the central power system, shutting down all of the ships electronical systems.

He had no choice but to loop his arm around the cockpit door and pry the entire thing open. The heavy locking bolts snapped with a resounding clang as the door jutted open ever so slightly. Then, he pulled his arm back through the window and flung the hatch upward. The interior was a lot more damaged that he thought it would be. Much of the electronics had been smashed up in the impact. Panels had completely come apart, exposing the components within. It was all completely covered in sand, no doubt from the storms. He sighed and shook his head. It seemed that the pod would need some cleaning up as well as heavy reparations.

Suri was still a constant voice of ideas, though. It kept Oud looking on the brighter side of things, even if it was the voice of obviousness. "Telekinesis would be quite apt at this time, of course," he responded as he gave the ship a once over with his eyes. Much of the outside was still fairly intact save for some fallen panels and plating. Keeping everything together would be a simple task if he had his full strength.

As the majin asked him about his search, he leaned into the cockpit, a knee rested upon the pilot seat. "Every namekian ship has one or several compartments or storage bays inside," he revealed. "It is often used for emergency supplies should the crew be in a dire situation."

Indeed, at the back of the pod on the right was a small hatch. It was electronically controlled, but Oud had enough strength to rip it from its hinges. To his frustration there was very little. usually it contained a communicator coupled with signal flares, a ship repair unit that used automated technology to run diagnostics and repairs, and vials of healing fluid native to the planet. Instead, all he found was a small grey-black box.

He reached it to grab it. Taking it from the compartment, his thumb flicked the small clasp. Inside was a single vial of a dark, purple-violet liquid coupled with a small note. The mazoku's eyes widened—he knew what this vial contained. Between a finger and thumb he flipped the note over.

This is all I can do, my Lord. May this bring you strength. — 'M'

A smirk sprawled across his lips as his back was turned to the majin. Every correspondence that was sent to him by his fellow mazoku followers always signed it with 'M'. He had no doubt left in his mind that whoever prepared his pod for exile sabotaged it to hopefully get rid of him for good. It was good to know that he had a follower on the inside that was prepared to aid him in whatever way they could, as small as it was.

"Seems it was not stocked properly," said Oud as he closed the lid of the box. Climbing back out of the pod, he tucked the small box into his robe. "It seems I may be here for a while longer than I had originally planned."

---

The Magister gave Suri a small nod. "Indeed," he replied to her in a soft yet solemn voice. It will not be much of a consolation until I can find someone to repair the damages." He gave the ship a once-over. He had broken the bolting locks on the ship's hatch but he doubted that it would take the engineers any longer to fix.

He turned to look over at the young majin. He gazed at her loose, limp arms and legs. Her head had hung a little but he could see the resignation in her eyes. While he was no longer at his full strength now that it had been stripped from him, there was something that could never be taken from him: his perception. He could see that the majin was feeling some form of self-doubt or insecurity.

He reached out with a skinny hand and gently patted her right on the head. Her form was soft and squishy much like gum, much to the surprise of the Magister. He had also noticed that this hair-like form on top of her head was actually attached to the top of it like a bundle of tentacles on an urchin. He began to understand that she, and presumably the rest of her species, were formed from a single substance. Regardless, that thought didn't matter right now.

"You've no need to be concerned for me," he said to Suri, trying to ease her anxiety if only a little. It surprised even himself that he would be in such a situation. "I have survived for a couple of days here already, and I have survived worse back on Namek. I won't die so easily."

He hummed for a moment. The girl had been helpful more than he could have asked for, yet she was still willing to provide for him more assistance. "Well, if you would like to be of any further service," he began, "then some more of that water that you can conjure would be appreciated. Perhaps one or two. Us Namekians do not need to drink too much on a daily basis so it should last for a week or so."

He turned back towards the ship, then dove a hand into the inside of his robe to pull out the small black box that was inside the supply box. "And do not worry yourself for the lack of supplies. One of my followers has given me all that I need for the most part."

He slipped the box away once more as he went to face Suri again. "I understand you are concerned for an old namekian such as myself. You have a big and kind heart, that much I know as truth. However, you needn't concern yourself for me too much. I will cope in this place."

---

The Magister was keen to see what else Suri could do. He was aware that she could materialize objects and items at a moment's notice, though what he saw was something that was just magnificent. He had expected a couple of small bottles just like she had done earlier, but instead there were three bottles, each two litres in capacity.

He turned to look at them, then reached into the cockpit to pull one of them out. It was indeed real. His wrist turned from side to side, eyes watching the water within slosh from side to side, glistening in the bright sun's light with crystal clarity. "I did not expect this much," he said with an uncharacteristic pitch in his voice, both surprised and happy at the fact. "This will likely sustain me for a few weeks." He hummed with a smirk as he placed the bottle back on the seat.

Still, tough? A year ago he could have simply accepted that fact and take the words to feed his own arrogance and boastfulness. Now, not so much. "I would not call myself tough in such a sense," he replied. "All namekians are able to go without food or water for days on end. For myself, I tend to use my magic to keep me sustained. However, as weakened as I am right now, I will have to fall back on the mortal ways for the time being."

The box though was something… special. "Just from one of my followers," he said as he looked to Suri for a moment, then down at his robe. "As a researcher I have entrusted my knowledge to fellow namekians that are proficient in medicine and healing. In the box is just a small sample of that. Call it an elixir, if you will. Should anything happen to me here, it will come in handy."

The girl was quite inquisitive—a sign of someone who would seek knowledge just as the Magister had done in his youth. He wondered if she would end up following the same path as he did, delving and dabbling into the magical arts to attain power. He wondered if maybe he could persuade her to help him on his own, but that would be for another day.

He watched as she pulled out her phone and began to take pictures of the area. He has heard of cameras before—the saiyans and arcosians back home had many of them around their buildings in order to keep surveillance—though it seemed to Suri it was just another way to keep track of the area, remember what the place looked like whenever she decided to come back. Or she could be taking them for herself as part of a portfolio. Oud didn't let the finer details run away with him.

"In any case I must thank you for what you have done for me today," he praised her with a slight bow of his torso. "You have managed to help hasten my recovery. It is something I will not forget soon."

---

The Magister paused and gave that question some thought. Creation magic, or hydration magic? In truth, when he was in his prime, he could do both. The very fabric of space would bend to his will, letting him create and conjure anything magical or mundane. Items, objects, clothing. He could manipulate the elements to his whim—move the waters of the oceans; sunder the earth with but a wave of his hand; spark the flames and thunder of war as he willed it.

But that was then.

"Creation magic, my child," he replied in half-truths. "It was possibly one of my greatest feats of strength. I could create anything down from the smallest of trivial objects to the largest of castles with just a wave of my hand. In time I shall regain my power and I shall be able to perform those feats once more."

It made him think of his followers back home on Namek. He had hoped that regardless of what he had done prior on his home planet that his followers were not persecuted by the same token. Many of the other members of the Mazoku clan had not known of the actions that Oud had taken a year ago and then some before then. They remained oblivious to the experiments that he was undertaking in his sanctum. They shouldn't have to share in his sins.

Perhaps that was the only reason why they had continued to try and aid him during his exile.

"I do not know of what this 'senzu' is," he replied even if the majin was mumbling to herself; namekian ears were quite proficient in picking up even the most subtle of sounds, "though if it is anything similar to what I have in my possession right now, then I will be more than fine in this place. I have dealt with worse things, after all."

Still, it appeared as though Suri's time had run out for today. She had given her farewells and well-wishes to the mazoku. "Not at all, young one," he replied with a smile on his face. "I look forward to our next meeting. Remember to keep pressing on with your studies."

As the girl took off, Oud couldn't help but raise a hand to wave her off. A strange feeling to have a connection with an alien race…